Future DVCer with some ?s

[LilGMom]

After much thought and kicking ourselves in the rumps for not joining years ago I am 95.4% sure that dh & I, and our two young sons, will be taking the DVC plunge soon.

I do have some quick questions...

Would it be advisable to do the min. required buy in at SSR (still can get a small $ amount off ea. pt.) and then buy two smaller pt. amounts (25-50) at AKV to have at least 200 points? I have gone over our vacation habits and we'd probably need at least 200 pts. to continue going like normal.

If you have seperate contracts can you pool the pt. amounts together when making reservations?

What is the min. amount of pts. you can buy on one contract?

Thank you for any information!

 

[carolina_yankee]

After much thought and kicking ourselves in the rumps for not joining years ago I am 95.4% sure that dh & I, and our two young sons, will be taking the DVC plunge soon.

How exciting!

I do have some quick questions...

Would it be advisable to do the min. required buy in at SSR (still can get a small $ amount off ea. pt.) and then buy two smaller pt. amounts (25-50) at AKV to have at least 200 points? I have gone over our vacation habits and we'd probably need at least 200 pts. to continue going like normal.

The problem with having a small contract at AKV is that you can only use those points for the 11 month book window. Would those points get you the accomidations you need? For us, I don't like to move in less than 5 nights, so I want enough points at a resort for a 5 night stay for the time period I'm likely to go. For us, that would be 65 points for a guaranteed savanna view in a studio in one of our likley travel seasons.

You can transfer other points in, but they are supposed to retain their home resort status, so you really can't 'pad' your AKV to get a longer stay unless you wait for the 7 month booking window. While there is a loophole, it appears to be closed or soon to be closed with computer tracking upgrades.

If you have seperate contracts can you pool the pt. amounts together when making reservations?

Not sure.

What is the min. amount of pts. you can buy on one contract?

Right now, it's a 150 point minimum for buy in, and then add-ons of as few as 25 points. I've heard that it might go up to a 160 point buy in soon.

Dirk

 

[Deb & Bill]

All your points are the same at 7 months. Before that you can only use the home resort points at that home resort. You can also bank and borrow your points to get more to use every three years.

We have two 100 point contracts at two different resort. We borrow to get 200 at each every other year. Then the rest of the time we use our 300 point contract to make other reservations.

If you really want to be able to spent most of your vacations at AKV, then you probably want most of your points there.

 

[JodyTG]

You won't be able to buy AKV right away unless you're already an owner anyway. You CAN buy SSR and then add on to AKV once they open sales up to everyone. So, you can do both. But, if you see yourself wanting to stay most of the time at AKV.

Like others have said, points are points at the 7 month mark, but you may be locked out of the room that you want at AKV if you wait until that time.

 

[Anal Annie]

After much thought and kicking ourselves in the rumps for not joining years ago I am 95.4% sure that dh & I, and our two young sons, will be taking the DVC plunge soon.

I do have some quick questions...

Would it be advisable to do the min. required buy in at SSR (still can get a small $ amount off ea. pt.) and then buy two smaller pt. amounts (25-50) at AKV to have at least 200 points? I have gone over our vacation habits and we'd probably need at least 200 pts. to continue going like normal.

If you have seperate contracts can you pool the pt. amounts together when making reservations?

What is the min. amount of pts. you can buy on one contract?

Thank you for any information!

We got in on the Friends & Family promotion in Dec. so it was a great price ($86 pp) & why we bought everything then & there (250 pts). We knew AKV was coming soon - but there were no prices or pts. published yet & didn't know when it would happen. NOW, I wish we had bought the 150 pt. minimum at SSR and waited to add another 135 pts at AKV (enough for a savanna view studio in the Magic season). (You need to look at the point charts for AKV & decide how many pts. you would need there for the time of yr. you want to go & the type of unit you want - there are more options at AKV than at SSR!)

I don't know how many pts. you are considering (200?) & I'm assuming you already have a guide?! You might ask if you can buy the min. at SSR (currently 150 - going up to 160 in March) & then HOW QUICKLY can you be considered a DVC member and buy an add-on at AKV with the DVC member discount that runs thru Feb ($8 off pp). If you can do an add-on immediately you could get this promo price on AKV & you would have home resort advantage at both. But you can only book the pts. you own at ea. at the 11th mo. and the minimum for an add-on once you're a member is 25 pts. (but I think you have to buy at least 50 for financing). I don't know if you need to have closed already tho to be eligible to buy an add-on...

Anyway, just from our personal experience, I wish we'd just bought the min. at first & waited to buy the rest 'cuz now I've caught this "point envy" that's going around over AKV & I've already got "add-on-itis" & I'm stuck with what we've done. I mean we're glad we did it & I know we saved $4K doing what we did but still...it's an illness (always wanting more pts.)! It's like you always need a point fix!

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[JodyTG]

I've already got "add-on-itis" but still...it's an illness (always wanting more pts.)! It's like you always need a point fix!

Addonitis IS a real illness and it's very contagious. I seem to need a "point fix" once a year. That's what's happened so far. Bought 160 points...one year later added on 60...now this year I've added on 50. So, if you can live with your initial purchase at SSR, then you'll leave room for the add-on that WILL happen.