Advice Needed on Joining DVC

[ret2961]

Hey all,

I've been lurking for a while and love the energy of the site, so I thought I would ask for some advice...

We are very close to buying a DVC resale, which I understand makes us DVC members...Here's the question.

We normally go once a year (most years) and we buy a room/ticket package in the non-peak season. So I am trying to work out the benefits of that compared with getting the DVC for a wad of cash up front and the maintenance fees being pretty close to what we pay for a package.

As I work it out in my admittedly simple mind, I get the DVC, pay the up front, pay the maintenance, and still have to buy tickets. What elements am I missing in pulling the trigger? We flip flop on it, being certain we want it one month to wondering if we are better off using deals and specials the next.

Thanks!

 

[marie1981]

In order to help you better, it would helpfull if you could tell us:

1) What hotel do you choose for your reservation
2) the length of your stay
3) The exact time of the year

DVC is not the best solution for everybody. But with these additionnal informations, you I am sure we can share our opinions !

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

You must realize that DVC rooms are villas and not hotel style rooms. They (especially 1,2 and 3 bedrooms) resemble condo style living. So its not a case of getting a hotel room with your points, you are getting accomodations that cost several hundred dollars per night. DVC membership alsp offers you various perks and discounts.

 

[jksgrammy]

Watching this thread as I'm also curious about this.

 

[cvjw]

For us, it was the simple fact that our family had outgrown the normal Disney hotel rooms. We could be saving tons of money going to Disney during their special deals, but we would still be in that same small hotel room. We love staying in the 1 and 2 bedroom villas - they have really changed the way we vacation at Disney. In a regular room, we spent as much time as possible in the parks, so we wouldn't have to go back to a small room. Now, we love spending time in our villas, and just enjoying the great DVC resorts. Yes, it is more money for us, be we are much happier.

 

[lovedvc]

For us, it was the simple fact that our family had outgrown the normal Disney hotel rooms. We could be saving tons of money going to Disney during their special deals, but we would still be in that same small hotel room. We love staying in the 1 and 2 bedroom villas - they have really changed the way we vacation at Disney. In a regular room, we spent as much time as possible in the parks, so we wouldn't have to go back to a small room. Now, we love spending time in our villas, and just enjoying the great DVC resorts. Yes, it is more money for us, be we are much happier.

I absolutely love hanging in my room after a long day too. My favorite place is the balcony with my coffee in the morning or after a long day of the heat. In a hotel room you are on top of each other and when one goes to bed usually everyone goes to bed. When you stay in a DVC one bedroom or larger you really feel at home and relaxed. I just came back 2 weeks ago from a 1 bedroom at OKW and I miss it so much. Reality stinks.

 

[ret2961]

In order to help you better, it would helpfull if you could tell us:

1) What hotel do you choose for your reservation
2) the length of your stay
3) The exact time of the year

DVC is not the best solution for everybody. But with these additionnal informations, you I am sure we can share our opinions !

Sorry...We normally book at a moderate resort, stay for at least 5 days (coming from CA the trip isn't worth the hassle for any less) and usually off peak (November or February).

We have rented points before, but only stayed in a studio, which isn't (or doesn't seem) much bigger than a regular room. Our last stay at CBR was great and our goal isn't to spend too much time in the room. Looking at point charts there is a big jump from the DVC studio to a 1-bedroom, another consideration (we are looking at 200 points from OKW or SSR).

Again, not looking to flame, just input on which may be the way to go.

Thanks!

 

[bookwormde]

DVC is just accomidations (except for a few perks) so you need to figure it against a room only CRO reservation. Typically if you buy OKW or SSR at a good price by the time spread our the cost of the purchase over the life of the contract and add on maintinance the points cost you $7-8 /pt per year, so just multiply that times the per night point requirements and you have your "real cost".

The 2 best perks (in my opinion) are $100 of and annual pass and being able to buy groceries and eat in the villa which saves a fortune. We stagger our yearly vacation by a couple of weeks so we get 2 years on 1 annual pass.

If you are happy with a moderate hotel room, like to eat disney food, do not spend much time at the resort and only visit for 5-7 days during a calender year DVC may not be for you

bookwormde

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you ever get Disney perks, like free dining or 40% off deals or buy 4 get 3 free, you won't get them with DVC unless you do a cash purchase for those deals directly with Disney. DVC doesn't offer them.

The real benefit to DVC is the larger villas (one, two and three bedroom villas). There are days when we head to the park for a few hours, then head back to the villa for a nap, to watch TV, to swim, to read, etc. We enjoy just spending time in the villa.

You could use DVC points to stay at DL as well.

