Am I experiencing DVC letdown?

[MAGICX2]

We considered buying into for DVC for 4 years before we finally made the decision to purchase while on our first cruise in Jan. 08. We had been going (and continue to go) to WDW at least 2 times a year. We drooled over DVC, coveted it, wanted it soooo badly!
We have been DVC members for one year now and I have to say I am not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. We had our first real visit "home" Dec. 6-13 in a 2bdrm villa at SSR. I did not enjoy this resort at all. It was very large and the bus service was horrible. My DD4, myself and my mother went for a quick trip this past June for three nights and stayed at OKW. It was a nice stay.
Here's my beef. Other than having my room rate locked in, I have found there really was no other benefit. Everytime I asked (and believe me, I asked everywhere we ate, shopped, etc.) about a DVC discount, I was told that there was no longer a discount available. I went on a waitlist at exactly the 7 month mark to the day and it never came thru. Whenever I call MS, there is rarely the room type and resort available that we are looking for. We have found lower cash rates on cruises than could be believed so it wouldn't benefit us to book a cruise with points.
If I can rent points at around $10 per point at roughly $600-800 for a stay, why would I continue to keep my DVC membership? I thought "membership has its priviledges." What and where are they? Somebody talk me down off this ledge!

 

[bobbiwoz]

If you continue to feel this way, my suggestion is to sell. Where did you waitlist for, and was it for the December stay? Lots of people book December trips to stay in their home resort. I've been a member since "03 and have never tried to move my December trip...it's either at BWV or VWL, both home resorts.

There still are discounts, but maybe you just can't use them. We've used the Fultons 20 or 30% (it vaires) lunch discount many many times. There are people here who don't like Fultons and so never go. Some of the stores in DTD give DVC discounts. I've never used any of those except Ghiradellis and that time, I went out of my way to specifically buy something that was discounted. I forget now...We have AP's and sometimes that discount is better. DVC gets discounts on some tours, but so do AP's and even booking with Disney Visa gets you something.

It may be a bad time economically to selll, and with dues due it's even worse, but if you have this huge amount of money in something and you really don't like it, I would get out. If you think you would be happy renting from a member, that would be a better way to go for you!

Bobbi

 

[Cmbar]

Well you are not making me feel good! We are just thissss close to purchasing and I am so concerned that I won't be able to get in anywhere I want. We go every year at least once and with DVC I was hoping to go two times, but I have heard so many people say you can't get in when you want. We are a family of four, so for us we can always fit in a studio and we have good friends that we rent from. I thought DVC members get discounts on AP's. Is that still true? Is it a good discount?

I would also be curious to know where you were waitlisted for and for what time frames. We will probably never go in early Dec because the kids are heading into middle school and so we will be locked into school breaks for quite a few years. Summer is going to be our trips so I am curious to know if summer is really hard to get a room.

So sorry you are dissappointed. Where did you buy?

 

[Coach81]

1. Renting can be very risky to say the least.
2. AP renewal discount is very nice.
3. Having rates locked in for a very long time is very nice.
4. We have been able to stay at several different resorts with no problems (knock on wood) so far, and look forward to visiting all of them someday.

But if you feel that bad about it, I suggest you sell.


Good luck in your decision.

 

[Lynne M]

DVC has never been about discounts at restaurants or shops, or about 'privileges'. You'll not see a word about discounts in the contract. We get the same privileges as any Disney resort guest. That's not what DVC is for.

It's a way to pre-pay for villa-style lodging. That's all it is. And if you compare the cash reservation price with your cost as a member for the same villa, you'll see the benefit. The much lower prices, and the fact that you're pre-paying at 2008 prices. In 10 years, the difference in price will likely be even greater.

Using your points outside the DVC system (cruises, etc.) is generally a poor value. Again, not the primary purpose of the membership.

December is the busiest time of year for DVC resorts. Other times of year are not difficult to book at 7 months, depending on the time of year and resort. Which resorts where you having trouble reserving, and what time of year?

 

[bobbiwoz]

It's a great discount! $100!, less for renewal, I think...not sure at the AP's that include water parks and more. We were on the ME bus last Friday and I noticed in the ad to sell DVC the "great" discount on AP's is mentioned as a benefit to owning DVC. I sure hope that means that the discount is here to stay!

Bobbi

 

[Donna M]

We've owned for about 4 years and will be staying in our 4th different place, We always go during school vacations and this time we could have gotten into both resorts we wanted that weren't our home resort.

Calling on the 7th month mark is important.

I can't help on the summer timeframe since we would never consider going to Fl in the summer. We like getting out of NH in the winter.

We love DVC for the size of the villas. Staying in a hotel room with the four of us for a week would not be any fun for me, nor eating out ever single meal.

 

[Starr W.]

