Positive things about DVC!!!

[ggriffith639]

When you buy direct they do sometimes give you extra points. We bought in August 2012, and we have an August use year. However we also got 2011 point and didn't have to pay and MF on those. They immediately banked them as technically they had expired and we had double points for 2012.

Yes they were FREE for us also...we did not pay. (They paid for them

 

[k3chantal]

Yes, that is "giving" points. But when you sign your contract in May 2013 and you have a June or August UY, you're in your 2012 UY when your contract begins, so that really isn't giving.

But I won't quibble about this anymore.

Congrats on your purchase OP!

Not trying to quibble; just wanting to understand what happened to us. We bought in February 2008, our use year is February and we receive 280 'extra' points.

 

[ELMC]

Yes they were FREE for us also...we did not pay. (They paid for them

Ok I'm confused. What is your use year?

Not trying to quibble; just wanting to understand what happened to us. We bought in February 2008, our use year is February and we receive 280 'extra' points.

What you should have received is 280 points, that's it. You were already in your 2008 UY (it started on Feb 1, 2008) and so that's what you should have gotten. If you received 560 points then technically they gave you 2007 points as well. You are not entitled to these, so they were in fact "free" in the sense that they are points you should not have gotten but you did, and did not have to pay for. I suspect that your situation is different from the OP's, but I'm hoping she'll clarify.

 

[BestDadEver]

Oh I wouldn't worry about that IMO there are a few regulars here that really force there opinions on people and the other side of the story is just either avoids talking against them or just stops coming around like I did .

I am actually on my first dvc trip now at AKV . I have heard lots of negative things from people on this site like the furniture is worn or broken , everything is looking fine to me , I also herd it's hard to get rooms at 7 months well I got 1br value at 7 months no issue . Plus my real life friends that have DVC for years have none off the complaints I have herd here.

So IMO the negative things talked about here are from extremely picky people people and I really don't pay attention to there complaints .

 

[k3chantal]

Ok I'm confused. What is your use year?



What you should have received is 280 points, that's it. You were already in your 2008 UY (it started on Feb 1, 2008) and so that's what you should have gotten. If you received 560 points then technically they gave you 2007 points as well. You are not entitled to these, so they were in fact "free" in the sense that they are points you should not have gotten but you did, and did not have to pay for. I suspect that your situation is different from the OP's, but I'm hoping she'll clarify.

Lucky us then, I actually went back and figured out how many points we used in the last 6 years and we definitely had our 2007 points. Yippee!!

 

[spruce]

Oh I wouldn't worry about that IMO there are a few regulars here that really force there opinions on people and the other side of the story is just either avoids talking against them or just stops coming around like I did .

I am actually on my first dvc trip now at AKV . I have heard lots of negative things from people on this site like the furniture is worn or broken , everything is looking fine to me , I also herd it's hard to get rooms at 7 months well I got 1br value at 7 months no issue . Plus my real life friends that have DVC for years have none off the complaints I have herd here.

So IMO the negative things talked about here are from extremely picky people people and I really don't pay attention to there complaints .

Bravo

 

[ELMC]

Oh I wouldn't worry about that IMO there are a few regulars here that really force there opinions on people and the other side of the story is just either avoids talking against them or just stops coming around like I did .

I am actually on my first dvc trip now at AKV . I have heard lots of negative things from people on this site like the furniture is worn or broken , everything is looking fine to me , I also herd it's hard to get rooms at 7 months well I got 1br value at 7 months no issue . Plus my real life friends that have DVC for years have none off the complaints I have herd here.

So IMO the negative things talked about here are from extremely picky people people and I really don't pay attention to there complaints .

Welcome back, BestDadEver, haven't seen you in awhile! For what it's worth, they're not really complaints. Speaking for myself, I am on this forum because I own DVC, I love DVC and I try to help others learn more about it. The problem is that the "guides" (read: salespeople) only tell one side of the story. I feel that it's important to present the other side that contains the realities of owning DVC. You may perceive that as negative or complaining, but really it's just being honest. As far as forcing my opinion on others, if I read something that is misleading or factually inaccurate, I am going to dispute it whenever it comes up. Not for the sake of arguing, but for the sake of the "lurkers" who are reading to gain information without ever speaking up. There is a hidden audience for every post, and I think that's important to keep in mind.

With regards to the negatives you mentioned above, I think you're misinterpreting things a bit. The comments about furniture and fixtures being worn and broken were in regards to BLT, where the consensus is that it was put together on the cheap, and not AKV. I don't recall anyone saying anything negative about the rooms in AKV, as they are absolutely beautiful. Also, I think you misunderstood the "negatives" about the booking situation as well, as AKV is one of the three easiest resorts to get into at 7 months. The advice that was given was that owners needed the 11 month advantage in order to book value studios and Grande Villas at AKV. At any resort, the 1 BR units are the last to book, value or otherwise.

