Is it all about the money???

[Maistre Gracey]

I have been away from the boards for a few weeks because of work, and family duties (much work, wife surgery, new car).
Just to let you all know, I am still here! :cool:

Anyway, to the topic at hand...

I see way too many posts about price, price per point, whether or not it is worth the bucks, cost for trading for a cruise ect... (you get the picture.)

Anyway-- Disney and DVC is not always about the precise "dollar amount per point". Quite often I think we over analyze the dollar aspect of being a DVC member.

Disney in general is an emotional thing... something that tugs on our heartstrings. If we were only out to save a buck while on vacation, WDW is not the place to do it.
Disney is a special place, and to think of DVC in only terms of money, in my opinion, is a grave error.

Being a DVC member is much more than less expensive accommodations. Being a DVC member carries a certain amount of pride, and assurance of a great lifestyle for our families.
Some may call this arrogance, but I call it a good use of the money that we members work hard for.

Corny?... Perhaps.... But the way I feel.
Anyone else agree??? :cool:

MG

[Bracho]

I'll agree with that... I think it is an emotional thing on some level, I know I love Disney and it was important for me to own DVC, the money never entered into it when I made my purchase. I just knew I wanted to own.

I am proud to be a member and I know I will have some great vacations in the years to come. A place to take family and friends where you can feel safe.

If that is arrogance then so be it...

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
Anyone else agree???

Yes and no.

Clearly most of the people visiting these forums are already Disney fans. Most of the "should I buy" posts are from people who have spent thousands of dollars on accommodations over the years, and want to know if DVC is a scam or not. At that level, it is largely a dollars and cents issue.

Spending $50 for a Disney Club annual membership may be an act of pride. Spending $15,000 to buy into DVC is a decision that must be made with both the heart AND head.

As a member, I certainly have a great deal of pride in, and appreciation for our ownership. But I can still recall the point in time when I was in the "is this really right for me?" stage. Once you overcome that hurdle, then it's much easier to enjoy the program for what it is.

[gjw007]

No.

If the decision was only based on money, then the decision would be based strickly on lowest cost, which would not be Disney lodging. I don't have the emotional attachment to Disney (I also like Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, Universal, the Space Coast, etc.) but I do like the theme parks. So no, the decision is not all about the money but it also makes no sense to be spend more than is necessary. Why spend $1095.02 per point when you can make the same purchase for $72.00 per point. If a decision has been made to make the purchase, then there has to be a feeling that it was fair. Justification is another issue but that is based on an individual's personal desires which brings this back to the initial point that there are a lot less expensive options available if it were only about the money:D

[July]

I for one could not have purchased if I was strapped for money. I actually walked away from DVC years ago because I couldn't afford it.
The time was right for the purchase financially. But it was also where I wanted to buy. I felt that I would get a certain kind of vacation when I did go. First class accomodations, first class service. Larger Rooms and be able to go when I wanted to. I wasn't locked into a certain week or time of year.
Disney has always been special to me. So DVC was a great choice. It is not budget holiday for sure.
But then I think I work hard and I deserve some pampering when I do get to go. And to have a great big playground at my feet is always fun. Whether it is the parks or the pools. The great restaurants everything is so special to me. I love that feeling when I first walk in. When I drive up to the resort I get goosebumps.
DVC was about a future for me and my close ones. I guess I was being a little over the top.

July:Pinkbounc

[sandieb]

Maistre Gracey, Glad your back and hope that life eases up. I am not really interested in the $ - we have already spent over $30,000. It was a decision we chose because we love WDW, are at the point in life where the major bills are paid, and we have 5 grandkids to share in the enjoyment. I bought our first contract on impulse (only thought about it for 4 years) and the second and third on experience...loved DVC. I think that is the message I want to convey - my enjoyment of DVC thorough my experience with it. Sandie

[AnnaS]

Maistre Gracey, just wanted to say welcome back and hope everything is well or better. I did notice you were not posting;) .

[Coach Rick]

I have to agree. I knew I wanted this badly from 92, when I was introduced to it. I had already owned timeshare for over 12 years at that point, but I don't consider this a timeshare, and in fact refer to it as "like a timeshare" when explaining it to friends. I will be going "home" for the first time. I am sooo excited to bring my mom and dad with us. I know I will be proud when we enter the gates to say this is home.