Well you are not making me feel good! We are just thissss close to purchasing and I am so concerned that I won't be able to get in anywhere I want. We go every year at least once and with DVC I was hoping to go two times, but I have heard so many people say you can't get in when you want. We are a family of four, so for us we can always fit in a studio and we have good friends that we rent from. I thought DVC members get discounts on AP's. Is that still true? Is it a good discount?

I would also be curious to know where you were waitlisted for and for what time frames. We will probably never go in early Dec because the kids are heading into middle school and so we will be locked into school breaks for quite a few years. Summer is going to be our trips so I am curious to know if summer is really hard to get a room.

So sorry you are dissappointed. Where did you buy?

I've been a member for 2 yrs now(SSR/VB) have had no problem getting my home resort at 11 months. This includes 2br(very small # of them) at Vero Beach for Easter and just booked my first GV at SSR for Thanksgiving 09.

As for doing the 7 month switch, I have stayed at VWL, BCV and next Thursday will be our first trip to BWV(BW view). Edk35 has had no problem booking BCV in the summer at 7 months.

The best discount is on the AP's, on my 2nd set. Also we buy the Table in Wonderland card once we get the AP's.

The reason we bought in was we enjoy staying in 2br villas, going on vaction and cramming all four of us into one hotel room is not a fun trip for me. I would rather stay home. For us it made sense and we have no problem planning way ahead. I have 2 other timeshares and I'm already into 2010 summer trip planning mode with them.

Plus we love the Disney service, I know some of the longer standing members think the service isn't as good as it once was, but after 2 yrs I'm still impressed. We have CM's at SSR that remeber us, especially in bell services(maybe because we travel pretty light) and at AP. Oliver, who works at the beach rental shack at VB, referred to my husband as Mr. "last name" for our whole trip last year.

We still love going to WDW, but I really don't think I would enjoy it staying off site or crammed into one regular hotel room(even if it was concierge level at a Deluxe).

 

[keishashadow]

it does make me feel badly when those who bought whatever the current offering was @ the time, report they r unhappy when they cannot trade into another resort.

i hope it wasn't represented to u as a "lock" to rent anywhere @ the 7 month window

we looked @ SSR & decided to follow the adage i learned here:

"buy where u want to stay"

& specifically looked for a small resale & added on in increments jik i needed to sell (they command a higher price both as to location & smaller #s)

OP - assume u did get some incentives to purchase @ SSR to sweeten the pot, perhaps it is time to consider selling if u won't be happy staying @ your home resort or deciding to rent out ur points long term or perhaps use them for cruising every year or 2?

as for 'percs' discounts, they r subject to change (which, again, I hope was represented to u properly); yet r nothing more than a bonus, subject to change. IMO, the DP (w/o ticket purchase requirement is nice gimmie as is the AP discount - although if i ran the show it'd be a straight discount off all tix purchases)

btw, every year when i price the weekend rates @ the resorts (in lieu of using points) I find that the value is still there! I've seen values priced @ $85 up to $120+ & the CR MK view @ $510+ a night . Since i have yet to get one of those great 'pin codes' guess i'll keep my DVC

 

[MAGICX2]

Well you are not making me feel good! We are just thissss close to purchasing and I am so concerned that I won't be able to get in anywhere I want. We go every year at least once and with DVC I was hoping to go two times, but I have heard so many people say you can't get in when you want. We are a family of four, so for us we can always fit in a studio and we have good friends that we rent from. I thought DVC members get discounts on AP's. Is that still true? Is it a good discount?

I would also be curious to know where you were waitlisted for and for what time frames. We will probably never go in early Dec because the kids are heading into middle school and so we will be locked into school breaks for quite a few years. Summer is going to be our trips so I am curious to know if summer is really hard to get a room.

So sorry you are dissappointed. Where did you buy?

We bought 160 points at Saratoga.
We were waitlisted for a 2bdrm, 1 bdrm & studio, or 2 studios (which ever came thru first) for 12/7-12/12, 2008. We were on the waitlists at BCV (all categories), BWV (all categories), and VWL. Nothing came thru at all.

DVC has never been about discounts at restaurants or shops, or about 'privileges'. You'll not see a word about discounts in the contract. We get the same privileges as any Disney resort guest. That's not what DVC is for.

It's a way to pre-pay for villa-style lodging. That's all it is. And if you compare the cash reservation price with your cost as a member for the same villa, you'll see the benefit. The much lower prices, and the fact that you're pre-paying at 2008 prices. In 10 years, the difference in price will likely be even greater.

Using your points outside the DVC system (cruises, etc.) is generally a poor value. Again, not the primary purpose of the membership.

December is the busiest time of year for DVC resorts. Other times of year are not difficult to book at 7 months, depending on the time of year and resort. Which resorts where you having trouble reserving, and what time of year?

