Opinions...Point reallocations: Would you buy DVC based on what you know now?

[zmanandshan]

I've been really considering buying in. But I've seen a lot of negative comments on the point reallocations. Mainly this year, it seems to be centered around the increase in cost for weekday rentals (2010 to 2011) and decrease for weekends. This seems to counter which is typically a trend to get more business during the slower days (which are typically weekdays for Disney based on experience). Maybe these units are always sold out anyway so it doesnt matter? SO here's my question: If you wouldnt mind telling me how long you've been a DVC owner and if you'd do it again based on what you've been through up to now (and maybe why), it would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks,
John

[Inkmahm]

Yes, I would. I still wish I'd have purchased sooner than we did. We bought our first points in 2005 UY (We're October.)

I never intended to stay only Sun to Thurs nights. I bought enough points for us to vacation on the weekends as well as weekdays. The recent point reallocations don't materially affect me either way.

We LOVE owning DVC.

[Chuck S]

While it is fine to discuss why or why not to purchase, please remember that we are limiting the 2011 reallocation discussion to this thread only. (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2346668)

I purchased in May 1992. Yes, I would purchase again and familiarize myself with the documents so I know what is and is not a component of the DVC program. If Disney/DVC states they have the right to do something in the contracts, bear in mind that at some point they will likely implement it. Whether it be a re-allocation, suspension of banking/borowing, minimum stay, Holiday Preference List...whatever. These are all things that can be implemented. Just know that going in and don't be caught off-guard when it happens.

For me, these are not the first re-allocations I've been through, there was a re-allocation in 1996. When I purchased, they did use the Holiday Preference List so I would also not be shocked if the need arose to restart that in the future.

Buy enough points to fill not only your current expected needs, but add a buffer of 15% to 20% and continually bank any unused points, treat friends and family every few years to use up any surplus (or rent them). DVC is a good system, but like everything, it needs tweaking from time to time to keep in step with current travel habits.

[NEMO93]

I bought in 1992 and would do all over again. JP

[dallastxcpa]

The only thing I would change would be to have bought more initially. However, I have three kids and the 150 contracts each will be perfect to leave or transfer someday. Then based on maintenance fees in the future they can either sale their contract or purchase more points to add on to what they have.

I am pretty sure that two of the three intend to keep whatever they get.

[Sandisw]

I just bought in last year and did so with the intent to vacation at BLT in a manner similiar to what I had been doing.

I didn't actually plan whether that would be weekday or weekend, and bought what I could afford. I knew it might mean spliting my stay between a studio and 1 bedroom but since I had been staying in hotel rooms up until this point, I was making out, even if only half my stay was in the 1 bedroom.

So, for me, the point changes are not that big a deal as I always expected to be flexible of when, where and in what I travel. It was one of the key selling points for me. I am still thrilled and would buy in again in a hearbeat!

[Micca]

We're lifelong Disney fans but have only been in DVC a little over a year. For us it is a happy thing to always have a WDW trip in the planning stages. Of course you don't have to be in DVC to make that happen but the concept of DVC as "home" is special to us. Good luck with your decision John:earsboy:

[chalee94]

i only bought in in 2006.

i had done my homework on the boards and knew a reallocation was possible. ...but i was hoping one wouldn't happen for a few more years...

despite the changes, i've had a great couple of years and still plan on keeping my OKW till 2042. i'd do it again...

but i have been hunting for another timeshare for use in non-disney trips...i would still buy only as many DVC pts as needed for onsite stays...(and be flexible about what i'd expect to get out of those points given the risk of reallocations.)

[Inkmahm]

I purchased in May 1992. Yes, I would purchase again and familiarize myself with the documents so I know what is and is not a component of the DVC program. If Disney/DVC states they have the right to do something in the contracts, bear in mind that at some point they will likely implement it. Whether it be a re-allocation, suspension of banking/borowing, minimum stay, Holiday Preference List...whatever. These are all things that can be implemented. Just know that going in and don't be caught off-guard when it happens.

For me, these are not the first re-allocations I've been through, there was a re-allocation in 1996. When I purchased, they did use the Holiday Preference List so I would also not be shocked if the need arose to restart that in the future.

Buy enough points to fill not only your current expected needs, but add a buffer of 15% to 20% and continually bank any unused points, treat friends and family every few years to use up any surplus (or rent them). DVC is a good system, but like everything, it needs tweaking from time to time to keep in step with current travel habits.
That is excellent advice! I'm amazed at how many people spent thousands of $ on DVC and really didn't understand what they were buying. We see new people here all the time asking very very basic questions. It's one thing to be lost on the ins and outs of exactly how does DVC work. It's another entirely to not have a clue what it is that you bought.

Do your homework and research research research before buying ANYthing as expensive as DVC!

[quirty30]

I only bought last year - I was very fortunate to be able to buy outright without financing. I love knowing that for the cost of my maintenance fees every year, we can plan several trips and experience Disney magic over and over. I love the variety of DVC properties and the ability to book outside of my home resorts (BLT & AKV) and have had really good luck so far finding availability at 7 months. I love the flexibility of a points system and fully understood the possibility of reallocation. And I would absolutely buy again.

[wildernessDad]

Yes, I would.

[cvjw]

Yes, we would buy again - and are going to buy another contract. We only bought last year, but are incredibly happy with our purchases. We really did our research and knew what we were getting into. We also did not buy for just week day stays, so the new allocations aren't really affecting us like they are other people.

