people who influenced you DVC purchase

[skorpie]

I was wondering if any of you out there had a person/couple that helped you decide to purchase DVC. I wish I could thank the couple we met at Epcot, in "England" who began talking to us, out of the blue, about the advantages of a DVC purchase.

My DD age 9 didn't want to go back to the BW to further discuss a DVC purchase. My DH was talking to her, saying we had an appointment and had to go. This couple, who we happened to sit next to on a bench said to her,"Oh yes you want to go back to hear about DVC!" My DH, who was the most resistant, had to sit and listen to their praises of DVC while I had on a smile, similar to the Cheshire Cat!!! This couple(if you're out there and read this particular board, were also Tanzanite lovers!) made all the difference in the world. I pointed out, to my reluctant DH, how great DVC must be if perfect strangers would go on about it! Anyway, we are now proud owners at VWL of 250,and a good deal is due to the anonymous couple at Epcot. So if you folks are out there, Thanks!!!!!

[WebmasterDoc]

Great topic!

In the spring of '93, I had a patient at my office who had just returned from Spring Break at WDW. I asked what they had enjoyed most about their trip and they described their DVC tour and subsequent purchase. I asked many questions, called them at home a few times and decided that we'd enjoy the program also.

While at WDW a few weeks later, we stopped in at Commodore House without an appointment and asked if there was someone available to sign us up and they quickly found Bettie Pleasant to give us a quick tour. We had no questions, but enjoyed the movie and tour, signed our documents, had our picture taken and enjoyed a sundae- all within an hour. The rest is history!

I thank that patient often! :D

[Mattsmom]

The people that helped/influenced us the most to buy DVC are right here on the DIS!!!!:D

We haven't finished buying yet, plan to finish 5/6 at WDW.

I came to the DIS looking for info. for our last trip. Some of the posters that helped answer my questions had DVC logos, etc. It got my curiosity, I came to the DVC board for more info. The more I learned the more I realized DVC was for us.

So thanks Granny, PamOKW, EeyoreU2, Drusba, Uncleromulus and MANY others whose names will come to mind the minute I post this!:D

[nisiemouse]

If it was not for the DIS I do not think I would be a dvc member right now. It was something I really wanted to do but just could not convince dh. I had requested information last summer about VWL. Learning about resale purchases on the DIS and who to contact did the trick to convince dh. We saved $2400 over buying through disney and got a contract with all of last years points banked. Thanks to all the experts here who were all so patient with my questions. :)

[Regina]

My father-in-law's wife. She absolutely hated DVC. We couldn't sign the contract fast enough after that.;) ;) ;)

[ceejay13]

We had wanted to sign up back in 1993 but didn't feel we could afford it. We continued to talk about but never checked into the details. In early 2000 one of my co-workers and their significant other who is a physcian bought 150 points at HH. They originally got us motivated to get more details. I had frequented this site for general WDW info in the past and noticed the DVC board. It was the wealth of information and guidance I received from the posters that finally made us feel comfortable with the decision. We gave the referral to our co-workers. Interestingly enough, they just sold their DVC points as they weren't using them as often since they just adopted a baby boy.

[rbuzzotta]

A woman from Chicago who bought into DVC with her brother, his wife and their child(ren). We met her at VB and I really enjoyed listening to her explain all about DVC. We then set up a tour and at the time were building a new house and my DH was afraid to spend more money.

Anyways, I wouldn't let up and 3 years later bought resale at OKW. I still want add-ons at VB.

Webmaster Doc answered many of my questions including the one many ask......"How many in a 1 BR". Yes, we are a family of 5!! LOL!!!

This board was a great resource! Thanks to all.

[ncligs]

My sister bought in 95 at OKW and invited our family down in a GV for a week..........Now 4 in our family are DVC members.:D

[Granny]

Like mattsmom, the most influential people were the ones I met here on the DVC DISBoard. :)

We were in an "every other year" mode for WDW because of the cost. But even in the "off" year, I found myself looking at Disney World sites and doing some daydreaming.

One of those sites had a brief description of DVC and a link to this board. I lurked for quite a while, read the FAQ's and asked a few questions.

The positive feeling that came from this board made me comfortable in making such a sizable investment. I am happy now to pass that same feeling along to others!

