DH still isn't "Sold" on DVC...help!!....FINAL DECISION #48

[Brian Noble]

I don't think that you can really justify a DVC membership based on finances alone.

Certainly you can. The idea is that you start by figuring out the vacation lodging you would ordinarily get, and then figure out the least expensive way to get it. If you ordinarily stay in Deluxe resorts, visit relatively frequently, and expect to do so for the foreseeable future, then owning DVC and staying in studios is less expensive. If you ordinarily stay in Moderate resorts, visit relatively frequently, and expect to do so for the foreseeable future, then owning DVC and staying in studios is about the same cost, but allows you to upgrade your lodging.

In the OP's situation, I think the numbers are clear: owning DVC will cost more in the end than they currently spend on lodging. However, it would also represent a significant upgrade in lodging. The OP may decide that the value in that upgrade is worth the additional cost. But, it is certainly an additional cost.

I like the idea of renting points and trying it on for size. In fact, by my reckoning, renting and owning are actually fairly close to one another in cost. So, OP: if you rent and find you got good value, and want to continue staying at that level of resort for that price point, then DVC ownership could well be a good idea.

 

[dawson5]

*disclaimer--we don't own DVC yet.

One thing that stuck out in your OP was that you have a son & a daughter. There will come a time when they will not want to share a bed. Just on this alone, would push me toward a DVC membership. Don't some of the rooms offer a bed, a pullout and a sleeper chair? Just thinking ahead, when they are teens, no way are they going to go along with that and then you are dealing with a trundle (which my DS12 hates), bringing along an air mattress or going for a larger room. Just my thoughts. Granted it is not going to happen right away but, in the long run, it eventually will.

 

[Lynne M]

Whether DVC will be a good thing for you or not depends on what you're looking to get out of it. The most important thing to remember about a DVC purchase is, when you put away Disney's warm, fuzzy, happy-family-memories marketing, it's just a different way of paying for your lodging.

Seriously. That's all DVC is. There isn't a single thing that DVC gives you access to that you can't get as a non-member. You can take the same vacations, you can stay in the same villas, you can make the same family memories.

So, then, why did I buy into DVC? Because it was the most cost-effective way of getting into the deluxe accommodations that I wanted.

If you're looking at DVC as a way to save money compared to your current vacations, I'm afraid you're going to be very disappointed. It will always cost significantly more than staying in a value, and you still have to pay those maintenance fees whether you're going on vacation that year or not.

If you're looking at DVC because you want bigger rooms, multi-room villas, a kitchen, better resort amenities....then DVC might be a good fit for you. You'll save a ton of money over the rack rates for those villas.

 

[iwrbnd]

I first learned of DVC from a friend in 2004. I had seen the "secret" signs during our trips but didn't know what it was al about. Fast forward to 2009...at 41 I wanted to "own" a piece of Disney....always had. Last Summer I was crunching the numbers thinking I would just do it for myself and DH could come along. We do not have children and while we are not rich, we can afford to do most things that we want. I had been reading the DIS and realized that I would like DVC from reading these forums. I remember adding up the monthly notes blah,blah,blah. I was getting really excited about the prospects.....when DH questioned the validity of the purchase...my response

"Do you really want to go there Todd? You drive a Hummer H3 and bought a Jeep last week, trading my car in on it"

He saw my point quickly and together we purchased 210 points at AKV. Our first visit home was last Nov. He was really cute and had me close my eyes when we entered our studio with SV. It was just like the pictures, videos and everything I could want in a Disney trip. I can remember the grin on his face when he looked over the balcomy at the animals and started digging out his camera equipment.

Like you we had always done Values, except for the trip given to us by my MIL at POFQ.(who I might add also got her own studio SV on our trip). For the first time since 2002 (my first trip) until 2009 (9th trip) we loved going back to the room...getting a cold beverage from a fridge not an ice bucket. Doing laundry down the hall but with a flat screen TV. Have the bus meet us a gate 3 instead of 13 after a long day. Actually being able to sit on a couch to watch TV, not a bed. Those are convienences I wanted at my age on vacation...I deserved it.