[Tozzie]

I would, I never figured out how many points I would need per stay I purchased what I was comfortable with then made the mistake of staying in a 1 bedroom on developers points and well lets say I needed more points because I always want a 1 bedroom. What made me buy was the $2000 I spent on a SV room at AKL for 5 days.

[mikron]

[QUOTE=zmanandshan;35143602]I've been really considering buying in. But I've seen a lot of negative comments on the point reallocations. Mainly this year, it seems to be centered around the increase in cost for weekday rentals (2010 to 2011) and decrease for weekends. This seems to counter which is typically a trend to get more business during the slower days (which are typically weekdays for Disney based on experience). Maybe these units are always sold out anyway so it doesnt matter? SO here's my question: If you wouldnt mind telling me how long you've been a DVC owner and if you'd do it again based on what you've been through up to now (and maybe why), it would be greatly appreciated...

Point reallocations to us are not that bad. We bought in 2004 at SSR and in 2005 add OKW through resale. We would do it again twice, we have been through wonderfull times.

[jamstew]

I would definitely have bought a few more than 60 BLT points, but it was enough for what I wanted to do with a small cushion. Another reallocation, and my little cushion is gone, and there's no way I'm going to add on another 25 points. I'm perfectly satisfied with my 150-point BCV & VWL contracts.

[rlovew]

We originally looked at DVC about 5 years ago- as FL residents and with my DH military retired and having the ability at the time to only vacation on weekends we choose not to buy as it was much cheaper to use Shades of Green and FL resident rates (although they were not as readily avialable at the time).

We have changed jobs and lifestyles so last summer we bought - knowing that more of our vacatrioning would be weekdays than weekends. At the moment we use our points more for DH's seminary classes in Orlando than anything else and many times we reserve a Wed through Sat (using 1 weekend night). Our stays during this first use year would have been cheaper in this coming use year but this summer we have 2 stays that are Sun-Fri and would have been cheaper last year.

We really researched things and waited until there was a resort we really wanted (BLT) before puchasing. We also now have the ability to plan things out better than we would have in the past.

In reality with last summer's discount the price per point was only $2 a point higher than what we were quoted 5 years ago so we bought at the right time for us. I do know that I would have thought about buying 5 yers ago if the points had been balanced out like they are now but at the time it wasn't right for us.

[BroganMc]

We purchased the Dec '05 UY in May '06. Originally we bought 200 SSR points because we were thinking about our buy-in cost and comparing it to comparable costs of our Marriott timeshare. (Roughly $20k bought us a week in a 2BR during Spring Break at Marriott then.)

Looking at the charts, I figured we could squeeze out 10 weekdays a year from those 200 pts. A 5 day add-on to our Marriott weeklong stays in Spring and Autumn. DVC only gave us the room size of studio for 10 whole weekdays at that price, but we figured it was plenty available and enough for our "after trip" trip.

First thing that hit us was availability not being as promised on the sales presentation. We called at precisely 7 months to book early December in a studio. All they had left was 1BRs, even at the largest resort SSR. But we had banked '05 points so that gave us enough of a surplus to afford a 1BR.

We loved the extra space so much, we added on again that year and put us up to 320 points. That was enough for a full week in a 2BR over Spring. Same as we had with Marriott but at $10k more. We justified it with the knowledge that Disney offered onsite transportation and onsite hours. Staying onsite allowed us the ability to alter our vacations from Commando Pack Touring to individual flexible schedules. X can get up and go somewhere and Y can sleep in to join X later. Offsite you are stuck with the same car and schedule.

Next we did the "extend your trip by paying for weekend nights" strategy. Since we were already paying substantially more than our Marriott ownership (in purchase and MF), it was obscene to waste double points on weekends. But even with the cash discounts, it seems kinda crazy to pay $400 extra dollars just to stay weekends. They had a decent deal at the time so we did one more add-on.

Since then, we've experimented with "more time in studios" vs. "more space in 1BR+". We've added on at BLT and BWV so we didn't have the same problems with 7 mos. availability in studios issue. And when we started taking family, we added on another SSR contract solely for Spring studio stays.

One thing that has evolved for us is that we stopped buying direct from Disney. We've found much better prices in the resale market. Our last two contracts have been resale at substantially lower prices.

The point reallocations would have given me a lot of pause mostly because it introduces instability. If I was buying today, I'd probably decide on the number of points based on cost and use. The cost is much higher now and with the point usages changing two consecutive years I'd be hesitant to trust Disney sales rep's on what I would need 5 years down the road. My Marriott timeshare has risen in cost too but a 2BR Platinum week is still giving me a 2BR unit over Spring.

In the end, I think I'd research a lot more, buy more points than I thought I'd need and turn to the resale market for my purchase. IMHO, it just isn't a good deal to buy direct from Disney anymore.

[AKV707]

Yes, we would buy again. Without question. We bought knowing that reallocation could occur. And we almost always have a weekend in any of our stays.

[PSC]

Yes, we're still happy with our purchase. We usually only stay Sunday through Thursday nights, and really feel the impact of the recent reallocations, but we're still happy. It probably means that we won't be able to be a generous as we have been in the past, inviting family and friends.

If I knew then how the past 2 years would have worked out, I probably would have concentrated on adding my resales to my 1st home resort instead of building up points at a 2nd home resort.

[Belle & Ariel]

We would buy again. Each trip we find more things to be thankful for in DVC.

I like the point allocation because Disney is working to best balance points with supply and demand. Our trips' point costs have fluctuated where some go up a little and others go down a little depending on our days used each time.

I feel like all the years they did not restructure, they were not effectively managing the system.

