Looking at buying into DVC?

[WDWMAD]

We are thinking about buying into DVC, but resale, because we want our property to be Grand Floridian Villas and it's cheaper. We are not looking to make an investment, but, are looking at paying for our future holidays at the Grand Floridian because the price has now become absolutely ridiculous and we want to keep going back every couple of years.

It is all new to us and although I have read endless amounts of website pages about it, I am still struggling to understand a few things.

Firstly, if we bought enough points to cover a week at the Grand Floridian Villas, would we be able to bank them one year and go for two weeks the year after, or can you only go for a maximum of a week?

Secondly, if I book up the holiday at 11 months out and then decide we can't go closer to the date, do I lose the points or can you just cancel? This is extremely important for us because we have our own business and things can change quite a lot in 11 months.

Finally, where would be the best place to buy resales from?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Your plan sounds good ref buying one weeks worth of points and going every other year.
This link nicely explains the cancellation and amendment policy albeit late cancellations as will be seen can be crippling.

disneyvacationclub.disney.go...a-reservation/

With regard to resale companies there are 3 or 4 main players out there. I used Magic Resales and found them to be excellent, plus their contracts were sensibly priced and you can make an offer which is then communicated to the seller who accepts or rejects it.

Finally yes you can bank points and you can also borrow. So you could decide to not go in 2107 and bank the points. Then you could go in 2018 for 2 weeks, or you could go in 2018 for 3 weeks by borrowing your 2109 points.

[WDWMAD]

Thanks Tom, that's help out a lot.

I know it would cost half the price for the same amount of points if I bought into somewhere like Old Key West, but, from what I have seen on various websites Studio availability at the Grand Floridian is very very limited at 7 months out, not sure if anybody has ever managed to see them available at that shorter notice?

[Mr Tom Morrow]

I know little about the GF inventory but I still remember our original DVC Guide back in 2003 when we bought into SSR. He did have WL and BC Points for sale as well but he said to buy where you are happy or want to stay. Otherwise you are gambling on availability.
If it's GF you are adamant you want I would buy there. Awesome Resort!

[WDWMAD]

Thanks for your help and advice!

[WDWMAD]

Another query I have regarding the points is, do they increase over time, by this I mean does the usage go up. For example if we purchased 200 points and it costs us 190 points for a week at the Grand Floridian, would this change over time, could it go to 210 points for a week at the Grand Floridian meaning we couldn't go for a week one year if we wanted because we only have 200 points?

[fudgie]

Originally Posted by WDWMAD

Another query I have regarding the points is, do they increase over time, by this I mean does the usage go up. For example if we purchased 200 points and it costs us 190 points for a week at the Grand Floridian, would this change over time, could it go to 210 points for a week at the Grand Floridian meaning we couldn't go for a week one year if we wanted because we only have 200 points?

See more...

They can't increase the points overall for a resort but they can re-distribute them. So, for example if you need 100 points for a week in a studio and 150 for the same week in a one-bed, they could change the points required for the studio to 105 and the one-bed to 145.

Some owners at SSR have been caught out with this when they introduced a "Preferred Category" for some areas of the resort

[WDWMAD]

Great thanks Fudgie!

[Shooby doo]

With reference to the cancelation policy, especially as you will be "Banking or Borrowing" to get your 2 weeks, once you have moved the points to a particular year they stay there. EG.
2018 Holiday- Use '18 Borrow '19 if you have to cancel then '19 remain in 2018 Use Year, as long as you are outwith your 4 month banking window you could Bank 2018 but the "borrowed " points stay put
Hope that makes sense
SD

[YorkshireT]

WDWMAD your questions are quite basic- not a criticism but it is obvious you are starting out on your DVC purchase and asking questions is very sensible. But my advice is do not buy anything until you have spent at least 3 months detailed researching so you know everything there is to know about this complex product; resale v direct, 7 month booking patterns, dues and whole contract cost, DVC v cash cost etc. Read threads on here and the DVC threads on sites such as the forums on dis and mouse owners. Dvc info has a ton of articles which are excellent. Watch out for fake info given by owners who don't have a clue about the product they bought, who mainly seem to be on Facebook groups. The resources I just pointed you to are populated generally by people who know their onions. Good luck. As to companies I used dvc resale market. There are others, about half a dozen, likes Tom's suggested. Make sure you use a DVC specialist.