Wellllllll isn't that convenient

[Johndubbya]

So I drive for Lyft and Uber... Nothing major just enough to sock away money for DVC... Well I was in accidents (that were not my fault) and long story short they deactivated me today... Doesn't matter because the wife and I have decided that we were going to not eat out and budget the money we saved for DVC. As you can tell from previous posts I have every intention of buying direct (yes i know about resale) and am not really interested in buying resale.
About a week ago we called and were put on the waitlist for Animal Kingdom Lodge.. Well that waitlist came open as our rep called me today as I was on my way home and told me that the points I wanted 120 points came open. They are offering us 2017 points... I either think the good Lord is kicking me in the shins or this is just his way of telling not to work so hard. (I was working about 60 hours a week between my 9-5 job and about 20 hours on top of that not every week but pretty damn close. )

So I guess what I am asking is what are the Pros/Cons of Animal Kingdom Lodge... I would be happy with either CCV or AKL...
Is the fact that they are offering 2017 points worth it.

 

[disneynutz]

What UY do you need? Do you love animals and can't wait to see them at your resort? You are working hard to save money to buy DVC but are willing to pay direct prices instead of saving a few thousand dollars? They are giving you 2017 points because based on the UY they have decided to give you, you are buying 2017 points.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I've seen AKV contracts in the 100-120 point range with current year points - which is all they're offering you, it's not a fully loaded contract -- for $112-118 per point. Meanwhile, direct is $171 per point.

Paying that extra $5000 to get... what, exactly? You need to buy a lot of APs to get that value out, and even if you figure the value of Moonlight Magic at $100 per person, that's a lot of MM you have to be lucky enough to be traveling for AND get tickets for. A lot of members didn't get the Epcot tickets and are pretty angry.

I mean, you do you and stuff, but.

 

[LënuSëkahsëni]

If your Use Year is July or later they aren't giving you bonus points; you are getting the 2017 points because that is the current Use Year for those contracts.

Everyone has their own reasons, but I'm not sure the direct benefits would be enough to convince me to buy AKL direct vs resale given the $50+ difference per point.

 

[DianeW]

What is the use year? You're probably just getting the current year's points, since use year really has nothing to do with the calendar year. Having said that....I love AKL! It's a beautiful resort, with some of my favorite restaurants on property. I have no trouble booking there at the 7 month window, even though I don't own there.

The best advice I can give you on purchasing DVC...especially if money is a concern, is to determine where and when you want to stay. Popular DVC times to go are not the same as the popular times the general public usually goes. If you HAVE to stay at AKL, and you always vacation September through January, or you do Run Disney, then buy there. If it doesn't matter to you where you stay, or you want to switch up resorts on every vacation, then I would buy cheaper, and I would buy resale. We bought 300 resale points for cash at OKW (which I love), and the contract was fully loaded with the previous year's 300 points. I saved about $17,000 purchasing resale. Plus, I didn't pay annual dues on the banked points.

I plan on adding between 150-200 points next year, probably at AKL, maybe BLT. But I will purchase resale, because I would rather have many more points (which equals more and longer vacations) than any "perks" Disney might provide.

If your heart is set on buying direct, I would buy the minimum amount required in order to get the perks (currently 75 points), and purchase the other points you need resale. The contracts can be listed under one membership number if they have the same use year.

Good luck and welcome home!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you always go in August or July, you don't want a Sept UY. You want a June UY. Figure out when you plan to go the most and get a UY that allows you to use the points without the possibility of losing them because of lack of time to bank them or use them on a later reservation.

 

[bumbershoot]

They are offering us 2017 points...

Of course. Because you are entitled to them assuming you’re buying a UY month in the future. (July etc)

This isn’t a bonus. It’s what you should expect.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Every DVC property has its own vibe. Our home resort is VGF and we love it. But I have stayed at Animal Kingdom twice, once at AKL and once at Kidani. We had great experiences both times.

The overall vibe I get at Animal Kingdom Resort is a feeling of peace and a feeling of being connected to nature. To look out your balcony and see giraffes and zebras is just amazing. The resort is detailed beautifully, which I attribute to the genius of Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde.

Another great feature of AK is the proximity to Animal Kingdom Park, which right now is the hottest ticket due to Pandora. (This may change when Star Wars Land opens.)

Once we brought our car, and once we took the Disney buses. Having a car is great, but the bus system works well. You need to build in some time, but it was rare to wait longer than 20 minutes for a bus. If you are comparing to Copper Creek, then you will be mostly riding buses anyway.

If you buy at AKL, plan on doing a lot of walking. There are a lot of units, and it is only 4 stories (I think), which means long hallways and potentially a lot of walking between the lobby and your room. At CCV, the resort is smaller, and there will be less of a walk once you exit the elevator.

If I recall correctly, the theming in the DVC rooms is a little more subtle than in the hotel rooms. The hotel rooms are more overtly a “Lion King” theme.

If you have never stayed at AK, it might be a good idea to stay there before buying. Depending on time of year, you could stay in the hotel for between 250 and 400 a night. Or rent DVC points.

 

[OneLittleSpark2014]

As others have said, they're offering you the current points but also the extra perk of banking current UY points. We bought in August of 2017 with an October UY. Since we were still in the 2016 UY, we got those points but the perk was that we were able to bank them into 2017 so we could use them while only paying a minimal pro-rated maintenance fee on them (we were past the banking deadline but the direct purchase allowed us to have a one-time exception). It definitely helped tip the scales for us to make that direct purchase because it allowed us to cancel an upcoming cash reservation and use the new points instead. We recently bought another contract resale, which is a much better value (AKV at $104pp). I would say definitely don't feel pressured to make a rushed decision. This is all normal stuff here. Best of luck to you!

