Thinking about becoming a DVC member...

[disneygirl76]

but I have one question. With your membership, you still need to buy your tickets to the park, is that correct? And do you get a discount on dining or can you add on the dining plan somehow? My assumption is that in a villa, you eat in more then out so you probably wouldn't need the whole dining plan. But do they give you discounts?

And finally - BLT is for the Contemporary and Tree Tops is Saratoga - but are there any other plans to build more any where else? The DH and I don't love either of these. I know you can buy the resale ones but we were just curious there were any rumors of any more new ones.

Thanks in advance!! :wave:

 

[slappy magoo]

you still need to pay for park admission, though you get discounts on annual passes, and with annual passes, you can add on the Disney Dining Experience which gives you 20 percent off most sitdown meals on property, plus a few counter-service locales. I rarely hear DVC members wax on about all the meals they make themsleves in their room, how it really makes the vacation but it's a nice option.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Correct, you still need to purchase park tix. Currently the only discount on park tix is for Annual Passes ($100 off). You get some discounts at certain restaurants but it seems there are fewer and fewer. You can pay for the dining plans without having to purchase a package.

As for future plans, DVC is building at the Grand Californian at DL and has plans to be a part of the resort in Hawaii. No other official plans have been announced for WDW.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Animal Kingdom Lodge are still being sold too, not as resales but brand new. So there's another option for you.

 

[disneygirl76]

That's good to know! We like the AK and WL, BW is okay but we are not fans of OKW, Contemporary, and SS. Are there the 6 total or am I missing some?

 

[yankspy]

That's good to know! We like the AK and WL, BW is okay but we are not fans of OKW, Contemporary, and SS. Are there the 6 total or am I missing some?

One of the best, Beach Club.

 

[DVC Mike]

That's good to know! We like the AK and WL, BW is okay but we are not fans of OKW, Contemporary, and SS. Are there the 6 total or am I missing some?

There are 7 DVC resorts at WDW, one at Vero Beach, another at Hilton Head Island, one under construction at Disneyland in Californian, and one planned for Hawaii.

 

[mwbrown]

The other advantage of AKL, as DVCMike cleared up for me in another post, is that the points there are still on sale for $96 per point, versus $107 at BLT. I worked it out as we bought 162 points (I know, odd number but it worked for our calculated trips...) in August, and it would cost almost $1800 more to buy the same points at BLT...

 

[disneygirl76]

Ohhhh...there is one at Beach Club! That's perfect! ) I think this next trip we'll spend time with the DVC folks. ) I wonder...can you buy resale units through DVC or do you have to go through an outside vendor? hmmmm....:veryconfu

 

[jim1051]

We always eat breakfast in villa, always get meal plan, have a few snacks in the villa for evening, plus liquid refreshments. I usually have my pre dinner cocktail in the villa before we go out, to avoid the markup on alcohol.

, We just love the availability of the kitchen and the space of the villas in general.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Here's another question or two for you DVC members:

1. I read alot about the importance of the designated home resort. Are there any other benefits beyond 11 month advance reservations that come with the selection of a home resort?

2. DVC is currently selling Animal Kingdom and Saratoga Springs to the general public at a lower cost than BLT can be purchased when it comes online to the general public in October, and there is a secondary market for previously sold memberships. Other than the later expiration date (2060) and 11 month advance bookings, why am I not better off buying points at a lower cost on the secondary market for an existing DVC resort and using them to book BLT when it becomes available?

This is all pretty new to me, so please bear with me if the answers are obvious! :lol:

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Here's another question or two for you DVC members:

1. I read alot about the importance of the designated home resort. Are there any other benefits beyond 11 month advance reservations that come with the selection of a home resort?

2. DVC is currently selling Animal Kingdom and Saratoga Springs to the general public at a lower cost than BLT can be purchased when it comes online to the general public in October, and there is a secondary market for previously sold memberships. Other than the later expiration date (2060) and 11 month advance bookings, why am I not better off buying points at a lower cost on the secondary market for an existing DVC resort and using them to book BLT when it becomes available?

This is all pretty new to me, so please bear with me if the answers are obvious! :lol:

Nope, good questions!
1. There is no other advantage to your home resort other then the booking window. Now sometimes that booking window is a huge deal.

2. For AKL there's not much of a difference in the secondary market price and new price. It's pretty much the same cost and you get the full 50 years. At other resorts, the secondary market can be a great deal if you don't mind the quicker expiration date. There are definitely people who buy points at Vero Beach (around $60 on the resale) which are much cheaper, with the intention to only use them at WDW.

