Just purchased VGF 160 pts - Good move?

[twinsouvenirs]

I did a detailed financial analysis but I failed to completely factor in the cost of going on an expensive Disney vacation every year and sometimes 2 or 3 times per year. Ownership and points are one thing but transportation, admission to the parks, hard ticket events, food, and Disney toys increase in cost every year and you will be paying these costs for the length of ownership.

Bill

Just to ease your mind a tiny bit--if you are staying in a unit with a full kitchen you really can control food costs. Just make sure you are setting expectations properly and allow people to pick favorite foods, get some groceries, have a spread for kids of unusual treats that they love to pick from so they can each select their park snacks at the beginning of the day. Go out to eat once or twice and it will be all the more special. We used to enjoy the menu planning and anticipation so much! I can remember carefully selecting fruit by the foot and yogurt covered raisins, putting them in my little pack (OK FANNY pack) and thinking about them all day. This is also healthier and will lead to less vacation stomachaches

You can also control/stagger costs of souvenirs/ admissions by incorporating the costs over time in the form of gifts (ask for gift certs)--or handmake souvenirs in advance that don't get revealed until the first/each night/morning of vacation (i.e. dollar store waterbottles with a sketch of a character and name, white tees with mickey appliques... etc. You can also keep an eye on close outs for actual disney merch, or set up your own hotel room boutique with items the kids can pick from each day or the first day.

I am not saying it will be cheap exactly but with the exception of tickets you actually can do it for the same price as a beach vacation or similar. Kids will enjoy it just as much; as evidenced that I remember the one time we went out to eat in 1992 like it was yesterday (the morrocan restaurant in epcot), what treats I picked, and exactly which souvenirs i got with the $20 my grandmother gave me to spend.

Ah simpler times

 

[awilliams4]

Hi everyone. First post here, so please pardon if this is the wrong spot.

We just purchased 160 pts at $150 a piece for the Villas at the Grand Floridian while on our recent Disney Cruise.

We are financing, but will most likely have the contract rate paid off within two years.

I along with my wife and two children are disney fanatics. We have only stayed onsite once and that was at All-Star Music. We would never stay off-site again.

We plan on doing one or two 4-5 day trips to WDW each year.

We've contemplated DVC for years, and I know about the resale options out there. VGF isn't available through resale yet and I am thinking when it does it may be more than the $150 a point I am paying for the contract.

Thoughts on this? I'm thinking the clout of the Grand Floridian Villas at the $150/point rate I paid will be good looking back in a few years.

We still have a few days left before the contract is set in stone to back out, so I wanted to reach out to see what the community thought.

We want to own a piece of the mouse and am wondering if this seems like a smart move...

Thanks for your replies.

-Dis79Tim

My opinion....if you are doing DVC and plan to do DVC for a LONG time. Own at a small resort with an expiration date that is far out.

You did both. Good choice. If your loan stretches out a bit though, the choice may not be as good.

 

[Dean]

Just to ease your mind a tiny bit--if you are staying in a unit with a full kitchen you really can control food costs. Just make sure you are setting expectations properly and allow people to pick favorite foods, get some groceries, have a spread for kids of unusual treats that they love to pick from so they can each select their park snacks at the beginning of the day. Go out to eat once or twice and it will be all the more special. We used to enjoy the menu planning and anticipation so much! I can remember carefully selecting fruit by the foot and yogurt covered raisins, putting them in my little pack (OK FANNY pack) and thinking about them all day. This is also healthier and will lead to less vacation stomachaches

You can also control/stagger costs of souvenirs/ admissions by incorporating the costs over time in the form of gifts (ask for gift certs)--or handmake souvenirs in advance that don't get revealed until the first/each night/morning of vacation (i.e. dollar store waterbottles with a sketch of a character and name, white tees with mickey appliques... etc. You can also keep an eye on close outs for actual disney merch, or set up your own hotel room boutique with items the kids can pick from each day or the first day.

I am not saying it will be cheap exactly but with the exception of tickets you actually can do it for the same price as a beach vacation or similar. Kids will enjoy it just as much; as evidenced that I remember the one time we went out to eat in 1992 like it was yesterday (the morrocan restaurant in epcot), what treats I picked, and exactly which souvenirs i got with the $20 my grandmother gave me to spend.

Ah simpler times

But most people don't see any of those potential savings. Many essentially pay roughly the same per trip they would have paid without DVC (add the yearly DVC cost to that) and they make more trips than they would have otherwise. I think many of us have come to the conclusion that DVC saves almost no one any money but it MAY give added value in other ways.

