Does DVC include park tickets?

[NewEnglandCamper]

We took the DVC tour when we down at WDW last... now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Is there any real benefit? Does it include Park tickets or park tickets at a discount...

Got to really think about this...

 

[thebigman65]

You can get a discount on an annual pass. I think that's about it.

 

[ses1230]

No, no discounted park tickets, only on an AP as pp said.

 

[DebbieB]

We took the DVC tour when we down at WDW last... now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Is there any real benefit? Does it include Park tickets or park tickets at a discount...

Got to really think about this...

$100 off annual passes for immediate family living at the member's address.

The real benefit is to get deluxe accomodations at a discount over the term of the contract. It's alot of money at first but once you pay the original cost, it's just maintenance dues. I pay around $1300 a year in dues for 250 BWV points. I usually get a 1 bedroom and that goes for around $600 a night at full price. Depending on the time of year and resort, I can get a couple of 5 or 6 night trips on those points a year. I pay monthly, I think it's $111. So for that, I don't have to worry about paying for a room and I get a nice room.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We took the DVC tour when we down at WDW last... now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Is there any real benefit? Does it include Park tickets or park tickets at a discount...

Got to really think about this...

I so wish that were true!!

I think a lot of people on the boards will tell you that the best DVC value is purchasing resale.

Then, if you visit WDW at least every other year, and like to stay in at least a moderate resort, and plan to do so for the foreseeable future, then DVC may be for you.

Always keep in mind that after purchasing DVC, and paying maintenance fees...you still need to pay for transportation, food, and souvenirs!

Others will say that DVC does not save you money, but does give you a more luxurious vacation. It is very tempting to get enough points to invite family, stay in larger accommodations, or visit more often.

We are guilty of staying more often!

Overall, there are a lot of resources about DVC on the internet. Do your homework, and make sure that it is the right decision for you and your family before you pull the trigger!

Just remember, Boardwalk Villas is the greatest DVC resort.
(To me anyway)

 

[bonrea]

$100 off annual passes for immediate family living at the member's address.

The real benefit is to get deluxe accomodations at a discount over the term of the contract. It's alot of money at first but once you pay the original cost, it's just maintenance dues. I pay around $1300 a year in dues for 250 BWV points. I usually get a 1 bedroom and that goes for around $600 a night at full price. Depending on the time of year and resort, I can get a couple of 5 or 6 night trips on those points a year. I pay monthly, I think it's $111. So for that, I don't have to worry about paying for a room and I get a nice room.

I have to agree with DevvieB. The initial outlay of the cost is there and depending on which resort you buy into it costs more or less. The benefit is you get the deluxe accommodations and to us that is the best part.

We have also found a real trick that has worked for us for a few years now. We pay very little for our dues because we purchased extra points so we could have family and friends go with us. Let me tell ya, we have no shortage of family and friends wanting to go. When they go with us, they pay us a third of the actual cost (based on Disney’s own Website) of that room to stay in the DVC villas. So our dues are paid for us and we all benefit by having the deluxe upgraded room instead of the value resort room type.

So we pay $1200 per year in dues. We take a 7 night trip and stay in OKW and get a two bedroom. Our friends want to go. They pay us $1200. We get the two bedroom and they stay with us or we get a one bedroom for us and a studio for them. The cost of a two bedroom for 7 nights is $3700+ (depending on the time of year). They get to go to Disney and stay in a deluxe resort instead of the value resorts for $1200. Yes we paid the initial outlay but never pay another dime for the 50+ year contract. Sweet for both parties involved.

They ask us all the time what to do to get a great deal at WDW. We simply tell them the deal and they are all over it.

 

[Anal Annie]

We took the DVC tour when we down at WDW last... now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Is there any real benefit? Does it include Park tickets or park tickets at a discount...

Got to really think about this...

DVC is a timeshare. It is pre-paid deluxe accomodations that come with a discount on annual passes and the satisfaction of knowing you don't have to pay rack rates to stay onsite at Disney.

