Cheapest Points Worth It?

[crisi]

I agree with Bill that essentially no new members are going to know enough about their long term preferences to know what to expect long term. The only few exceptions will be people who have DVC experience but haven't owned such as family members or second generation buyers. Some will luck out and make the choice accidentally that is right for them but many won't. To a degree that's true even for existing and experiences members because we all change and the system changes as well but that's not a variable we can control. Most simply don't have enough information and experience to make a truly informed choice in that area without fairly extensive Disney and some DVC experience. And that applies to essentially all of us at the time we bought as well. Bill is a good example, I believe he's up to his third resort he thinks is "the one" and that assumes he hasn't change to VGF yet.

But in that case, don't buy at all. If you can't make a good decision, "investing" money in DVC is for those with more money than sense. And there, I know we agree....if you have that much money, why would you own a timeshare?

 

[Sparkly]

How fast does VGF go at the 11-month window for say Feb or May?

 

[crisi]

I dunno then, it sounds like you would be much happier at an off-site suite hotel, or a couple of rooms at the Four Seasons on property, or even one of the Bonnet Creek resorts, if that's the way you feel about DVC. All of those options could probably be nicer than the DVC accomodations.

I wanted to come back to this one.

For a period of time in our lives, DVC made good sense. It wasn't perfect, but it was good.

I don't like to drive on vacation, nor does my husband (he will, but he wants really expensive rental cars if he is going to do it), so on site was necessary.
We love walking to Epcot and most of our vacations have been at BWV.
We wanted the kids to sleep in a separate room from us - on site our choices are the family suites, cabins at Ft. Wilderness, DVC or suites. I can't afford suites, and for us, the best choice of those options was DVC.
When we bought, offsite options were not as nice or as well documented as they are now.
And when we bought, it was in the wake of 9/11 - we got a great deal.

Was it perfect for our needs?, no. But it was by far the best choice for us for the decade we took regular trips to WDW and I'm very content with having bought. And with brokers in the mix, its easy to rent while we decide if we will spend our points in January on HHI at retirement.

My issue in threads like this is that they set expectations. Everyone will vacation the way most people vacation. They won't - there will always be some people who commando, or don't use their own points, or discover they always do want to stay at SSR and have really no interest in VGF. You may or may not visit Disney more often or spend more time at the resorts. You may discover a different resort is your favorite - but honest, when we bought there was only OKW, VWL and BWV to choose from on site - and somehow, we've lived with not owning every resort. But its very difficult when people are telling you that you don't know yourself and that almost all DVC members haven't any idea what they are doing.

I am so grateful for whomever reset my expectations before our first trip, or we would have been very disappointed walking into our room. That's a lousy way to start ownership - with expectations too high.

 

[freediverdude]

That's true, a lot of people go in thinking the furnishings are going to be on the level of the hotel suites, and they just aren't (although I think the new furnishings at GFV and PVB and the refurb furnishings at BCV and BWV are coming closer). Especially with the amount of use they get. But I am happy that DVC does refurbishments every so many years and keeps updating them. A lot of timeshares don't even do that, they just replace if something's broken. And so you end up with a timeshare that may be clean but looks very dated.

 

[Dean]

But in that case, don't buy at all. If you can't make a good decision, "investing" money in DVC is for those with more money than sense. And there, I know we agree....if you have that much money, why would you own a timeshare?