 

[mike9950]

If you would prefer larger rooms (or suites) instead of regular hotel rooms plus the low prices due to the economy will not last forever.

I'd recommend buying the resale (just the number of points you need at first, since you aren't 100% sure yet) as you stated, try it out for a few years and perhaps sell it if you get tired of it. Honestly, if you love Disney and travel frequently it's pretty addictive using points vs. cash and you might find yourself adding on points before you know it!

 

[Disfamoffour]

I think it really depends on how many people you're travelling with. We are planning to go every other year with 6 people so we recently purchased at OKW to be able to use a 2 bedroom that is oer 1300 sq ft (larger than my home). We used to get two rooms at POFQ which are 314 sq ft each so we're doubling our space and getting a full kitchen and a washer/dryer. If it were just the two of us, all the extra space wouldn't be necessary. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

 

[disneynutz]

It's all about the money.

Looking at your current and future vacation patterns and preferences, where would you save the most money? Buying a DVC contract and paying dues every year or taking advantage of Disney discounts for a moderate room?

Using the moderate discounts you aren't forced to vacation every year or two. As a DVC Member, you either make use of your points or you forfeit them.

Another option might be renting a reservation from a DVC Member.

Bill

 

[Sandisw]

Sorry...We normally book at a moderate resort, stay for at least 5 days (coming from CA the trip isn't worth the hassle for any less) and usually off peak (November or February).

We have rented points before, but only stayed in a studio, which isn't (or doesn't seem) much bigger than a regular room. Our last stay at CBR was great and our goal isn't to spend too much time in the room. Looking at point charts there is a big jump from the DVC studio to a 1-bedroom, another consideration (we are looking at 200 points from OKW or SSR).

Again, not looking to flame, just input on which may be the way to go.

Thanks!

I just looked at the points chart for 2011 for SSR. During the highest point season for February (Magic), you can stay for 12 nights in a studio. If you stay during November as well, you can probably get at least 13 nights.

If you move up to a 1 bedroom (which is a lot different in terms of room type than a moderate), you are looking at between 5 to 6 nights, depending on which month you go--November or February.

So, with a purchase of 200 points, even if the cost comes out the same as a moderate with the discounts you have gotten, you would be getting either more nights if you stay in a studio (closest room to compare to a hotel room) or you are getting a bigger room for about the same cost.

This is how we looked at it when we bought BLT. We figured if we could end up with a better room for the same price (or less), then we were in a win-win situation. If we wanted to stay with studios, then we would be getting a longer vacation. Either way, we didn't really see, cost wise, how DVC would be MORE than what we were spending now to stay at the CR.

The key for us, however, was that we knew we would be going every year for years to come and were okay locking ourselves in to Disney--yes, you can trade out, but we bought for Disney. I think this is important. If you stay as a cash guest and then decide to take a year or two off, you don't feel as bad as you don't have to worry about what to do with your points.

Once you buy DVC, you have committed to vacations, at least every 3 years. If you are unsure that you will want to travel at least this often, then DVC may not be right for you at this time.

However, if you know you are going and want to sort of prepay your vacations and lock yourself in to a good discount for many years to come, DVC is a great option.

While nothing is certain, DVC seems to retain a value on the resale market and if you buy and then sell in even 10 years, there is a good chance that you will recoup some of your initial cost.

 

[joandegennaro]

Sorry...We normally book at a moderate resort, stay for at least 5 days. We have rented points before, but only stayed in a studio, which isn't (or doesn't seem) much bigger than a regular room. Our last stay at CBR was great and our goal isn't to spend too much time in the room. Looking at point charts there is a big jump from the DVC studio to a 1-bedroom, another consideration (we are looking at 200 points from OKW or SSR).

We are a family of 4. We stayed at CRB for 3 trips consisting of a 1 week and 2 - 2 week stays. While we liked CRB we felt it to be a little cramped and weren't really into just hanging around the resort because the room was either being serviced my mousekeeping or to tight to hang around in. We then rented a stay at OKW from a friend and loved it. We only stayed in a Studio but found we had so much more room than in CRB and having the kitchenette allowed us to do so much more than at CRB. Having the larger fridge, micro and toaster allowed us to have more meals in the room. Yes just sandwiches but it did save us $$$. We bought DVC on our return home and plan a resort only stay for our first trip home.

If you plan to go every year to WDW, plan to have a more relaxing stay...not the commando style of vacation it might just be for you. It was for us a way of securing a vacation every year in a lovely location with an upgraded accomodation. Our plans are to stretch out a 10 day no expiry over 4 years of trips thus saving us some $$. We also plan to cook (yes even in our studio) most days also saving us $$. One day we will upgrade to a 1 bedroom when we approach our retirement and purchased more points.
Good luck with your decision!