We own 250 points at SSR and our annual dues run just under $100 / month. We are a family of 3 and normally just use studios so we can get more nights / year. With good planning and a mix of "seasons" we have gotten as much as 21 nights / year in studios.

You wanna talk expensive? We are booked for 6 nights in a Lake View studio at Bay Lake Towers for spring break next year. I just went to the Disney.com website to price it out for our dates. Any guesses on how much a cash rack rate ressie in the same Lake View studio would run you?

How about $3,881. And that's JUST THE ROOM.

DVC is not inexpensive but nothing at Disney is cheap. When I price out cash rates for our trips I sure am glad I don't need to worry about paying for our accomodations. This is the only way we'd be able to go over & over.

(Look into other options outside of financing thru DVC like home equity lines that would have a much lower rate.)

 

[twinklebug]

You wanna talk expensive? We are booked for 6 nights in a Lake View studio at Bay Lake Towers for spring break next year. I just went to the Disney.com website to price it out for our dates. Any guesses on how much a cash rack rate ressie in the same Lake View studio would run you?

How about $3,881. And that's JUST THE ROOM.

DVC is not inexpensive but nothing at Disney is cheap. When I price out cash rates for our trips I sure am glad I don't need to worry about paying for our accomodations. This is the only way we'd be able to go over & over.

SO true. Paying cash, even with Disney's discounts, there is no way I'd be able to take my kids to WDW about twice per year, one of those weeks always being over a holidays. Add to that the fact that we have balconies, beautiful, quiet grounds, Kitchen(ette)s and larger rooms than most of the deluxe resorts offer.

However, there is no way I'd pay Disney's current asking prices. Go resale if you're comfortable with the ups and downs. Fish around for a good mortgage rate - DVD has never been known to have great ones.

Also, I believe people need to rent a DVC accommodation to get the feel for it before buying. I rented twice, stayed at OKW, BWV, AKV, VWL and decided AKV was the way to go for me. Worth noting, reduced housekeeping seems to be a big challenge some need to overcome, by renting you get a feel for what it's like. And before it's asked, no, we don't get free dining.

 

[Sammie]

Never ever purchase DVC for anything more than what is promised in your documents.

Perks such as the annual pass discount come and go.

And yes you are wise to look at the long term cost of having it for for a very long time.

It's not like purchasing a time share at the beach, going to Disney even if you have DVC is very expensive.

Tickets, food, transportation to Orlando, all need to be considered as part of the cost.

I agree with Twinklebug, I would rent several times before purchasing.

 

[TDC Nala]

If you're going to go to WDW a lot, and you like staying in deluxe resorts, DVC may be worth it for you even without tickets or ticket discount (the AP discount doesn't hurt).

I bought so I could stay near Epcot for food and wine festival each year. Have done that for 9 years now. Now I do multiple weekends rather than stay for one stretch of time, except for one weekend at the Dolphin and one at Pop Century they are all DVC stays. I do have 10 nights at BCV in December though. I don't want to know what that would have cost now. I suppose if I hadn't bought in I could stay at Pop Century...but I get BCV. hello Epcot.

 

[mikeweider1]

Please do yourself a favor and look at buying resale. While there are some drawbacks (no booking Disney cruises or Adventures by Disney) the basic Disney World vacation perks are the same. You will save significant money buying resale that varies from resort to resort. Bay Lake Tower: $95 a point, Animal Kingdom: $70 a point. Those are big savings over disney direct and as long as you are ok with using them for Disney vacations it is, in my opinion, much smarter from a financial perspective. Your break even time moves up by quite a few years!

However, do yourself a favor like so many other people have said and do your homework on these boards and on the internet. It's a big decision and not one to be made lightly. We love DVC and have never looked back but I guarantee not everyone agrees...

 

[Lynne M]

We took the DVC tour when we down at WDW last... now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Is there any real benefit? Does it include Park tickets or park tickets at a discount...

Got to really think about this...

The benefit is what you might save on lodging. DVC isn't a discount club, and while there are usually some small discounts offered to members by other divisions of Disney and other companies, NO discounts of any kind are included or promised in your contract.

