Would love opinions please!

[garthbarth1]

HI All! So, we looked at DVC last year when the GF was available. We didnt buy in at the time, bc we really wanted to hold out for the Poly. So, now it is available. I would love any opinions/input, based on how we vacation, if DVC would fit our style.

There are two of us-DH and I,-no kids.
We always go in Sept or October so we can attend the Halloween party. It works good for our work schedule, and Sept. is our anniversary.
Sometimes we go in October with our friends and their kids. It depends on the schedule. We are just now looking at dates to go for this fall. This year we are going in September.
We get the QS dining plan and pay for one or two sit down meals OOP.
We do not cook in the room, or need to do laundry, so no need for anything more than a regular room.
We usually do 5 days/nights (come in on Wed am, leave Monday am)
We really love the Poly and always stay there. We have tried many other deluxe resorts, and the Poly is our favorite.
We prefer to stay at a monorail resorts.

So..the question based on these things:

Would DVC be a good choice for us? My concerns are the 7/11 month booking window. We are not able to really pick out dates out that soon, so I know that there is a good chance that if we go past that 7 month mark, that the Poly would not be available. My understanding is that they put you at another DVC resort then. To be honest, thats not something that would make us happy. We have stayed at almost all the deluxe resorts over the years, and love the Poly for many reasons. We would be disappointed if that is not available.
We would also like to try club level at some point
We have never had a problem booking the Poly for she we want to go. That could change, though...
We normally go during the time where there is a 30 percent room discount.I know the discounts are getting fewer, and not as high as they used to be, but we never pay rack rate for a room. We always take the room discount over free dining, bc we do the quick service plan. The discount on the deluxe room is a better deal than the free dining for us.

So...any input on how we like to vacation,and if its a good fit would be greatly appreciated!! Once we decide of its a good fit, then we will look at the financials -which I know is a whole other consideration.

[GAN]

You were doing well until you got to the point where you mentioned that you didn't think you would pick dates by the 7-month point(if I understood correctly). I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Poly will be fairly popular and you would most likely need to book prior to 7-months. The way DVC works, is if what you want isn't available, you need to select another resort -they don't give you something else. In 10-years, I've never had an issue getting what I wanted at 7-months(with some flexibility). It sounds like you're perfect candidates other than the way you book. At the very least, you may need to be flexible with where you stay -I realize you love Poly, but all the resorts are nice in their own way.

[VWL Mom]

I have to agree, DVC doesn't seem to be for you right now. If you're only looking to stay at Poly then you'll need to purchase points at $165/pt. Since the 11/7 booking will be an issue IMO it will be tough for you to get in especially if you're looking during F&W when studios across property are tough to come by. Plus, paying so much per point you wouldn't be happy staying elsewhere. I would suggest you continue doing what your doing and maybe revisit the idea when the points start hitting resale.

Side note: You mentioned you've never had a problem getting in the Poly. I'm interested if that will stay the same now that they took 360 rooms out of service for DVC.

[Mrs Bus Driver]

I have to agree, DVC doesn't seem to be for you right now. If you're only looking to stay at Poly then you'll need to purchase points at $165/pt. Since the 11/7 booking will be an issue IMO it will be tough for you to get in especially if you're looking during F&W when studios across property are tough to come by. Plus, paying so much per point you wouldn't be happy staying elsewhere. I would suggest you continue doing what your doing and maybe revisit the idea when the points start hitting resale.

Side note: You mentioned you've never had a problem getting in the Poly. I'm interested if that will stay the same now that they took 360 rooms out of service for DVC.

I have to agree, for right now IMHO you would be better off using a travel agent (see sponsors) to get the best deal on the room you want. If you can't do the 11 month booking to get a studio during food and wine time of year then it would be a waste of money to buy DVC.

[garthbarth1]

Thanks for the opinions! That is what I was thinking. Really its the booking window that I think seems to be the biggest hurdle. I understand that you would need to select another resort if its full...DVC only has studios, 1 or 2 BR, correct? I can imagine it is pretty booked during food and wine festival. If we were to choose another resort, we would want it on the Monorail (So BLT or GF) I imagine these are not as available as some of the other DVC resorts at that time...Saratoga Springs or OKW? We have been enough times to know what works for us, so I am thinking due to the booking window and our preference for Monorail resorts, that it would be difficult to get anything less than 7 months out. We are just now sitting down the talk about dates for the Sept. Will will nail them down this week! I too, am interested to see if there will be a harder time getting into the Poly now that DVC has taken those rooms. I may need to start booking earlier even if I'm not a DVC member!

[tjstrike]

I agree with not buying into DVC right now because of your booking agenda but I do think that renting DVC points would work out good for you.