Anyone on the forum have regrets about buying DVC?

[global_mom]

global Mom--regarding your post--"It makes me really sad to read so many posts about how "DVC has changed" or how "Disney has gone downhill" etc."--I bet if we started a thread "do you like DVC--top 3 reasons" you would easily pass 100+ posts in a few days. Typically, for every complaint or criticism, there are hundreds of happy people who don't bother to post how great things were--this is the norm in any industry.
I asked one of the "has DVc changed" threads before I bought--and I was actually pretty happy with all the stuff I read--if that's the worst--then count me in! We are (soon) to be new DVC memebers and couldn't be happier--enjoy many fun years to come! Elaine

Oh I so agree Elaine! Even when I read the negative posts I cant help but think that if this is as bad as it gets then things are pretty good! We did tons of research before buying so we knew the common "negatives" so I have no regrets in that department. But i do hate that there are others who are unhappy or discontent with their DVC purchase. i just like for everyone to be happy!

Enjoy your membership and may you have many many years of great vacations!!

 

[mowog]

When we use a 2 BR we have to take our adult children with us (and they still don't clean up after themselves).

Our point cost is about $7 per point (no TVM) so my wife thinks we can eat at all the nice restaurants and buy whatever we like.

That stupid AP discount makes us go 2X every other year, as the second trip only cost transportation, food, and all that shopping.

With that stupid DDE card that I get with the stupid AP I drink way to much at restaurants, pubs, and lounges around WDW.

Since we know we'll be coming back, we don't rush from park opening to park closing, which really makes me feel guilty. I just feel terrible watching a DVD while drinking a cold beverage from the fridge and munching some snacks when I could be out standing in a line somewhere.

Probably the biggest regret is that we now plan vacations 11 months (and longer) ahead of time. When someone used to ask me if I was doing anything, I could say no. Now I have to say I'm going to Disney World next November for a short trip, and then again in January and December of 2010. I'm ashamed of pretending to be so organized, when in reality I'm not. The guilt is killing me.

I could go on forever, but have to go as my wife wants to discuss changing our dining style for our trip next November.

Bob

 

[pixie08]

When we use a 2 BR we have to take our adult children with us (and they still don't clean up after themselves).

Our point cost is about $7 per point (no TVM) so my wife thinks we can eat at all the nice restaurants and buy whatever we like.

That stupid AP discount makes us go 2X every other year, as the second trip only cost transportation, food, and all that shopping.

With that stupid DDE card that I get with the stupid AP I drink way to much at restaurants, pubs, and lounges around WDW.

Since we know we'll be coming back, we don't rush from park opening to park closing, which really makes me feel guilty. I just feel terrible watching a DVD while drinking a cold beverage from the fridge and munching some snacks when I could be out standing in a line somewhere.

Probably the biggest regret is that we now plan vacations 11 months (and longer) ahead of time. When someone used to ask me if I was doing anything, I could say no. Now I have to say I'm going to Disney World next November for a short trip, and then again in January and December of 2010. I'm ashamed of pretending to be so organized, when in reality I'm not. The guilt is killing me.

I could go on forever, but have to go as my wife wants to discuss changing our dining style for our trip next November.

Bob

That's the kind of regret I don't mind having myself

 

[crisi]

It makes me really sad to read so many posts about how "DVC has changed" or how "Disney has gone downhill" etc. We are new to membership so I am sure that there have been plenty of good and bad changes with DVC but it gets so tiresome to always read about the "bad" stuff. Even the "really bad" stuff does not seem so bad to us. Maybe we still have on our rose colored glasses but we are thrilled with our purchase and plan to continue going to Disney at least 2 times a year for many years to come. We own a mountain house so we go there and we vacation at the same beach each year. We dont feel overly tied to Disney and we make time for about 5 vacations each year.

This IS a regrets thread, so you are going to get negatives.

And Disney did used to be a different place - remember there are people on this board that have been going to Disney since the 1970s. Not that it isn't still a wonderful place, but it is a different place. It used to be that they really strived for everything to be "opening day new" - The past two trips we've taken there has been dark neon on the Flying Fish sign and letters out on the Boardwalk sign.

