Are you glad you bought?

[mustangalan]

Yes without a doubt this was a good decision. We have been members for over 13 years, been on the member cruise, participated in the concierge program and have made numorous visits to WDW. Our family consists of 3 children and 8 grandchildren (ages 5-20) and we traditionally average a family vacation every other year. The children and grandchildren have grown up with Disney and when asked where to go it usually is a Disney resort. All the statements made above are true but I'd like to add one more reason, it's also a legacy which will be passed on from parent to children to grandchildren to great grandchildren. How do you put a price on that. The memories created will last forever. Just thought I'd add my two cents into the discussion.

 

[Swissdog2010]

We are very happy that we bought in. Saratoga Springs is our home resort. We've added points twice. We have only stayed at Old Key West and Saratoga. Having said that I would never try to persuade someone into buying or not. It is an intensely personal decision based on what you can afford, your planned usage, etc. We were able to do it because of money left by our deceased parents, sort of their last gifts to us. Do your homework, crunch the numbers and do what makes the sense for you. Or if not sense, at least what puts a smile on your face when you think about it.

 

[htmlkid]

We looked at DVC while on a cruise and we asked everyone who was already a member on the cruise how they felt about DVC. To my amazment everyone said they loved it and there was not one negative thing they could say about it.

After buying in I have to say that we are very happy with our decision.

 

[mouseaider]

We wondered about this for a while and just joined DVC in 2010.

We are a little older than most first time buyers..... I'm 61 and DW is a little younger. And I must add we LOVE it!

We took our first trip to BWV last January and decided to buy some more points after that stay.

We took our second trip in October and we will be at AKV Kidani Village in just over four weeks to complete 28 days on site with our annual passes.

And to top that off, we have a seven night stay booked for Aulani in April! And after that stay, we consider our purchase for both contracts to have paid for themselves.

If you think its right for you than do it. If not.... continue to pay as you go.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[bakenatj]

We absolutely love our DVC purchase! Our family really enjoys our trips to WDW and many more to come. It wasn't cheap nor is it cheap going as a DVC member but we always have a great time. Matter of fact can't wait to purchase more points at the GFV coming soon.

 

[CarpeDisney]

We haven't regretted our decision at all since we purchased a few years back.

For our family, we always enjoyed "vacationing" at Disney (the kind of "vacations" where we ran around all day and night in order to do everything, because we didn't know when we'd be back for another trip...and as a result were exhausted when we returned home).

Now, knowing we'll be back again, we enjoy time at the pools without worrying about what we're missing at the parks, don't have to plan every detail of every day (except meals, of course), and actually feel as if our vacations at WDW are relaxing and re-energizing. Our enjoyment of WDW has increased significantly because of it. And with young children, the memories we're creating for them far outweigh the costs.

 

[deerislemaine]

We're happy too.

 

[henderkm]

We are also older buyers. DH and I are both in our late 50's.. We bought in 2010 and so far we really love it. Of course, we wish we could have bought sooner because we've made about 13 trips to WDW since 1996. We never had the money before now. We purchased a resale at VWL for the number of points for a 6 night stay in a 1 bedroom. About a month ago we refinanced with our credit union at a lower rate and will pay off our loan in 5 years instead of 10.

Last Christmas, our family of 4 and one toddler 2 stayed at OKW in a 1 bedroom villa and this past summer we stayed at AK Kidani. The extra room is great with two teenage girls. I am excited that DH, my granddaughter, and I will be staying in a studio at BWV next month.

I love the full kitchens in the 1 br and cook breakfast and supper most of our stay. Having a washer and dryer in our unit is very convenient. During our longer stays, I used to spend a full day washing and drying clothes. Now I can wash and dry as I please without missing any park time.

I truly believe that our purchase will help our family continue to make memories at WDW for many years to come.

