Annual Fees!!!

[3happydancers]

OMG, I do expect them to rise, but not $8.00 per month. We have 210 points at Animal Kingdom. Between this raise and the last 2 years, we are paying about $18.00 more a month. Anyone else feel my frustration?

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

The increases have been fairly consistent in the past few years (knock on wood), so our new payments were about what we expected. I'm just glad they didn't go up more than they did. I was nervous that there might be a big spike at BLT at some point.

 

[3happydancers]

I wish we could say the same but we can't. We are seriously considering selling off our points. I simply don't see how DVC can justify such huge increases like we have been hit with. Well, at least for my family, it is something we are now considering. Very sad.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

OMG, I do expect them to rise, but not $8.00 per month. We have 210 points at Animal Kingdom. Between this raise and the last 2 years, we are paying about $18.00 more a month. Anyone else feel my frustration?

this is the very reason we are hesitant to buy DVC. There is a limit to how much the dues can increase per year, but not a max limit to how much they can increase over the life of the contract. I'm worried that the dues would be sky high by halfway through the contract.

 

[3happydancers]

this is the very reason we are hesitant to buy DVC. There is a limit to how much the dues can increase per year, but not a max limit to how much they can increase over the life of the contract. I'm worried that the dues would be sky high by halfway through the contract.

I understand your hesitation. We joined in 2008 and honestly we have enjoyed being members. But...we personally feel that DVC has not been reasonable when it comes to these last few years in increases.

 

[M4travels]

I understand your hesitation. We joined in 2008 and honestly we have enjoyed being members. But...we personally feel that DVC has not been reasonable when it comes to these last few years in increases.

And what would be reasonable?

 

[3happydancers]

And what would be reasonable?

For us, about $4.00 monthly but certainly not $8.00 a month. Now, perhaps others feel differently, but we do not.

 

[M4travels]

Have you checked out the reasons for the cost increases? Do you know what the actual costs are/will be? To say one doesn't like it really doesn't do much if the actual costs aren't known/or you don't believe Disney is giving you the correct costs?

Contact them. Ask. Get the necessary info.

If you have and you're still not happy with their answers, well, I guess it is time to sell.

Michael

 

[Sur]

Lifeguards increasing hours was one reason at most resorts.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Well it is a lot lower percentage wise then my HOA dues.

 

[Msmithmd]

For us, about $4.00 monthly but certainly not $8.00 a month. Now, perhaps others feel differently, but we do not.

DVC is an extremely expensive timeshare. Expensive to purchase. Expensive to maintain. Expensive to use when considering the costs of dining, entertainment, etcetera.

If the difference of an extra $4 a month ($48/year) is unreasonable to you, I would strongly suggest you sell now while the resale market is high.

I get what you're saying. Everyone wants more services, cleaner rooms, and wants the staff to be paid reasonably, but no one wants to pay more for it.

This just reminds me of the thread a couple weeks ago, where someone was bemoaning how horribly expensive grocery delivery service runs while they were staying at the VGF...or of a friend I know who spends an hour clipping grocery coupons in order to run down to the store in her Mercedes...

Just consider that you're possibly missing the forest for the trees in fretting over a small real-money difference. You're entitled to your opinion, of course. Mine is that DVC is still a very good deal versus Disney cash reservations. If that changed, I would be looking to sell as well.

 

[DizBub]

I was nervous that there might be a big spike at BLT at some point.

Lifeguards increasing hours was one reason at most resorts.

As far as BLT goes it has gone up at least 6% for each of the last 3 years. I would think this qualifies as a big spike.

Another reason given at the annual meeting (along with lifeguard hours) was labor costs and housekeeping. They are reportedly putting fences around all the pools. Not sure why we have to foot the bill for that.

My 310 points at BLT is going up $7 a month. This does not make me start contemplating selling but I'm not happy about it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I was surprised that OKW 2013 taxes were overestimated and a refund was required. Yet the OKW 2014 taxes are estimated at more than the 2013 taxes.

The VWL taxes for 2013 were also over estimated, but the 2014 were estimated at less than the 2013 estimated.

 

[Kidanifan08]

DVC is an extremely expensive timeshare. Expensive to purchase. Expensive to maintain. Expensive to use when considering the costs of dining, entertainment, etcetera.

If the difference of an extra $4 a month ($48/year) is unreasonable to you, I would strongly suggest you sell now while the resale market is high.

I get what you're saying. Everyone wants more services, cleaner rooms, and wants the staff to be paid reasonably, but no one wants to pay more for it.