Please know that when people seem to be "negative" it's actually an attempt to point out the realities and potential pitfalls of DVC. It's really not an attempt to argue. I hope you have a wonderful vacation.

 

[staceymay00]

Oh I wouldn't worry about that IMO there are a few regulars here that really force there opinions on people and the other side of the story is just either avoids talking against them or just stops coming around like I did .

I am actually on my first dvc trip now at AKV . I have heard lots of negative things from people on this site like the furniture is worn or broken , everything is looking fine to me , I also herd it's hard to get rooms at 7 months well I got 1br value at 7 months no issue . Plus my real life friends that have DVC for years have none off the complaints I have herd here.

So IMO the negative things talked about here are from extremely picky people people and I really don't pay attention to there complaints .

Availability at seven months really depends on when you travel. There are fairly frequent posts expressing disappointment about not being able to book a resort at seven months. I could have booked almost anything I wanted for our April 2013 spring break stay, but that has not been the case at all for our Thanksgiving trips.

I agree that a few people who post are overly critical of DVC, but mostly I think people are just trying to make others aware of what to realistically expect...for example, villas can feel a little "worn out" for several years before they are refurbished, or a new resort like BLT has more wear and tear than it should for its age. We are really happy with DVC, but I'm glad I did the research to know what to expect before we purchased. We just stayed at AKV for the first time and loved it btw...villa was in great shape and furniture seemed to be of good quality. Enjoy your vacation!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[AmyB2006]

Yes, that is "giving" points. But when you sign your contract in May 2013 and you have a June or August UY, you're in your 2012 UY when your contract begins, so that really isn't giving.

But I won't quibble about this anymore.

Congrats on your purchase OP!

Same thing (sort of) happened to us. We bought direct in December of 2011, with an April UY. So we got April 2011 points that were immediately banked into 2012. So it's like we had "double" points for 2012, since April was only 4 months away. But I agree, it's not "giving" anything away for free.

 

[BestDadEver]

Welcome back, BestDadEver, haven't seen you in awhile! For what it's worth, they're not really complaints. Speaking for myself, I am on this forum because I own DVC, I love DVC and I try to help others learn more about it. The problem is that the "guides" (read: salespeople) only tell one side of the story. I feel that it's important to present the other side that contains the realities of owning DVC. You may perceive that as negative or complaining, but really it's just being honest. As far as forcing my opinion on others, if I read something that is misleading or factually inaccurate, I am going to dispute it whenever it comes up. Not for the sake of arguing, but for the sake of the "lurkers" who are reading to gain information without ever speaking up. There is a hidden audience for every post, and I think that's important to keep in mind.

With regards to the negatives you mentioned above, I think you're misinterpreting things a bit. The comments about furniture and fixtures being worn and broken were in regards to BLT, where the consensus is that it was put together on the cheap, and not AKV. I don't recall anyone saying anything negative about the rooms in AKV, as they are absolutely beautiful. Also, I think you misunderstood the "negatives" about the booking situation as well, as AKV is one of the three easiest resorts to get into at 7 months. The advice that was given was that owners needed the 11 month advantage in order to book value studios and Grande Villas at AKV. At any resort, the 1 BR units are the last to book, value or otherwise.

Please know that when people seem to be "negative" it's actually an attempt to point out the realities and potential pitfalls of DVC. It's really not an attempt to argue. I hope you have a wonderful vacation.

I never thought of your posts as argumentative . More of a discussion of differing opinions . I understand you guys feel the need to set the story straight but really never see any positive posts from those people . Which leads to threads started like this .

I pretty much went against everything that is preached here and have no regrets . Leaning on advice from real life friends I trust . the 2 example I gave we're only 2 I could think of that second . There are many more that I can say aren't in my experience now and just the way I thought , opposite of most majority of thought around here. Again I realize the norm is portrayed by only a few of the heavy posters here .

 

[Deb & Bill]

I never thought of your posts as argumentative . More of a discussion of differing opinions . I understand you guys feel the need to set the story straight but really never see any positive posts from those people . Which leads to threads started like this .

I pretty much went against everything that is preached here and have no regrets . Leaning on advice from real life friends I trust . the 2 example I gave we're only 2 I could think of that second . There are many more that I can say aren't in my experience now and just the way I thought , opposite of most majority of thought around here. Again I realize the norm is portrayed by only a few of the heavy posters here .

Sorry, but Kool-aid is still Kool-aid. I drank it in the beginning until I started to see things were not so pixie dusted as we thought it was. Disney is out to make money from us. Nothing more. And the "happier" they make you, the more money they make.