Nice thread, skorpie. :)

[cgcw]

We first heard about DVC through a neighbor. When we'd inquire as to how he could manage so many trips to Disney, he started dropping hints here and there about DVC. One day he dropped off his membership book and we read it front to back. We had an upcoming trip planned so he suggested when we went down, to talk to his guide (Judy Kauffman). We did and I think we knew we were going to buy before we even went down. That trip we bought our initial 150 at BWV. Wanting to try something different, we went to HH last summer and added on another 150 point there. We now have our neighbor beat with DVC points but he recently built a home down in Orlando. This could be trouble for us if he starts dropping hints about his home ownership which he's very happy with. For us, we're really happy with DVC and it works well for us.

[Desperado]

This board is helping influence our decision after we learned about it from another member. But it is also working both ways, there are lots of negatives brought up here, that seem to go beyond providing pros and cons. It's almost like infighting betweeen home resorts. Some of it seems overboard and unpleasant. It caught us by surprise and has put the breaks on our decision. Maybe it would have been better if we didn't see those, we might already be Boardwalk members.

[MaryJ]

We stayed at VWL on cash :eek: in March 2001. I left WDW a day early to go to a Bible Study Fellowship retreat. DH and I had talked to someone at a DVC kiosk the night before just because we had time to kill while waiting to be seated at Artist Pointe. Anyway, he took the tour the next day without me. When I got to my hotel room for the retreat, the friend that I was rooming with had ALSO been to WDW and had stayed at BWV. When I told her that we had been at VWL, she said "Oh! Are you Vacation Club members too?" Right then I started talking to her about DVC. It was obvious how happy she was with it. No complaints at all. Then I found these boards....and the rest is history. We bought DVC as a 25th anniversary present to each other, and when I told my friend about it, she said "I can't think of a better gift...to know that you'll be able to take a vacation every year!"

[Granny]

Desperado....wanted to PM you but that is not available for you.

The "my resort is best" stuff you see here on these boards really shouldn't influence your decision. It's not like you will be spending your vacation hanging out with these folks, talking about their views on the different resorts.

Sorry to hear that you were turned off by those threads, but you shouldn't base your DVC purchase decision on them. If you love WDW, go fairly often and like to stay on-site in a moderate or deluxe accommodation.....then you should look into DVC. Otherwise, you will be looking back in six or so years thinking how much of a good deal you passed up!

[Joeblack]

TO me, it was PamOKW, Webmaster Doc (Previously known as Doc), Bicker and a very nice man called Ed Trybulsky (Ed T) who I miss hearing from. It was basically all their answers and invaluable help that got the DVC bug into me...Thanks to you all.

[AnnK]

Desperado,
I agree with Granny. The home resort war was something I never encountered until I came to these boards. ( I was already an owner.) I had bought the majority of my points at BWV but I also own at OKW. If I had not already stayed in the resorts I would be VERY confused by some of the overly negative posts, joking or not, they can leave a "newbie" completely confused.

Don't let it discourage you. Granny has mentioned some of the important things to consider. I would also add that the price has steadily increased over the years, so waiting will end up costing you more. If you get the opportunity to go to Disney you should check out ALL the DVC resorts, then you can decide which is best for YOU!
Good LUck!:)

[JonHM]

I agree with Granny. The 'bickering' that goes on on those threads *only* exists right here, in the virtual world, and not out in the real world at any of the DVC resorts. Many of the threads that you're referring to are *intended* to be funny, tongue in cheek verbal sparring. Unfortunately, some of it doesn't come off that way, and one of the major concerns that some of us have is that some people who have just begun reading these boards will become turned off in the way that you have. But it really should not affect your feelings about DVC itself.

Now, if you have concerns that DVC does not mesh with your travel habits or your finances, then I would definitely put the brakes on, as you say. But if you think that DVC is right for you then I really would not let a few silly people here stop you - you might wind up kicking yourself later on. I know in all the time that I've been here, that the only big regret that I've heard consistently from people about buying into DVC is that they didn't buy in sooner. :D

Take care. Good luck with your decision. Please let us know if you have any questions about DVC that we can help you with - either 'technical' questions about how DVC works, or questions about our personal experiences. The people here are really fantastic at helping with that kind of stuff!

