Comparing Issues between DVC and other timeshares

[nboicepardee]

We own weeks at four other timeshares. We primarily use them to exchange. None offer housekeeping at all- but a couple do offer a "linen exchange" mid week (we have to strip beds and take all linens to the resort laundry where we can trade for fresh linens). Check out is 9:00 - 10:00am.

We've had no unresolved complaints at any - especially DVC.

What time is checkout at DVC Resorts? I know checkin is after 4pm. We are in the process of buying right now. Thanks!

 

[Sammie]

We rent from many time shares on the coast. The major differences we have found are some Doc stated.
No housekeeping.
You clean the unit before leaving. Which includes remove bed linens, put towels in the tub, run the dishwasher, and empty the trash.
Non smoking is a booking guarantee. You sign a contract that if you smoke in the unit you pay a fine of $500.
Check in is after 4pm and strickly adhered to. You do not show up before then, as they don't allow it.
Check out is 10 am and again strickly adhered to.
We have never rented a unit that was not spotless and in good repair. We have never had maintenance issues either.
We also stay at resorts that allow you to book a certain unit, with the understanding that management can subsitute with a similar unit if necessary. If we booked a 2 bedroom NS unit with a pool view and the particular unit became unavailable, they would give us another 2 bedroom NS with pool view.

 

[Dean]

What time is checkout at DVC Resorts? I know checkin is after 4pm. We are in the process of buying right now. Thanks!

11 am with no late checkout.

 

[crisi]

The big difference there seems to be the 4pm checkin. If you show up at a DVC resort at 9am, there is a chance you'll be checked into a room. If not, they will at least let you leave your luggage and head off to the parks. Often they get you all checked in, just don't let you know your room number until checkin.

Of course, in order to have "room ready" they can't preassign rooms, and they need flexibility on their end. The 4pm checkin (which was the case more often three years ago) was a huge complaint. We almost never hear complaints now from people who didn't get into their room until 4pm or later.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We don't own any other timeshares besides DVC, but we have done a couple of exchanges, and I thought our DVC accommodations were VERY much better kept than the two exchanges we did to Hawaii. The Kona Coast Resot was nice, but furniture, fixtures and cabinets and carpets were pretty shabby and needed some sprucing up. The Pahio one we stayed at in Princeville, Kauai was newer and this in better shape, but the materials used in it were cheap, and I could see it getting shabby pretty early on.

 

[SoCalKDG]

Worldmark is an "all points based" system with over 200,000 owner accounts and 50+ resort locations. Similar to DVC, WM owners book stays of any length, any season, any property, any unit size (etc.). WM's inventory includes variations of special needs, unit configuration differences, and location/view options which may be selected at time of reservation. Reservations may be booked using points (or "credits" in the appropriate WM vocabulary) or cash, for owner use or guest use ... and in some cases is rented to the public.

One more question. Which units run closer to capacity. I believe DVC is usually above 90% capacity(the two times I've checked, it was at 98%). Are other timeshares booked above 90% all the time?

 

[bcvillastwo]

.............but it's been a while. I travel a great deal with my company and thus I've stayed in a great deal of hotels, motels, and suites places and frankly the quality of the housekeeping varies greatly even for some of the higher priced places. I know it's frustrating to spend thousands to become DVC members and then not have expectationis met. It's that Disney Magic thing we all seem to expect from our visits to WDW. But, sometimes I think people complain a bit too much and expect way too much when it comes to all things Disney, and particularly DVC. Lets face it, Disney isn't perfect and neither is DVC. People aren't perfect and guess what folks people work for Disney and DVC. Sometimes we are just going to be let down. It's unrealistic to expect otherwise. But, (yes another but monkey) that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have high expectations for DVC nor does it mean that we shouldn't expect a certain level of performance for the dollars we spend at Disney. So, when problems are identified give Disney the chance to correct the problem. If they do, then maybe only a bit of the magic has rubbed off (see Tinker for some more pixie dust) and you can then enjoy your well earned vacation.

One final point, DVC has over 70,000 members, the numbers are growing, and from what I can see there isn't any problem selling points. All in all it seems like most people feel it's a pretty good deal.

