Does anyone regret buying DVC? Or wish they'd chosen a different home resort?

[Castillo Mom]

I regret not having bought DVC sooner. We fell in love with WDW our first trip down which was in '04. Towards the end of our vacation we wanted to go to a presentation but didn't end up having time. For whatever reason I didn't think to go to one out here in California and, over time I brushed the idea under the rug. I finally bought in about a year after our second trip but, had I done so in '04 I would've been in a better financial position to buy more points.

Since then my SIL has moved to South Carolina and we've been trying to plan a trip to Hawaii for a couple of years now. Bottom line, DVC makes even more sense for us now. Yes, my sons are going to be up and out of the house within the next couple of years but they still love Disney. We have two little ones recently added to our family, a niece and nephew and auntie (me) can't wait to take them for their first trip next summer for my son's grad trip. I can use points at HHI and bring my SIL along for a nice family reunion and I'm looking forward to some R&R in Hawaii. I'm a planner so having to book at the 11 or 7 month works with my obsessive personality. We've only stayed at deluxe resorts, BC and the Poly before DVC. We don't mind not having daily housekeeping, in fact I prefer it that way. We're so tired at night, the covers barely get messed up since we're dead asleep and I can easily throw towels in the washer while we get ready in the morning and throw them in the dryer on our way out to the parks. We don't need or use the toiletries, we bring our own.

As for home resort choice, I'm happy with Kidani so far. I think for future trips we may end up staying at other DVC properties depending on party size and what we plan on doing. As an example, for us it would be more convenient to stay at BLT with little ones since we would probably visit MK multiple times plus do several character meals located within the vicinity such as Chef Mickey's, CP, 'Ohana, etc. Hopefully I'll be in a position to add on within the near future and as far where to add on - that's a conversation for another day!

 

[bigAWL]

Just my opinion and it looks like one of the few on this board that regret buying DVC.

Well, I imagine many people who do have regrets, aren't very interested in reading these message boards.

I'm brand new to DVC - just bought into VGC this summer - have have yet to make a trip "home." I'm hoping we don't regret our home resort, since we are mostly east-coasters (though living overseas most of the time). We chose it because it was cheaper than BLT, and figured the smaller resort made more sense for those times when we did want to go west. By that I mean it would be easier to get a villa at the larger BLT at 7 months than it would be at the small VGC.

 

[Coach81]

No way.. We just paid off our first loan.. now planning on adding more points within the next few years!!!

 

[LSchrow]

we've owned about 10 years. first we bought 270 pts at the BWVs after a few stays there, added 60 at the BCV sight unseen, then 100 at SSR.

the regrets are very few: i wished we had stayed at BCV before buying as we found it was not a place we care to stay.

the pros are many though.:
we love that DVC is so flexible. when our kids were younger, we used to stay in a 1 bdrm for a week, in late august or school holiday weeks in the fall.
now that they are older, DH and i go for 10-12 days in a studio in oct for the F&WF, DD and i go in may for the F&GF, and every other year my parents, DB and family (and frequently, me) go in sept, in a 2 bdrm.
after figuring out our price per point, we are paying about 60% off rack rate - a nice savings!!
my biggest regret is not getting more points at the BWV, as those points are always borrowed (we found we love BW view, and it is a neccessary part of our vacations)

 

[rentayenta]

We're planning on buying into DVC...but before taking on another monthly payment would really like some feedback from current members...would love to know the good AND the bad. Thanks!

No regrets here either other than we wish we would have bought sooner. Purchasing DVC has greatly enhanced the quality of our vacations, not only Disneyland and Disneyworld vacations but to other destinations as well. We traded into RCI for a week in Cabo and our resort was gorgeous and on the beach. We have used our points at the GCV in California as well and I cannot even tell you what a beautiful resort that is. I am currently planning our December 2011 *Hanukkahmasday* holiday and trying to choose which amazing DVC resort we want to stay at in addition to SSR. Our home is SSR and we couldn't be more pleased. DVC made sense when we decided quality trumps quanity.

 

[wish*i*was*in*the*vi]

I have to say that I do regret buying into DVC. First, let me say that I am a huge Disney fan. Even went on my honeymoon to Disneyworld. As a child I went to Disneyworld every year (lived in Wisconsin) and once I had children and living in Arizona we went to Disneyland at least 2 a year. We also love the Disney Cruises! We bought Saratoga Springs three years ago. We really wanted Grand Californian and were told we would need to buy into DVC to qualify for an early opportunity to purchase there. Of course, we all now know that we did not need to purchase at SSR. When the Grand Californian came available we did purchase there also. We really were never intending to keep both but I had hoped we would for a few years, especially since the price dropped so much from what we paid for SSR. In the end, with 2 maintenence fees and one loan we decided we could not afford to keep both so we sold the SSR contract for a huge loss. The good news is we had a very positive experience with the timeshare store - highly recommend them. We still have our contract at Grand Californian but we may end up selling it too. Here is what I don't like about DVC for us. I think the DVC points are a much better value at Disneyworld than Disneyland. With airfare Disneyworld is just not an option for us at the point. It also seems that Disneyworld has been giving great packages with free dining (which I realize may change). For my family, we are very content staying at a moderate resort - we actually also prefer the housekeeping coming in daily vs the DVC every 4 or 5 days. We also don't plan vacations far in advance, so at times it has been hard to get in our home resort (Grand Cal) if we try at the 6-7 month window. Just my opinion and it looks like one of the few on this board that regret buying DVC. If you do decide to buy I would check out the resale market. The prices have dropped so much, so you would get a great deal. As far as Saratoga Springs as our home resort - we were fine with that and had no problem getting into the Animal Kingdom or Old Key West. Best of luck with your decision.