[Peggy Sue]

We purchased in 1997 at OKW and have added on 4 additional contracts since then .. 2 through DVC and 2 through the resale market. We now have a total of 600 points between OKW and BWV. We enjoy DVC and really don't have an issue with point reallocation. Living in the North East our trips to Florida are generally 1 week or longer. We like to check in and stay put for the duration of our vacation, so we purchased more points to ensure we had enough for 10 and 12 night stays. Most of the time our longer stays include 4 weekend nights ..which was another reason for purchasing more points.

The reallocations have not impacted us at all .. I'm glad DVC continues to monitor how points need to be allocated each year .. I do believe weekend points must always be higher than week day points to ensure DVC does not become a "weekend get away" for those who live within driving distance, which would impact those of us who travel to WDW and like to stay a week or better. I believe this was the reason our guide gave us for why the point allocations were so much higher over the weekends.

The best part of DVC is the memeber has total control of when they wish to reserve a unit and the size of the unit they wish to reserve (providing there is availability)

[Disneypirate85]

I would Definately still buy in. Our vacations mean so much to us. Gives us a chance to reconnect with the kids. Having already raised and seen 2 leave the house it is so nice to be able to plan vacation with the remaining kids and to plan trips with our grandchildren now is AWSOME, points reloaction has effected us 0%! we own 160 pts (Dec uy) and we get 2 trips a year out of these. We do plan on buying 70-100 more pts but at BWV for the 11 month window option there. But to be honest we have yet to not get any ressie in any DVC we chose to stay in, as long as we book far enough ahead. Good Luck with your choice, If your asking, then I would tell you to Buy in now. But thats just my Opinion...Shawnpirate:

[jekjones1558]

We bought at BWV on a whim while on vacation at WDW, didn't consider use year, didn't even know there was another resort available (OKW), had never considered a Timeshare before, hadn't heard of a resale market, didn't have a clue how many points to buy (so just took advice of guide), had no benefit of advice from folks on the DIS (and weren't that "into" the internet then anyway) and I can't even remember how carefully we read the paperwork. It is, frankly, a miracle that everything turned out well for us. I could not put a price tag on the memories we have of vacations with family and friends, including my deceased father and my mother who now has Alzheimer's. We now have the luxury of add-on contracts that shield us from the effects of point reallocations. If I were considering buying for the first time today, I would want to be better informed and I would absolutely buy a cushion of points but I would definitely buy DVC again.

[CMOORE185]

We purchased in 2000 and would do it again today in a heart beat. When I purchased I was unhappy with the cost of weekends but purchased anyway. We just decided we would travel Sun. thru Thurs. to take advantage of the lower points during the week. I am happy with the point re-allocation for two reasons, 1st I feel I can now travel on weekends and 2nd I feel DVC is doing this for the best interest of all of us.

[colonialtinker]

Yes we would. I just wish we had done it in 06 when we went on the tour instead of waiting until 08. We currently have enough points for 2 Sun.-Sat. trips per year in a 1 bedroom.

[JenSop]

Yes, we would still buy again. (We only just joined in 2007.)

The only part of the reallocation that effects us is the Grand Villa at AKV. Our 160 points was going to be able to get us 5 weekday nights (through banking and borrowing), now we only have enough for 4 nights.

Otherwise, it's really not going to effect us at all.

The only thing I would have done differently, is sucked it up and bought more points in our initial contract instead of the minimum 160. Would have at least made it 175.

[mckryan]

I would definitely buy again. We bought in 2003, and on the advice of our guide, we purchased 270 points - enough for a 1BR at BCV (our home) for 1 full week. We can still get that week in a 1BR at BCV with those points, and that's all I'm concerned about. Sure, I got more than one week out of my points by going Sunday-Thursday and staying in studios at times, and that's been great.

DH has a difficult time taking weekdays off from work, so the reallocation will allow us some long weekends instead which makes him happy.

We also purchased 130 AKV points during our last trip, so that gives us some more flexibility with our stays.

I only wish we had purchased when we were down in 1997! We've had some great trips since 2003 that we wouldn't trade for anything, and it's nice to know we can go "home" for many more years!

[Hunclemarco]

You can add us to the many others that said they'd still join. :thumbsup2

[AnimalPrincess]

It has only effected us because we want to do short stays during the week at GCV and now that will be even higher than it already is, which bums us out. Still happy with the membership though!

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Yes, we would have still bought into the system.

We love our DVC!

[Dean]

I would. I don't think the reallocation or any other change in the last few years would affect my decision to own DVC. I might buy in differently now than I currently own and with less points but that would be due to other factors and not the reallocation.

[Starr W.]

Yes I would buy again, we've been very happy with our ownership and the ability to book rooms. I think we have a good number of points that lets us be pretty flexible in room sizes and length of stays.

[Mom B]

Despite the reallocations, I'm sure we'd still do it all over again. We love our DVC and if it takes a little figuring now and then to maximize our points, that's okay. Especially since the family keeps expanding, we will probably add on again when we're able, because it seems you can never have enough points, but I don't see that changing anytime soon...and it has nothing to do with the reallocations. To paraphase the old saying, "have points...will travel!":cool1:

[dismedvc]

We would definitely buy DVC based on what we know now. We bought in 1999 at BW when there were only 2 DVC locations, OKW and BW. We had looked at OKW in 1993, and loved the concept, but not the location, at least for us. We recently added on at BLT.

Since they have added so many resorts since 1999, we are even happier we purchased DVC. With more resorts, it does not effect our chances at our home resorts in the 11 to 7 month window, but we think it does give us a better chance of being able to find something, somewhere in the DVC system for "short notice" trips, or when we need to change our plans.