 

[Dean]

One more question. Which units run closer to capacity. I believe DVC is usually above 90% capacity(the two times I've checked, it was at 98%). Are other timeshares booked above 90% all the time?

It depends on the timeshare. At times many of them are overbooked due to some snafu or the other. In general, every unit is owned by someone but whether there will be anyone actually in the unit will vary. For peak season it will be very high, for off season, not so much and maybe as low s 15-30% during truly off season. Places where air fares are an issue will affect things as well, Aruba is a good example.

 

[Bill3]

We have stayed at several other time share properties besides DVC, and have never found any to match up with the overall quality of a DVC vacation. Some were more prestigious than others but DVC just has to much going for it. Certainly the DVC properties at WDW have a environment that no one else can match and that adds tremendously to the experience, but trying to seperate that out of the equation I still think DVC wins out.We are staying at Vero in April, we will see how that matches up.(DVC-97)

 

[dianeschlicht]

During our recent trip in Dec we had alot of problems with maintenace issues. One of our 1 bedroom units had no hot water the entire week. Despite several calls to maintenance it was never fixed and because the resort was full we couldn't move. They offered to give us two free nights and a dinner on the house but we suffered 5 days with no hot water for the jacuzzi, the dishwasher or anything else. It was a terrible stay. The refrigerator also din't keep our food cold unless it was set at 9. we lost alot of our food until we notice the problem. I felt that they should have reimbursed the whole trip as the room was not what we paid for. Several times we waited for hours in the room waiting for someone to fix our problem and even spent time at the front desk trying to get a supervisor. I was very unhappy with the treatment we received. I've been a member since 1999, and I've never had a problem like this before. On this trip we had two grand villas and the one bedroom. I was trying to get my neighbors to buy in to DVC but since the one bedroom was there unit they were so disgusted with the treatment that they received they weren't interested in taking the tour. I've sent a letter to DVC but haven't even received the curtesy of a response. I love Disney and up til now I loved my DVC but this last trip really has me worried about the future. We pay alot of dues as I own 600+points and I expect to get a fully functioning room each time I vacation with no excuses. I can live with minor maintenance issues but not having the basics like hot water for a deluxe room is totally unacceptable to me. The fact I haven't heard a thing from member services is another bad omen for the future as in the past I have had nothing but raves for my membership. I now am totally turned off. joan

Which resort were you at? I have never had ANY of those problems, much less all in one unit!

 

[DisNDat]

Marriott also can be haphazard when it comes to housekeeping and maintenance, especially in high occupancy, high turn-over locales like Orlando and Hilton Head. It's not just a Dis problem...it's more common than that, I'm pretty sure.

 

[Dean]

Marriott also can be haphazard when it comes to housekeeping and maintenance, especially in high occupancy, high turn-over locales like Orlando and Hilton Head. It's not just a Dis problem...it's more common than that, I'm pretty sure.

Marriott in HH actually imports laborers from Jamaica for housekeeping during the busiest times of the year.

 

[FLYNZ4]

Worldmark is an "all points based" system with over 200,000 owner accounts and 50+ resort locations. Similar to DVC, WM owners book stays of any length, any season, any property, any unit size (etc.). WM's inventory includes variations of special needs, unit configuration differences, and location/view options which may be selected at time of reservation. Reservations may be booked using points (or "credits" in the appropriate WM vocabulary) or cash, for owner use or guest use ... and in some cases is rented to the public.

One more question. Which units run closer to capacity. I believe DVC is usually above 90% capacity(the two times I've checked, it was at 98%). Are other timeshares booked above 90% all the time?

The vast majority of WM resorts run at near 100% occupancy. Three are a few resorts, in relatively unpopular locations that do not consitently fill to capacity. This is particularly true of the few resorts in the mid west, largely due to the WM's owner based heavily weighted to the west coast.

One thing that WM does which almost guarantees full occupancy is offer "bonus time", which allows you to stay on a cash only basis, for all inventory which is not booked within 14 days of check-in. The cash rates are quite a bargain at $0.04/credit. My last bonus time reservation was in January, and a 2BR unit was only $24/night. Still, the vast majority of resorts are sold out long before bonus time takes affect... but it is a good deal when available.