Money, eh, what is it for but to aquire those things that make us happy. If I happen to save a few on the way, then so be it. Amybody who doesn't get it, then so be it, they shouldn't buy.

[jarestel]

Eloquently stated MG.

Welcome back!

[MJTinNH]

Hi MG, glad you are back.

I agree that there is something intrinsic in purchasing that a dollar value can not be assigned. I too spent $$$$$’s of dollars on accommodations before purchasing DVC.

When finally the decision was made and the purchase finalized; it definitely made me feel happy that I owned a part of WDW (small part).

I do associate WDW with some of the most cherished memories that I have and I think owning at DVC just enhances the experience and keeps those memories closer to my heart. That for me, is the part that a dollar value can not be assigned.:)

[never2L8]

At some level it is. You shouldn't have to compromise your current way of living day to day in order to own, like food, mortgage, etc. That being said, if you love all things Disney and want to be in the middle of it all, DVC is it. When you analyze it, it seems like a lot but then you pull up at those gates and hear
"WELCOME HOME" it seems all worthwhile.
We bought after a few years of owning off property. Yes, our villa is much larger than those at DVC and cost less relative to the size it. But the feeling we get at Disney, can't compare. I don't even look foward to staying there anymore and will probably use only when we have large group or use to trade to other destinations. When people ask me why we are DVC members, don't you get tired of going, I just laugh, shake my head and walk away. You can talk till you are blue in the face, but some people don't get it. So sad for them!!!
Laurie

[lenshanem]

Hey MG! I was just asking about you the other day! Glad to see you are back!

Your post speaks volumes. I enjoy finding the best deal, etc., but you are so right about Disney being sentimental.

Just got back last week from WDW to discover three shelves had collapsed in our guest room (Disney room) destroying all our Disney snow globes, etc. They were mostly older pieces we had collected when we were younger.

We lost alot of money on those shelves, but I was most upset about the sentimental end of it. Those pieces represented trips to WDW we took together, special occasions, etc. AND our honeymoon to Disneyland Paris. :(

As you said Disney pulls at the heartstrings, yes it is expensive (I've become quite the pro at setting aside money for trips!), but you are making memories...

Kodak moment...

[JimC]

<a href='*******************************************ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_30_117.gif' alt='' border=0></a>

Hope the wife's surgery went well. <a href='*******************************************ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_28_117.gif' alt='' border=0></a>

To your point. For us, it is both. We are big Disney fans, but could not afford or more properly would not commit such a sum to Disney and DVC when we were much younger and finances much tighter. So DVC waited for ten years, much longer than it needed to, but such is life. However, in the interim we enjoyed many Disney vacations in a variety of resorts on property. We never even considered staying off property for a Disney vacation, but have for Universal and Sea World trips.

We agree with others that we are very happy and proud to be members with our welcome homes and great resorts. Should have done it sooner ::yes::

[rocketriter]

I'm delighted to be confident that, in a general way, DVC is more economical for me than the adjoining room sets and suites we used to get at deluxe on-site accomodations. Beyond that, I'm content to look at DVC as a prepaid vacation arrangement within which I'll occasionally trade out or take a couple of nights of concierge without comparative calculations or guilt.

I do enjoy reading advice about alternate ways to manage multiple timeshares or rent points. But when posters sail into a conversation announcing that somebody who wants to use DVC for trading (or cruising or Concierge) is making a stupid decision, I get annoyed and feel that they've moved beyond financial calculations into holier-than-thou territory. Convenience and pleasure have value, too, but that gets lost in the bean-counting.

[dcfromva]

Maistre Gracey,
I hope your wife is making a speedy recovery and your work eases off! Glad to see you back. I always enjoy reading your comments. And, what a conversation starter for a Sunday morning! :)

I am afraid I am one of those folks who "over analyze the dollar aspect of being a DVC member. "

My goal in a nutshell is to maximize the DVC benefit because I have a finite travel budget with unlimited travel dreams! :)

-DC :earsboy:

[lenshanem]

My goal in a nutshell is to maximize the DVC benefit because I have a finite travel budget with unlimited travel dreams!

