Why not purchase at Vero Beach or HIlton Head?

[Cfabar1]

I asked our guide last fall about the DVC SA question…. She was very honest about it…

She said after VB was hit by 2-3 hurricanes in one year (2003?) Disney decided that they were going to pass a Special Assessment. They briefed the DVC SAs and team about this. It was going to be a modest amount - maybe $500 or so per customer. She said, following the meeting, no sooner had she returned to her desk that she received a notice that the company had decided NOT to apply the SA.

She then also pointed out that, that’s how Disney “had” operated in the past, but you never know what they may decide to do now or in the future…. I sort of read the comment as being about Chapek and the (then) current leadership team’s nickel and dimming ways….

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I purchased HHI direct last year, 100 pt. contract just for the ability to book at 11 months. We will only use it once a year in June or July and it was impossible to get those months at 7 months. But, I am having buyers remorse. After reading all the comments here, I realize that MF is really expensive. The only good news is I paid cash for the contract so no finance charges but still, it may have been cheaper to just rent points for our yearly beach trip.

 

[Stank]

Vero’s $12pp dues aren’t as scary as people think when you look at the other Epcot 2042’s. The reason being is because Vero can be had at $55pp. As we get later in the 2020s and early 2032s, you’re going to see dramatic time decay take hold on those Epcot 2042s. They’ll be shedding $10-20/year in resale value as Boardwalk/Beach Club are selling for $150-190pp currently!

You have to adjust those annual dues at Vero and the Epcot 2042s to consider the time decay that’s in front of you. Vero at $55pp won’t be falling all that much into 2042 because it’s already $55. Epcot resorts are going to fall from $150-190 to $0 at expiration. You’re not going to be buying Boardwalk at $150 in 2040. It’s going to be <$20. That depreciation HAS to be treated as your annual cost, or annual dues.

So, it doesn’t make sense to me why $12pp dues are too high, but people will be content with taking $12pp annual depreciation in a few years on those $150 Boardwalk contracts—and that’s not even looking at the dues!

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

So, it doesn’t make sense to me why $12pp dues are too high, but people will be content with taking $12pp annual depreciation in a few years on those $150 Boardwalk contracts

The Boardwalk contracts get you priority at the Boardwalk resorts whereas VB gets you sleep around points. If you’re buying VB to stay at VB I guess maybe. But if you’re buying it for sleep around points, then you shouldn’t be comparing it to the Boardwalk Resorts, you should be comparing it to SSR. And SSR is a much much better deal by almost any measure.

Edit: To be clear I don’t think the Boardwalk Resorts are worth their current price point either. But I think justifying VB because it is a “better” deal than the Boardwalk Resorts is the wrong comparison to make.

 

[Stank]

The Boardwalk contracts get you priority at the Boardwalk resorts whereas VB gets you sleep around points. If you’re buying VB to stay at VB I guess maybe. But if you’re buying it for sleep around points, then you shouldn’t be comparing it to the Boardwalk Resorts, you should be comparing it to SSR. And SSR is a much much better deal by almost any measure.

Edit: To be clear I don’t think the Boardwalk Resorts are worth their current price point either. But I think justifying VB because it is a “better” deal than the Boardwalk Resorts is the wrong comparison to make.

Fair and good points. I was just addressing the common theme of don’t buy at Vero/HHI as dues are very high. I personally won’t buy there either just from a natural disaster standpoint plus the fact that the property insurance market in Florida is in absolute shambles. The legislature is having to take serious steps for reform right now, but ultimately several insurance companies are exiting the state.

The issue is looking at $12pp vs $8pp doesn’t capture the time decay that other 2042 resorts will have. That $120 BWV is going to zero in 19 years. When that time decay takes over I’m not sure. Certainly by 2032 and within that 10 year window, that residual value decays/depreciates at an accelerating pace. Those costs are the true costs in addition to your annual dues.

So if there’s a $70-100 delta between Vero and other 2042s, you’re looking at an annual $4-6pp loss holding other 2042s. If your dues are $8, that puts you at or above Vero dues.

Of course if BWV are what you want that’s a different calculation altogether that can’t be necessarily quantified. Ultimately it comes to subjectivity. Objectively, Vero gets unfairly criticized as people look at straight dues-to-dues. I was offering a different look at the calculus as I believe very few people take into account when that time decay takes over, Epcot 2042’s will have effective annual due rates above Vero. So if the argument is one doesn’t like Vero due to $12 dues, why would that same person not also acknowledge they don’t like another 2042 whose dues are $13+ when you add the delta in depreciation to zero. You can love the other 2042s and that’s fine…but you can’t say $12 is greater than $13.

 

[Cfabar1]

The fact is, if you want HHI in the summer, you have to buy points there. I have realized a few things:
1. I don’t like their layouts at HHI for a weeklong vacation
2. If I am doing a weeklong vacation do I really want to go to HHI every year? Probably not.
3. the points are too expensive for SAP.
4. If I want to go to HHI every year, why do I have to stay at Disney’s resort specifically? There are many nice options nearby.

If HHI had a cash rates option with more rooms, I bet it would be a hit resort for Disney. I could see Disney keeping the property, and making less rooms available to DVC after 2042.

