Are you happy with your DVC Purchase? Thinking of purchasing.

[AdamsMum]

I fell in love with BWV on vacation in 2007. I couldn't afford to stay there. When I got home I checked into resale through these boards and started with a small resale. Immediately added on direct - prices were much more affordable then, and the Canadian dollar was worth more. I've added on a couple of times since, sold a small contract at BLT. Life has evolved, kids grew up, marriage broke up, now I mostly travel alone, retirement trip coming up in December (hope Canadians can travel by then). I feel safe at WDW and I love it there. I'm so happy I have my points. No regrets here. I'm not sure the experience would be the same at todays prices.

 

[minniemous]

I own a small DVC contract, and like many people here, I want more! But I completely agree with the above comments. My love for DVC is driven strongly by emotion, not practicality, and even I realize that. And it is an expensive emotional attachment. With so few on-site perks right now, I would probably delay purchasing. DVC resale prices are not particularly low at the moment, and DVC direct points are not about to dry up and go away if you delay purchasing. When Covid is over and WDW (hopefully) loads up the on-site perks again, you will have a better idea of what the true pros and cons are of staying offsite.

Now, if you know you would only stay on-site and in a Deluxe resort even if they offered zero perks, then I think you should buy without question.

I was looking at rentals at Windsor Hills yesterday and I was amazed at how much more you can get for your money there vs staying on-site. It is not the same experience as being in the bubble, for sure. But your dollars go a lot further!

Thank you so much. That is valuable insight. We are discussing all these aspects so hearing your take is great. Thanks again.

 

[minniemous]

If you love CCV, they do have CCV fixed weeks available through direct purchase. That will guarantee a studio on a specific week every year. You can opt out of that week if you want to stay someplace else or a different time. You can also buy fixed weeks resale, but it will be harder to find. Fixed weeks usually cost more per point too. Also CCV studio will only allow 4 guests, where other studios will allow 5.

We love Wilderness Lodge, so I understand the appeal. We own CCV and Boulder Ridge (our one resale contract, bought really cheap).

Thank you, I had no idea they had fixed week possibility so that is another thing to consider!

 

[minniemous]

We have loved our DVC's, but it hasn't been without it's challenges. Pre-covid, if you wanted to go during one of the DVC-popular times, you had to be able to book 11 months out if you wanted to get one of the cheap-point rooms (BWV STD Studio...I'm looking at you!) at your home resort. VGF? Good luck! We were never able to get a studio at the 7 month mark (or less) for our trips. We were just finally able to stay at a VGF Studio post-covid. So, give some extra thought to the buy-where-you-want-to-stay concept.

Give some hard thought to the number of points you buy in the first round. Check out the points charts for the times that you want to go and the size of units you want/need to stay in. I would not recommend basing the number of points you buy on the "Standard view" or "Value" room views. Those rooms are usually the first ones to book up at the 11 month mark, so you will want to have enough points to cover the other room view points. Also, if you go with a smaller contract to start, just remember there are closing costs associated with each purchase, so make sure to consider that when doing your evaluation. The flip side to going with a larger number of points to start with, is that the larger contracts can be harder to sell if something happens and you need to sell it before it expires.

Our first DVC purchase was direct contract at BWV and we later bought resale at BLT. One has an April use year and one has an August use year. This works well for us due to when we normally travel to WDW. But you will want to evaluate use years too, to make sure you get the best use year that fits your travel times.

Good luck with your decision!

Thank You! Great information. Everyone is giving great information and I must say giving us a good crash course.

 

[murphy7573]

H8 having to go to WDW and DLR all the time...Naw...The times I start asking my wife if "do you ever regret...." I get a quick snappy "NO" response before I can ever finish asking that question about buying DVC

 

[mktink626]

My only regret about buying resale is that I didn't get more points! We stayed at BWV on rented points in August 2020 and I put in an offer for a 150 point contract a couple weeks later. The DVC Show was invaluable when it came to researching everything important to consider when buying a contract. When I did the math of continuing to rent points vs buying resale, it just made sense to buy. It's just my son and I, so a studio is plenty big for us and I figured that 150 points would be perfect for two trips per year...one week-long trip and one long weekend trip. The only problem is that in order to do that, we are limited on when we can travel because it needs to be during a lower-points season. It would be nice to have an extra 50 points to play around with. But I am still so happy that I made the decision to buy...and I will continue to stalk the resales to eventually add on another 50-100 points!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

We are thinking of purchasing a DVC resale and want to know if there are any regrets people have? I was looking at a resale also. We are a family of 3 and we do currently stay at deluxe hotels Moderate and Values. Any information is appreciated! Thanks. Sorry if there is a separate DVC thread I missed.

