Do you think DVC is for me?

[Disneydreamer5]

Background: DH,SELF, 5 children, 19,17,16,14,&11. Not your average teenagers. Love to do things as a family. Spend most Friday night having movie night with us. Saturdays are for chores and yard cleaning, then out if friends if they have something good to do otherwise with us. If we go to visit, they come with. If we go out to dinner again would rather come along then hang with friends who are partying or something to that effect.
We are all Disney heads. Only have been once in 2005 and having been able to get back for a number of season, cost, lost of income, sports, school(college), and work schedules.
We are seriously considering buying a time share from a family member very cheap and 5 minutes to Disney. However, I would rather purchase a DVC.
I plan to visit Disney even when the kids are all out of the house and I am a grandmother!
I know its different then a normal timeshare although I don't understand how it works vs the normal timeshare. I know there are points and you can buy ,trade, sell points. I know you buy how ever many you need for whatever resort is going to be your home base. Can you go somewhere else if you want too? How does that work. I know you can bank years to take a longer trip or save up points for a cruise.
I am just not sure its a smart investment as so many people tell you timeshares are not a smart investment. But I look at it as investing in my family and time together.
Will we go every year with DVC, I really don't know but I would like too and if we don't we can bank our points right?
Another thing I am unsure about is how it works. Like I buy say 400 points can I go whenever I want as long as I can get reservation because my DH has to put in for vacation requests and it usually takes a week before he will know if its approved, or do you have to choose one week every year at the same time like a regular time share?
I know I have more quesitons but this is a good start. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sandisw]

First of all, welcome and its really important to ask a lot of questions before purchasing DVC.

DVC is a great timeshare for those that see themselves visiting Disney on a regular basis for years to come. Whether its once a year, every other year, or multiple times a year, if you see yourself as a Disney fan, then it might be a good fit.

When you buy points, you can use them anytime you want to travel, providing there is availability. Booking in advance is important, especially if you travel during busy times. You can book reservations as far as 11 months ahead of time at your "home" resort--where you own your points. If you want to stay elsewhere, you have to wait until 7 months before travel to book your reservation.

You can bank your points into the following year and you can use points to trade out elsewhere. However, the best value is when you use them to travel to WDW.

The first thing you might want to do is look at the points charts to see how many points you would need to travel. Based on the size of your family, you would need to be in a 2 -bedroom or the Treehouse Villas. Then decide which resort you might be interested in.

If you want one of the newer resorts, like BLT, you would have to go through Disney. However, there is a big resale market out there where you can buy in to DVC for a lower costs.

RIght now, SSR is a great deal in the resale market. It has fairly low MF's and its contract doesn't end until 2054. Check out the board's sponsor, The Time Share Store's website.

The Treehouse villas are also part of SSR, so owning there would give you the 11 month booking advantage if you think those would be something you would be interested in.

There is a lot of great information on the boards so ask away!!! Good luck!!!

 

[lisah0711]

Welcome!

Whether DVC is a good fit for your family depends on a lot of variables. These boards are filled with tons of good information. Read the threads and ask questions. DVC is different from a conventional timeshare in some ways but not in others.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668 is a good place to start on use year and how important it is to understand how it works.

Good luck with your research!

 

[disney4metoo]

We just purchased DVC Animal Kingdom Villas at the end of last year. We also have teenagers 17 & 19, and we purchased even though soon we will be empty nesters, but we are thinking about the future as well. Our teens love amusement parks, fast rides and of course Disney. We thought this would be a good way to continue to have family trips as they grow older and as they have families of their own...Grand Villa anyone!

We live in California so we just purchased the Grand Californian too. We would use this home resort much more than WDW. WDW will be a every other year or three year visit.

First and foremost buy where you want to stay! The incentives are really good right now and worth looking into! If you don't mind where you want to stay and SSR is ok for you, then consider resale. But don't buy resale thinking you are going to get into Grand Californian or BLT, unless it is your home resort, or you are really lucky!