 

[Sandisw]

Fair and good points. I was just addressing the common theme of don’t buy at Vero/HHI as dues are very high. I personally won’t buy there either just from a natural disaster standpoint plus the fact that the property insurance market in Florida is in absolute shambles. The legislature is having to take serious steps for reform right now, but ultimately several insurance companies are exiting the state.

The issue is looking at $12pp vs $8pp doesn’t capture the time decay that other 2042 resorts will have. That $120 BWV is going to zero in 19 years. When that time decay takes over I’m not sure. Certainly by 2032 and within that 10 year window, that residual value decays/depreciates at an accelerating pace. Those costs are the true costs in addition to your annual dues.

So if there’s a $70-100 delta between Vero and other 2042s, you’re looking at an annual $4-6pp loss holding other 2042s. If your dues are $8, that puts you at or above Vero dues.

Of course if BWV are what you want that’s a different calculation altogether that can’t be necessarily quantified. Ultimately it comes to subjectivity. Objectively, Vero gets unfairly criticized as people look at straight dues-to-dues. I was offering a different look at the calculus as I believe very few people take into account when that time decay takes over, Epcot 2042’s will have effective annual due rates above Vero. So if the argument is one doesn’t like Vero due to $12 dues, why would that same person not also acknowledge they don’t like another 2042 whose dues are $13+ when you add the delta in depreciation to zero. You can love the other 2042s and that’s fine…but you can’t say $12 is greater than $13.

Many of those comparisons had to do with people buying to use at WDW. So, you save up front, but over time, that difference is eaten up with the additional dues, which makes the initial savings disappear eventually, and you are now stuck with something that you can never book at WDW until 7 months.

However, as we get closer to the end of these contracts, it may never eat up all the initial savings.

So, I don’t think it’s the actual price…I’d pay $12/point for where I want to stay…but that the higher dues need to be considered when buying HH and VB, if thr sole purpose is WDW and one is only looking at buy in price.

 

[tom1944]

The fact is, if you want HHI in the summer, you have to buy points there. I have realized a few things:
1. I don’t like their layouts at HHI for a weeklong vacation
2. If I am doing a weeklong vacation do I really want to go to HHI every year? Probably not.
3. the points are too expensive for SAP.
4. If I want to go to HHI every year, why do I have to stay at Disney’s resort specifically? There are many nice options nearby.

If HHI had a cash rates option with more rooms, I bet it would be a hit resort for Disney. I could see Disney keeping the property, and making less rooms available to DVC after 2042.

How is Hilton Head in November or March? Are day trips to Savannah or Charleston reasonable day trips?

We have houses at the shore for summer vacations already so I was thinking occasionally we could go to HHI in the offseason instead of a WDW trip.

 

[Cfabar1]

You can use the availability tool to get an idea. I was coincidentally looking at November the other day and it looked mostly okay with our dates - but keep in mind it is still before the 7 month booking window.

 

[tom1944]

You can use the availability tool to get an idea. I was coincidentally looking at November the other day and it looked mostly okay with our dates - but keep in mind it is still before the 7 month booking window.

Sorry I meant the weather and things to do not if there would be rooms available.

 

[Mikey15]

Sorry I meant the weather and things to do not if there would be rooms available.

Looks like it’s in the low-mid 50s today, which sounds about right. We stopped at St Augustine in Mid-November on the way back from Orlando and it was in the high 60s and windy. Locals were wearing windbreakers, but we Canadians wandered the beach barefoot and in short sleeves. Hilton Head is just a bit north from that, so 50s and 60s in November wouldn’t surprise me, but nothing that a light sweater couldn’t deal with.

If you are looking at staying off-season though it seems to me point rental could be just as economical. You can rent sleep around points for $16 a few forums down, when HHI dues are at $10.73. When there’s only 19 years of points left (including ‘23) there’s a reason the points are so cheap to buy.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Looks like it’s in the low-mid 50s today, which sounds about right

The East Coast is currently experiencing a once in a generation arctic freeze. I wouldn’t use today as a barometer for what it’s normally like there this time of year.

 

[bobbiwoz]

How is Hilton Head in November or March? Are day trips to Savannah or Charleston reasonable day trips?

We have houses at the shore for summer vacations already so I was thinking occasionally we could go to HHI in the offseason instead of a WDW trip.

Had a week with friends in HHI last March. Great day trip to Savannah. Swimming at the pool three days if I remember correctly, and great bike riding weather.

 

[crisi]

How is Hilton Head in November or March? Are day trips to Savannah or Charleston reasonable day trips?

We have houses at the shore for summer vacations already so I was thinking occasionally we could go to HHI in the offseason instead of a WDW trip.

Savannah is about an hour drive. Charleston is two hours one way. We do HHI in Feb or March but we don't need HHI points for February or March, its open at seven months. The weather is cool - mid 50s seems about right - its jacket weather every year we've gone - its better than Minnesota and we walk along the beach and maybe get our toes wet - and we might take a dip in the DVC heated pool depending on the weather. There isn't a ton to do on the island in the off season - golf, hang out, walk on the beach. go out for dinner. My husband tends to work from the room and I hang out and read - sometimes in the room, sometimes in the lodge. The crowd there in the Winter is older (its a lot of snowbirds - apparently from Ohio) - in the Summer you get a lot more families and the party crew.

But there are plenty of properties on HHI and they are all affordable in February and March (but possibly not over Spring Break). We stay at Disney because we aren't using our points at WDW right now.