I realize that DVC is not "about discounts at restaurants or shops, or about 'privileges'." Its just that part of the selling point we got was that DVC members get all these "perks." Most of the places that I inquired about a discount said they used to give one for DVC members but it was discontinued. I guess I just wonder why? We did use the discount on our APs and it is a great discount.

Maybe its just the resort. We DID NOT care for SSR at all. We really felt it lacked the Disney feel. That is something we really enjoy about VWL and BCV. There is a real Disney feel to the place. We have stayed at AKL, VWL, BWV, BCV and OKW in the past as either cash ressies or renting points. Our favorite is BCV and VWL. I have never been this disappointed before. We do agree that we could never go back to staying at the values. (Not to be a DVC or anything.) We did enjoy our stays at POR, and we plan to still stay at the other moderates from time to time paying cash. We do like the flexability of being able to stay at so many places. I just don't want to get stuck at SSR again like we were this time.
We won't be staying in Dec. again anytime soon. The kids are getting to the ages where we just can't take them out of school for a week at a time. Maybe a long weekend, but thats it. It will be mostly Jan. and Oct. for us.
We entertained the idea of adding on at BLT before the Jan. 15 deadline. We love the Contemporary. And then we would still have points to use and we could either sell the SSR or rent out the points. Not sure yet.

 

[MAGICX2]

it does make me feel badly when those who bought whatever the current offering was @ the time, report they r unhappy when they cannot trade into another resort.

i hope it wasn't represented to u as a "lock" to rent anywhere @ the 7 month window

we looked @ SSR & decided to follow the adage i learned here:

"buy where u want to stay"

We too were initially hesitant about SSR. When we first started looking at DVC Boardwalk was still for sale. When we finally decided to take the plunge SSR was the only offering. Unless we bought resale, which I must say now we should have looked more closely at, SSR was our only option. We were not aware that some resale groups offered financing. Now, why I don't think it is a great idea for everyone, we financed at the 5 year level knowing we could pay it of within a little over 2 years. We didn't have the whole amount to plunk down on the spot but knew we could pay it off quickly. And, the incentives on the cruise were outstanding. The best we had seen in all the years we had been considering it. That was what pushed DH over the edge.
It was never represented as a "lock" to be able to book anywhere at the 7 month mark, but we had never seen anyone have as much trouble as we did getting something else this past Dec. However, from what I understand, that was common for a lot of people. I am hoping that it was an isolated incident.

 

[MAGICX2]

One other thing I want to mention. Very inconsequential, but I did miss the daily housekeeping you get when you don't stay at DVC. When I am on vacation I really don't want to make the beds everyday, have trash lingering around, or dirty towels to use. I like coming back everynight to a room that has been cleaned, beds made and fresh linen hanging in the bathrooms.
I knew going in to DVC that daily housekeeping was not an option, but still, I miss it.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I'm sorry that you had a bad trip to SSR. I think I would personally enjoy a stay in a 1 or 2 bdrm at SSR. Since I've not stayed, I can't really comment on the grounds or the transportation.

I do wonder sometimes if the SSR comments on the boards set visitors up for negative pre-conceived notions of the resort. SSR is large and not tied directly to a theme park. This makes it a bit of an ugly duckling next to some spectacular resorts.

(A few years ago, DH and I had a rocky start at WL, and nit picked and found every scratch and peeling piece of wallpaper in our hotel room, and noted every time the bus or boat did not arrive promptly.)

In this economy, I would advise anyone to try to hang on to their assets until they can sell at a more favorable price. Consider giving SSR and Disney another chance by staying at SSR again and trying to reserve at alternate resorts again in the future. DVC is a pre-paid vacation that will be a good hedge against inflation IF you want to continue going to WDW. (BTW, US inflation is going to go way up in the next 2 years, if not sooner.)

I understand that SSR for you is a disappointment, but taking a financial loss will be the last bitter pill. Give it another shot. See if you change your mind. If not then sell it. Life is too short!

 

[december14disney]

Your dilemma stinks and obviously if I just spent 16k on something I didnt love my first time I would be dissapointed. However, that said, buy where you want to say. All the Epcot villas at the 7th month window for food and wine for example you are probably not going to get. Same with December at 7 months. I assume that other times like a random July week will not be that hard....even if it is summer. Just call on the dot at the 7th month window.

You should sell if you feel this bad...but if you financed it...you arent going to get what you bought it for so youlll need a way to pay off that loan. Good luck!

 

[LisaS]

We bought 160 points at Saratoga.
We were waitlisted for a 2bdrm, 1 bdrm & studio, or 2 studios (which ever came thru first) for 12/7-12/12, 2008. We were on the waitlists at BCV (all categories), BWV (all categories), and VWL. Nothing came thru at all.

That particular week is probably one of the busiest weeks for DVC resorts so it's not surprising none of your waitlists came through. So don't take that as evidence that you will never be successful at the 7-month window at other times of the year. VWL and BCV are both very small resorts and VWL in particular is very popular in December. Many members (myself included) added on at VWL just to get the 11-month window to book there for December.