[Dumbo]

Originally posted by Desperado
Some of it seems overboard and unpleasant. It caught us by surprise and has put the breaks on our decision. Maybe it would have been better if we didn't see those, we might already be Boardwalk members.

Desperado,

I agree. There are many here who go out of there way to try and help people in their buying decisions concerning DVC. However there are those who will post mis-information in these boards in a negative light.

It is unfortunate that after reading mis-information concerning Boardwalk Villas you have decided not to buy at Boardwalk Villas at this time. It is very sad to know that you are not enjoying the benefits of DVC membership because of reading this board.


Dumbo

[KaterBell]

Back to the original topic, we were introduced to the joys of DVC by our neighbors... We moved into our apartment, and found out that they were crazy about Disney too, so we started talking, found out they were DVC, and I started asking questions. Then this past January I started reading the DIS on a regular basis, and that's where I got even MORE information.

We signed up for DVC in March! :)

Thanks guys!

[llp479]

For us it was our youngest daughter. I found out I was pregnant with her on our visit to OKW in '96. In planning our trip to WDW in '98, I said to DH "What was the Vacation Club?". This was after calculating what it was going to cost for the additional room we needed now being a family of 5! So, called Celeste and bought BWV site unseen, booked our trip and the rest is history!

Just purchased a resale at OKW. Going home in August! Can't wait!

[MinnieMe2]

My husband and I have to attend a Christmas dinner for his job every year. In 2000, we were seated with a couple who have owned for years, and once the conversation turned to our mutual love for Disney, they explained how DVC works. The following Feb. we took the tour, and that was it. We're hooked, and our only regret is that we didn't buy sooner.....

[Peterd]

My wife after we stayed at the Boardwalk our first night. She was very happy there, wife happy good, wife not happy bad!:D

[mickeys#1fan]

Noone really influenced us, except for the great guides we encountered along the way. We used to live a stone's throw from VB and took the tour just to see what it looked like. The units were more attractive than our apartment!

A few we years later we took the tour again at HHI and we were hooked, but we couldn't afford it. It had always been a dream of mine to spend more than a day at a time at WDW and stay on property. DVC was the means to making that dream come true.

Then came Christmas 2000. We stayed at POFQ, which was great. As we packed to leave, I had to go to the lobby to ask for more laundry bags. Temptation overcame me, and I made an appointment to talk things over at BWV. Three hours later we were the proud owners of 250 points at VWL - the best decision I ever made!

[Granny]

Originally posted by Peterd
My wife after we stayed at the Boardwalk our first night. She was very happy there, wife happy good, wife not happy bad!:D Amen, brother!:p

The flip side of this question is we probably would have looked into DVC earlier if not for the absolutely horrible reputation of time shares!! Should have known Disney would do it right! :)

As I said earlier, the people on this board were the most influential in my purchase decision. Can't thank you all enough. :)

[Lesley]

My answer will be a bit different.....it was my dh! After hearing every day of our marriage "when can we go back to Disney World?" DVC was the thing to do without question! It's been almost 10 years now (the marriage) and we'll be taking our second DVC trip at Thanksgiving. We wanted to join back in 1994 but couldn't....but did as soon as we could.

And I owe a lot to the members of this board who were our greatest encouragement when it was time to join!

[Cruelladeville]

My husband also influenced our buying DVC. WE have been staying on-property every year since 1978, and DH constantly bemoaned the dollars that were "out the door with nothing to show for it". When I saw the sign for tours I knew that the time had come to buy a timeshare at Disney.

[DeeP]

Desperado.
Do not let repetative negative comments about certain DVC resorts that you read here influence your decesion or desire to own DVC. The negative comments do not have a word of truth to them and should just be ingnored as they hold no merit at all.
Why any DVC member would enjoy consistently downgrading any DVC resort is beyond the understanding of a lot of posters on this board, but unfortunately it happens and even more unfortunately it gives prospective DVC owners like yourself entirely the wrong impression of DVC and the DVC resorts.
ALL the DVC resorts are wonderful and owning DVC is a fantastic way to give your family great vacations in superior resorts.
I sincerely hope you reconsider a DVC membership, it has truly been the wisest vacation investment I have ever made.

