Buying into DVC while on a cruise

[Ptwolfman]

We are considering becoming new members of DVC while aboard the Fantasy. Has anyone done this? Are there perks that aren't offered if we were to join on land? Any info is appreciated. Thanks

 

[carissa1970]

I don't know about that, but I do know I love DVC!! Enjoy!

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[Donald_Quackers]

Usually the deals are better than on land and depending on how much you buy, you may get OBC, or some sort of bonus.

I haven't bought while on a cruise, but I did go to the DVC member meeting on my Fantasy cruise last April and I seem to recall the OBC you get starting at 120 points and going up from there.

Again, that was a year ago, so the incentives have most likely changed and you won't see the same, but it should give you an idea of what to expect if they keep the same pattern.

 

[KKKKCS]

We bought into DVC on the Wonder in 2008. We got a very nice on board credit, $10 off per point, and double points the first year. The incentives do seem to be better at sea.

 

[ppony]

When we bought in '09, we bought on land at WDW but our guide waited to make it official until after our cruise we were taking immediately from there in case there was a better deal there as they don't know what is offered on the ships. Turns out the ship was offering was not quite as good as our land one but they did have a small tote bag. Unless things have changed, the guides have said sometimes the deals are better, sometimes not and they don't know what is offered on ships if you ask them. Best to check both out.

 

[scrapbookmomma74]

We have found that definitely the deals onboard are better than what is offered on land. Our advice is go to one of the EARLY DVC presentations and then book to speak to them quickly. The longer you wait, the longer you will wait for your appointment.
And, be sure to name one of your friends as your referral...if you name a DVC member as a referral (they don't have to be on your cruise), they will get a referral bonus (I think its $200, which is awesome!).
We bought our first contracts on land, but then added on points on our first cruise cuz the deals were so great!
Good luck, and ask any questions about DVC! I am always happy to talk DVC.

 

[DillWaters]

I'm also thinking about buying in on my June cruise, but I'm stuck on the question "Will I still want to go on Disney vacations when the kids are grown and moved out?"

I tend to lean toward "no" but then I read about how it pays for itself in 8-10 years anyway, so I start thinking about buying in and then having the option to resell it down the road. I might pop into the presentation on my cruise and ask exactly that question, but I'm not sure I'll get a straight answer from people who earn a commission on selling memberships.

 

[RonningFamilyCrusin]

To the uninitiated please explain what DVC is and what benefits one might receive. Does it apply to cruises and land vacations. At home and abroad. Details or a link where one might read up. Thanks in advance.

 

[CrawfordMomof2]

To the uninitiated please explain what DVC is and what benefits one might receive. Does it apply to cruises and land vacations. At home and abroad. Details or a link where one might read up. Thanks in advance.

I was reading this thread and thinking the exact same thing. Thanks for asking!

 

[DillWaters]

http://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/

It is similar to a timeshare in many ways in that you "purchase" an interest in a resort (e.g. Aulani, Old Key West, Animal Kingdom Villas, etc.) What you are buying is actually just a yearly allotment of points that you can redeem for lodging. It is unlike a timeshare in that it expires 60 some-odd years after the particular resort you are buying interest in was opened for sale.

You pay for the points up-front and then have a yearly maintenance fee on those points. The advantage is that, if you vacation with Disney a lot, you can save a lot of money in the long run. There are lots of ancillary factors like buying direct from Disney vs. resale, the economy of using points for things outside DVC resorts (like DCL), renting points, how often you want to visit a Disney resort, banking and borrowing points from year to year, etc.

DIS has a good FAQ at http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/faq.shtml

 

[carissa1970]

http://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/

It is similar to a timeshare in many ways in that you "purchase" an interest in a resort (e.g. Aulani, Old Key West, Animal Kingdom Villas, etc.) What you are buying is actually just a yearly allotment of points that you can redeem for lodging. It is unlike a timeshare in that it expires 60 some-odd years after the particular resort you are buying interest in was opened for sale.

