The VGF 2 pricing thread

[davidl81]

I do own there, but we love the one bedroom lake view, and the point charts are just so high I’m not really worried about availability decreasing, especially at 11 months. And if those new studios are in a newly created category that is the cheapest, they’ll probably be the most popular.
One other thing. Maybe Disney will freshen up some of the hotel common areas as well, which will benefit us all. We also own at CCV, and would consider staying at the “resort studios” for a night or two at the start of a longer visit to CCV just for fun.
One nice thing about VGF2 is that finally direct points (hopefully reasonably priced!) will be plentiful, at least for a little while. I bet it will sell out relatively fast.

At $200ish a point contracts will sell fairly quickly. A lot of the contracts may be smaller though (combination of the high price per point and low point requirement for studios) so not sure how long it will take them to sell out completely. At 200ish per point I plan on adding on 200 points when they go on presale to members.

 

[Paul Stupin]

At $200ish a point contracts will sell fairly quickly. A lot of the contracts may be smaller though (combination of the high price per point and low point requirement for studios) so not sure how long it will take them to sell out completely. At 200ish per point I plan on adding on 200 points when they go on presale to members.

I’m hoping for 200ish per point, but that will probably include the highest tier of incentives since I’m going to add on 325 points. I’d bet the smaller contracts might start around $225. It will deal a blow to the resale market, which is exactly what they’ll want to do.

 

[davidl81]

I’m hoping for 200ish per point, but that will probably include the highest tier of incentives since I’m going to add on 325 points. I’d bet the smaller contracts might start around $225. It will deal a blow to the resale market, which is exactly what they’ll want to do.

Yeah $225 makes sense before incentives. I’d guess something around $15 off for current owners at 200 points putting it at $210 a point. That seems reasonable to me. Slightly more than RIV, but not in a different stratosphere.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Yeah $225 makes sense before incentives. I’d guess something around $15 off for current owners at 200 points putting it at $210 a point. That seems reasonable to me. Slightly more than RIV, but not in a different stratosphere.

Agreed. That will drive the resale price down to around $160. Have no idea why people are buying VGF resale now at such inflated prices.

 

[Sandisw]

Agreed. That will drive the resale price down to around $160. Have no idea why people are buying VGF resale now at such inflated prices.

I agree with you. It’s insane because it’s the same resort that it was a few years back. VGF has always been pretty stable in the $140 to $160 range. It took a jump when the walkway was announced and then settled back into the $150 to $170 range.

However, right now, everything has jumped up so the increase for VGF isn’t unique which tells me it’s not about the resort as it is the market has gone crazy.

 

[RamblinWreck]

The vast majority of demand across DVC lies in studios, and particularly value studios, a fact of which Disney is quite aware, considering that VGF2 is exclusively studios, and DLT is primarily studios. Sure, you’ll have outliers who want to try one and two bedrooms, but as you said it works both ways, plus there will be VGF owners who want to try the new building.
The point cost for one and two bedrooms is monumentally high, and it’s hard for me to believe that there’s going to be a sudden, massive surge in demand for some of the priciest accommodations at WDW, when the entire new building is designed for value oriented buyers.

I agree there likely won't be a massive surge in demand.

But people who bought maybe at SSR thinking they could get a 1 bedroom at the GF at the 7 month window might be sweating it though. It could easily have enough of an effect on availability to make that much more challenging.

Anyone who owns at VGF should still be fine when trying to book well in advance.

 

[RamblinWreck]

Finally someone on board with me! We will be right.

My gut reaction was that they would price it high.

But I think I've come around to believing they will price it the exact same as everything else they are selling. Any differentiation will be through incentives (or lack thereof).

Points in the world of DVC are all treated equal. VGF is more expensive to stay at because its point chart is higher than "lesser" resorts.

I don't see any good reason to price them significantly differently from other points in the ecosystem.

 

[RamblinWreck]

As a fairly invested owner of VGF, I’ll be livid if this screws original owners over. I didn’t pay that much to fight for rooms in the owners window. We book 1 and 2 beds and so I’m rightfully nervous. Then again, maybe this is the push I need to sell my contract and get a condo nearby. The minute you tell me I have to book rooms at my home resort like dining reservations (in the middle of the night, day of) I’m out.

If you own at VGF, I don't see how this would make it challenging for you to book 1 and 2 bedroom accommodations.

I would only be worried if you like to book standard view 1 bedrooms at the 7 month window and you own elsewhere.

 

[Sandisw]

If you own at VGF, I don't see how this would make it challenging for you to book 1 and 2 bedroom accommodations.

I would only be worried if you like to book standard view 1 bedrooms at the 7 month window and you own elsewhere.

I think the concern is that, just like points for bungalows and cabins, you are adding a lot of new points that come attached to studios. Those new owners are not going to be restricted to booking those so the number of potential owners now competing for 1 and 2 bedrooms will increase.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I think the concern is that, just like points for bungalows and cabins, you are adding a lot of new points that come attached to studios. Those new owners are not going to be restricted to booking those so the number of potential owners now competing for 1 and 2 bedrooms will increase.

Absolutely. I don't think there's any doubt that you're adding some buyers who want 1 bedroom villas, but you're not adding any new 1 bedroom villas.

