beginning to wonder.....

[BELLE16127]

If we should sell our Vacation Club? AS much as I LOVE being a member I just got the new Vacation Planner in the mail and looking at the points needed I am not sure it is worth the $$ to stay in the club. We have used our points for cruises 3 times now. first time in 2000 it was DH and I alone and we did a 4 night cruise and 3 nights at Boardwalk. Used 2 years points. In 2002 we did a 7 night with DH, myself, DD and DS it was 300 points plus $1600.00. Just took a 7 night Eastern with DH, myself and DS we have 12 points left and had to pay $1600.00. We allways had a category 6 with a verandah.

Looking at the points in the new planner a Category 6 durring "value" season will be 214 points per person. I guess I am thinking that we could save the $$ we pay each month to be members plus the $$ we pay each year for the taxes and pay for it all. I mean at 100.00 a month thats 1200 plus the allmost 700.00 for the taxes and so on. I am just thinking is it worth it??? I cannot access the members area of the web site yet have tried several times and have to call to find out whats up. It just doesn't seem we get many "PERKS" for all the $$ we put into it at all.

Lookin for opinions.

 

[trampslady]

While I cannot offer any financial feedback regarding your concerns (I hate math!!), I acknowledge your frustration with the rising costs of using points outside of the DVC locations. Of course, the "perks" are always just that, and are not a part of the contractual agreement between us and DVC. It's always been true that the real benefit of purchasing DVC is to stay on property at WDW in superior accommodations at the same cost (or lower) than you would pay for less spacious or "grand" accommodations. That's it. While the trades are indeed a nice optional way to use something you've already paid for, it doesn't make good financial sense (if that's of concern) to use your points that way--never has.

So, to answer your question of whether you should stay or go--only you can decide that. However, if you aren't using your points primarily at DVC then it may indeed be time to consider putting that $$ to use on something else.

Good luck with your decision process!

 

[PamOKW]

You are always going to get the best value for your points when you stay at DVC resorts. It's best to look at non-DVC options as opportunities to get some variety in your vacation plans over the many years you'll own DVC. They don't really provide much if any "savings" over cash (especially if you can get a special offer from the hotel, cruise, etc.)

If you are only using points to cruise and forsee that being your pattern for the next 5-10 years, then you might want to consider whether DVC is right for you. If you can forsee visiting the DVC resorts more often (maybe in combination with cash cruises), then you'd probably be smart to hold onto the membership.

I wonder if DVC has given any thought to creating a DVC cruise ship?

 

[dianeschlicht]

It sounds to me like you purchased DVC only to trade out to cruise. If that is the case, it isn't really a good value for that particular use. DVC is the best value for staying on-site in a DVC resort. If you only intend to cruise, you would probably be better off selling.

 

[jel0511]

I have to agree, if you bought into DVC to primarily use it for DCL, you're definately not going to see the true value of membership. The true value is in using points for DVC accomdations, as those points never increase, and the other options outside of DVC are for us to mix it up, not a primary use of points.

 

[Y-ASK]

But wasn't this one of the big selling points presented by most DVC sale reps.? I've seen a couple of commerical films about this and they all like to say that you can trade your pts. for other Disney non-DVC resorts including the cruise or go with some sort of international resort group. I really don't think DVC points should be cheapen espically if you stay at other non-DVC Disney resorts like Carribean Beach. Putting the cruise aside for a minute, I would have thought that Disney would like to have some of us DVC loyalist planning a large vacation with several external family members (which might be potential DVC buyers). I would love to be able to setup my wife's sister's and brother's family for a week at CC and WDW and introduce them to the point system but I'm not willing to pay a price in pts. that is not reasonable and there is no way I can set us all up in three 2 Bdr rooms at OKW.

Y-ASK

I'm thinking about the future when I said us loyalist. I'm not quite there yet since I'm still in ROFR Dumbo Limbo.

 

[Rence]

Yes, a selling point is that you "CAN" use your points for cruises, and other vacations. They do not say that it is a good value, it is an option.

With the DVC properties, the overall point values cannot change. They can change the points for one room type or season, but only with a matching off setting change elsewhere on the schedule.

