Am I crazy to not buy DVC

[abrock]

Hi, I am just wondering if I am crazy to not buy into DVC? We have been 5 times in the last 4 years, with another trip coming very soon. We usually go in Feb/March for a week, and also for a few days in the summer. Typically we stay at Deluxe resorts, my fave the GF. This upcoming trip in Feb we will be trying out a 1 bed at BLT.

The whole timeshare thing scares me, however each trip we typically spend about $5000 in the winter, and $1500 in the summer.

Just wondering about the whole system since I am naive about this.

Thanks for any insight!!!

 

[disneynutz]

Take some time and read through the many posts here on the DIS asking the same question. In the end, only you know if the DVC is a good fit for you and your family.

Bill

 

[ACDSNY]

Yes DVC would be a good fit for your family if you plan to visit WDW yearly or every other year.

 

[robertdangelo]

DVC is the best purchase we have done next to our home! It's often said by many... we only wish we'd done it sooner!

 

[ACDSNY]

Here's a good link to some info regarding DVC to help with your research.

 

[Deb & Bill]

DVC is very expensive and the price keeps going up. If you are happy staying in a hotel at WDW, it's no problem to keep doing that.

 

[Longhairbear]

Hi, I am just wondering if I am crazy to not buy into DVC? .!

LOL, Yes in our opinion!

 

[Sandisw]

DVC may be a great fit for your family since you go to WDW every so often. I think that once you stay in a 1 bedroom, it is going to be hard to resist!!! as that just can't compare to a hotel room.

However, you are committing yourself to it and have to consider, based on your time of travel, what you need for points to continue to visit like you want.

There is a points chart at the top that can give you an idea of what you might need.

The 2nd is choosing your home resort. While you can trade out to any DVC at 7 months, subject to availability, you get priority booking at your home resort.

You want to be sure that you will be happy staying there for all or part of your trip if the resort you want is not available.

Since you are a GF fan, I think you will love BLT. We own there and love being close to MK as it is our favorite park. We are trying BCV for a few nights next summer to see how we like that one. We have done BWV an VWL as well and liked both, but not more than BLT.

After you have done the research, you will have a better idea of what DVC can do for you.

Good luck!

 

[crisi]

Give BLT a try and see. DVC is not a Deluxe hotel, its a timeshare. And people who love it don't tend to mind the differences (like no daily housekeeping). Its best for planners and not spur of the moment vacation takers. Its best for people who can tie up capital in owning a timeshare.

Owning DVC and staying in a one bedroom won't save you money over a room at the GF - but you'll have more floorspace and be able to put the kids on the hideabed in the living room.

Read this board for a while. There are complaints and praises. The truth is somewhere in between. DVC isn't perfect and sometimes it isn't terribly well run. Even when it is perfect it isn't a perfect fit for everyone.

 

[SSR]

DVC is very expensive and the price keeps going up. If you are happy staying in a hotel at WDW, it's no problem to keep doing that.

Don't the rack rates at Disney also keep going up, too? This was perhaps the hardest sell/push of our DVC tour - comparing cost of DVC against traditional/historical/anticipated rack rate progression. While I understand that very few people should ever pay rack rate, the discounts become relative (i.e. AAA price today will be less than AAA price in 2 years, most likely).

 

[Tigger031266]

Yes your crazy. I know time shares are scary but this is a Disney not a time share. It is prepaid vacations not ownership. Based on your trip costs you could break even in 4-5 years.

The down side is flexiblity. It will not make sense for you to stay at GF or Poly. Going on vacations to other places other than WDW is not as good of a deal.

In the end, you can always sell your DVC but you wont. You will just buy more and more points because you will LOVE IT

 

[seashoreCM]

The answer to the title question is, "No, you are not crazy."

Note that, unlike most timeshares, a DVC membership does expire some day. Aside from that, DVC resembles a timeshare.

When sizing up the costs (yes, you need to crunch numbers) you need to take into account the annual fee (membership fee, maintenance fee, etc.) and also any sales or property taxes and, if you book at different resorts, any exchange fee. Perhaps someone can post a rundown of these fees over the past ten years.

Now if you are hooked on DVC, you may want to at least look into:

1. Make an offer instead of paying the price.
2. See if you can buy a secondhand membership for less, although do not send money to a stranger prior to a formal closing ceremony.

OT: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

 

[chalee94]

i vote not crazy.

DVC works for me because i like the discounted onsite accomodations and don't mind things like having to book 7+ months in advance and limited mousekeeping. OKW is the only DVC resort with a studio with 2 queen beds...all the other studios have 1 queen bed and 1 sofabed, while all of the 1BRs have 1 king bed and 1 sofabed - some prefer a setup with 2 "real" beds.

different strokes... try BLT and see if it might work for you.

 

[WolfpackFan]

You know, I read posts like this and can really appreciate the apprehension that OP is going through because most of it us went through it when we made our initial purchase. Looking back on it some 7 years later, I think how silly I was to have any hesitation at all. My only regret is that I didn't buy earlier. We love our DVC membership and from a financial standpoint it's been the best investment we ever made. We're both retired now and there is no way we could afford to take the vacations we're taking now if we didn't have our DVC membership. I am especially excited because we've booked our first DCL cruise on points for next year on the Magic (I know, I know it's not the best use of points but I don't care). I just love the feeling we have a 7 night cruise already booked for next year and it is already paid for in points.

