Does the Math Make Sense as a Canadian?

[Carolynleanne]

Hi all,

We're a family of Disney nuts who have been doing 1-2 times a year for close to 10 years. We're located in BC and frequently visit Florida, Cali, and Hawaii.

We have the cash to buy approx 160 points outright to a DVC location that would sleep 5 in a one bedroom (such as Animal Kingdom Villas.) We would possibly do a trip every TWO years so that we'd have more points at our disposal. We're also OFF season travelers.

We wouldn't be looking at doing this just for Disney parks. We're drawn to the Disney level of service, the fantastic pools, with the OPTION of doing Disney themed attractions.

I've done a TON of research but am having a hard time figuring out if it's worth it to buy in. We always stay at moderates or deluxe resorts and prefer to have kitchens and laundry when we travel.

Can anyone offer some advice to help my perspective??

 

[LoveDisneyMom]

bahaha!!!! You got me thinking Carolyn and so I came on here to look for more info and then I saw the title of your thread and I immediately clicked before I saw it was you! Lol... great minds think alike (Its Steph BTW)

 

[Carolynleanne]

bahaha!!!! You got me thinking Carolyn and so I came on here to look for more info and then I saw the title of your thread and I immediately clicked before I saw it was you! Lol... great minds think alike (Its Steph BTW)

DYING HERE!!!! TOO FUNNY!!!

 

[zavandor]

Being a Canadian doesn't change much if DVC is worth for you or not, except with the currenty exchange variability.
If the numbers work now you have the added benefit that you fix the expenses for Disney vacations to just the MF, lowering your risk to be priced out of your Disney vacation if the Canadian dollar falls again against the USD. I locked my vacation prices when the Euro was much higher than now against the $ and it turned out to be a great deal.

 

[Carolynleanne]

So it's really just the matter of the exchange rate? I'll be honest, I'm horrible at math But if we're someone who generally stays at a moderate to a deluxe off season, it's still a good deal correct?

 

[wnielsen1]

If you are planning on going at least every other year then you are a good candidate. When you say off-season keep in mind that DVC off-season is different from the normal Disney off-season.

 

[KnightFamily]

If it's any consideration, we are trying to buy in even with the dollar the way it is. We see the value in it and just add the exchange into our equation as to which contracts we go after. The only thing our dollar did was make us have to go after smaller contracts than what we want. But that's life.

Like you, our intention is to have family time, and knowing we can go every other year allows us to not have to do so many park days. We want to just enjoy the resorts too. The dollar isn't going to change that.

Before we started making offers, my husband drew up elaborate spreadsheets to make sure we get the right contract for us. He's a business analyst, and even with the dollar there was a huge savings there. Just wait for the right contract for you, and don't rush into one to just get in or over pay. The right one will show up.

 

[Carolynleanne]

Thanks guys! That helps. We generally go every year but would be willing to go every other if it meant longer stays or heading to a place like Aulani.

 

[BearInWoods]

So it's really just the matter of the exchange rate? I'll be honest, I'm horrible at math But if we're someone who generally stays at a moderate to a deluxe off season, it's still a good deal correct?

How do you guys figure out how to travel offseason? I am a family of 5 also, and I've been trying to brainstorm a strategy with my SO to get everyone going when it's cheap and traffic is low.

 

[LisaDKG]

We're from Calgary and love to split time between FL, CA and Aulani. We bought 200 pts at BLT with a Sept UY in 2011 and that has afforded us some spectacular vacations. Our preference was to travel during value seasons so our points were really able to stretch.

Fast Forward to 2017 and I am feeling the points crunch and often have to buy 'one time points' to supplement! The biggest change for us is coming to that special time in every parents' life when their children really can't be pulled out of school anymore because they are in high school or university and can no longer miss even a day! That means traveling at peak times = more points needed. We also know now that we like to travel for 10 days and not just a week = more points. We also have managed to grow these large gangly humans out of children that used to be so compact and so ideally we want to be able to stay in a 1 bdrm = more points.

I really wish that we had split our 200 points into 2/100 point contracts as well so that we can will them/give them to our kids equally and fairly one day - the only way around this is to buy another 200 points and the exchange is SUCH A DOWNER!!! I also think it doesn't make sense for us to buy another contract direct and would only consider resale now so there goes my plan to give them equal contracts one day.

A side note - since we have to now travel during peak times, we also have to buy peak time plane tickets. We are trying to go this Christmas and since I didn't already nail down dates and purchase the tickets well in advance we are looking at paying over $1400 for Westjet direct flights (we spoiled ourselves a few times and it is really hard to go back to flights with 2 legs there and back!)