 

[BestDadEver]

Sorry, but Kool-aid is still Kool-aid. I drank it in the beginning until I started to see things were not so pixie dusted as we thought it was. Disney is out to make money from us. Nothing more. And the "happier" they make you, the more money they make.

I guess that's the problem . You guys don't like to spend money . I realize this and was told this buy my guide when I purchased . They want us to keep coming back to spend money here and not else where , makes sence and I'd tend to think that is the case with all time shares or business . They want your money that's the bottom line with almost everything . I am surprised when anyone thinks any business is doing anything other then trying to get your money . That's the whole idea . You think they want to just give you deeply discounted rooms and loose money . If they were loosing money they wouldn't have a DVC banner on the back of every single bus here , and a DVC kiosk ever 5 feet .

I guess this is why I will never be disappointed with DVC cause I know they want my money and I really don't have an issue giving it to them in return for fun.

 

[Rocketeer53]

I guess this is why I will never be disappointed with DVC cause I know they want my money and I really don't have an issue giving it to them in return for fun.

I totally agree

 

[Breyean]

I guess that's the problem . You guys don't like to spend money . I realize this and was told this buy my guide when I purchased . They want us to keep coming back to spend money here and not else where , makes sence and I'd tend to think that is the case with all time shares or business . They want your money that's the bottom line with almost everything . I am surprised when anyone thinks any business is doing anything other then trying to get your money . That's the whole idea . You think they want to just give you deeply discounted rooms and loose money . If they were loosing money they wouldn't have a DVC banner on the back of every single bus here , and a DVC kiosk ever 5 feet .

I guess this is why I will never be disappointed with DVC cause I know they want my money and I really don't have an issue giving it to them in return for fun.

You are right. Disney is doing what's best for them. It's up to each of us to do what's best for us. When these things align, you have a happy DVC owner.

The key, for each buyer, is it the best use of his money to pay tens of thousands more for a direct purchase, or can that money be used for other things if he bought a very similar product resale. He can keep going back, spending more money on vacations, which makes Disney happy.

But just because Disney wants you to buy direct doesn't mean you have to comply. Each person has to make his own decision based on his own circumstances, but keeping Disney happy w/b very very low on my list of concerns when deciding.

 

[ELMC]

I guess that's the problem . You guys don't like to spend money . I realize this and was told this buy my guide when I purchased . They want us to keep coming back to spend money here and not else where , makes sence and I'd tend to think that is the case with all time shares or business . They want your money that's the bottom line with almost everything . I am surprised when anyone thinks any business is doing anything other then trying to get your money . That's the whole idea . You think they want to just give you deeply discounted rooms and loose money . If they were loosing money they wouldn't have a DVC banner on the back of every single bus here , and a DVC kiosk ever 5 feet .

I guess this is why I will never be disappointed with DVC cause I know they want my money and I really don't have an issue giving it to them in return for fun.

BestDadEver....this is probably your BestPostEver. I will disagree with the point about not liking to spend money. I really don't mind...provided that I get value for my money (thus the reason why I purchased resale). But I agree with your main point, it's all about suspension of disbelief. Disney pretends that they really care about me as a person and my happiness, and I pretend that they're not just in it for the money. We both know that neither are true. But that's ok, and that's why I don't balk at paying $20 for the GF Burger or $10 for mediocre pizza at the Studios. They get their money and I get my enjoyable moments. So it's a win-win.

 

[PinGirl]

Hello everyone we just joined DVC on the final night of our cruise. This was our 3rd cruise w/Disney in 3 years and we have sat thur the sales pitch every time. We have 3 children and would love to visit WDW. We are from CA so we have spent lots of time at Disneyland. We are super excited! We received $1,000 off purchase price and joined w/125 points AK. They gave us 2012 points/125 and also $3 per point. We are a military family retiring in 2 years in Alaska (currently in NJ) hoping to vacation in Hawaii a lot with the club!!! Please post some positive things about the club based on experience. I have been reading a lot of posts that are very negative and I hope we have made the right decision to join.

First off - Welcome Home!

Sorry if you read a negative post of mine that rattled you!

Great things about DVC:
1) The first time you return as a member and the cast members say Welcome Home - it feels Fantastic!
2) Each resort has little extras you don't find until you stay there. We own at BWV and keep finding new things each time we go.
3) If you decide to trade a week for something else in the RCI or II system - you will have no trouble getting an exchange because everyone wants a Disney Timeshare week.
4) You get great quality time with friends and family
5) You can stay at other resorts and enjoy a different Disney experience for the same or less points depending on where you decide to stay.
6) If you collect anything Disney - you will have many chances to get more stuff.
7) Keep your eyes open for special DVC offers you will be able to take advantage of like the $399 Premium Annual Pass last year offered to DVC Members towards the end of the year...

