considering buying... some ?'s

[dbdisney]

We are considering buying and am busy doing my homework!
We stay at Disney every year, although usually in an All Star or sometimes a moderate priced resort. We are very happy in these resorts. So would we only be getting the advantage of staying in a nicer place?

Also, is there any investment at all in this? Or is it purely paying for your vacation in advance?

And, do many people use the other timeshare resorts? Are they worth it?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Cruelladeville]

Of course, there is the advantage of staying at a nicer place, that's huge! If you are happy at All Stars, why are you looking at DVC???? I assume that you are thinking that you might like an investment like this, but timeshares in general are not good investments, particularly if you are not planning on using it yourself. I have both DVC and Marriott timeshares because I vacation 3 weeks or more per year, and I want quality accommodations. Certainly, your choices are your own, but have you stayed anywhere else? There is just no comparison between the two. DVC and Marriott cater to those who expect more than a place to sleep--they expect a certain quality.

DVC might not be right for you.

 

[av8tor]

Based mostly on the great information received from the many good people on this board we decided to jump in and are now in the process of closing on a resale contract. Our only regret is that we never looked into this sooner.

For us DVC made a lot of sense. We have been to WDW each of the last three years and plan to continue returning at least once a year for the foreseeable future. We always stayed at a moderate resort, we did get AKL for the price of a moderate because we were there the first week it opened

DO NOT buy DVC as an investment or a means to save money. We view DVC as an upgrade to what we have been doing and we also love the idea of being able to bring other family members along who otherwise might not have the opportunity to experience the majic.

#1 Decide if DVC is right for you
#2 Decide what resort you are most likely to want to stay at - and buy there

Good Luck!!!

 

[tamu91]

I decided to buy a DVC resale after several years of looking at various timeshares so here is my 2 cents on this subject. I "invested" $17K in DVC and although I don't think I'll lose money on this deal, I did not buy it from an investment point of view. I'm sure there are people making money renting out their points @ $10/pt. Look at it this way. If you purchased 150 pts at SSR today from Disney, it would cost you $95/pt. You can turn around and rent out your points every year for $1,500, assuming $10/pt is all you get from now on out. Even after you pay the maintenace fee, say ~$580, you will net $920 per year. In 15 years, you get your principle back and from that point on, you vacation in style and all you pay is the maintenace due. And after so many years, you decide to sell it, I'm sure there will be a buyer out there willing to take your points. You are buying 50 years at SSR and 38 year deed at the other four resorts. That's after you got your principle back and vacationing in comfort for $600/yr. We are talking lodging only, of course.

 

[JimC]

DVC is a premium prepaid vacation. It has held its value because Disney exercises its ROFR (right of first refusal) and buys up resale offers that fall below a threshold they set. Otherwise DVC would most likely follow the rest of the timeshare world and be worth maybe half what the developer sells it for. As the contracts get into the last half of their original term, the value will also likely decrease as there is less usage left.

As to whether it is worth it...if you go at least every other year and want to stay in a deluxe one bedroom villa for approximately the price of a room at a moderate resort then it is probably worth the up front payment. Most of us expect to spend less over ten years on lodging with DVC then we would have using moderates or deluxe rooms at WDW. After that the savings just continue to accumulate.

Our only regret is not having purchased sooner.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

Originally posted by Cruelladeville
Of course, there is the advantage of staying at a nicer place, that's huge! If you are happy at All Stars, why are you looking at DVC???? I assume that you are thinking that you might like an investment like this, but timeshares in general are not good investments, particularly if you are not planning on using it yourself. I have both DVC and Marriott timeshares because I vacation 3 weeks or more per year, and I want quality accommodations. Certainly, your choices are your own, but have you stayed anywhere else? There is just no comparison between the two. DVC and Marriott cater to those who expect more than a place to sleep--they expect a certain quality.

DVC might not be right for you.