Maybe its just the resort. We DID NOT care for SSR at all. We really felt it lacked the Disney feel. That is something we really enjoy about VWL and BCV. There is a real Disney feel to the place. We have stayed at AKL, VWL, BWV, BCV and OKW in the past as either cash ressies or renting points. Our favorite is BCV and VWL.

I took the advice here to buy where we wanted to stay so we passed on SSR (which is what Disney was selling at the time) and purchased BWV instead and I haven't regretted that decision even though it means paying higher dues and having a shorter contract. You can buy any of the DVC resorts directly from Disney provided they have points available or go on a waiting list if they do not. There is usually a long wait for points at BCV but other resorts (even BWV and VWL) are often available immediately, especially if you have no particular Use Year preference. They had lots of BWV points when we decided to buy in but they didn't have the Use Year we wanted so we bought on the resale market. Given that some of our stays are at slower times of the year (late Jan, early May) I probably could have saved money buying SSR and booking elsewhere at 7 months, but I prefer to lock in my reservations as early as possible and know we will be right where we want to be.

Prices are way down on the resale market at present. You could probably pick up a contract at VWL or BWV for a very reasonable price. Prices for BCV haven't dropped as much. The problem is, selling your SSR contract could take a while and you will definitely lose money on it and there is also a 10-15% commission due to the broker if you sell through one. So you have to decide if you want to take the loss (money wise and on the contract length) to secure a reservation at your preferred location 11 months out.

Given your comments about daily mousekeeping, it's also possible that DVC really isn't for you. I prefer not to have mousekeeping knocking on my door every day and find making the bed takes me about 2 minutes. I don't change the towels every day at home so I don't mind re-using them for a few days on vacation. Plus it's better for the environment!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I think honestly, the problem is with your resort, not DVC. Up until AKV, I never really had much interest in DVC, but once this unique experience was developed and put on the market, I was really sold on the idea.

I would have NEVER bought at most of the other resorts, the style is not me and to be honest, I'm not even really looking forward to using my Developer Points at SSR this year, because I really don't care for the resort at all.

 

[blondietink]

We have owned 175 pts. at SSR since 2005 and have not stayed there once. I have booked SSR at the 11 month window and then switched to another resort at the 7 month window. I have always been offered at least 3 resorts to switch to. We even switched in the 2nd week of December last year to OKW and this year I switched in October to BWV. I was able to get AKV 5 weeks out for our August trip. If you have your heart set on a particular resort, then you will be disappointed, I think. If you keep an open mind and are willing to try new resorts, then you will probably be happier. We rent a 1 bedroom usually but have rented a studio on occassion. I think the 1 bedrooms are the easiest to get. We have 2 disabled children and really need the room of a 1 bedroom. We use the full kitchen facilities a lot and save a lot of money doing this.

The AP discount is great and if you plan your trips right, you can save a lot of money. We went 3 times from December 07 - October 08; a total of 25 days. We have rarely used the other discounts as we rarely eat out except for counter service.

If it's not your cup of tea, then I think you need to consider selling or renting out your points.

 

[Cmbar]

To OP. Again I am so sorry you are dissappointed. It should hearten you to know that NO ONE gets in those two weeks in December, it is probably the one time you will definitely not get moved off the waitlist. We stayed at SSR last time we went in July and we loved it. NO it is not the Disney magic of BWV or BCV or VWL, but we really enjoyed the relaxing feel of it. I wasn't that hip on the green pool, but I liked the small pools and I liked having a food court (which I hate about BWV!)

One thing that I think is still coming is the Treehouse villas, those look cool and you can be book at 11 months right? That would be fun!

On the AP discount is it only a renewal or do you get a discount on your first purchase of an AP? We don't have one but I would think we would want one if we owned DVC. Also, while use of the cruise points may not be the best use of the points, it is still a great way to go on a cruise and not spend money. If you feel better rent your points and use that cash towards your cruise. I love the cruise and was hoping to save up points to use on a cruise every other year or so.

OP Cheer up!!! This is still Disney!!! Think you own a piece of Mickey!!

 

[december14disney]

I think honestly, the problem is with your resort, not DVC. Up until AKV, I never really had much interest in DVC, but once this unique experience was developed and put on the market, I was really sold on the idea.

I would have NEVER bought at most of the other resorts, the style is not me and to be honest, I'm not even really looking forward to using my Developer Points at SSR this year, because I really don't care for the resort at all.

I agree. I am obsessed with AKV.

 

[spiceycat]

sorry about your trip not being up to your expectations.

don't know why fulton told you it did honor the dvc discount.

It should have.

would call MS and see if they can tell you why fulton did not.

but they use to update the website and the member perks often enough this did not happen.