Disney used to change their lightbulbs at a point 60% before mean time between failure - so they were replacing lightbulbs that had a thousand hours of light in them - so you'd almost never see a burned out bulb. They don't do that anymore. That isn't necessarily a bad thing - terribly wasteful to throw out perfectly good lightbulbs - expensive and un-ecological. But seeing something like burned out lightbulbs - that is the sort of little thing that has changed - and there are hundreds of those things. Those things make WDW and DVC more affordable than it would be (and, not to kid ourselves, more profitable as well), but at a quality hit.

My least favorite change is a minor one - when AK first opened, the Safari Ride was staffed almost exclusively with people from Africa. That South Africian lilt in the presentation made all the difference between an excellent experience and a truly exceptional one. The AKL is still staffed with lots of people from Africa, but - alas - our safari guides have been from New Jersey or Oklahoma City for years.

 

[OlderMan]

I have to add my $0.02 to the above poster who said that there isn't enough to do at the resorts.

My DD10 and DD9 have no problems staying busy when we vivit OKW.

They play shuffleboard, ping-pong, air hockey, etc. They swim, shop (with my DW) at DTD or various Outlet Malls, etc.

For us, OKW IS a destination.

Just our take on things........

 

[bblanch]

This IS a regrets thread, so you are going to get negatives.

And Disney did used to be a different place - remember there are people on this board that have been going to Disney since the 1970s. Not that it isn't still a wonderful place, but it is a different place. It used to be that they really strived for everything to be "opening day new" - The past two trips we've taken there has been dark neon on the Flying Fish sign and letters out on the Boardwalk sign.

Disney used to change their lightbulbs at a point 60% before mean time between failure - so they were replacing lightbulbs that had a thousand hours of light in them - so you'd almost never see a burned out bulb. They don't do that anymore. That isn't necessarily a bad thing - terribly wasteful to throw out perfectly good lightbulbs - expensive and un-ecological. But seeing something like burned out lightbulbs - that is the sort of little thing that has changed - and there are hundreds of those things. Those things make WDW and DVC more affordable than it would be (and, not to kid ourselves, more profitable as well), but at a quality hit.

My least favorite change is a minor one - when AK first opened, the Safari Ride was staffed almost exclusively with people from Africa. That South Africian lilt in the presentation made all the difference between an excellent experience and a truly exceptional one. The AKL is still staffed with lots of people from Africa, but - alas - our safari guides have been from New Jersey or Oklahoma City for years.

What do any of these, as well as some of the changes mentioned previously, have to do with the DVC program or regrets about buying DVC? Do you regret purchasing all these future vacations at WDW and WDW is no longer where you want to be because of these things? I'll agree that cleanliness, kindness, upkeep, and dining isn't what it once was but it's still worlds better than any other theme park.

 

[crisi]

What do any of these, as well as some of the changes mentioned previously, have to do with the DVC program or regrets about buying DVC? Do you regret purchasing all these future vacations at WDW and WDW is no longer where you want to be because of these things? I'll agree that cleanliness, kindness, upkeep, and dining isn't what it once was but it's still worlds better than any other theme park.

When we first bought (in 2002) I was fairly sure we'd own at least until the kids finished college - and probably continue to own for our own golf vacations into retirement. Now....I don't know that we will own another five years. We just don't want to go as much as we once did. Since DVC is a 40 year committment to WDW, with (for us) a seven year Return on Investment - these are important things to consider when making a purchase. If we sell after our next trip, we'll have "made a good investment" - but I didn't really want to take the LAST trip.

We had the opportunity to spend a week in a Villa in Mexico - it was every bit as nice as Disney - not a theme park, but that wasn't the vacation criteria for us. There is a whole world out there that isn't a theme park - for us it isn't a comparison between Hershey Park and WDW - its a comparison between going to London and WDW, or doing the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and WDW. While WDW had great food and was really clean and easy - and the kids were little - it was a great vacation. Now....every year it gets less a great vacation. Some of that is us - the kids are getting older, we want them to see more of the world. Some of that is Disney - we don't enjoy dining out like we did. The Boardwalk sign missing lights is less magical. More trash, more people, less magical cast members.


I've never been the rose colored glasses DVC Cheerleader on these boards. Its been a good value for us and I don't regret buying - but I wouldn't buy again now, and I've always been someone who says this isn't for everyone. When we bought, we only spent $63 a point - that right there makes a big difference. And our kids were much smaller. With older kids and $100 a point - no way.

