Torn between economics and convenience

[sethschroeder]

You'd have to traipse through someone's bedroom to get through to the living room.

Which when dealing with extended families with multiple kids it works. Plus it doesn't preclude other options like Studios connected together which is slightly more than a 1BR but slightly less than a 2BR.

 

[Spark65]

Food for thought
When you plan a vacation anywhere do you always choose the cheapest destination over the destination you would prefer?
If you do you will miss out a lot in life.

Buying a vacation timeshare is much the same do you buy the cheaper one knowing you will get less of an experience?
Or do you buy to have the best vacations and experiences you could imagine.

Most here put cheapness over their happiness if you ask me but each to his own flavor.
I have family that are park commandos bringing their own food, water, etc but that takes time in planning that has to be calculated as well. My time and effort are worth something to me so I vacation like a tourist I plan nothing live for the moment in the best surroundings I can afford and you know waht that gets me in the end?

That gets my family and I some of the best vaactions we can enjoy. Lots of ways to save money in life vacations have never been one of them.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

If AP perk went away I would NEVER recommend anyone ever buy direct.

Of course, if nobody buys direct, then where does that leave the future of DVC

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

What I wish DVC would do is actually have all rooms interconnected. So that you could in theory book a "4BR Lock Off" which encompasses 2x studios + 2x 1BR or you could book a "1BR Lock Off" which encompasses 2x studios + 1x 1BR.

Yes layout might be slightly more difficult but it could be done and software can be built to control the booking. They could even do a Poly style hybrid resort (maybe at CBR west next to RIV station) where you have 3 studios then 1 br repeated on the floor allowing for larger connected rooms with a single kitchen in the 1BR.

Oh well never will happen but fun to think about.

I like to request dedicated units because of the noise that comes through the connecting doors.

 

[DVCanonymouse]

You're welcome!

I'll admit I used to just look at the gap between studio and 1BRs, and most of the time I'd choke, because most of the time the 1BRs are *more than double* what the Studio is per night in point cost. Part of the reason we bought DVC was to stay in 1BRs more often, as we love the kitchen, separate room for us, and the extra space (and I love having a whirlpool tub to soak in at end of day), but paying out the point cost for 1BRs *hurts*. Then we booked our first 2BR as a splurge, and the total cost made me go "wait a minute..." and then I really started to look at the point difference.

Let's just look at the heart of Fall Frenzy, which is October to late-November:
BRV: 32/37 1BR vs 41/48 2BR (9/11 point difference per night)
CCV: 32/36 1BR vs 41/47 2BR (9/11 point difference per night)
AKL Sav: 33/35 1BR vs 43/50 2BR (10/15 point difference per night). Std has better spread, of 27/29 vs 34/39 (7/10 difference)
RIV Std: 34/45 1BR vs 47/55 2BR (13/10 point difference per night; interesting the greater spread is on the weeknights)
BLT LV: 35/42 1BR vs 46/54 2BR (11/12 point difference per night)
BCV: 32/36 1BR vs 41/48 2BR (9/12 point difference per night)
BWV Std: 24/30 1BR vs 32/41 2BR (8/11 point difference per night)
GFV Std: 39/47 1BR vs 54/62 2BR (15 point difference per night)
OKW: 26/29 1BR vs 35/39 2BR (9/10 point difference per night)
SSR Std: 27/32 1BR vs 34/39 2BR (7 point difference per night)

Note that December 1-23 (and Jan1-31 and Sep20-30) has an event better gap, just looking at BRV & CCV:
BRV: 30/34 1BR vs 38/44 2BR (8/10 point difference per night)
CCV: 30/34 1BR vs 38/44 2BR (8/10 point difference per night)

So in the "prime" fall period, 234pts gets 7 nights in a 1BR at BRV, but it's only 212pts for 5 nights in a 2BR (which is 22 points less. Or spend 19 more points and get 6 nights in a 2BR).

When we started looking at it that way, spending the points for larger accommodations felt a lot more palatable! Especially when you consider that 2 Studios for 7 nights at BRV during then is 228 points. And while 2 studios for 5 nights is only 162 points -- 60 points less than a 2BR -- the studios in BRV or CCV aren't connecting, and you also won't get the full kitchen/living room, washer/dryer, whirlpool tub with the Studios. The only resort with connecting Studios is Poly, and it'll cost 196 for Standard View for 5 nights, or 236 for Lake View for 5 nights.