This just reminds me of the thread a couple weeks ago, where someone was bemoaning how horribly expensive grocery delivery service runs while they were staying at the VGF...or of a friend I know who spends an hour clipping grocery coupons in order to run down to the store in her Mercedes...

Just consider that you're possibly missing the forest for the trees in fretting over a small real-money difference. You're entitled to your opinion, of course. Mine is that DVC is still a very good deal versus Disney cash reservations. If that changed, I would be looking to sell as well.

Our annual fees on our original AKV contract have gone up about $340 annually from when we first purchased. I ma pretty sure that is less than the extra cost to stay in a moderate room for 9-10 nights. And I get to stay in a 1BR with a full kitchen and W/D. Given that value, we have more than doubled our original contract size (using the resale market -- all at AKV).

This issue goes back to the reality that the original purchase price of DVC is only a small percentage of the overall cost of ownership. In the 5 years since I have purchase, the increase in airline expenses has definitely outpaced my MF's and I am pretty sure park ticket prices are close to parallel. Purchasing AP's and getting two trips in has helped keep the price per day down for us. We also have TIW, which helps.

This sobering cost realization simply underscores the fact that DVC ownership is a luxury purchase and requires serious consideration before signing on the dotted line. It's a shame that the sales model is so effective at luring people into a real estate ownership that is not really appropriate for everyone. Those who are considering a purchase should seriously consider the impact of increasing MF's on their personal annual budget.

 

[tjkraz]

I wish we could say the same but we can't. We are seriously considering selling off our points. I simply don't see how DVC can justify such huge increases like we have been hit with. Well, at least for my family, it is something we are now considering. Very sad.

If you plan to still visit WDW and stay on-site, would recommend you check out current hotel prices before making any decisions. Those rates have been rising at an even greater pace than DVC dues.

Only benefit to paying cash is Disney's apt to offer travel discounts when tourism is down. But when business is booming--as it has been for the last couple of years--those discounts quickly dry-up and you're back paying close to full freight.

this is the very reason we are hesitant to buy DVC. There is a limit to how much the dues can increase per year, but not a max limit to how much they can increase over the life of the contract. I'm worried that the dues would be sky high by halfway through the contract.

Dues are legally tied to operating costs of the underlying property. In other words, if there's a 3% increase in the housekeeping budget, it means Disney's costs associated with that service (primarily employee wages & benefits) have increased.

As I said above, Disney does tend to discount more heavily when the economy goes south. Some people are able to benefit from that.

But generally speaking, you can set your watch by the increases in hotel prices. When Disney's costs for running the hotel go up, you better believe they pass that along to customers. If they don't it negatively impacts profitability. That's pretty much unheard-of.

 

[Snurk71]

I get what you're saying. Everyone wants more services, cleaner rooms, and wants the staff to be paid reasonably, but no one wants to pay more for it.

I'll pay more for cleaner rooms, better services, and being able to check in earlier.

Not picking on you. But I do see a lot of people nitpicking on dues. I just like to go on the record that I'm fine with increases for more/better services.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

I just like to go on the record that I'm fine with increases for more/better services.

Agreed.... I do want quality to remain high and a some extra $s is worth it, or we wouldn't have joined DVC in the first place. Perhaps not everyone does, but we went into our purchase after running compounding projections of the dues. I agree that I don't want to be gauged but I also want to feel magic when I step on property, like I am entering a luxury condo--not a bare-bones experience. That said, I am glad people keep an eye on these, I just hope that DVD doesn't only hear the voices demanding lower dues at all costs; if the product is devalued by a decrease in service, we'd rather sell and stay as cash customers.

 

[cubsblue]

Considering the outrageous rate of real inflation right now the increases I am hearing sound negligible.

 

[Msmithmd]

Snurk, we agree. I just do understand why some members object to the increases.

My point was more that I think that this year's absolute dollar increases were quite reasonable, and if someone thinks that they aren't, that now would be a financially wise time for them to sell.

I'd also gladly pay more in maintenance fees to come on Disboards and only see threads where members argued about which resort's rooms were "more perfectly clean." But I get why some owners feel that they are paying more and getting less.

Such is the nature of inflation; so long as DVC management uses that additional dues money wisely, hopefully we will all benefit. On the other hand, if our dues money is being spent to purchase and send my family our FIFTH set of magic bands for our upcoming summer vacation, then we may have other issues...

 

[DizBub]

Such is the nature of inflation; so long as DVC management uses that additional dues money wisely, hopefully we will all benefit. On the other hand, if our dues money is being spent to purchase and send my family our FIFTH set of magic bands for our upcoming summer vacation, then we may have other issues...

Total agreement here.