 

[Bing Showei]

Since we were still in the 2016 UY, we got those points but the perk was that we were able to bank them into 2017 so we could use them while only paying a minimal pro-rated maintenance fee on them (we were past the banking deadline but the direct purchase allowed us to have a one-time exception).

Actually you made out better than that. You paid no annual dues on your 2016 points and paid only 1/3 of your annual dues for your 2017 points.

Also, banking those points also didn't count against your "one-time exception" as those points would have limited use if they didn't bank them for you. So you haven't used yours yet. Good to keep in mind if a direct purchaser in this situation has a booking crisis in the future.

 

[Dean]

Actually you made out better than that. You paid no annual dues on your 2016 points and paid only 1/3 of your annual dues for your 2017 points.

Also, banking those points also didn't count against your "one-time exception" as those points would have limited use if they didn't bank them for you. So you haven't used yours yet. Good to keep in mind if a direct purchaser in this situation has a booking crisis in the future.

Not entirely true, they paid dues on the remaining months of those points from when they signed, not a lot but some. But since they can be banked, even the last day, it's still a plus.

 

[Bing Showei]

Not entirely true, they paid dues on the remaining months of those points from when they signed, not a lot but some. But since they can be banked, even the last day, it's still a plus.

Right, but the dues paid for the last few months of 2017 were for the 2017 UY points which she hadn’t entered the UY for yet. Those 2016 points didn’t have any dues to be paid as that would’ve had to have been paid in the 2016 yalendar year.

 

[blondietink]

Congratulations on your purchase. WE bought direct many years ago and have been very happy and I am sure you will too. We own at SS, but have never stayed there yet. We have always been able to book different resorts at 7 months out. Enjoy your future vacations!

 

[Dean]

Right, but the dues paid for the last few months of 2017 were for the 2017 UY points which she hadn’t entered the UY for yet. Those 2016 points didn’t have any dues to be paid as that would’ve had to have been paid in the 2016 yalendar year.

Still not accurate, dues are for a calendar year not a UY. So for a Dec 2018 UY the dues paid this past Jan are for 11 months of the 17 UY and 1 mo of the 18 UY. IF you got 18 points only buying now, you’d be overpaying by around 5/12 of the dues. I can’t stress enough, dues are not for the UY but for the calendar year which is fairly unique in the timeshare world though there is at least one other company I know of that does it similarly.

 

[Bing Showei]

Still not accurate, dues are for a calendar year not a UY. So for a Dec 2018 UY the dues paid this past Jan are for 11 months of the 17 UY and 1 mo of the 18 UY. IF you got 18 points only buying now, you’d be overpaying by around 5/12 of the dues. I can’t stress enough, dues are not for the UY but for the calendar year which is fairly unique in the timeshare world though there is at least one other company I know of that does it similarly.

This doesn't sound right. Are you suggesting they will be collecting dues on January 2042 for BWV with a December UY for the remainder of the 11 months of the 2041 UY points?

Say I bought CCV December UY 2017 today. You're telling me come January 2068 (from my grave) I'll need to pay the remaining dues for the 11 months that fall into 2068?

 

[Bing Showei]

This doesn't sound right. Are you suggesting they will be collecting dues on January 2042 for BWV with a December UY for the remainder of the 11 months of the 2041 UY points?

Say I bought CCV December UY 2017 today. You're telling me come January 2068 (from my grave) I'll need to pay the remaining dues for the 11 months that fall into 2068?

OHHH, I see now. 2066 would be the last year of UY points and those points would expire by 2067. So there are no 2068 dues. Am I getting this right now?

 

[Dean]

This doesn't sound right. Are you suggesting they will be collecting dues on January 2042 for BWV with a December UY for the remainder of the 11 months of the 2041 UY points?

Say I bought CCV December UY 2017 today. You're telling me come January 2068 (from my grave) I'll need to pay the remaining dues for the 11 months that fall into 2068?

OHHH, I see now. 2066 would be the last year of UY points and those points would expire by 2067. So there are no 2068 dues. Am I getting this right now?

There are other issues for the end of the RTU but ignoring those, there would technically be 1 month of dues for EVERYONE the last year to cover the Jan. First, there are not enough points for all members to use their resort the last couple of years of the ownership given the UY structure. Then one will not need refurbishment or other reserves late in the course. HOW they will handle those issues remains to be seen but even with extensions the issue will come about at some point. My guess is they'll suspect banking the last few years and figure out some way to ration the rooms late in the game. Maybe it'll be a lottery or some other similar options as the bylaws allow. Then they will allot dues to those that are able to use points and make up any difference from the reserves.

The way to look at this is to say what would the dues be now if one were buying direct and the answer is as above you pay for the months you get not based on the points you get. And other than any points where dues would have been paid for the previous months, it's not a sales incentive but is the nature of the dues setup.

 

[Bing Showei]

There are other issues for the end of the RTU but ignoring those, there would technically be 1 month of dues for EVERYONE the last year to cover the Jan.

OK, so here's what I don't get. If this is true, then CCV will have it's last points issued in 2066. With a February UY, I pay dues on January 2066. I'm issued my last points in February 2066. By your reasoning, you're saying I'm going to pay dues in 2067 even though I get no additional points that year, and I may need to pay a month in 2068? That doesn't sound right.

 

[Dean]

OK, so here's what I don't get. If this is true, then CCV will have it's last points issued in 2066. With a February UY, I pay dues on January 2066. I'm issued my last points in February 2066. By your reasoning, you're saying I'm going to pay dues in 2067 even though I get no additional points that year, and I may need to pay a month in 2068? That doesn't sound right.

With no adjustments and the calendar year points basis this is technically true. As I noted, there are other variables at the end that will almost certainly make that not needed. In a sense I'm sure we'll all be paying but it might be prepaid and come our of reserves.