Could have bought DVC twice by now!

[DznyLvr2005]

Has anyone ever thought how much they've spent with all their Disney vacations that they literally could have been in Disney Vacation Club for years now?! I'm sorta upset, we spent more than $5k on our honeymoon to Disney and that's 1/3 of the total cost of DVC!!!
I didn't know much about DVC until we went to Saratoga Springs for a meeting on it (And disney gave us $100 just for going!!!!)
Now were going again in October (free dining! But spending another $2k) so now that's almost 1/2 of the DVC! ARGH! I don't know what to do, I don't like the fact that you have to spend $500 a year in fees, because $500 a year for 49 years adds another $25,000 on to your $15,000 DVC. And we don't own a house, so we really should be thinking about that first, but the fact is that if we keep going I don't know if it's worth it
You can only get the good low points on certain days, then you wind up buying more points. It's something I don't want to bother with.. points... But I love DW and I'd love to own a piece of it. We were so close to buying it last year at the meeting, but we both said we should go home and discuss.

 

[spiceycat]

I have owned DVC since 1993. It is definitely worth it to me... of course I was going to WDW twice a year even then. So 4 times now (okay sometimes 5 times and once 7 times).

annual passes do that to you. I mean hey the room paid for, you have the tickets, so that is just food (or groceries) and transportation (either drive or fly to Orlando)

It can save you money. Or it can cost you big time. Some of the people who first brought and now hate DVC - well they were use to staying in hotel rooms. they started to get 2-bedroom villa..... well only if you afford 2-bedroom villa are you going to save that route. I would stay in studio until you have the DVC paid off. then you can branch out. oh any excess points you rent out those first years.

if you stay in a studio Sun-thurs - you will have excess points.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

I have owned DVC since 1993. It is definitely worth it to me... of course I was going to WDW twice a year even then. So 4 times now (okay sometimes 5 times and once 7 times).

annual passes do that to you. I mean hey the room paid for, you have the tickets, so that is just food (or groceries) and transportation (either drive or fly to Orlando)

It can save you money. Or it can cost you big time. Some of the people who first brought and now hate DVC - well they were use to staying in hotel rooms. they started to get 2-bedroom villa..... well only if you afford 2-bedroom villa are you going to save that route. I would stay in studio until you have the DVC paid off. then you can branch out. oh any excess points you rent out those first years.

if you stay in a studio Sun-thurs - you will have excess points.

Thanks for responding....
What I should have done is purchased this pre-honeymoon, because then it would have been worth it for me. I feel like if I buy it now, i've already wasted seven thousand dollars and now I'm adding another 15 thousand on. Yes, that's another thing... Tickets you have to buy, food, plane tickets. Sometimes getting a package will be worth it more.. for me anyway. You can't beat 2 adults with free dining for 8 days at Coronado Springs for $1800!! I remember when I was little it cost more money to go to DW than it does now!

 

[cjnix29]

We have considered it as well, but I keep thinking that the fees per year really amount to what we pay for hotel rooms for the amount of time we go down. Then you still have tickets, food and transportation. Plus, I have the money to decide in the future where I want to vacation, or if I want to vacation.

 

[allshookup]

You might want to go on the DVC board & pose your thoughts. I think you might get some constructive feedback. We actually went to Disney for years before we finally decided to purchase. I really enjoyed looking around for the best deal & seeing how much money we could save, but that has been getting more & more difficult these last couple of years. It's a tough decision, but one I'm glad we finally made. I also did not want to deal with points, but it has turned out to be fairly simple. The fees do seem high, but when you add them all up plus the initial cost & divide them by the years of ownership it really does come out to quite a savings in the long run. Especially as hotel rooms continue to increase over the years. Plus we save quite a bit by eating a light breakfast in the room & keeping snacks & drinks on hand. Just some things to consider but it isn't an easy choice.

 

[mlayton14]

For most people out there, I really dont see the point of buying into DVC.

DVC is really nothing more than a discount program, DVC members really dont have exclusive access to anything that the general public doesnt, they just get it cheaper than average hotel stayers, and probably only a little cheaper than renters, if at all.

The best option from my point of view is renting, this way you get most of the benefits without the large initial outlay, and most important, without the commitment. Find a trustworthy owner, rent points from them, and save all of that excess money for a house !!

 

[daisyduck123]

Has anyone ever thought how much they've spent with all their Disney vacations that they literally could have been in Disney Vacation Club for years now?!

We have often thought the same thing. During our May trip (which cost us $5000.00) we met with a DVC rep at Saratoga Springs. Like you, we told the guy that we needed to think about it....and we still are. We've been to Disney 4 times in the past 2 years (always 8 or 9 day trips) & we should have joined then.

 

[allshookup]

For most people out there, I really dont see the point of buying into DVC.

DVC is really nothing more than a discount program, DVC members really dont have exclusive access to anything that the general public doesnt, they just get it cheaper than average hotel stayers, and probably only a little cheaper than renters, if at all.