But the availability of those villas at present is at a point where there is absolutely no competition for them. I don't think you're going to have such a surge in demand that people are fighting for them right when the 11 month window opens up. Probably not even on the most in-demand days of the year.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Also RIV is currently not selling at a great pace at its current pricing. It would not be logical for Disney to spend the capital on the VGF2 project, and price it so high it has trouble selling. If RIV was selling at a very high rate maybe, but RIVs best sales were at a lower price point. VGF is a better location IMO but asking almost 30% more for it is not going to happen. It’s never happened in the history of DVC that they released a new resort and had that large of a price increase versus their currently selling resort.

I agree RIV sold better at their lower price point. VGF2 will have only 40 years left. I don't see a lot of new buyers spending over 200 per point for it.

Value buyers for cheap studio rooms = Yes
But.... get out your checkbooks, because they are going to make you pay for it. $275pp

No way will they be able to sell for 275. DVC wants to sell their inventory. This is a cheap remodel of an existing building. I think presales start 185 to 225 and the price remains somewhere in that range. Good luck selling higher.it is not worth it if its higher in my opinion. I think we are going to see a few hotel conversions. Easy for disney, fills their resorts and shifts costs to dvc. I would not be surprised if we see a YC or BC conversion at some point where they take a wing of either and convert them to dvc much like wilderness lodge.

 

[AEA1127]

We own at VGF currently and were starting to think about adding more points right as this announcement came out. When we heard this we decided to take a wait and see approach and see what happens. Our family doesn't need the points this year, so not a rush on purchasing just want to do in the near future.

Does waiting seem like the best plan for now? Figured there was a chance for incentives so holding off could save us money. We have a direct contract with blue card benefits, so if resale prices dropped enough we'd likely go that avenue and get more points.

 

[Paul Stupin]

We own at VGF currently and were starting to think about adding more points right as this announcement came out. When we heard this we decided to take a wait and see approach and see what happens. Our family doesn't need the points this year, so not a rush on purchasing just want to do in the near future.

Does waiting seem like the best plan for now? Figured there was a chance for incentives so holding off could save us money. We have a direct contract with blue card benefits, so if resale prices dropped enough we'd likely go that avenue and get more points.

I think waiting is totally the best plan, and will give you two options in several months, both better than buying resale now. Option #1 is to buy direct for a price not much higher than current resale, and be able to use the points at future DVC resorts, and Riviera. Option #2 is to buy resale at a price that could be 20-25% lower than it is now. Unless you’re desperate for the points, it makes zero sense to buy resale now unless, I suppose, you can get a contract for $160 per point.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

There better be booking categories, especially if the new VGF studios have no “ kitchen sink”. I don’t care how much bigger the new studios are supposed to be. That totally downgrades my stay and I will continue to book my original VGF DVC studios exactly at 11 months.

 

[AEA1127]

I think waiting is totally the best plan, and will give you two options, both better than buying resale now. Option #1 is to buy direct for a price not much higher than current resale, and be able to use the points at future DVC resorts, and Riviera. Option #2 is to buy resale at a price that could be 20-25% lower than it is now. Unless you’re desperate for the points, it makes zero sense to buy resale now unless, I suppose, you can get a contract for $160 per point.

Thanks! That was what we were thinking but wanted to make sure I'm not missing something. Unless resale drops dramatically, our plan was to buy direct anyways because we'd prefer to have access to all our points at other resorts. BUT if resale dropped in response to this we could shift and go that route for the right amount of savings. I'm dying to have the official information on pricing etc to drop!

 

[Paul Stupin]

There better be booking categories, especially if the new VGF studios have no “ kitchen sink”. I don’t care how much bigger the new studios are supposed to be. That totally downgrades my stay and I will continue to book my original VGF DVC studios exactly at 11 months.

Maybe the new VGF2 studios will come with a Mickey shaped bucket and hose for the ”kitchen,” which can attach to the bathroom sink!
Actually, I don’t think Disney, a leader in customer surveys, questionnaires, and no doubt focus groups, would proceed with this renovation unless they were absolutely convinced the product would sell. That’s why I think the new studios have got to have some version of a kitchen sink.

 

[pirate33]

I think waiting is totally the best plan, and will give you two options in several months, both better than buying resale now. Option #1 is to buy direct for a price not much higher than current resale, and be able to use the points at future DVC resorts, and Riviera. Option #2 is to buy resale at a price that could be 20-25% lower than it is now. Unless you’re desperate for the points, it makes zero sense to buy resale now unless, I suppose, you can get a contract for $160 per point.

I’m in the same situation—wait to buy or not—and have given this a lot of thought. I firmly believe waiting Is the right thing to do for reasons already explained.

 

[pirate33]

Re the kitchen sink thing (more like a bar sink IMHO), my money is that they will be included because that seems pretty core to marketing the product. If they are gutting to the studs, which I would expect, then the marginal cost of adding the sinks should be minimal. However, if they just redecorate the existing rooms then that would change the economics for sure. The construction period does seem awfully short, though, and that weighs against redecoration v. gutting. Time will tell.

 

[RamblinWreck]

One thing I'm not seeing discussed as much is the annual dues.

Any chance VGF goes from being one of the best deals on annual dues to more like Riviera?

 

[dvc lover 1970]

One thing I'm not seeing discussed as much is the annual dues.

Any chance VGF goes from being one of the best deals on annual dues to more like Riviera?

RIV will always be higher in my opinion because they are a complete DVC resort, and disney gave them a skyline stand, which means part of the skyline fees will be allocated to RIV, how much - do not know, but the fact they put a stand there pretty much says it all, especially since Carribean beach is literally right there