Enjoy!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Hello everyone we just joined DVC on the final night of our cruise. This was our 3rd cruise w/Disney in 3 years and we have sat thur the sales pitch every time. We have 3 children and would love to visit WDW. We are from CA so we have spent lots of time at Disneyland. We are super excited! We received $1,000 off purchase price and joined w/125 points AK. They gave us 2012 points/125 and also $3 per point. We are a military family retiring in 2 years in Alaska (currently in NJ) hoping to vacation in Hawaii a lot with the club!!! Please post some positive things about the club based on experience. I have been reading a lot of posts that are very negative and I hope we have made the right decision to join.

One question. If you plan to vacation in Hawaii, why did you not purchase at Aulani? Oh, and for the record...We purchased DVC 16 years ago and it's the single best purchase we ever made in our vacations!

 

[AmyB2006]

I guess that's the problem . You guys don't like to spend money . I realize this and was told this buy my guide when I purchased . They want us to keep coming back to spend money here and not else where , makes sence and I'd tend to think that is the case with all time shares or business . They want your money that's the bottom line with almost everything . I am surprised when anyone thinks any business is doing anything other then trying to get your money . That's the whole idea . You think they want to just give you deeply discounted rooms and loose money . If they were loosing money they wouldn't have a DVC banner on the back of every single bus here , and a DVC kiosk ever 5 feet .

I guess this is why I will never be disappointed with DVC cause I know they want my money and I really don't have an issue giving it to them in return for fun.

Well said.

Anyone who buys DVC thinking Disney is all pixie dusted and just wants you to be happy as their main goal, must be drinking the pixie dust instead of kool-aid. LOL

I'm under no kool-aid coma to think that Disney isn't in it, to make money. Their number one goal is to make money. How do they accomplish that? By keeping me happy and making me want to come back more.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Just read the rest of this thread, and I think a major problem is that just because it's Disney, some members think it's MORE than a timeshare. DVC is a timeshare. NOT a promotional tool. If you know what to expect from a timeshare, you won't expect Disney to give you extra perks. Just be happy with your TIMESHARE purchase.

The only real "perk" we ever use from Disney is the AP and PAP discounts. THAT is a perk that helps Disney keep their timeshare owners spending money AT Disney. So you see, it's not really a perk either...just a way to keep us happy enough to keep visiting the parks. Since most of us purchased a timeshare at Disney because of a love of all things Disney, it works to the benefit of both DVC owners and Disney.

 

[crisi]

A lot of the negative posts around here are exactly that - Disney is a business. They also come in a few other flavors - it isn't always as easy to book what you want when you want as the guides and advertising will have you believe and because where Disney doesn't make money, they seem to be fairly good fiscal stewards of our money - room refurbs happen less often on the timeshare side of the house. I think that really the three big negatives come down to those three points.

Each of those points is not a huge deal if you are aware of them. And if you aren't aware of them, you purchase and then show up here disappointed the the discounts aren't bigger, no free dining, aren't rewarded for loyalty. You can't get into BCV in Early December or get a BLT standard room at 7 months or book a cruise because the dates you want are booked up for points - although there is cash availability. The room isn't as nice as the cash side of the house, the carpet obviously had some little kid spill juice on it that stained, the bedroom drawer was off its rails and you don't get clean towels every day. But if you knew these things going in, none of them are a huge deal and all are acceptable, perhaps even preferable (maybe the drawer rails need to be fixed more often then they are - but a lot of people like limited housekeeping).

The fourth type of negative post is the financial aspects. When I first arrived here in 2002 to find anyone who advised financial caution was relatively rare - there were a few - Dean's advised it for longer than I've been here. To listen to the majority of people here, this was a sure thing investment - you'd sell it for more than you bought it for. You'd save money - absolutely everyone did. It was rare that anyone questioned using rack rate in calcuations - or said "would you have ever booked two bedrooms for your family of four without DVC?" It was the best thing anyone had ever done (it doesn't hit my own top ten - but we adopted a child, bought a house for my dying brother in law, and I spent a summer in Europe - each of which is more valuable to me than DVC).

In 2009 we started to hear the stories about how overextended people were. About being upside down in loans for DVC that they shouldn't have gotten in the first place because their pre-DVC financial life wasn't stable. People not only lost DVC with job losses, they lost homes. And a lot more people became a lot more cautious in recommending that someone they didn't know spend $10k or more on a timeshare. The conversations made a decided flip to "this may add value, but you may or may not save money."