Resort vs Disney Time share, for non-owners

[Markstudy]

I love Disney Resorts.... and they all have that little desk that tries to sell the time-shares (Vacation Club)... and I'm interested what folks think about the idea.

I've read up on the topic in the Disney Vacation Club Section for several months, and most seem very happy and positive. I DIDN'T POST THIS QUESTION THERE, BECAUSE I"D LIKE THE FEEDBACK FROM non-owners or people like me thinking about the possibilities people who haven't drank the cool-aid yet

I know the pitch is to save money for us repeat customers, and the new BLT (Bay Lake Towers) is very tempting located next to Magic Kingdom.

But I'm on the fence about the Time Share industry. I guess that's why Disney spent a lot of time coming up with their own "buzz words" for what they call - The Vacation Club.

Just wondering what my fellow Disney-regulars are thinking?

 

[mooneyda]

I have never regretted my purchase in the DVC I love all the resorts that i have stayed at.There is just something magical when they say welcome home at check in.You probably not notice to much of a difference staying in a studio from a reg room but The full kitchens whirl pool bath in the one two bedrooms I just love the time shar room in comparison .just my opinion though

 

[caseylouandtyler2]

We've drank the cool aid and spit it back out a couple of times now.
(read bought sold, bought sold)


This is going to be an un-popular opinion. But the whole reservations 11 mos out to get the room reservation at "your home" resort or 7 months out at another. It was too stressful. I don't plan my vacations at 11 mos. or usually not even 7 mos. out. I didn't find it as flexible as it is touted. I didn't find it a relaxing vacation to have to vacuum my room, make the beds and do the dishes. I'm sure not everyone does these as per the rules, but I'm a bit anal about having a clean room. And I do not like coming "home" from the parks to an unclean room so it just added to the stress to have to clean the room before catching the bus for AM Extra Magic Hours.

With all that said, DH hasn't stopped bugging me about re-purchasing.

 

[JMD]

I'm not a DVC member, but my parents own two time shares, one with Interval and one with DVC. I've stayed with them many times or used their week, and let me tell you, once you get used to staying in a timeshare you won't want to go back to staying in regular hotel rooms.

But my parents have made 50+ trips to Disney, and now that they have grandkids they won't be stopping anytime soon. So for them, it's well worth the money.

 

[Markstudy]

We've drank the cool aid and spit it back out a couple of times now.
(read bought sold, bought sold)

I really enjoyed reading your "real world" experience and back-and-forth with the topic Good Luck in the future

I've been reading about the booking problems... and this guy seems to be doing all the right moves, but seems complex-

"Well, I called Member Services at 9:00am on January 27th to book my week stay beginning December 27th, I was surprised to find out December 27 wasn't available. I didn't understand how this was possible but after thinking about it, anyone who booked the previous week and overlapped the week I wanted took from inventory.
My thought process for next time is to book a week 6 days before my desired date and then call back each day to add a day at the end and then cancel a day at the beginning until I get what I want. It's just like booking day by day but working under the new guidelines. Wish there was an easier way!"

 

[jblrn2b]

We bought the cool-aid because each trip we liked to stay in Deluxes and were spending a lot of money. We are staying in our first DVC trip in two weeks and are looking forward to it. The sales were very low key. They have a product they know will sell so compared to other time shares it doesn't hurt you to talk with sales people. The planning ahead 11 months out for me wasn't an issue because I like the planning part and it gives me something to look forward to. Plus, compared to other timeshares, we liked that a disney vacation is relatively easy for us - for example: no driving from the airport, no driving unless we want to within WDW and being able to do laundry within our room if we book a 1br or bigger, plus being able to go for a weekend if wanted unlike others we have seen where you have to go for a week. I am pretty sure we are going to like the cool-aid.

 

[Markstudy]

I have never regretted my purchase in the DVC

Thanks

I really like the looks of the Bay Lake Tower (BLT) and its nice to hear the positive feedback

 

[Lynne M]

I've been reading about the booking problems... and this guy seems to be doing all the right moves, but seems complex-

"Well, I called Member Services at 9:00am on January 27th to book my week stay beginning December 27th, I was surprised to find out December 27 wasn't available. I didn't understand how this was possible but after thinking about it, anyone who booked the previous week and overlapped the week I wanted took from inventory.
My thought process for next time is to book a week 6 days before my desired date and then call back each day to add a day at the end and then cancel a day at the beginning until I get what I want. It's just like booking day by day but working under the new guidelines. Wish there was an easier way!"

I'm a member, and I just wanted to clarify something about this member's experience......the month of December is THE busiest time for DVC reservations, and the week from Christmas to New Year's is the busiest part of that month. In other words, if you're not planning to travel at Christmastime, this is not at all a typical booking experience.

Here's the scoop on availability. If you're traveling in December, you'll want to reserve at your home resort at 11 months out. Anything else will be difficult.

The Epcot resorts (BCV/BWV) are very busy from October through the end of the year (F&W Festival, Christmas). They can be difficult to get at 7 months during that time period.