The best option from my point of view is renting, this way you get most of the benefits without the large initial outlay, and most important, without the commitment. Find a trustworthy owner, rent points from them, and save all of that excess money for a house !!

Well I don't really agree that it is a discount program because the initial cost is pretty large, but I do agree it is a substantial savings over the long run. However, you do get discounts on AP's for instance & then you can get a DDE card which is another big savings on meals & drinks. There are some exclusive benefits such as get togethers put on by Disney that can be a lot of fun but not a reason to purchase by any means. If you rent, you are subject to possible rental increases in the years to come but if you own, your points never go up for DVC resorts.

 

[mlayton14]

I agree with many of your points ... but it really is a discount program. The point is to save money

The point is not that you can stay at resorts that no one else can (because thats not the case), its not that you have access to your own theme park, etc, etc .... these would make it exclusive in my mind.

DVC can work for some people ... those that are sure they will want to go to Disney regularly, those that truly value larger accomodations, and those that can plan ahead and afford to be less flexible. If all of these are true, then you can save money with DVC, sometimes alot.

Regarding the cost to rent .. yes there is a risk of rental point costs going up. But I can safely say that the price hasnt increased in many years, and the price of buying DVC sure has gotten more expensive. That, and maintenance fees for people that do buy DVC will surely increase as well.

 

[kjs1976]

When you spend 5K on a vacation, I'm assuming that's everything. When you buy into DVC, you are paying $12K+ on the initial points/season, plus yearly maintenence fees for the room only. We always look for specials on rooms, so at the most, we spend $1000 a year on a room and on a one trip year, $5-800. Thinking about paying $14K to have a week during the year when we could travel there, plus maintenence fees, we would be spending an arm and a leg....just on the room.

 

[spiceycat]

yes but you can stay in a studio for sun-thurs okay a fri or sat occasionally and then rent your excess points to help pay off the mortgage or annual fees.

 

[Greg K.]

...since we joined DVC in 2002, our vacation costs are now roughly HALF what they were. Because we aren't paying the biggest expenditure anymore, which is the room.

Think of it as a pre-paid vacation, and it makes sense (provided you have the money for the initial outlay, and really really like Disney...)

And like a lot of people, I've often found myself slapping my forehead and saying "If only I'd done it sooner!"

 

[DznyLvr2005]

When you spend 5K on a vacation, I'm assuming that's everything. When you buy into DVC, you are paying $12K+ on the initial points/season, plus yearly maintenence fees for the room only. We always look for specials on rooms, so at the most, we spend $1000 a year on a room and on a one trip year, $5-800. Thinking about paying $14K to have a week during the year when we could travel there, plus maintenence fees, we would be spending an arm and a leg....just on the room.

5K was for the room (concierge level) & tickets. So we actually wound up spending much more than $5k! But I see what you're saying. We'll never spend $5K on a vacation again. That was a one time honeymoon thing. You can get to DW cheap. We're going in October for a week, including tickets, and free dining for under 2 thousand total for both of us

 

[allshookup]

True it is not an exclusive club & I don't think anyone goes into DVC thinking it is. However, a lot of DVC owners would say the point is not to save money but to more or less have your vacation prepaid for years besides the maintanence fees. The fees do increase but most DVCers also factor in the avg. increase over the years. Don't know about the rent for points or cost of hotel rooms because it is hard to predict what will happen in 10 to 20 years from now. If you buy SSR you own for the next 48 years. We used to feel that we could go to Disney on what you pay for maintanence fees, but it is really nice to have a bedroom, living room, kitchen, washer & dryer, balcony, etc. Like I said you really have to factor in what you pay up front, plus the avg. increase of maintanence fees over the years, & divide by the years you own, plus savings on AP's. It is a big commitment & you have to love going to Disney again and again and again.

 

[cgcruz]

DVC is good if you just want to say you own a part of Disney. But then again, thats not even so. 2 things I really dont like about DVC is that they are not lifetime ownership. So you are never really an owner but more of a member of a club. Sure, I would be in my 70s when DVC expires, but I would like something were it would be past on through the family. Another thing that gets on my nerves is that DVC feels the need to have higher points for weekend stays. The regular disney hotels dont charge more for the weekends! There is no reason for the higher point rate except to get you to buy more points than you would want. So to have a true week long stay, 7 nights, you have to buy more points than you really want to. As much as i'd like a jacuzzi in our room, it is not worth the price. Also, having a kitchen is a neat thing, but I cant imagine my fiance or I wanting to cook on vacation! Maybe if we had kids, who knows.

By the time you add annual dues to the mix, you are usually better off just renting points. Thats what we did to stay at the BWV. You get the exact same room for a better deal. Sure there are member perks, but not worth the $15,000 minimum RETAIL price (this doesnt even take financing into account).

Also, WDW usually releases great deals throughout the year, such as free dining that we are taking advantage of for a 2nd time) that make a stay at WDW a greater value. So non-DVCers arent always paying rack rates.

