Bought Yesterday - Having Semi Buyers Remorse

[Jemiaule]

I just purchased DVC at SSR yesterday. We are still on vacation and are taking a day off from the parks so I decided to read up on DVC online. I have a few concerns and a bot of buyers remorse going on. I was hoping I could ask some questions from those with experience.

1) Booking DVC stays: We generally never come during Premier or Magic season. (This one trip being an extreme exception that will not be repeated)

Looking at the point charts we would generally be coming during Adventure or Dream season. I never plan anything 11 months in advance, not even 7 months in advance. I generally go "ooooh, I wanna go to WDW" and book my hotel room 2 to 3 months in advance. I am concerned it will always been a pain for me to get a room.

Are non-planners like me going to have a tough time even when we don't travel during the busiest seasons? We do know that one trip a year we will probably want to do a two bedroom.


2) How good is the bus services at the DVC resorts and how frequent? I am concerned we are going to spend a lot of time walking to bus stops and then waiting quite awhile for the bus to come. SSR looks very spread out on the map and it appears it would be quite a trek to get anywhere, even a pool.

There are medical issues in the family where a ton of walking can be a problem. In the parks we get a wheelchair - but I would hate for the member of our family to exhaust themself just trying to get a bus.


3) Are DVC resorts usually at full capacity as far as reservations? I was sitting here mulling over things today and recalled that the pool area at SSR was absolutely packed - I have never seen a resort pool as packed as this one was. Pool was very crowded, chairs were full, pretty much people everywhere.

We usually do not travel to WDW during the summer so I was not sure if it was packed at the pool because attendance is high this time of year or possibly because DVC resorts are allways booked at full capacity year round and this is something we will always see.

Thanks in advance for any insight!!

[bavaria]

Welcome!!! I am the princess of last minute travel.... I too had concerns about buying DVC with a lack of planning ability due ot my schedule, but so long as I stay somewhat flexible I have had success on my last 4 trips (ones taken since I purchased DVC)

I have been able to stay in a studio at SSR, OKW, BWV since purchasing, and enjoyed all of my stays. I think that hte key is not to get too attached to one resort and to stay open minded (after all, you have a LOT of DVC vacations ahead of you to try all the resorts, and your travel patterns may change in a few years)

The waitlist fairy has also been good to me and has granted my wishes, albeit often just a few days before arrival.

I can't comment too much on transporation as I usually have a car, but the quiet pools at OKW and SSR are very well located. For instance, I was in Congress Park room 17xx which is 2nd to last building, side farthest from check in area, and there was a quiet pool right below my studio.

As to business - I think that it depends on time of year and weather. I have been during October and SSR seemed somewhat deserted, although most resorts were sold out. I have also been to BWV during 'low' season and the pool was packed due to nice weather. Frankly, I prefer OKW because the neighbourhood setup never feels crowded.

I hope that helps, and that you get more info to make your decision.

Welcome again, and best wishes!

[Niki]

Ah, buyers remorse. I always have that, but mine always deals with $$$$. If you purchased from Disney, you may wish to check out re-sales at timeshareresales.com. You have a 10 day right of recission in Florida, so you can always back out if you find a cheaper deal.

As to your other concerns: I have often made reservations at the last minute, as long as I am flexible as to the resort there are no problems. The exception is trying to get a 2BR. 1BR and Studios are always available, but I have had 2BR issues within 6months of travel. As to travel times using the bus/boat system, it varies by resort. I have had no problems at the resorts except OKW, where the busses seem to run less frequently. The Boardwalk rooms are not close to the bus stop, but the cast members are very willing to give you the closest possible room if you need them to.

Congrats:cheerlead on becoming a member. I'm sure that you will get over any buyer's remorse once you plan that first vacation.

[soozaay]

First of all~ :welcome:

My aunt has points at BWV and 90% of the reservations she makes are last minute....if she decides to do a long weekend, etc. And she's never had a problem finding a room at one of the DVC resorts.

I'm sorry....I can't help you with the bus transportation for SSR (as we just signed up and haven't used the bus/boat from there yet). But, when friends of ours go to WDW & SSR they usually rent a car. They have 2 small kids w/ a real low tolerance for waiting :fresh: ....they drive the car to all of the parks, etc. and it also gives them the flexibility to leave the parks when they want and to be able to go to the grocery store to get any items.

Hope this helps a little!

[carolina_yankee]

Jamiaule, welcome!! :welcome:

We bought while onsite, too, last January. I wasn't too thrilled with SSR, but the more I thought about it, the more I discovered I really liked it. When we finally stayed there, we fell in love with it. As Bavaria mentioned, the quiet pools are well located, so they should offer relief from the main pool. For what it's worth, I've seen the pool at AKL (my other favorite resort) packed during the day in summer time, too. Off season, I don't think you'll have a problem.

Transportation frequency seemed OK when we were there; and you can always request a room closer to a bus stop. If you have medical reasons, this might be more easily granted. In fact, I suspect SSR would have less far to walk for busses because of the layout. With most deluxes, you have to go through the front lobby or some long hall to the bus stop; but SSR is set up more like the moderates with stops scattered throughout the resorts.

There are ebbs and flows at DVC that don't synch exactly with the cash resorts as far as occupancy rates, but the you can judge those seasons by their point values. With some flexibliity, though, you should be able to get what you want. Perhaps for that 2 bedroom trip you can make a reservation far enough in advance and then adjust it if you need to as time approaches.

I think you'll love the resort (SSR), but you'll definitely want to make sure you understand the booking, banking, and borrowing rules to make the system work for your needs.

Dirk

[tjkraz]

Far as the pools go, I think this time of year just draws big crowds due to the weather. Although I've never seen either, the pools at WL and ALK are notoriously small. I've heard them described as being even smaller than SSR. The BoardWalk pool is just about the same size, and services about the same number of rooms between the BW Villas and Inn.

For what it's worth, we've visited WDW just about every off-season period imaginable (January, February, March, May, September, December) and never found the pools to be near what I would call crowded. That includes multiple stays at OKW, SSR and BWV.