[shelbyjosh]

A big thank you goes to WDWmom and WDWdad. They first introduced us to OKW in 1999. We shared a 2 br. at OKW and absolutely loved it! We contemplated buying then, but DH could not justify spending "that kind of money". After a 2nd trip to OKW in 2000, we figured it was time. We knew that we would be going at least once a year. We took the plunge and got 231 pts. and regret not buying MORE!

[DeeP]

For me it was not "who" influenced me to buy a DVC membership it was "what". I had looked into DVC when it first started but at the time there was only one DVC resort open and it did not appeal to me or fit our family's vacation wants. Then one trip while at WDW we went to the Boardwalk to look around, they had just opened BWV. Well that is all it took, I fell in love with BWV and I was sold! I came home bought my DVC membership and have never regretted it.

[mickey7861]

We'd heard of DVC at the beginning of the program but never bothered to investigate. In August 2000 we were at WDW with some friends , they were BWV members. We were going to dinner at Tepanyaki that night so we met at their 1 bdr villa (Boardwalk View!) before dinner. That sold us. When DH saw the actual villa he was amazed, I had been ready to buy all along. The next morning DH took me to the Boardwalk (supposedly for breakfast) and we took the tour and purchased our 200 points.

[StevieD]

I agree with others - the folks on DISboards really influenced our decision. Obviously, the allure of Disney is what promoted our original interest (and we already knew about the convenience of staying on-site). After reading hundreds of posts here (I really taxed the old search engine here), we became more convinced that this was right for us. Our guide, Julie Hughes, also helped - no pressure, very helpful, always returned calls promptly. However, I'm not sure we would have bought if we did not see so many happy DVC'ers on this board. Oh, and the issue about "whose home resort is best" yada, yada............I just chalked that up to friendly rivalry. I think its great that each of the resorts, while all up to the impeccable Disney standards, are just different enough that they offer something for everyone. Can you imagine how boring and inflexible it would be if you had 6 DVC resorts, all of which were identical???? We wouldn't really want that, would we?

While BCV (we just bought 270 points, yay!) appeals to us most right now, I can see how OKW, BWV, VWL will appeal to us at different times in our life. I like that we have choices.

Vive la difference!!!!

[drtpaper]

We had friends who lived cross country. They invited us to spend 5 days in a 2 bedroom at BWV. We had the vacation of a lifetime. My wife was pregnant with our third and our friend brought along 4 kids and their nanny. 11 people in the two bedroom and we had plenty of room.

We bought a resale with banked points and have our week planned this year and paid for it by renting the banked points. I could resell it now and break even on the entire deal. I wouldn't think of selling. Even if you don't go often, you can still justify it based on the ease of renting it. It is always there to use and we can't stop planning family vacations. We have already asked friends to go down next year and they will probably join after seeing the place.

[DVCajun]

For me it was a Southern Living Magazine. I don't remember what year it was exactly, but it was around 1996 (probably was because I think that was the year BWV opened). I saw a one-page article that featured BWV. It talked about the Disney Vacation Club and that the Villas were owned by those members. There was a beautiful picture of the Villas from the lake. I was immediately jealous of all of those unknown DVC members and vowed to find out more. I got the phone number for DVC and the rest is history! :D I didn't take a lot of convincing. We bought "sight unseen," hardly a big risk when it comes to Disney. I rank that day right up there with my wedding day and the birth of my child.

:rolleyes: I never claimed that my priorities were completely in order.

[mickeyc]

We have been going to Disney since it opened in 1971. We had taken the tour several times from when it DVC opened in 1993. I was not sure it was such a good value and never purchased.

A co-worker lent me her member guidebook prior to our trip in 2000, which helped me evaluate the program. While I was waiting to speak to a representative to arrange an appointment an older gentleman sitting on a nearby bench said he was a DVC member. He said he owned 210 pts and was going to purchase 50 more. He said he never traded his DVC. He bought a Marriot timeshare in Orlando for that purpose. Since he was retired he said he could not be happier with his purchase of DVC and they go to Disney several times a year.