/Jim

 

[debbiebones]

We own at BCV and just returned from our second trip and ALSO tacked on a 5 day stay at Marriott's Grande Vista to hear their pitch. I came out with an interestesting view and have been going back and forth about whether or not to switch from DVC to MVC but the more I explore it (with the help of other's information, the more I think we'll stick with DVC.

I did think that the refurbished units at GV were very beautiful! I thought we had a tendency to spend less money than we did when on site at DVC, but then again, there is such easy access to so many different locations within WDW when you're on property.

One think I really like about BCV is the accessability while you're waiting for your room. We arrived at 10:30 a.m. and checked in but were told of course that the room might not be ready until 4. No problem, we went to the Health Club, changed into suits and swam all day at SAB. Did the same thing on the day we left...our flight was at 5:20 but after checking out at 10 a.m., they were more than happy to allow us use of the pool and health club until we left! THAT is a bit plus. Almost felt like we had two extra days to spend there!

As far as spending more money on Disney property, guess, I'll just have to curb that myself!

I think in the long run, we'll be at DVC for some time.

Deb

 

[lurontravel]

Not having a ton of experience with other time-shares, I just got home today from a friends' Orange Lake Timeshare in Orlando just down the road from WDW. Not as nice as DVC. It was ok, but seemed "cheaply done" compared to DVC (furniture was kinda' cheap looking/seeming, kitchen seemed dated {and didn't seem like they had any intentions of re-doing it according to the owners} the bathroom had a small jacuzzi tub but the patio was a nice size, and it did have w/d). Dishes and kitchen stuff not as nice as DVC, if you didn't have something you wanted in your unit (for the kitchen), too bad, go buy it. They have to pick up their towels and put them all in one of the bath tubs, empty trash and leave unit generally p/u. I do generally do all of this, but it isn't required at DVC. THere is not t/t or any type of housekeeping mid week, and though it was near by, parking at my favorite theme parks was not included, and at $8 a day, it adds up pretty quickly. Makes me want to always stay at my DVC! What a great value it is! The flexibility is tops! At Orange Lake, you check in after 4 on a Friday, and out the next Fri by 10 am, and don't dare forget to return your keys! (Can you tell that I like Disney?!?!)

 

[Dean]

Not having a ton of experience with other time-shares, I just got home today from a friends' Orange Lake Timeshare in Orlando just down the road from WDW. Not as nice as DVC. It was ok, but seemed "cheaply done" compared to DVC (furniture was kinda' cheap looking/seeming, kitchen seemed dated {and didn't seem like they had any intentions of re-doing it according to the owners} the bathroom had a small jacuzzi tub but the patio was a nice size, and it did have w/d). Dishes and kitchen stuff not as nice as DVC, if you didn't have something you wanted in your unit (for the kitchen), too bad, go buy it. They have to pick up their towels and put them all in one of the bath tubs, empty trash and leave unit generally p/u. I do generally do all of this, but it isn't required at DVC. THere is not t/t or any type of housekeeping mid week, and though it was near by, parking at my favorite theme parks was not included, and at $8 a day, it adds up pretty quickly. Makes me want to always stay at my DVC! What a great value it is! The flexibility is tops! At Orange Lake, you check in after 4 on a Friday, and out the next Fri by 10 am, and don't dare forget to return your keys! (Can you tell that I like Disney?!?!)

Don't let one experience shape all your ideas about other timeshares. There are others just as good as DVC and even better for some. And that OLCC could be bought for 20-25% of what DVC would cost with yearly fees about 2/3 DVC. OLCC is a good example of it's important where you are in the resort. Some areas are just as nice as DVC and other lacking.

 

[lurontravel]

Good points, Dean. Like I said, I do have very limited experience with other timeshares, and I hadn't even considered the $$$ issues. But, for my purposes, DVC is perfect. We travel a good amount, and we require a great deal of flexibility when we make our plans, and look at all of the options very carefully before finalizing our plans each time. I use DVC just for my Disney trips, and do find it very convenient to be on grounds. I live close by (couple of hours away), and travel up to WDW often, sometimes for only one night with just my kids, sometimes for 4-5 nights with my extended family, and I love the flexibility of DVC. I don't think that I'll ever exchange my points, I might rent them instead, but it doesn't seem a good value for the flexibility that we usually require when traveling to do an exchange. Never say never...