As for occupancy, the goal behind the program is for the resorts to be booked solid year round. There are enough points in the system for that to happen. Based upon the other replies here it sounds like your chances for getting a room on short notice are good. But I don't think any of us can tell you whether that means the resort is at 50% capacity, 99% capacity or somewhere in between. DVC doesn't publish those numbers.

If you plan to book on short notice, SSR is a good resort for you to own. When booking on less than 7 mos notice, Home resort is completely irrelevant. So, it's to your benefit to own at the resort with the longest contract and lowest dues (granted that may or may not continue.)

Just be aware that the resorts most likely to be available on only 2-3 mos notice are SSR and OKW. Those two resorts have 800+ and 500+ rooms, respectively. The others range from marginally smaller (BWV with about 400 rooms) to ridiculously tiny (WVL with about 130.)

If you went into this with the expectation of getting a room at BCV or VWL on 2-3 months notice, then you probably should reconsider.

As for walking distances, I think the maps are a bit deceiving. Anywhere you stay there is going to be some give-and-take in getting around. Both OKW and SSR have multiple bus stops. I don't think you'd have to walk more than 30 - 60 seconds to get to a bus stop from your room. They also have DEDICATED busses, which is important to note. The Boardwalk always shares busses with the Dolphin and Swan. The Yacht and Beach clubs also share busses.

Here is one of my more memorable bus trips (headed to Typhoon Lagoon) while staying at the BoardWalk:

Pick-up at BW -> Swan -> Dolphin -> Downtown Disney Marketplace -> DTD PI -> Typhoon Lagoon

Ugh!!!

Getting to the pool at SSR from some of the more distant buildings will take about 5-7 minutes on foot. From closer rooms it will take 30 seconds to reach the pool.

Now let's compare that with some other resort walking distances:
* BWV room to sole bus stop: 3 - 5 minutes depending upon location of room
* BWV room to Epcot (no bus service is offered): 10-15 minutes on foot
* BWV room to MGM: 15 - 20 minutes on foot
* BCV room to main pool: 4 - 6 minutes
* BCV room to Epcot: 3 - 5 minutes
* BCV room to MGM: 25+ minutes

Those are all estimates, of course. But I think they are fair estimates.

I guess it all depends on your expectations. I've heard people complain about the "loooooong walk from Congress Park (in SSR) to the main pool", which is about 5 minutes as I mentioned, yet those same folks will talk about how great it is to be able to walk from BWV to Epcot (which takes at least twice as long.) :laughing:

Hope that helps you a little.

[pouncingpluto]

I guess it all depends on your expectations. I've heard people complain about the "loooooong walk from Congress Park (in SSR) to the main pool", which is about 5 minutes as I mentioned, yet those same folks will talk about how great it is to be able to walk from BWV to Epcot (which takes at least twice as long.) :laughing:

Hope that helps you a little.

I don't think it's a fair comparison. One is a destination within a resort, and one is the proximity from a resort to an outside destination.

Personally, I do think the walk from CP to the main pool and back (in a wet bathing suit, with wet towels and other junk) stinks. But I didn't think the walk from CP to DD was bad at all, and it was probably a little further!

Another thing that makes a difference is that if you're going to DD (or Epcot), you're going to a destination that requires a lot of walking around within it, so the walk there doesn't make as much of a difference. But if you're walking to the pool, you're walking to a place you're going to chill out.

[withdisneyspirit]

I will add one more thing. It is not hard at all to get a 2 bedroom at DVC. They are more available than other size villas for the most part except at the smaller resorts that don't have any or many dedicated 2BR. OKW has a bunch of them :sunny: :highfive:

[carolina_yankee]

Far as the pools go, I think this time of year just draws big crowds due to the weather. Although I've never seen either, the pools at WL and ALK are notoriously small. I've heard them described as being even smaller than SSR. The BoardWalk pool is just about the same size, and services about the same number of rooms between the BW Villas and Inn.
Hmmm. I think the AKL pool may be about the same size or slightly larger than SSR's themed pool. I may be wrong. Since both are free form, it's hard to tell, but they have the same assets (zero-entry, handicapped access, two hot tubs, great slides). I think the WL pool is probably the smallest of the bunch. BWV may be a little larger.

Thanks for your walking estimates - that's a great comparison.

Dirk

[tjkraz]

Another thing that makes a difference is that if you're going to DD (or Epcot), you're going to a destination that requires a lot of walking around within it, so the walk there doesn't make as much of a difference. But if you're walking to the pool, you're walking to a place you're going to chill out.

I think that just reinforces my comment that it's all about expectations--or perhaps "perceptions" is a better word.

My point is simply that most guests will walk countless miles in a week at Disney, yet this trip of about .10 - .15 miles from room to pool is often singled-out as unwieldy.

By compairson, the walk from BCV rooms to Stormalong Bay is every bit as long. OKW to the main pool is even longer from the most distant rooms.

[Dennyha]

I've only been a member of DVC a few months, but we are currently on our second trip home. I've been pleasently surprised on resort availability when making ressies. We are currently staying in a 2br at BCV. Our initial reservation was at OKW, but we waitlisted BCV and got it about 3 days before our departure. We decided to add a day to our trip (July 3, busy season)about 2 weeks ago. When I called MS, I expected that nothing would de available. We got a 1br at BWV (with only 2 weeks notice in the middle of summer! WOW)

Bottom line ia that availability has not been a problem at all, especially if you like all of the resorts like we do. The $$$ could be an issue, but if you can afford it, you'll have great family memories. Your attitude about vacations and visiting WDW will change

Good luck, and if you decide to ride it through, WELCOME HOME!

[Jemiaule]

Hi all -

Thanks so much for all the responses so far! We are still mulling over things here and what we want to do. I also have been reading more of the message boards which has made me think even harder on other things . Darn it - why couldn't I find these boards BEFORE purchasing LOL!

We have been thinking maybe we should have tried the resale market first because we think we would mostly like to stay at Beach Club Villas. (Can you tell I have read a lot of the buy where you want to stay posts LOL).

I spoke with my DVC sales person telling him we may decide to cancel or maybe just reduce the number of SSR points we bought (we have until the 9th of July) and he laid some heavy stuff on me - some of which I see as scare tactics to keep me from canceling or reducing my points. Again, would love to hear your thoughts.