DH didn't really question wether or not we needed it he knew I wanted it and supported me the whole way. Gotta love that man!!




Oh and the friend from 2004.....I used her as a referral and she got $200 bucks to use over Thanksgiving at WDW.

I love the "Do you really want to go there" line!!!

 

[DenLo]

I have to agree with Bill and Jen and Brian, you cannot compare the cost of staying at a value resort and a DVC resort. However, the discounts in the past few years will not always be there and the same with the free dining. Disney too is hurting from the poor economy and doing anything they can to bring more people to the parks. They gotta fill all of those empty cash rooms. Heck a good of the rooms at Pop Century are still not complete and remain unused as there are enough people to fill the rooms they have now.

Per Mouse Planet. At Pop Century ....The Legendary Years (depicting the decades from 1900 through 1940) remains incomplete and unopened with no published plans for completion.

But until the economy improves enjoy your discounted value rooms and any free dining you can get. But if I were you, I'd start a savings account for buying into the DVC one day. That way when the prices skyrocket at the value resorts your DH might even think the DVC is for your family.

 

[staceymay00]

Thanks Stacey! It's funny you say all that about OKW---that's the one I was leaning towards anyway What makes me nervous is that it's older. Will that make the maintenance fees higher in the long run? We are looking at 250-300 points & that seems so expensive over the years

OKW is scheduled for room refurbishments starting this year. I don't think resorts see a big jump in fees after refurbishment. I'm guessing that a portion of each resort's MFs are saved every year for future refurbishments but I'm not sure.

Yes, 250-300 points is a lot of money. Is this because you want to have 10-14 day trips and you'd like a villa? We started with 150. I am tempted to add 50 more right now, but I think we'll at least wait until our first stay before we add on. We will need about 200 pts for a 1BR 6-7 night annual trip, but since we started with an extra year of points we will be ok for a few years. We may decide a 1BR works fine for us and just add 50 more pts, or maybe we'll want to add more to start staying in 2BRs, or maybe we'll decide WDW every other year is enough and the 150 pts works for that. I didn't want to start out with too many points because it is so much money up front. Then again, if 10-14 days every year is important to you then you should buy what you need for that amount of time. It doesn't make sense to spend all that money and have shorter stays than you want.

 

[dbs1228]

We too paid cash for ressies but the difference was when we did value resorts we had to book 2 rooms, with 3 DD 1 room is just too small. We started staying at Ft Wilderness Cabins because of the "home away from home" feel. I was surprised that the whole family preferred doing a big grocery shop for 10 days and eating in most meals. Sitting outside in Feb drinking coffee at the picnic table was heaven. Only time DH cooks is using the grill on vacation. We used to buy lunch at the parks and throw away so much food since "it doesn't taste right, not that hungry" now we pack lunches or go back to resort for lunch/afternoon. We found that we paid 230.00 for groceries, family of 5 including drinks (beer, wine and soda) for 10 nights and went out to dinner twice. Now that is a meal plan! I never felt like a slave to the kithcen since all the meals were simple and DD are old enough to fend for themselves. Did I mention I spent almost 25.00 doing laundry this Feb due to the fact it was freezing and we all wore layers!!!

I am so excited for my 1st trip in May. A king size bed vs. double murphy bed is going to be heaven. Now I know I have alot more options with a kitchen then just the cabins. (without paying 400.00 and up per night that is).

It took us many years (DD are in late teens) to realize that we love going to Disney (with or without kids) and our vacations are becoming very different in the fact that we enjoy the resorts and down days as much if not more then the park days!