So I went and looked at some points charts too. It IS crazy!

It goes roughly:
Studio -> 1 Bedroom = DOUBLE
1 Bed -> 2 Bedroom = +10
2 Bed -> 3 Bedroom = DOUBLE to near TRIPLE per night
Poly Studio -> next size up at same resort = FIVE to SEVEN TIMES more

Thank you for that great info! Yeah, the 1BRs are basically a waste of points for our family, as we are better off with 2 studios. Would only book a 1BR if we had no other choice. That's one of the reasons we LOVE the Poly. Those large studios work for us.

Would love to do a few nights in a CCV cabin some day. Love the look and feel of those! But definitely not a whole week! And definitely never a Poly bungalow. That is just cray-cray!! (And the view is better from the studios IMO).

 

[Sandisw]

I like to request dedicated units because of the noise that comes through the connecting doors.

Just to add that dedicated 2 bedroomS are not a request but a booking category. There are studios and 1 bedrooms so I assume those can be requested.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Of course, if nobody buys direct, then where does that leave the future of DVC

Reducing prices to more reasonable prices

 

[sethschroeder]

I like to request dedicated units because of the noise that comes through the connecting doors.

Most units in DVC though are not dedicated unless you are in a 2BR Dedicated unit today. Heck multiple resorts don't have a single dedicated studio even from what I have come across.

I must be lucky as well I have never had issues with sound through a connecting door in any hotel I have ever stay in. Through the walls or ceiling maybe though. Knocking on wood that doesn't change when we happen to have couples trips in studios.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Reducing prices to more reasonable prices

Well, that would be nice. But I want new resorts, it's cool to explore them! And someone's got to pay direct for those...

So if you ever stay at RVA, you're welcome

 

[Yinn]

I found this chart really helpful: https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/best-economical-dvc-resort-to-purchase-spring-2020/

You can see that most of your cost per year in ownership is dues anyway. So, resale SSR is low risk in the sense that historically it holds value over a few years, and you'd just owe commisison to sell. You don't sound like a lifer, so resale is an obvious win.

But, DVC has many restrictions and isn't right for many people. The main one, convenience, isn't even in your OP. But, yea, it's much more convenient to book cash a few months out and be able to cancel. A lot of people found that out in the pandemic. Cost, stuck at Disney, I can go on with downsides.

We have no idea what your budget is, what kind of room you are trying to book, or when you travel, so not sure we can be more helpful with what you posted.

This makes me want to dig up the posts of people arguing that PVB was too expensive and a bad value.

 

[poofyo101]

This makes me want to dig up the posts of people arguing that PVB was too expensive and a bad value.

PVB still probably the best value if you can get it in the 130s. We were both purchasing at the same time last year, honestly the best time.

 

[sethschroeder]

This makes me want to dig up the posts of people arguing that PVB was too expensive and a bad value.

The pricing for resale is "off" by a very limited view during a completely crazy time during the start of everything going on:

• Poly at $136 (typically $145-$150+)
• SSR at $104 (similar to AKV on their site the costs are much higher than elsewhere when you can get contracts in the $95-$100 range)

I think this goes back to this "math" working out when you account for the lowest prices resorts being overpriced on their site. I think it just outlines that you really need to do your own math.

I also think when people talk about PVB they are talking it about being bad value for staying at PVB not for SAP points from what I have come across. Its similar to people saying direct RIV is a terrible deal but I could get direct points for $155/point on the contract that I bought which make it useful as SAP points. My RIV Direct would actually be 9th right behind AKV and thats before RIV likely has one more year without much of a MF increase so it could possibly jump resale AKV points in that chart.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I like to request dedicated units because of the noise that comes through the connecting doors.

Some resorts have no dedicated studios or one bedroom villas. Some have only lockoff two bedroom villas (AKV-JH and BWV).

 

[Deb & Bill]

This makes me want to dig up the posts of people arguing that PVB was too expensive and a bad value.

It is. Who wants to only stay in studios or bungalows?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

It is. Who wants to only stay in studios or bungalows?