We took the tour again, watched the video, and read the literature. I was getting ready to purchase through Disney when I found the timeshare store website. I got lucky and purchased a resale at the BWV. It is one of the best things we have done. I just wish we had purchased sooner.

Although we have taken other vacations during this time it seemed we always spent a week at Disney--that was the clicher. It takes me awhile to make the final decision. My son loves the place so much he applied for an internship at Disney this year through his school. If he is fortunate to be accepted I think it will be a good experience for him. He is a biology major and he loves to work with animals. His goal is to enter dental school, which he will be entering in one year. I think he wants to be the Disney Dentist! ( smile) We certainly enjoy Disney and now DVC!!

[nezy]

My brother and his (NOW EX) wife gave my husband and I a trip 7 years ago to OKW. We loved it.

We did not become Dvc members right away. We only had 1 2month old at the time and found it easy enough to travel to our then fav. place-- Puerto Rico.

After visiting othe r "timeshares" as well as Staying at DVC w/ my brother again and then at HH for a tour, after 2 more kids-- we Finally did what we should have 7 years ago-- became DVC members. Best choice we ever made.

No other place offers the quality and "MAGIC" of Disney.

We do not feel limited and love all of the choices and otions we do have. We will never be unpleasantly surprised when we check-in to our "HOME".

I would like to thank my brother and Bernard--my guide.
No hard sell--ever.

[SINK]

Actually I'm the reverse, while most people thank DIS for their DVC purchase, I would have to thank DVC for indirectly stumbling on this site. I was convinced that buying into DVC was a pretty good deal, especially for the "inexpense" one bedroom suites onsite. After signing the paper work, I wanted to see if there are additional information on the internet. Then by chance, discovered this site and have been hooked ever since. I have learned so much from here. Initially, I thought I knew enough to be dangerous, but was I a greenie compared to DISers. Anyhow, I don't know that finding this site was a good idea. I've spent way too... much time on this site, at work, at home,at friends house, etc.


I think we should have a DIS support group to help us kick our addiction to DIS!

[KellyDVC]

We were influenced by chance, when my best friend said she was going down to WDW with her daughter in april 1999. I thought about going down with her and my older daughter, and decided I could easily beat her "tour package" price (with a hotel up on International Drive!). I was sure we could find something closer, so I got on the internet to do some research. I stumbled on to a site by Brian Bennett, who had a very well-written description of DVC, including a good discussion of the pros and cons. I was very intrigued, so I printed it out and casually mentioned to my husband " why don't you read this, it sounds kind of interesting" Well, as they say, the rest is history. We are both Disney admirers, and had spent our honeymoon at WDW years before, so we felt comfortable that Disney would do the timeshare thing right. After running the numbers on what a week-long vacation with 3 kids would cost us, it was an easy decision.

We found the DIS site that same week, back when there were only 3-4 discussion boards, and proceeded to pump everyone for info (thanks, Doc!). We hooked up with the Timeshare Store and purchased sight-unseen about 3 weeks later, from start to finish. and here we are, 4 add-ons later, planning our 8th and 9th DVC trips! Like everyone else, we firmly feel this was the best purchase we have ever made, because we KNOW that we will take 2 GREAT family vacations every year!! How great is that!!!

[Jimbo]

We were convinced by an outspoken critic of the DVC!

Back in 1996, we started to plan our first family vacation to WDW since our grandaughters were born. We were kind of stunned by the cost, but booked anyway. Grandparents can always justify this sort of thing, right?

Anyway, I started to hang out at rec.arts.disney.parks on Usenet in order to prepare for the trip. That's where I first heard of the DVC, and I was intrigued. I eventually decided to make an offer - site unseen - on a resale at OKW, 300 points, park passes included, with a bunch of banked points, But I was still a little skittish about the whole thing.

There was one guy on radp that was <u>very</u> critical of DVC. He was the "turd in the punch bowl" of any DVC thread back then. He thought that you could do MUCH better at off site timeshares. And he was pretty persuasive, since he had the numbers to back up his opinion. So I emailed him with the details of the package that I was considering, and his reply was something like "Sounds like you're getting a good deal. Go for it."

So if it was good enough for the DVC curmudgeon, I figured that it was good enough for us. And it was and is!