He has told us that:
1) Disney always exercises ROFR on Beach Club and anything I try to purchase they will buy.
2) That a lot of resales have liens on them
3) Most resales have no current year points and the next year points will be used up
4) Most likely the current years dues will not be paid and I will have to pay all of them as well as very high closing costs.

Oh, and one thing he told me that I thought I should pass on. He said starting next year (I believe he said in June) Disney is also going to start charging for closing costs not all rolled in like it is now so I should buy now before that happens.

[withdisneyspirit]

Boy, you really received your hard sell, didn't you??!

1. Disney does not always ROFR Beach Club Villa resales; they ROFR the prices they feel are too low.

2. It does not matter in the least if someone owes money still on a resale; your purchase will pay that loan (or lien) off. No one buys a resale with any liens attached after purchase unless it is their own new loan. Shame on your guide for saying this!! :thumbsway

3. Both resales I purchased had next years, this years, and banked points available. If the contract is truly stripped, you might not even want to buy it. Stripped contracts can go for a lower price but may be ROFR'ed as a result. I personally would not buy a contract that did not at least have next year's points intact!!

4. If you end up paying this years annual dues, likely it is because all the current years points are intact - yay!! :sunny: Soooo, #4 contradicts #3. Your guide does not want to lose his/her sale obviously. Also, if you buy a small contract, some resale brokers are cutting closing costs to correspond with the size of the contract.

All of this is not to say that you should not buy SSR because I think it is a beautiful resort. I just want you and others reading your thread to know some of the facts :highfive:

[Spine_DR]

Your guide was being way harsh with the scare tactics wow! as said earlier they use ROFR when the bid is lower than the price they feel the resort is worth per point. BCV is very poplular and one the smallest rooms wise so disney sets a high price for these a friend of mine had a contract with half of this years points on it still and his bid was 90 per point and they exercised ROFR, while another friend got BWV with sim contract for 86. Now if you put in a bid on some like that were up right now for 94-96 per point i dont see how it would be legal for them to ROFR you when they dont for other people. So unless the contract the direct buyer signs gives them to right to discriminate you should be fine buying BCV at 94-96 dollars a point "BCV resale buyers correct me if iam wrong"

[nono]

Hi all -

Thanks so much for all the responses so far! We are still mulling over things here and what we want to do. I also have been reading more of the message boards which has made me think even harder on other things . Darn it - why couldn't I find these boards BEFORE purchasing LOL!

We have been thinking maybe we should have tried the resale market first because we think we would mostly like to stay at Beach Club Villas. (Can you tell I have read a lot of the buy where you want to stay posts LOL).



Yes, you can buy where you want to stay if you can regularly and with certainty book at 7+ months for your vacation. In your original post, you indicated that is not so. So, all those "buy where you want to stay" posts are not taking into consideration your vacation habits, but theirs. :D Having a BCV contract and trying to book 4 months out doesn't give you any more leverage at booking BCV than an SSR contract does.

Good luck in your decision.

[tjkraz]

Yes, you can buy where you want to stay if you can regularly and with certainty book at 7+ months for your vacation. In your original post, you indicated that is not so. So, all those "buy where you want to stay" posts are not taking into consideration your vacation habits, but theirs. :D Having a BCV contract and trying to book 4 months out doesn't give you any more leverage at booking BCV than an SSR contract does.


Agreed. Unless you plan to change your booking habits in the forseeable future, it seems foolish to pay ~$90 per point (plus closing) for BCV when you can get 12 more years at SSR for a couple dollars more. The annual dues are cheaper at SSR, too.

If the 12 extra years are of no value to you, consider an OKW resale which will probably cost you $10-15 per point less than BCV.

[Jemiaule]

Ah see, I am learning more and more from you all and I have only been here a day! I think I am gonna like it here a lot, you all have been so helpful :cheerlead

I don't quite get the quoting thing on this board yet so please forgive me answering a bunch of replies at once.

Glad to see that others agree my DVC guy was giving the hard sell or using scare tatics. I have been reading so many posts here and on other boards where people talked about good resale experiences I figured his comments were pretty fishy.

Ok, I see now what is meant by the buy where you want to stay philosophy now. In some sense we may fall into this even though I am not planner girl. We vacation at WDW two to three times a year currently (once with extended family and once or twice just us). When we come out with extended family we general book two ajoining rooms at one of the deluxe resorts. I finally decided that DVC made much more sense considering our travel habits and long term we would get more bang for the buck.

So we kinda fall into both categories. When we do the extended family vacation I can see us wanting that 11 month window so we can make sure to get the week we want and the 2 bedroom. This is where the Beach Club came in - my mom loves that resort area, Epcot is her favorite parks and due to her mobility issues the location is very good for her. However, the other two vacations a year will most likely continue to be the "oooh, I wanna go to WDW like NOW" kind of ones LOL.

So maybe we should do a contract at Beach Club with jut enough points to cover the extended family vacation and then do a smaller contract over at SSR for the spur of the moment vacations we do every year.

Geez, does everyone run around in circles like this trying to decide what to do or am i just the odd crazy girl making this harder than it should be. Hheheheh, maybe I don't want anyone answering that! ;)

[lisaviolet]

Oh boy....

My curiousity would love to hear the name of that guide!!!!!! Love to hear. Very interesting.

You have so many options. It is difficult to get a BCV resale ie not be ROFR...not impossible...but difficult. And I do believe that they do target ROFR contracts where potential DVCpurchasers are trying to buy. There is a thread on another site which tracks the ROFR and a lot of the ones that are denied are often people that are trying to get their first contract via resale. Obviously not all but definitely a higher percentage than the "passed ROFR" column which is more of a mixture. But if you pay enough it is not in Disney's best interest to ROFR.

Did you know that you can buy your entire BCV contract through Disney as long as it is 150 points or more. You would just have to wait. I don't think with your bookings all points at BCV is best...but if you decide you can buy through Disney...just say wait for sold-out ROFR BCV or nothing and ask for another guide if they say no. Many have done this.

