A common refrain that you’ll hear for purchasing DVC is to buy where you want to stay. However, one major deterrent to following that advice is contract length. Some of the older DVC resorts have contracts that will end in 2042. This includes the Beach Club, BoardWalk, Boulder Ridge, Hilton Head, Vero Beach, and some Old Key West contracts that were not extended to 2057. With about 20 years left on these contracts, some may dismiss contracts at these resorts thinking that they aren’t a good value or that they won’t be able to hand down the contracts to their children. However, there are a few reasons why they are still worth considering.
Prime Locations
Resorts like the Beach Club and BoardWalk have some of the best locations in all of Walt Disney World! These are the only DVC resorts that are walking distance from two parks, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. In addition, these resorts can be hard to book at the 7-month mark, particularly if you are searching for a studio, so having that 11-month home resort advantage helps. For those who like being close to Magic Kingdom, Boulder Ridge has great accessibility to the park thanks to the ferry boats. Also, many people love staying at Boulder Ridge to be at Wilderness Lodge for the holidays. With the upcoming refurbishments for Boulder Ridge, it will be an even more enticing location.
Lower Points Charts
The older DVC resorts tend to require fewer points per night than the newer resorts. For example, a deluxe studio at Old Key West requires at least 10 points per night in May 2022. By contrast, a deluxe studio at a newer resort like Riviera requires at least 17 points per night in May 2022. When looking at non-WDW DVC resorts for the same time period, Hilton Head deluxe studios would require at least 14 points a night, and Vero Beach deluxe studios would be at least 13 points a night. Using fewer points per night can help you add more days to your trips or upgrade to a larger villa, which is always a plus. It’s incredible that grand villas at Old Key West start at 46 points per night. That is quite the bargain when you consider that some grand villas, like those at the Grand Floridian and Riviera, start at over 100 points per night.
Dues Will Come to an End Sooner
Annual dues are a significant expense over the length of the contract. Having an earlier end date to the contract means that you will not be tied to paying dues for as long.
Reasonable Price Per Point
Perhaps with the exception of the Beach Club and sometimes the BoardWalk, the price per point on the 2042 resorts is fairly reasonable considering their shorter contract length. Browsing the ROFR (right of first refusal) thread on the DISboards, you will find that Hilton Head contracts can go for as little as $68 per point. Old Key West is a good option for a WDW DVC resort since it can go for around $110 per point. Boulder Ridge contracts can also go for around $110 per point, compared to around $150 per point at Copper Creek, the newer DVC resort at Wilderness Lodge. The lower price per point can make a contract more affordable or make it possible for you to purchase a larger contract.
While we can only speculate what will become of these resorts in 2042, they can make wonderful home resorts. If one of these resorts is where you would love to stay for most vacations, I think there is still value to them. After all, 20 years worth of vacations means there are a lot of priceless memories to come! If you are interested in purchasing a contract at a 2042 resort, don’t forget to check out our friends at DVC Resale Market.