At your home resort you have a 11 month prior booking period, before any other DVC members.This enables you to get what you want, except AKV Concierge (very hard to get.) So you will need to plan almost a year before your vacation. If you are good with advance planning then DVC might be for you. You can stay at other resorts when the 7 month window opens and then it depends on availability. I think this will get more difficult as more join DVC. Again buy where you really want to stay!

Also think about maintenance fees, because you will continue to pay these throughout the years you own. AKV has higher MF because of the animals, BLT the lowest, but high point usage and price.

I would also think about proximity to the park you want to visit most. AKV is by Animal Kingdom, SSR by DTD, BLT monorail to MK, etc. Maybe this does not matter, but think about it! Pick a resort that you really like for those years when maybe you do not want to go into the park.

Good luck!

 

[littlestar]

Before you buy another timeshare from a family member, do some research on the tug boards (timeshare users group) www.tugbbs.com. All of the major systems and brands are discussed on tug. If you do a search over there, you can probably pull up numerous threads on what you're thinking about buying from your family member. Most timeshares are easy to buy, but hard to sell. So be careful.

DVC is very expensive as far as dues and the buy-in cost. We actually own some DVC points along with other resale timeshare weeks. I did a lot of research before I found out what worked best for us. Take your time and read a lot.

Definitely don't buy DVC to trade it. As one poster posted not too long ago, you'll be buying the airplane to get peanuts if you do that.

Good luck.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

what is a BLT? Sorry but I have no idea what this is.
I am checking out the sites you all suggested and I will keep you updated and ask any other questions I may come up with.
Thanks everyone for your help and patients !

 

[Sandisw]

what is a BLT? Sorry but I have no idea what this is.
I am checking out the sites you all suggested and I will keep you updated and ask any other questions I may come up with.
Thanks everyone for your help and patients !

BLT, is Bay Lake Tower, the newest DVC resort at WDW. It is located next to the Contemporary Hotel.

 

[Dean]

What's best depends on so much info that we don't have and much that's purely personal to you. I'd only buy DVC points for DVC stays. Given you're likely looking at a 3 BR or multiple units for most stays the next few years, I doubt DVC is the efficient way to do so, esp if you want 3 BR units. If you're thinking Orlando plus other trips out of the timeshare, DVC would be an extremely poor choice. But the 2 are no exclusive and you could buy less DVC points and another timeshare for much less.

As for buying an off site timeshare, that is rarely a good choice for Orlando but again, depends on specifics. If you like the resort and the unit size and week or weeks work for you, it may be a good choice. I find that timeshares from family are almost never a good deal no matter how little they cost, even when they are free. If you give us the resort, unit size and weeks you could book, we could give you a lot more information. You need to look at fees as well as price, it's usually cheap for a reason.

Overall a GOOD non DVC non Orlando timeshare will be a much better value than will DVC.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

When considering DVC, don't forget about the cost of transportation, theme park tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.

You might also want to think about purchasing enough points to visit every other year. That will get your feet wet.

I think Old Key West or Saratoga Springs (for the Treehouses) would be a good fit because of the point charts for large groups.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that you can use 3 years' worth of points at once. You can bank a year's points, plus use current year's points, plus borrow the next year's points. So if you have 200 points, you can actually have 600 at one time. You just will have to wait two years before you're able to go again.

As far as researching the different resorts, the disney site is great. Go to http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc.index. Under the tab About Disney Vacation Club, click Comforts of Home. On that screen, you can view all the resorts and even do 360 degree virtual tours. It's great!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Lisa P.]

Disneydreamer5, I'd second the suggestions to learn more on TUG - Timeshare Users Group (tugbbs.com or tug2.net) before buying anything... as well as possibly sharing more info here about the timeshare you've been offered on resale. And btw, congrats on your nearly 2 months smokefree! You're bettering your chances of being around as a grandmother at WDW with each successful day smokefree!

Anyway, when traveling to WDW with so many teens (I can relate, with three plus their friends), having access to transport to the parks is very helpful. So DVC is a nice fit if you'll still plan to go yearly once they're grown - it happens so fast! Another option to consider is Wyndham points and staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, next door to the Caribbean Beach Resort. No onsite benefits but they do have hourly (or more frequent) shuttles to the parks and DTD. A third option is getting a timeshare that's affiliated with RCI (preferably with II too) with sufficient trade power to exchange into DVC - an example is WorldMark Credits on resale - but only if you are able to plan a year ahead and be quite flexible with your travel dates.

