Disney Vacation Club

[Nonna]

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the Disney Vacation Club. The last time we were there they were really pushing it, but I passed. If anyone knows anything good or bad, please let me know. Also, how do I post a DW countdown like I see on other people's profiles? Thanks! Donna

 

[JulesMom]

Go to the Tech board for Countdown instructions.

Go to the DVC board for great info on DVC. We just joined in March and I wished I had done it years earlier.

Michele

 

[SimbaNoodle]

I've been a member since '01 and my only regret is that I didn't join on my honeymoon in '91.

 

[Pluto4President]

another 4 - star vote for the DVC!

 

[erikthewise]

If you find yourself dropping $1K or $2K on lodging everytime you go, DVC makes all the sense in the world. We joined this spring after looking into it "to say no once and for all".

 

[webmomom]

We love it. It was the best decision we have ever made. I just wish I had not been so stupid when we first heard of the DVC when lit first opened and had joined then. I am so glad we joined, now I get to go to Disney more than I ever expected to since we joined the DVC

 

[JonHM]

One more big thumbs up for DVC!

Do you have any specific questions about it? We'd be happy to help answer them.

Here is a link to the DVC Frequently asked questions page:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/dvc/faq.shtml

 

[ZerasPride]

I do have two regrets though. First, that we did not buy a copule of years ago and second that we did not initially purchase more points! We love it. Our home resort is Hilton Head and it is quaint, quiet, beautiful and I just can't wait to get back there. I also enjoy having the on-site options and the flexibility in being able to stay in various sized accommodations (studios, 1 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms and grand villas that sleep 12) at any time of the year (subject to availability of course).

As somone else posted, take a look at the DVC forum on this board. There are a great bunch of people over there and if you read through some of the posts, including the FAQ, a lot of your questions can be answered.

 

[AZKathy]

Hi Donna! Welcome to the DIS!

One thing we found with talking to the sales reps that they were not pushy at all with making a sale. It is a good idea if you visit WDW once a year and the accomodations are lovely. Check it out the next time you visit WDW!

 

[ToyStory Fan]

No regrets...except should've done it when we "passed" looking at it while on our honeymoon 6 years ago. Only other concern I have is do I have enough points...and that's after an add-on only one year later...This Disney thing is addictive.

 

[invalid_char]

We just went down to our first visit to the Beach Club Villas about a week ago. We had gone down to the Beach Club frequently before this, so I can honestly speak just of what DVC offers.

Beautfiul suites and views which the vast majority of people could not otherwise afford! We stayed in a 2 bedroom with just an amazing amount of square footage. We got a babysitter to come down with us for peanuts because she heard of the lovely accomodations. We gave her the beautiful master suite, with jacuzzi tub, while my dh and I took the studio, which is equivalent to a regular room at the Beach Club, although I thought the decor in the DVC villas was much more attractive. Our children slept in the pull-out in the living room and we had a beautiful full kitchen with granite countertops and laundry facilities.

I can't tell you how relaxing our vacation was and what a difference it made to have such comfortable accomodations. We could leisurely eat breakfast on our large balcony as each of us woke up, make our morning cup of tea or coffee. Dirty clothes were never a chore. No one got on any one's nerves as we all had our space. On our first night we were too tired to go out to eat so we just cooked a frozen pizza we bought on the way back from the airport and ate it on our balcony while watching Illuminations. We saved quite a lot of money on food during our trip.

Beach Club Villas are really wonderful. They have everything the Beach Club has to offer and more. The pool is really underestimated. There is so much to do in this pool and yet it is SO family-oriented. My 3 year old had the time of her life there and never got tired of it!

I am curious to know how DVC was "pushed" on you. I have heard this from someone else. I really wish DVC had been pushed on us earlier. I didn't know about it until a co-worker started raving about it.


The only possible problem I see is that maintenance fees could get out of hand in the long run. This could be the case with any condo arrangement. But I think we will have gotten our money's worth out of DVC before that could become a problem, and even so, DVC seems to maintain its value quite well.

You can also exchange into other timeshares if you get tired of Disney.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[DVC-Don]

I could kick myself for not looking into it in 1997 when I first heard of it. We finially looked and joined in 2001.

 

[drusba]

From Invalid_char:

"We stayed in a 2 bedroom with just an amazing amount of square footage. We got a babysitter to come down with us for peanuts because she heard of the lovely accomodations. We gave her the beautiful master suite, with jacuzzi tub..."


So where does one apply to be your babysitter?

 

[erikthewise]

I think you're onto something here!
We can CHARGE people to be our babysitter, and use that income to pay off our annual dues.

 

[invalid_char]

drusba, erikthewise,

yes, I think that the BYOB (BYO babysitter) works out well with DVC. You have the space, so why not bring an extra pair of hands? It's nice to have evenings to yourselves, especially when the kids get burned out early. And do you have any idea how expensive it is to use the sitting services recommended by Disney? I think they *start* at $15 an hour. And one guy told me that it cost him over $100 to put his kids in the Sandcastle club just for a few hours!

