Disney Vacation Club

[swrdfghtr]

We're considering biying into a DVC resort, since we enjoy vacationing in WDW so often. Plus, the ability to swap out our DVC points in Paris or CA is a big plus (why not Tokyo, too? Sheesh).

One of the main selling points of a traditional (non-Disney) timeshare is that you pay a price now for a fixed number of weeks per year, for as many years as you own the property. So if you buy one week, you ALWAYS get one week.

With DVC, I'm not sure if that's the case? Since it's a "points" system, and the points go up. So if I buy exactly enough points to get a week at the Boardwalk, for example, then in 2-3 years I probably won't have enough points to stay a whole week anymore, right? Plus the exchange points at the other Disney hotels will go up, too, so I'll always be having to add a few more points to my pool to keep up? Doesn't that pretty much destory the financial advantage of "prepurchasing" your vacation?

Thanks for any feedback... I'm still trying to understand all of the ramifications!

 

[Geoff_M]

Since it's a "points" system, and the points go up.

No. The points are for all practical purposes "fixed". The only thing that changes from year-to-year is the definitions of the various "seasons". By law, if they raise the points needed during one season, they are obligated to lower them an equivilent number in another. There can be no "point inflation".

 

[Janet2k]

Swrdfghtr, welcome to the Dis!

I've been a DVC member for a few years now. It was the best purchase that I ever made. I have vacationed at WDW with just my immediate family, with my extended family, and with extended family & friends. I have another DVC vacation coming up soon in which my immediate family will be joined by my parents and one of my best friends. We're all so excited about our vacation, it should be wonderful.

For info about the DVC, please check out the "Disney Vacation Club" forum here on the Dis (click here). You will find lots and lots of information there.

 

[erikthewise]

As Geoff points out, DVC cannot raise overall point levels at DVC resorts.

However they can, have, and will raise points required to stay at non-DVC resorts. Using points to stay at non-DVC resorts means essentially paying rack rates for weekdays, even worse for weekends.

Moral: Don't plan on using DVC points to stay at non-DVC resorts, at least not on a regular basis. Buy points to cover your DVC stays, and pay cash at the other resorts.

 

[DisneyMim]

You might want to go over to the DVC board. We've been members since it started in 1991 and I know it sounds "sappy" and lame, but it really is one of the best things we ever did. I agree with erikthewise (I guess they don't call him wise for nothing!!), we use points for DVC stays and just pay cash for non-DVC stays. Because we have long long since paid off our DVC purchases we can now stay deluxe concierge for a week at a time in addition to a week or more at a DVC resort. It just keeps getting better and better!!!

Happy Planning!!!!

 

[ncligs]

If you do go to WDW quite often, then DVC would be a good way of vacationing. You get to stay in 1st class accomodations,at a fixed rate for the next 39 years.
We have been members for 5 years, and have no regrets.Check out the DVC boards and ask all the questions you want.

 

[glo]

We have a board specifically for DVC and questions like this. I will move this over there, where you will get lots of answers to your question

 

[Caskbill]

First, the total amount of points for a resort for the full year are fixed and cannot be changed. Absolutely no point increases.

However, points can be reallocated. This can be done to balance things out. For example they might raise the points on a 1-B/R unit a couple of points, but they would have to reduce the point requirements for another unit somewhere else, so the TOTAL points for the year remain the same.

DVC has only made a reallocation of points just one time, in 1996 at OKW resort. The change was quite minor.

Points can be used outside of the DVC resorts, but most consider this not to be a good value. For example, in September you can get a 1-B/R villa at OKW, Sun-Thu, for 16 points, at BWV for 16 or 22 points (depends on view). At BCV or VWL for 22 points.

Now compare, other properties. These are just hotel rooms, NOT a 1-B/R villa which has LR, Kitchen, Dining area, laundry room/closet, full bath, etc. So for a regular hotel room, Sept, Sun-Thurs, at Grand Floridian (37 points), Polynesian (33 points), Yacht club (32 points), Contemporary (26 points), Animal Kingdom Lodge (29 points), Fort Wilderness cabin (26 points), Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, or Port Orleans, Standard views (19 points)

Disneyland, Grand Californian (28 points), Disneyland Hotel (25 points), Paradise Pier (21 points)

Disneyland Paris: Disneyland hotel (44 points), Hotel New York (33 points), Newport Bay (31 points), Sequoia Lodge (30 points).
However with Paris, quote: "Reservation points listed include admission to Disneyland Paris Theme Park and Walt Disney Studios Park for the length of the stay for the number of registered guests up to the maximum number of guests permitted in the accommodation." This can make it a lot better deal.

Note: All of the above examples are per night. Point requirements for weekends and differing seasons will vary. But in all cases, the hotel point requirements are higher than any comparable villa (Studio) requirement. For example, instead of comparing the above hotels to an OKW 1-B/R, compare them to an OKW studio, which is still larger than the hotel rooms. An OKW studio, September, Sun-Thu is only 8 points/night.

