Could we be honest and objective concerning DVC?

[Sammie]

When I first started going to disney, we rented and I thought DVC was the cat's meow. We rented 1 bedrooms in BW and OKW. But then one year we really really wanted to try BWI b/c the rooms were just rehabbed and I haven't looked back. The difference to me was astronomical. The rooms are so much NICER at a non DVC room. Better taken care of. DVC seems tired and shabby in many of the rooms. And at a DVC, you are stuck with a pull out couch unless you stay OKW and their mattresses are the pits! So once we experienced BWI with the lovely interior we were hooked back to regular disney staying...especially iwth pin codes..very reasonable...I feel we were treated better as a regular disney guest which I would think would be opposite.

We have since stayed at BWI, YC deluxes after we ditched DVC rentals...I just love the decor better at a regular room...and the bedding situation....

I agree.

King beds, the jacuzzi, even the laundry and the kitchen are wonderful amenties and only DVC offers all of that.But the deluxe resorts have better beds, towels, linens, rehabbed more often and better housekeeping and maintenance. The new rooms at CSR look nicer than the new studios at OKW.

DVC used to be as good or even better, which I felt was the way it should be for those that had bought into a long term committment.

But the new management at DVC is more about sales and less about upkeep of the current facilites.

A new resort like BLT should not be getting the complaints it is getting about how worn it looks already. That is just not right.

 

[Nikisha421]

Im happy with my purchase...I think most people outside of the DVC boards have an opinion on how DVC member should feel, should vacation, etc...etc...etc...but I am happy and if I have ever had a problem I have complained and it was fixed...btw the only problem I have ever had was being placed on a first floor room at the end of a long depressing hallway...alone with a 6yo I called MS and I just asked and I was moved...nice...

 

[ToddyLu]

(this is not addressed to any one particular person here) If you want a deluxe villa pay cash or purchase a DVC contract You will have a great time and so will I. I come here to help others have a better Disney vacation. I also learn how to get the most value out of DVC concerning rules, options and suggestions for making my own trips better. You drive Lexus or Honda or Kia and I drive a Hummer H3....what does that say about me? That my husband is shaped like a Hummer and loves the brand. What does DVC say about me, that I love Walt Disney World and the brand. Been all over the world and keep coming back to this one place...hmmm.

You bought a convertable or Rolex at age 40 to celebrate a nice career--I bought 210 points at AKV.

 

[GrazingGoat1966]

If punters do regret their decision then they have the opportunity to sell. Don't want to oversimplify things but....It's not rocket science.

As far as we are concerned, it was the best thing we ever did. Should have done it sooner. Am about to embark on 10 days at AKL Kidani in a 2 bed with the in-laws and another uncle. Only stayed at ALL-Stars before DVC. No comparison.

It's all good!!!!

 

[Sammie]

If punters do regret their decision then they have the opportunity to sell. Don't want to oversimplify things but....It's not rocket science.

As far as we are concerned, it was the best thing we ever did. Should have done it sooner. Am about to embark on 10 days at AKL Kidani in a 2 bed with the in-laws and another uncle. Only stayed at ALL-Stars before DVC. No comparison.

It's all good!!!!

So if you buy a car and you have a it for a year or so and its great because its everything you expected it to be and everything you wanted.

But before the warranty is even over, the vehicle starts to not run well; shouldn't the company that sold you the car stand behind its product and make it right. Why should you have to sell?

I like DVC, like the way the point system works.

Like that it is associated with Disney parks, like the set up the two bedrooms very well, like the differences in each of the resorts. Like the Vero Beach and Hilton Head locations, appreciate the perks we are given.

If I did not like it, would have never bought it.

I just want it to be as clean and as well maintained as it was when I bought in, I want it to be as clean and well maintained as the Disney deluxe resorts are.

I don't really think that is an unrealistic expectation.

In fact I will gladly trade all the perks for clean, well maintained villas.

 

[parlay]

Somebody may have already said this.. I admit to only skimming the thread--

If we are all sorry we bought DVC, how do you explain all the add-ons I read about every day??

MG

Absolutely!! You said what I was thinking! I guess my two add-ons mean I'm doubly not sorry I bought into DVC!

