What do you wish you knew yourvfirstvyears in dvc? - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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What do you wish you knew yourvfirstvyears in dvc?
We have put an offer in on a resale contract and I am just curious if there is anything you experienced dvcers wished you knew or thought of the first few years of owning.
The only thing I wish I'd known is how highly addictive buying points is. We were only going to use them for a trip once every two years when we bought in and it soon became clear that wouldn't be enough for us, so we needed more points to go every year.
We own at SSR. We have stayed at BWV, AKLKidani,OKW and SSR. I learned that OKW is almost always available and it is usually the least amount of points. DH and I love the atmosphere there and never mind using it as a back up plan. When I joined, I didn't realize that OKW would be one of my favorites. I figured I'd be looking to stay at some of the other, more costly places.
Good luck with the offer. Hope it all works out for you!
When I joined, I didn't realize that OKW would be one of my favorites. I figured I'd be looking to stay at some of the other, more costly places.
I second the sentiment about OKW. We stayed there last year, only because we would be staying in a grand villa and were looking to conserve a bit of points. OKW far exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to staying there many, many times in the years to come.
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"Esprits et fantômes sur vos fièrs destriers, Escortez dans la nuit la belle fiancée." -- Madame Leota in Phantom Manor, DL Paris
I'd have to answer that we really couldn't fathom how much we'd enjoy making memories connected to our purchase. It sounds like a sappy commercial, but it just keeps giving and giving!
We bought in at 160 points, and so far have managed very well with that number for our family of 3 (sometimes 4, if Granny comes). This year, we are getting to use some of our points for a 4 night stay at Disneyland Paris (yes for only a $95 booking fee, score!!) and still have enough to get a studio for our annual trip in Nov for a week at WDW!!! We bought SSR through resale and have yet to stay there. We got a 1 bdrm at BLT our very first DVC trip and our waitlist for Beach Club came through last year. Knock on wood, so far, with persistance, we've been able to get what we want, even at 7 months out.
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Laura in Austin
Catch my (COMPLETED ) WL trip report here: http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...es-nov-wl.html
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Not a points answer, and maybe we should have known this but I wish I had known that laundry was FREE even if you were staying in a studio.
Our very first stay, we did half dvc points and half out of pocket (we were saving the rest of the points for a big trip with other family members later that year). We had asked about having our clothes sent out to be cleaned or if they knew of where we could wash them and we were told there was a laundry room at every resort at it would cost so much for washing and so much for drying. We ended up spending a small fortune at POP to wash clothes for the remainder of our trip.
It wasn't until our second trip that we were informed that laundry was free to dvc members.
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I wish I had known the massive difference between a studio and a one bedroomed property. For years, my family of four vacationed in a studio so that we could squeeze the pips out of those points with as many trips as possible. Now (even though my son no longer comes with us) we choose a one bedroomed property and love it so much.
I also agree with the sentiments about Old Key West. I think it is such a beautiful and relaxing resort and my favourite resort too, but I use it as a happy fallback. So I always book elsewhere if available (apart from SSR - I do like SSR but prefer OKW) just so that we can vary our trips and enjoy different resorts. So this year we are doing a split stay with BLT and BCV, but part of me still wishes I was going to OKW.
LOVING all these responses because I couldn't agree more - our biggest regret is we didn't do it sooner!
We were already coming to Disney at least once a year (if not more) when we finally purchased in 2009 and since then it's been one of our most treasured things to do together....figure out when we're going back.
Like another reader posted, we even have included (and will continue to!) the Disney Cruises which to be quite honest we maybe never would have done had we not had the points and been members.
Total priceless investment - and we, yes, have purchased at more than one resort LOL
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