DVC vs. Shades of Green?

[Suziannie]

I'm sorry if this has been addressed already or if this isn't the place for it. Please let me know if that's the case!

My husband and I are in the very early stages of purchasing DVC. Or at least heading that way. We know a few things for sure:
1) We like a 7 day vacation once a year.
2) If we don't got to Disney we take a cruise so buying direct would be a good option for us I think.
3) We're pretty set on a monorail resort.
4) I don't see many large family trips in our future so it will like be our family of 3 for the most part. No need for great big rooms on a regular basis.

But he's also in the Navy, and therefore we're eligible for Shades of Green. Have any owners here ever stayed there? The price of a week at SOG is much cheaper than we'd spend in a year for DVC, even with constant price increases. So is there a reason we should go for DVC instead of just booking a week at SOG each year?

 

[RAD]

You've might have seen this mentioned before, but it usually works out better (aka cheaper) if you rent out points and then use that money to pay for a cruise. AFAIK that would also help you to be able to go the resale market since you then wouldn't be using points to directly pay for your cruise.

 

[bakerworld]

~ he's also in the Navy, and therefore we're eligible for Shades of Green. Have any owners here ever stayed there? The price of a week at SOG is much cheaper than we'd spend in a year for DVC, even with constant price increases. So is there a reason we should go for DVC instead of just booking a week at SOG each year?

If the SOG is cheaper than DVC's annul dues, I don't understand why you're considering a purchase. Are you trying to get on the monorail?

 

[rcchello]

If the DVC concept intrigues you, I suggest you rent points from an owner and test it out. After that you can decide if the difference in cost is worth it to you. I went from value resorts to DVC and it was worth it to me, but it is not for everyone.

I like being able to prepare breakfast for the family in the morning before heading to the parks. My wife likes having a laundry in the villa and not having to pack as much. We also enjoy having a separate room from the kids. The smallest room we get is a one bedroom which is different from those trying to minimize the cost. The one bedroom and larger gets you a well equipped kitchen and a washer and dryer. The studios have a microwave and free use of the laundry room.

 

[Suziannie]

If the SOG is cheaper than DVC's annul dues, I don't understand why you're considering a purchase. Are you trying to get on the monorail?

Yes to the monorail. But we also like the idea of flexibility. Even with rising annual dues each year I like that we could choose other properties at WDW and elsewhere in case there's a year we want to finally check out DL. Or maybe hit the beach instead of the parks.

 

[carolinagirl121]

We are also Navy and considered Shades of Green as an option as well, but have found that it is incredibly hard to get on shorter notice. From what I have seen, the Navy is the most dynamic of the services and we have never been able to plan a vacation more than 3 months before leaving. I know lots of people book very far out, but we have never had an issue getting a room when we needed it. Sure, we've had to stay in Saratoga Springs a couple of times, but its better than chancing it with SOG where there may be nothing. I have never had an occasion where I couldn't find something with DVC (I even booked 2 weeks out once and got a 1 bedroom in AKV for 7 days straight). Remember, SOG is available to active and retired, so folks who aren't under the same short notice planning constraints can book months ahead of when you can.

Also, the people who work at DVC are very helpful when you explain your military situation. I had to shift a vacation a month to the right once when I was extended on deployment and they were wonderful helping me when I was calling from the middle of the ocean.

 

[Suziannie]

This was the part I forgot to include! The flexibility isn't always at SOG because they are much smaller than the combined DVC resorts at WDW. I noticed playing around dates over the past few months that it seems to book up quickly! In fact we were all set to cancel our Disney resort and stay at SOG but couldn't get all the days, and that was 4 months out.

My husband is actually in the reserves right now, but very interested in going active again so I imagine deployment isn't too far off my radar. And to be honest there was a good chance he was going to miss this trip we have in Dec but the shut down happened and threw off his fall training plans.

Also, the people who work at DVC are very helpful when you explain your military situation. I had to shift a vacation a month to the right once when I was extended on deployment and they were wonderful helping me when I was calling from the middle of the ocean.