I bought my first contract in 2011, and my second a few years later. My only regret is not buying more points. As my vacationing has changed, I have become adducted to the bigger space and most importantly the kitchen, washer/dryer and bigger TV's !!! of a 1BR.

Seriously though - DVC changed my life in many, many ways.
For example, DVC enabled my ex-wife to take her mother on a once in a lifetime trip to Hawaii that we would never have paid cash for - not long before she died (her mother).

DVC has enabled me to bring family and friends who would not be able to afford to bring their kids on a Disney vacation. Because I was able to cover their hotel (they would never have accepted me paying cash for them), they were able to take these trips. Most recently, I had some family stay with us as AKL - they had the best time!

DVC has "slowed down my vacation". I do not do a park death march anymore. Since I usually have my next trip planned before my current trip, I can relax knowing that I will see it again.

Because of DVC, I actually use my vacation instead of losing the hours to the company.

That said, I will always tell you that DVC is not for everyone. Understand what you are buying. You are purchasing a time share and as such you are a partial owner. Do not expect free stuff from Disney because you are DVC - you are not a customer, you are an owner. There is a big difference. Many people forget that and it leads to disappointment.

 

[CSLucas]

DVC has enabled me to bring family and friends who would not be able to afford to bring their kids on a Disney vacation. Because I was able to cover their hotel (they would never have accepted me paying cash for them)

That's a huge part of it for me - I know my kids are going to want to take their friends on trips, and even for friends who can afford it, that's still a lot of money to ask another parent (who might not even like Disney that much) to pay. We are looking forward to many years of enjoying vacations with friends and family alike

 

[minniemous]

I bought my first contract in 2011, and my second a few years later. My only regret is not buying more points. As my vacationing has changed, I have become adducted to the bigger space and most importantly the kitchen, washer/dryer and bigger TV's !!! of a 1BR.

Seriously though - DVC changed my life in many, many ways.
For example, DVC enabled my ex-wife to take her mother on a once in a lifetime trip to Hawaii that we would never have paid cash for - not long before she died (her mother).

DVC has enabled me to bring family and friends who would not be able to afford to bring their kids on a Disney vacation. Because I was able to cover their hotel (they would never have accepted me paying cash for them), they were able to take these trips. Most recently, I had some family stay with us as AKL - they had the best time!

DVC has "slowed down my vacation". I do not do a park death march anymore. Since I usually have my next trip planned before my current trip, I can relax knowing that I will see it again.

Because of DVC, I actually use my vacation instead of losing the hours to the company.

That said, I will always tell you that DVC is not for everyone. Understand what you are buying. You are purchasing a time share and as such you are a partial owner. Do not expect free stuff from Disney because you are DVC - you are not a customer, you are an owner. There is a big difference. Many people forget that and it leads to disappointment.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. The last thing you said about do not expect anything free from Disney got me thinking.

When we go to Disney hotels now we sometimes get the surprise free upgrade for whatever reason. Those sort of magical moments. My daughter got sick on one trip and we had to stay in the room for more than half the trip and it was her 10th birthday. They sent balloons and a stuffed animal of her favorite character. Our bathroom door was broken at beach club and they moved us to an even more beautiful room view.

Do you mean the attitude changes towards you in general because you are now a owner and a captive audience so to speak? I would not be so happy if the magical experience changed. That is what scares me about time shares. I know Disney would never let the facilities and rooms go down hill but I did not think about the other side of that Magical customer service If that is what you meant.

 

[bwvBound]

Do you mean the attitude changes towards you in general because you are now a owner and a captive audience so to speak? I would not be so happy if the magical experience changed. That is what scares me about time shares. I know Disney would never let the facilities and rooms go down hill but I did not think about the other side of that Magical customer service If that is what you meant.

Yes, exactly.

