Do you recommend taking the tour?

[Limmer]

We are considering buying into DVC. We have never been to any of the home resorts (we just went on our 1st trip in Oct for our honeymoon and resort hopping was last on our list). I wanted to fly down for 2 days, stay off site, maybe in Downtown Disney (trying to be as economical as possible, still paying off the wedding) and book a tour. My DH thinks that is not necessary but I do not want to make this commitment and be un-impressed by the resort. Any opinions? Has anybody purchased and then wished they had bought at another resort. An add-on would not be possible for at least a few years.

 

[badeacon]

Yes take the tour.The Magic comes alive! I was skeptical and didnt want to consider a timeshare but DW signed us up to just look and we bought then at OKW in96and since have added on at HH. Best move i ever made short of my DW.

 

[Granny]

Without knowing much about your feelings towards Disney and the "magic" of staying on-site, this is a little tough to answer.

Personally, I think that DVC is a large, pre-paid vacation accommodation purchase and I couldn't conceive of making the decision without seeing what I was getting into.

That said, we did buy into VWL sight unseen, but only because we were thoroughly familiar with the theming of WL and because we saw a lot of pictures and room layouts that allowed us to know the theming would be carried over to the DVC villas.

I'd recommend visiting first. Especially with the "buy where you want to stay" philosophy that is heartily supported on this board.

 

[DVCajun]

I bought without taking the tour. I guess I couldn't conceive not being happy if I was staying on site. It really surpassed my expectations in the end. There's no way you will be disappointed with what you see on the tour.

 

[wdwnut]

hi: i think this is one of those "personal preference" type of questions. we had been going to wdw for years and turned down (yes we were idiots, but poor idiots) okw in 93 due to financial considerations. minimum buy in was higher and the financing wasn't as good either. we bought at bwv sight unseen because we trust disney. you can check out the pics of the resorts available through disney (vwl, hh, vb) and the ones available through resale (okw and bwv) on this site, the official site, www.wdwig.com and www.ourlaughingplace.com you could always call and get the video and info packet sent to you as well. you'll have to decide for yourself whether you'd be comfortable making this investment without seeing it in person.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

You'll be pleased at the no pressure approach of the tour. It will be a pleasant experience, go for it.

 

[Richyams]

You should get a feel for the price of re-sales before you go. Disney won't mention the re-sale market, but the BEST DVC resort, OKW is only available through resale.

 

[kda]

Getting the video might be a good alternative. OKW and BWV are all sold out (unless you buy a resale), and it's reported that VWL will sell out within the next month or so, so there may not be anything available at Disney until Beach Club Villas open next year (which probably won't be too long). That timing might work out for you. People who have been members MUCH longer than me, consistently advise buying into the place you want to stay the most. That might mean a resale, for you. You can always start out with a small purchase and do an add-on in a few years at another resort. Good luck!

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by Richyams
You should get a feel for the price of re-sales before you go. Disney won't mention the re-sale market, but the BEST DVC resort, OKW is only available through resale.

CAUTION: DVC members are sometimes very passionate about their "home" DVC resorts. There are no "best" ones....each has a theming, flavor, ambience and benefits of its own. Richyams....tsk, tsk trying to sway someone who's just trying to dig up some info!

But I would advise if you believe that WDW will be your primary vacation destination for most of the next 40 years, you should buy one of the current three DVC resorts there or wait until next year for the 4th one (Beach Club Villas).

 

[Dean]

It's been reported that DVC gives you 30 days once you take the tour to take advantage of any "special" interest rates on financing.

 

[Lesley]

I don't think the tour is really necessary if you have seen photos of all the resorts, heard lots of opinions (like you do here!), and are familiar with WDW and staying on-property. I have yet to hear someone say they regret joining.

That said, its kind of cool to see the rooms in person and get an idea of the size of each unit....of course, right now only VWL units are on display. I know when we toured for BWV though, it was one of those "yes, it looks just like the photos" moments and there were actually several families walking through at once which made it fairly crowded. I have read that the colors of the decor at VWL look much nicer in person than in photos....but I won't know for sure until January!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Good point about timing of the tour. The best time to take it would be within 30 days prior to your planned purchase. That way you would have the option of the lower interest rate.

 

[stlrod]

Lynn,

What you are proposing is what my wife and I did. We went down to Orlando 7 years ago (sans kids) for the purpose of buying DVC. We went down on a Marriott promotion and stayed at a Marriott timeshare. Surprisingly, we liked the Marriott program better and decided to buy Marriott. While we are now DVC members also, I tell everyone I know who is considering buying a timeshare that you should check out the three best in the business--Marriott, DVC and Hilton. You'll be much more informed and better equipped to make the decision which is best for you.

 

[mikesmom]

or better yet, if you can swing it stay in a 1 bdrm for a night. Yes, pictures are good, but they don't tell the whole story. (I've been swayed by pix of an Embassy Suites room that was taken from skillful angles and was really pretty small when I got there.)

There's something about that "jaw dropping" moment when you walk in to a one bedroom (ESPECIALLY if you are going to stay there) that gives you the feeling of how your vacations could be.

 

[kda]

Very well said, mikesmom. We fell in love with WL when it first opened, but were in for a complete (and awesome) surprise when we stayed at a 1 bedroom at VWL, for just the two of us. It's a totally different kind of luxury --- I'mn ot talking about elegance or fanciness, but the luxury of so much space and convenience. We're average middle class people, and the amount of space we had in a 1 BR is truly decadent!

 

[CrazyBoutDisney]

Limmer,

I'm with granny all the way! Take the tour and if you can time it to buy within 30 days, perfect! We just bought into DVC at VWL this past May and will be spending our first points next week. Plans changed several times since we made our first ressies and we have now lucked into a 1 bedroom at VWL for just the two of us! Having seen it on the tour, I absolutely can't wait!!! What a treat for my 50th birthday!