When considering onsite vs offsite timeshares, you need to get an accurate picture of the difference in costs. Then decide whether the difference is worth the onsite benefits to YOU or not. For example, 400 DVC pts may cost anywhere from $26,000 resale (in a large contract that's harder to sell later) to $42,000 broken down into smaller, more manageable contracts by Disney. Then you're looking at annual dues between $1,880-$2,500/yr.

13,000 WorldMark Credits - enough for a 3BR week in prime season or 1-2 trades elsewhere through RCI/II - would cost closer to $9,000 on resale with annual dues around $900/yr.

308,000 Wyndham Points - enough for a 3BR week in prime season or several 2BR trades elsewhere (but not strong enough to trade into DVC) - would cost under $2,000 (maybe much less) for a good resale contract on eBay (careful about selecting one with low maint fees) and annual dues around $1,300/yr (if you choose well for your home resort). No, that purchase price is not a typo.

DVC, WorldMark and Wyndham are all points systems which will allow you to book various room sizes with each trip, to allow for your changing needs over time. They all also permit you to reserve vacations at their various resorts in other locations so check into their locations and see if they appeal for your non-WDW vacations too. Dean and others here may be able to share similar pricing info about Bluegreen, Sheraton or HGVC (Hilton Grand Vacations Club) which are all points programs with resorts in the Orlando area. But you get the idea.

Lastly, a good 3BR lock-off week in prime platinum season at a nearby offsite resort (no shuttles so you need enough vehicles or to use taxi cabs to fill in gaps) like Cypress Point or selected other high quality resorts (avoid Westgates) could be found for under $1,000-$3,000 if you know where to look, with annual dues under $1,000 - or get a Marriott for a little more. If your family/friend is not offering something priced along these lines - especially if you haven't visited the resort and know you'd love it - you need to look elsewhere. It's tough to sell a timeshare in the Orlando area with so much competition so don't buy in the area unless you know what you want and you find it at a great price.

So compare these prices and decide if it's worth it to you to pay the DVC premium or not. Different families choose differently. HTH!

 

[AnnaS]

Good luck with your purchase and deciding. It's great planning.

What everyone here has said - I just wanted to say that being on site with the kids and having the convenience/freedom for them to go back and forth from resort to park/DTD/resorts, etc. on their own is priceless.

Also, again, if you buy through Disney - split your contract up.

Good luck again.

 

[littlestar]

Another thing I wanted to mention. If you have family that already own timeshares, you might not need to buy anything. If they own a timeshare, they are eligible to be a member of probably RCI or II (Interval International) or maybe both exchange companies if their resort is dual affiliated. Our family and friends book cash Getaways through our II membership quite frequently. They are required to buy a $39 guest certificate if we are not with them at check-in, though (but that's nothing when you are getting a 2 bedroom condo for less than $70 a night).

RCI and II are the two largest exchange companies. Both of these exchange companies offer cash deals. I just booked a Getaway through our II membership in the fall in a 2 bedroom at Sheraton Vistana Villages for less than $500 for the week. Frequently, RCI offers what they call "Last Calls" (45 days or less inventory) for $249 a week in a 2 bedroom. I prefer II's Getaways because when I'm not staying at DVC, I like staying at Marriott and the Sheraton Vistana Villages on International Drive.

Getaway cash deals are abundant for Orlando because it is overbuilt. Just wanted to toss you another suggestion to kick around.

 

[Dean]

Lots of choices. Just to throw another approach in the mix, one could buy non Orlando and trade in to Orlando generally very easy. 3 BR trades are more difficult but often workable. It's often easier to get 2 units than a 3 BR and not that much more expensive in many cases. And often one CAN trade in to DVC in this manner if you position yourself right up front. While Wyndham isn't currently a good choice to do so for trading to DVC, Bluegreen is. That could change in the future or even reverse. Wyndham does have a resort that is essentially on property in Bonnet Creek. BG has a resort that is on par with DVC resorts and a pool that rivals SAB, The Fountains. Some of the non DVC timeshares are actually nicer in many ways than are the DVC resorts including the Hilton's and upper level Marriott's and several others are on par in many ways including Vistana Villages. BG includes a direct RCI weeks membership with their fees.

