I’m in the midst of research and spreadsheets costing out DVC and if it’s something we should buy into since my kids like spending time at WDW. We like it but we have to fly and I like visiting new places so it’s an every-other-year thing. One thing I can’t figure out is how many points? We rented points for a 1 bdrm this fall but had to go up a level from our plan because of availability. DVC just altered their point allocations so the same trip in 2021 would cost even more points. Not to mention larger or smaller groups to account for changing family dynamics as kids get older or grandparents want to come along. I would have said go bigger and rent out the excess but I worry that the closure will soften the rental market. At the same time If I try to cut it to just what I need I’ll have to pay extra for one-time use or leave random bits of points unused since we can’t really pop in for a night just to use them up. Suggestions?
You will buy enough points to go every other year? So your plan will be to bank a year’s worth of points every other year?
Pick what you think you need.
Then buy more than that.
Honestly for my family of 4 150 has been manageable, but dang if I wouldn’t love to have 300 just for peace of mind. This year we are borrowing for the first time. Ouch.
We prefer a 1BR or higher but can make do with a studio for shorter trips or the shorter half of a split. We have boy/girl teenagers so we need sleeping space for 5 (three sleep surfaces) because neither DH nor I want to sleep with the kids.
That’s the thought. Also helps keep the buy-in price at a reasonable point (especially since we like BLT)
Will you buy resale? Or direct?
I would play with a DVC point app. I like the MY DVC Point calculator.
If you want a 1 bedroom at BLT I would suggest 125 points.
Re direct or resale- I was surprised how much of a difference there was even with a smaller contract. I hate having limitations on the contract and a desire for the discounts but the math isn’t great. The difference between direct and resale with 125 points comes to almost a $600 “fee” per trip- which is a lot to recoup. (235 direct, assume 140 resale over the life of 20 presumed trips during 40 year deed period). Since BLT probably means a waitlist I may start resale if/when a the right contract appears and then buy direct for smaller points later if we need them.
BLT direct you would have to wait for? I think the BLT resale market has been a great deal. I really love BLT, I just hate to spend that many points for a stay. You have to expect to book at least a lake view. Standard views can be harder to get.
Honestly I can’t imagine why someone would want to stay at BLT and then book standard. It just feels like an oxymoron. But that’s me
Meh, cheapest room and closest to the ground are really the only reasons. But yeah, I wouldn’t do it m’self.
That’s a good strategy. I went in the reverse order and got a nice lil’ starter contract with Disney first. Which was good as it gave me the few full benefits that a retail doesn’t get.
My only “advice” would actually be to just get the amount of points you need now and maybe the next few years, and then evaluate if a 2nd contract will be better for you down the road. No matter what point number you go with, you will likely find it’s not enough for you. There’s loads of stories of people with thousands of points finding they end up still banking/borrowing cause this DVC thing just enables you to go so often.
Like staying at AKL value. I’m there for the animals! Give me the savanna view!
My only thought here is that they keep raising the number of points that you need direct to get the perks. I believe you need at least 75 now as an add-on to get perks, but someone please correct me if I am wrong.
It’s 100 now. 
Of course it is.
But at AKL standard there are some sneaky savanna view rooms that you can request. Otherwise agree 
I had a standard 2-bed booked over New Year. It made a difference of a night more than if we’d gone for lake view.
Someone was able to grab it in the last 10 days, or had a waitlist met. 
Function and Location.
We bought at BLT for several reasons. The main ones were resort specific (location, low maintenance fee, number of years left on contract). Another major factor: Home Resort priority which gave us the ability to book 1 bedrooms with standard views and possibly standard view studios (not counting on those though).
The BLT 1 bedrooms are one of the best layouts on Disney property for our family with their ability to accommodate 5 people and 2 bathrooms. Standard views are actually more interesting to us than a lake view with some having views of the monorail or marina. A standard view comes in at fewer points than many other 1 bedroom options (like BRV which we love, but it only has beds for 4).
Disney was not going to sell us (us=my parents and me) BLT direct. We met with a DVC Guide in late May 2019 and again in September 2019. My impression from May was that OKW, SSR and AKV were definitely options and that OKW was available right then. In Sept, we were explicitly offered double points at SSR. My mom was interested in BLT and they kept deflecting; no, that one is sold out, etc. Didn’t even want us considering it.
We ended up going resale with BLT. We bought our resale BLT contract for less than the price of SSR would have cost direct. Ironically, the updated 1 bedrooms at SSR would have made us far more interested in owning SSR, and, therefore more likely to buy direct (since the updated rooms can accommodate 5 and have pull-down mattresses). I knew room renovations were coming to SSR in May and I indicated that I would be interested in seeing/hearing about the redesign, but I didn’t get any info on the new rooms.
That is funny. They were buying resale contracts and had the points. I was told no for my BWI. My guide told me to buy more CC. When I stopped laughing I told him I would wait and he could put me on a list. He called me back within 30 minutes. The guides cannot see what is available (although on the Dream last August those guides did say they were sure they could get any resort if anyone wanted one) the guides need to request through another department (is what I was told).
Edited to add, you get double points when you buy direct, depending on when you buy. I bought my August UY contracts in January and May. I had access to the upcoming August points for booking, the year I bought, but also the year before. For example May 2019 BWI included August 2019 points and 2018 points.
Edited once again: the only resort I can think of that might be hard to buy direct is BR, they rarely ROFR those contracts, but they did a couple of months ago. If you follow the ROFRs you can see the points Disney is grabbing. Also, if you ask for points and tell them you will wait, they will ROFR contracts for those points.
Of course, resale is significantly cheaper and most time that time and cost is not worth it!
That’s a misconception.
When you bought in May 2019, you were in the 2018 use year. You had to be given the 2018 points as those were the current ones.
I was responding to this:
Without going into your details I was just trying to explain how it works. Your explanation gave the detail I skipped before work!
Edited to add, I think what we are both saying is that points are determined by the month but DVC isn’t “giving” you anything.
I bought direct because the $37 per point direct at that time with 2018, 2019, 2020 points With a August UY was “worth it” for me (very small contract). Losing those three years or settling for another UY was too much of a loss.
BLT and $70 or more difference would be another decision.