BTW, we have stayed at HHI, VB, and all the Disney World DVC's, except BC. We booked Disney Paris for our daughter, and have also used our points to stay at DL California. We have never done an exchange or rented out our points, although we have given DVC room nights to my family. (They cannot believe we are giving them a $500+ room, but we do tell them it did not really cost us that much)

[alamode]

For everyone whining about relocation of points, let me bring up one point.

I checked availability and price of our first DVC trip, 2 bedroom AKV, May 27th to June 4th of this year (can't wait). From Disney's online reservation site, the cost of the room alone would be $13,185.

Considering I paid $9,000 for 130 points, I can do the same trip every other year (approx 260 points/trip) until 2054, that's 22 trips in all, for $409/trip plus dues.

So yea, I'd do it again.

[Quilter007]

Sure, we typically stay over a weekend in addition to 2 or 3 weekdays, so the point reallocation HELPS us a little. Not enough to make up for the amount we've borrowed! So, we will eventually need to buy a small resale contract anyway....

[Crystal_27]

For us, we bought more points than we needed so we, thankfully, have a little bit of a buffer for point reallocations. Additionally, we take week+ trips, so we aren't affected by the shift between weekends and weekdays. Also, we understood going in that there had been recent reallocations made, so DVC making them again doesn't really surprise me. So, to answer the OP's question, yes, I would buy again. :goodvibes

[eliza61]

That is excellent advice! I'm amazed at how many people spent thousands of $ on DVC and really didn't understand what they were buying. We see new people here all the time asking very very basic questions. It's one thing to be lost on the ins and outs of exactly how does DVC work. It's another entirely to not have a clue what it is that you bought.

Do your homework and research research research before buying ANYthing as expensive as DVC!

Hi Inkmahm, I think one of the issues is that before you actually start using it, you don't know what you don't know. ;)
I purchased in about 10 years ago and I thought I read all the literature inside an out (I did not know about these boards at the time) but nothing prepared me for "wait listing" until I actually had to figure out what it was and even after researching I would not have thought to add on 15% extra points to cover the same period of vacations.

And while points reallocations, perks and other things were clearly stated as being able to change, it still sucks whenever you are getting less of what you got before. NO one likes that.

Points reallocation would not have effected my decision to purchase. I have other issues more with Disney than with dvc that would probably prevent me from purchasing again. Which is probably why I have not added on or no longer recommend DVC.

[daisygirl902]

I'm so glad this thread popped up...after reading so much negative about the reallocation I was starting to get a bit frustrated.

I would absolutely buy again, although I bought a bit differently than some others...I rounded up slightly from what I "needed" so that I would have a couple more points to play with....now keep in mind I still want more, and am planning to add-on next year on our cruise, however I bought 200 points for the 2 of us knowing it would allow me to be a bit flexible, as long as we weren't super picky about where we stay all the time.

Does my 200 pts cover 2 vacations a year at BLT? No...however can we do one at BLT and a smaller vacation in a BW studio? Yes....I may have to be creative with how I use my points, and I may have to bank and borrow at least until I get another 100 pts....I may EVEN (gasp) have to pay cash for a 7 nighter at POP Century at some point if I don't get my extra 100 pts soon enough....but it's still Disney!

I may get flamed for this, but I have always found that people on these boards tend to lean towards the negative side....and it's unfortunate because I am simply happy to be fortunate enough to have what DVC is to me....a guaranteed vacation every year at Disney! :banana: As long as I have that I can be flexible on the room type or place that I stay....

[jekjones1558]

I may get flamed for this, but I have always found that people on these boards tend to lean towards the negative side....and it's unfortunate because I am simply happy to be fortunate enough to have what DVC is to me....a guaranteed vacation every year at Disney! :banana: As long as I have that I can be flexible on the room type or place that I stay....

What a refreshing post! :goodvibes

[alamode]

I may get flamed for this, but I have always found that people on these boards tend to lean towards the negative side..

Welcome to the internet!!! Every board I'm on, whether Disney, tech or parenting related are all filled with negative comments. That's not to say people are negative, it's just that boards like this are a place to vent.:grouphug:

For some people, change is always a negative. For others, it's an opportunity to learn and grow. As for DVC in particular, if you don't like it, sell it and quit your complaining.

[bobbiwoz]

We bought in 2003. We've added on. With the point reallocation our Vero Beach contract of 150 points is causing me the most anxiety, but that is only because we stayed in a Beach Cottage in '08 and we all loved it so much that we want to do it again and again. We have a BC stay for an extra night this year, because we found that 3 nights weren't enough, maybe 4 nights won't be either.

Except for the BC, we usually have had weekend nights mixed in with our stays. I don't want to buy more VB points, but I will if future vacations warrant it. It's not only the accomodation, a BC, but the whole family loves the VB resort, so if we stay in a couple of 2 bedrooms, we may be just as happy, I don't know.

I would buy DVC again!

Bobbi:goodvibes

[eliza61]

least until I get another 100 pts....I may EVEN (gasp) have to pay cash for a 7 nighter at POP Century at some point if I don't get my extra 100 pts soon enough....but it's still Disney!

I may get flamed for this, but I have always found that people on these boards tend to lean towards the negative side....and it's unfortunate because I am simply happy to be fortunate enough to have what DVC is to me....a guaranteed vacation every year at Disney! :banana: As long as I have that I can be flexible on the room type or place that I stay....


I won't flame you but I don't consider it "Negative" to point out "less desirable" qualities.