From a quality standpoint and overall trading I prefer Marriott. One can buy a 3 BR lockoff at Grande Vista for under $10K or a 2 BR lockoff trading unit elsewhere and trade in for a 3 BR or two 2 BR units with the later being more realistic. One can get a good lockoff Marriott trading unit under $5K at present, often much less, with dues in the $700-800 range, yearly II fees under $100 and reduced exchange fees Marriott to Marriott (if you do it right) of $99 per exchange.

If I had to start all over in timesharing, know what I know today, cost was a major priority and I wanted to go to Orlando (Disney area) EY to EOY and also non Orlando areas for top resorts, here's what I'd do.

1. I'd buy one or more cheap Bluegreen packages then do a qualified purchase to get to 35K so ALL my points were counted as developer purchases and thus I qualified for Gold status. Total cost about $15K if you bough them all at once qualified or $10K if you went the route I mentioned. Yearly dues about $1500 including RCI, one free white or blue week (BG week not RCI week), no reservation fees, 5 free cancelations, access to bonus time and a major reservation priority of 3 months (plus a few other minor benefits). RCI weeks account included. RCI has higher exchange fees.

2. Plus a good reasonably priced Marriott L/O unit for trading with a reasonable fee preferably Platinum, possibly gold. Current cost $2500-5K, yearly fees about $700-850, lockoff fee $75, Marriott to Marriott fee $99 and 24 day Marriott internal trading preference in II.

3. And possibly a small (?25-50) point DVC package so you could get many of the perks even when staying off site.

So for under $15K up front (excluding the DVC portion), yearly Maint fees of $2300 and yearly Misc fees (exchanging, II membership, L/O fees) of $700-1000 (? # of trades) totaling about $3-3.5K yearly; I could get 2 Marriott exchanges (3 if I get a bonus week), 5-10 RCI exchanges, have a GREAT chance of trading to DVC for a 2 BR and possibly a second unit, have Marriott internal trading preference and if I wanted (non DVC) stay as many as 15 weeks in Orlando in 2 BR or larger units at top resorts and have tons of flexibility. All for 1/3 to half the price of 400 DVC points and little more per year in maint fees and other costs.

Don't get me wrong, I love DVC, I just want you to know what the other type options and costs are. If trading doesn't appeal to you and location is more important than cost, DVC is the perfect choice for many.

 

[Tara]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that you can use 3 years' worth of points at once. You can bank a year's points, plus use current year's points, plus borrow the next year's points. So if you have 200 points, you can actually have 600 at one time. You just will have to wait two years before you're able to go again.

I just want to clarify that if you are using 3 years' worth of points at once and plan on doing this every time, you can only travel every three years. For example:

2010: Travel during this year using all 2009 (banked), 2010 (current) and 2011 (borrowed) points
2011: no points to use or bank
2012: bank all points in preparation for trip in 2013
2013: travel during this year using all 2012 (banked), 2013 (current) and 2014 (borrowed) points

Now, if you plan on using banking/borrowing only some times, then you CAN travel again 2 years after using 3 years worth of points. You'll only be able to use the current year's points and points borrowed from the next year, though.

(I think this is what DisneyStarWisher meant, but I wanted to be sure it was clear.)

Good luck on making your decision. We are very happy (and new) DVC owners, but I do agree that it isn't for everyone.

 

[GadgetRick]

Just posted this on TUG as someone else was considering a purchase...