 

[vermontgirl]

We love our DVC! We wouldn't normally stay at the DVC resorts without it! However, it has spoiled me, but that's ok....I deserve those accomodations! I don't really ever have to worry about lodging costs, so that is a huge bonus! We just buy AP and go as much as possible

Good luck in your decision!

 

[dmoore22]

I often wonder if non-DVCers, after reading threads such as this one, think in terms of the Shakespearean quote, "“Me thinks he doth protest too much.”" Like the OP we agonized over making a decision whether to join DVC or not. DVC just seemed too good to be true. We probably would have bought in much sooner had we not been held hostage and been paralyzed by our over analyzing. Two events pushed us to finally make a decision. The first was a conversation with an aunt in which she lamented how she and my uncle had saved for years to travel and enjoy retirement and, due to severe health issues, their plans totally fell through. The other was when our granddaughter died in an unfortunate accident a very short time later. Our priorities were changed overnight. We brought the whole family, all six of our children, on a trip to WDW as form of therapy for our daughter and her younger siblings. It did seem to help. My DW & I took the DVC tour again after which we finally made up our mind to explore the resale market. Not long after our return from WDW our number two daughter went to a dinner, about 80 miles from where we live, which was featured at a haunted house and involved a medium. She shared with us that during this activity the medium looked right at her and said, "You have a niece named ******." She found that rather unnerving since he named our granddaughter that was deceased. The medium went on to say, "She wants you know that she wants you and your family to continue to go to Disney World." Now this freaked our daughter out due to the specifics of our family the medium addressed. Me, being the cynic that I am, asked her if she was sure there was no way this medium could have had any prior knowledge of her and our family's history. She gave an emphatic "No!"

To cut to the chase we did buy a DVC resale and an add-on. We discovered initially that we were paying as much as we did for the two rooms at a value, or discounted moderate, to accommodate our family of eight. However we now stayed two weeks for what we spent to stay one week prior to DVC. The visits are in much nicer accommodations and we cut costs since we could eat in the villa, pack lighter since we had a laundry room, and a much higher comfort and privacy factor in the villas. We've abandoned the "commando" mentality during our trips now with time to savor what WDW has to offer. Each visit there is something new and different for us to enjoy. That was nearly ten years ago and we have no regrets other than I wish we would have bought in much sooner. Now that the children are older, and trying to make their own way in the world, we stay in studios and make multiple trips per year. Invariably one of our grown children will accompany us during one of our DVC visits. We now have two grandchildren and anticipate they will soon be accompanying us on our WDW adventures.

 

[DopeysGal82]

Great thread! Though of course people who aren't happy aren't going to be spending lots of time posting on here.

I think what others have said is going to be the biggest impact on our trips. I'm looking forward to either taking longer trips, or taking days off during our weeklong trips, knowing we'll be back. I can count the number of times I've swam in a Disney hotel pool on one hand, I never slow down or take a day off from the parks. I think I will enjoy things more when we can slow down and relax and enjoy everything.

 

[Sammie]

I am glad we bought but I am not happey with maintenance and housekeeping of the villas. We just stayed at the BCVs and it could best described as shabby. I don't have problem with the decor but broken furninture, cabinet doors that don't close, stained couches looks worse than the Hampton Inn I stayed in recently.

I will say as I get older it appeals to be less.

 

[ToddyLu]

We love it and are extremely happy with our purchase at AKV. DH is a DVC purist and we have not stayed at other resorts...yet. This year we were able to go in May and Oct, next year also May and Oct. After our last trip our 7 studios we have used since 2009 would have totalled about $21,000. No way could we do that twice a year on a firefighter and nurses salary.

We lost the contents of our home in Katrina then my FIL 5 weeks later. Not to mention the stressors placed on DH after the aftermath in our town. So money really has a different value now. That may seem irresponsible but it fits well within our budget and we are able to share it with my MIL and recently my parents. Until DVC we alwasy stayed value and dangit I wanted more..I work hard...we do Disney every year and DH just doesn't like to travel.. However at Disney I get that trip to Europe, a train, boat, bus, great food, the streets of NYC, immersed in the movies, spectacular fireworks and consistant experiences which make for a perfect vacation.

