Disney Vacation Club need help...

[coconut popsicle]

Can anyone tell me if purchasing a disney vacation club timeshare is worth it? What is the best hotel to purchase? How many points should I purchase for a family of 4, (with 2 kids) I know nothing about the timeshare, just ordered a DVD off of the Disney website Thanks

 

[DizneyNutz]

For this post would be the DVC Operations Board at the link below. They will have answers for all of your questions on DVC topics.
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

 

[DizneyNutz]

To take in to account. As you can see, we are DVC Members and felt it was very worth it for us and have not had any regrets. Do you vacation to WDW every year? How many in your party most trips? Do you like the convenience of a kitchen and washer and dryer on your trip? OUR main advice to you if you purchase is to buy where you want to stay most. You can stay at any of the resorts as a DVC member but you can only book at your home resort as far as 11 months out. You can book at the other DVC resorts at the 7 month window. So if you don't own there and want to stay at a popular time of year, it may already be booked up to DVC members before the 7 month window. There are so many other issues to discuss and think through, before you make your decision be sure to ask many questions.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you just ordered the DVD and haven't received it, just be patient and read everything on the DVC boards.

And if they call you and ask if you want the full packet, say yes, b/c it contains a nice book and more information.

Then sit down and look at the book if you get it, watch ALL of the DVD, and quite a bit of it will be much clearer to you. I promise.

 

[Brave teacher]

I have been trying to answer this question myself for the past few months. I have come to the conclusion that it is totally worth it, but my DH is not so convinced yet. He actually told me that we won't discuss it further until we go to Disney in February. At that point, he plans to meet with our Member Services rep. we have been talking to lately.

 

[misricsmith]

whats the cost for the points

 

[disneynutz]

Check out the DVC section of the DIS Boards for the answers to all of your questions.

 

[byoung]

Check it all out. To me it's well worth it.

 

[Mischa]

DizneyNutz has some great points. And the DVC thread is also a great place for information for anyone considering purchasing DVC points.

My opinion of DVC...we LOVE it!! We went to WDW in May 2006 (DH's first trip to Disney, and our first vacation in a LONG time) and we purchased at SSR. We bought 240 points and have already gone on 2 trips home AND I'm planning a 3rd trip in November with my friends for a "girls' only weekend".

If you plan on going on vacation every year (to Disney or elsewhere, but especially to Disney) it is DEFINITELY worth being a member.

Just my opinion.

 

[Pixie Dust II]

Can anyone tell me if purchasing a disney vacation club timeshare is worth it? What is the best hotel to purchase? How many points should I purchase for a family of 4, (with 2 kids) I know nothing about the timeshare, just ordered a DVD off of the Disney website Thanks

We feel the DVC is the best gift we ever gave ourself. There are only two of us and we have 300 points. We have 200 points at Wilderness Lodge and 100 at Beach Club. As for where to purchase, you need to be careful if you are not buying direct from DVC as there can be some things you won't see from a private buyer such as points already used for this year and time you might have to wait to actually use your purchase. If it were me I would prefer to deal with DVC direct. We bought while on a Disney Cruise and felt we got a very good deal. If you have any other questions I can help you with send me a PM as I probably won't be back on this board.

 

[grumpy.uncle]

Before buying into DVC, you may want to rent DVC points from a member and stay at a couple different resorts before making your final decision. That way you would get an idea of what it is like to stay there. As one of the previous posters said, I would buy through Disney. While you are on your next vacation, go to one of the DVC kiosks and ask if you can book an info tour. I didn't have a vehicle w/ me, and they sent 2 really friendly older gentlemen to pick me up the day I had my appointment at SSR. You go for a tour of the resort, and get a non-pressure sales presentation. My guide was great. She either had the answers to all my questions or found them out quickly and returned my calls. You can have the yearly dues automatically taken out of your checking account each month. They will divide the dues into 12 monthly payments. I don't even have to think about it. Your sales guide will also be able to reccomend how many points you should purchase by the number of days you would normally stay on a vacation, the size of party you would be travelling with, and how often you plan on returning to Disney. You want to purchase your points at the "Home Resort" you plan on staying at the most often. As a previous poster stated, you get to book at the 11 month timeframe at your home resort while only at the 7 month timeframe at the other resorts. At 7 months, alot of the most popular rooms (i.e. studios and 1-br's) may be booked. When booking at the 7 month timeframe, you always want to have a second and third option in case you can't get your first choice. Member services is very helpful. I have found them doing everything possible to help out. To decide where you want to buy into as your home resort, you need to figure out which of the parks is your family's favorite. Where do you like to spend the most time? If you are always going to MK, then I would purchase at VWL. If you like going to MGM or Epcot, then BWV or BCV would be my choice. If you love DAK, then the soon to open Animal Kingdom Villas would be my choice. It is going to be an amazing resort. When I purchased my DVC last year, Disney was offering a special where you got the current year's points and also the points for the previous year. I don't know if they are still doing that, but if so, that is a huge bonus. If they are not offering it, I would still ask if you could get that deal, or if they will be offering it again in the near future. I also asked strangers that I met on the trip who had DVC how they liked it. Everyone who has it loves it. It's a great way to be able to go on a deluxe vacation. Good luck! Ed

 

[bmalonef45]

You have asked a question in a vary biased board about an easy subject for us to talk about. We are a family of 4 with two kids under 10. We have been members for almost 2 years now. WE LOVE IT. My kids think they are SO special being members of Disneyworld and it is an incredible feeling to see them SO happy. We also bought points at SSR but haven't stayed there yet. OKW is great and BCV are really nice too. The thing we like about it is that we can go to WDW for many years and have different vacations. Parks, Pools, Dining, Golf and many many other things. As the kids grow the trips will grow with them. Take a look at the DVC section. You will get hooked to this board and all the great people who are willing to share what they have learned from years of experience.

 

[6mouskateers]

All good advice here.

We bought last year and haven't regreted it for a minute. We have been twice this past year. We own at SSR--we like it there and so do our kids. We have 2 teens and they love being able to walk to DTD. We are talking about an add-on maybe next year to a differnt resort.

If you go at least once a year, or every other, it may be a good fit for your family.

 

[kimberh]

I would add, that you check the Resort out. Do not buy site unseen. You can still buy at the sold out resorts from Disney, VWL, BWV, BCV's or OKW, if that is what you should want. The best advice That I took away from this board was buy where you want to stay! You will get a 11/8 month booking window at your home resort, 7 months opens up for all DVCers to book. As DVC grows, it is getting harder and harder to get a room at the smaller resorts. If you should buy at one of the smaller resorts, this is huge! AKV's is now for sale, it has a 50 yr contract. This is the first DVC to have Concierge. To book Concierge you will have to use the 11 month booking window. We just love our DVC purchases. They all have plusses. You will have to decide which one has the most to offer your family with your travel needs and wants.