OK, that is a good point, too! I do like to stretch my points! :teeth:

I'm sorry I failed MG to mention your wife's surgery. I, too hope she is feeling well!

[MrsG]

Welcome back and hope your wife is doing well.

Here, here! There is nothing in the world like the feeling when you step onto Main Street USA in the MK.

We have travelled many places and there is no where that compares to Disney. Of course, money has something to do with it (DVC was always a goal in our leaner years), but knowing that every year (or more often) there is a place to go on vacation if we choose that is ideallic, gives us peace of mind. You can't put a price tag on that.

We just returned from BCV with our kids and their boy/girlfriend and I think we are still coming down off of cloud 9. No, you can't put a price tag on that.

[rocketriter]

My goal in a nutshell is to maximize the DVC benefit because I have a finite travel budget with unlimited travel dreams!
dcfromva,
Your goal is, of course, perfectly valid. It's also graceful of you to state it in terms of your own needs or preferences, without acting superior to anyone else. That's the behavior that gets annoying.

[robinb]

For us, it was about the money. We never got sucked into the "Owning a Piece of the Magic" mind set.

DVC is a financial commitment in vacation ownership. We wanted to make one or more Disney trips per year and it made sense to buy into DVC. We ran the numbers and realized that we could stay in a DVC studio in a deluxe resort for about the price of a moderate. Add the other DVC perks into the mix, plus the ability to stay in larger accommodations (like our last stay in an OKW Grand Villa) and we bought within a month of returning from our first WDW trip in years.

We saved even more money by buying our DVC memberships on the resale market. Our 230 OKW points (with 160 points banked and free park passes until 12/99) was bought in 1997 for $55 per point. We got 38 free park days out of that contract :). Our 200 BWV points (with 100 banked) was bought in 2002 for $63 per point.

[Kadorto]

Yep...its all about the money. I pefer to put mine through the magical DIS dollar stretcher before blindly handing it over to the mouse. :earsboy:

[Dean]

Anyone that doesn't at least consider the cost of any big ticket item is a fool. But money is only one factor of several to be considered for vacation and each must decide for themselves. IMO, it's almost always easier, safer, cheaper, less hassle, and more comfortable to rent out points rathar than use them for DVC exchange options. I was just thinking this morning while in the shower about this issue. I've always said that if anything was less than $8 pp return, I would likly not use points. But after thinking about it and deciding that excchanging points is actually more risky than renting them out, I've changed my stance somewhat. For things that are a number of months into the future, I'd rather rent than exchange even if the return per point is the same. For things that are closer, say within 2-3 months, my previous cut off of $8 pp still holds. Obviously if one has distressed points, the cut points will change but not the principles.

[gchiker]

Putting aside any warm feelings about being a member of the "Club," buying into DVC is definintely a monetary decision. Yes, emotionally you have to be enthusiastic about it, but it really does boil down to dollars and cents. We all seem to agree that it is not an investment in real estate, but rather a prepaid vacation plan which will save us money in the long run. Before making this kind of commitment, I'm sure we have all spent thousands of dollars on previous Disney vacations. It is only after the realization that we will continue to vacation at WDW and that DVC will save us money that we finally join. If not for the monetary savings, I would never commit to being locked into such a restricted vacation arrangement. One has to weigh this against the flexibility of being able to go anywhere (including Disney properties) at any time.

We tend to compare our DVC points against the rack rates for Disney hotels in order to determine how long it will take to recoup our investment. Yet every Sunday I find Disney on sale in the travel section of the NYTimes. And every Sunday I realize that if I compare the value of my points to the current room rates, it will take that much longer to break even.

