Anyone prefer Resorts to DVC?

[addiedisney]

Hi,

I'm thinking of purching DVC but the "feeling" of being at a resort is very important to me. I just love the idea that Disney takes such good care of you and everythng is first class.

Has anyone ever rented points or bought DVC and then been disappointed and felt like they were not getting the "true Disney" experience?

Thanks!
Addie

 

[gigi1313]

one downside that i have found to dvc vs resort stay is the lack of daily cleaning/maid/garbage removal service... that is all part of being on vacation to me (coming back to a made bed!)...

but that's just me

 

[haleofafamily]

We have loved our DVC experiences (renting pts.). I didn't feel like we missed out on any Disney magic, but I did miss the mousekeeping. That would be the only drawback in my opinion. The living rm, full kitchen and laundry more than make up for it though.

 

[DisneyHolidayFan]

Our son and family are members of DVC and occasionally, we use their points. We have only stayed in a studio which is very nice but we still prefer a regular resort room. At the Y&BC villas, I asked for lotion and was told that it was only for resort guests. Rooms show availability on web at a certain resort but are not available to DVC members even though they are part of the plan. Apparently, there are only so many rooms assigned to DVC members. My son lost points because he cancelled a reservation outside the time limit. It was due to an emergency. IMO, I believe once they have your money, you become a second-class visitor.

 

[Ratpack]

Hi,

Has anyone ever rented points or bought DVC and then been disappointed and felt like they were not getting the "true Disney" experience?

Thanks!
Addie

Not at all! The only thing we haven't gotten with DVC vs when we stayed in the regular rooms in daily Mousekeeping which is more than fine for us. Now I can leave everything out like my laptop (internet is free for DVC) and not have to pack it away everyday and get it back out. If you need something you can still call mousekeeping and get it. But having the extra room is really worth it to us. Now the kids have their own bedroom, we have ours and then we have a living room anf full kitchen if we need it. Also having the W/D is great. Now we pack a lot less and just wash clothes while we are gone to the park. Now when we return home, we just unpack since the laundry is done.

But really, you are still part of the resort and able to take advantage of everything the resort has to offer, just not the daily Mousekeeping.

 

[DVC Mike]

I'm thinking of purching DVC but the "feeling" of being at a resort is very important to me. I just love the idea that Disney takes such good care of you and everythng is first class.

Has anyone ever rented points or bought DVC and then been disappointed and felt like they were not getting the "true Disney" experience?

The DVC resorts that I own at are all attached to a Deluxe resort, so I still get the joy of staying at the Beach Club, Boardwalk, Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

DVC is Disney, so I don't get your worry about not getting the "true Disney" experience. In fact, I now get the same Disney experience but with a much bigger room!

 

[goofy4tink]

Pretty much the same experience for me! I love my BWV!!
But, we still chuckle over the trip I had a few years ago, with another mom and her dd. Our two girls were turning 13, so we made a mother/daughter trip to WDW. Stayed in a 2 bdrm villa at BWV....great location, great view of the boardwalk...everything you could ask for. Well, until our second day...my friend came out into the living room area and asked why housekeeping hadn't brought fresh towels/facecloths the day before! I had to explain to here that we would get fresh towels in a few days. She was horrified...seems she has to have a fresh towel and facecloth every morning!!! I had to head to my bathroom and collect 4 sets for fresh toweling for her. But, that's about the only time anyone in our group has ever had a complaint about the services or amenities at a villa vs a regular resort room.

 

[alldiz]

The truth is I don't want to go back to a regular room.
Even a studio has a kitchenette....which is soooo convenient.

And I like sitting on a couch....and not the bed.

FTR...I do prefer the DVC's that are attached to a hotel....so it dosen't feel any different....except for the "better" room

As for mousekeeping....I thought I would really miss it....but now I actually prefer it....nice knowing noone is coming in your room....or having to wonder when they are coming.
Good luck in your decision
Kerri

 

[Stretchy Shorts]

Joined DVC in 2004. Should have joined in 1994. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

[reneempayne]

I am pretty sure that if you book through Disney directly you get daily mousekeeping as well as turndown service, but don't quote me on that. You also don't get the free internet. We booked through Disney because we were afraid of renting points. We are traveling with a group of six, and if something haapens and we can't go, we lose our $$$. At $8000.00 I just can't even think of that.

 

[OKW Lover]

Hi,

I'm thinking of purching DVC but the "feeling" of being at a resort is very important to me. I just love the idea that Disney takes such good care of you and everythng is first class.

Has anyone ever rented points or bought DVC and then been disappointed and felt like they were not getting the "true Disney" experience?

Thanks!
Addie

I resisted DVC for several years because I told myself that I really liked the different resorts. But once I took the plunge I found that its better than the resorts. You get all the resort perk's and you get them cheaper. The CM's at the DVC resorts are all giving you the real Disney experience.

 

[JessLCH]

I am pretty sure that if you book through Disney directly you get daily mousekeeping as well as turndown service, but don't quote me on that. You also don't get the free internet. We booked through Disney because we were afraid of renting points. We are traveling with a group of six, and if something haapens and we can't go, we lose our $$$. At $8000.00 I just can't even think of that.

If you book a DVC room through Disney directly, you DO get daily housekeeping. We did this last year at VWL. I just rented points though a DVC member for VWL for next year and the cost savings was so great that we will definitely just pay extra for the daily housekeeping (still a HUGE savings). I, personally, would never buy a timeshare. I would rent them through an owner or Disney.