Like I always say...
DVC changes your trip to Disney like a Corvette changes your drive to work.

Do you need it, no, but does it make you feel awesome when you pull up in the parking lot-ABSOLUTELY!!

 

[Disney 24/7]

The best thing I ever did. Since being a DVC member since October 2010 I have added on two times. I have used it for the following: 3 day stay BCV April 2011,
MK View 2 days June 2011, MK view 3 days April 2012 and 2 day cruise to nowhere from NY on June 2012. I love it!!!

 

[IandGsmom]

I have never regretted DVC, only wished I did it sooner.

 

[crisi]

I wouldn't do it again and I sure wouldn't do it now.

 

[AnnaS]

11 happy years for us here with no regrets. I agree with many here - it is not an investment just prepaying and forcing you to vacation every year. It is a long term financial commitment and not for everyone. I so see it is a luxury item.

We also wish we had bought sooner. Have enjoyed many vacations with family and friends and happy that as my "kids" are also getting older, they can take advantage and use it also.

 

[JimMIA]

I wouldn't do it again and I sure wouldn't do it now.

I won't say I wouldn't do it again, but at today's prices I'd sure think long and hard about it.

And I would look at ALL other options because the prices and quality of the other options are simply too good to ignore.

If I were buying DVC now, I'd ONLY consider resale -- I just wouldn't pay the direct prices. If I wanted something that is not available resale, I'd wait until it is.

 

[JimC]

We lived in PA when we first toured in 1992. Decided it was not right for us at that time. Thought about it over the years. By 2002, the time was right and we bought both direct and resale. In 2006 we moved to Orlando and wondered if we still needed DVC. Gave ourselves a year to decide. What we discovered is that while we enjoy day trips, we still look forward to being on property for several days at a time. We more than doubled our points since moving in 2006 purchasing both direct and resale.

We are glad we purchased. Probably waited longer than necessary to buy. But upon reflection do not regret having enjoyed nearly every resort on property over the years, nor waiting until the time was right for us.

This brings us to the present. We still enjoy the resorts and our time on property. However, we would be more cautious about buying more points.

1. There are fundamentals such as the economy -- not only how it affects us, but how it affects the travel/leisure industry. There are a great many attractive alternatives to DVC, If we experience a "lost decade" or longer of economic malaise, buying DVC makes little sense. Rent a reservation from a member if you want a reasonably priced DVC stay without the long term commitment. Or take up one of Disney's discounted offers to come on property.

2. The ongoing maintenance and refurbishment costs have been out of line with what DVC delivers to members. Housekeeping issues, slow turn of villas, and a general lack of premium appearance at the resorts should not be so widely discussed with a premium priced offering. Hopefully, some of this will change with new leadership at DVC. Longer term, the methods used to share costs with the cash resorts at shared properties favors Disney in a way that I understand as a shareholder, but I do not like as a member when the economy makes it harder for Disney to fill its cash rooms.

3. DVC is a premium priced vacation purchase. DVC's strengths are story telling integrated into the details of its resorts and its locations on property. That combination can sustain a price premium of some sort for WDW resorts and possibly at DL CA. It makes little sense off property (look at VB and HH). I suspect Aulani may suffer the same issues (I hope I am wrong on that). There are just too many offerings at equal or better quality and significantly lower total cost to buy and own -- even factoring in the rich story telling details and themes. The economics were favorable to a DVC purchase during the 1990s and the early part of the last decade. Part of that was direct and resale being treated equally and DVC's aggressive use of ROFR supporting a vibrant resale market. The price differential between direct and resale was about 15% and resale prices increased in line with direct pricing. Thus, early adopters could sell at prices higher than they paid -- an almost unheard of timeshare phenomenon. That has changed.

 

[MrsDuck]

We are absolutely glad we bought into DVC!!