I suspect we're coming at this from different sides of the street. No one would ever buy if they had to have all the variables known and locked in up front, we just don't know what life is going to bring or what we'll prefer down the road. My point though is that there is NO amount of investigation that can truly prepare one to know how they will feel down the road. The only thing that can do that is experience and even then to a degree. IMO the best situation is if one has fairly extensive experience in all 3 areas (multiple DVC resorts, non DVC timeshares, multiple Disney resorts). Obviously that isn't realistic and few people will meet all of the criteria on the front end, most experienced owners don't meet all 3 ever but a few of us do. Thus I don't believe that basically any new buyers can have enough info to know what their preferences will be once they get there feet sufficiently wet though many will think they know, most will just assume. Some will guess right but it'll still be just a guess. I don't see that as a lack of faith or short coming on their part necessarily, it's just reality. Kind of like telling someone about a kidney stone vs having them experience it. Still, those that investigate well (most don't even who do so here), will make far better and less emotional decisions than the rest which is about all one can hope for. IMO it takes a full 6 months of active investigation for anyone to move forward intelligently and that assumes they have at least a modest amount of Disney/DVC type experience. I consider myself among the more educated here in all 3 areas and while there aren't a lot of things I'd do differently in buying/selling timeshares in general, there are a few things including some DVC changes I'd likely make. Fortunately for us there isn't enough difference top to bottom between the DVC resorts to make or break any trip or situation. That's not true for my daughter only because she had her honeymoon in a BWV BW view 1 BR so that is important to her for anniversary trips. I've taken some heat in the past for saying that I could spend 2 hrs on a resort and have more info and a better feel than most who stayed there for a week but I believe it's true simply because I have more experience than most and I notice things, esp system issues and things that are important.

 

[BeachClub2014]

My issue in threads like this is that they set expectations. Everyone will vacation the way most people vacation. They won't - there will always be some people who commando, or don't use their own points, or discover they always do want to stay at SSR and have really no interest in VGF. You may or may not visit Disney more often or spend more time at the resorts.

I completely agree with you here. These boards can be incredibly helpful to learn about DVC and the experience of others in buying, staying at the different resorts, saving money, time saving tips, etc. But at the end of the day, those things may or may not have an impact on the individual experience. That is really the "wonder" of Disney and DVC, it has offerings for just about every style of vacationing that you can think of.

I chuckle every time I read posts from people who say they bought at resorts that they have never stayed at and have had no problems booking other resorts within the 7-month window. That fly's in the face of the conventional wisdom you find here on the boards. That may not work for everyone, but it boils down to understanding your own particular needs and preferences.

 

[CMOORE185]

I chuckle every time I read posts from people who say they bought at resorts that they have never stayed at and have had no problems booking other resorts within the 7-month window. That fly's in the face of the conventional wisdom you find here on the boards.

I am not sure what makes you chuckle unless you think these people are lying. I like and stay at my home resorts but I have also found it fairly easy to get what I want at another resort at seven months. I think that is what makes DVC so great is the ability to use all the resorts.

 

[AllieV]

Might be some interesting polls to see what the DISers think, how DVC has changed their vacation habits, time spent in the parks, resorts, if they wished that they had done things differently.

We are also leisurely vacationers. When I was my son's age, my parents would do go all day and night in the parks with us kids. I hardly remember the resort except for the cool game room at Contemporary (back in the 70s). DH and I never did. We'd sleep late, stroll through the parks, do a few rides. Mostly, we'd sightsee and take in shows. With a 7-yr old now, I'm up earlier but we're back at the pool by noon or 1pm. Drop him at kid care by 6 and have an nice adult evening out. Having a large DVC room now is a great help in making that down time better. So DVC didn't change our vacation habits, but it sure did fit in nicely.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I am not sure what makes you chuckle unless you think these people are lying. I like and stay at my home resorts but I have also found it fairly easy to get what I want at another resort at seven months. I think that is what makes DVC so great is the ability to use all the resorts.

Why would you infer I think they are lying? Seems like an odd conclusion to draw from my post. I was, in essence, actually making the same point you are. "Conventional wisdom" often times here repeats the same mantra over and over: "buy where you want to stay" and yet you often see posts, such as yours, that offers evidence to the contrary. Hence the chuckle. At the end of the day, an individuals vacationing needs, wants, wishes are their own. Certain "themes" may be consistent, but not an absolute. So I think people should "buy where it makes most sense for YOU."

 

[CMOORE185]

Why would you infer I think they are lying? Seems like an odd conclusion to draw from my post. I was, in essence, actually making the same point you are. "Conventional wisdom" often times here repeats the same mantra over and over: "buy where you want to stay" and yet you often see posts, such as yours, that offers evidence to the contrary. Hence the chuckle. At the end of the day, an individuals vacationing needs, wants, wishes are their own. Certain "themes" may be consistent, but not an absolute. So I think people should "buy where it makes most sense for YOU."

My apologies, I thought you were inferring that it was not true that you can get what you want at seven months, my bad.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Thank you and no worries.