Considering DVC, but I don't see how it's beneficial...

[rotlex]

Honestly, you probably won't make DVC work for you financially. You can take advantage of discounts (a lot of members who make it work do so by using rack rates or close to it in calculations - we always need to travel when school is out - so we don't get much in the way of discounts for example, nor do we go to Disney with enough frequency to take advantage of bounce backs). You are happy in moderates. And you are already thinking of DVC in terms of room upgrades - ie.e a 1 or 2 bedroom. You may join a set of members who think that although they end up spending more on DVC, they get good value for that money (that includes me), but if you are looking for it to save you money - it isn't likely to work for you ever.

Good points. I think our other reasoning is that we go to Disney for the Parks and experiences, not so much the hotel. While I love the deluxe resorts when we stay in them, in all honesty, we are rope drop to park close people. The hotel\resort is a place to sleep, LOL.

 

[disneynutz]

Good points. I think our other reasoning is that we go to Disney for the Parks and experiences, not so much the hotel. While I love the deluxe resorts when we stay in them, in all honesty, we are rope drop to park close people. The hotel\resort is a place to sleep, LOL.

That used to be us, then one day after a few years we stopped and thought, why are we fighting the crowds, standing in long lines to ride the same 5 minute rides every time we go to WDW?

Now we take our time, go parks when we feel like it, sleep in, and watch other people running around commando style. The best thing is when we get home now we aren't exhausted feeling like we need a vacation because we just did a WDW vacation!

Bill

 

[crisi]

Good points. I think our other reasoning is that we go to Disney for the Parks and experiences, not so much the hotel. While I love the deluxe resorts when we stay in them, in all honesty, we are rope drop to park close people. The hotel\resort is a place to sleep, LOL.

We are like that too, but we have kids - so having them sleep in another room all these years has been wonderful - not cheap, but has saved our sanity. A family of four for a week in a hotel room is a special slice of hell to me. There it is - spend more, but feel like we've gotten a good value.

We aren't like Bill, if I'm going to hang around a resort, I want something other than Florida and Disney - I have never liked Florida - I like Disney World. We like Hawaii and Mexico. I liked Hilton Head a lot. But if I'm at Disney, I'm there for the rides, and if I can knock them off in four days and then end up somewhere where the food is better near an ocean or end up in a city like London or San Francisco.

 

[DougEMG]

DVC can be a good deal if you get in at a low enough price, but it will also change how you vacation which could cause you to end up spending more. Prior to DVC we'd go for 10-14 days staying in a moderate with free dining (3 people). Last year we stayed 45 days, staying at VGF, BLT, BCV and BWV, while I don't know for sure, I'm pretty sure I spent more on that 45 day trip than on any previous trip prior to DVC. Without DVC I could/would never have paid the cash rates for those rooms.

Another option to consider is comparing renting a DVC room to what you would normally do.

 

[coastalhh]

DVC can be a good deal if you get in at a low enough price, but it will also change how you vacation which could cause you to end up spending more. Prior to DVC we'd go for 10-14 days staying in a moderate with free dining (3 people). Last year we stayed 45 days, staying at VGF, BLT, BCV and BWV, while I don't know for sure, I'm pretty sure I spent more on that 45 day trip than on any previous trip prior to DVC. Without DVC I could/would never have paid the cash rates for those rooms.

Another option to consider is comparing renting a DVC room to what you would normally do.

wow 45 days? I cant imagine staying for that long and i love disney. At 45 days I think I would rather rent a house

 

[DougEMG]

wow 45 days? I cant imagine staying for that long and i love disney. At 45 days I think I would rather rent a house

It was over two trips. One for 28 nights in Aug/Sept and another for 18 nights in Dec.

 

[Kaigler]

It was over two trips. One for 28 nights in Aug/Sept and another for 18 nights in Dec.

You might has well just move there. lol

 

[coastalhh]

It was over two trips. One for 28 nights in Aug/Sept and another for 18 nights in Dec.

How much vacation do you get? And is that normal for Canada. I know Europe gets a lot. Most of us in the states get 3 weeks or less with most including sick time.

 

[ToddyLu]

As I have said before...DVC changes your trip to Disney like a Corvette changes your drive to work. Do you need it. No. Do you want it. Sure.

We love to vacation at WDW, so that is where we spend our vacation money...DVC is one way for a fireman and nurse to stay at a Deluxe resort once or twice a year and also get a second studio for family every other trip. I wanted more...the larger pool, better covered bus stop ( our home is AKV), the opportunity on certain visits to relax on a balcony with a drink and watch a giraffe walk by. Where else in the lower 48 ( I am sure I could see a bear, Moose, etc if staying at certain hotels in Alaska ) do you get that experience. DH and I do not have children but we do spoil our parents. Watching our parents enjoy those types of vacation is wonderful. Over time you begin to relax with DVC, you know you are coming back soon. Disney is "home" for that week. I get to stay at a deluxe resort at a prized vacation destination....over and over and over and over. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time and memories and still feel it was one of our best decisions ever. Not everybody needs or wants that...