AZMommy,
Sorry to hear you're disappointed. I know that the points usage at Grand California is MUCH higher in comparison to the Disneyworld resorts,which I dont really understand? Is it because of location? I got to go to Disneyland with a friend who lives in about miles from Disneyland last November, and thought it was super cool how close the Grand California was to the parks, and how close the parks and Downtown Disney were to each other, but it alll seems so much smaller than what's at Disneyworld. I can't see the justification for demanding such a higher points usage.
I do see some potential negatives with DVC-one being the less frequent housekeeping like you mentioned and the other being the sleeping arrangments, I'd prefer my kids to have a bed rather than a sleeper sofa. That's a big reservation for me, honestly.
Thanks for your honest input!

 

[tkalita]

I definitely do not regret our purchase. We bought a year ago and have completed one trip (OKW) so far and were able to accommodate my parents to come with us which was SO nice. We also have 3 trips lined up (VB in Oct, DCL in April and an RCI exchange for a ski trip in Feb). We had no problems with the RCI exchange and I'm so excited to be able to go on these trips and get such wonderful accommodations!! My only "regret" is the high interest rate that you have to pay if you finance. We finally were just able to get a home equity loan and drop our interest rate 4.5%. We've been paying $440/month for a year and it's almost all interest. That's tough to take. Of course, I would recommend not financing (if possible) or getting a more reasonable loan rate with someone else other than DVC. This loan will be paid off in 5 years and we'll enjoy vacations unil 2060 for the cost of maitenance fees...can't beat it!!!

 

[ccsmith312]

We are brand new to DVC but I wish we had bought in a long time ago. We have spent thousands on rooms at AKV, GF, and VWL over the last two years when we could have put that money towards DVC instead. We just bought 200 points at BLT last month and I've had a ball planning our trips. We just got back from AKV and have three other trips planned between now and next summer. For us it works out very well, we live close enough to drive, so no airfare expense, and we were able to pay cash upfront so no guilt about paying interest. If you're going to be staying at the DVC resorts anyway, and if you go several times a year, as we do, then it just makes sense. As for home resort, we haven't yet been to BLT, but bought there because we have very young kids (5yo, 3yo and 3mos) so we knew we wanted the proximity to the MK. Good luck with your decision!

 

[shreked]

We have been members sice 94. Not one regret. We did add on point throughthe Timeshare store. Very simple process.

We go to Disney at least once a year and we are still finding new adventures every yesr.

 

[jlwhitney]

Defiantly do not regret it at all, especially once I looked at cash prices of places again. We were able to take My DH mom and dad and bro and sis to disney in a THV for nights. It was not all of our points and our maintence fees were about 1100 (300 points) for the year and to stay cash in 2 bed at ssr was going to be over 2000 for the 6 of us.

We love it, and love the fact we live within driving distance (2.5 hours). Not sure we would have bought if we had to fly down every year.

 

[wdwfan1]

We love our DVC and have no intention of selling. However, I think a different use year would have been better for us. Our first purchase was a resale. We were looking for a specific resort with a specific number of points. We found a good deal with a June use year. When we added on we chose the same use year to make it easier to manage our points.

That being said, use year has never been a problem for us. However, when looking at resales, I never see many with a June use year. That is why we bought our add on directly from Disney.

 

[lugnut33]

Bought 120 points at SSR in 08' ($80 p/pt June UE) and another 50 pts in 10' ($76 p/pt June UE). Have done 5 days at Kidani and 7 days at Tree House Villas (able to bring all the grand parents). Have an Oct. AKLV 5 day trip coming up in Oct. and will have a big 10 day trip in Aug of 2011. If I add up all those nights the cash cost would be around 13,000 and I've invested around 15,700 (inc. closing fees and three years of fees). I don't think that's a bad thing.

I don't regret having only 170 points as it'll keep my fees down and doesn't tie us into multiple trips per year to WDW. We can use them for a decent trip every year, or an awesome trip every other year.

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

DH and I agree that our most vivid memories from childhood are from family vacations. We want to make those same kind of special memories with our children so we have absolutely no regrets in purchasing our DVC contracts. It's been a wonderful thing as it keeps making plans for family time/vacations a top priority. I'm a mega planner so booking ressies 7-11 months out works well for me.