Good luck in your decision. We bought through dvc, and resale after coming home. Resale certainly saved a lot of money and was a very smooth transaction thru TSS

 

[joandegennaro]

It's me again not telling you what to do
We bought OKW wih the intention of never going in anything bigger than a studio. With the 2 DD's in their teens we love the 2 queen beds. If you wanted you could, once the young ones no longer want to share a bed is what we do. One parent to one child. My girls never would sleep in the same bed as the youngest was a climber in her sleep, she would climb up and over who ever she slept with. This caused us to divide and concur at the cottage and it still goes when we travel. Once DD 17 stops traveling with us then Mom and Dad will end up back together when we travel....or maybe not as each of us is much bigger than the DD. Why should she get all the extra bed room? We found that with the toaster, mircowave and fridge we were good. Next time we plan to bring our BBQ and use it to make dinners out by the provided BBQ's as well as an electric skillet for eggs and such. We can make do without the kitchen if it means more time at OKW. We found the room size compared to those at CBR was way bigger and we never felt cramped. I'm sure that a 1 bedroom feels even more spacious but I won't give up the 2 queens until it is just DH and myself traveling. This will be when we go exploring to the other DVC resorts. Good luck in the decision making process.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Thanks for all the info! Yes, DD9 & DS6 won't be sleeping in the same bed much longer. We do realize we'll have to accomodate for that eventually.

As far as the kitchen....that is one reason why I LOVE WDW!! NO COOKING! The refrigerator will be nice, but we DREAM about Disney dining during the planning stages of our trips. So, the kitchen is not a big seller for me at all. Are there washers & dryers in the studios? Now that would be awesome

We will always find a way to take a yearly WDW trip, so I still see how DVC makes since. We will never be paying MF's on a trip we don't take. Anyway, I will update later if I have more info. Thank you all!

 

[joandegennaro]

No washer and dryer in the studios but if you request a location close to a quiet pool that is where they are. For me it was no big deal running a load while relaxing by the pool or even having a 1/2 hr nap between washer and dryer. Again if the "cooking" while on vacation isn't your thing then a studio for the 4 of you would be perfect. As far as the beds go there would be enough room for a twin air mattress which I know alot of people have stored in their owner lockers. I don't have one and since we plan on driving down from Ontario most of the time don't see the need for one yet. OKW has the lowest points per night and is the only DVC resort that has the 2 queens if that is of consideration to you.

 

[ToddyLu]

No, no laundry facilities in the studio. But there is the flat screen in the there and when I did laundry I was by myself most evenings. It is very nice to just be inside and close to the room, not out by the swimming pool in competition for a dryer.

 

[Brian Noble]

As far as the kitchen....that is one reason why I LOVE WDW!! NO COOKING!

I don't really cook on vacation either, but don't discount the benefit of a full-sized fridge, real dishes, and the ability to "assemble" breakfast while everyone is getting ready. It makes the mornings go much more smoothly.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

I have to update you all! My DH & I have spent the last 2 hours going over every positive/negative of DVC We haven't made any decisions yet, but at least he's considering it!!!!!!! Thanks for all the help & well-wishes. It's funny b/c we've had this figure of $30K cash in our heads this whole time & it's just not so with resale. We think we can get away with about 200 points at first, so it doesn't seem quite "so bad."

Let me ask this: what are the chances of the Polynesian adding DVC? That is our dream resort & we would just die if we bought something now & the Poly came out with one later.

Are there any real benefits to owning DVC? (Other than the obvious "resort" answers...) I know you get discounts on AP's, but how much of a discount? Discounts on dining, but WHERE & how much? Any special parking spots at the parks? Any perks I'm missing? TIA again!

 

[AndriaRose]

I think I may have an idea of what you're struggling with... You can comfortably afford what you want. And it is something you truly want. But, you're also used to doing without when it means being practical. So you're torn. You want it, you can afford it, but how do you "allow" yourself to have something that isn't justifiably practical?

For certain personality types, that can be a recurring dilemma. Our DD(30) nicknamed her dad Squeaky years ago. (Not to his face ) But occasionally, something is so worthwhile he manages to shrug off frugality in favor of desirability. Which is what happened when we made a day trip to the DoorWay to Dreams store so I could add on to my 50 point starter contract.

When DH walked around in the room model for the BLT 1 bedroom - that was it. Forget studios, we can afford 1 bedrooms... and now were going to stay in them

DH may be practical, but being squeezed into a little room with no privacy and no place for quiet coffee time can wear on a man. Its something to think about. Master bedroom privacy - quiet coffee mornings on a balcony. Romantic evenings sipping wine on the balcony.