I sold my DVC points (230) last year (OKW). There are pros and cons to DVC:

Cons
-As mentioned, not sure about the trading value. We never traded because it didn't seem like you'd get as much value.
-Price--as you can see, they're quite pricey--even resale.
-MFs are a little above average prices (IMO) but this is subjective.
-VERY difficult to get into other DVC resorts (i.e. not your home) these days. The last couple of years we always wound up at OKW (not horrible because it's nice) and couldn't get into other DVC resorts. We traveled during non-prime time, too.
-Disney has been actively marketing renting out DVC rooms to non-DVC members (as of when we sold). This kinda pissed me off and it contributes to my con above this one.
-I always thought it rather incondiderate of Disney to NOT offer better discounts. They finally started offering a good discount off annual passes but their other discounts are weak. I understand DVC is a totally different entity than Disney, however, most DVCers I know almost ONLY use DVC for DVC stays--meaning, they're at Disney and spending plenty of money there. Would be nice for some better breaks.
-Until BLT, the DVC resorts were all fairly far from the parks. That can be good for some people, bad for others.
-I've found the food in the restaurants to be lacking in most DVC resorts (although they're priced rather high). There are exceptions and this is certainly subjective but Oliva's in OKW was horrible as is the food court at SSR (haven't been to the place they finally opened after enough complaints from owners--they weren't planning on opening anything due to how close it is to DTD, but I digress...).
-The new resorts are requiring more and more points. Although I understand this, I think it's gotten out of hand.
-Your deed expires unless they offer an extension (at an additional price).

Now, it's not ALL bad. We really enjoyed our DVC while we owned it. Here's what we LOVED:

-Quite flexible with their points. You can also use points to book at regular Disney resorts. We booked at Contemporary one year and a few others at other years. The only thing you have to keep an eye on is you can't book them unless you're (at least) 60 days out (accounting reasons) and the cancelation policy (don't know what it is now).
-Resorts are extremely nice (all of them). They all have a different feel and all have things you may (or may not) like. OKW was the first and has the largest rooms. We didn't care for SSR at all but others love it. They are all very well-mainted, however.
-Customer service is EXCELLENT. They certainly have the Disney idea of customer service. You call the 800 number for all of your questions. Very nice although sometimes it's hard to get through.
-You certainly feel like you're a part of a very large family when you own. Gives you the warm fuzzies.
-They seem to be building resorts in more desirable locations in the parks now (SSR next to DTD, AKL next to AK, BLT next to MK, etc.).
-Resale is, typically, much better than other TSes. We made money on our sale (we did buy it a long time ago, however).
-You can rent points--although I never did that--if you don't want to borrow against next year's points.
-You get a sales guide assigned to you from the start. Honestly, I only interacted with ours once but got regular emails, post cards (good marketing). Being a sales dude myself, I appreciate that.
-You can use their shopping service to have your unit stocked. I never used this but I know people who have. Nice (although expensive) feature.
-Pools for the kids are usually very nice in the resorts.
-ROFR--not sure how aggressively they're pursuing this but it helps keep the resale prices higher. You won't see any of them selling for $50 on eBay like some of the other TSes.

Again, I'd echo others sentiments in saying, buy DVC to stay at Disney and use another TS for other places. We chose to sell for a number of reasons:

-Biggest reason was our financial situation. We had a rough year last year and needed the money.
-I was tired of not being able to stay in other DVC resorts. Used to be able to do so very easily. I'm sure you could ensure you're calling at the butt-crack of dawn (or the time they open) but I just didn't have the time nor the patience to do so. Also, no true online booking system. They were working towards that, however.
-I feel, unless you have kids (and/or hate a hotel room or travel with a larger group), it's a bit pricey. Before we had kids, DVC was nice but we really didn't need the room we got in some of the rooms. However, many people prefer staying in an, "apartment," rather than a hotel room. At the end of the day, this is personal preference.
-If you're moderately careful--and don't mind a hotel room--you can usually find a deal to stay in one of the Disney properties (non-DVC) online for LESS than what your MFs would be (talking about a week stay)--forget about staying off the property but that's a different vacation entirely. We didn't mind staying in a hotel room so I was looking at saving money on our stays as well.
-I was peeved about having to pay extra to extend my deed to expire when the newer deeds expire. Although I understand why they did it, I don't agree with it. Profits aren't everything. If it were just a small fee, I could have swallowed it better but it was a bit steep--although I can't remember what it was at the time.
-Due to the deed we had having the earlier expiration date, I figured, as more newer deeds are purchased, the value of my deed would have been significantly diminished. I figured I'd get out while I was still ahead.