 

[BestDadEver]

But most people don't see any of those potential savings. Many essentially pay roughly the same per trip they would have paid without DVC (add the yearly DVC cost to that) and they make more trips than they would have otherwise. I think many of us have come to the conclusion that DVC saves almost no one any money but it MAY give added value in other ways.

I'd like to see the brake down you have that you never break even on .

 

[disneynutz]

But most people don't see any of those potential savings. Many essentially pay roughly the same per trip they would have paid without DVC (add the yearly DVC cost to that) and they make more trips than they would have otherwise. I think many of us have come to the conclusion that DVC saves almost no one any money but it MAY give added value in other ways.

We don't eat out much but any restaurant meals at Disney's prices adds up. The "we are on vacation" disease kicks in and before you know it you are spending more money. The tips alone for all of the CM's will kill you. DDP is out of the question due to the cost, value, and quality and quantity of product. The "it's not money, it's only points" is a constant topic of discussion in our house.

Bill

 

[Dean]

I'd like to see the brake down you have that you never break even on .

It's observational. Most people who are doing it don't even know they are. You're welcome to believe differently but it's part of the psychology of timeshares, esp DVC, that doesn't translate into the spreadsheet's very well. The next post after yours is a perfect example of the type of approach that many have.

 

[DougEMG]

But most people don't see any of those potential savings. Many essentially pay roughly the same per trip they would have paid without DVC (add the yearly DVC cost to that) and they make more trips than they would have otherwise. I think many of us have come to the conclusion that DVC saves almost no one any money but it MAY give added value in other ways.

I'm a good example of this.

Pre-DVC we would do a 10 day trip, staying in a moderate (usually with free dining) and buy a 10 day park hopper pass.

Post-DVC, we go for at least a month per year in a 1 bedroom, buy annual passes and pay cash for when we do eat out.

Definitely the mouse is getting more money from me in total, but less per day (I think!)

 

[BestDadEver]

It's observational. Most people who are doing it don't even know they are. You're welcome to believe differently but it's part of the psychology of timeshares, esp DVC, that doesn't translate into the spreadsheet's very well. The next post after yours is a perfect example of the type of approach that many have.

You will save money on rooms , if you want to bring into the equation all the extra money spent at Disney then that's a different subject . FYI the guide that did the presentation on my cruise specifically mentioned that as a reason to discount the rooms . So it's not something I didn't know before I bought .

 

[twinsouvenirs]

But most people don't see any of those potential savings. Many essentially pay roughly the same per trip they would have paid without DVC (add the yearly DVC cost to that) and they make more trips than they would have otherwise. I think many of us have come to the conclusion that DVC saves almost no one any money but it MAY give added value in other ways.

I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing.

I asked my very risk averse mother before we decided to buy and she said "well, it's a lot of money, and you don't know if these are just the good times before the fall. But I also know the only vacations I regret are the ones we didn't get around to taking." There's our intangible.

I don't need to remind Dean or any regular here that the accommodations are bigger, so I won't, but that is part of the value.

So perhaps everyone can have their own opinion as to whether their numbers come out 'saving' money...but I think most would agree regular DVC users get significant value from their membership.

If it was all about saving money, we'd all stay home and watch videos about WDW from the library instead of blowing the cash necessary to escape to the happiest place on earth

 

[NoleFan]

We are newbie DVC members. Prior to DVC we would stay 1-2 nights in moderate, off site, or occasional deluxe for total 6 nights/year. We had the FL resident seasonal passes then. Now we stay 2-3 nights (total 10+ nights/year), have Premium annual passes, only stay & dine on-site. I think this all is how addonitis kicks in... I am going to have to list the Mouse as a dependent on my tax return!
We bought resale but DVC for us was more of an emotional purchase- all the upcoming fun vacations vs. the savings over hotel stay. I drank the Kool Aid. LOL

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm a good example of this.

Pre-DVC we would do a 10 day trip, staying in a moderate (usually with free dining) and buy a 10 day park hopper pass.

Post-DVC, we go for at least a month per year in a 1 bedroom, buy annual passes and pay cash for when we do eat out.

Definitely the mouse is getting more money from me in total, but less per day (I think!)

Pre-DVC we had one trip and that was going to be it. We bought DVC on that trip.