DVC is a timeshare. You are buying the right to use points to stay at your home resort, subject to availability, for a set number of years. Everything else is subject to change.

Whether or not DVC will be a good value for you depends on how you want to vacation. If you're perfectly happy at value or moderate resorts, and aren't particularly interested in villa-style or deluxe accommodations, it's not going to save you any money, and will cost more than staying at a value or moderate.

If you're interested in the DVC resorts and their villas, want more space, separate bedrooms, kitchen facilities, that sort of thing, then DVC will save you money over the cost of booking those resorts and villas for cash.

 

[DHar]

We took the DVC tour when we down at WDW last... now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Is there any real benefit? Does it include Park tickets or park tickets at a discount...

Got to really think about this...

i heard that accomodations may soon be considered a "perk" and may be taken away at anytime.......

 

[Uncleromulus]

Good one!!
When we bought in 1992, I believe we got free park passes for 10 years. That, of course, went by the boards...

 

[Brian Noble]

The real benefit is to get deluxe accomodations at a discount over the term of the contract.

This, and only this. While the DVC AP discount is nice, it should be viewed strictly as icing, not cake.

 

[Granny]

The real benefit is to get deluxe accomodations at a discount over the term of the contract.

This, and only this. While the DVC AP discount is nice, it should be viewed strictly as icing, not cake.

Brian...you clipped out exactly the same phrase from DebbieB's post that I was going to quote.

To the OP...just read that quoted sentence, and if that isn't enough rationale to buy into DVC, then you probably don't want to go that route.

For the most part, DVC is not a money saver (unless you were planning on paying cash for DVC accommodations for the next several decades). DVC is all about affordable deluxe accommodations on-site at WDW.

 

[LisaS]

now looking back I think everything is expensive.. dues, APR financing (11.75% when mortgages are going for under 5%), etc.

Another thing to consider is that dues go up on average 3%-3.5% each year. Over the lifetime of your contract you will pay a lot more in dues than you initially paid for the contract.

Here's an example using a 200-point BLT contract purchased on the resale market for $100/pt with a 3%/year dues increase:

Resort #Points  Price/pt  Total Price
BLT      200      $100       $20000

Year  Dues/pt     Dues    Running Total
----  -------    -------  -------------
2011   $3.89     $778.00      $778.00 
2012   $4.01     $801.34    $1,579.34 
2013   $4.13     $825.38    $2,404.72 
2014   $4.25     $850.14    $3,254.86 
2015   $4.38     $875.65    $4,130.51 
2016   $4.51     $901.92    $5,032.42 
2017   $4.64     $928.97    $5,961.40 
2018   $4.78     $956.84    $6,918.24 
2019   $4.93     $985.55    $7,903.78 
2020   $5.08   $1,015.11    $8,918.90 
2021   $5.23   $1,045.57    $9,964.47 
2022   $5.38   $1,076.93   $11,041.40 
2023   $5.55   $1,109.24   $12,150.64 
2024   $5.71   $1,142.52   $13,293.16 
2025   $5.88   $1,176.79   $14,469.96 
2026   $6.06   $1,212.10   $15,682.05 
2027   $6.24   $1,248.46   $16,930.52 
2028   $6.43   $1,285.92   $18,216.43 
2029   $6.62   $1,324.49   $19,540.92 
2030   $6.82   $1,364.23   $20,905.15 
2031   $7.03   $1,405.15   $22,310.31 
2032   $7.24   $1,447.31   $23,757.62 
2033   $7.45   $1,490.73   $25,248.34 
2034   $7.68   $1,535.45   $26,783.79 
2035   $7.91   $1,581.51   $28,365.31 
2036   $8.14   $1,628.96   $29,994.27 
2037   $8.39   $1,677.83   $31,672.09 
2038   $8.64   $1,728.16   $33,400.26 
2039   $8.90   $1,780.01   $35,180.27 
2040   $9.17   $1,833.41   $37,013.67 
2041   $9.44   $1,888.41   $38,902.08 
2042   $9.73   $1,945.06   $40,847.15 
2043  $10.02   $2,003.41   $42,850.56 
2044  $10.32   $2,063.52   $44,914.08 
2045  $10.63   $2,125.42   $47,039.50 
2046  $10.95   $2,189.18   $49,228.68 
2047  $11.27   $2,254.86   $51,483.55 
2048  $11.61   $2,322.51   $53,806.05 
2049  $11.96   $2,392.18   $56,198.23 
2050  $12.32   $2,463.95   $58,662.18 
2051  $12.69   $2,537.87   $61,200.05 
2052  $13.07   $2,614.00   $63,814.05 
2053  $13.46   $2,692.42   $66,506.47 
2054  $13.87   $2,773.19   $69,279.66 
2055  $14.28   $2,856.39   $72,136.05 
2056  $14.71   $2,942.08   $75,078.13 
2057  $15.15   $3,030.34   $78,108.48 
2058  $15.61   $3,121.25   $81,229.73 
2059  $16.07   $3,214.89   $84,444.62 
2060  $16.56   $3,311.34   $87,755.96