Whenever I travel or purchase any thing, I like to know the good, the bad or the ugly. If I get on a board and every thing is absolutely "pixie dust and sunshine" how does that help if that's not the truth? If restaurant quality goes down (as an example) saying "well at least I'm at disney" doesn't cut it for me.
For you just the fact that you get to go to DVC is enough, for me I expect a lot more (not saying that you will accept any thing). Actually if I just wanted a guaranteed vacation I probably would not have purchased dvc because it would have been cheaper simply to stay value.

I'd rather know from real live owners about the rate of dues rising, point reallocations or loss of perks and how it affects them, then hearing the glossy version from a salesperson who has a vested interest in getting me to sign (generally). Complaints can be extremely informative, why do you think companies put out surveys?

[BWV Dreamin]

I don't know. Since my initial purchase in 2007, there has been a major change or changes to my DVC membership every year that has made a major impact on the way I can vacation. BlueGreen timeshares are looking pretty good right now.

[daisygirl902]

I'd rather know from real live owners about the rate of dues rising, point reallocations or loss of perks and how it affects them, then hearing the glossy version from a salesperson who has a vested interest in getting me to sign (generally). Complaints can be extremely informative, why do you think companies put out surveys?

Fair enough - I understand some of your points....I spent a lot of time lurking these boards and reading up in general prior to making a DVC purchase so I was fairly well educated about what I was getting into and I do think that's important....I also would not want to make a huge purchase based on "petals and pixie dust".

However maybe my guide was just exceptional, because 3 of the things he definately covered in our talk was point reallocation, ever changing perks, and the general rate that dues normally increase. So I was very prepared for those things.

I guess I just find that sometimes it sounds like so many people are generally so dissatisfied with every change that DVC makes (and almost borderline of thinking that it's all a conspiracy theory)....I work in business and have always understood that although in a perfect world we'd all want companies to do what is right just for their customers they, in reality, also have to do what is right for the company....and I have to respect and understand that's how the world goes round.

So in general I tend to want to view it all with a little sprinkle of pixie dust and just deal with things in a more positive light. It's just my nature I guess.

[eliza61]

I guess I just find that sometimes it sounds like so many people are generally so dissatisfied with every change that DVC makes (and almost borderline of thinking that it's all a conspiracy theory)....I work in business and have always understood that although in a perfect world we'd all want companies to do what is right just for their customers they, in reality, also have to do what is right for the company....and I have to respect and understand that's how the world goes round.

So in general I tend to want to view it all with a little sprinkle of pixie dust and just deal with things in a more positive light. It's just my nature I guess.

Also remember many people are looking at the "overall" "cumilative (sp?") effect.
Maybe point reallocation is not enough to drive people out but combine that with high dues, lost perks and for some decrease in quality of offering and then some times it may tip the scale. That's why I do like to hear well thought out criticism. Just like when we lost valet parking. for some it was no big deal but if I was a owner with maybe mobility issues then the perspective may change a little.

I'm generally a "up" person also but I do like to hear how changes effect "real" owners. Gives me concrete information in planning my vacations and allows me to see if DVC is still a good fit for my family. I will fully admit though, I've never brought into the "Well, at least I'm able to go to disney so I'll take any type of treatment they hand me". While I'm extremely grateful for my material blessings and success, I still have expectations that I want met. (LOL. now I have my flame suit on.)

[dvcdisney]

We've been members for 8 years (since 2002). And knowing what I know, I would still buy into DVC. Since we joined, DVC has gone through a few changes. Some affect our way of vacationing while others do not. Point Reallocation did not make a significant impact (if any at all) with our vacation plans since we stay during weekends anyways. We prefer not to change rooms or resorts during the whole two weeks.

We know that our DVC membership has allowed us to visit Disney quite often. Currently, we have been going to Disney 2 times a year and with each visit lasting 14 nights. Without our membership, we would most likely visit only once a year. So basically:

DVC - 28 nights per year at Disney :cool1: :)
Without DVC -7-10 nights per year at Disney

[dcfromva]

If you wouldnt mind telling me how long you've been a DVC owner and if you'd do it again based on what you've been through up to now (and maybe why), it would be greatly appreciated...


First DVC purchase: Feb 2002.

Would we buy if we had it all over again? Yes. In fact, we just added on a bunch of points last year.
(What we would have done differently with our first contract is to buy in smaller increments to make it easier to downsize. )

I tried to research DVC as much as I could, but some things are hard to get a grasp on until you've actually experienced them.

I am not a fan of the point reallocaiton or the banking (rule of 4) changes, but so far these changes have not painted us into a corner with our point usage.

Thave been many other things that are different now than when I first imagined how the program would work for us. Some of these differences are due to how we have changed. :)

One thing that I thought was going to be a big deal was the lack of daily housekeeping--this has turned out to be not to be an issue for us (we actually like not having to worry about when housekeeping will be making their rounds).

I thought we would do more cooking in the room. Mainly, we make breakfast and heat leftovers and make snacks. This has evolved over the years--it turns out we have our favorite restaurants we like to visit and this is part of the WDW experience that DH enjoys the most.

We never use the jacuzzi. Since we don't use the kitchen much, it turns out a studio works out just fine for long weekend visits with just DH and myself. This really helps to stretch out points out. :)

[DeeCee735]

I've been really considering buying in. But I've seen a lot of negative comments on the point reallocations. Mainly this year, it seems to be centered around the increase in cost for weekday rentals (2010 to 2011) and decrease for weekends. This seems to counter which is typically a trend to get more business during the slower days (which are typically weekdays for Disney based on experience). Maybe these units are always sold out anyway so it doesnt matter? SO here's my question: If you wouldnt mind telling me how long you've been a DVC owner and if you'd do it again based on what you've been through up to now (and maybe why), it would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks,
John


Yes, absolutely, we would buy again. I still want more, I'll always want more.....considering I want to LIVE in a 2 bedroom savannah view at AKV!!