So, basically, we did wind up selling due to out financial situation last year, however, I had been contemplating selling it for about a year anyway. The economic disaster which was 2008 just pushed me over the edge.

Either way, I hope you enjoy your purchase if you decide to go through with it. Just wanted to point out the good AND the bad for you. Good luck!

 

[GadgetRick]

I just purchased a 231k point Wyndham interest in Pagosa Springs, CO. The cost, including closing fees, was less than $1,000. My reasoning was this:

-I would have great flexibility within the Wyndham system. Can easily (from what I can tell) get in somewhere in the Disney area--we usually go the first week in Dec.--not a busy time.
-I can use it for other places as well.
-We are very flexible in our schedules.

As I mentioned in my previous post, if you want to stay anywhere except your home resort, it has become extremely difficult to do so. I was calling at the 7 month window and never could get into anywhere except my home resort (OKW) or SSR (we didn't like SSR all that much the couple of times we stayed there). Forget about places like the Boardwalk or AKL. I can't imagine anyone but BLT points owners will ever get into BLT.

They have a wait list they can put you on but it never got us into anywhere so I'm not sure how useful that is.

My suggestion, make a trip to Disney World and spend some time going through the various DVC resorts to see which ones you'd like to stay at if you decide to buy. Then buy into that resort (resale if possible). This way you'll be able to get into where you want to be. Otherwise, you may be dissappointed.

Just remember, however, you can stay on other Disney resorts (non-DVC) using your points. You must book at least 60 days in advance and you're not gonna get a condo-type unit, rather, you'll get a hotel room. We did use this a couple of times before (and after) we had kids. It's a nice option to stay at the nicer resorts onsite (i.e. Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Polynesian).

Good luck either way.

 

[disney4metoo]

Good luck with your purchase and deciding. It's great planning.

What everyone here has said - I just wanted to say that being on site with the kids and having the convenience/freedom for them to go back and forth from resort to park/DTD/resorts, etc. on their own is priceless.

Also, again, if you buy through Disney - split your contract up.

Good luck again.

I agree, and being immersed in the Disney theme, makes it unforgettable vacation!
We were at Grand Californian at Disneyland this past week and the hotel is right at the entrance of California Adventure. We were in our room and we decided we wanted some Boudin Sourdough bread, and a Mickey Ice Cream, my husband left the room walked into California Adventure, bought the items and was back in the room in 10 minutes (5 floor including elevators.)

WDW is huge and not as small as DL, and the access not the same, but you get the idea...convenience!

DVC is not for everybody, but I agree research all your options and make a decision with what you are comfortable doing. Don't buy unitl you are ready and sure of your decision!

 

[littlestar]

I was always too afraid of Wyndham - I keep hearing about changes that hurt their owners. I heard they've also started charging $129 guest certificate fees ($99 on line) and allowing no transfers at all.

The Wyndham resorts that appeal to me are Beach Street Cottages in Destin, Bonnet Creek, and Wyndham Smoky Mountains.

There's also talk about a new Presidential Reserve program that would create a new class of owners at resorts like Bonnet Creek, Grand Desert. I would be afraid if I bought (with my luck), I would be one of the owners left in the dust.

 

[GadgetRick]

I was always too afraid of Wyndham - I keep hearing about changes that hurt their owners. I heard they've also started charging $129 guest certificate fees ($99 on line) and allowing no transfers at all.

The Wyndham resorts that appeal to me are Beach Street Cottages in Destin, Bonnet Creek, and Wyndham Smoky Mountains.

There's also talk about a new Presidential Reserve program that would create a new class of owners at resorts like Bonnet Creek, Grand Desert. I would be afraid if I bought (with my luck), I would be one of the owners left in the dust.

I did a lot of research on Wyndham before buying one (just recently). No TS is perfect, however, for the money--Wyndham is a fantastic bargain (resale). You literally can pick them up for less than $1,000 (including costs). It is one of the most flexible systems out there but you have to learn how to use it. Remember, they ALWAYS keep changing the systems in order to keep you buying more. However, if you buy it inexpensively enough, you won't lose anything.

However, DVC is certainly a better TS for Disney stays.