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Another thing to consider is that dues go up on average 3%-3.5% each year. Over the lifetime of your contract you will pay a lot more in dues than you initially paid for the contract.

Here's an example using a 200-point BLT contract purchased on the resale market for $100/pt with a 3%/year dues increase:

Resort #Points  Price/pt  Total Price
BLT      200      $100       $20000

Year  Dues/pt     Dues    Running Total
----  -------    -------  -------------
2011   $3.89     $778.00      $778.00 
2012   $4.01     $801.34    $1,579.34 
2013   $4.13     $825.38    $2,404.72 
2014   $4.25     $850.14    $3,254.86 
2015   $4.38     $875.65    $4,130.51 
2016   $4.51     $901.92    $5,032.42 
2017   $4.64     $928.97    $5,961.40 
2018   $4.78     $956.84    $6,918.24 
2019   $4.93     $985.55    $7,903.78 
2020   $5.08   $1,015.11    $8,918.90 
2021   $5.23   $1,045.57    $9,964.47 
2022   $5.38   $1,076.93   $11,041.40 
2023   $5.55   $1,109.24   $12,150.64 
2024   $5.71   $1,142.52   $13,293.16 
2025   $5.88   $1,176.79   $14,469.96 
2026   $6.06   $1,212.10   $15,682.05 
2027   $6.24   $1,248.46   $16,930.52 
2028   $6.43   $1,285.92   $18,216.43 
2029   $6.62   $1,324.49   $19,540.92 
2030   $6.82   $1,364.23   $20,905.15 
2031   $7.03   $1,405.15   $22,310.31 
2032   $7.24   $1,447.31   $23,757.62 
2033   $7.45   $1,490.73   $25,248.34 
2034   $7.68   $1,535.45   $26,783.79 
2035   $7.91   $1,581.51   $28,365.31 
2036   $8.14   $1,628.96   $29,994.27 
2037   $8.39   $1,677.83   $31,672.09 
2038   $8.64   $1,728.16   $33,400.26 
2039   $8.90   $1,780.01   $35,180.27 
2040   $9.17   $1,833.41   $37,013.67 
2041   $9.44   $1,888.41   $38,902.08 
2042   $9.73   $1,945.06   $40,847.15 
2043  $10.02   $2,003.41   $42,850.56 
2044  $10.32   $2,063.52   $44,914.08 
2045  $10.63   $2,125.42   $47,039.50 
2046  $10.95   $2,189.18   $49,228.68 
2047  $11.27   $2,254.86   $51,483.55 
2048  $11.61   $2,322.51   $53,806.05 
2049  $11.96   $2,392.18   $56,198.23 
2050  $12.32   $2,463.95   $58,662.18 
2051  $12.69   $2,537.87   $61,200.05 
2052  $13.07   $2,614.00   $63,814.05 
2053  $13.46   $2,692.42   $66,506.47 
2054  $13.87   $2,773.19   $69,279.66 
2055  $14.28   $2,856.39   $72,136.05 
2056  $14.71   $2,942.08   $75,078.13 
2057  $15.15   $3,030.34   $78,108.48 
2058  $15.61   $3,121.25   $81,229.73 
2059  $16.07   $3,214.89   $84,444.62 
2060  $16.56   $3,311.34   $87,755.96

...and that's why I only own 100 points!