You pay for the points up-front and then have a yearly maintenance fee on those points. The advantage is that, if you vacation with Disney a lot, you can save a lot of money in the long run. There are lots of ancillary factors like buying direct from Disney vs. resale, the economy of using points for things outside DVC resorts (like DCL), renting points, how often you want to visit a Disney resort, banking and borrowing points from year to year, etc.

DIS has a good FAQ at http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/faq.shtml

We totally plan on keeping our DVC until it expires...there are so many things to do besides the parks! Don't forget the RCI. Once the kids are grown, you can travel around the world! Personally, I plan on traveling to Disney as long as I can.

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[DL1957]

I'm also thinking about buying in on my June cruise, but I'm stuck on the question "Will I still want to go on Disney vacations when the kids are grown and moved out?"

I tend to lean toward "no" but then I read about how it pays for itself in 8-10 years anyway, so I start thinking about buying in and then having the option to resell it down the road. I might pop into the presentation on my cruise and ask exactly that question, but I'm not sure I'll get a straight answer from people who earn a commission on selling memberships.

Just in case you are not aware DVC can be used outside of Disney properties. We used in at a hotel in NYC and a resort on the big islandin HI. Best investment we ever made.
We have purchased points 4 times on different crusies because the price per point they were offering was lower than on land also a few additional bonuses.
There are variing opinions about using points for DCL. We used them any time we can. For us it eliminates saving up for the trip and we can opt not to go to WDW for a year to take a long cruise.

 

[ludari]

As a DVC member and someone who has attended several member meetings onboard the ship I will confirm that "yes" you receive better perks if you purchase while onboard the ship. Sometimes the prices per point are a little better or they open up options to purchase points at a resorts that sold out. They have also offered $500 shipboard credit and pastpasses at parks as a bonus. If I was ever going to purchase more points I would do it while on a cruise. I have never regretted purchasing DVC.

 

[klepton]

Yes, deals on the ships are usually a little better than what you get on land, if purchasing direct from Disney. When we went in Jan, you got $7 per point discount and $1000 either off the purchase price or as OBC.

Do yourself a favor and do a lot of research in DVC before you go on your cruise, and have a good idea of what you want. There are DVC boards here on DisBoards where you can ask questions and such. In my case, I didn't do any research beforehand, bought onboard, and then did research afterwards and ended up rescinding within my 10 day window. I'm not saying DVC is bad by any stretch, but it wasn't all it was talked up to be by the salesperson either. There is also a very vibrant reseller market for DVC, you can buy points about half the cost of buying through Disney directly. This has disadvantages, like not being able to use the points on cruises, but might be an option to consider.

Something else to know is that you can rent points from others, without making the commitment to pay maintenance fees for 40-50 years.

Also, realize that a great many people are extremely happy with their DVC purchase, which bodes well. However, many of those people bought in when points were *significantly* cheaper than they are today. Run your own numbers, consider your vacation habits, and see if it makes sense for you at today's prices.

 

[CrawfordMomof2]

A lot of great advice everyone. Thanks for taking the time to post!

 

[johnnyblz20]

So are all you that are buying into DVC, are you paying the 23k upfront or are you financing that too?

 

[Ptwolfman]

Thanks for all the input. This has been very helpful. As for me, I would pay upfront to avoid the monthly bill

 

[pearlieq]

So are all you that are buying into DVC, are you paying the 23k upfront or are you financing that too?

The rational answer would be that one should never finance a luxury purchase.

People, however, have quite the tendency to be irrational.

 

[lesabrowning]

We initially purchased our DVC membership the traditional way, on land. lol But we have added points while on a cruise. The price was right and the perks were too. They made it quite simple. In typical DVC style, no hard sell... In fact, members and non members alike were lining up to get sales appointments. We had to wait several days for ours. If you are interested I suggest doing your research on what you can afford and making an appointment early in the cruise week.

 

[Jkpark]

Do the deals on the cruise usually limit you to the resorts that aren't sold out (Aulani/AKV)? Or would I be able to look into BCV or BWV while on a cruise? Are the best deals reserved for the resorts they are marketing?