 

[Crystal_27]

DVC certainly isn't for everybody, but for those who fall into the group that it works for, it *really* works for them. With that said, I can discuss the cons about DVC ownership as well, so I'm not blind to the things that could be or need to be improved. But, no, I'm certainly not living in timeshare hell by owning DVC.

 

[CMOORE185]

the 1200 pound gorilla in the room is................i can rent your points you dont use............and there is always plenty............and get better dollar value out of your DVC membership than you do.........without the commitment. i do not mean this as a negative statement. it is simply the truth.

This may be true, but I can say I own a piece of Disney. Not important to alot of people, but I think it is cool! We resisted buying a timeshare until Disney came along, I think the brand name sells to alot of people that would never consider buying a timeshare anywhere else.

 

[crisi]

Me....I snort the pixie dust and live in Fantasyland.....I think everyone who has followed my posts knows that I'm nothing but a DVC cheerleader high on the kool-aid.

We DO prefer hotel rooms over DVC studios. But even better than a hotel room is nookie during vacation because the kids are in their own bedroom.

I like having control over my points - know thyself - and myself is not someone who can rent points and trust. I'd obsess. And we've had to move reservations and cancel reservations. My sisters had health issues that cause us to move a trip a year and a half - I couldn't have done that with someone else's points.

DVC ISN'T going to work for everyone. And it ISN'T going to be perfect. But its worked well enough for us for the past decade to be worth the investment. Maybe next decade it won't and we will sell. I'm pragmatic about that.

 

[RLRDA]

I think the main reason why someone might be unhappy with their purchase is that they think it will save them money.

I can't explain why the average person might want to buy a DVC membership but I can explain why I did and why I would do it again:

1) Travel for work. If you live in a hotel room 45ish days a year the idea of going on vacation and staying in another hotel room is not as relaxing.

2) Stress. For my wife and I vacations are not a luxury they are essential. My productivity falls if it has been too long since my last vacation. We take 2 week-long vacations a year and usually 3 long weekends away.

3) Stress again. Sure I could rent points but I like knowing they are always there waiting for me. It gives me something to look forward to even if the next vacation hasn't been planned yet. Owning them is soothing. Even in years where we have to buy a new roof a vacation is always a possibility.

4) Did I mention stress? If we stay 7 days at disney we usually only go to the parks 3-4 of those days. Going every day from opening to closing is not something we want. We want to have fun some days and relax others. It is nice having a home instead of a hotel room to relax in. There is no reason to make a hit list of park attractions because we will be back very soon.

5) Stress, oops, no, Family. In the last 10 years we have taken various family members with us 6 times. We like being able to do it for family and we like having them along.

6) I know it sounds cheesey. DVC is a vacation home. Home being the operative word. Some people would find it nuts that anyone might want to cook, do laundry, waste precious time playing card games, read a book, watch TV, sit on the balcony and watch people go by, etc., etc., etc. But with a home instead of a hotel room you have greater control over your vacation experience. Quite frankly, the idea of spending a good chunk of a day in a hotel room is not appealing.

I agree with everything you said above but probably #6 the most. In a regular hotel room we do everything within our power NOT to spend time in that tiny box. We enjoy relaxing in a larger space and not having our 3 kids on top of us. I think WDW is a normally "un"-relaxing vacation but with DVC we find we relax much more. Sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine works well.

My DH laughs because one of the highlights of my trip is washing our clothes in the villa and repacking them to return home. Then I don't have to do 3+ loads of laundry when the vacation is over -- priceless

This. Looking forward to a vacation is not the same as being on a vacation but for me it is therapeutic. Even though we go all the time we still spend hours and hours each year planning the trips just because it is a stress reliever. Even silly things like looking through menus reduces has a calming effect.

Exactly!! I think the vast majority on the DIS are obsessive planners. We only go once a year but it seems like the trip lasts 11 months (or 7) because we spend so much time planning and anticipating. That's not DVC specific, I know, but you said it perfectly.

 

[jakenjess]

My DH laughs because one of the highlights of my trip is washing our clothes in the villa and repacking them to return home. Then I don't have to do 3+ loads of laundry when the vacation is over -- priceless

This is so true! Somehow doing laundry in my DVC home doesn't seem nearly as tedious as it does at home! Coming home after a vacation can be depressing enough without having a ton of laundry to do!

