How many points?

[Disney Baby]

Suggestions?

We are seriously considering DVC. There are 6 people in my family - Me, DH, 8 year old DD, two 4 year old DDs, and our DS will be one next month. If we wanted to stay for a week each year - in your opinion - what is the minumum number of points we should purchase?

[mickeysmyboy]

WOW! I'm not 100% sure how to answer that question but I'll try!!!

First, I'll say that our DVC purchase is probably the best money we've ever spent! Just knowing we have Disney vacations secured for us and our family for the next 52 years is a wonderful feeling!!!

Our DVC experience has gone like this...


We bought last April after DH and I took the tour on a trip we took in March, We bought 200 points at AKV.

Our family of 5 (1 was still under 3) took a short trip in Oct and stayed in a one bedroom at Saratoga Springs. In January we took a week long trip and stayed in a 2 bedroom Savannah view at AKV, which was 272 points. We had used up all of our 09 and 10 point,

In December DVC had some great add-on incentives and Merry Christmas to us we added on 100 points!

So we now have 300 points! Yippeeee


Ultimately, I'd like to have 350 or so points. that way we can take 1 week long trip and 1 shorter trip a year. Of course we can still bank and borrow!

DVC also announced yesterday that they're now offering members a 1 time per year point purchase if you don't want to borrow points from the next year! Although I'm very fuzzy on how it works I believe you can purchase the points you need need for $15 a point up to a certain amount of points. That works out really well if your short by a few points!

Definitely go meet with a guide! The DVC guides are great and it really is a no pressure thing! THe whole experience was fabulous and so informative! Our guide even picked up on the fact that I was already sold and DH needed to know that this was right for us and our wallet! It worked! Like a charm!

Your point purchase really depends on how you want to vacation and how often!

You may want to check http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacati...VCpoints.shtml You should be able to find the different point values per season etc to get a better understanding of things!

Good luck! Hopefully that first "Welcome Home" will be coming soon!

[janette]

I'd check the point calculators and see how many you need for one week at a 2bdrm for the resort you are purchasing. Right now you might can go during off season but as kids get older and into school it is harder so I'd base it on the summer season point values.

We bought enough for 1 wk at a studio; my DH didn't care much for the studio so we added more points. Now we have 370 and usually stay in a 2 bdrm; you'll love the space.

[Disney Baby]

Melissa and Janette

Thanks for the responses! I think that we will end up starting with at least 200 points - if not 300 plus We usually spend a week at WDW with a dining plan - so in the long run - we will be saving money! Our family grew so fast and now that we won't fit in a standard room, we are seriously considering DVC considering the cost of a suite for a week.

[janette]

I checked our reservation for this summer we are at BCV for 8 nights in a 2bdrm and it is 395 points. OKW & BWV standard have the lowest point structure so those would be less points for the same reservation.

200/300 points would get you there with banking / borrowing without too many problems.

If you get more than 200 points they say it is better to have multiple contracts so if you want to downsize or sell part you could also it's easier to sell smaller contracts. We have 2 just because we bought a different times and at different resorts.

[Kim]

Another thing to consider is weather you want to buy through Disney or through resale. It can change the length of the contract, but that will also be different depending on which resort is your home resort. Some like Wilderness Lodge are smaller and harder to get into at 7 months (you can book at your home resort at 11 months). Also, if you want to travel at peak DVC times, like Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas Vacay, it is hard to get in at 7 months.

Resale is a lot cheaper per point but you will have to buy what is offered for sale ie can't decided to buy 3 - 100 point contracts, unless they happen to be for sale.

Splitting the contracts into 100 pts each, is good if you decide to sell, also good if you decide to give them to you kids in 40 years! A 300 pt. contract can't be split up later.

I know you asked how many points to get, I'd say however many you need to stay 1 week at the time you would most likely go, at your home resort.

[Carolc]

Hi Jennifer,

Have you made any decisions yet? I think I have far fewer points than everyone else. I was totally against time shares in general (I'm really good at finding hotel deals), and laughed at the slogan Disney uses for the purchase (pays for itself after only x number of trips at y price)... so expensive! But I was curious how it was suppose to 'save money', so while I was on a Disney cruise in Dec 2008, I went to one of their information sessions (loved the lack of high pressure salesmen at the meeting). I was sooo tempted to sign up then with all the incentives they were offering while onboard. But, my husband wasn't on the trip with me. Although there was a legal 'escape' clause to get out of the contract within like 3 days, I decided it was just way too much (minimum number of points was 160 and net price was about $103 for AKV).

When I got home, I did a lot of research on DIS, DVCNews, and several reseller sites. I made a spreadsheet, ran lots of numbers, drove my self crazy. In the end, I bought a 50 point contract at Boardwalk for $80/point. Yeah, I know, laughably small, but I figured we'd only go every three years and stay in a 1 bedroom during Magic season (for Sun-Thur). I figured we could stay at a regular Disney resort for the other nights (as I still want to try all of their resorts some day, so it seemed like a nice compromise). Plus, it allows for the occasional promotion (e.g. I got such a good deal for our trip last month, I didn't use DVC except for 2 nights to try it out (overlap). Anyway, the contract was fully loaded and had 2007 (expiring) points that I used for a two night stay at Grand Californian (before the DVC villas opened). My husband liked GF so much that he told me I could buy another 50. So with a lot less analyzing, I found a 50 point OKW contract (also loaded with expiring points) for $65/point. So I have 100 points total. I keep getting emails for other good-valued contracts, and am so tempted. But then I think about the annual fees. And, I know that we won't be able to go to WDW as often as I'd like to. Luckily, I am an hour away from Disneyland and can use any extra points there. Just be sure you don't overestimate how often you will travel there and think about what you'd do with the points for the years you don't go. Sell, rent, or use somewhere else (DCL or RCI)? Looking at the point charts for DCL, it doesn't look like an effective use when considering the cost (compare the price in membership dollars vs paying out of pocket). I don't know how hard it is to get ressies thru RCI, but I'm guessing it would be hard to get popular destinations like Hawaii.

