Don't want to be Debbie Downer, but I need a pep talk!

[dairyqueenmom]

That is true...sometimes I forget the convenience of the kitchen. We could do OOP and probably save lots of money. My kids don't each much anyway so the DDP has always seemed kind of a waste for us.

Feeling a little better...anything else?

As soon as your middle child becomes an adult in the eyes of Disney, the DDP becomes even less affordable. We are also a family of 6, with two children that are adults in the eyes of Disney. We cook simple meals for breakfast every day, and either a lunch or dinner in the villa. We always eat out atleast one meal, either cs or ts each day. We also segemented our reservation to to the Deluxe DDP for one night to cover some higher price buffets and the Fantasmic Dining pkg for our upcoming August trip. We get grocery delivery from wegoshop.com and they are fantastic, you pay the delivery fee + the exact cost from the grocery store. If you have ap's you can also get the tables in the world card and that will save you a % a most ts meals, and it includes adult drinks!

 

[dbs1228]

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! You have made such excellent points and now I feel like I did the best thing and the best thing is that when my dh does 'freak' I have many counterpoints to calm him down.

I cannot wait for our first BLT stay and many more for years to come.

And thanks for all of the opinions on the DDP. With the exception of 2 character bkfsts (we still have a 3 and 5 yo), we will be doing bkfst in the room, which should save on the food costs.

And I am def going to do the AP's. I know that we are planning to go back next April so we will at least get two trips out of it, and maybe a Thanksgiving trip as well.

You guys rock!!

You are making a great choice! We did split our contracts up, felt we needed at least 320 points and got talked into 2 resorts of 160 each. I almost immediately added on BLT (not bad since I got a better promotion with the add on). BLT is going to be GREAT with little ones! So convenient!
A quick trip back to the room for lunch, swim , nap rejuvenate and you may see some nice evenings at the parks! My DD's are late teens and come and go at their own pace from BLT it is great!

Enjoy

 

[Dean]

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! You have made such excellent points and now I feel like I did the best thing and the best thing is that when my dh does 'freak' I have many counterpoints to calm him down.

I cannot wait for our first BLT stay and many more for years to come.

And thanks for all of the opinions on the DDP. With the exception of 2 character bkfsts (we still have a 3 and 5 yo), we will be doing bkfst in the room, which should save on the food costs.

And I am def going to do the AP's. I know that we are planning to go back next April so we will at least get two trips out of it, and maybe a Thanksgiving trip as well.

You guys rock!!

Since you were asking about comparisons of 2 hotel rooms vs DVC, one thing to realize is that with 2 units (DVC or not) you can get the DDP for one and not the other or even different plans. Then use accordingly and/or pay OOP for any needed items. With a DVC single villa, you do not get that option, at least not at the present time. Clearly the DDP can be a great value for those in the 3-9 age cat. Am I to assume the other kids are 10 or over requiring adult payments? The value just comes down to how you use it and your families dining style which only you know. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Brian Noble]

Do you have to "suck it up" for the first few vacations in order to reap the benefits? I guess with all of the promotions going on, it is hard to swallow and I feel very restricted. It seems as if it's not a benefit at this time.

In general, yes, you do. The purchase cost is a big chunk of money---even if you do not finance it. But, that doesn't mean it's a bad deal overall. What it does mean is that your "payoff point" isn't going to be right now, it is going to be some number of years down the road.

The value proposition in a DVC purchase is this: you commit to Disney as a vacation destination over the long term, by paying a significant portion of the costs up front. In exchange, Disney gives you what amounts to a discount on your on your lodging over that term. The length of the payback period will differ based on your specific situations and assumptions---for example, it's a little longer if you finance---but if you normally visit once a year or so, and stay in Deluxe rooms, you should expect to save money over the long haul with DVC.

It is true that during times when Disney has to discount more aggressively, the benefit to pre-purchasing will be lower. But, when the economy heats up again, and Disney cuts back on its discounting, you'll still have the DVC contract to fall back on. And, that is starting to happen. The most recent annual report discussed a healthy rebound in both room occupancy rate and per-room guest spending.

So, you do have to think long term to see the wisdom of DVC. But, for the frequent and long-term visitor, it is a good deal.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Our Disney trips are usually our cheapest! Of course it helps that we paid cash for our contracts. I have my MFs deducted from my checking account, so I never feel like I'm paying for my room since there's not a charge at checkout. (But to figure the cost, make sure to do it like PPs have advised.)

And I NEVER pay for the DDP! This is the best suggestion I have, but only if you are financially responsible with a credit card. My DH and I both have Disney Visas. We use them to purchase EVERYTHING, and then pay them off each month (so, never a finance charge). You earn 1% back on your purchases. Then you can use the points for things like the DDP or OOP at restaurants. Last October, I had 905 Disney Reward Dollars to use to pay for my DDP. Then I went back in Februrary and used 75 more Reward Dollars. I already have 350 more Reward Dollars saved up since then because they have been doing 3 Xs the points the last 3 months. This will go toward my trip in June. I also used 111 Reward Dollars to pay for the Wishes Dessert Party for June. Then I should have enough saved up again for my December trip.

I also bought 10-day PH with NE and WPM. Last October, I used only 2 park days and 2 WPM entries. We also went to the Halloween party and used the Give a Day voucher another day. This past February, I used 2 park days for a solo trip. In June, we plan to use 1 day. Then in December, we will use 1 day plus purchase MVMCP tickets. I will still have 4 days remaining, plus 8 WPM entries. Even though I'm not having to pay for tickets this year or next year, I am putting money from our tax refund back each year so that when we need to purchase 10-day tickets again, we will have it saved up and won't feel like we have to dish out $2200 all at once. I know you say you are going with the AP this time. We just can't do that due to our schedules, but it definitely makes sense. But if there comes a time you can't do APs, the 10-day NE ticket makes a lot of sense if you can get several trips out of it.

 

[kstinw19]

We do actually have a Disney Visa as well and we have about 950 points to use in rewards as well. We should be able to pay for some of the park tix/AP with that, correct? Or we can use that for food and souvenirs, which would just leave park tix.

I will try and figure that out today.

thanks

 

[Kidanifan08]

The Disney Visa is great! We like to use it for souvenirs, but on our recent trips they have offered an additional discount on merchandise when using the Disney Visa. So instead, we use it at the concessions an for TS bills. It's amazing how quickly you can go through this free money!

 

[DizBub]

I also bought 10-day PH with NE and WPM. Last October, I used only 2 park days and 2 WPM entries. We also went to the Halloween party and used the Give a Day voucher another day. This past February, I used 2 park days for a solo trip. In June, we plan to use 1 day. Then in December, we will use 1 day plus purchase MVMCP tickets. I will still have 4 days remaining, plus 8 WPM entries. Even though I'm not having to pay for tickets this year or next year, I am putting money from our tax refund back each year so that when we need to purchase 10-day tickets again, we will have it saved up and won't feel like we have to dish out $2200 all at once. I know you say you are going with the AP this time. We just can't do that due to our schedules, but it definitely makes sense. But if there comes a time you can't do APs, the 10-day NE ticket makes a lot of sense if you can get several trips out of it.[/QUOTE]

I had a 10-day NE PH and actually got 6 years out of it. More than 6 trips too. Obviously, we don't do the parks most days. The problem is that when I bought it in 2005 it cost $332 including tax, today that same ticket cost $529 before tax. Still a decent value if it can be stretched but the PH and NE more than doubles the price of the actual ticket. Ouch! But, it CAN be done.