Most posts or discussion tend to lean toward the negative, I guess most people don't bother to post when they're not unhappy.

I'm not at all suggesting you should buy and borrow, but I don't really understand why some people are so opposed to borrowing points from the following year. I mean, to each his own and all, but for us borrowing into the following year has been a constant occurrence since day one. When we bought our first contract in May 2000, since it was the middle of our use year, we received that years points, and then just a few months later the new use year's points (we bought in May and have an October UY), so we had two years of points, then we borrowed a full year of points and did a vacation we'd never spend the money to do for just one vacation.....1/2 sea, 1/2 land and it was SO worth borrowing the points for.

I've been borrowing more often than not, some (if not all) of the next years points since, WAY before the points reallocation, and inspite of the fact that we've added on 4 TIMES!:cool1:

Our philosphy is if we want to get up and go and borrowing let's us to that, then CARPE DIEM! Live for the day!

Again, I'm not suggesting you buy and borrow, and I'm certainly not suggesting that you base your decision on the fact that the points have been reallocated. I think you need to consider your near future needs and also remember that the contracts are for many,many years to come, and then decide how much the points reallocation actually matters in comparison to your vacationing needs and length of time to use your points.

It really doesn't affect us all that much at all. We only own 285 points, 50 at AKV and 235 at BWV, and yet we've managed to travel when we want, stay where we want, in the size accommodations we want and even managed to BANK points from time to time. It's such a flexible system, you just need to sit down and play with points alittle bit. Figure this years trip, next years trip, throw in a long weekend somewhere along the line, etc. and see if its a fit for you and your family.

Keep in mind your vacationing needs will change over the years, for whatever reasons. Ours changed tremendously as our kids grew up.
Keep in mind that the DVC system is very flexible and that works a great deal in the members favor, and don't forget that you've got YEARS of future trips, banking, borrowing, skipping a year, etc, is par for the course!

Good luck with your decision!

[RedSonya]

I have been a member since 2001. I would definitely buy again. I generally stay at least 6 nights so I like the adjustments to the point allignment.

[DenLo]

Yes, we would buy Disney again and we still wish we had bought it back in 1996 but we waited until 2009. When we originally contacted the DVC via phone our guide, Ron gave us pretty good details over the phone. And then Ron emailed us information which we read completely. And then we talked to him again and he answered all of our questions. Later when we received the contract and other documents, we read everything the DVC sent us before calling Quality Assurance. We asked them dozens of questions and made sure we understood everything there was about the DVC. So far we have had no surprises. And still love the DVC.

[nj2mast]

We bought back in 1993 site unseen because back then the Disney name = quality, even usually at a premium price, and in my opinion DVC was a steal back then. We completely enjoyed about 10+ years, however have found the Disney name no longer automatically equals the quality that deserves the premium. One of the biggest factors in that is the cumlative effect of the points reallocation since our stays are normally longer then 1 week, though it is not the only factor. The membership is still worth what we paid, though our stays at Disney will be shorter. Would we buy again today at the current prices? I'm really not sure, but it would require a much deeper analysis of the product and consideration of our long term vacation preferences than we did 16 years ago.

[Tiger926]

Yup, we love DVC! But we wish we would have bought a smaller amount at SSR - especially since the CDN exchange was at 30%. We also wish we would have found out about resale sooner, so that we could have done a resale at BWV. Now, we have 175 points at SSR, and although we like SSR, it's harder to work with the kids in the summer when we go for 2 weeks as it's farther away from all parks.

At this point, we love DVC, but we have lost a few points here and there with both point reallocations, but it hasn't made us regret our purchase at all.

Tiger :)

[disneyaggies]

Yes! I only wish I'd bought 10 years ago!!!

[Nikisha421]

I still would having points that need to be used before they expire forces me to take a vacation or two...if I didnt have my DVC I would never do anything...I have a great schedule...teacher in downstate new york I literally get every holiday, summer, weekends...on and on...AND a daughter who has the same schedule...so now I make sure I alwasy take a trip in February and a week in the summer....

[Sandisw]

I'm so glad this thread popped up...after reading so much negative about the reallocation I was starting to get a bit frustrated.

I would absolutely buy again, although I bought a bit differently than some others...I rounded up slightly from what I "needed" so that I would have a couple more points to play with....now keep in mind I still want more, and am planning to add-on next year on our cruise, however I bought 200 points for the 2 of us knowing it would allow me to be a bit flexible, as long as we weren't super picky about where we stay all the time.

Does my 200 pts cover 2 vacations a year at BLT? No...however can we do one at BLT and a smaller vacation in a BW studio? Yes....I may have to be creative with how I use my points, and I may have to bank and borrow at least until I get another 100 pts....I may EVEN (gasp) have to pay cash for a 7 nighter at POP Century at some point if I don't get my extra 100 pts soon enough....but it's still Disney!

I may get flamed for this, but I have always found that people on these boards tend to lean towards the negative side....and it's unfortunate because I am simply happy to be fortunate enough to have what DVC is to me....a guaranteed vacation every year at Disney! :banana: As long as I have that I can be flexible on the room type or place that I stay....

Well said! I am with you. DVC offers flexibility in its points based system and I am so happy that I can make it fit my needs. And, regardless of what happens over the years, I will adjust to make it work because I love what DVC has to offer me!!!