 

[Sammie]

Do I regret buying DVC, absolutely not. We have had many wonderful trips and even better memories.

Am I considering selling my DVC due to recent changes with DVC and Disney in general, absolutely.

 

[DVC Mike]

No regrets.

We love DVC!

 

[drusba]

I am one of those "since the 1970s" and understand Crisi's lament. The thing is that seeming cut-back on maintenance of the parks (and other things) from perfect to just almost good started in the 1990s. The worst period was between 2000 and 2004. They seem to have actually improved a little since then (I think there was a turnover in management of the park in 04 or 05).

As to DVC lament, I think one regret I have is when management treats us like we're idiots. Example, when it announced the $95 exchange fee for non-DVC resorts effective January and tried to dress it up as something positive and part of "improvements" to the program. They really need to stop acting like were stupid. If they want to raise or charge a fee like that just say so and that it is to cover costs or for them to get a greedy profit, or whatever, but don't try to convince us it is a good thing or disguise it behind some other announcement. (I wonder do people go to MBA school and learn such obfuscations?). The second regret, which is along the same vein, is that MS seems to be more prone to mistakes now then before. Note, all MS personnel I speak to are pleasant and try to be helpful but I have read some of the mistakes being noted here and I have personally noticed some issues -- calling and they could not figure out how to deal with banked points and then were going to use my AKV points for a ressie I was making at BWV 10 months out, the person did not realize you couldn't do that (besides that I did not want it done). This may all have to do with MS growing pains and turnover and I do not perceive it as lack of trying. But I believe now the change in the banking rules was not because members wanted it to be easier but because management wanted it to be easier for the MS employees to understand.

 

[Coach81]

We are brand new DVC members, so I"m not sure if we even qualify to add to the discussion, however we will be going to Disney World twice next year, we have never been able to do that before. My wife and kids absolutely love the Mouse, and we have the best time there. I can easily see us going at least once a year to Disney World now that we own DVC, (my wife and I have plans to visit each DVC resort) and that makes me think that we will probably never regret our decision to buy DVC.

We are looking forward to making many magical memories with our two boys at Disney World, and DVC will help us make them.

 

[Cyndibear]

When we use a 2 BR we have to take our adult children with us (and they still don't clean up after themselves).

Our point cost is about $7 per point (no TVM) so my wife thinks we can eat at all the nice restaurants and buy whatever we like.

That stupid AP discount makes us go 2X every other year, as the second trip only cost transportation, food, and all that shopping.

With that stupid DDE card that I get with the stupid AP I drink way to much at restaurants, pubs, and lounges around WDW.

Since we know we'll be coming back, we don't rush from park opening to park closing, which really makes me feel guilty. I just feel terrible watching a DVD while drinking a cold beverage from the fridge and munching some snacks when I could be out standing in a line somewhere.

Probably the biggest regret is that we now plan vacations 11 months (and longer) ahead of time. When someone used to ask me if I was doing anything, I could say no. Now I have to say I'm going to Disney World next November for a short trip, and then again in January and December of 2010. I'm ashamed of pretending to be so organized, when in reality I'm not. The guilt is killing me.

I could go on forever, but have to go as my wife wants to discuss changing our dining style for our trip next November.

Bob

This sounds like my kind of regrets!! We love our DVC and like Bob we plan and plan and plan. For 2008 we have AKV in January, VA Beach in May, and BWV in Sept. all booked with points. For 2009 we are planning to have family join us at AVK in January and we will do BWV in Sept.

We have stayed at many different places (WDW and non-WDW) and sure we all want our DVC resorts to be perfect, but I can say that my best experiences have been staying at DVC resorts. I love it because we have the flexibility of staying usually whenever and wherever we want and not have to go week x for only 7 days each year.

Cyndi

 

[DisDaydreamer]

no regrets.

 

[DVCconvert]

yes I do. I think the best illustration is the new "smoke free" policy. And that is representative of DVD/DVC being able to change the rules which were in effect at the time of purchase without meaningful owner imput. I would/will feel the same if/when it's decreeded owners can not cook steaks in their units with a certain percentage of fat beyound what someone decides is acceptable.