You seem very similar to me in booking. Most of my vacations are under 7 months so SSR is a good fit. And I like it. However, after falling in love with BWV we are now selling one of our two SSR contracts to get a BWV add-on through Disney (low amount of points...resale is not cheaper in this case). Financially and points wise this is just a stupid move. Plus, Disney is getting an extra purchase from our change of heart. We are buying less BWV points to break even. But like you we want that 11 month window "sometimes".

So I have no idea how many points you were buying (sorry if I missed that)...but another option might be to buy the minimum at SSR to have points through Disney or less through resale (longer contract/lower maintenance right now) to make your below 7 months trips and then add a smaller contract at BCV (resale or even easier sometimes waitlist with an add-on at Disney once you buy at SSR) for those trips when you crave home advantage and can book 11 months out. This might be every other year so it might be a smaller contract that you need. Excuse me if I read over any of your info too quickly.

Take your time....you need to....we've changed things and I wouldn't like to see anyone have to "lose" point totals to make the change and come out even $$$$. And certainly don't give in to "bullying". Something tells me you wouldn't anyways. Good for you.

Best of luck to you.

Lisa

[lisaviolet]

So maybe we should do a contract at Beach Club with jut enough points to cover the extended family vacation and then do a smaller contract over at SSR for the spur of the moment vacations we do every year.




Sorry. I missed this on the first read. You don't even need my novel or advice. I think that this is a good option.

[Jemiaule]

Hey Lisa,

Seems like you and I are on the same page :-)

I did call our guide Friday and tell him I prefered to buy and BCV and asked if her had anything available there. He said he would check, came back later and said no, that they did not, rarely every did and those that did come in went to the DVC member waiting list.

I am hesitant to say the guides name to be honest. He told me he reads all the message boards...although if he does he probably knows who I am already.

I was wondering if Disney would exercise a ROFR on someone that canceled out of a direct contract within the 10 day period. Wouldn't suprise me if they would especially since the guide told me directly that any BCV resale I would try to buy Disney would mostly likely exercise ROFR on because they buy all the BCV ones.

What a quandry.

[Spine_DR]

He's prolly just bluffing if your bid was high enough 95-96 $/point for a loaded contact I doubt they would excercise ROFR besides kinda seems like discrimination to me. If you bought BCV from disney from a ROFR case i bet they would want like 105-106 $/point anyway. I saw a post on here were they offered VWL to someone for 95 a point thats almost 10 a point higher than i see on most resale like the Timeshare Store.

[pouncingpluto]

He's prolly just bluffing if your bid was high enough 95-96 $/point for a loaded contact I doubt they would excercise ROFR besides kinda seems like discrimination to me. If you bought BCV from disney from a ROFR case i bet they would want like 105-106 $/point anyway. I saw a post on here were they offered VWL to someone for 95 a point thats almost 10 a point higher than i see on most resale like the Timeshare Store.

I think all the resorts other than SSR are being sold for $95 per point. They were all $92 per point last November, when we were looking.

[RweTHEREyet]

I don't think your Guide was misleading you in saying that when Disney exercises ROFR for BCV points that they go to those on the waiting list. I think when they get the points back that wait list people are then contacted. I also think it is first-come first-served, so if you called and they had BCV points in their inventory and no one on the waitlist had snatched them up, they would be yours.

Your Guide seems to be pushy in other ways, but in this instance, I think they were right.

BCV points are hard, not impossible, but hard to come by.

[lisaviolet]

I am just really curious and nosy about your guide. I totally understand about not saying the name. Just so curious because honestly I'm shocked. Just ignore me!!!!

Your guide is not being totally upfront. I know of many people who have purchased their first contract directly from Disney and it was a sold out resort. Of course, as you probably know, there is no BCV inventory readily available. So he was correct with that as the above poster mentioned. But the waiting list is not just for us members. There is just a lot of pressure for the guides to sell SSR. And if you didn't care about your UY (use year) it would not be a horrendous wait for sold out resorts. It makes it a faster process. BWV might come right up with any UY and the one you want BC I've seen people that have only waited two months when they were willing to take any UY. So it is first come first served but when you are new and don't care about a UY it speeds things up. Of course new members must purchase 150 points when they go the Disney route.

I made a mistake on a previous post. $92 to $95 on July 1st was for DVC members only. It has been $95 for new memberships of sold out resorts for awhile. Which prooves that everyone can buy sold out direct from Disney!!!! $95 is not bad for BCV buying direct because Disney ROFRs most under their price b/c their waiting list is so long.

PM if you want my guide's name. I just do not like the "falsehoods". Regardless I would ask for another guide or no sale. Honestly, it annoys me that one person could easily say to one guide "sold out resort only" and they say "okay" and others have to go through this, in my opinion, ridiculous situation.

I'll give you another example of the difference between guides. There was a lot of talk on other boards that their guides would not guarantee the $92 for DVC members adding on if you got on the waiting list July 1st. Mine, and some others, no problem...100% guaranteed. Weird and unfair.

As for the closing costs coming for new DVC contracts...your guide was being totally upfront on this one. They are going to start but certainly not if you go on the waiting list I would think.

All the best to you. PM me/email me if you need any help. Once again, I would change guides.

[tjkraz]

Of course, as you probably know, there is no BCV inventory readily available. So he was correct with that as the above poster mentioned. But the waiting list is not just for us members.

I don't see where that comment was made. He reportedly said that points go to those on the waiting list first, which is quite true. I'd recommend OP ask if she could be put on the waiting list and see what sort of response is received then.


There is just a lot of pressure for the guides to sell SSR.

That seems a little rough. Most business would ask their salespeople to sell products that are currently in stock rather than take orders for a similar product that may not arrive for weeks or months.


I just do not like the "falsehoods".

Well, personally I think there's been just a touch of overreacting here. Let's look at the 4 comments made:

1. If the salesman actually said unconditionally "we buy back ALL BCV resales" then obviously that's incorrect. But if they're buying back everything under $95 ea, it is something of a moot point. Most people buy resale to save money, not to pay more than DVC's price plus dues and closing.

Perhaps what he should have said was "we buy back all reasonably-priced BCV resales." I think it goes without saying that they aren't going to pay $100 per point and resell for $95pp.