 

[gkrykewy]

the 1200 pound gorilla in the room is................i can rent your points you dont use............and there is always plenty............and get better dollar value out of your DVC membership than you do.........without the commitment. i do not mean this as a negative statement. it is simply the truth.

That's certainly an option for people who are comfortable renting from individual DVC members into perpetuity; most of us are obviously glad to make the commitment. You'll never be renting any of my points, I can promise you that . We tend to be very specific in our room wants, and need every bit of the 11 month or 7 month booking window.

 

[perfectparanoia]

Honestly, without a full survey of every DVC member, we will really never know. Wonder if Member Services would ever do that?

(Just the fact that they haven't suggests that sales are okay and resales still within acceptable levels.)

I am sure there are a number of people who were at WDW and took the tour while still high on pixie dust and bought in when they probably shouldn't have.

I know, in our case, we were forced to go home (much to my chagrin) before our guide would let us purchase. We drove that time (20 hours) giving us plenty of time to run spreadsheets and talk about what we wanted to do with our vacations. By the time we got home, my DH realized that:

1. I would not be staying in values (and even moderates are not big enough for me). My husband can sleep hanging from his toenails and get changed in a shoebox. Not me, I am (and always have been) spoiled when it comes to having my own space.

2. We were working on a family and I do not want to sleep in the same room as my kids. (I believe someone mentioned nookie? There is also the ability to go to bed after your younger children by hanging out in your room.)

3. I was willing to give up a bathroom renovation for it (that's how he really knew I was serious).

We went last year on Free Dining (when you got the regular dining plan for staying in a Value) and stayed at ASMusic. I have to admit, the trip was very affordable but I was not a happy camper. It was crowded. There was no where to just hang out. Even the 'quiet' pools were crammed. We spent a lot of our time at Typhoon Lagoon so we could relax (because it was quieter there even when it was 95 out).

I was <this close> to calling up MS to see if they had a studio ANYWHERE for the rest of the week (but I was saving my points for a big family trip).

(Then I got home and added on. Of course.)

I can't see myself renting points. I like being the master of my own destiny. I am much more likely to pay (discounted) cash.

The only thing I do regret is buying SSR (sort of). I do really want to stay in the treehouses and chances are I can only do that if I am at the 11 month window. However, OKW is our favourite resort by far (remember, I like my space). I wish I had known about the resale market and bought there. It's not too much of a concern since there is typically availability at OKW but we may have to sell and rebuy if that situation ever changes.

 

[wildernessDad]

I believe that I can provide an objective review of my timeshare. However, I can't help but to get emotional when I walk into Wilderness Lodge. That doesn't get old and it's hard for me to find faults with greatness. Just my opinion of course.

DVC is not an investment and it's definitely not saving me any money.

I bought it to force myself to take vacations. I spent money upfront to, hopefully, have many years of vacations at WDW and now DLR in the future. I feel fortunate to be able to do this. There are many people out there who are struggling for a meal.

The bottom line is that I am getting out of it what I need.

 

[jblrn2b]

I believe that I can provide an objective review of my timeshare. However, I can't help but to get emotional when I walk into Wilderness Lodge. That doesn't get old and it's hard for me to find faults with greatness. Just my opinion of course.

DVC is not an investment and it's definitely not saving me any money.

I bought it to force myself to take vacations. I spent money upfront to, hopefully, have many years of vacations at WDW and now DLR in the future. I feel fortunate to be able to do this. There are many people out there who are struggling for a meal.

The bottom line is that I am getting out of it what I need.

Well said. I had one friend say to us its not an investment (its funny how people think they can give their opinion) and I said I know but its an investment in our family time.

 

[BeesKnees]

This is so true! Somehow doing laundry in my DVC home doesn't seem nearly as tedious as it does at home! Coming home after a vacation can be depressing enough without having a ton of laundry to do!

That and if you don't mind wearing the same clothes within a week's time you can pack much less.

We never miss having fresh towels everyday because we dry them in the dryer with a fabric sheet.