[gjw007]

:p There have been good answers to the question on both sides of the issue but I think an analysis will show that it is not all about money in most of these answers as there are other options available that cost less. If it were only about money, we would all be staying in Motel 6s. Yet each of us has made an investment in money that we each evaluated to be beneficial to each of us. If we felt that the investment cost more than our other options, then we would not have made the investment. While the analysis of money spent cannot be ignored as pointed out by Dean and others, the real evaluation is in value. What do we value in having a DVC ownership plan. From a purely monetary perspective, there are other, cheaper options (as well as more expensive). A value perspective is much more difficult because it does depend on vacation habits, how often it will be used, desired type of accommodations, etc. By making the purchase, we have shown that we value more quality service (rooms) and atmosphere (compared to off-site). That value also says that it is less expensive, given our individual habits, to make the purchase. This value also shows up in decisions to purchase directly from Disney or to use third-party sources for the same type of property (resales) - or not as all as we may have determined that it costs more than what we value it at for our individual use. It may cost more to go through Disney but some people value the piece of mind that goes with making the purchase through Disney rather than the uncertainty of third party resellers. Yet most third-party resellers are reputable and will offer as much assistance as Disney. Values are different and there is no right or wrong answer. The monetary analysis needs to be done but it must be remembered that it is also done with the value analysis in the background.:smooth:

[LoveMyDVC]

Go on MG. I am with you. I love WDW and look forward to every trip there. It is an emotional attachment that I am hoping to pass on to my 2yo.

[Maistre Gracey]

Thanx to everyone for the thoughtful, and diverse opinions. There is truly no right or wrong answer to this, as it is an individual preference thing. :cool:

PS- Thanx for all the "Welcome Backs"! :D
My wife is doing fine. Nothing serious, just some female stuff. Hopefully this will increase our chances of having kids. :cool:

MG

[Dean]

Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
PS- Thanx for all the "Welcome Backs"! :D
My wife is doing fine. Nothing serious, just some female stuff. Hopefully this will increase our chances of having kids. :cool:

MG Hope so and good luck.

[QuiltTeddy]

I've got to admit that when we first heard about DVC, being that I have a legal background, I kept saying "there has to be a catch". The only "catch" was that we didn't join sooner. To think of the money spent on "other" vacations and compare it to DVC isn't possible. DVC stands alone. It stands alone because of what it is connected to -- Walt Disney. It is truly a personal preference as to whether or not one feels that "it's worth it". For us, it most definitely is. There will always be a kid in my husband and myself. Life without DVC just isn't a possibility at this point. We absolutely love it and are grateful that we did find out about it and join.


MG - hope all works out for you and your wife. DH and I went through so much fertility stuff in the past to no avail, that I do hope all is okay for you both. :)

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

MG - Welcome back and good luck to you and your wife. Hoping things go well.

I think DVC is both emotional and financial. We took the tour in January 2000 at the BW. I liked the villas but I couldn't get past the cost plus maintanence. My dh was more receptive than I was. And I'm the Disney obsessive one. Last year we started looking at it again and after getting a lot of great information here at disboards, I finally got it. So we purchased a resale thru the Timeshare store with banked points at the BW. We visit Disney at least once a year, so it's not like we wouldn't use it. Now that we've stayed at the BW, I think need more points. :) We really loved it. It was really cool hearing "Welcome Home" at check-in. It just seems like owning a DVC is really special.

[WDWLVR]

MG - Welcome back and glad to hear your DW is doing better.

I agree that it is about much more than the money. Sure money was a big part of it. When we first heard about DVC we couldn't afford it and as Dean says anyone who buys something as big as DVC without looking at the money is being a bit foolish.

However once we had the money it was Disney that drew us in. We could have bought a timeshare anywhere and maybe for less money. We love Disney and at that point we were going every year - many times at a Deluxe resort (we love trying them all and have stayed at almost all of the Disney resorts from All Stars to Grand Floridian). That's what made DVC right for us.

We are to the point where our inital investment is paid off and all we have to take care of are the yearly dues. Vacation planning is much easier now with points as part of the budget.

Disney has given us exactly what we expected from them. Wonderful accomodations in a choice of locations, dates and sizes. We've done a studio for just the two of us for just a few days, a two bedroom when bringing family, but our favorite is the room of a one bedroom. In fact I just booked a Boardwalk View one bedroom for our next trip home next June.

[jimmytammy]

MG

1st, hope all turns around for the better for your DW and all other things happening in your lives at this moment. Sending Pixie Dust and prayers your way.

Now to your post. I have noticed a lot of those posts also.

I agree that owning DVC has a much more emotional aspect behind it for us now than before we purchased. Like any major purchase, house, car, etc., DVC was much the same for us.

But the emotional aspect far outweighed the financial. And it still does 3 1/2 yrs later. So much so that we added on twice. The second add-on came with hardly a blink of the eye.