2. Most resales have liens. Do they? I know I'm not qualified to pass judgement on this one. Anyone?

3. Most resales have no current year points. I took a glance at Shontell's website and this appears to be true. Most of the listings there have points coming at the start of the next Use Year (October, December, etc.) with nothing current. When you get the points from DVC they always come with current year points available to use.

4. Most buyers pay current year dues and closing costs. While some are deft enough to negotiate on these points, the above is pretty standard for resales. I'd say use of the "most" qualifier here is accurate.

I'm not going to sit here and pass judgement on the guy, but the evidence sure seems circumstantial to me. Is condemning him on that basis any better than the accusations being levied at him?

I'm guessing these salespeople deal with people all day who have different levels of understanding of timeshares and how DVC works. They can't spend a time debating things to the degree that we do here. Imagine what happens when someone asks about booking BWV at 7 months. That topic along would generate PAGES of discussion on a message board. Can you imagine something like this being relayed to a family who just disovered DVC two hours ago:

"The Grand Villas, Studios and Two bedrooms are the hardest to get, followed by the One Bedrooms. Except during the Food and Wine Fest when everything is hard to get. Also during the first couple of weeks of December, and around major US holidays. But there are also three classes of rooms. If you specifically want a Standard View room......."

That just doesn't fly. People want simple, easy-to-understand, one sentence answers. He gave you some things to think about and you've done just that. Of course he doesn't want you buying resale. Should we expect a Honda salesman to say "you know, you probably should buy a Volvo since it's a much safer car"? Should the Burger King counter clerk be offering advice like "maybe you should skip the DOUBLE Whopper--it has a lot of calories."

We also need to remember that the salesman is dealing with a person who admittedly is having buyer's remorse. There's nothing wrong with that--I'm sure many of us finished spending $20K, $30K or more on our DVC points and shortly thereafter thought "what in the world have I done?!?!" But would any of us now feel relief if our salesman had responded by saying "you're right...let's cancel the contract and give you a few more weeks to think about this." Sometimes we just need a little reassurance at the right time.

Personally, I'd call the guy back and indicate a desire to be put on the waiting list for BCV. His comments appear to be directed at discrediting the a resale approach. If you want to buy BCV direct from Disney, then just ask to be put on the waiting list and see what happens. If he made an issue out of it further, then you'll know there is a problem with him. On the other hand, if you've already decided to buy resale, you won't be dealing with him further anyway.

[Jemiaule]

The salesperson did tell me that waiting list was for DVC members only. However he said he would check into it for me.

He also was not high pressure but he was very (for lack of a better word) discourging toward trying to buy anything other than SSR. (Be it resale market or thru Disney).

On point 1 of buying back all resales - while I cannot remember what he said word for word I was told that Disney would buy any BCV resales. I also specifically pointed out one too him I saw (I believe) on DVC-Resales and he said that when that came in for ROFR that Disney would buy it.

On point 2 about liens - I don't know if it is true or not, but that is what I was told.

On point 3 about points - the ones I have looked at online most do not have current year, some do though and a scant few even have banked points. While I saw some that had 2007 points I was told that probably most did not by the Disney sales person. (How would he know?)

One point 4 about dues - that made sense to me and I am sorry if my original question asking if this was the case came off to sound like he was lying. My question was more to verify that fact.

LOL - interesting that you made a Honda/Volvo comparison. When my sales person was trying to convince me to just stick with SSR when I was explaining to him why I was interested in BCV I made a comment about comparing a Honda to a Mercedes saying that if a person has in their head they want to own a Mercedes it was difficult to justify to them to buy a Honda.

And as far as buyers remorse - at this point it is not an issue of the money, it is really an issue of what the home resort will be and I had explained that to my sales person. For that kind of money I think I am justified when I said to him "I want to buy DVC, no question. I just don't think I want it all to be at SSR, I think I want it to be at a different resort."

The sales person was a nice guy, no question. I just think I was probably given some incorrect or exagerated information to sway me not to look at anything other than SSR. His job is to sell the most current resort and I understand that. My job as the consumer is to determine if that is best for me or not. But I don't feel that he gave me reassurance in my purchase but rather some incorrectly based information to dissuade me from purchasing anything but SSR.

He knows I want to be put on a waiting list for BCV, I told him this when we spoke Friday afternoon. Instead the conversation wen a bit circular and he wants to call me back the beginning of this week to "check in with me". I have no clue really what that means but I do feel like I was not listened to by him...again this is understandable...his job is to sell me the most current resort and make me feel warm and fuzzy about it.

Oh, and I did flat out ask him numerous times about problems with availability and was basically told it should never be a problem. In our phone conversation he directly said he could assure me I would never have a problem booking what I wanted - I cannot see this being reality.

[tjkraz]

Well it's nice to hear that things aren't quite as bleak as they may have appeared. ;)

IMO, the bottom line is this: You're not getting married to the guy--you're trying to buy a product. We had a great experience with our Guide. But honestly it's been 3 years since we purchased and I've spoken to the guy one time since then.

Every salesman is going to "spin" things in his favor. There's no sense splitting hairs over that. You've already done your homework and can look at things more objectively.

Tell him what you want and ask him if he is willing and able to deliver or not.

[Jemiaule]

LOL, no not bleak at all :-)

Initially my questions were just some minor concerns. As we thought more about things other bits and bobs came up and it then boiled down to what would be the best home resort for us.

I vacation once a year with my parents (and DH and out boys) at WDW and being able to get my mom into a resort area she wants to stay in is of very high importance to me. Mom is not going to be with us forever so I want to be able to take her and dad to WDW each year and stay near Epcot which she loves. If that means jumping thru some extra hoops to make a DVC purchase that jives with that then I am cool with it.

For the vacation where it is just me, DH and the kiddos I am much more flexible because those are always more spur of the moment (deciding to go in a 2 or 3 month window).

This whole exercise has been very educational and I am so glad I posted here as well as read many other posts. Our original purchase (for now) was for a large sum of points only at SSR. Now being more informed I feel this is not a smart choice for us. Having smaller contracts at two resorts is much more suited to our needs....one contract (hopefully!) at BCV or perhaps BWV for the annual family vacation and a second one most likely at SSR for the onsie-twosie vacations with just the kids.

[withdisneyspirit]

Boy, you really received your hard sell, didn't you??!