However, for cruises, other WDW resorts and non WDW properties, DVC essentially takes your points, reserves a room, rents the room and then uses that cash to pay DCL or whomever.

DCL prices have been raising much faster than room costs at WDW. So DVC needs more points to get the cash to pay the higher DCL costs.

This will change over time. At some point in the future, if cruise demand were to dip and cruise prices drop while at the same time demand for rentals of Villa accomodations is high you could actually see the points drop.

 

[dianeschlicht]

One of the reasons the cruise and exchanges to other WDW resorts is high and fluctuates, is because the exchanges rates have to be negotiated with each individual resort each year. DVD has to accept the rates given to them, and charge points in accordance with that negotiated "price". That's why staying at DVC resorts is more economical than doing exchanges. That hold true for ALL exchanges.

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by Y-ASK
But wasn't this one of the big selling points presented by most DVC sale reps.? I've seen a couple of commerical films about this and they all like to say that you can trade your pts. for other Disney non-DVC resorts including the cruise or go with some sort of international resort group.

As Richyams used to love to interject at this point, the sales reps are timeshare sales people who don't mind distorting the facts a bit. Okay, Rich would have called them liars and cheats, but I can't bring myself to go that far!

As others have pointed out, DVC makes the most economical sense when primarily used to stay at DVC resorts. However, how people choose to use their points is entirely up to them and as long as they think they're worth it, then they are a good value. When they get to the point where the value is diminished, as you may be reaching, then selling is a valid consideration.

 

[Pa@okw95]

I agree with most of the people above. DVC is really only for staying at DVC resorts in WDW if you plan to use points for other reasons then DVC is really a waste of money. I would tell you to sell while you can get near what you paid for the points.

 

[spiceycat]

Y-ask - because the DVC resorts even a studio are better - why pay more points for something not as great.

put your relatives in studios at OKW - not 2 bedrooms....

you need to compare a hotel room with a studio.

I agreed with everyone else. If you main use of DVC points is go on cruises then this was a bad decision.


belle16127,get out now - if your sales guide told you that it was great for cruises - then I would formally complaint to DVC and tell them what you were told. The guide (unless they have a perfect record otherwise) will probably be fired.

 

[CarolA]

if your sales guide told you that it was great for cruises - then I would formally complaint to DVC and tell them what you were told. The guide (unless they have a perfect record otherwise) will probably be fired.

Sorry Pat but I disagree with the above statement. It is great for cruises if that is what you want to spend your points on. It is NOT the job of the guide to make you an informed consumer. That is the job of the purchaser. If they said one of the great perks is you can use your points to buy a cruise they weren't lying. It is a perk, it might not be one you like, but....

Disney is not doing anything different. They are telling you that you can trade for these other things. The points guides are avaiable during the tour and it did not take me long to figure it was a lot fewer points to stay at a DVC resort than a Disney resort (and that was in '96)

I have used my points for a cruise and felt it was worth it, but it was more of a one time thing then an every time event. It looks like the OP really wants to cruise more then stay at DVC and in this case I would sell. You can do better buying "cruise sales" espeically if you are flexiable. It is kind of like if you are always happy at the All Stars for a week each year this might not be a good decision either.

 

[Y-ASK]

Well I guess I'm just too new to make any kind of judgement call so I should hold off until I actually own the property and have taken a trip to one of the DVC resorts. The only problem with a studio is that all three families are fairly large and would need some space. But since I have never seen a studio what I have pictured in my mind is probably totally different than what it's really like.

Y-ASK

 

[spiceycat]

I got told once - I think the person that closed the sales - that lying by the guides was not something that DVC encouraged and would lead to them being fired.

has this changed???

 

[OneMoreTry]

Once you've recouped your investment (based on what you WOULD have paid for staying at the DVC resorts) then the rest is gravy. And then the extra stuff like cruises IS a good deal.

But I agree that you shouldn't by DVC just to use on NON DVC vacations. You can't recoup your initial investment that way.

 

[CarolA]

If your guide tells you "One of the great benefits is that you can use your points to take a Disney Cruise or stay at a Disney hotel" why would that be a lie?