We dont regret our ownership at all, financially or emotionally. Vacations are planned well in advance. We look forward to each trip with anticipation.

[Happy Birthday Cat]

MG:

Glad to see you back on the boards and especially glad to hear that your DW is doing well. Your question is interesting and I wasn't really able to answer how I felt after reading your post. I had to think a while.

I separate DVC from WDW. To me WDW is where the heartstrings are pulled. All of the memories from my teenage years that were wonderful and the memories of WDW for my children are really related to WDW. To me, DVC allows for more trips and longer stays. It is an outstanding place to stay and to me, beats connecting rooms in any hotel for my family of 6. But DVC for us was primarily a financial decision that I am very glad we made. Going yearly to WDW is an emotional decision and we are glad that DVC helps us to do that.

HBC

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Originally posted by Kadorto
Yep...its all about the money. I pefer to put mine through the magical DIS dollar stretcher before blindly handing it over to the mouse. :earsboy:

Because of DIS i have gone twice to WDW this year and plan to go a third time.

Before DIS went every 5 or 6 years.

Want to be onsite so moderate or DVC but money is always going to have to be a consideration.

[TwingleMum]

MG - Sending prayers and PD to your DW and you.

We bought for a variety of reasons primarily to help ensure that we slow down and take a vacation to WDW at least every other year. And also to give our children a lifetime (OK 40 years) of magic.

[garylpn]

hope all is well with you and yours,
it's never been about the money for us, it's about being on property in lodgings of a deluxe nature
it's about being in the happiest place on earth
it's about kicking it back one evening on the balcony, my feet up feeling tired from a park day, or full from a great dinner at spoodles
it's about walking over to beaches and cream for a frozen sunshine
it's about taking neices, nephews and great nieces and nephews to wdw and seeing the delight in their eyes as they see main street for the first time
it's about seeing the happiness on their parents faces as they enjoy a nicer level of accommodations than they could afford on their own
i could go on and on as i sometimes do when people ask me why we go there 3-4 times a year, but i've found a person either gets it or not::yes::

[Morganpics]

Prayers and pixie dust to your DW, and you, too.

My DH and I found it wasn't about the money, either. We stayed offsite WAY cheaper, about 10 minutes away by car. We didn't buy in for the money side of it at all. Right now it won't work for us to travel as much as some of you folks all do due to work, family issues. However, that didn't stop us from sitting down and thinking about where we want to be 5-10 years down the road. We love the "magic" when at Disney.::MickeyMo This year we stayed onsite for the first time and, well, you all know the rest-we were hooked:jester: We very much wanted a place where we could bring all the family occasionally for a Disney vacation, and we truly liked the idea of not being tied in to a specific week. If we have the points, we can go anytime. We are truly looking forward to being able to "go home" in a year or two for extended vacations, then maybe banking a year for the family gathering. At any rate, I enjoy reading all the posts as to why folks think they should or shouldn't buy in. We're glad we did, and like most, wish we had done it sooner if we could have afforded it. :D

[Maistre Gracey]

Once again I would like to thank everyone for the kind words. My wife went back to work today, and all is well. I am not sure of the technical jargon, but in lay persons terms she had things "cleaned out" (among other medical procedures).
We have been trying to conceive for a couple years now, and this (hopefully) will increase the odds. :D

MG

[jmatias]

For Me, DVC has always been about the "magic"...for DH it was about the $$$$.

However, now that we've stayed at BWV and we have a new 8 month old princess: I can see the change in him.

I know he's been sprinkled with pixie dust because he is now just as excited about our trips to WDW as I am. Whenever I hear him talking about DVC/WDW to his friends it brings a smile to my face.

Maistre Gracey: Wishing you and your DW blessings from Heaven!

[Pa@okw95]

When I bought I thought I was buying into more expensive accommodations that rent up to about $1400 per day. I had no idea it was going to turn into a poor mans vacation club. I thinking it was a very upscale club for the well off. Boy was I wrong. When I bought it was not sold as a savings, and people were warned not to look at it as a savings. Things have changed.