First World-Canadian Disney Lover struggles are REAL!!!

But the bottom line is that I love my DVC and have never regretted buying it. To get the value out of the initial investment and those pesky, fluctuating US$ yearly dues our vacations are definitely Disney-centric but I have never seen that as a hardship!

 

[RipperSB]

DW and I are a couple of empty-nesters, from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, who joined DVC in 2013. We also (usually) visit during Adventure Season, either Jan or the first 2 weeks of Dec but we have also done Flower in Garden in March and Food & Wine/Halloween in Oct. When asked if it is worth it, I respond with 2 questions: 1) Do you like going to WDW? 2) Do you like staying in deluxe accomodations? If the answer is yes to both, then DVC is a good idea. We bought in for 200 its at BLT and it only took our 3rd trip before we added on another 50 pts. We have a US$ credit card and bank account and make regular, periodic transfers to less the sting of wild fluctuations of the exchange rate.

 

[hcortesis]

DW and I are a couple of empty-nesters, from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, who joined DVC in 2013. We also (usually) visit during Adventure Season, either Jan or the first 2 weeks of Dec but we have also done Flower in Garden in March and Food & Wine/Halloween in Oct. When asked if it is worth it, I respond with 2 questions: 1) Do you like going to WDW? 2) Do you like staying in deluxe accomodations? If the answer is yes to both, then DVC is a good idea. We bought in for 200 its at BLT and it only took our 3rd trip before we added on another 50 pts. We have a US$ credit card and bank account and make regular, periodic transfers to less the sting of wild fluctuations of the exchange rate.

Good advice. We enjoy Disney and we enjoy deluxe accommodations as well.

 

[Dean]

Hi all,

We're a family of Disney nuts who have been doing 1-2 times a year for close to 10 years. We're located in BC and frequently visit Florida, Cali, and Hawaii.

We have the cash to buy approx 160 points outright to a DVC location that would sleep 5 in a one bedroom (such as Animal Kingdom Villas.) We would possibly do a trip every TWO years so that we'd have more points at our disposal. We're also OFF season travelers.

We wouldn't be looking at doing this just for Disney parks. We're drawn to the Disney level of service, the fantastic pools, with the OPTION of doing Disney themed attractions.

I've done a TON of research but am having a hard time figuring out if it's worth it to buy in. We always stay at moderates or deluxe resorts and prefer to have kitchens and laundry when we travel.

Can anyone offer some advice to help my perspective??

I don't struggle day by day with the issues of currency conversions as much as some but in the end isn't it a question of whether you'll vacation in the US at DVC related locations? If that's the case it's just a question of when/how you'll pay the fees. Obviously there are variables long term but they could work against you or for you. The conversion may be worse the next trip or 2 or even worse still for the 5th, you just don't know and owning would help in that situation. Obviously you're committing to the conversion for the RTU duration where using cash you could skip a trip if the numbers were too far off. The savings of owning DVC would offset at least part of that assuming you would be staying on property deluxe anyway. For the non WDW locations there are likely better choices than DVC and for many, doing a single choice that includes all options (non DVC) is the best. So I'd ask yourself how likely you would be to go to WDW and stay on property in deluxe accommodations for the next 2-3 trips if things stayed as they are now. Obviously this assumes DVC makes sense anyway but you already go to Disney yearly, you're already planning to pay cash and presumably, you're financially stable long term so that it's reasonable. So if the answer is you'd do the trip anyway, as you have been, I think you have your answer on buying in at least in regards to that variable. Assuming you'd continue to go, and given your level of experience (assuming most of those trips were on property), it sounds like buying is the best even if you have to adjust to make it happen. It doesn't sound like 160 points will work long term if your trips stay similar (1-2 a year, 1 BR) but you could buy now and save for later possibly for a different resort. And you could do studios instead until you had sufficient points as many sleep 5 and it's likely you're already staying in single hotel rooms with the 5.

 

[doidster]

We're from BC too! We bought AKL at resale and it makes financial sense for us. We didn't have to finance and we just bought a small contract of 135 points to start out with. We have 3 kids and planned on doing 1 or 2bd every other year or so. Looking at the cash rates for the villas, there's no way we could afford to stay in some of the deluxe hotels without our points. If you're using your points to stay at DVC resorts at least every other year, then the value is definitely there. If you buy direct and use points for cruises and hotel stays, then the value is a bit more questionable.

We also like flying direct with Westjet, so both my husband and I have the RBC Westjet card. We pay 99 dollars each for annual fees, but it gives us two companion flights per year (99 dollars to Florida/Cali and 299 to Hawaii), which makes sense for us with 5 people flying every year.