Well, some people are fine with just studios. Though I see a lot of folks who have PVB also own elsewhere.

I was very torn between SSR and PVB for SAP. I had been thinking the latter because sometimes I might want the booking advantage at an MK resort. But I went SSR because the studios at PVB seem to pretty available at 7 months during the time when I go (just this morning they still had the weekend after Thanksgiving available!) and also @CastAStone 's math on SSR being the best for strictly SAP was very convincing! (on a different thread on the subject)

 

[Yinn]

The pricing for resale is "off" by a very limited view during a completely crazy time during the start of everything going on:

• Poly at $136 (typically $145-$150+)
• SSR at $104 (similar to AKV on their site the costs are much higher than elsewhere when you can get contracts in the $95-$100 range)

I think this goes back to this "math" working out when you account for the lowest prices resorts being overpriced on their site. I think it just outlines that you really need to do your own math.

I also think when people talk about PVB they are talking it about being bad value for staying at PVB not for SAP points from what I have come across. Its similar to people saying direct RIV is a terrible deal but I could get direct points for $155/point on the contract that I bought which make it useful as SAP points. My RIV Direct would actually be 9th right behind AKV and thats before RIV likely has one more year without much of a MF increase so it could possibly jump resale AKV points in that chart.

You're 100% right there. It's different measuring sticks that people are using. People look at SSR as sleep around, but PVB as purely use only. But looking at ownership as a whole PVB rents out for more, longer contract term, very limited risk in terms of ROFR, is a buyers market in terms of supply/demand. That actually helps quite a bit to lower the pricing. 1/2BR or not, I got my PVB at $128/pt pre-covid. At that price point for an extra 12 years, I think it's a bit of a financial miss to dismiss it as SAP and to think of it purely as home use points.

It's a different story at $145 for PVB, but the same goes for SSR when they've been exercising ROFR for most of the ones under $100 recently. And for the folks who bought their SSR at $60-$70 point for SSR, I won't dispute at all and will remain jealous of.

 

[CastAStone]

Well, some people are fine with just studios. Though I see a lot of folks who have PVB also own elsewhere.

I was very torn between SSR and PVB for SAP. I had been thinking the latter because sometimes I might want the booking advantage at an MK resort. But I went SSR because the studios at PVB seem to pretty available at 7 months during the time when I go (just this morning they still had the weekend after Thanksgiving available!) and also @CastAStone 's math on SSR being the best for strictly SAP was very convincing! (on a different thread on the subject)

I agree that it appears that long term that Poly will have studios available at 7 months. It's a surprising finding to me given how many of the resort's points are tied up in the clearly-unpopular bungalows, but the evidence is pretty clear. And if Poly resale prices continue their recent trend more towards the WDW DVC median, using it for SAP will grow more popular, which will only serve to further improve availability at 7 months.

 

[RoseGold]

Of course, if nobody buys direct, then where does that leave the future of DVC

Those billion kiosks and the ice cream machine were there for a reason. Plenty of people buy without even knowing about resale.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We looked at Poly for extra points too. It’s a solid deal with low maintenance fees and a long contract. We love the studios there but we are very partial to in room laundry so it really would have been just extra points for us. The right contract did not pop up so we ending up going another way.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Well, some people are fine with just studios. Though I see a lot of folks who have PVB also own elsewhere.

I was very torn between SSR and PVB for SAP. I had been thinking the latter because sometimes I might want the booking advantage at an MK resort. But I went SSR because the studios at PVB seem to pretty available at 7 months during the time when I go (just this morning they still had the weekend after Thanksgiving available!) and also @CastAStone 's math on SSR being the best for strictly SAP was very convincing! (on a different thread on the subject)

A studio is just a glorified hotel room, but not even a glorified hotel room since in most cases it only has one real bed. A hotel room will at least give you two real beds.

I agree that it appears that long term that Poly will have studios available at 7 months. It's a surprising finding to me given how many of the resort's points are tied up in the clearly-unpopular bungalows, but the evidence is pretty clear. And if Poly resale prices continue their recent trend more towards the WDW DVC median, using it for SAP will grow more popular, which will only serve to further improve availability at 7 months.

All those Polynesian owners are booking a one bedroom somewhere else at seven months out.