Post-DVC, we have had nearly 30 trips and more planned. That means park admission, transportion to get to LBV, food (more dining out than we do at home) and, occasionally, "good junk" that we see in the stores. Plus a whole 'nuther timeshare that we are in the process of purchasing to go every year to the beach that we discovered on a DVC trip .

So I would have had a whole lot more money in my pocket without DVC.

 

[Dean]

You will save money on rooms , if you want to bring into the equation all the extra money spent at Disney then that's a different subject . FYI the guide that did the presentation on my cruise specifically mentioned that as a reason to discount the rooms . So it's not something I didn't know before I bought .

But this is exactly what I said, I didn't limit it to just one portion such as the room only. Here's my quote.

Many essentially pay roughly the same per trip they would have paid without DVC

I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing.

I asked my very risk averse mother before we decided to buy and she said "well, it's a lot of money, and you don't know if these are just the good times before the fall. But I also know the only vacations I regret are the ones we didn't get around to taking." There's our intangible.

I don't need to remind Dean or any regular here that the accommodations are bigger, so I won't, but that is part of the value.

So perhaps everyone can have their own opinion as to whether their numbers come out 'saving' money...but I think most would agree regular DVC users get significant value from their membership.

If it was all about saving money, we'd all stay home and watch videos about WDW from the library instead of blowing the cash necessary to escape to the happiest place on earth

That's why I said that it may give added value (but it frankly may not). However, I think a significant portion of people con themselves into the idea they're saving money when they really are not, they're spending more money than they would have otherwise.

 

[Sandisw]

I'm a good example of this.

Pre-DVC we would do a 10 day trip, staying in a moderate (usually with free dining) and buy a 10 day park hopper pass.

Post-DVC, we go for at least a month per year in a 1 bedroom, buy annual passes and pay cash for when we do eat out.

Definitely the mouse is getting more money from me in total, but less per day (I think!)

This is us!! I think that when we look at all this discussion, we have to remember that the term "save" can be used and applied in so many different ways.

Does DVC, over the long haul, save you money off the cost of the same rooms at Disney? Yup.

Does DVC, over the long haul, reduce your expenses for WDW vacations? Maybe, maybe not---I'd lean toward maybe not, since many go to WDW more often or are now staying in upgraded rooms, etc .

For us, we did a very simple analysis on whether DVC made sense for us. Since that time, we have added on points and went from owning 180 points to 430. MF's are now approaching around the same cash price I was paying for the CR, using a 30% discount for my yearly trips prior to DVC for the room.

But, my vacation budget is not smaller...my DH and my son don't come every year in the summer any longer so what I save on them during that yearly trip, I just spend for the other ones we go on!!!

IMO, what is important for all new buyers is to know that there is an option other than direct, to know the ins/outs of DVC and what you are and are not buying, and that how you choose to pay for it--cash vs. finance--changes the dynamics of any financial analysis you do.

But, everyone is different, everyone has different priorities, and everyone should feel comfortable making the decision that works for them. All we can do here is share our own opinions and experiences and comfort levels with others so that something they may not have thought of about the process comes to light.

To the OP--taking time to understand DVC, home resorts, etc. is important. We own BLT and BWV because we want to be there and felt that we were spending way too much money to buy at resorts we weren't sure we would be happy with so we spent more to feel confident we'd be at those two places most of the time.

If VGF is really where you want to be and will be booking during the home resort period, then its a good move for you...

Good luck!!

 

[calypso726]

It's been mentioned before on here, but I don't know exactly where to point you to, that many analyses have been done and over the long term and barring ridiculous market fluctuations, no way has been shown for DVC to save money over staying in Values. So good point.

Not true. Prior to buying DVC we stayed at values and the occasional moderate both WITH a FL resident discount. Using that discounted cost we compared what savings might be had by purchasing DVC. We factored in rising cost of resorts stays over time and rising MF's over time as well. We still saved money with DVC, but our break even was several years further out than the usual for those who stay deluxe. This was also several years ago when the price per point was lower.

With that said, we started out with 180 points (direct) only intending to go once or twice per year. Had we stayed at that number and continued vacationing at that rate we definitely would have saved money over time. We found we enjoyed escaping reality so much that we were going to WDW much more often than we used to prior to DVC and were in constant borrow mode. So addonitis kicked in We have added on both direct and resale and are now sitting at 1000 points after adding on recently at VGF. We are still in borrow mode If and when the Poly DVC comes to fruition that will be another add on

Did we save money compared to our previous vacation habits? No absolutely not since we now go 8-10 times a year instead of 1-2. Do we regret it? No. Best decision ever made for us. We are much happier and less stressed having our frequent reality escapes thanks to DVC.

