Need help in determining if DVC will work for my family.

[Master Yoda]

I need some help in a bad way. With all the talk of new premium room rates for weekends and room discounts on the decline the alternative of the DVC is really starting to come under serious consideration in the Yoda household. My wife and I took the tour about 5 years ago and really liked it but it did not seem like we were going to be better off with DVC vs. booking regular rooms. I know that there are a few DVC sales and resale reps on the forum so I was really hoping one could PM me so we could have an off the record conversation about if we can make DVC work for the Yoda family.

Here are our current travel patterns and pretty much any other info that may be important.

We are a party of 5 and occasionally 6. When we are a party of 5 PORS is our resort of choice and when we have 6 we get 2 rooms at a value. Our favorite resort on property is AKL.

All 5 of us have Florida resident seasonal annual passes.

Nearly all of our trips are weekend trips. We will make about 6 to 8 of these weekends trips every year. Dates that we always seem to be there are one trip in mid February, March, the last 2 weekends in May and the first weekend in June (depending on SWW dates), and Labor day weekend. We will do 2 4 day trips per year one in the first week of October and and one the second week of December. Those trips are typically Saturday through Tuesday trips.

Ideally we would like to be able to keep our current travel schedule.

So what it would take to make all this work at the lowest cost using DVC?

 

[brkgnews]

Obviously not a full SitRep for you here, but some points to note, applicable to your situation...

1) The fact that you have seasonal passes means that your blackouts will fall during the busiest seasons (and thusly, the highest point value season for DVC). BUT keep in mind that DVC's seasons and Disney's other seasons don't always jibe exactly.

2) Either with rack rooms or DVC rooms, you're going to have a higher cost (dollars or DVC points) for weekends.

3) For a party your size, you could either handle a one or two bedroom (depending on resort configuration and how friendly you're willing to get after a sweaty day in the parks). These are mid-rang point accomodations (not as "cheap" as studios, but not as prohibitive as the "grand villas").

4) You can get in to PORS, but there will be a higher point cost due to the fact that it's not a DVC resort. However, your tippy top favorite, AK, is going to be a DVC.

5) Since AKL is one of the DVCs currently "on sale," that means it can be your home resort and thus, you'll have the opportunity to book 11 months out, rather than having to wait till seven months out (and since it'll probably be very popular, that's a good thing). Then again, if your trips are more spur-of-the-moment, this may mean nothing to you.

6) Sorry, but for the life of me I cannot remember if you get a DVC discount on FL Seasonal Pass renewals. If you do, that in itself would take a chunk out of the cost each year.

This all may be info that you already know like the back of your hand -- just wanted to throw it out there for consideration as applicable to your situation.

Have you checked point charts and dates and how many points you'd likely use?

 

[Master Yoda]

Have you checked point charts and dates and how many points you'd likely use?

I was e-mailed a link to a point calculator over at the dis boards and for our typical year I came up with an incredibly high 530 +/- points using a 1 bed room at Beach Club. I was told this would be about as close to the what the points would be at AKL.

 

[ConstanceIrene]

I was e-mailed a link to a point calculator over at the dis boards and for our typical year I came up with an incredibly high 530 +/- points using a 1 bed room at Beach Club. I was told this would be about as close to the what the points would be at AKL.

If you're a party of 5 or 6, a one-bedroom isn't going to be enough for you. You'll need a two-bedroom, which is more points than 2 studios.

For instance, from Feb. 1-15, the BC points are:


---------- Studio --- One-Bedroom --- Two-Bedroom
Sun. - Thurs. 13 --- ---28 ----- ------- 34

Fri. - Sat. --- 29 -------- 56 ----------- 72

If the members of your party are old enough to have their own space, you'd be better off with 2 studios. I've tried to line up the points with the types of rooms.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[hansel1]

I would have to agree that you should choose 2 studios over a one bedroom. DVC allows 4 people and a baby in their one-bedroom unit. They allow 4 people in each studio.

Also, you are looking at beach club. Why not Boardwalk? It's close to BC and had a Standard view rate that is lower than normal rates for each season.

BC doesn't have many units and it may be difficult to book during the weeks you have planned.