[Dean]

I may get flamed for this, but I have always found that people on these boards tend to lean towards the negative side....and it's unfortunate because I am simply happy to be fortunate enough to have what DVC is to me....a guaranteed vacation every year at Disney! :banana: As long as I have that I can be flexible on the room type or place that I stay....I think DVC members in general are a pretty spoiled lot and most have drank the koolaid for years. I would however agree that pointing out factual information and personal feelings labeled as such are both OK. I think the problems comes where people blend the 2 and can't tell which is which.
I think that also happens on such BBS far too often.

[tjhsr]

Yes we would. The reallocation won't changes things for us. When ever we bought more pts we would round up. We have been banking pts the last couple of years.

[AirGoofy]

We did not realize how often and dramatic the reallocations were. With that said, we would have bought DVC, just a SMALLer resale. We purchased enough points for 2 vacations a year, which was immediately changed with the reallocation. So, we'll have to do some borrowing each year until it finally catches up. With a smaller contract, we would just have been happy with the one trip.

[snoopy5386]

I don't know....maybe but not the way we ended up buying. We are fairly new members - we bought in June of 08 (at AKV with a June 09 use year) and have only used our membership once so far in October 09. Before we bought I did A LOT of research and that research led me to believe that while yes, while points allocations were possible, they were extremely rare and not earth shattering. And that Sunday-Friday stays were a great deal that would work really well for our family for the next 10+ years.
I am SAHM and we are a one income family so buying our 100 pt contract at AKV was a real stretch for us. I love everyone who says "buy a cushion" umm, hello DVC is NOT cheap.
When we bought we could stay in a 1 bd value at AKV for 80 pts for 5 nights in low season - giving us a nice cushion to bank so we could alternate staying at a different, "more expensive" (points wise) resort every other year or every 3rd year. This was perfect for us. Now that same trip in 2011 costs us 95 points - a loss of 15 points per trip. Right now my kids are very young and DH has lots of vacation time so we have 10+ years of being able to pull kids out of school to take Sun-Fri trips. By the time they are too old to be able to do that, I'm betting we'll also not want to do Disney every single year so we'll be able to have 200 pts to spend going every other year when we need to use weekends, go in a more peak season due to school, etc. Sun-Fri trips also work really well for us travel wise - we can leave after work Friday night or early Saturday morning, drive down, get there Sunday morning and then leave Friday night to return home, get there Saturday night and still have a day to relax before heading back to work.
I was really unhappy to see the points reallocation for 2010 and I really can't believe they are doing it again in 2011. I'm also annoyed that I had no idea it had happened until I checked these boards. I also never got to enjoy the valet parking perk as it disappeared right before my first stay - I'm glad I never told the rest of my travel party about it or I would have looked really stupid. So far - not impressed, but I have only taken one trip.
If I knew what I knew now, I would have bought more points via resale vs buying direct from Disney - I would have also bought 1/2 my points at AKV and 1/2 at BCV. That is of course, if I had bought at all. If the 2010 points reallocations had come out before we bought I most likely would have gone into a wait and see approach and chances are I would still be waiting and seeing.

[nunzia]

Yes, we'd buy again. The allocations haven't been that bad...small comparison. We usually stay 3 nights (used to be staying at DGC, now since they are villas will do the same. We generally travel off season so night time entertainment is only on weekeds, so stay on Friday. We take the train and arrive super early on a Wednesday, and leave late on a Saturday.)Adventure season 2010 points, studio, is 57, 2011 points is 56. Choice season 2010 is 63, 2011 is 64. A 1 bedroom goes down 3 points for Adventure season and down 2 points for Choice. The thing that puzzles me is that VGC just opened and I would have thought they'd have figured out the point usage from the start better. I only own 125 points because that's all I could afford. After looking closer at what we want to do with the points, having a large family with 2 of our kids having a spouse and 3 kids, puts them in the required 1 br category for them and studio for us, or 2 br for us all, and we just need more points if we want to do a yearly thing. So...hoping it doesn't sell out before I can get together the budget for more points. But to return to your real question, the reallocation still works fine for us..although I can see that just S-T people would be upset. But, of course, Disney must have seen a trend toward that and empty rooms on weekends, so can't blame them for shuffling it around.

[Dean]

I love everyone who says "buy a cushion" umm, hello DVC is NOT cheap.
IT is not cheap but DVC is a luxury item that is not for everyone. I can see taking the chance in certain situations but there are risks.

[jamstew]

I think Dean mentioned a few pages ago that the imbalance had existed for several years. If they had made the adjustment back then, I would have known when I purchased in 2008 that I needed more points and would have purchased them at the outset. Now, prices have gone up and my only options are to change my travel habits, pay cash for extra days, or buy a minimum of 25, which is more than I need.

[littlestar]

I would have still bought. But, I would really like to see DVC give better notice on the point charts (like in the past), as I like to plan ahead. We own multiple timeshares and I figure out all of our trips at least 10 to 12 months ahead of time.

[AirGoofy]

IT is not cheap but DVC is a luxury item that is not for everyone. I can see taking the chance in certain situations but there are risks.

I agree, but feel slighted by not being told about the re-allocation. I did the Disney tour but purchased resale through TSS. All I heard was the re-allocation was rare or did not have that great of an effect. So, after saving and purchasing the contract (no financing), the very 1st year of membership the points changed to where we could no longer have 2 vacations a year without borrowing. Eventually, it will catch up. Then, there is the reallocation again this year. I am not mad enough to sell my DVC - more like disappointed - kinda like the first ding on your new car.