1. Disney does not always ROFR Beach Club Villa resales; they ROFR the prices they feel are too low.

2. It does not matter in the least if someone owes money still on a resale; your purchase will pay that loan (or lien) off. No one buys a resale with any liens attached after purchase unless it is their own new loan. Shame on your guide for saying this!! :thumbsway

3. Both resales I purchased had next years, this years, and banked points available. If the contract is truly stripped, you might not even want to buy it. Stripped contracts can go for a lower price but may be ROFR'ed as a result. I personally would not buy a contract that did not at least have next year's points intact!!

4. If you end up paying this years annual dues, likely it is because all the current years points are intact - yay!! :sunny: Soooo, #4 contradicts #3. Your guide does not want to lose his/her sale obviously. Also, if you buy a small contract, some resale brokers are cutting closing costs to correspond with the size of the contract.

All of this is not to say that you should not buy SSR because I think it is a beautiful resort. I just want you and others reading your thread to know some of the facts :highfive:

As someone who knows, I can unequivocally promise you that a resale contract cannot be closed with a new buyer unless all liens attached are paid in full, period. This area is my area of expertise having been a loan originator and a real estate paralegal for my life's work :bugeyed: ;)

I also want to reiterate that a buyer of resale will not likely pay any annual dues for a year in which there are no points available for use.

[Jemiaule]

Thanks for passign that on Lisa!

I have been talking to Jerry at The Timeshare Store about a resale and presented those questions to him as well and he told me "... we guarantee that any package we sell will come with the point we advertise in it, and that there are absolutely no back taxes or maintenance fees. We guarantee that you will acquire the package fee and clear with Title Insurance. "

Made me feel MUCH better about that lien infor I was given by the Disney sales person.

[lisaviolet]

I don't see where that comment was made. He reportedly said that points go to those on the waiting list first, which is quite true. I'd recommend OP ask if she could be put on the waiting list and see what sort of response is received then.




That seems a little rough. Most business would ask their salespeople to sell products that are currently in stock rather than take orders for a similar product that may not arrive for weeks or month.

On the first comment.....he did make the purchaser think that they could not go on the waiting list.

Secondly, I certainly didn't mean to be rough at all. In fact, I'm smiling...it's funny how we can all read things without body language involved...... because I was backing up the guide on that one. In the sense that selling SSR is the priority for them in their job and it should be. It's a business.

I certainly don't think DVC guides should say during their sale, "hey we have these sold out resorts....". Not at all. Doesn't make sense business wise. It's just that the OP asked on more than once...so then ...yeah....I think it makes sense. Especially when they might lose the sale during the legal period.

I had two issues I was/am passionate about. And my responses were b/c I have a lot of respect for Disney and their approach. I believe in the merits of a truthful, soft sell. Just do. Soft sell in the sense that they are so different from a lot of timeshare sales teams. I think it's worked for Disney. I hope it doesn't change. I waited ten years and their approach kept me focused on their product. The second is the difference in guides in general. For us DVCers I'd hate to be the one who didn't get the best rate guaranteed on the waiting list and hear stories about how I did. Or the new purchaser that bought SSR after being told, more than once for some, that they could not get on the waiting list and hear all the excited stories of new members that now have a BCV, BWV, OKW or VWL contract directly from Disney. Some instantly in the last month at BWV b/c they didn't care about the UY.

I know a lot of businesses offer different things to different people at the same time. Irregardless, these are just two things that I am passionate about.

We've purchased two condos in the last eight years. The first was bought only b/c I was open to the sell....a humble yet confident open response. Humble is a weird word to use. I mean I respond to feeling comfortable about their thoughts and confidence in their product. Obviously, I can only speak for what works fo rme. But I think it has been good for Disney in terms of sales as well. Who knows.

[lisaviolet]

Plus, I know guides are not your "friends" but it is important to feel confident with your guide just in case you want to add-on in the future. I've had to hash out a lot of avenues/terms with my guide during my add-ons. It was nice to feel relaxed doing so...

[withdisneyspirit]

On the first comment.....he did make the purchaser think that they could not go on the waiting list.

Secondly, I certainly didn't mean to be rough at all. In fact, I'm smiling...it's funny how we can all read things without body language involved...... because I was backing up the guide on that one. In the sense that selling SSR is the priority for them in their job and it should be. It's a business.

I certainly don't think DVC guides should say during their sale, "hey we have these sold out resorts....". Not at all. Doesn't make sense business wise. It's just that the OP asked on more than once...so then ...yeah....I think it makes sense. Especially when they might lose the sale during the legal period.

I had two issues I was/am passionate about. And my responses were b/c I have a lot of respect for Disney and their approach. I believe in the merits of a truthful, soft sell. Just do. Soft sell in the sense that they are so different from a lot of timeshare sales teams. I think it's worked for Disney. I hope it doesn't change. I waited ten years and their approach kept me focused on their product. The second is the difference in guides in general. For us DVCers I'd hate to be the one who didn't get the best rate guaranteed on the waiting list and hear stories about how I did. Or the new purchaser that bought SSR after being told, more than once for some, that they could not get on the waiting list and hear all the excited stories of new members that now have a BCV, BWV, OKW or VWL contract directly from Disney. Some instantly in the last month at BWV b/c they didn't care about the UY.

I know a lot of businesses offer different things to different people at the same time. Irregardless, these are just two things that I am passionate about.

We've purchased two condos in the last eight years. The first was bought only b/c I was open to the sell....a humble yet confident open response. Humble is a weird word to use. I mean I respond to feeling comfortable about their thoughts and confidence in their product. I know that is just what works for me. But I think it has been good for Disney in terms of sales as well. Who knows.

I am very passionate about the soft sell too, Lisa. I agree with your points made all along. We are, of course, answering questions based upon the OP's understanding of what she was told. She does seem to have a pretty clear understanding though and it appeared to me that she was getting a harder sell than Disney is known for. I pretty much went straight to resale and never heard Disney's side first so I only know what others have posted about their experiences in this area.

I am glad that you got some good facts from Jerry at the Timeshare Store, Jemiaule. There is no substitute for solid info :)

[Michael P.]