[Dean]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
When I bought I thought I was buying into more expensive accommodations that rent up to about $1400 per day. I had no idea it was going to turn into a poor mans vacation club. I thinking it was a very upscale club for the well off. Boy was I wrong. When I bought it was not sold as a savings, and people were warned not to look at it as a savings. Things have changed. I don't really think DVC has changed other than the addition of a number of resorts and a moderate reduction of the minimum points required to join. More likely is that you've just come to the realization of how the system really works. I suspect you made assumptions when you bought that were not totally acccurate. To a certain degree I think everyone does.

[Pa@okw95]

When I first stayed there back in 94 as a cash customer I thought the CRO made some mistake. I thought the place was for the super rich and non-members were not allowed near the place. I saw nothing there on my first trip to OKW to change my mind. Everything was just perfect. I saw the place wtih very rose colored glasses. I left never thinking I could ever afford to buy in. Months later I discovered it only cost about the price of a mid-size car. They sent me a video with 270 points as an example of what you can do with 270 so I bought 270, had the video had 400 I would have bought 400. After about 2 or 3 visits as member I began to see some things that lead me to believe that my original impression may have been wrong. I won't get into it but after about 5 visits I was on the phone with management down there very upset about what was going on. The buses did not run on schedule, they had schedules in the bus stops, they then did away with the member only check-in area. One thing lead to another, now I see on this board that I was really wrong like I said in the previous post.

[Dean]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
When I first stayed there back in 94 as a cash customer I thought the CRO made some mistake. I thought the place was for the super rich and non-members were not allowed near the place. I saw nothing there on my first trip to OKW to change my mind. Everything was just perfect. I saw the place wtih very rose colored glasses. I left never thinking I could ever afford to buy in. Months later I discovered it only cost about the price of a mid-size car. They sent me a video with 270 points as an example of what you can do with 270 so I bought 270, had the video had 400 I would have bought 400. After about 2 or 3 visits as member I began to see some things that lead me to believe that my original impression may have been wrong. I won't get into it but after about 5 visits I was on the phone with management down there very upset about what was going on. The buses did not run on schedule, they had schedules in the bus stops, they then did away with the member only check-in area. One thing lead to another, now I see on this board that I was really wrong like I said in the previous post. I understand your feelings. In a way it's good DVC is affordable but there are negatives. I bet many people THOUGHT they were buying something different than DVC really is. What would you say if I told you DVC offered to buy back my first contract from me cash money (what I paid for it) even though I actually bought it resale. That's how much I complained about certain items and how much in a corner they were. I'm glad I didn't take them up on it but had it not been for my wife, I likely would have.

[cbrothers]

I totally agree with that! For us it's not about the money ..It's about family, magic and the memories of all 3 for years to come!

Carol



Carol Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
I have been away from the boards for a few weeks because of work, and family duties (much work, wife surgery, new car).
Just to let you all know, I am still here! :cool:

Anyway, to the topic at hand...

I see way too many posts about price, price per point, whether or not it is worth the bucks, cost for trading for a cruise ect... (you get the picture.)

Anyway-- Disney and DVC is not always about the precise "dollar amount per point". Quite often I think we over analyze the dollar aspect of being a DVC member.

Disney in general is an emotional thing... something that tugs on our heartstrings. If we were only out to save a buck while on vacation, WDW is not the place to do it.
Disney is a special place, and to think of DVC in only terms of money, in my opinion, is a grave error.

Being a DVC member is much more than less expensive accommodations. Being a DVC member carries a certain amount of pride, and assurance of a great lifestyle for our families.
Some may call this arrogance, but I call it a good use of the money that we members work hard for.

Corny?... Perhaps.... But the way I feel.
Anyone else agree??? :cool:

MG

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by cbrothers
I totally agree with that! For us it's not about the money ..It's about family, magic and the memories of all 3 for years to come!


Don't mean to pick on you, Carol, but let's he honest here. If DVC points cost $150 each, would you still have purchased? How about $200 apiece? $250?

[Granny]

Maistre G....great to see you back here on the DVC board again! You've been missed! Best wishes for you and your family.


As for DVC, well for us it isn't really about the money either. If it was that, then we would have gone a different route, probably staying off site in nice condos or villas for less money.