Certain villa types are hard to get at 7 months out: BWV standard view, BWV Grand Villas, AKV Concierge villas.

Outside of those particular situations, it's not hard at all to get reservations. I've owned at VWL for 7 years and made at least 10 trips, staying in every DVC resort, and I've only ever had trouble once - getting BCV in October.

That said, it is a timeshare, and timeshares require advance planning. If you can't plan trips at least 7 months out, DVC will probably be frustrating for you. Short notice (<7 months) reservations can work, especially at the large resorts like OKW and SSR), but they're never something you can count on.

 

[Markstudy]

I'm a member, and I just wanted to clarify something about this member's experience......the month of December is THE busiest time for DVC reservations........ this is not at all a typical booking experience.

Here's the scoop on availability. ......

Thanks, Very good info

I have no problem planning 11 months out.

And I don't go at Christmas very often (and usually avoid the busy times) but I did want to be able to go for a Christmas maybe every 4th or 5th trip

 

[tgropp]

As a family w ealways go at Christmas time which means spending big money at the hotels. I really did'nt clue into DVC until 3 years ago. If I would have only realized the benefits in the early 90's, for me personally, I would have saved a fortune over the years. I do not mind vacuuming for 10 minutes in the morning and I love the extra room. Different strokes for different folks, but since we always travel at the same time when we visit WDW, I have no trouble planning 11 months ahead.

 

[seashoreCM]

Specifically for the DVC and a few others, you may have drunk the Kool Aid but you do not own the pitcher.

After so many years your membership ends. Kaput. Fubar. Fini.

With most timeshares you can pass it on to your children.

I'm not sure about DVC but most timeshares cost a lot less secondhand, perhaps as little as one fifth the price when "new".

My own personal feeling is that, although I enjoy WDW, the feeling never sunk into me that "I'm back home" when I check in to the resort. Also my personal schedule (and also finding low airfares) does not let me plan many months in advance.

 

[haleofafamily]

We had been renting points for our last several trips and after doing the math we decided DVC was a good deal for us. We need the room for our family. We like having a kitchen and living room vs 2 hotel rms. Love Disney theming and the option of Disney transportation.

While we don't regret our decision, we have already had some frustration. The new point allocation affects us because we travel in the off season and on weekdays. So now we will need more points than we purchased for our usual 5 night stay. I was told that points never changed. (Didn't read the fine print -my fault). My DH is pretty upset, but I refuse to let this ruin my obsession with all things Disney.

My advice - try to get all the facts and not ignore things that don't sound good just because you want to purchase so badly. There are some legitimate drawbacks and I would rather know them beforehand.

Hope you make a wise decision!

 

[wer14631]

We have seriously considered purchasing because our favorite resort is the AKL and now that we are a family of 5, we can no longer stay there UNLESS we stay in the DVC units. Can't pull the trigger though, because kids/school pretty much dictate a summer stay and when considering the yearly dues plus the large initial outlay for a sufficient number of points just does not seem to make any financial sense. What am I missing??

 

[Markstudy]

and when considering the yearly dues plus the large initial outlay for a sufficient number of points just does not seem to make any financial sense. What am I missing??

Well.... they liked making the point about how resort room prices would keep climbing, so lock in your savings.

But as the housing bubble has burst, and the economy has slowed down. It might be harder to make the argument that the price of a resort room at the AK will continue to go up up up

 

[haleofafamily]

We have seriously considered purchasing because our favorite resort is the AKL and now that we are a family of 5, we can no longer stay there UNLESS we stay in the DVC units. Can't pull the trigger though, because kids/school pretty much dictate a summer stay and when considering the yearly dues plus the large initial outlay for a sufficient number of points just does not seem to make any financial sense. What am I missing??

We added how much the initial buy-in cost plus the yearly dues for the length of the contract and compared it to how much we would pay if we rented points for each year and it came out to be a significant difference over the length of the contract. It made sense for us because we know we will be going to Disney at least once a year and we would stay in a DVC property. We are also familiar with the point renting process and know we could go that route if we decided not to vacation at WDW for the year plus there is the option to bank the points...

 

[GenieCat]

You might check with the Time Share Store. If I remember correctly, they are a DisBoards sponsor. Buying from them is less expensive, and is the very same as buying your time share from Disney.

http://www.dvc-resales.com/

Would love to do this, but unless we win a lottery, it's just not in the stars for me.

Good luck!

 

[brergnat]

We considered it too, for a little while, but decided it was not right for our family for the following reasons.

1. DH is military. We NEVER can plan a vacation 11 months out, and rarely even at 7 months out. 7 WEEKS ahead is more accurate for us. Would hate to have to take what's "left over" (read: SSR or OKW). He will be active duty for another 10 years...

2. We just don't have all the money necessary to pay for it upfront, and financing it negates the "savings" by forcing you to pay significant interest rates.