Hi Jemiaule

I thought I would just add that last month I went through Disney's ROFR on a re-sale of BCV points, and Disney decided not to buy the points. That was great news for me, and it also shows that Disney are not buying up all re-sale points, even for BCV.:sunny:

All the very best with your decision!

Michael

[ErinC]

Oh, and I did flat out ask him numerous times about problems with availability and was basically told it should never be a problem. In our phone conversation he directly said he could assure me I would never have a problem booking what I wanted - I cannot see this being reality.


Really??????? Your guide is way off base with this comment! Ask him why Member Services offers a waitlist for it's members if it is NEVER a problem to get what you want??? HMMM, I called to get a one bedroom at BWV (my home is VWL) for New years Eve at exactly the 7 month window. I'm on the waitlist. So are other BWV owners that didn't call at 11months out. My guess is that guides don't pay much attention to availability, and should never by handing out info like this. I realize that it's a holiday, but he didn't bother to make any exceptions to his comment! He's wrong! Availability can be a problem several times during the year, your guide is lying. Hopefully he'll stop by and read my comments! Ha! Good luck with your purchase!

[mousehouse]

buyer has already bought
it was not a bad choice for her, she admits she doesn't usually book more than a couple months out.
her only reason for wanting the epcot resort is due to her mom and that would not be for every vacation plan, just occasionally each year and on those times she could change her habits and book in advance

personally for the savings, the long term owning etc.. i think she did fine at SSR unless she absolutely hates that resort.

she could do an add on for the epcot one to cover those vacations. Or simply pay cash, for the short trips there.
I am planning on stretching my dollars by paying cash for weekends and hoping for the ability to get into those epcot resorts on the weekends, saving my points for OKW and simply moving. Depending how many days she is going and what time of year(and it sounded like off seasons) this epcot concern may not be that big of a concern.

I think she is worrying for no big reason

BTW I did buy resale, but i got lucky I got a contract with some of last years points, all this year and all next. I got a very good price and prorated MF for this year OKW

BUT when i look at the resales, MANY, MANY do not have any of last and very few of this year, if it has points it is for next year. Add ROFR, closing costs, stripped contracts etc... Disney buying is not a bad idea at all(like waiting for BCV from Disney)
Please don't pick on the sales guy for selling what he is told to sell, tho some of his answers were ignorant(uneduacted guesses), I don't think they were high pressure

[Jemiaule]

buyer has already bought

Actually we cancelled and are buying a resale at BWV (waiting on ROFR) and are looking at one for BCV as well.

Thru Disney we are wait listed for BCV in case our resale gets ROFR'd.

SSR is a very pretty resort, however I decided ultimately I did not want it to be my home resort.

personally for the savings, the long term owning etc.. i think she did fine at SSR unless she absolutely hates that resort.

For us the price per point (even when adding in closing costs and paying the 2006 MF) is just a tad less on the resale than on buying SSR straight from Disney.

The extra 12 years was not a determining factor in our case when making a decision on where to buy. In fact a 2054 date was more a negative than a postive.

I will be 86 years old in 2054 and truly do not believe I will be wanting to go to WDW with as much frequency from the ages of 74 to 86. I also think at that age I will not be wanting to be paying yearly MFs either for something I will not be using.

I think she is worrying for no big reason

Not that I feel I have to justify my personal decisions but I do wish to clarify because, no offense, what may not seem to be a big reason to you, is to me and is more so now that I have done a lot more reading and research.

We do to WDW numerous times a year however one trip a year we go with my folks the first week of December each year and that is a VERY important trip to me.

Mom loves the Epcot resorts and Epcot is her favorite park. Usually we get two ajoining hotel rooms, with DVC we would want a 2 bedroom so we can all be together.

Every DVC member I have talked to, as well as my new guide, said this is one of the busier DVC times and we would be hard pressed to get a 2 bedroom in a 7 month window. Thus the desire to buy where we wanted to stay for the trips we take annually with my folks.

BTW I did buy resale, but i got lucky I got a contract with some of last years points, all this year and all next. I got a very good price and prorated MF for this year OKW

Our resale is the same. banked 2005 points, all 2006 points, all 2007 points.

Not all contracts with banked points and current points intact are good for everyone.

I saw a very attractive BCV contract that had a ton of banked 2005 points, all 2006 points, and all 2007 coming. Problem was it's use year. By the time of closing I would be within a few short months getting the 2007 points. That means a limited amount of 2006 could still be banked and I saw no possible way to use up the already banked 2005 points and the 2006's that could not be banked.

So great, lots of points, no way to use them. Does not strike me as a good deal.

I saw another resale where there are no banked points, no 2006 points but 2007 are all intact. Because of the use year on that and what we are thinking as far as travel that one does sound attractive to me. Everyone's situation is different.

Please don't pick on the sales guy for selling what he is told to sell, tho some of his answers were ignorant(uneduacted guesses), I don't think they were high pressure

No offense but I was there and on the phone with him and you were not.

Before I could be assigned my new guide I had to speak to a manager about why I wanted the change of guides. This manager was not too thilled with the experience I had with my first guide and information I was given.

I told the manager I really did not like complaining to him about a cast member and did not want to get him in trouble. He assured me that the guide would not be in trouble and that this information would be used to help train him on areas he obviously needs to work on.

Speaking of the new guide; thank you again Lisa for giving me your guides name. Mike is excellent! He answers my questions clearly and concisely and has been a pleasure to deal with so far.

[granny]

Jemiaule....good luck on getting past ROFR. I hope everything works out for you there. :fingerscr

You're right...a loaded (w banked points) contract isn't always the best deal. In our case, we bought a stripped contract (no points until the following UY) and paid a lower price per point which worked fine because we were already DVC members and didn't need the points that year.