 

[ToddyLu]

I didn't even think about the different feel of our vacations when we purchased....It changes everything owning DVC. DH didn't mind returning to the room with me. We had a fridge to keep drinks cold and a much larger bathroom in our studio. Not to mention the animals off the balcony and just to have an actual balcony. Like SandiW we plan to always vist Disney yearly. It is just "our" place to visit, like the beach or mountains. We have a comfort zone there now and no longer run around wondering what we have missed. The fact that we didn't have to walk to gate 12 was a big plus to me. I loved the covered bus area with a bench.

So DH and I are great DVCers...we plan a disney trip every year for at least 7 days or longer, enjoy going with family and appreciate the ammenities. For us it isn't really about the "cost" savings and more about "relaxing" once there.....finally a trip to Disney that didn't require a vacation from the vacation.

 

[ToddyLu]

I don't know how much research you have done thus far but the stickies on the DVC forums are great for learning about UY, cancellations and just general info. I also like to go to DVCNews.com for information.


Welcome to the posting on the DIS !!!!

 

[tjkraz]

...our goal isn't to spend too much time in the room.

IMO, that's usually the first sign that someone isn't a good candidate for DVC.

There are a many different motivations and justifications for the initial DVC purchase. Ours was to consistently get a One Bedroom or larger for about the price of a moderate hotel room. But if you're hardly going to spend any time in the room...what's the point? Chase those discounts...book a value resort and get the most bang for your buck.

You said you're looking at 200 points. You're certainly going to get more than 5 nights per year for 200 points. So if it comes down to dollars and cents, look at what you will be able to get for that money. If you can stagger trips accordingly, Annual Passes save a lot on park admission. And the kitchen--particularly in larger villas--saves many folks money on their dining budget.

But if you don't want a larger villa to relax in, have no intention of cooking meals on vacation and don't want to be locked into the long term commitment of DVC, then just chase the "free dining" packages for as long as they last.

 

[sweetinmaine]

Our reasoning for purchasing into DVC was the fact that Disney was raising it's rates every year. The rooms were all the same size but were costing us more...With DVC, we are locked into great accommodations for 50 years with only the taxes to commit to.

IMO, once the economy is turned around and people are spending dollars on vacations again, Disney will probably cut back on their free Dining Plan specials etc. I think that right now these specials are a product of our economy. Again...just my opinion...

 

[rsinj]

Our reasoning for purchasing into DVC was the fact that Disney was raising it's rates every year. The rooms were all the same size but were costing us more...With DVC, we are locked into great accommodations for 50 years with only the taxes to commit to.

IMO, once the economy is turned around and people are spending dollars on vacations again, Disney will probably cut back on their free Dining Plan specials etc. I think that right now these specials are a product of our economy. Again...just my opinion...

You are committed to the maintenance fees as well, which will go up every year too.

One area which I think many people may not take into account, is that on your cash stays, you are going to be paying FL/occupancy taxes. With DVC, if you are making the cash room rate comparison, remember, there is no sales tax - you are paying your real estate taxes with a portion of the maintenance fees.

The free dining plan specials have already been cut back from last year. Last year, at this time, we opted to switch our trip from points to cash taking the cheapest plan they had which included free dining - and it was a better more expensive dining plan. Now, that same exact reservation we had last year, even with the special promotion this year and lesser dining plan is almost 50% higher priced.

 

[eliza61]

Hey all,

I've been lurking for a while and love the energy of the site, so I thought I would ask for some advice...

We are very close to buying a DVC resale, which I understand makes us DVC members...Here's the question.

We normally go once a year (most years) and we buy a room/ticket package in the non-peak season. So I am trying to work out the benefits of that compared with getting the DVC for a wad of cash up front and the maintenance fees being pretty close to what we pay for a package.

As I work it out in my admittedly simple mind, I get the DVC, pay the up front, pay the maintenance, and still have to buy tickets. What elements am I missing in pulling the trigger? We flip flop on it, being certain we want it one month to wondering if we are better off using deals and specials the next.

Thanks!

As most of the other posters have mentioned, it's about the hotel.

For my family we don't like normal sized hotel rooms. I've got 2 ds and a dh who are all over 6 ft tall and 210 lbs, a week with the 4 of us in one room can lead to the police, and a chalk outline of a body across the bed.

We also love convenience, maybe because our real life is so hetic and busy we would pay just for the ability to walk to epcot.

My advice look at how you really travel and how you forsee yourselves traveling over the next 7 years. What factors are important to you?

then crunch the numbers. maybe start with a small contract resale.

Good luck.