Listing financial numbers on a spreadsheet may be the wrong tactic for explaining the "up" side of DVC ... just saying

 

[Sandisw]

I have to update you all! My DH & I have spent the last 2 hours going over every positive/negative of DVC We haven't made any decisions yet, but at least he's considering it!!!!!!! Thanks for all the help & well-wishes. It's funny b/c we've had this figure of $30K cash in our heads this whole time & it's just not so with resale. We think we can get away with about 200 points at first, so it doesn't seem quite "so bad."

Let me ask this: what are the chances of the Polynesian adding DVC? That is our dream resort & we would just die if we bought something now & the Poly came out with one later.

Are there any real benefits to owning DVC? (Other than the obvious "resort" answers...) I know you get discounts on AP's, but how much of a discount? Discounts on dining, but WHERE & how much? Any special parking spots at the parks? Any perks I'm missing? TIA again!

There are a lot of people who certainly hope that a Poly DVC comes along but I doubt you will see that for many years to come, if at all.

As far as perks, they can change at any given time as they are not part of what you get when you purchase DVC, so I wouldn't really consider those in the decision (ie: DVC members got free valet parking up until October 2009, when it was discontinued).

There are some dining discounts but they are minimal and again, those can change at any time.

DVC is great for those that go do WDW, like to have upgraded rooms (ie: 1 and 2 bedrooms) and lock themselves into a great price for those rooms.

It sounds like you have a lot of the great info you need to make the decision!

Good luck!

 

[dbs1228]

I have to update you all! My DH & I have spent the last 2 hours going over every positive/negative of DVC We haven't made any decisions yet, but at least he's considering it!!!!!!! Thanks for all the help & well-wishes. It's funny b/c we've had this figure of $30K cash in our heads this whole time & it's just not so with resale. We think we can get away with about 200 points at first, so it doesn't seem quite "so bad."

Let me ask this: what are the chances of the Polynesian adding DVC? That is our dream resort & we would just die if we bought something now & the Poly came out with one later.

Are there any real benefits to owning DVC? (Other than the obvious "resort" answers...) I know you get discounts on AP's, but how much of a discount? Discounts on dining, but WHERE & how much? Any special parking spots at the parks? Any perks I'm missing? TIA again!

Why not start with a lower point contract say 100 - 120 to get your feet wet, try it out and add on later if you should find the need. Lower point contracts are easier to sell if you decide this is not for you (of course I would not buy with the thought of selling but you never know). If Poly does end up building down the road you would be in a great position to add on at that time. You are doing the right thing by researching this. You can also rent points, go stay at a dvc property and I think you will know after the trip a bit better if dvc is for you.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Thanks for all the responses! We looked at the points we thought we'd need each year & it was around 200. I don't really understand DVC enough to know how it would work for us to buy 100pts for now (with a buy "month" or whatever it's called) of maybe Sept. Then, if we ended up buying another 100pts with a "buy month" (or whatever) of May. What if I wanted to use all 200 pts at once. Would that mess up me booking 11 months in advance, b/c 100 worth is in a different buy month? Some parts of it are greek to me, so I still have alot of learning to do.

I like the advice someone gave about buying 2 separate DVC so we could pass those down to our 2 children one day.

We are looking at a November (around Thanksgiving) vacation. If we were to buy within the next month or two, would we have any chance of getting into our home resort for November? What if all the DVC resorts are booked up---could we book at a regular resort? I'm sure that's been answered for me elsewhere. But, how would the points calculate on a moderate/value resort compared to a studio DVC room? TIA!