 

[Ck57524]

We bought in because we love disney and honestly our disney trip far outweighed our trip to Dominican republic, and was less stressful. Dvc just made sense because at 2500$ each trip I could have a longer trip for much less a year, and be guaranteed a trip instead of relying on a good year with nothing needing our finances. I do agree though you need to find a good enough deal for it to make financial sense.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Good points. I think our other reasoning is that we go to Disney for the Parks and experiences, not so much the hotel. While I love the deluxe resorts when we stay in them, in all honesty, we are rope drop to park close people. The hotel\resort is a place to sleep, LOL.

We felt that way but then we ended up on a Disney honeymoon during 9/11 when the parks were absolutely empty and we were able to do every attraction we wanted multiple times within the first several days. We were there for two weeks and needed to find other things to do. The world of visiting other resorts and seeing what they were all about was opened up to us and it was a whole new facet of Disney I had never even thought about even after so many trips. Now my kids would be very annoyed if we weren't enjoying the resort pool at leisure at least a couple times during a trip.

 

[DougEMG]

How much vacation do you get? And is that normal for Canada. I know Europe gets a lot. Most of us in the states get 3 weeks or less with most including sick time.

I'm at my maximum vacation which is 35 days a year. I also work flex hours so have every 2nd Monday off and then there are 11 or 12 stat holidays every year as well. I can also roll over 10 days from one year to the next if I don't use them all. All in all it is pretty good, but then I've been working at the same place for 25+ years and it takes 25 years to get up to 35 days.

I think vacation time here is somewhere between the US and Europe.

My next trip which is Oct 19 to Nov 19 only uses 23 days of my vacation.

 

[JoeA]

I crunched numbers, built spreadsheets, analysized until my fingers hurt and came to the conclusion that it's not a good financial move. Then we bought and added on a few years later.

Here's why:

1) Only buy if you can afford it. It's not an investment or a magical savings strategy.

2) it changed the way we vacation. For the better. I may not be saving money but we vacation more, stay in better rooms, and share with our family. This alone is worth it, IMO.

We've done 2 and 3 bedrooms with extended family, given rooms to family and friends. Taken vacations we'd never take (just got back from 10 days in HI), and have had a freaking blast.

It's as much as an emotional purchase as anything I've ever "bought". If you can swing $20k and not sweat it - it's great. If it makes paying bills tight - pass.

You have to commit to taking vacations!

 

[Sleepy425]

As a family with 4 young kids (20 month old twins, 3, and 5), Our DVC purchase was a home run. True, we usually stay at Pop (besides the one OKW trip we rented points), but once we were up to 4 kids our options dwindled. I didn't want two rooms - it would feel like seperate vacations. And while k used to do laundry while my husband took the kids swimming, with 4 young kids that just isn't safe. Now I can do laundry while we are in the room. And since our 2BR has more than enough room for our family, we were able to have my parents in our villa to help with the kids. That was much more convenient than how we've done it in the past - my parents had a seperate room and we would walk the kids over to hang out with them while we got things ready for the day.
So while I agree I'm paying a bit more by having DVC, it makes my vacation so much more enjoyable. I HATE to cook, but my kids LOVE to eat - being able to throw together pasta for them easily was great! As well as being able to eat in the room instead of running down to a food court for breakfast. Time is money, so that is another big win for DVC.

 

[Brian Noble]

We usually stay about a week and have never spent more than $1500 on a hotel room for that length of time.

It won't save you money, for sure. But...

2) it changed the way we vacation. For the better. I may not be saving money but we vacation more, stay in better rooms, and share with our family. This alone is worth it, IMO.

This is why we got into timesharing, and it has led to awesome vacations. Our minimum size for the four of us (parents, DD16 and DS14) is a 2BR/2BA condo, and we're getting to the point where a 3BR/3BA is preferable when we can get one. Nearly every vacation, no matter where we go, my wife and I will look at each other and have the same thought: "Huh. People put entire families in a single hotel room." Usually, that's while we are sipping wine on the balcony, or maybe in the comfortable living room while the kids are asleep.

So, you won't save money, but as others have said, you might get decent value. A DVC purchase could make sense if (a) you imagine Walt Disney World to be your primary vacation destination for the foreseeable future, (b) you generally won't consider staying off-property, and (c) you can comfortably afford to pay cash for the purchase. It makes even more sense as a resale purchase, IMO.

We ended up not buying DVC, because we weren't sure Orlando was our primary long-term destination. We also don't necessarily need to stay onsite for WDW trips, though we do when an exchange opportunity presents itself. We bought resale, and so our total costs have been very reasonable. We've had some awesome vacations over the years, and I would go back and do it all over again, almost exactly the same way. We've used our timeshares in a wide mix of destinations: Anaheim and Orlando for Disney, but also the Wisconsin Dells, the Smoky Mountains, Hilton Head, Sedona, Washington DC, northern Michigan, and Waikiki. Next summer we have a trip planned with a week in a 3BR ocean view penthouse at Hilton's Lagoon tower on Oahu followed by a week in a 2BR condo at Hilton's Kings Land in Waikoloa on the big island. We've also given friends and family members weeks as gifts over the years.

