Brand new! Just bought DVC... now what?

[amandolin]

Hi there,
I just bought DVC while here on vacation! It still hasn't sunk in!

Anyway, I wonder if anyone has any tips for a brand new owner! What was the first thing you did? Anything you wish you did differently?

Also, did you have to buy DVC merch? I feel like i need to get something "DVC" before I leave!

Thanks!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Welcome home! Definitely a little merch would be a good start! The next thing would be planning your first DVC vacation in the near future! Where do you now own?

 

[DeeBee3]

Start planning that next trip!!! :-}

Where is the home resort?

 

[intamin]

Hi there,
I just bought DVC while here on vacation! It still hasn't sunk in!

Anyway, I wonder if anyone has any tips for a brand new owner! What was the first thing you did? Anything you wish you did differently?

Also, did you have to buy DVC merch? I feel like i need to get something "DVC" before I leave!

Thanks!

Maybe a pin of your home resort or the DVC magic bands! I started collecting a pin of each DVC resort I've stayed in thus far

 

[JackosinDIS]

welcome home! Get planning and booking trips… and saving for your next set of points!

 

[DonDerham]

For your first stay, book over the phone and mention (though they should know) it's your "Welcome Home" stay. DVC will, if possible, reach into their own room inventory to accommodate you.

 

[intamin]

For your first stay, book over the phone and mention (though they should know) it's your "Welcome Home" stay. DVC will, if possible, reach into their own room inventory to accommodate you.

Assuming they bought direct which is likely since they bought it on vacation yes, OP, do not book your own room for your first trip. Tell them you want to book at somewhere like Beach Club or something difficult to book since they can pull from the cash inventory for your first trip.

 

[Tatebeck]

If it's the cabins first thing I would do is cancel within the 10 day window and buy somewhere else lol.

But seriously, now you buy some dvc merch and start enjoying vacations more!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Assuming they bought direct which is likely since they bought it on vacation yes, OP, do not book your own room for your first trip. Tell them you want to book at somewhere like Beach Club or something difficult to book since they can pull from the cash inventory for your first trip.

They will only do that if your trip is within 7 months, and it's more common for the inventory to pull from RIV or the Cabins now due to cash availability. They will not override home resort for a first booking.

 

[intamin]

They will only do that if your trip is within 7 months, and it's more common for the inventory to pull from RIV or the Cabins now due to cash availability. They will not override home resort for a first booking.

Well yeah of course it'd still have to be within 7 months. They're not going to give you home resort priority without owning there but people have been given rooms at BC and etc. with the inventory they hold onto.

 

[RJPoste]

Congratulations and welcome to the club. Guess I was not as supportive... I did not feel I had to buy any merch.

Call and book your first stay!

Start thinking about planning other trips and look into other options besides the Parks.

 

[Yensid67]

If you're looking for DVC merch, go to the resort store at Old Key West or Saratoga Springs. They typically have the best DVC related merch.

 

[tx911]

Congratulations and Welcome Home!
Time to start thinking about booking your first DVC points trip!

 

[Madmavis]

Congratulations and Welcome Home!

 

[AstroBlasters]

Congratulations!

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Also new owner (bought DVC this week!), and really appreciate the advice in this thread!

 

[CarolynFH]

One of the most confusing aspects of DVC is the Use Year, because it doesn’t correspond to calendar year or to assessment or payment of dues. It just controls which points you can use for a given reservation, which depends entirely on the dates of the reservation, not on when you go through the process of booking it. So here ya go, a helpful resource: https://www.disboards.com/threads/understanding-use-year-updated-february-10-2021.1942668/

 

[disneygirlmass]

Hi there,
I just bought DVC while here on vacation! It still hasn't sunk in!

Anyway, I wonder if anyone has any tips for a brand new owner! What was the first thing you did? Anything you wish you did differently?

Also, did you have to buy DVC merch? I feel like i need to get something "DVC" before I leave!

Thanks!

Definitely get DVC merch before you leave!! If you ever plan a trip during a Moonlight Magic event, definitely try to get tickets!!

 

[TinkAgainU]

Hi there,
I just bought DVC while here on vacation! It still hasn't sunk in!

Anyway, I wonder if anyone has any tips for a brand new owner! What was the first thing you did? Anything you wish you did differently?

Also, did you have to buy DVC merch? I feel like i need to get something "DVC" before I leave!

Thanks!

Congrats! I love the DVC Field Guide (a HUGE pdf you download). It has so much info on the DVC resorts it's amazing. Runs about $13. www.dvcfieldguide.com Most of what is in it is available for "free" somewhere else online, but this is updated every six months, so even if you only get one every few years, your info in more current. Lots of the info online is frankly, wrong. And most of what Disney DVC gives you is either sales related (a gloss over of what you need to know) or legal disclosures lol.

By the way, if you bought today, you have ten days to cancel - which really just means if you decide you want to change to a different Home Resort or different Use Year you'd need to cancel and repurchase (or however they do it) during the ten days. You can go online now and practice BOOKING - that will allow you to see availability for every single resort right now. If the resort where you purchased is super easy to book at 7 months out, it sometimes makes sense to purchase a different (hard to book) Home Resort. Almost every resort is available ( I think Poly and Grand Floridian are not currently for sale direct from Disney - only in Resale) even though they really push their three ACTIVE sales (Riviera, Disneyland, Wilderness Cabins).

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

• Learn to find your DVC card in the app.
• Get really familiar with your favorite resort's point chart.
• Decide if you are using all of your points this Use Year or if you need/want to bank and learn the deadline for banking for your Use Year.
• If your time is flexible, check both the DVC events and WDW events to assist with when you want to travel.
• Look into Owners Lockers. I have 4 and LOVE them. DVC members get an awesome deal the first year. They are affiliated with DIS and WDW. If you want one, check the forums for the best lists of things to put in them.
• Figure out your ticket strategy which will align best with your travel plans. APs? Which one? The one with the discount blocks the holidays.

That's all I can think about off the top of my head.