3. We don't travel to WDW yearly, and when we do, we NEVER have paid rack rate, and we STILL stay in Deluxes, but we have always gotten at least 40% off. We just wait for discounts, so the argument of the room rates continuing to go up does not fly with us. We have still managed to spend the same amount on hotel rooms (in deluxes) as we did back in 2001.

4. Since DH is military, he is eligible for SOG also, so we *could* stay there, although we haven't yet, if we REALLY needed a WDW fix and we needed to go on the cheap. He plans to retire out of the military, so we will continue to be eligible to stay there after he is done with his career.

5. We have spent our entire married life living in apartments. DVC villas, regardless of how "nice" they are on the inside, are just apartments. When we go "away on vacation", we actually prefer hotel rooms, specifically, Concierge level accommodations. We want maid service. We want turndown service. We want a lounge for breakfast, snacks, and evening drinks. We do NOT want to do our own cleaning (or pay extra for the privilege of housekeeping), and we do NOT want to do any cooking.

DVC is just not for us. Plus, we are only a family of 4, and it will stay that way. We just don't need that much room, and if we ever do, we wait until we can afford a suite or something before we go on vacation. We just don't HAVE to go to WDW every year.

 

[eliza61]

.

I've read up on the topic in the Disney Vacation Club Section for several months, and most seem very happy and positive. I DIDN'T POST THIS QUESTION THERE, BECAUSE I"D LIKE THE FEEDBACK FROM non-owners or people like me thinking about the possibilities people who haven't drank the cool-aid yet

I know the pitch is to save money for us repeat customers, and the new BLT (Bay Lake Towers) is very tempting located next to Magic Kingdom.

But I'm on the fence about the Time Share industry. I guess that's why Disney spent a lot of time coming up with their own "buzz words" for what they call - The Vacation Club.

Just wondering what my fellow Disney-regulars are thinking?

I'm an owner but I'm going to jump in (I know you asked for "regulars" )on this only because I researched the bejeesus out of our time share purchased.

1) DVC is a time share, don't care what Disney calls it, that's what it is. It is a little unique but you know the saying.."a rose is still a rose"

2) I have one standard advice when asked about time shares. Please look at how you travel now!! . and ask yourself "will this fit the way I travel" Are you a budget traveler? Are you locked into a specific time frame? etc etc BE HONEST ABOUT IT. The previous poster doesn't like apartment style rooms, others don't like not having daily maid service. Like I said try to be as open and honest about your style that you can.

3) DVC is about saving money on accomadations. Any thing extra (discounts on food, passes and shopping) are perks. Do not let these factor into your decision

4) Check them all out. IMO there are nice ones out there besides Disney, get a flavor of what the market has.

Good luck. I've never regretted my dvc purchase. It has saved me a boat load of money on rooms and made a lot of great family vacations. Right now it still fits my needs, 10 years from now who knows...

 

[skifast22]

I've also thought long and hard on purchasing DVC, especially when I first learned about BLT being built. For me, I just doesn't seem to make sense though. The price of DVC seems to be twice that of a normal timeshare. My father owns two in Aruba, and one in Hawaii, all were considerably cheaper than what 1 week in the MK view BLT 1 bdr /off season would cost. Disney also talks up how the points can be used to travel elsewhere, but in looking through the information they provided, I'd have to save up 2-3 years to do some of the trips.

Lastley, I'm only making my 2nd trip to the CR this fall, but I absolutely love staying in the tower. For me, the first time was the realization of a life long dream. I really don't expect this next time to be any less enjoyable. Part of the fun though is actually being in the tower, where I always wanted to stay. I loved watching the monorail approach, then run through my room and watch it pass through the hotel (and yes, I am in my 30's now ) Staying in BLT just wouldn't be the same for me, because the monorail doesn't go through it. As tempting as buying in always seems when I hear about it or think about it, these reasons will likely keep me from doing it.

 

[Miffy]

As nice as DVC rooms are and as much of a savings as they claim to offer, keep in mind that there is really no savings involved, because if you own DVC, you're going to continue to pay for something you may or may not want in the future.

Even if you go to WDW all the time and spend lots of money on accommodations, if you don't own DVC, you can plan your trips as you wish and as you can afford. If you can't afford to go, you don't go. If you can, you do. There's no pressure, there's no thinking "my points are expiring" or whatever, there's no thinking 11 months or 7 months in advance wondering if and when you want to go, you don't have to sell your points if you won't be able to use them or can't afford them, etc., etc., etc.

In short, my argument against DVC (or any timeshare) is that it's a completely unnecessary expense. If you have scads of money and don't know what to do with it, plan your trips a year in advance, and prefer staying in a DVC property, then it's easy to see that buying DVC is a fine decision. But...if you don't...it's also easy to see that buying DVC is a poor decision, because you can go to WDW anytime your desires and your budget align properly. It's not like they're going to run out of resort rooms!

As for what a PP said about liking to stay in a hotel room and not wanting to clean on vacation--I'm with you 100%!