Anyway, the point is that you have a lot of options with DVC... bring friends, relatives, babysitters or just have a lot of room for yourselves.

 

[Lisa P.]

Donna, it's a great program for the right people. The resorts are really beautiful. Occasionally, someone that's looking into it finds that they would not plan to use it to best advantage and it may not be the best thing for them.

If you anticipate staying at Disney deluxe hotels or home-away-from-home villas at least every other year and would normally pay cash for your stays...
If you would be happy using the points primarily to vacation at DVC resorts (not other hotels, timeshares or resorts)...
If you don't plan to use it primarily for long weekends or Christmas/Easter (when points usage is highest)...
If you can afford the upfront costs and annual maint fees...
Then, DVC may be a good thing for you to consider seriously.

If you don't fit that description, it may still work quite well. But the financial benefit may be somewhat less... or even disappear, depending. It was not the best thing for us and we sold it, without regret. You won't find many like me here. Most regulars on this DVC forum are understandably very happy DVC owners. HTH.

 

[Mojomanny]

DVC is not for everyone. If you normally stay off-site at the low priced properties (1-3 stars) then DVC may not be for you.

Your annual maintanence fees will run somewhere above $500 (depends upon how many points and what resort the points are at. VWL is currently running about $3.50 per point per year. Do you normally spend $500 or more per year on your vacation?

On the upside, you are getting remarkable accomodations on-site. You are getting large rooms with full kitchens. You are getting large bathrooms (VWL has a jacuzzi bath in the master BR)

You are locking in against annual hotel room increases. Just thing what people were paying for a hotel in 1980 and what they are paying today.

We purchased enough points to allow my family (myself, wife and son) to make a Disney vacation every other year. This year we stayed at VWL for a week. In 2004 we will use (or rent) our points for a week on the DCL. We will continue to alternate like this until 2042!

I think this works wonderfully for us. It will allow my son to grow up in the parks and transition through them. He will never complain (Perish the thought) about having to go to WDW since he has been there an done that. In essence he will spend a week at WDW every 4 years.

Anyway, I love DVC and only regret not having joined earlier. Each person has to evaluate their own needs, wants and desires to determine if it is right for them.

 

[Lisa P.]

If you normally stay off-site at the low priced properties (1-3 stars) then DVC may not be for you.... Do you normally spend $500 or more per year on your vacation?

I personally think it goes further than that for some families. We generally don't stay at basic motels offsite. We stay in 2-3BR luxury villas or upscale hotels. These options are anywhere from $450-$1,100 for a week offsite. Reasonably priced onsite options for us (a family of 5 w/ 3 older children/teens) include Wilderness Cabins or 2 rooms at All Stars. During school breaks, this translates to about $1,100-$1,500 per week. These cash options require no upfront purchase.

DVC generally required a 2BR reservation for us. A week during school breaks would be at least 296 points for us... sometimes in the upper 300's to 450 during prime holidays. Maint fees on our vacation week would run between $900-$1,800 per year, after an initial outlay of $20,000+.

The luxury is available for a better price offsite. The convenience is available for a better price onsite, without DVC. To get both (onsite luxury villa), for us, DVC is one nice option. But there's that little detail of the big purchase cost, tying up the funds - coupled with a long term commitment to dues. It's not the most affordable way, though it may still be the best way for some families. And not everyone has a family of 5 or does things the same way.

Each person has to evaluate their own needs, wants and desires to determine if it is right for them.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Cruelladeville]

I would disagree with your statement that DVC is less cost-effective than other resorts on-site, at least for our family of 4. I have been staying on-property yearly since 1974, and when I purchased DVC 6 years ago, it was because I could break even in 5 years. That included financing and maintenance fees. I compared those costs to what we were paying at Caribbean Beach, and after seeing how much better the accommodations were thru DVC, it was a no-brainer for us. We still continue to go to WDW yearly, but we ended up adding a Marriott timeshare for trading purposes. I assume that when you sold your DVC you at least broke even, which means that you received free vacations during the time you owned DVC. I can't make that claim with my Marriott timeshare. I bought my original DVC contract 6 years ago at $54 a point, and can sell for $72 or so at this time, a nice profit. Plus, there's no 11% resort tax when I stay, and I am not charged for children over 18, which cost $25 per night each when I stay on cash.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I would disagree with your statement that DVC is less cost-effective than staying at other resorts on-site, at least for our family of 4. I have been staying on-property yearly since 1974, and when I purchased DVC 6 years ago, it was because I could break even in 5 years. That included financing and maintenance fees. I compared those costs to what we were paying at Caribbean Beach, and after seeing how much better the accommodations were thru DVC, it was a no-brainer for us. We still continue to go to WDW yearly, but we ended up adding a Marriott timeshare for trading purposes. I assume that when you sold your DVC you at least broke even, which means that you received free vacations during the time you owned DVC. I can't make that claim with my Marriott timeshare. I bought my original DVC contract 6 years ago at $54 a point, and can sell for $72 or so at this time, a nice profit. Plus, there's no 11% resort tax when I stay, and I am not charged for children over 18, which cost $25 per night each when I stay on cash.