Originally posted by PhilharMagician
Thanks to DVC we will be looking at going twice per year.
So you know, with SSR you will have a 50 year ownership. Just watch out when purchasing resale points. Alot of people use all of their points and borrow as much as they can and then sell. You need to watch the resale market every day to get a good bargin. Then with OKW I believe you have a 40 year ownership. If someone has owned it for 10 years you will be down to 30 years. This may not make a difference to you.
A few notes here. Other other resorts are not a 40 year membership, it just ends the year 2042. If you joined in 1990 or 2004, it ends the same time. People who joined earilier got more out of it (and for many years OKW got free park tickets too, but that ended a few years ago.) Currenlty we as DVC member are really pushing for better park discounts, and DVC tells us they "hear us and are looking into an answer." Personally I think we should get FLA resident discounts, time will tell.
When they started work on SSR they knew time was running out, so they extended it 10 years, 50 from when it started. If you buy in 5 years, it still ends 2054, so you have 5 less years. I didn't understand this and thought it was 40 years from when you started when we bought, it was not until after I learned the deadline. No one really knows what will happen to the other resorts in 2042, I will be rather old by then and am not worrying about it, but guess there will be some way to buy in and extend your points if you wanted for family members or children.
One important thing to keep in mind is there are 2 DVC resorts off prop that are just wonderful places for vacations. I haven't tried Hilton Head yet, but recently went to Vero Beach and we are just in love with that place. What a great allertintive for a vacation, so much fun and relaxing, and every bit a deluxe Disney Quailty resort and vacation. Tons of activities and great accomoadations. Our 3 year old calls it Disney Beach. Just another option to keep in mind. (it only cost us 50 points for 5 nights, inn room ocean view Sun- Friday.) That comes out to around 250 for the whole week at 5$ a point.
If you love AS and PC, and mods, keep in mind you can stay there on the weekends to save some points (rooms are about double points on weekends, so far the only thing I am not thrilled about with DVC, but you can great around it.) Warning, once going DVC, you don't want to go back. Also a studio at OKW isn't a true example of DVC, we stayed 10 days in one and was not as impressed with it as BCV. (Some people are very faithful to OKW and call it ithe only true DVC resort.) The one and 2 bedrooms there are huge! They are really nice. Also the points are less at OKW. Persoanlly while OKW is a great resort, the layout makes it feel more like a mod resort then deluxe, with DVC rooms.
So many good points I really agree with on this thread, mostly look into it and really understand it before you buy. As said before
www.disboards is a weath of understanding (with over a 1,000 active DVC members who really know the in's and out's of it.) One good thing about buying from Disney DVC is they guides really take their time in helping you understand every in and out of it. Even if you buy resale (say you really want BCV instead and it is all sold out) look into contacting DVC so they can help you understand it better. One rule of thumb is the sooner you do, the more enjoyment you get out of it.
I agree with PhilharMagician, espcially on the AP, and other ways to save money (you can do 2 trips within 12 months say, March, then Jan) and then take a year up to save points and money. ) Also the rooms themselves save you tons on food.
I really wish we had more points, (I was recenlty laid off) but since we are already DVC members, our WDW is set for the next 38 years and we don't have to give that up with buddget cuts. I think we will do resale for 50 to 100 points in 2 or so years.
