I've been trying to crunch the numbers on DVC and it's hard to see if it's worth it with an unknown increase in Maintenance fees over the lifetime of the membership. I inquired about Grand Floridan Villas, my first choice, and they are not for sale right now and there is no waitlist. I also love the Polynesian but will always need one bedroom or greater with a family of 4 now so for the price not sure its a good fit. Question: With Saratoga Springs resale being half the price of Poly direct, or GF if I could buy, does anyone buy resale and never stay at the home resort? Sorry if that's a random, weird question, I'm a total newbie.
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Does anyone buy resale of lowest price DVC and use at Sold Out resorts?
- Thread starter OceanBlue
- Start date
Grand Floridian DVC is getting an expansion and should be available for sale in January or February.
What you’re asking about is “sleep around points”, and lots of people have lots of opinions on them, but there’s a healthy percentage of SSR and OKW owners who do that.
Have you looked into buying resale? It will save you 30-50% off of buying from Disney
What you’re asking about is “sleep around points”, and lots of people have lots of opinions on them, but there’s a healthy percentage of SSR and OKW owners who do that.
Have you looked into buying resale? It will save you 30-50% off of buying from Disney
nickys
Premium Member
Yes people do that. The main thing to consider is that at certain times of the year, booking at 7 months may be difficult availability wise. If you’re looking at 1-beds that makes it easier. But during the busy DVC period, October to early January, you might find yourself having to piece together a reservation. So make sure you’d be happy to stay where you buy, don’t buy at a resort you really don’t like. And many people will book at 11 months and try and switch at 7 months if their dates are fairly fixed.
Oh my gosh that's funny and I can imagine. Thanks for the heads up.
Well, we own all of our points at SSR, but do “sleep around”. The difference is that we love SSR, so don’t have a problem staying there. We always reserve SSR at 11 months to ensure a stay when we want, and then, if we want, we look at the 7 month window to possibly switch to another resort. Over the last 15 years, we have stayed in every DVC resort except CCV, BRV, and Riviera. We’ll get to them eventually.
So if you buy at SSR or OKW, be prepared that at times, you may have to stay there.
RyPat
Well-Known Member
We've owned DVC for 5-6 years with Saratoga being our home resort (for $$ reasons). Only once have we actually stayed at Saratoga and that was a last minute trip. We've used our points at Animal, Boardwalk, Beach Club, Poly, Contemporary and Wilderness with no problems. Currently our April '22 trip is booked at Saratoga, but at the 7 month mark we'll try for Boardwalk/Wilderness... although with the 50th AND people dying to get back after Covid this time might be a little more difficult and we may end up having to keep Saratoga.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
The question is why wouldn’t you do that??
the blue card is the only reason not to
wait until they announce fastpass and see what that does to the equation - my advice
the blue card is the only reason not to
wait until they announce fastpass and see what that does to the equation - my advice
FCivish3
Member
The way to do it is buy SSR, OKW or Animal Kingdom on the resale market. They cost significantly less that way, and they are each great resorts in their own right.
Then, plan your trips in advance. BOOK your desired times at your home resort in the 7 to 11 month window. You might split it into two blocks, just to make it easier to replace.
By booking at your home resort you are guaranteed the dates you want. But you are going to TRY to replace it. If you don't replace it, you can merge the blocks later, into one block, IF they are the exact same type of unit and same VIEW.
If it is long, 5 days or more, you might want to book two (or more) separate blocks of 2 to 4 days each at your home resort. This is because it is often easier to fill a waitlist request for 2 or 3 days than for 7 days. You will need to fill two or more waitlist requests. You can only make TWO wait list requests at the same time, so you might want to just divide up into two blocks. However, it does have the disadvantage that IF your waitlist comes through on only 1 of the 2 blocks, then you will need to change resorts half way through your visit.
As soon as the 7 month window opens, on the very day, put in a waitlist request (or two. This will give you excellent priority for filling off the waitlist request, over the next 7 months. If you have split your initial reservation into two blocks) and specify that each waitlist request will REPLACE one of your blocks at your home resort, for the same dates.
If the waitlist request is for THE SAME number of points or MORE points than your home resort, you can specify the 7 day termination window for the waitlist request. (7 days before the travel date.) If it is for a reservation that has LESS points, you might want to specify that you will terminate the waitlist request 30 days before travel, since you don't want to get stuck with any leftover HOLDING POINTS.
If you do this early enough, and you choose rooms that are not RARE and at a resort where there are adequate numbers of rooms, you will almost certainly get your waitlist requests, and be able to stay where you want. Many many people will change their vacation plans and drop their reservations over a 7 month period. So if you are at the top of the waitlist, by listing right at 7 months, you should get it. Again, as long as it is at a resort where there are adequate numbers of rooms in your preferred category. Some resorts have 40 to 100 or more rooms in each category. Other resorts might only have a dozen. If there are at least several dozen rooms in your category at your preferred resort, it is almost certain that several people will cancel at some point, and you will get it.
The key is planning early, and doing it right.
Then, plan your trips in advance. BOOK your desired times at your home resort in the 7 to 11 month window. You might split it into two blocks, just to make it easier to replace.
By booking at your home resort you are guaranteed the dates you want. But you are going to TRY to replace it. If you don't replace it, you can merge the blocks later, into one block, IF they are the exact same type of unit and same VIEW.