You know when I think about it... I made a list of 6 big reasons why we love being DVC owners but there are probably a thousand small reasons. Things you probably don't even realize or that after 10 years you just take for granted.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Objectivity ? I wansn't wearing rose colored glasses when I researchered timeshares, I stayed in a few, including OKW. I then decided that DVC would work for me and my family and most importantly, that it would work for the way we like to vacation! DVC does for me today exactly what it did for me in 2000 when I bought into it.

I went into it with realistic expextations and to date it has superceded those expextations. Are timeshares/DVC for everybody, no, but for us it works.

I didn't go into DVC with the intention of staying in Studios, I bought enough points to do multiple small stays in a 2br, which as a Floridian works best for us. For those of you who prefer staying in a hotel room, have at it but please don't compare it to a 1 or 2 br, there's simply no comparison. I want the full kitchen (I love to cook, yes even more so on vacation when I have the time) I like a laundry room and most importantly we want room to spread out which our 2br villas provide.

We've had 3 family reunions, all in OKW GV's and for our extended family, there's nothing better than sharing fun times in such wonderful accomodations, the 11 of us all together. You can't get when you're all in deifferent hotel rooms. DVC is not just about the theme parks, the resort and it's amenities have now become just as important. We're planning reunion #4 for 2012 now, and with DVC we all know exactly what to expect and look forward to, no guessing games. The familiarity of our favorite resorts makes them feel like personal vacation homes!

Some of the DVC changes have directly affected me, some not but as a whole the base product that I bought into in 2000 remains the same and it provides me with the same value today just as it did back in 2000.

 

[needtogomore]

Somebody may have already said this.. I admit to only skimming the thread--

If we are all sorry we bought DVC, how do you explain all the add-ons I read about every day??

MG

you also see lots of resales everyday to. we get the updates from TSS every day. economy loss of job fed up with DVC no one knows.

 

[parlay]

But even better than a hotel room is nookie during vacation because the kids are in their own bedroom.

:

 

[peloha86]

(this is not addressed to any one particular person here) If you want a deluxe villa pay cash or purchase a DVC contract You will have a great time and so will I. I come here to help others have a better Disney vacation. I also learn how to get the most value out of DVC concerning rules, options and suggestions for making my own trips better. You drive Lexus or Honda or Kia and I drive a Hummer H3....what does that say about me? That my husband is shaped like a Hummer and loves the brand. What does DVC say about me, that I love Walt Disney World and the brand. Been all over the world and keep coming back to this one place...hmmm.

You bought a convertable or Rolex at age 40 to celebrate a nice career--I bought 210 points at AKV.

Just to make another fair point, for example, would you ever buy a :

1) Thousand Trails contract
2) Golf membership
3) Annual passes at any theme park
4) RPI international
5) Ticket to Burning Man (google it, it's mind-boggling)
6) BMW


For our 21st anniversary of bliss we purchased at VGC.
We did extensive research on timeshares, vacationing, cars...and finally we purchased a DVC contract that's right for us. We love Disney, the point system, and all that's coming to DCA in the next 3 years. We bought at VGC because it would be much easier to book a 11 month window vs. 7 month, and it's the smallest of all DVC's. It's much easier to book at WDW DVC's at short notice, there are many options out there.

We tried camping, it was physically demanding and challenging for us. Over the years we developed allergies that made it difficult for us to camp. So we sold our truck and 5th wheel for the mouse and pixie dust. I'd rather pack up the car, drive to Disneyland, buy some groceries down the street, be greeted by a cast member who'll take our luggage and bring it to our room. No need for citronella candles and bug spray here.

My husband tried golf. His clubs are now onsale in Craigs' list.

Annual passes-no brainer here

Burning Man-Waaay to dusty for me

BMW- Don't like the maintenance cost.

So there. It's a personal choice for most of us. I'm starting to scale down and with age the bones become achy. We are very fortunate that we have a VGC contract. And I know, overall, it costs more to finance it through Disney. But you know what? Life throws you curve balls, I became really sick three years ago and realized life is too short, so we decided to keep our emergency savings intact, finance our DVC, and have life insurance just in case....

Besides, I gave my husband an option...I can have "augmentaion" or buy a jacuzzi...Guess what he chose?...

The jacuzzi ....
At the Grand Californian, of course!!!