Points System Help

[mustinjourney]

Well, some of the perks actually are quite good. Discounts on annual passes and other ticket media. Free admission to after-hours parties at theme parks. Exclusive lounge in Epcot. Access to a slate of holiday-themed dining events and dessert parties (for a fee.) There isn't another group of WDW guests who have regular access to perks/events of that nature.

Are perks alone worth the higher cost of buying direct? Probably not. But combined with longer contracts & higher resale value of the newer resorts, it's certainly a defensible decision. Maybe not for OP who has no strong preference for any given resort. But to a buyer who wants to own Poly, paying (net) $165 direct is defensible compared to $150 resale.

I agree that the perks, on paper, seem quite valuable. Problem is that it's almost pure luck as to whether you'll be able to ever enjoy them. Most of them are announced inside of 7 months, so it's no as if you can book a DVC room in order to make the event. In my case, I'm going in October, the week after thanksgiving, and then the last week of January -- and I have managed to miss out timing wise on 3 or 4 of the member events...most by a few days to a week. Certainly bad luck on my part -- part I can't be alone. Not to mention, the admissions are limited in numbers, so if you do not call in right when the phone lines open up, you can miss out even if you are there when the events are going on.

Sure, if you're within a short drive, it's not hard to drive over for some of these, but for the vast majority of DVC members, many of the events just do not have much practical value.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

There is also luck in booking a few of these. DVC Halloween Party? Sold out in under 2 hours. Moonlight Magic? Get ready to sit on hold and have it maybe sell out anyway. Soarin' tour? Srsly, ha.

So, sure, the Epcot lounge is open whenever you go, no pre-booking. But is that worth $60 per point? I would argue: Probably not! Unless you have money you also enjoy burning, and you throw out your underpants rather than washing them.

 

[bumbershoot]

I soon learned that if I wished to take advantage of the low point listings that there were times of the year I would not be able to book anywhere else but at those resorts.

Of course that goes for everyone!

I currently can't change from my bay lake reservation to anything else for princess. Not even ssr or okw.

And someone purchasing expensive Poly points right now with the same dates as me couldn't move to okw either.

 

[EvilDrPorkchop21]

I agree that the perks, on paper, seem quite valuable. Problem is that it's almost pure luck as to whether you'll be able to ever enjoy them. Most of them are announced inside of 7 months, so it's no as if you can book a DVC room in order to make the event. In my case, I'm going in October, the week after thanksgiving, and then the last week of January -- and I have managed to miss out timing wise on 3 or 4 of the member events...most by a few days to a week. Certainly bad luck on my part -- part I can't be alone. Not to mention, the admissions are limited in numbers, so if you do not call in right when the phone lines open up, you can miss out even if you are there when the events are going on.

Sure, if you're within a short drive, it's not hard to drive over for some of these, but for the vast majority of DVC members, many of the events just do not have much practical value.

Exactly. They sound great, and everyone's situation is different, but I feel like I haven't been able to take advantage of most of them, especially the 'parties' because its maybe like once or twice a year, I hear about them too late. Maybe if they announced them a year in advance and typically around the same time it would be easier to plan points and stuff.

 

[CarolynFH]

i am new to purchasing DVC and am trying to understand the point system. If I purchase new, it is currently $171 a point. I am considering purchasing resale. Obviously the points would be less.
Here's what I don't understand.
If I purchase 100 points new how is that the same as 100 points resale?Each vacation uses points, right? I don't get how higher priced points are the same as lower priced points. Something doesn't make sense.
Can someone explain this to me?
I apologize in advance if this is a stupid and obvious question.

Something else to keep in mind that may not have come out clearly in other posts is that 100 points will buy more at one resort than another. For instance, we own enough points at BWV to stay in a 2-bedroom villa for the week of Thanksgiving. But we'll be using more than a year's points to stay in a 1-bedroom villa at VGF for a week in February - VGF villas cost more than BWV villas do. So it is important to know where you want to stay in order to know how many points you need to buy and which home resort you want. To me, the decision re direct vs. resale comes after that, not before.