 

[Deb & Bill]

A resort hotel room is just that. A hotel room. I much prefer the DVC one or two bedroom villa for all the space and amenities they offer. I will not stay in a studio because they are just glorified hotel rooms. And not that glorified either.

 

[Lynne M]

DVC resorts ARE Disney resorts. When I stay at VWL, the amenities are exactly the same as those at WL. Same perks (and more), same restaurants, same room service, same transportation, etc. I've stayed deluxe, moderate, value, and DVC, and never once at DVC have I felt like a second-class guest. Quite the opposite.

There's one exception to the above, and that's the limited housekeeping at DVC resorts. When I was first deciding whether to buy in, that really bothered me. By the end of my first DVC stay, I realized I actually preferred the limited housekeeping. It always seemed at other resorts that housekeeping would appear just as I came back to the room to take a nap, change for the pool or change for dinner. I just LOVE not having to be bothered with that anymore.

And anyway, if you want housekeeping, there's an option to pay for it. I think this is a much better system. Many DVC members are like me and prefer not to have housekeeping in every day, and we don't have to pay for it. Those who do want a daily cleaning can pay for it on an as-needed basis.

 

[timmac]

I will preface this by saying I'm not a DVC owner...

At the Y&BC villas, I asked for lotion and was told that it was only for resort guests.

I agree that this is kind of annoying. At the same time, owners will probably point out it's how they keep annual dues to a minimum. Also, you can still buy any of the items like that, for a nominal fee.

Rooms show availability on web at a certain resort but are not available to DVC members even though they are part of the plan. Apparently, there are only so many rooms assigned to DVC members.

I won't get into the technicals of this, as others on other threads (see the DVC boards) have covered it in pretty good detail. Basically though, rooms are traded to the general reservation system when members choose to trade outside of the system for things like DCL, II, and other non-DVC usages of their points. I agree it's a bit confusing, but it's not at all as though DVC members are being cheated.

My son lost points because he cancelled a reservation outside the time limit. It was due to an emergency.

Again, I agree this is unfortunate, but there are certain rules. While they are certainly less flexible than a typical hotel booking, emergencies like that, if the timing is awful enough, are problematic whether it's a DVC reservation or not (think airline tickets and the like)

IMO, I believe once they have your money, you become a second-class visitor.

I think that's far from from being a fair statement. Granted, Disney loves DVC because they can get a lot of revenue immediately when they sell it. At the same time though, they aren't going to alienate would-be visitors who are near-guaranteed to return on a fairly frequent basis.

All of that said, I whole heartedly concur that a resort reservation and a DVC reservation are very different in some ways... like most things disney though, there's something for everyone

 

[DVCLiz]

Our son and family are members of DVC and occasionally, we use their points. We have only stayed in a studio which is very nice but we still prefer a regular resort room. At the Y&BC villas, I asked for lotion and was told that it was only for resort guests. Rooms show availability on web at a certain resort but are not available to DVC members even though they are part of the plan. Apparently, there are only so many rooms assigned to DVC members. My son lost points because he cancelled a reservation outside the time limit. It was due to an emergency. IMO, I believe once they have your money, you become a second-class visitor.

This post brings up a good point about DVC - you have to have a clear understanding of the DVC "rules", and if you don't you feel disappointed, even though what you expected isn't what is offered. The rooms available to members through Member Services and the CRO inventory are completely separate - an owner knows this and understands it, but this post makes it sound like a negative. Owners know what the time limits are for cancelling and accept those restrictions, even if an emergency comes up that requires a cancellation. We all know (or should know) exactly what the rules are. If you need to cancel a reservation through CRO, you have far different rules. It doesn't make anyone a second class citizen - they just are operating under a completely different system.

I don't think it's fair to bash DVC for something it clearly didn't offer in the first place.

As far as the resort questiom, I really struggled with this before I bought DVC, because I like the hotel feel, too!!! I have found that I much prefer the BCV, VWL and AKV for this reason. I like all the amenities of the hotel - a lobby, valet parking, bell service, etc. - I try to stay at one of those resorts if possible. But, I enjoy any WDW trip so staying at SSR or OKW is a treat, too!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

Just wanted to add - there are plenty of people who will prefer a resort room to a DVC room, and that's totally fine!!!!!!!! Didn't want to imply that there was something "wrong" with liking a resort room over a DVC villa - there's absolutely not and it's a matter of personal preference!!

 

[crisi]

I'm a DVC member (home resort BWV) and, although I perfer my DVC rooms for traveling with kids (kids sleep in a different rooms is great), but if it were just my husband and I, I do prefer the Deluxe resorts.

I do not feel DVC is not as well maintained as the Deluxe resorts.
I do not get the same feeling of pampered.
I prefer Deluxe studios over DVC studios. I like the option of a king bed or two queens.
I like daily mousekeeping.
I do not feel I get the same sort of front desk service when I'm a DVC guest.

However, I think DVC is a great value for us. We wouldn't choose to afford having the kids in a different room without DVC

 

[Cee]

I prefer a studio to a hotel room. You get a sitting area and a kitchenette. I
don't consider that a "not that glorified" hotel room at all. All I can say is,
try it....you'll like it! (Anyone old enough to recognize that reference?)

 

[addiedisney]

Wow....thank you so much for the posts. I really appreciate them and I have a little thinking to do. It's a good thing to have to think about!