If it is long, 5 days or more, you might want to book two (or more) separate blocks of 2 to 4 days each at your home resort. This is because it is often easier to fill a waitlist request for 2 or 3 days than for 7 days. You will need to fill two or more waitlist requests. You can only make TWO wait list requests at the same time, so you might want to just divide up into two blocks. However, it does have the disadvantage that IF your waitlist comes through on only 1 of the 2 blocks, then you will need to change resorts half way through your visit.
As soon as the 7 month window opens, on the very day, put in a waitlist request (or two. This will give you excellent priority for filling off the waitlist request, over the next 7 months. If you have split your initial reservation into two blocks) and specify that each waitlist request will REPLACE one of your blocks at your home resort, for the same dates.
If the waitlist request is for THE SAME number of points or MORE points than your home resort, you can specify the 7 day termination window for the waitlist request. (7 days before the travel date.) If it is for a reservation that has LESS points, you might want to specify that you will terminate the waitlist request 30 days before travel, since you don't want to get stuck with any leftover HOLDING POINTS.
If you do this early enough, and you choose rooms that are not RARE and at a resort where there are adequate numbers of rooms, you will almost certainly get your waitlist requests, and be able to stay where you want. Many many people will change their vacation plans and drop their reservations over a 7 month period. So if you are at the top of the waitlist, by listing right at 7 months, you should get it. Again, as long as it is at a resort where there are adequate numbers of rooms in your preferred category. Some resorts have 40 to 100 or more rooms in each category. Other resorts might only have a dozen. If there are at least several dozen rooms in your category at your preferred resort, it is almost certain that several people will cancel at some point, and you will get it.
The key is planning early, and doing it right.
nickys
Premium Member
@FCivish3 , I’d agree with you in normal circumstances. The next year, or two, might change things quite a bit. There are a lot of extra points floating around and it’ll make things more difficult, for anyone wanting to travel October to early January but also other popular times too.
So I would caution that you shouldn’t buy at somewhere you really wouldn’t be happy to stay at. And that booking early at your home resort is going to become important.
So I would caution that you shouldn’t buy at somewhere you really wouldn’t be happy to stay at. And that booking early at your home resort is going to become important.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
The price from Disney is not a good value
nickys
Premium Member
A non sequitur post if ever I saw one.
striker1064
Active Member
Definitely not, but I think @nickys means buy resale where you would be happy staying, not direct. Just make sure to buy a resort you wouldn't mind staying if you can't switch at 7 months while we have this availability crunch.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
It’s more of a “mission statement” than a non sequitur
here’s where this “issue” sits (opinion)
1. never buy direct from DVC…as they are airborne over the shark
2. Caution on the “buy where you want to stay” for this reason. If you say “I looooove beach club”…then there’s a issue there. Because you still end up buying it for $150 bucks a point…and the clock has 20 years left. So you are paying above reasonable market rate there.
3. Hold off buying anything now. First…they need to get some “bad numbers” somewhere to think about what they’re doing. Second…until they make it clear what they’re doing with fastpass and annual pass…do not buy a timeshare. Those are key unresolved questions. Make them tell you what you’re looking at.
nickys
Premium Member
You have your own mission statement?It’s more of a “mission statement” than a non sequitur
It was a non sequitur because my comment said nothing about buying direct or resale, nor did it need to. The comment is my opinion, regardless of how someone buys. Which, of course, is their decision not yours anyway.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
I just like to throw the “don’t play for that monstrosity at caribbean” as much as possible.You have your own mission statement?
It was a non sequitur because my comment said nothing about buying direct or resale, nor did it need to. The comment is my opinion, regardless of how someone buys. Which, of course, is their decision not yours anyway.
I have many “mission statements” when it comes to Disney
But the main one is “protect yourself…cause they’re not your friend.” It’s transactional.
nickys
Premium Member
Since you are pushing them to buy resale, the position of APs doesn’t affect the decision one iota.
But if looking to buy direct, the price will jump round about the middle to end of January when they start selling the extra GFV points. So it would make sense to buy now.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
So buying a timeshare that is primarily (bs aside) attached to a specify park complex is separate in reality from the pricing polices of that complex?
I guess theoretically they are…but not in practice.
I must be out of the box on this one?
and saying “wait” in this case isn’t abstract…we could be days, weeks or af most months from answers. These are operational/sales necessities.
the idea that they can go to full opening/Capacity without a park management system is false. Numbers don’t work
nickys
Premium Member
No it isn’t (although that said I know DVC members who rarely go to the parks). But if they’re buying resale they don’t get an AP discount so it doesn’t impact whether to buy now or not.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Granted…but not knowing does affect the overall costs moving forward. I’m just saying - under the circumstances - it would be best to know that information.
No it isn’t (although that said I know DVC members who rarely go to the parks). But if they’re buying resale they don’t get an AP discount so it doesn’t impact whether to buy now or not.
I’m not talking about the discount…we don’t have firm direction on their continued existence.
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striker1064
Active Member
I agree in theory, but this really requires some analysis of what you think Beach Club hotel cash prices will look like over the next 20 years. It's possible a $150/point buy-in still reflects a discount over cash rates for the next 20 years. Enough of a discount? I dunno, I haven't done the math. But I can follow the logic here, as long as the person buying Beach Club uses all their points at Beach Club only.
I also think there's some value in being completely rid of a timeshare with ballooning annual maintenance fees in 20 years, with no obligations remaining to the owner.