Hi! I have been wondering about DVC, also. Are the points needed to stay at your home resort "fixed", i.e. if it costs 16 points for a weekday stay in Jan of 2001 and you buy in during 2001, then do you forever get a January weekday stay for 16 points? Do the points needed never increase?
When we stayed at the BWV, we had a nearly full kitchen trashcan every day. If there is no maid service, do members have someplace to take their trash? (I know that's kind of silly, but I have wondered..)
The points needed for a weekend stay seem a bit much (OK, far too much). In order to get "the good" out of the points one could only stay Sunday through Thursday nights. This would demand splitting resorts, paying cash for weekend nights, or taking more than one trip per year in order to take a lengthy vacation while getting max use of one's points. "Having" to take more than one trip to WDW in order to make good use of points seems like it would negate the purpose of saving money by buying in the first place, yet 40 something plus points for a weekend night is absurd.
I know that the current cash discounts are abnormal, but who knows how long they will continue? I just paid $1215 for a standard view 1- bedroom unit at BWV Sat-Thurs, Dec. 15-20. That included daily maid service. Had I been a DVC member, then that trip would have cost me around 114 points, I would not have gotten maid service, and (assuming I had had to purchase 150 points) it would have cost me just under $600 in dues alone.
Had I stayed Sat-Fri, then I would have used 132 points. That would have used up the majority of my points for the 6 nights. I would have paid $1458 in cash or used 132 points and around $600 in dues.
I am really trying to sort all this out in my mind to see if it would be a good deal for us. We love WDW and would be happy to visit once a year or more forever.