 

[crisi]

Two things in the discussion so far.

DVC CAN BE a good deal if you - insert all of the above - but ADD - WANT TO STAY ON SITE. There are cheaper timeshares out there. Some even trade into DVC fairly consistantly.

Don't mix up "DVC Deluxe Accomodations" with "booking Disney Deluxe hotels." DVC accommodations are nice - maybe nicer - but different. No daily housekeeping. No room configurations like a studio with a King bed. No availability of specials like "free dining." Understand the differences and don't assume that you are getting the equivalent of a room at the Y&BC by staying at the Beach Club Villas. The differences may or may not be important to you, but they are there.

 

[Greysword]

OP, the real benefit of DVC are discounted deluxe accommodations, as my colleagues have said. If you are curious as to how much the discounts are, there is an excellent speadsheet you can complete to find out for yourself. it is located here:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/7290/The_DVC_Spreadsheet_Details

Some of the input figures can be found at:

Point Charts (to determine # of points):
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml

Point costs and discounts:
Retail: http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions
Resale: http://www.dvc-resales.com/

Length of Years (contract end dates): http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions (at bottom)

Maintenance Fee Cost by Resort: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2532406 (you can use the chart to calculate the average rate increase %).

WDW Hotel rack Rates for 2011 and 2012 can be found at: http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html (do math using 2011 and 2012 rates to determine effective rate of increase for last block in spreadsheet)

Don't forget to include resort taxes in the hotel rate!!

In general, DVC saves you quite a bit over WDW Deluxe hotels, some over Moderate hotels, and values are very close in overall benefit.

Also remember there are no free dining discounts for DVC members staying on points. However, food costs can be reduced if you use the kitchen(ette) facilities in a DVC room. Some years (or time of year) can see significant value eating in the room versus dining at resort restaurants for the whole stay. In general, I would consider it a wash and not add this to the equation over the 30-50 year term.

Another thing to consider is that dues go up on average 3%-3.5% each year. Over the lifetime of your contract you will pay a lot more in dues than you initially paid for the contract.

I would like to caveat this, if I may. It is extremely likely that dues will increase this much, but it is VERY significant to mention that average salaries will also increase by 3%+ over this time frame as well (CPI). Thus the ratio of dues to annual salary will likely remain constant over the term of the contract (i.e. the actual impact of the dues increase will likely not be very dramatic for the term).

Also, OP, Lisa eludes to an excellent point with dues in that one-time assessments could be made against the owners for unaccounted large scale projects needed for the resort. The more experienced DVC DISers would know if this has been done before or not. I didn't add these number to my assessments before buying, though.

Whether or not DVC will be a good value for you depends on how you want to vacation. If you're perfectly happy at value or moderate resorts, and aren't particularly interested in villa-style or deluxe accommodations, it's not going to save you any money, and will cost more than staying at a value or moderate.

I did a quick price comparison to see if this how this idea played out.

1) Using a stay of 14 Jul 2012 - 22 Jul 2012, I compared SSR studio (140 points with a $13/point ) to Port Orleans and CBR (with no tickets or dining) on CRO's website. DVC costs more when comparing against POFQ and CBR standard/Garden view room, but less when comparing water or preferred view rooms.

2) I ran the same scenario for 7 Jan 2012 - 15 Jan 2012 (Low season), and SSR came out ahead in all categories at the Moderate resorts.

With SSR, you could easily get a Congress Park room for the same number of points as Carousel, so I'd reserve the DTD view of CP .

Thus, in this down economy, it seems Value resorts and standard view Moderates are less expensive than DVC during the high season, but DVC wins in the low season against Moderates and Deluxe Resorts. Oh, I picked SSR as it is a relatively "moderate" DVC resort and has the same transportation options as Port Orleans.

In a more robust economy with fewer discounts offered by WDW, the numbers play even further towards DVC.

Hope this helps!