Many, if not most, of our DVC stays have involved calls to Maintenance and their entering our room during our stay. DVC rooms are not kept as fresh or 'new' as commercially rented rooms. Yes, we are captive audience and, in some respects, treated as such.

I went searching for an old post of one of our worst visits to BWV but didn't find it. That stay (2015'ish) was "over the top bad, bad, bad" with a room filled with trash, broken faucet in the bathroom sink, huge puddle of water on the kitchen floor, broken molding on the floor (ready to catch one's toe), etc. Maintenance came at least three times during our stay ... and once surprised me when I was in the bathtub. I've also had rooms where the carpet was wet from an emergency steam clean (?) attempting to overcome nasty odors, etc. Room change? No chance. Nope.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Do you mean the attitude changes towards you in general because you are now a owner and a captive audience so to speak? I would not be so happy if the magical experience changed. That is what scares me about time shares. I know Disney would never let the facilities and rooms go down hill but I did not think about the other side of that Magical customer service If that is what you meant.

Yes, exactly.

Many, if not most, of our DVC stays have involved calls to Maintenance and their entering our room during our stay. DVC rooms are not kept as fresh or 'new' as commercially rented rooms. Yes, we are captive audience and, in some respects, treated as such.

I have found that experiences as bad as bwvBound reports are GENERALLY more in the rare. But, yes - that is what I mean - SORT OF. I will demonstrate by way of the most recent example. During COVID, the resorts were closed for many months. We were unable to use our facilities that we paid for. There was an outcry from many owners that Disney should reimburse us since we were not able to use the resort. While I sympathize with those outcries, the truth is that's now how a vacation home works. We OWN it. Just like if you own a second house in South Carolina, the mortgage doesn't stop if you stop going, so is it true with timeshares.

Disney has enacted a 50% borrowing. Many outcry that they want free points. Timeshares do not work that way. Disney can not give away free points. Nor can they make inventory where none exists. They are constrained by the law of reality - and by timeshare laws too in fact.

It's not the Disney has a bad attitude toward us. GENERALLY, they love DVC. However, they are constrained by the laws and regulations that monitor such things.

More specifically you will often see the question of "how can I increase my chance of a free room upgrade?". While they DO happen from time to time - As a point of practice, Disney is more likely to give a room upgrade to a cash purchase. It's not necessarily because we can be mistreated or that we are captive. It's more that the cash customer is NOT and they like to use the cash rooms as sales opportunities (and why not? Any good business would). Many owners get upset by the rising costs. We took a big hit when Disney raised the minimum wage to $15/hr. Some owners get upset by the rising maintenance costs claiming that DVC is lining their pockets. The truth is they do not - the management fee is very clearly outlined in the contract. But when you are an owner, the costs WILL get passed onto you. They HAVE to. It's not a choice that Disney makes. It's what owning something IS.

DVC does try to give good deals, discounts or benefits when they can. But again, they can only do so much - the truth is that DVC has to beg and barter with the other business units to get us any deals. It's not some executive as Disney that decides DVC should get some benefit, but that DVC is using it's clout and the money it can bring to bear to make a deal with the other business units.

Now, it's not all clouds either. You bring up your daughter getting sick. My same ex-wife I mention earlier - when we were at Saratoga Springs, she got a call that her mother was about to pass and she better get there immediately. We were at the SPA in Saratoga and explained what was happening. before I knew it, the manager (Kevin) was driving us to our room, helping us pack, canceling our appointments and reservations, arranged for AND PAID FOR an Uber to bring us to the airport, refunded the points for our trip - and even better when we got home, they sent us a gift package with some merch to cheer her up. As Kevin said to me at the time "We take care of our family".

But you should understand that dues go up when Disney's expenses go up. Pandemics happen or disasters happen, and when they do, you are an owner and bear some of the responsibility. In general, Disney is going to give room upgrades to cash customers, not DVC (not because they do not like us, but because they want to use the chance to upsell a cash room), and perks are negotiated and thus never guaranteed or promised.

Does that make sense?

 

[bwvBound]

I found my thread regarding the extremely bad unit at BVW ...
Link: https://www.disboards.com/threads/bwv-truly-feels-like-home.3229039/

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I found my thread regarding the extremely bad unit at BVW ...
Link: https://www.disboards.com/threads/bwv-truly-feels-like-home.3229039/

And I love the sense of humor you kept with it. There are 2 types of people when these things happen - those who scream and stomp about their ruined vacation, and those who roll with it. As I have said many times, when bad things happen on vacation, they should just be looked at as stories you can tell your loved ones about.

