Do you use your points for non-Disney trips?

[LawChic]

I am intrigued by DVC, and do not know much about the program. However, I have heard that you can travel the world using DVC points. Anybody traveled outside of Disney, Vero and Hilton Head using their DVC points? If so, was the quality as good as a Disney owned resort?

I hope this question makes sense!

 

[CarolMN]

The best economic value of a DVC poiint is using it to stay at a DVC resort. So we don't use DVC points to travel outside the system. We pay cash for those trips.

 

[islandtimect]

I've found it very difficult to try to use points for other non Disney resorts. DVC ads talk about traveling the world to over 500 places, but unless you travel off peak and get lucky at the last minute, it's mighty hard to use DVC pts for nonDisney resorts.

 

[Lynne M]

I don't, but then I never really intended to. I bought enough points to cover my Disney stays, and I pay out of pocket for my other trips.

A large part of the reason I'd never bought a timeshare was that I didn't want to be locked into specific resorts, or even a group of resorts, for my vacations. If I want to go to Las Vegas and stay at the Bellagio, I don't want to feel like I should be using a timeshare in LV instead. If I want to go to NYC, I want to be able to choose any hotel, not just the one my timeshare trades with. If I want to go to Europe, I don't want to have to plan my trip around which cities have resorts I can trade into, and I don't want to be stressing out for months waiting to hear whether my trade went through.

I bought DVC for a very specific purpose. I knew I would go to WDW twice a year for the foreseeable future, and I wanted to stay in deluxe-level resorts, and DVC was the most economical way to do that. But for my other vacations, what I said in my last paragraph still applies.

 

[RysMomma]

So basically, if I'm thinking of getting a DVC, I shouldn't think about using it for travel outside of DVC because it's hard to trade? Is that why people say it's not really worth it? I'm just curious since I've been doing some researching into a DVC and reading that constantly. Has it always been like that for a DVC or just since RCI has owned it? Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

Same here, we only use our points to stay at WDW. Anywhere else can be difficult to arrange and cost you more than paying cash.

 

[CarolMN]

So basically, if I'm thinking of getting a DVC, I shouldn't think about using it for travel outside of DVC because it's hard to trade? Is that why people say it's not really worth it? I'm just curious since I've been doing some researching into a DVC and reading that constantly. Has it always been like that for a DVC or just since RCI has owned it? Thanks!

It can be very difficult to get the nicer resorts during popular/peak seasons.

But the main reason is that DVC is one of the more expensive timeshares to buy and maintain (annual dues). There are less expensive timeshares that trade just as well (some better) than DVC.

So the advice is to buy just the number if points that you will need for your DVC trips and do something else for your other trips - either pay cash or buy a less expensive timeshare for trading.

Even though some prefer II to RCI, the above advice has remained constant.

 

[eliza61]

I am intrigued by DVC, and do not know much about the program. However, I have heard that you can travel the world using DVC points. Anybody traveled outside of Disney, Vero and Hilton Head using their DVC points? If so, was the quality as good as a Disney owned resort?

I hope this question makes sense!

We've done it a number of times and love it!! The quality was actually way better than disney owned properties many times(sorry guys). We always do the concierge collections. So far we've done the Mandarian Oriental in Washington DC (absolutely superb). The Dorchester in Londan UK and Shelburne Murray in NYC. All 4 star hotels.

It's one of the best perks imo, I know the point value isn't as good when you trade out but I love doing long weekends in luxury without the kids.

 

[Dean]

So basically, if I'm thinking of getting a DVC, I shouldn't think about using it for travel outside of DVC because it's hard to trade? Is that why people say it's not really worth it? I'm just curious since I've been doing some researching into a DVC and reading that constantly. Has it always been like that for a DVC or just since RCI has owned it? Thanks!

There are many reasons not to buy DVC for exchange options. These reason vary to a degree with the option. MOST are not a good value, NONE are guaranteed and almost always the risk of using points is far greater than that of using cash. And it's always been that way in general though some of the specifics have changed a little over the years.