So maybe I shouldn't call off DVC after all. I don't want to finance it so we've got a few years to save, but once I decide the motivation will be there for me to dump everything I can into that plan.

 

[bakerworld]

Yes to the monorail. But we also like the idea of flexibility. Even with rising annual dues each year I like that we could choose other properties at WDW and elsewhere in case there's a year we want to finally check out DL. Or maybe hit the beach instead of the parks.

Well, that actually makes sense to me. If you've cash, buy a SSR resale and usit it at BLT. We've had very good luck getting into BLT a few months out. Or just buy BLT but resalers are always saying what a deal SSR is for annual dues. Of course, we also own BLT

 

[crisi]

DVC can also be very difficult on short notice - particularly if you want a monorail resort. If you can't book before seven months in advance, because you don't know what leave schedules look like, buy the cheapest resort you can - resale (you are usually better off paying cash for cruising). If your leave schedule is subject to change on short notice, understand the risks you are taking with DVC cancellation policies. I'm not in a military family, so my understanding of your constraints is far from perfect, but my understanding is that your constraints are very different than my husband, who told his boss last week he was going to use vacation time between Christmas and New Years and his boss said "cool, have fun."

 

[chalee94]

Yes to the monorail. But we also like the idea of flexibility. Even with rising annual dues each year I like that we could choose other properties at WDW and elsewhere in case there's a year we want to finally check out DL. Or maybe hit the beach instead of the parks.

the california DVC can be tough to book at less than 7 months. it's very small.

the HHI beach resort can be tough to book at less than 7 months if you are looking at summer availability.

and as crisi said, the monorail resorts can be tough at less than 7 months.

i'm thinking you are not a great candidate for DVC but agree that you should try renting to see how it works first.

 

[RAD]

Well, that actually makes sense to me. If you've cash, buy a SSR resale and usit it at BLT. We've had very good luck getting into BLT a few months out. Or just buy BLT but resalers are always saying what a deal SSR is for annual dues. Of course, we also own BLT

Tried to do BLT at 7 months for 12/4 -> 12/8, waitlist never did come through.

 

[DenLo]

There was a trip report by a military retiree that he and his spouse both quit their jobs when he retired and are now residing at DVC resorts, some other timeshares and even Disney cruises for a year. It's very obvious he feels that timeshares are the way to go. And he rates DVC and Fiesta Americana as the best. He says he will never do regular hotel rooms again. Are SOG rooms are equivalent to hotel rooms? Or are they like DVC villas and have full kitchens and 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms? Here is his TR.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3121140

But like others have said, DVC is not really dependable for short term reservations. They might be there for some nights but not necessarily for consecutive nights.

 

[6bowmans]

Military retiree here. We bought DVC 13 years ago while still on active duty. SOG was OK, but as noted, it fills much faster than most Disney hotels. Nothing against retired military (for I am one now), but they are in the majority at the hotel and book well in advance. SOG is about the equivalent of a moderate, but does have a few one and 2-bedroom suites which are even more difficult to reserve. I love the military, but when we went on vacation, I wanted to completely escape from everything and SOG was too much of a reminder for me. We rented DVC points once and caught the fever. We own at VWL, AKV, and SSR and have stayed in every DVC hotel except BLT and BWV - we love them all and can't wait for our BLT and BWV trips. DVC does cost more than SOG, but we have been fortunate. We have never regretted our decision to go with DVC.

 

[Suziannie]

Military retiree here. We bought DVC 13 years ago while still on active duty. SOG was OK, but as noted, it fills much faster than most Disney hotels. Nothing against retired military (for I am one now), but they are in the majority at the hotel and book well in advance. SOG is about the equivalent of a moderate, but does have a few one and 2-bedroom suites which are even more difficult to reserve. I love the military, but when we went on vacation, I wanted to completely escape from everything and SOG was too much of a reminder for me. We rented DVC points once and caught the fever. We own at VWL, AKV, and SSR and have stayed in every DVC hotel except BLT and BWV - we love them all and can't wait for our BLT and BWV trips. DVC does cost more than SOG, but we have been fortunate. We have never regretted our decision to go with DVC.