 

[jimmytammy]

Your comment about nonDVC timeshares makes me that much happier that I bought into DVC and not another timeshare. The fact that DVC is not fixed gives us that much more flexibility. We are not tied to any particular place to have to stay or any particular time of yr.

If you enjoy WDW that much you are definitely a candidate for DVC. These are all top notch resorts. You WILL want to use your pts at DVC resorts because you get so much more than the traditional rooms at other resorts.

Dont be overly concerned about not having enough pts to stay each year at BWV because the pts dont change at DVC resorts. As someone else posted, on one occasion the pts changed on a very minor scale. I wouldnt let that be a deciding factor for you.

It was confusing to me when we first purchased, but I learned quick on how the pts work and you can work them to your advantage. I would purchase enough to vacation during your typical visit times realizing you can bank and borrow. If you can make that first trip without borrowing pts, then youve got it made!

It is a scary move, but knowing its Disney, you cant go wrong. Look, we bought sight unseen, never even saw any of the DVC resorts. No regrets. I know people who have been members since the early days, and to hear them talk about all those past trips, the memories made, and the ones still to come, reconfirms that I made the right move.

Bottom line, are you willing to buy a timeshare that is going to keep you offsite, a timeshare that you have very little or no control over, or will you purchase DVC, where the folks are friendly and helpful, and you have a wonderful forum of folks to ask lots of questions and to talk about how many pts you are going to addon and talk about how "homesick" you are waiting for your next trip.

You know my answer Good luck in your decision. Throwing Pixie Dust your way!

 

[mbhoxsie]

Confused yet??

DVC is one of the best purchases we ever made... But it is only of good value to you if you frequently take trips to DVC resorts and plan to in the future...

Point values within six DVC resorts are fixed and for the most part, cannot change by law. (DVC resorts are currently Old Key West, Boardwalk Villas, Wilderness Lodge Villas, Beach Club Villas, Hilton Head Island, Vero Beach, and soon Saratoga Springs..) If I own enough points to stay 1 week in a 2BR room at Boardwalk during the Value season this year, I should have enough points to stay at a 2BR room at Boardwalk 10 years from now.

That being said.. Nothing stops Disney from raising the point costs for resorts outside of DVC... These resorts are any of the WDW or DL Hotels, not in DVC.. Also, anything in the Conceirge Collection, Adventure Collection, or trades through Interval International.. So, if I have enough points right now to go on a Disney Cruise this year, I might not have enough to go 5 years from now.

So.. In theory, costs go up with inflation, more an more members will be spending their points at the DVC resorts. Also no where in our contracts does it say that DVC has to ALWAYS provide the other perks such as Conceirge, Adventure, or World Passport collections.

Good luck making your decision!! For us, DVC was the right choice.. We love it so much that we have purchased two additional add-ons..

 

[CaptainMidnight]

The flexibility of the point system where we sometimes want a 2 bedroom, other times want a 1 bedroom, and even times where we don't mind having 7 of us in a studio with a couple of kegs out on the balconey inviting several of our biker friends over for an all night bash seemed like great options that we might take advantage of at different times. Some contend that you can't go back to a studio, but we find it's still a nice vacation and helps concerve points during high points season or the biker or wreselling fan festival. We prefer this flexibility over a one set week in a two bedroom. The poionts are fixed as described above, so your investment is protected from inflation.

 

[icydog]

Originally posted by DisneyMim
You might want to go over to the DVC board. We've been members since it started in 1991 and I know it sounds "sappy" and lame, but it really is one of the best things we ever did. I agree with erikthewise (I guess they don't call him wise for nothing!!), we use points for DVC stays and just pay cash for non-DVC stays. Because we have long long since paid off our DVC purchases we can now stay deluxe concierge for a week at a time in addition to a week or more at a DVC resort. It just keeps getting better and better!!!

Happy Planning!!!!

We have been members since 1992 and consider ourselves DVC veterans. I never thought of staying at a Concierge Level before. I don't think we need any more than the level of luxury we get with DVC but, who knows maybe we are missing something. All of our friends and family think we are nuts to go to Disney all the time but all these same folks cannot believe how much we get to vacation. They think we go into attractions all the time. Mostly we go to the parks whenever we feel like it and eat at lovely restaurants in and out of WDW.

We are going to try one of our Home Resorts in September, BWV, and are a little leary about its reputation. We've stayed at BWV a couple of times but way back when it was new. I hope I made the right decision to stay at Boardwalk standard view instead of OKW or BCV. Any ideas if we made the right choice? When I made the ressie I had been reading the boards for awhile and I just loved the idea of paying the same points as OKW and staying so close to Epcot. If I hadn't read these boards I would have just reserved a perfered view to make sure we got the best vantage point to watch the boardwalk.

Marylyn