I have had a few cases where I have had to call engineering. My worst was at Wilderness Lodge - the shower didn't work, the fridge was busted, AND the AC broken all in one room! We did not ask for a new room, and certainly were not offered a new room or an upgrade (something they might have done for a cash customer). But they did have all the problems fixed by the time we got back from the park in the morning (although the night was a little rough).

In general though you won't see me complaining about a little dirt in the back corner of the cabinet under the sink when seen using my portable microscope that I bring for such purposes - as long as the room looks like it has been cleaned since the last party was there, and it's within reasonable standards, I am good to go. I try to make it easy for housekeeping and put my dishes in the wash, towels in a pile, trash outside, etc. Which brings us back to the topic at hand - you also treat DVC rooms separately from cash rooms. Many of us do some of our own cleaning. I can't say that I have ever stayed at a hotel where I cared about putting my dishes away or stripping my beds.

 

[minniemous]

I have found that experiences as bad as bwvBound reports are GENERALLY more in the rare. But, yes - that is what I mean - SORT OF. I will demonstrate by way of the most recent example. During COVID, the resorts were closed for many months. We were unable to use our facilities that we paid for. There was an outcry from many owners that Disney should reimburse us since we were not able to use the resort. While I sympathize with those outcries, the truth is that's now how a vacation home works. We OWN it. Just like if you own a second house in South Carolina, the mortgage doesn't stop if you stop going, so is it true with timeshares.

Disney has enacted a 50% borrowing. Many outcry that they want free points. Timeshares do not work that way. Disney can not give away free points. Nor can they make inventory where none exists. They are constrained by the law of reality - and by timeshare laws too in fact.

It's not the Disney has a bad attitude toward us. GENERALLY, they love DVC. However, they are constrained by the laws and regulations that monitor such things.

More specifically you will often see the question of "how can I increase my chance of a free room upgrade?". While they DO happen from time to time - As a point of practice, Disney is more likely to give a room upgrade to a cash purchase. It's not necessarily because we can be mistreated or that we are captive. It's more that the cash customer is NOT and they like to use the cash rooms as sales opportunities (and why not? Any good business would). Many owners get upset by the rising costs. We took a big hit when Disney raised the minimum wage to $15/hr. Some owners get upset by the rising maintenance costs claiming that DVC is lining their pockets. The truth is they do not - the management fee is very clearly outlined in the contract. But when you are an owner, the costs WILL get passed onto you. They HAVE to. It's not a choice that Disney makes. It's what owning something IS.

DVC does try to give good deals, discounts or benefits when they can. But again, they can only do so much - the truth is that DVC has to beg and barter with the other business units to get us any deals. It's not some executive as Disney that decides DVC should get some benefit, but that DVC is using it's clout and the money it can bring to bear to make a deal with the other business units.

Now, it's not all clouds either. You bring up your daughter getting sick. My same ex-wife I mention earlier - when we were at Saratoga Springs, she got a call that her mother was about to pass and she better get there immediately. We were at the SPA in Saratoga and explained what was happening. before I knew it, the manager (Kevin) was driving us to our room, helping us pack, canceling our appointments and reservations, arranged for AND PAID FOR an Uber to bring us to the airport, refunded the points for our trip - and even better when we got home, they sent us a gift package with some merch to cheer her up. As Kevin said to me at the time "We take care of our family".

But you should understand that dues go up when Disney's expenses go up. Pandemics happen or disasters happen, and when they do, you are an owner and bear some of the responsibility. In general, Disney is going to give room upgrades to cash customers, not DVC (not because they do not like us, but because they want to use the chance to upsell a cash room), and perks are negotiated and thus never guaranteed or promised.

Does that make sense?

Yea it makes total sense. Thank you so much for elaborating. That was a very kind thing they did for you and your ex-wife. That is definitely very special that they helped you in such a difficult time.

 

[minniemous]

Yes, exactly.

