D.V.C for dummies.

[The Eighth Dwarf]

Hi everyone, been doing some looking about on the web but a lot of the info is US related.
So could someone here explain to me how the DVC works, I have a few questions.


We'd be looking to go for a fortnight once a year, me DG and my 2 DD. How many points am I looking at for something like this. And how much would this cost.

What about finance/credit do Disney offer reasonable terms cause I wouldn`t have the cash lying around

If we go to the DVC stall , do they give you the Hard sell, is the re any pressure to sign up?

My girls are 17 and 9 , and I`m interested mainly cause I can`t see us as a family wanting to holiday any where else , and when the kids get older and stop going with us it would be easier just having to book flights.

And of course if anyone here is a DVC member and has any feedback good or bad then please post it here.

Thank you all.

 

[chalee94]

We'd be looking to go for a fortnight once a year, me DG and my 2 DD. How many points am I looking at for something like this. And how much would this cost.

depends on which resort and what time of year. best to look at the point charts for the resort you prefer most and figure how many you need.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml

What about finance/credit do Disney offer reasonable terms cause I wouldn`t have the cash lying around

not sure how this works for those outside the US.

If we go to the DVC stall , do they give you the Hard sell, is the re any pressure to sign up?

no hard sell so far...

i never bothered with the tour, though. i just read the information online and bought a resale contract.

 

[Hilary]

We'd be looking to go for a fortnight once a year, me DG and my 2 DD. How many points am I looking at for something like this.

As chalee says, this varies enormously depending on the time of year, resort, view, and size of accommodation. If you're looking at WDW resorts, the very lowest points would be for a value studio at AKV in September, January or the first two weeks of December where 2 weeks would cost 146 points. The most expensive would be a MK view grand villa at Bay Lake Tower over Christmas or Easter which would cost a whopping 1287 points for ONE week! But that's one of the things about DVC that works well for us - the flexibility to scrimp or splurge points depending on the specifics of each trip (although the GV at BLT for two weeks over Christmas is never going to happen for us !!)

And how much would this cost

If you buy from Disney (not resale), points are currently in the region of (there are usually offers available, so you'd need to check for a current accurate figure) $110 - $120 per point, with a minimum initial contract of (I think) 160 points. This one-off payment buys your annual allocation of points. In addition to the one-off payment you will have to pay annual maintenance fees (dues) which vary according to your home resort, but will be in the region of $4-$5 per point.

What about finance/credit do Disney offer reasonable terms cause I wouldn`t have the cash lying around

You'd need to do your homework on this to see whether any financing that Disney could offer would be better or worse for you than arranging credit in the UK. The guides are usually very happy to work with you to find the best solution for you.

If we go to the DVC stall , do they give you the Hard sell, is the re any pressure to sign up?

They are reputed to be one of the least hard-sell outfits you are likely to encounter, but we were a soft touch and just did it all over the phone from home, so no hard-sell was required!

My girls are 17 and 9 , and I`m interested mainly cause I can`t see us as a family wanting to holiday any where else , and when the kids get older and stop going with us it would be easier just having to book flights.

The price of flights has increased a lot in the time we've owned DVC, but we still see the 'package' cost of our DVC trips (flights plus annual dues fees) as good value - not necessarily cheap, but good value for what we enjoy.

Hope you get the answers you're looking for

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

A fortnight is 2 weeks, right? So obviously I'm not British, but I may be able to help since I do own DVC points.

To get an idea of the # of points you would need you might want to start with the DVC section of the disboards, then click on the Timeshare Store stuff at the top. Useful info for anyone, since it connects you with the points charts for all the resorts. They would be at least worth checking out if you decide to buy, since they are reliable and resale is so much cheaper.

It's generally a good idea, no matter how you buy, to buy smaller contracts (probably with the same use year for ease). For example, two 150 pt contracts would sell much faster than one 300 pt contract if you ever have to resell.

For such a long visit every year, you might want to check out tug2.com, and then look up resales for Wyndham's Bonnet Creek resort. It's actually on WDW property and people seem to love it. (Check out the We love Bonnet Creek thread on the Orlando Accommodations thread!) It would be incredibly less expensive to buy into. The only problem, though, is that, unlike DVC, you would own those points forever. So your heirs would either be thrilled or burdened, depending on your circumstances.

Hope this helps!

 

[MarkLyndaJakeChloe]

Hi there,

Just letting you have my thoughts on the whole DVC thing.

We had been to WDW a couple of years running at PORS and CBR. I had noticed the DVC stands dotted about and on our second visit I organised a trip to the SSR sales talk. Having gone through the figures it seemed a bit expensive as a one off expense.

However, upon our return home we decided to bit the bullet and make the purchase. I can honestly say that it is was one of the best decisions we ever made. The thing I would do differently would be to possibly buy resale as you can get a better price. At the time, I just wanted peace of mind buying direct with Disney.

We have enough points to get two weeks in a studio with some left over to give us an extra trip every other year say, at Easter or Christmas.

If you have any other questions just let me know.

 

[Brandis]

I took the Disney loan, so I can provide some informations there.

I live in Switzerland and since Disney is not registered as a timeshare broker in Switzerland, I could only buy into DVC while at WDW or on a DCL cruise. Not sure if buying a resale would work.

My guide told me that their lowest APR is 10.75% and everyone not living in the US would be automatically approved for a loan (no credit checks etc), but because of that the APR for foreigners is 11.75%. Maybe, also the downpayment was a bit higher because of this. But in the end, that's better for you, less money to pay interests on.

Even though the APR is extremely high in my opinion, I took it, since it was the easiest solution but I knew already that as soon as we got home I would get a local loan for less.

So I got a loan from my local bank at an APR of 5.75 and immedeatly paid back the Disney loan.

 

[Shooby doo]

First of all if you are buying direct from Disney you will only be offered BLT,although AKV may still be on sale,with a minimum purchase of 160 points approx $18000,if you finance through them it must be done before you leave -this is down to a change in US law as you used to be able to come home & arrange finance thru' their UK partner. you can also pay this by CC. If you decide to go the resale route you have to organise your own loan/finance & you can't use a CC.
If you are happy with a studio,as long as DDs are happy to share a bed for 2 weeks (?) then realistically you need to be looking at the 220 point mark,you could get away with less but then limit yourself to resort/room type & time of year -basically you would always have to take DD out of school,as this season is second only to Xmas points wise.
Your other option is to go every 2nd year,this is what we do,in which case you could either buy less points or stay in the next level up -in this case a 1 bed -seperate bedroom & full kitchen.
There are plenty of 220-250 contracts on the resale boards & some good savings can be made,smaller contracts really hold their price so these are harder to come by. If you decide on the direct route see if they will allow a split contract, I know someone who bought a 200 point contract with 100 in AKV & BLT.
There is no hard sell but I would still do your homework before going.
HTH SD