You're buying where you want to stay the most. No matter what else happens, you'll be putting yourself in the best position to enjoy the favorite resort of your choice for many years to come. Sounds like a good strategy to me. :thumbsup:

[doombuggy]

I guess the lesson here is do a little research before you purchase. I have been thinking about buying into DVC for several years, but did not seriously look into it until this past February. My dad was here visitng and they went to the DVC center over at the Boardwalk on their last day and were ready to buy (if they can sell one of their other ones, long story). I decided to buy a small contract Direct from Disney at SSR. I will use it as an "extra bedroom" for now (since I live here) and look forward to using it elsewhere (meaning, swapping out or whatever). I am the same age as the OP (well, actually a year older). If I move back to PA, I will have a place to stay when I come visit (instead of staying with friends like I have done in the past). Yes, my situation is a bit different from the OP, as some of you know. :slyasafox I did research and talk to many people on the message boards prior to making my purchase on March 15. I don't have much $ to my name, so this was a big step for me. I made sure that this was what I wanted to do before I did it.

One thing the OP should consider, and this is a bit off topic but applies to her situation, is renting a scooter for Mom. I did this when I brought my grama here in 2003. I rented a scooter from Walker Medical and she loved it! So much so that she bought one for herself to use at home. Grama turned 82 last christmas btw. The scooter I rented came apart easily so I could take it apart & put it in the car. Just a thought.

Gotta run, client on the phone.

[Jemiaule]

One thing the OP should consider, and this is a bit off topic but applies to her situation, is renting a scooter for Mom. I did this when I brought my grama here in 2003. I rented a scooter from Walker Medical and she loved it! So much so that she bought one for herself to use at home. Grama turned 82 last christmas btw. The scooter I rented came apart easily so I could take it apart & put it in the car. Just a thought.

Gotta run, client on the phone.

Hi Doombuggy,

We have done this in the past for mom. It is funny; she came with me and the kids last month and did not want one because of the crowds...so many people she was really worried about maneuvering.

When we have come during non-peak times we have done a scooter when she feels she needs one (and we pester her enough). She did enjoy using it and it made her day much more pleasant.

This last trip I was pointing out some of the rental scooters that had shade canopies (outside company, not Disney) and gave mom some pretty direct hints about getting one next trip. She did have to admit those looked pretty spiffy!!

[withdisneyspirit]

I am very pleased to hear the outcome, Jemiaule!! Here is some PD for your :dust :dust :dust trip through ROFR! Thrilled to hear you got an excellent guide too!

[lisaviolet]

Yeah!!! I hope that you get everything that you are waiting for.....Good news about Mike. Good to hear. Let us know, okay? I'm off to Beach Club tomorrow...first time there. So excited. I'll give both places some "pass ROFR" vibes. Hopefully, I won't get addonitis while I'm there. They must have a spray for such things.


All the best,

Lisa

[Gaston]

Hi and congrats on becoming a member. We never had buyer's remorse, just ants in our pants to finally stay in a DVC.
For bus service we have never waited as long for a bus at any park location, as we used to wait when staying at say the All Star Resorts. We seem to have shorter waits for buses, and shorter walks to bus stops at park locations. As for resort bus stops we always seem to be just a minute or two in walking distance from the room.
The pool locations to room, distance was not at all an issue in the DVC resorts we have stayed at. Those being,SSR, VWL, and OKW.
We too have tried to book at a late time, and have had to change our dates that we wanted. But that is also true for getting airline tickets, and the price goes up the later you try to get them. Not so for a DVC, there is no point diference for booking late.
For us, we are better off to plan 11 months ahead. Our work schedules have put us into a certain pattern,timewise, and we go with the flow. It works for us, but not for all. Have fun, for years to come.
Frank

[AFMom]

Congrats! I think your logic for buying BCV for that once a year in Dec stay is very sound. Other times of the year you could probably get BCV on shorter notice (well - off season times....), but not that week! We were able to get BCV, 1 bdrm, at 3 months out with no problems, but that was for a September.
We bought a resale at OKW, and then the next year bought an add on at SSR directly from Disney. Our resale experience was great - no problems at all. Hopefully you'll pass ROFR quickly and can get on to making those reservations!
Good luck and have fun!

[doombuggy]

This last trip I was pointing out some of the rental scooters that had shade canopies (outside company, not Disney) and gave mom some pretty direct hints about getting one next trip. She did have to admit those looked pretty spiffy!!

I could swear that I have seen these over at the Grand (I go to the Ivy Trellis to get my hair colored) for rent. I have seen more & more of these canopies & think they are a great idea.

Good luck on your purchase!

[mushu]

I just purchased DVC at SSR yesterday. We are still on vacation and are taking a day off from the parks so I decided to read up on DVC online. I have a few concerns and a bot of buyers remorse going on. I was hoping I could ask some questions from those with experience.

CONGRATS AND WELCOME HOME!

1) Booking DVC stays: We generally never come during Premier or Magic season. (This one trip being an extreme exception that will not be repeated)

Good times to go.

Looking at the point charts we would generally be coming during Adventure or Dream season. I never plan anything 11 months in advance, not even 7 months in advance. I generally go "ooooh, I wanna go to WDW" and book my hotel room 2 to 3 months in advance. I am concerned it will always been a pain for me to get a room.

If you want to go during F&W or early Dec, you have to book ahead, I did get OKW last Dec within the 3 months. Had to wait list, but got it.

Are non-planners like me going to have a tough time even when we don't travel during the busiest seasons? We do know that one trip a year we will probably want to do a two bedroom.

You never know.


2) How good is the bus services at the DVC resorts and how frequent? I am concerned we are going to spend a lot of time walking to bus stops and then waiting quite awhile for the bus to come. SSR looks very spread out on the map and it appears it would be quite a trek to get anywhere, even a pool.

Bus services are great to us. We use them all the time, it's part of the majic to us.

There are medical issues in the family where a ton of walking can be a problem. In the parks we get a wheelchair - but I would hate for the member of our family to exhaust themself just trying to get a bus.

Buses have handicap lifts.


3) Are DVC resorts usually at full capacity as far as reservations? I was sitting here mulling over things today and recalled that the pool area at SSR was absolutely packed - I have never seen a resort pool as packed as this one was. Pool was very crowded, chairs were full, pretty much people everywhere.

For F&W and Dec they can be.

We usually do not travel to WDW during the summer so I was not sure if it was packed at the pool because attendance is high this time of year or possibly because DVC resorts are allways booked at full capacity year round and this is something we will always see.

During the summer DVC are not booked to cap.

Thanks in advance for any insight!!

Hope you enjoy your DVC, we love being members.