OP, if I were you I would cancel (for the moment). Take the time to understand how DVC works, booking windows, banking, borrowing and UY advantages/disadvantages of buying direct vs resale. If you feel it is still right for you then check out the different resorts. Some folks are very picky about where they stay. Personally, for our last minute getaways I don't care as long as it is on property. I like all of the resorts enough that I would not be disappointed if I couldn't get a specific resort, especially when it is just DH and I. However, there are resorts that I might want to stay at for a specific well planned vacation that we'd be treating our family to like AKL and VGF.

If you discover DVC is definitely right for you and know you want to stay at VGF you can always call your guide back and start up the process again. However, if you discover DVC is not right for your family or you really don't care where you stay or that the resale restrictions don't concern you cancelling and researching can save you a whole lot of money.

 

[Snurk71]

We must be the oddball family. Prior to DVC we'd go to WDW every year for 6-7 nights and DL every other year (or 2 out of 3 years), eating out a lot and buying lots of souvenirs (DD was young). Since buying DVC we now go to WDW every year and DL every other year (or 2 out of 3), but we now eat out a lot less and buy a lot less souvenirs. So our non-room costs (air, car, food, etc) have likely gone down since we've purchased DVC - though not directly caused by our DVC stays, but because of our natural aging on our trips.

Sent from my SAMSUNG Note2 using DISBoards

 

[ELMC]

Not true. Prior to buying DVC we stayed at values and the occasional moderate both WITH a FL resident discount. Using that discounted cost we compared what savings might be had by purchasing DVC. We factored in rising cost of resorts stays over time and rising MF's over time as well. We still saved money with DVC, but our break even was several years further out than the usual for those who stay deluxe. This was also several years ago when the price per point was lower.

I stand corrected. I will say that yours is the first story I've heard about DVC saving money over Values. To be frank, I am not sure how often your experience translates to others, especially when you factor in discounts and/or free dining, which in a value room can really make a difference. I suspect that your lower buy in cost had much to do with it, and I am not so sure how likely it is to be duplicated in today's marketplace.

But based on the rest of your post, I will say that they definitely got you to spend more money overall than you ever spent in Values. Something tells me that it was worth it.

 

[calypso726]

I stand corrected. I will say that yours is the first story I've heard about DVC saving money over Values. To be frank, I am not sure how often your experience translates to others, especially when you factor in discounts and/or free dining, which in a value room can really make a difference. I suspect that your lower buy in cost had much to do with it, and I am not so sure how likely it is to be duplicated in today's marketplace.

But based on the rest of your post, I will say that they definitely got you to spend more money overall than you ever spent in Values. Something tells me that it was worth it.

You couldn't be more right We DID spend way more than we ever did in values and totally worth it for us. Like many have said over the years on this board, our vacation habits did change too. But for us it wasn't that we started going to WDW less it was quite the opposite. I say that to the OP as a potential warning. We sure didn't see that coming

I agree, I think the buy in cost for us at the time was a huge factor over potential savings in discounted values and moderates. I speculate that if we ran the numbers again at today's direct buy in costs it is doubtful that we would find a significant savings over time.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Like many have said over the years on this board, our vacation habits did change too. But for us it wasn't that we started going to WDW less it was quite the opposite. I say that to the OP as a potential warning. We sure didn't see that coming

I can already see this happening to us. We haven't even closed and we have two trips planned.

 

[disneynutz]

You couldn't be more right We DID spend way more than we ever did in values and totally worth it for us. Like many have said over the years on this board, our vacation habits did change too. But for us it wasn't that we started going to WDW less it was quite the opposite. I say that to the OP as a potential warning. We sure didn't see that coming

I agree, I think the buy in cost for us at the time was a huge factor over potential savings in discounted values and moderates. I speculate that if we ran the numbers again at today's direct buy in costs it is doubtful that we would find a significant savings over time.

I would guess that new owners increase their number of DVC vacations for a few years, may even buy additional contracts. Then they have been there, done that and they slow down, rent out some of their points and/or sell their contracts.

Bill

 

[DVC Mike]

I would guess that new owners increase their number of DVC vacations for a few years, may even buy additional contracts. Then they have been there, done that and they slow down, rent out some of their points and/or sell their contracts.

Bill

Huh? What's this about slowing down?