OK, so sell DVC to me!

[Hobbes]

Here's our background...
Soon-to-be married couple both 45, both work FT, steady jobs (Civil servants, but not those you read about with the huge salaries!!) We currently got to WDW every 2 years and stay for around 10 days at a Value resort. My dilemma is-would it be worth us buying in? I'd like to think we have at least another 20 years of WDW holidays in usand maybe we would be able to afford to go every year. I have read the spiel but I'm still fairly confused, so come on folks, what would you do?
NB I promise not to sue anyone whose advice we follow if it all goes wrong

And please, no flaming, I'm just after opinions of people who know what they are talking about.

[skelfbsfb]

It will depend on how many points you are wanting to buy into. When we first bought we were getting over 2$ to the £ and bought 160 points from Disney as we never knew enough details about resale, we have recently bought and did this through the resale market.

You will need to add up how many points you want for your stay every 2 years.

The reason we bought was that we wanted to have the Disney magic for our family each time we stayed and at resorts that we could normally not afford to stay at.

[Elise79]

Are you happy at the values? If so it is probably not worth it.

If you want to be able to afford to stay at deluxe resorts or have more space (ie a one bed) then yes it is.

We bought DVC as we wanted to keep going regularly and stay at the resorts closer to the parks.

I am really looking forward to our 1st one bed trip next year

[Disney archer]

We first went to Disney World in 1990 for our honey moon. I am a nurse and my husband an optician so we are not wealthy either. We looked into DVC a few years later and like you wondered if it would be worth it. We finally bought into DVC in 2004 when my mother was undergoing radiotherapy for Cancer, to give her something to look forward to. We bought into Saratoga Springs. Going from a budget hotel holiday to DVC is amazing. We have been back every year since. This year we are going to Old Key West. The freedom DVC gives you as well as the luxury is great. We get a one bedroom place when going with our parents or other guests (the sofa's in the sitting room are bed settees) and when on our own we often use the Studio apartments. You also have the freedom of borrowing from the following years points if you want a bigger apartment, to go for longer or at a more expensive time of year. Alternatively if you don't go one year (or don't use all your points) you can bank them towards the next year.
Don't forget you can also use the points towards holidays in other parts of the world by using the adventure, plantinum etc collections.
We really wish we had done this earlier. DVC is great.

[skelfbsfb]

[QUOTE=Disney archer;We really wish we had done this earlier. DVC is great.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree wish we had bought when we first went. DVC has been great for myself and family.

[Hobbes]

well thanks for all your input folksI guess we need to do some number crunching. I just keep thinking that at the moment its costing us around £2k every 2 years and to my way of thinking around £20k will buy us a holiday every year for the next 20 years at least! I know we'll still have flights but at the moment those figures look good to me. My mum died earlier this year and I just keep thinking life is too short to squirrel everything away until you are "old"-I will never feel "old", cause you don't stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing!

[skelfbsfb]

Mind also to pick a resort that you will not mind staying at all the time incase you cannot get what you want at the 7 month window. Another factor to consider is that you will have dues each year to pay.

[oceanscape]

We looked into it, but - to be honest - I think you'd be mad to buy into DVC right now as a UK citizen. With the poor exchange rate and the incredible 42% off deals and free-dining, it absolutely fails to make financial sense.

[skelfbsfb]

Originally Posted by oceanscape

We looked into it, but - to be honest - I think you'd be mad to buy into DVC right now as a UK citizen. With the poor exchange rate and the incredible 42% off deals and free-dining, it absolutely fails to make financial sense.

This is very true but remember that these deals will not always be there.

[oceanscape]

Originally Posted by skelfbsfb

This is very true but remember that these deals will not always be there.

Yep, and when/if the deals end and exchange rate improves, I'll be sure to reconsider DVC membership

[Elise79]

Originally Posted by oceanscape

We looked into it, but - to be honest - I think you'd be mad to buy into DVC right now as a UK citizen. With the poor exchange rate and the incredible 42% off deals and free-dining, it absolutely fails to make financial sense.

Only if you want to stay at SSR or OKW.

If you want to stay at a resort near the parks then it still make sense.

[UKDEB]

Whilst it undoubtedly makes sense from a long term financial perspective, ultimately it boils down to a heart choice, rather than a head one.

I'd considered it on and off for several years, but never thought I'd talk Matt into it. In October, 2006, we took a tour of SSR, partly out of curiosity (and to see the AKL mock-ups) and partly to support a friend who works on the booths around WDW. You could have knocked me down with a feather when Matt started making buying signals. We weren't able to close the deal there and then because we'd made arrangements to meet friends for lunch, but we promised to call back in two days. There was no pressure from the sales guy and, in the end, it was me putting up obstacles, rather than Matt. I agreed on the basis that it wouldn't compromise our favoured arrangements of staying in a villa for the duration of our trips, and spending just a few days onsite. I figured it would allow us to upgrade to superior accommodation for our onsite forays.

Thanks to unforeseen financial setbacks in the ensuing years, we've actually used our membership to stay onsite far more than I'd initially anticipated. Even though we're probably yet to break even, the fact that the financial outlay is in the past, makes each stay feel like a free one. We've also been able to gift an onsite stay to our daughter, her partner and our grandson. You can't put a price on that - it's a purely emotional plus point.

I don't ever remember seeing a post from a member who regrets the decision to buy in. Even in our darkest financial times, we've resisted the temptation to sell. Financially, the benefits are in the future, but psychologically, we're benefitting already. We were lucky enough to buy when the exchange rate was $2:£1, but that's a bonus rather than an overriding factor. I really don't think it would have affected our decision had the rate been less favourable.

[mark&sue]

I know we made the right decision when the Treehouse Villas were added on at Saratoga Springs. The minute we stayed here I knew I had come home. For me nothing else comes close.

Not for everyone I know but total heaven for me


Susan

[skelfbsfb]

The beauty of DVC is being able to try each resort every time you visit. Ive been to AKL, VB BWV, OKW and to be perfectly honest, its actually makes our holiday knowing that we own a little piece of the magic.

If you have the time go and visit the DVC centre at SSR, you will not be put under any pressure, write down all the questions you want answered as they will take the time out to help you.

[Boss Hogg]

I think you'd be very hard pressed to say it doesn't make financial sense when you look at what you're buying. You're talking about 45yrs (or so) or holidays at a price set now. The resorts cannot alter the number of points in the whole resort so even if you buy now at around $1.5 to the pound that rate will not alter.
The Disney resorts will go up with inflation, which you will beat so in 30 yrs time you will be up by the $000's.

Now this all assumes that you use it each year and will stay there regardless. That having been said, if you don't use these assumptions I don't know how you make a comparison.

My opinion FWIW