 

[dmoore22]

Here is a link to the DVC Primer at Mouseplanet.com. It includes a link to a spreadsheet program that may be helpful. http://www.mouseplanet.com/8739/misc.php?pg=legal

Every person's situation is unique. We stayed at the Value resorts exclusively before joining DVC. However since we have six children we always had to get two rooms which was a little pricey, even with discounts. We did the DVC tour and eventually bought a resale. What we noticed right away was that we actually saved money by staying in a two bedroom over two rooms at the Value. Having a kitchen cut food expenses. Having a laundry cut the need to pack as much. Plus mom and dad had their own room/bathroom and jacuzzi. We also discovered that we were now staying longer. One disclaimer however. We were able to pay for our points up front so we reached the breakeven point quickly. Now that the kids are moving on with their lives we do see the empty nest in sight. We now use smaller accommodations and have calculated that our per night room costs are around $68. The DVC discounts do seem to have a ripple effect on our costs also. We get the discounted AP. Since we have the AP we get the TIW dining card (the DDP would be a waste for us). We take advantage of the unannounced AP merchandise discounts in the parks, etc. etc.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Here is a link to the DVC Primer at Mouseplanet.com. It includes a link to a spreadsheet program that may be helpful. http://www.mouseplanet.com/8739/misc.php?pg=legal

Every person's situation is unique. We stayed at the Value resorts exclusively before joining DVC. However since we have six children we always had to get two rooms which was a little pricey, even with discounts. We did the DVC tour and eventually bought a resale. What we noticed right away was that we actually saved money by staying in a two bedroom over two rooms at the Value. Having a kitchen cut food expenses. Having a laundry cut the need to pack as much. Plus mom and dad had their own room/bathroom and jacuzzi. We also discovered that we were now staying longer. One disclaimer however. We were able to pay for our points up front so we reached the breakeven point quickly. Now that the kids are moving on with their lives we do see the empty nest in sight. We now use smaller accommodations and have calculated that our per night room costs are around $68. The DVC discounts do seem to have a ripple effect on our costs also. We get the discounted AP. Since we have the AP we get the TIW dining card (the DDP would be a waste for us). We take advantage of the unannounced AP merchandise discounts in the parks, etc. etc.

Good luck in your decision.

Thanks! I was looking for some of the perks...you know, ANYTHING to sway DH my way We would also be paying cash upfront, so we won't have to worry about finance charges.

We LOVE, I mean the DDP. We would never buy those meals OOP. We eat at the most expensive possible restaurants & order the most expensive possible meals (that we like!) to get the best value. I do have questions about the TIW...what is it & how does it work? I don't see me ever really using a kitchen/kitchenette b/c that's MOMMY's part of the vacation---NO COOKING!

Will I get flamed if I say we may rent out points every now & then, if we're unable to take the extended vacations we normally take? We usually stay 10-14 days & I don't know if we'll be able to stay that long this year. We have 2 summer vacations (non-Disney) coming up & possibly a ski-trip? I don't know if we'll stay 2 weeks at WDW on TOP of those other 3.

 

[MidwayManiac]

DVC Member since 1997 and we've added on twice --

One perk we use almost every year is $100 off per annual pass. With DVC we go at least once and often twice a year and APs help defray the admission media cost, and the DVC discount helps even more. If you time your visits right, you can even squeeze in three visits under one annual pass, which is what we are doing this late June. As others have said, there is no guarantee this perk will continue.

Another perk we like is the kitchen. After a few days in a row of eating in the park, having a casual dinner in while the kids watch the Disney Channel and the parents finish the book they started on the airplane is often just what we need. Also it usually saves quite a few Disney Dollars.

As for your dilemma -- Despite the marketing hype, it is difficult to use cost alone to justify DVC. We have enough points to stay approximately 10 nights a year in 1 BRs. The dues alone would probably pay for 7 to 10 nights of Value accommodations per year and even more if we stayed off-site.

However, we would not enjoy the vacation as much if we only stayed in Values. I really enjoy the Beach Club and the Boardwalk, where you can walk to two parks or take the boat. Plus you have access to some great swimming pools. Or the Wilderness with its boat to the MK. And the BLT are amazing, and by staying there last Christmas I fulfilled a dream to stay on the Monorail. I think having a washer/dryer in the room almost justifies the whole expense.

What we end up doing is staying in Values for the first three days of our trip and hit the parks really hard. Then we transfer to our DVC resort and slow down a bit, which is where the real vacation begins. Disney offers free (plus tip) transfer of luggage from one resort to another through the bell service, so transferring resorts can be relatively painless if you have something to do all day.

Good luck --