I originally wanted to purchase BC becuase of the pool area, however after weighing the pros and cons I chose BWVs.

 

[hansel1]

Obviously not a full SitRep for you here, but some points to note, applicable to your situation...

1) The fact that you have seasonal passes means that your blackouts will fall during the busiest seasons (and thusly, the highest point value season for DVC). BUT keep in mind that DVC's seasons and Disney's other seasons don't always jibe exactly.

2) Either with rack rooms or DVC rooms, you're going to have a higher cost (dollars or DVC points) for weekends.

3) For a party your size, you could either handle a one or two bedroom (depending on resort configuration and how friendly you're willing to get after a sweaty day in the parks). These are mid-rang point accomodations (not as "cheap" as studios, but not as prohibitive as the "grand villas").

4) You can get in to PORS, but there will be a higher point cost due to the fact that it's not a DVC resort. However, your tippy top favorite, AK, is going to be a DVC.

5) Since AKL is one of the DVCs currently "on sale," that means it can be your home resort and thus, you'll have the opportunity to book 11 months out, rather than having to wait till seven months out (and since it'll probably be very popular, that's a good thing). Then again, if your trips are more spur-of-the-moment, this may mean nothing to you.

6) Sorry, but for the life of me I cannot remember if you get a DVC discount on FL Seasonal Pass renewals. If you do, that in itself would take a chunk out of the cost each year.

This all may be info that you already know like the back of your hand -- just wanted to throw it out there for consideration as applicable to your situation.

Have you checked point charts and dates and how many points you'd likely use?

Your seasonal pass renewal price ($208) is going to be hard to beat if your stays and DVC seasons match up.

Just remember that DVC gives discounts on their annual passes. None on seasonal passes.

 

[brkgnews]

I was e-mailed a link to a point calculator over at the dis boards and for our typical year I came up with an incredibly high 530 +/- points using a 1 bed room at Beach Club. I was told this would be about as close to the what the points would be at AKL.

Here's the AKL chart, as posted on TAGREL...
http://www.tagrel.com/Points/2008/akv.shtml

 

[MaxsDad]

Yoda,

I just bought at AKV this Spring. So here's my point of view for your consideration. It may be obvious, but walk through this with me:

Since you like AKL, I will assume that you would like to own there. All of their 1 BR villas will sleep 5, except the "Value" category. Meaning, Standard View, Savannah View, and Concierge Club all can sleep 5. The Pt's. required are roughly twice the amount of studio(which could hold up to 8 total), so since you usually go with 5, occasionally 6, consider a 1 BR for your calculations. I think you will agree that a 1 BR at AKV is an upgrade from 1 room at PORS, and 2 studios is an upgrade from 2 Value resorts. Note: the pt. chart linked in the post above lists a category as "Value View", this isn't accurate. "Value" refers only to smaller size, the view can be Savannah or not. Pt's. listed are correct though.

So what would it take to all this work at the lowest cost using DVC?

Can you shift your days toward the week's beginning? Consider that early Feb trip in a standard view 1 BR for 2 nights:
A. Fri - Sun 88 Pt's
B. Sat - Mon 66 Pt's
C. Sun - Tues 44 Pt's
I don't know exactly how you are doing your weekends now(1, 2, or 3 nights), but if you are taking off of school/work, playing hookie on Monday(b) is much better than Friday(A). Also, if you live in Jacksonville, could you possibly skip a Friday night stay by leaving home early Saturday morning? Your Memorial Day and Labor Day trips are a great example. Could you slightly alter your other trips to go on weekends when Monday is a holiday?

Your choice of traveling "seasons" looks pretty good already. Most off your weekends are in the "cheaper" times of year, with the exception of the March trip. 8 trips a year is significant any way you slice it.

Either way, it will be interesting to see what Resort stays will cost in the future.

With you may the force be.

 

[brkgnews]

Forgot to add to my laundry list... if you're looking to capitalize on the most amount of time for your points, you can look at Old Key West. It has the smallest point cost per night and actually has some accomodations that might better suit you (for instance, the studios have two beds instead of one).

 

[HauntedPirate]

Also, the rooms at Old Key West are the largest of the DVC resorts.

I should compare OKW and the upcoming AKV points charts.