I have heard SOG ranks with the moderates now. I've also heard such bad things about the food that we're not planning on eating there this trip. I really like to take advantage of the resort food for most breakfasts and I can't see me cooking in a room, even if it's just cereal, there are some things I don't want to deal with on vacation.

We've always stayed away from SOG because I'm a big believer in the dining plan and magic express. So I guess these are pluses for DVC too.

I see your point about wanting to get away from the military a bit too.

We'd like to rent on our next trip so maybe that will be the final straw for me too. I've never really stayed at a deluxe and like the idea a lot but the sticker shock always sends me back to value or a moderate. This trip we choose AOA because we wanted a suite but won't need one once our daughter is not napping mid day any more.

Did you buy all at once or add points over a few years?

 

[6bowmans]

Did you buy all at once or add points over a few years?

We bought 400 pts at VWL in 2000, followed up with a contract at AKV in 2007, and recently bought points at SSR. The only thing I would do over is I would buy two smaller contracts at VWL instead of one large contract. We have four kids and plan to give each one a contract when they are older - two of them will just have to share.

 

[william1375]

I'm retired Navy also and have stayed at SOG and own at BLT, AKV and BWV. One thing to remember is when comparing a SOG room to a DVC studio depending on rank (basis for SOG cost) and season for DVC the cost difference may not be all that much. That also follows for 1 and 2 bedroom stays understanding that SOG has significantly less availability for the larger rooms. I purchased resale with the intention of using DVC every other year using the banking system; this allows you the flexibility of DVC at a lower cost. You can add on later if your habits/needs change. SOG has a mini NEX and you can purchase discounted tickets for all the area attractions on site.

 

[Iceman93]

My wife and I are both recently retired military, DVC owners, and fans of annual vacations including cruises. Here are some thoughts:

- SoG offers a decent room at a decent price, but I agree with others that there are drawbacks (including the previously-mentioned feeling of still being surrounded by military people, an AAFES gift shop, etc.).

- My favorite time is when SoG *is* sold out, because then they offer some pretty incredible referral rates to the Disney resorts, including the deluxes.

- Keep in mind that with DVC you can bank one year's points and borrow the next year's points, essentially allowing you to use triple your purchased points on a single vacation. This works perfectly for my family, because on the years we're not doing a DVC trip we can enjoy non-Disney travel (or simply paying for a Disney cruise, which is significantly cheaper than cashing in DVC points).

 

[Brownieone]

My wife and I are both recently retired military, DVC owners, and fans of annual vacations including cruises. Here are some thoughts:

- SoG offers a decent room at a decent price, but I agree with others that there are drawbacks (including the previously-mentioned feeling of still being surrounded by military people, an AAFES gift shop, etc.).

- My favorite time is when SoG *is* sold out, because then they offer some pretty incredible referral rates to the Disney resorts, including the deluxes.

- Keep in mind that with DVC you can bank one year's points and borrow the next year's points, essentially allowing you to use triple your purchased points on a single vacation. This works perfectly for my family, because on the years we're not doing a DVC trip we can enjoy non-Disney travel (or simply paying for a Disney cruise, which is significantly cheaper than cashing in DVC points).

We've stayed at SOG a half dozen times and like it fine.

PROs: Larger than comparable on-property rooms, cheaper eats than other on-property restaurants, discounted tix center (though even if you don't stay at SOG, as military, you can purchase there), and proximity to Poly (where you can snag the monorail).

CONs: Pretty generic, not-really-themed pools, generic room (though nice and large), and we just got tired of going here time after time to save.

We bought DVC in 2008 and now own at BLT, VGC, VGF and HHI. We usually bank and borrow so each property has a pot of points in a different year, with HHI being the place we go when we have points (so no set year). We like it there in summer, and around New Year's. Next year is our VGC year, so we'll be there over spring break. The following year is our VGF ... our first legit stay there ... and so it goes.

We haven't looked back, even with SOG eligibility. When we want a bonus trip, we'll look at SOG first.

Is it cheaper than SOG? No. Is it more enjoyable because of the variety it provides? For us, yes. Good luck!