Right now we do studio stays twice a year as we have young children and do theme parks and character dining most every day. I guess if the points are not re-allocated into our favor, when the children are older, we will just move up to a 1 bedroom for 1 stay a year. Then, we can take the money that we would have spent on the 2nd Disney trip to go on a (non-Disney) cruise.

[AirGoofy]

IT is not cheap but DVC is a luxury item that is not for everyone. I can see taking the chance in certain situations but there are risks.

I agree, but feel slighted by not being told about the re-allocation. I did the Disney tour but purchased resale through TSS. All I heard was the re-allocation was rare or did not have that great of an effect. So, after saving and purchasing the contract (no financing), the very 1st year of membership the points changed to where we could no longer have 2 vacations a year without borrowing. Eventually, it will catch up. Then, there is the reallocation again this year. I am not mad enough to sell my DVC - more like disappointed - kinda like the first ding on your new car.

Right now we do studio stays twice a year as we have young children and do theme parks and character dining most every day. I guess if the points are not re-allocated into our favor, when the children are older, we will just move up to a 1 bedroom for 1 stay a year. Then, we can take the money that we would have spent on the 2nd Disney trip to go on a (non-Disney) cruise.

So, would I still buy? Yes - but would have lowered my expectations.

[missy2217]

Yes, I would. I still wish I'd have purchased sooner than we did. We bought our first points in 2005 UY (We're October.)

I never intended to stay only Sun to Thurs nights. I bought enough points for us to vacation on the weekends as well as weekdays. The recent point reallocations don't materially affect me either way.

We LOVE owning DVC.

We too bought enough points to stay Sat to Sun, 8 Nights.

[islandtimect]

We bought 160pts at AKV in 2007 and 100 pts at BLT in 2009. I wished we bought sooner, which would have resulted in paying less per point and not having paid cash for previous stays. Another great thing about DVC - you might use more points staying during the big holidays, but it's well worth it compared to the cash price. Example - just booked AKV Kidani 2 bedroom for next Christmas and the cash ressie would have cost over $9,500! To your question about the points - I don't like the point reallocations at all, because for our family's trips, we use more points.

[lmshaggard]

We bought last January at BLT (after sitting down with a guide 3 different times) and bought more in Dec. We too love the flexibility and that we can use our points to do whatever we have enough points for - whenever we have time to travel. We have always been weeklong travelers - usually a wed thru thur (8 nights) because of my DH's off days. We took a weekend trip this past Aug and leave again for one tomorrow. We look as we lost some on our weeklong trips but gained some on the weekend getaways. It is all a wash and the reallocation was explained to use in great detail during our purchase - which was direct thru Disney. We do own another timeshare as well, but are overjoyed with having a Disney "home". Good luck! For us is was one of the best decisions we have ever made :)

[Dean]

I agree, but feel slighted by not being told about the re-allocation. I did the Disney tour but purchased resale through TSS. All I heard was the re-allocation was rare or did not have that great of an effect. So, after saving and purchasing the contract (no financing), the very 1st year of membership the points changed to where we could no longer have 2 vacations a year without borrowing. Eventually, it will catch up. Then, there is the reallocation again this year. I am not mad enough to sell my DVC - more like disappointed - kinda like the first ding on your new car.

Right now we do studio stays twice a year as we have young children and do theme parks and character dining most every day. I guess if the points are not re-allocated into our favor, when the children are older, we will just move up to a 1 bedroom for 1 stay a year. Then, we can take the money that we would have spent on the 2nd Disney trip to go on a (non-Disney) cruise.I doubt the sales staff knew about in in 2008 and are likely as surprised as you are. You admit you were told about the possibility of a reallocation, too bad you assumed it wouldn't affect you. I, for one, have always touted a 10% cushion or more, more is slated to those looking at smaller rooms, avoiding weekends or lower times of the year. I guess what I'm saying is that if you can't afford to buy a cushion, you likely can't afford to buy DVC at all. Now you might decide not to buy a cusion. I'd look at it much like buying a house with a subprime mortgage if things were that tight.

[SuzanneSLO]

I would have been more hesitant to buy DVC if I knew about the coming reallocations, but in practice, they have not really effected us.

We always planned to stay at least 7 nights. On our first stays usign DVc points, we avoided more than 2 weekend nights. However, we quickly realized how much more stressful it was to shoehorn our vacation in between weekend nights and our last 2 stays involved 10-12 nights and 4 weekend nights!

But the reallocation continues to make me hesitant about adding on points at another home resort, such as GCV, which is about 4 hours from our home. I really feel like with an new home resort I would need to go big or don't go at all. Since I really don't want to go big (we are actually fine with not staying at a Disney resort at DL), we continue to not go there at all by not adding on.-- Suzanne

[Sammie]

We bought in the 90s and have enjoyed it until the last couple of years .

I would not buy now at the current prices for many reasons, the least of which is the reallocation. It does not upset me much.

[CanuckPrincess]

I joined last year, have only been on one trip so far, two more planned. Would I have bought if I knew then what I know now? Definitely. I'm too cheap to be able to splurge on a wonderful holiday - would have always chosen the cheaper option. Having DVC makes it easy to justify (is that the right word?) a comfortable easy holiday - and I always get to have a trip in the planning stage now.

[bigsmooth]

Yep-, reallocation doesn't impact our decision at all. I can see longer trips in our future to take advantage of lower weekend point requirements.

[Anjelica]

Yes I would do it all over again. My only regret is paying cash for several of our Disney Deluxe Resort vacations BEFORE purchasing DVC - I could have used that money to buy DVC sooner - DOH!!