Now the problem comes when you want to go during a busy season and/or to a popular resort. At 7 months out, resorts can be fully booked.

I think BLT will be very very hard to get at 7 months out. That demand may cool off in a few years, but I wouldn't count on it. The location of BLT is prime real estate.

So if you love another resort and don't mind waiting a few years to get into BLT, then definitely go with the cheaper resort. Just don't buy a cheaper resort with the intention of using all your points at BLT. Choose your home resort by which resort you love.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Ohhhh...there is one at Beach Club! That's perfect! ) I think this next trip we'll spend time with the DVC folks. ) I wonder...can you buy resale units through DVC or do you have to go through an outside vendor? hmmmm....:veryconfu

As I'm not DVC, always defer to a member for their information, but from my understanding, if you are planning on doing DVC, there are significant advantages (financial) to do it while at the resort. There have been some regional presentations that appear to offer some of the same incentives.

 

[disneygirl76]

So if i like Beach Club the best, and I buy resale - my expiration date doesn't start new but rather, I adopt the sellers expiration date? We love Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and then next would be Animal Kingdom. BC and WL are only by resale now, correct?

 

[DVC Mike]

So if i like Beach Club the best, and I buy resale - my expiration date doesn't start new but rather, I adopt the sellers expiration date? We love Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and then next would be Animal Kingdom. BC and WL are only by resale now, correct?

Beach Club Villas and the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge both expire in 2042, no matter who you buy them from or when you buy them. You can purchase them direct from DVC or on the resale market.

Animal Kingdom Villas expire in 2057.

 

[KnK]

Beach Club Villas and the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge both expire in 2042, no matter who you buy them from or when you buy them. You can purchase them direct from DVC or on the resale market.

Animal Kingdom Villas expire in 2057.

I was under the impression that I could not get old options anymore through the DVC only the resale market.

We are thinking about WLV it's our favorite. We have gone every year for the past 11 years for 10 days. This past trip we meet lots of folks who were suprized we were not already DVC members.

We don't have kids (in our mid to late 40's) so purchasing something with 50 years does not make sense to us.

This whole proces still confuses us some. We know that we will need at least 150 points a year to maintain our current vacation plans. There are very few resale at WL with this option. It be great if I could go through DVC.

All very confusing!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I was under the impression that I could not get old options anymore through the DVC only the resale market.

We are thinking about WLV it's our favorite. We have gone every year for the past 11 years for 10 days. This past trip we meet lots of folks who were suprized we were not already DVC members.

We don't have kids (in our mid to late 40's) so purchasing something with 50 years does not make sense to us.

This whole proces still confuses us some. We know that we will need at least 150 points a year to maintain our current vacation plans. There are very few resale at WL with this option. It be great if I could go through DVC.

All very confusing!

From what I understand Disney will not volunteer the fact that you can buy points at old resorts. Call your guide and say, hey we want to join, and we want WLV. They will find some for you.

 

[slappy magoo]

I was under the impression that I could not get old options anymore through the DVC only the resale market.

We are thinking about WLV it's our favorite. We have gone every year for the past 11 years for 10 days. This past trip we meet lots of folks who were suprized we were not already DVC members.

We don't have kids (in our mid to late 40's) so purchasing something with 50 years does not make sense to us.

This whole proces still confuses us some. We know that we will need at least 150 points a year to maintain our current vacation plans. There are very few resale at WL with this option. It be great if I could go through DVC.

All very confusing!

Here's what happens. DVC retains the right of first refusal, meaning that if a DVC member is trying to sell his/her membership, and DVC feels that the price is too low (or any reason really, though this tends to be the only reason upon which they act), then they get the right to buy back those points first. Even if you've lined yourself up a buyer, DVC can say "nuh-uh, we'll take 'em at that price." However, You can still give/will away your membership. But if DVC buys those points back, then they're within their rights to sell them again. But the value of the points will still be tied to the original expiration date, with one POSSIBLE exception. Recently, DVC offered members who purchased the original Old Key West an option to extend their membership a few more years. At this point, if DVC has (or gets) OKW points to re-sell, I've no idea if that resell price will be based on the original expiration date or the revised one.

 

[DVC Mike]

Recently, DVC offered members who purchased the original Old Key West an option to extend their membership a few more years. At this point, if DVC has (or gets) OKW points to re-sell, I've no idea if that resell price will be based on the original expiration date or the revised one.

If you buy OKW direct from DVC, the contracts don't expire until 2057.

 

[KnK]

Thanks to all for your help. We have been plunking down about 4k to 5k a year for at least 10 years. We could have paid the thing off by now.

We are kicking ourselves in the butt for not doing this back in 2000!