 

[DizGirl20]

I think the most important question to ask is if you see yourself continuing to visit at the "pace" (i.e. 5 trips in 4 years) you are going at right now. And will you continue to go as often when the kids get older and you can't pull them out of school as often as you'd like? Will you go when they are grown and out of the house? This is a LONG TERM commitment (although you can always sell your membership down the road). Think "down the road".

We asked ourselves the same questions (over & over & over!) and I am excited to say that we just joined DVC a few weeks ago. My kids are 9 & 12 yrs old. Even when they are older, my husband and I look forward to visiting Disney at a more leisurely pace and enjoying all it has to offer (other than just the theme parks). I also look forward to treating friends and hopefully grandchildren one day to DVC. We bought 160 points to test the waters.

I think you "break even" after about 5 trips. We wish we had done it sooner as we go about every year. We had our next trip booked for May @ the Beach Club (with AAA). I decided to put that money towards DVC and we are still going to the BC but now as DVC members! Best of Luck to you. It is not an easy decision but you are doing the right thing by hanging out here on the DisBoards.

 

[Figment1990]

I don't think you are crazy at all! I have debated buying into DVC for about 5 years now and still don't own. We too visit WDW frequently and mostly stay in deluxe hotels (GF and WL are our favorites, with BW and Poly close behidn).

We stayed in a 2-bedroom Savannah View at Kidani with extended family on our last trip on rented points. It was a great experience and I would do it again. However, it did not replace my favorites.

One thing I have learned through a LOT of research (5+ years worth) is that I personally enjoy "hotel"-style accommodations a bit better. I like the hustle and bustle of the main wilderness lodge, I like all the counter and sit-down restaurants of the Grand, Poly and Wilderness Lodge, and I especially like the fact that the regular hotel rooms are refurbished a bit more often than the DVC rooms are. And unfortunately, though I love WL, I really dislike the WLV decor (same with BWV). This is all a personal vacation preference and not a criticism of DVC. DVC is a great program for those who it is a good fit for. If our little family ends up blossoming to a family of 5, we would probably buy for sure, despite the decor. We know we want to vacation there for many years and we know we can't afford the Grand or Poly every time (for the 5th person daybed).

Even now we are considering it again, due to our stay at AKV Kidani. The rooms are really decorated to our taste, the pool area is now my 2nd favorite on property (the GF cabana's are still my top fave) and with AKV, you have an opportunity to be in the main lodge. But with just the 3 of us right now, we're content with regular hotel rooms. I feel less guilty about ordering room service, and really enjoy that someone else makes my bed every day for a week!

But maybe perhaps just a few points.... to be able to go AKV every other year.... (see, the debate is never ending!)

 

[Louiepipbgeeco]

In NO WAY do I think you are crazy. DVC decision is a complex one. I tossed this around for several years and then finally I am happy to report that we bought in Aug. (100pt at AKV-- small because I wanted to pay cash, sorry did not see it as wise to finance and pay interest, JMO)
You are very smart to take the time to mull this over because it is a big decision and a personal one. What works best for every family will differ. My biggest advice was to in the end after I did TONS of research, GO with your gut after you have thought it all through and then don't look back. It was hard to hand over a large sum of cash savings, but once I did I did not ever miss the $ or look back. I have had an ABSOLUTE blast gearing up for and planning our DVC stay that we will take this summer. I feel a special feeling whenever I can log on as a member to the website...(strange I know) but that in itself tells me I did the right thing. The fact that it makes me feel so happy and gives me something to look forward to. Now, YES without DVC I would still have been planning our usual Disney trip. BUT NEVER at the places I will be staying. I know I would not spend that much on a cash ressie. Good luck with your decision. Your vacation habits definitely make you a great candidate for the ownership. Best wishes as you continue your journey

 

[AirGoofy]

It is a big decision and you are smart to take your time and consider it. We waited to purchase until we saved the money to purchase it outright. Still, I don't look at DVC for its financial impact. Even after DVC membership paid in full, there are still the annual dues, annual dues increases, ticket prices, dining prices, points adjustments, etc. DVC is a break even for us. I guess the financial benefit may be more if we never went to the theme parks and only ate in our room. But really, how much fun is that? DDs are 7 and 5, and we did DVC so that we could enjoy family vacations for many years to come.

 

[braudcms]

We have never regretted our decision. DH and I are both engineers so we analyzed the decision to death, and came to a conclusion that based on the frequency of visits, we would break even in 9 years (assuming dues/taxes remained approx. the same over the next 20). After that, we are in the green. It's a great vacation and we always look forward to quick get-aways (great since we live in Orlando!).

 

[thelionqueen]

If you continue your travel patterns well into the future, DVC would definitely be a money saver for you, but only you can determine if it's right for your family.

We have not regretted our decision for a second. Like many others, the ONLY thing I regret is not buying more BLT points from the get go! We were first going to buy 160, then 180, then I "stretched" and bought 220. I would give ANYTHING to go back in time and make that 300