I definitely agree that several smaller contracts are much better than larger ones. They are way easier to sell if you ever need to, and they can be given to different children later (so if you want to buy 300 points, I think it would be better to get three 100 point contracts than one 300 point contract). You don't have to buy them all at once (even if you buy resale). However, I will say that it would be a huge advantage to having them all with the same UY. My Boardwalk is Sept and OKW is April. I will have to remember the 'bank by' dates twice a year (I put a reminder on my Yahoo mail), and they expire at different times. Plus I think they can use the same membership number if you do have the same UY? Though that should be verified. I just know I have to have both numbers on hand if I call (because mine are different).

Even though I've been a member a short time (just over a year), I've already stayed at Grand Californian, Kidani, Beach Club, and Boardwalk with my points. I've also donated a night in an SSR 1 bd to a friend. I would never be able to afford these places otherwise on the frugal budget I allow myself to spend, so it's definitely been nice! And with the kids growing older, it's harder to fit in a 'regular' hotel room - we felt spoiled in the BWV 1-bedroom! Just don't get in over your head... think down the road when (sadness) the kids are grown and move out. 300 points may be way more than you need, but if you buy smaller contracts, you can more easily adapt to changing circumstances.


Just my newbie experience to DVC. I know I'm not a seasoned expert on it.

sorry to ramble

[luv2scrapmm]

We are a family of 4 which changes the dynamics a little bit. We bought 150 at SSR in 2003. Many times we get a studio if it is a shorter stay. By banking and borrowing we were able to take 3 trips in 2005...weekend in Jan-studio, Sun-Thur 2 bed+studio in August and Sun-Thur CHRISTMAS week. Since then we ususally only do one trip per year and it is just now that we are taking a short 4 nighter and staying off points because we are banking so we can get a treehouse villa next summer at SSR.

Make sure you research the different DVC resorts and what they offer, proximity to certain parks, etc. Allears.net has pictures of the rooms at all the resorts and info about them so it is easier to compare. Although some people don't like SSR because it is so spread out (tho they are doing renovations to add a 2nd feature type pool and food site to help alleviate some ofthe proximity things), it worked for us because at that time there was a really good discount on price per point, and our kids are older and like the proximity to Downtown Disney and Disney Quest. Since we drive to FL when we go, we do tend to drive to the parks. We haven't had trouble with the busses there though when we have used them.

It really comes down to personal preference. Like everyone has said, think down the road too. Our kids are 20 and 16.5. Soon we will be taking "couple trips" and we are happy with a studio because I don't like to cook on vacation and the microwave'mini-fridge/coffe maker/toaster in a studio give us enough options for a quick meal. It will allow us more trips that way.

For us it was one of the best investments we ever made, but we also love to go to Disney without the kids .

Happy researching

[MommyDearest]

We are a family of 6 and used to always stay in a 2 bdrm. Now my older boys rarely go with us we downsized to the 1 bdrm.
We have 215 made up from 3 contracts. We have one that was bought from the same seller (one 50 points and one 65 points) though DVC uses those points together and another contract for 100. We like it like that so if we ever wanted to sell some those small contracts go fast.

Also to conserve points you can stay at some of the lower point resorts. AKV has good point value standard and value room, BWV has standard rooms and OKW.

[MichaelsMomJo]

I've been a DVC member since 2001. My original contract was 150 pts at Villas at Wilderness Lodge. About a year or so later, I added 50 pts at Beach Club. Then when Saratoga Springs opened, I added 150 pts. there, and finally when Animal Kingdom Villas were selling and they were selling Saratoga points cheaply, I added another 100 on. So I have a grand total of 450 pts, and I've rarely banked more than 25 or so points into the following year. Even had to borrow a time or two. For a large family, you're looking at staying in a 2-bedroom and if you're going during the summer or typical school breaks, then you're looking at higher point values. So keep that in mind when deciding how many points to purchase. As others have mentioned, you don't have to buy them all at once, you can spread it out. But I have one clarification on that point. Somebody mentioned having multiple contracts with different use years. I'm not sure what happens when you buy a resale because, in that case, you are essentially buying someone's contract from them and just take on the terms of their contract. If you buy right from Disney, it doesn't matter when you purchase additional points. Your use year will always be based on the use year of your original contract. So even though I purchased my 450 points over 4 different contracts and roughly 6 or 7 years, my use year for all 450 points runs from Dec. 1 through Nov. 30.

Hope that helps, and I hope you do decide to join. It's the best $ I ever spent. I couldn't give my DS the great Disney vacations we take otherwise!