Although the contemporary theming is not my favorite decor, we bought at Bay Lake Tower. We based our decision on location, access to the monorail and the lower dues. Since we travel to WDW several times a year (usually during value season), we've had the opportunity to try different resorts and will continue to change up our reservations to have different experiences. So far, I've always been able to book my choice of resorts at the 7 month window.

The only thing I would do differently is choose a different use year.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Only substantial regrets are not buying sooner (although AKV were not available until shortly before we bought) and not buying more (more will be added on soon).

 

[skorpie]

We have no regrets at all! We own at VWL and BCV. It is true that my DD
(18) has been so many times we now only go to our favorite parks and rides. We have a new love of the BWV which is where we just stayed. DD loves to walk to her favorite part, Epcot. However, I have just become a new grandma. I cannot wait to take my grand-daughter to Disney. She will be sooooo spoiled rotten!Then I will get to experience the entire Disney process again!

 

[jdkdorn]

We love DVC and purchased BCV in 2003 and decided in 2004 that we wanted more points. We decided to purchase and SSR but looking back on it now we should have purchased more points at BCV. We never stay at SSR because we don't like the transportation and how spread out it is. We've talked about it but decided t hold on the SSR contract because who knows when the kids are grown up we may like SSR better because the rooms are beautiful and the location is not bad for adults and older kids.

Judy

 

[TosaTrio]

We love DVC and do not regret buying, however if I were to start all over again I would look at buying resale. In bought in 06 at SSR. We really wanted BCV or BWV because of location, however were convinced to buy SSR because of the incentive and longer contract. We bought 175 pts at SSR and have since added on 95 at VWL (my dh favorite resort). I was planning to add another 100 at BCV figuring with banking/borrowing we would have the right amount of points; however, I am now thinking if I add I should add at SSR or VWL.

Well, i really don't have the right amount of points for bigger family trips. Since I don't own all at the same resort, I now have to book two different resorts at the 11 month mark and hope to change at 7 months. I don't mind changing resorts if it is dh, dd and me but with others who don't go to Disney often I find it can be a time suck. This upcoming trip, I have a Studio for 3 nights and 2BR for 4 nights at VWL and need to hope I can grab the 1st night studio at the 7 month mark since I have a party of 11; then we switch to a GV at SSR for 5 nights. We'll see what opens up at 7 months!

So if I had to do it all over again, I would look at resale and bought at BCV or BWV, which is what my gut told me. I do enjoy SSR, however it is much easier to book there then the others.

I can honestly say we have not had a bad stay at any DVC resort yet and like each for their own character.

 

[Pig Pen]

No regrets, when we bought back in 2000 the only resort that Disney was selling was Vero Beach. Boardwalk had just sold out and Wilderness Lodge was not being offered yet. We got a good deal, and a price we could afford on a 200 point contract( Disney bought back first years points and lowered our cost per point to aprox. $50/pt). The home resort has never been an issue, we have never been there. We have never not gotten a reservation time that we wanted, we have had to go with a second choice on a resort though (not that any of the DVC resorts are second rate).

This is similar to our story. We bought at VB at a great price with incentives. We stayed there once but all other trips have been to WDW. While sometimes I do not get my first or second choice of accomodations at the 7 month window, I always manage to find something and I am never disappointed.

 

[Bakerteam]

No regrets here.

 

[whatsup]

I like this question. We purchased 13-ish years ago at the Boardwalk. We had one baby boy and one on the way. During the next decade-plus, we loved having a place in Disney that we knew we were going to every year. The Boardwalk has been an ideal place for the kids with the Clown Slide, the close proximity to Epcot and Universal Studios and the layout of the two bedrooms apartments.

Now, we are contemplating the "value" of this vacation for future years. We have 160 points so our annual dues are nearly $1000. We have three teenagers so the flight for the five of us to Orlando from Detroit is between $1500 to $2500 (the car is too small now to drive down any more). And some of the wonderful attributes of the Boardwalk are now considered too "babyish" for our soon-to-be 18 year old. So I guess, we are all a little "bored" of doing the same thing at the same place each year.

Having said that, we are very happy with DVC and the investment we made. In retrospect, the Yacht Club may have been better for us now but when the kids were younger, all they wanted to do was go down the clown slide so the clown could "throw them up". And talking to the kids, they couldn't imagine a summer without going to Disney and staying at the Boardwalk, swimming in the pool, walking to Epcot, watching the nightly shows, taking a boat ride to Universal, etc.

We envisioned this investment being a place that our family could meet at on an annual basis even after the kids had their own families. We still believe that and are thankful we made the decision to purchase.

The beauty of owning DVC is you have the option of staying other places in other states or countries for that matter. We stayed in the Smokies last year at Westgate Resort through DVC/Interval. Had a wonderful time! And a beautiful resort as well! Now it is RCI but there are other choices for vacations other than Disney.