This is such baloney. Why wouldn't someone who likes All Stars want to buy DVC? I love the Pop Century because at this time in our lives the themeing is wonderful for our DS who is almost 4. We also love the other resorts as well. Just because you like a value resort does not mean DVC isn't for them. This snobby attitude on these boards towards people who enjoy the value resorts amazes me.

Plus DVC is an investment. If you do the math the $$ you actually save on accomodations makes it worth the purchase. Some have even sold for more per point than they paid and they have had years of vacations from it. This is not the norm and all timeshares usually lose their value but because if ROFR Disney keeps the value up.

I just think to advise someone not to buy DVC because they have stayed at Value resorts is not right. IMO

 

[jarestel]

I don't think any snobbery was intended, but if someone is happy at All Stars, the DVC annual dues alone would probably come close to paying for a stay at the AS. In this case, I think the point is why spend the money and commitment for DVC if the accomodations aren't that big of a deal.

For the OP, other things to consider might be the cost of airfare, food, admission to the parks, etc. Some DVC'ers have stopped going to the parks due to the cost of tickets, so remember ticket prices will only increase over the next 40 - 50 years. Good luck with your decision.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

Originally posted by jarestel
I don't think any snobbery was intended, but if someone is happy at All Stars, the DVC annual dues alone would probably come close to paying for a stay at the AS. In this case, I think the point is why spend the money and commitment for DVC if the accomodations aren't that big of a deal.

For the OP, other things to consider might be the cost of airfare, food, admission to the parks, etc. Some DVC'ers have stopped going to the parks due to the cost of tickets, so remember ticket prices will only increase over the next 40 - 50 years. Good luck with your decision.

Yes that is true but who knows what all starts will cost in 10 years or 40 for that matter. And forget about it if you were staying at a moderate resort. Had I know DVC was so ...do I dare to say...affordable I would have purchased a long time ago. From calculating the $$ I spent on onsite accomodatations I would have been close to having my DVC half paid already.

I think the biggest criteria is if you are going to use it. If your family loves WDW so much that you see yourself going to a DVC resort at least 1 vacation a year for the next 50 years. Not whether someone stays at a value or not. PLUS who would not LOVE the nicer accomodations if they enjoy the value resorts.

 

[Granny]

Like many others, we did not purchase DVC to save money. It was an investment in upgrading our vacations. For me, it also meant "forcing" me to take a quality family vacation every year....something I didn't always do before.

As my children enter high school age soon, and then college, I know that we could never afford to go to WDW while paying those big tuitions. So for us, it also allowed us to guarantee quality vacations even in years when money is a little tighter.

DVC isn't for everyone. But for those who fit the bill, it has been a high quality program with excellent resort accommodations.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

Along with staying in a nicer place (huge plus to me) there are many additional benefits to being a DVC member, which I considered before purchasing. Some of the more favorable benefits IMHO are having a kitchen (huge cost savings on meals, snacks, beverages), Washer/Dryer (ability to pack light), Discounts on meals, tours, etc. (everyone loves discounts). There are numerous other perks that go along with membership as well which should be considered.

As for an investment, I do not consider it a financial investment in any way although some do. I look at it as an investment in quality time with family & friends at the greatest place on earth. You can argue back and forth the investment potential but if that is your reason for buying I would suggest seeking financial advice from a professional, as there are much better financial investments opportunities available.

I personally have not used other timeshares. If certain locations available appeal to you and your family I would suggest doing a financial analysis for that location before using points to book any such trip. As someone else had mentioned, you can rent your points ($10/pt) and use that money toward the rental of another property, which may or may not be more beneficial depending on the location and time of year. There are lots of people here who can give you advice in this area if need be (its amazing how much knowledge is present here).

As you will see here time and time again, DVC is not for everybody and is not something that should be purchased without much thought, planning and guidance unless of course you are independently wealthy and money is not an issue for you. Good luck with your decision.

Av8tor - Congratulations!!!

 

[dbdisney]

Thanks for everyone's replies.