I think our other reasoning is that we go to Disney for the Parks and experiences, not so much the hotel. While I love the deluxe resorts when we stay in them, in all honesty, we are rope drop to park close people. The hotel\resort is a place to sleep, LOL.

True confession: I'm a Founders Club member of the Bay Lake Society. There is a LOT on offer beyond the theme parks, and it is worth it to explore. It's hard to imagine doing this in the first few years, but once the parks become a little "been there, done that" you will find yourself looking well beyond them. For example, my most recent WDW trip was just my son and I for Easter Week this year for a "boys' week away." We stayed in a 1BR at OKW, and happened to luck into Building 45, with a canal view. We spent several afternoons reading on the balcony, watching the boats go back and forth. The highlight of our week was a golf lesson at the Palm over by the Grand Floridian (neither of us play, so it was a first for both of us) followed by a late breakfast at Kona cafe. We also managed to snag a Nissan 370Z on the Emerald Aisle, so we spent some of our time just cruising around. We had plenty of theme park time, as well, but that's not all we did.

 

[Disney93]

We bought into the Boardwalk in 1998 and it has been great for us. Disney gave us $1500.00 off the purchase price because of the package we were on at the time of purchase. Paid only $61.00 dollars a point. 2 weeks ago our son put his Boardwalk membership up for sale and it already has an offer which is $22.00 a point more than we paid. We have used every point for stays since we started and love the Boardwalk. I know I could sell my membership for more than I paid but we are still planning more trips.

I would like to say that if you need to be talked into buying, DVC is not for you. You can also sell your points if you care to and then there is all the planning to make reservation. It is a lot easier to sit down at your computer and book a trip when you like. DVC is confusing to some but once you learn the tricks of using it, it is a walk in the park. Take your time and make the best decision for your family, we waited a year before buying. Good Luck

 

[disneynutz]

Resale prices go up but they can go down even faster, don't buy based on the investment increasing. Just a few years ago we sold several contracts and took a $10,000 loss.

Bill

 

[knobster]

I can think of one other example where it CURRENTLY makes some financial sense to buy DVC. We stayed at BLT
3 days after it opened with a cash reservation, and got free dining. We fell in love with the decor (minimalist is
better for allergy sufferers, or at least we convince ourselves of that), the location, and the fact that the one
bedroom has two FULL baths.

We talked to the DVC folks then (they were selling at $120/pt, with the 10% discount offered when we got
back home). I ran numbers and decided that the cash discounts made DVC not worth it.

Well, the discounts for BLT started dwindling and two years ago we ended up getting MAYBE 5% off rack rates.
There was no way I was going to spend that again, and now BLT seems to be exempt from every discount,
so last year we ended up staying in the Art of Animation family suites (also two full baths). It was very nice,
and cool for the kids (and me - I like Cars), and we had the two baths, so we were pretty happy. But a few hot
days waiting for buses was not our favorite way to spend a vacation.

We wanted to get back to BLT, so we figured if we have to pay rack rates, then DVC could then be considered
cost effective. We realize that this can change at any time, but at least we will get those nice DVC sliders to
go around our Magic Bands.

 

[astrunkstein]

This all is so confusing. Is it worth it for cruising?

 

[Dean]

This all is so confusing. Is it worth it for cruising?

That's essentially 2 issues. One whether using for cruising if you own is reasonable and the other whether it's reasonable to buy retail to use for cruising since one cannot use resale points for cruising. I'll answer assuming one is looking at cruising periodically, say every third year, rather than just a once time to use up extra points.

To use for cruising is almost never a reasonable choice because of several issues, the return rate on the points is barely above maintenance fees for most situations (usually $6-7.50), the limitations on the points if you have to change or cancel is dramatic and you have the $95 fee which you have to pay again if you make ANY changes. Plus if you are using points plus cash, the cash amount is usually much higher than the cash amount for a comparable option using cash alone. You also give up the cancelation option you have on cash. Other than short notice, I think using points is not a reasonable choice even if one finds a reasonable $$$ return. It'd have to be late enough that the cancelation window for cash was not a factor or a return in excess of $13-5 a point to make it reasonable IMO. I've only seen one report of a situation that was that high and I suspect it's because they missed the early booking window rather than a good inherent return.

On top of that, to get the option today you have to buy retail which means you pay roughly double to get retail points AND have to buy a lot more points, let's say double points as well. So while SSR resale at 200 points costs you maybe $15K, 400 yearly points at Poly might cost you $60K or more.

IMO it's rarely a reasonable choice to use points for cruising if you already own enough qualified points and there is never a time in the current situation where it's reasonable to buy specifically to cruise periodically and never has been. That answer applies to ALL exchanges including Disney hotels, Adventures by Disney, RCI, etc. The non cash type exchanges can be a reasonable choice at time if one owns already but there are few situations where it is.