joanjett1976 said:
I need to look into DVC but right now the point system is making my hair hurt
My initial worry is that most DVC seem targeted to those who 'like their space'. We would only consider a studio, which I am pretty certain is the smallest unit.
We always go to WDW alone, so no big family/friend jamborees! We are both Premium AP Holders and visit WDW 2-3 times a year. We usually stay at POFQ, Pop Century or AKL. My resort of choice would be Wilderness Lodge...
Does this seem like a good option for a couple like us?
JoanJett,
We started the same way and thought that a studio would satisfy our needs. We were also set on VWL as our home resort for a number of reasons:
- WL was our favorite resort and we typically stayed there when we went to WDW
- VWL is the smallest of the DVC resorts with a total of 137 units comprised of studios, 1bdrm and 2 bdrm. We decided that we wanted the benefits of being able to book our home resort 11 months out. That has worked out well, considering our next trip is in December, which is apparently a high demand month for VWL
We have stayed at other resorts, most recently at BCV for New Year's Eve, but find we still really love the atmosphere of VWL. Precisely because we feel so secluded. I love to go downstairs in the early morning and sit on the "porch" and enjoy my coffee in the morning calm.
I looked at how many points we would need to cover the majority of the times we would want to go down. I elimnated the peak, peak, peak seasons of Christmas week, Easter and Thanksgiving.
Given that I like many people are a corporate drudge, I decided that I needed to be able to stay over on Fridays and Saturdays, because that's when I have time off.
The points are really not so very hard to manage. I find now find them quite easy, and we even have two different membership numbers.
I can recommend a few sites and point calculators and planners. If you just want to look at
point charts, you can go to, the Time Share Store, a resale broker (how I bought my first VWL contract). The link to their site is:
http://www.dvc-resales.com/DVC-point-charts.htm
Then there are two programs for a PC (I have a mac, but I used these on a friends PC) they were developed by a DISer named Caskbill. Both are free programs.
One is DVC Chart which is a set of point charts and gives you some minimal functionality.
The other is DVC Planner that lets you play "what if" vacation planning scenarios. You can get the programs by going to:
http://web.nalu.net/~wneth/dvcplanner.htm
When I was exploring I also posted questions on the DVC boards here. If you have any questions, you can also PM me.
Now I said that we originally thought that all we would ever need is a studio. And, studios are nice and room and definitely a step up from regular room, especially with having the microwave and all. But, we have now become really spoiled with 1 bedrooms, plus we like the flexibility of a friend/friends coming down with us. And I never thought I'd say this, but I also love having the washer and dryer in the unit. We pack much lighter.
So, if you have any questions, ask.