On the other hand, if DVC weren't affordable, then it wouldn't make sense for us either, so money always factors in somewhere unless one is very wealthy.

But for us DVC was about investing in higher quality vacations. Better rooms. Longer stays. "Forcing" me to take vacations every year, and even a two week vacation this year for the first time in my life.

I can honestly say that DVC has improved our family vacations, which I dearly treasure. And even when the kids are gone, we look forward to returning to the place where so many happy memories have occurred.

So I agree....for us, it's not much about the money. I guess Disney saw us coming a mile away! :)

[jarestel]

Originally posted by tjkraz
If DVC points cost $150 each, would you still have purchased? How about $200 apiece? $250?

Money is a factor in everything we buy, from what we're willing to pay for a pound of hamburger to the cost of a new house. I think the point is though, that once we decide we're ok with the cost, it ceases to be a factor anymore and the more "emotional" reasons become more important. IMO anyway, I don't mean to speak for anyone else.

[gmboy95]

ok....here is my 2 cents....I believe that their are intangible values that need to be counted when deciding if this is a good buy or not...just like in any cost-benifit analysis you have to assign a monetary value to things like convenience, cleanliness, location, family-friendly etc.....not to mention the fact that if you travel every year that you actually have points, figuring what you would have spent without having DVC.

there is also the kitchen factor....that would be the ability to purchase groceries for meals that can be cooked in the room instead of paying the high prices in restaraunts all week....all of this has a monetary value attched to it, and when weighed against the overall cost, i believe it is an easy decision....heartstrings or no heartstrings!!

Oh and by the way....one should also be able to place a dollar value on how much their heartstrings are pulled....when doing a cost-benifit that as well has value.

[idratherbeinwdw]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
When I bought I thought I was buying into more expensive accommodations that rent up to about $1400 per day. I had no idea it was going to turn into a poor mans vacation club. I thinking it was a very upscale club for the well off. Boy was I wrong. When I bought it was not sold as a savings, and people were warned not to look at it as a savings. Things have changed.

Poor man's vacation club? Geez, we better tell all the people who live in slums and can barely afford bread that they can afford DVC!

[rinkwide]

Originally posted by Pa@okw95
...a poor mans vacation club...

If I show my membership card to the IRS do you think they might lower my tax bracket?

[spiceycat]

I brought in 93 - I almost brought in 92 - but got talked out of it by relativies and friends.

well I brought my brother, sil, niece, nephew and mother to WDW in 93 - this cost me a small fortune - I had to pay for everything - food, tickets, room, etc....

So when I returned home and got a letter from DVC saying that they had lower there point from 230 to 190 - I jumped on it.

DVC has saved me alot of money over the years. My brother (except for one trip) stays in a 2-bedroom. While I stay in a studio or 1-bedroom - generally what I can get. I happen to like the studio.....I have send friends, relatives and co-workers to WDW - it is pretty great!!!

WDW is a vacation place - and yet it is more - it is for families to renew themselves in a safe environment. It is one place that I never get sick of.....and I still love after all these years.

Okay I have tried to branch out - went to Williamsburg, HH, VB, St Augustine, Atlanta - but I still love WDW. And I think I will always...

MG hope you and your wife are both fine and little ones will be in your future. What kind of car do you get?

when OKW was the DVC it was a very grand place. I remember on my first visit as a member (93) - I couldn't believe I owned such a wonderful place - so Pa@okw95 - I can see your point. the service members received then was so great - well - on the bus the bus driver gave me the schedule - just gave it to me. Told me that anywhere I wanted to go he could take me.....oh boy those were the days....

when I first visited in 92 - we were staying at the Cont and I was just showned the place - it was very different from staying there.

and I agree - lots of the cut back over the years have hurt the members. but the quality and type of service then could not last when the membership got up there.

but hey it is still DVC and still on WDW property - that is what the top price is for and still is a great value. Although at the current price I would not be able to afford what I have....

[poohnpiglet3]

I haven't read the responses, but wanted to also add my best wishes for your wife. I hope she's recovering well.

Oh, and how funny for you, of all people, to say "a GRAVE error!!" LOL!!!!!!!

Quite the pun. Glad you're back.

Sherri :)
(I'll go back and read this thread after I get home tonight, I'm running out the door now.)