Many, if not most, of our DVC stays have involved calls to Maintenance and their entering our room during our stay. DVC rooms are not kept as fresh or 'new' as commercially rented rooms. Yes, we are captive audience and, in some respects, treated as such.

I went searching for an old post of one of our worst visits to BWV but didn't find it. That stay (2015'ish) was "over the top bad, bad, bad" with a room filled with trash, broken faucet in the bathroom sink, huge puddle of water on the kitchen floor, broken molding on the floor (ready to catch one's toe), etc. Maintenance came at least three times during our stay ... and once surprised me when I was in the bathtub. I've also had rooms where the carpet was wet from an emergency steam clean (?) attempting to overcome nasty odors, etc. Room change? No chance. Nope.

I went and read your post. Very entertaining. Lol. You definitely had the right attitude.

 

[bakerworld]

We decided to join DVC because we were always in moderates and by joining DVC for the same $$$ we could stay in Deluxe (walkable) locations. Yes, advance planning is a must in order to stay where you wish however we tend to visit about the same time of year so it is not hard to reserve on speculation and then tweak the original if a day or two changes. Just remember DVC is all about the room and not parks, or tickets, or special events, etc. and people who stay in DVC trash it constantly (makes one wonder how their homes look) so nicks and stains are noticeable, along with insufficient kitchenette supplies.

If you like value locations, DVC is more expensive.

 

[TinkB278]

I bought last September and haven’t got to stay as an owner yet, however, I am already regretting my purchase. If I would’ve known of all the changes I never would have bought. I know people say extras such as magical express/ AP aren’t guaranteed but after using magical express for years I kind of naively assumed it would always be there. I just don’t feel too great about the direction Chapek is taking the parks in. I wish I would’ve waited to buy to see how everything shook out.

 

[minniemous]

I bought last September and haven’t got to stay as an owner yet, however, I am already regretting my purchase. If I would’ve known of all the changes I never would have bought. I know people say extras such as magical express/ AP aren’t guaranteed but after using magical express for years I kind of naively assumed it would always be there. I just don’t feel too great about the direction Chapek is taking the parks in. I wish I would’ve waited to buy to see how everything shook out.

I do agree with you about the magical express. I think Disney is missing the mark here big time. Although I did not utilize the luggage to room option I know many who just loved that. I loved getting on that bus and vacation started. After you scan that magic band and get in your hotel line there is nothing else to really think about. I just think this is a bad idea.

 

[terpgirl]

Members 23 years and counting, we had annual trips with our kids before they went to college, we gave our DD a DVC honeymoon, we bring our family from time to time but mostly it’s just DH and me now that we’re retired. We have no intention to sell anytime soon, either. That said, we’re probably an exception.

Our story sounds like yours! Planning on gifting honeymoons to our sons. We couldn’t afford today’s pricing but we have 2 direct contracts from 1998 and 2005 totaling 300 points. DVC is one of the best decisions we ever made!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I do agree with you about the magical express. I think Disney is missing the mark here big time. Although I did not utilize the luggage to room option I know many who just loved that. I loved getting on that bus and vacation started. After you scan that magic band and get in your hotel line there is nothing else to really think about. I just think this is a bad idea.

Personally, I agree with you about DME. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that people may or may not be aware of.

BAGS A.K.A. BagsToGo was the company that handled taking the bags from the airport to the rooms and more critically from the hotel to the airport. The company went out of business as part of COVID. It's not something that Disney can just take over - BAGS worked for years with the TSA (I know, since I was part of it) to get special permission to do off-airport baggage scanning (it's a very, very rare exception and required a lot of working with TSA to set specific rules and regulations). So already DME was stripped of the ability to handle bags. There are FEW options there for Disney to get that service back. Even if the company wanted to take it on personally, that would be challenging at best.

Also, the contract with Mears was running up. This was perhaps a far easier problem to solve. However, DME was getting a bad rap. For as much good as it did, it caused a lot of grief and was generally considered an unpleasant experience. Disney has put a lot of thought (again, speaking from inside knowledge) about how far they like extending into the airport. Their brand gains a lot of tarnish based on services which they have little control over.

Having said that, I HATE IT. As a Disney shareholder, I think it's a terrible idea. I prefer to keep guests (myself included) in the bubble.

But there are extraneous circumstances at work here. I am tending to give them some leeway to figure out a better way to do it.