 

[duckfan78]

Me and my fiancee bought dvc almost 2 years ago. I have to tell you it is def. worth the price. I know you don't want to pay the dues, but its so worth it. You really dont even notice it to be honest.

With all the money you save on Anual passes and dining it is worth it. We save like 10-15% everytime we go out with our DVC member card. Also we save on merchandise etc. I think the rooms, even the studio's are alot better than regular rooms. Plus think about the other places you can visit, cruises etc.

You should go for it...we went 2 times and stayed at poly..same thing as you..we probably spent at lest $6000 on the 2 trips. plus we went another time to CBR. like you said..we could have paid probably half of our DVC.

go for it

 

[TexasAggie]

The amount of points for the weekends are not high. The points for the weekdays are just low! Everything is how you want to look at it. For our family of 4 this is a way to prepay for our 2 bedroom at the BWV's.

We paid something like $62.50 per point and could sell them today for more than we paid. Also do not forget that you might have a tax deduction with your maintaince fee with the portion that represents the property tax for the points that you own.

Many new time shares that are now being sold now have a limited ownership time span. I know that this is true with my Shell Vacation membership in Hawaii.

 

[Greg K.]

DVC is good if you just want to say you own a part of Disney. But then again, thats not even so. 2 things I really dont like about DVC is that they are not lifetime ownership. So you are never really an owner but more of a member of a club. Sure, I would be in my 70s when DVC expires, but I would like something were it would be past on through the family. Another thing that gets on my nerves is that DVC feels the need to have higher points for weekend stays. The regular disney hotels dont charge more for the weekends! There is no reason for the higher point rate except to get you to buy more points than you would want. So to have a true week long stay, 7 nights, you have to buy more points than you really want to. As much as i'd like a jacuzzi in our room, it is not worth the price. Also, having a kitchen is a neat thing, but I cant imagine my fiance or I wanting to cook on vacation! Maybe if we had kids, who knows.

By the time you add annual dues to the mix, you are usually better off just renting points. Thats what we did to stay at the BWV. You get the exact same room for a better deal. Sure there are member perks, but not worth the $15,000 minimum RETAIL price (this doesnt even take financing into account).

Also, WDW usually releases great deals throughout the year, such as free dining that we are taking advantage of for a 2nd time) that make a stay at WDW a greater value. So non-DVCers arent always paying rack rates.

Well, to each his (or her) own. All I know is that I plopped down about $25,000 for all our accumulated points, and I now have the bulk of my vacations paid off for about the next 40 years. I'm not unhappy about that. Particularly since most of them will (presumably) be in deluxe accomodations with a level of quality, attention and service that is unrivaled in the vacation industry.

I ain't complaining.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Also take into account that your family is going to probably change over the years. Would it be economical for a couple who goes to WDW every year and takes advantage of free dining and stay in the value resorts, probably not.

However, we now have 3 little boys and have been shelling out thousands to stay in the deluxe resorts two times per year. Not to mention that we are all cramming into one little room for that $300+ per night.

DVC accomodates us with what we wanted most. Beautiful resorts, spacious villas, and the peace of mind that we don't need to worry about room discounts for our family vacations. I haven't even checked the "Rates and Discounts Board" once since buying DVC.

I figure that if we continue with our same vacation habits over the next few years, I will receiving the return on my initial investment after 10 trips (I bought a lot of points ). All the while staying a 2 bdrm with great amenities instead of a little room at the BC. Then from that point on, I will be vacationing in a 2 bdrm villa for just the cost of my dues.

Can't go wrong there!!

 

[DznyLvr2005]

THanks for all the replies. My only concern right now is the fact that I've already plopped down practically 1/2 of what it costs in 2 years to go twice, so I feel like I've wasted a huge chunk of money. If I buy DVC now, just feels to me like I've already spent so much that I can't possibly 'afford' it at the moment. When we went to the meeting at Saratoga Springs, There was a great deal (I'm sure they tell that to everyone) But I think it was a low interest rate and something where I could take last years points that I didn't have and add it on to this years. Then the yearly fee. If it was $200 a year I'd probably do it... But $500?? to go for a week (If I go a week a year) It's $500 in maintnence? I'm so in between. Like I said, we don't own a house, we live in Staten Island where everything is 3 times as expensive as any other part of the world and we don't have kids yet!
If I think about it this way... I just bought a new car (a liberty) with no money down and 0% interest. That car is a a few K's more than the price of DVC (lowest points) Payments are $367/month, so that means that If we bought DVC payment would probably be around the same (with interest) since we wouldn't be putting any money down. UGH!! I LOVE DISNEY, but I don't know what to do still!!! Hubby doesn't nearly love DW as much as me, and even though he wanted to do this, he doesn't anymore because all he keeps saying to me is "we don't have a house" And houses in Staten Island for the most part are around $600,000!! (So I don't see us getting one of those Until he retires (He's NYPD and has to live in the city) and we can move to New Jersey and buy a house for 1/2 that price with much more land
Thanks for listening, sorry I was rambling...