DVC “Confessions”

I have always believed in "buy where you want to stay". However, we just added on at RIV. I have never even set foot in that resort, let alone stayed there. Also, I have not yet ridden the Skyliner, despite 4 trips since it opened.
RIV is great! We love it! I have a dreadful fear of heights but I ride the skyline for my kids. I just have my eyes closed the whole time...and there might be some prayer involved lol
 
I would never burden anyone with an estate gift of a DVC contract, even someone who loves Disney. The gift, however much one loves it, comes financial burden, and presuming another party would want, and be able to, take that on is a tall order.
The do not have to accept it if you leave it to them after you pass. Let them make the decision.
 
The math works out very well for me at DVC, having bought in pretty early and going as often as I do. My Boardwalk DVC buy-in in 1996 was $27,610 for 440 points. The dues back then were around $1700 yr - now they're up to around $3800. I stay almost exclusively in 1-bedroom villas, mostly at Boardwalk, Wilderness, and some Saratoga or OKW mixed in, 4-5 trips a year and about 22-25 nights per year total. If I divide my buy-in by 28 years so far, it's around $986 a year - plus dues at $3800. - so that's 4,786 a year, divided by 22 days would be around $217 a night. Of course, my buy-in would be really divided over the life of the contract (46 years would be $600 yr), but even cutting it short, it still works out favorably. It's more amazing to think when I first bought in, I was averaging around $100 a night to stay in 1-bedroom villas!

What would a 1-bedroom cost at Boardwalk Garden view or Boulder Ridge in January, June, September, and December each year? Rack rates seem to be in the $900 range in Jan and Jun when I typically go, $1000 September, and $1200-1300 December...Boulder and Boardwalk are fairly close in cost each season. Even with sales and incentives, I don't think I could come close to $200ish a night for a 1-bedroom. And when dues were even lower over the past 28 years, the math was even better. I haven't regretted the purchase at all, and figure honestly I've already got my money's worth out of it over these decades that even if I stopped going, or the dues pile up even higher over the next 18 or so years in the contract. But I intend to continue going about the same number of days, maybe even a little more as I get closer to retirement.
 

I don’t know. The rack rates went through some extreme inflation in the early to mid 2010s. I think generally they’ve been pretty similar since. But I haven’t seen a good, multi-resort, longitudinal chart of rack rates, and I’m frankly not sure the data exists.

But if anyone knows where to find that, I’m happy to run the comparison.
I know I'm being anecdotal here, but our family trips started in 2009, and the first couple years we did POP for in the $80's. My parents tried to go in our "old week" this year and it was over $200. Dues haven't done that, I think it is safe to say it's not "lock-step" but there likely is a sort of give and take balance, as cost of upkeep is certainly a factor. But something like employee wage costs would hit hotel side more than DVC side due to housekeeping alone.
 
The math works out very well for me at DVC, having bought in pretty early and going as often as I do. My Boardwalk DVC buy-in in 1996 was $27,610 for 440 points. The dues back then were around $1700 yr - now they're up to around $3800. I stay almost exclusively in 1-bedroom villas, mostly at Boardwalk, Wilderness, and some Saratoga or OKW mixed in, 4-5 trips a year and about 22-25 nights per year total. If I divide my buy-in by 28 years so far, it's around $986 a year - plus dues at $3800. - so that's 4,786 a year, divided by 22 days would be around $217 a night. Of course, my buy-in would be really divided over the life of the contract (46 years would be $600 yr), but even cutting it short, it still works out favorably. It's more amazing to think when I first bought in, I was averaging around $100 a night to stay in 1-bedroom villas!

What would a 1-bedroom cost at Boardwalk Garden view or Boulder Ridge in January, June, September, and December each year? Rack rates seem to be in the $900 range in Jan and Jun when I typically go, $1000 September, and $1200-1300 December...Boulder and Boardwalk are fairly close in cost each season. Even with sales and incentives, I don't think I could come close to $200ish a night for a 1-bedroom. And when dues were even lower over the past 28 years, the math was even better. I haven't regretted the purchase at all, and figure honestly I've already got my money's worth out of it over these decades that even if I stopped going, or the dues pile up even higher over the next 18 or so years in the contract. But I intend to continue going about the same number of days, maybe even a little more as I get closer to retirement.
Even buying in 20 years after you, my math isn't far off from yours. Over the life of a contract, spending $150/point is still around $3/year, and many are getting resales closer to $100/pt... worst case at 20 years left that's only $5/pt/year. So worst case is something like $15/pt, stay in a 25 point room for $375 when the comparable rack rate would be double that. There's a lot of factors there, but I sent my brother to the poly for under $200/night "our cost" and it was less than a value would have cost him.
 
I know I'm being anecdotal here, but our family trips started in 2009, and the first couple years we did POP for in the $80's. My parents tried to go in our "old week" this year and it was over $200. Dues haven't done that, I think it is safe to say it's not "lock-step" but there likely is a sort of give and take balance, as cost of upkeep is certainly a factor. But something like employee wage costs would hit hotel side more than DVC side due to housekeeping alone.
Yeah the prices for Pop specifically went crazy the year the Skyliner opened and the year after. Something like a 35% increase over 2 years.

I don’t know how you got rates in the $80s in 2009, that must have been some extreme deals. When the All Stars opened in 1994 they advertised rates “starting at $79”!
 
The do not have to accept it if you leave it to them after you pass. Let them make the decision.
I could be wrong, as I’m not a law guy. Also, it may vary by state.
That said, I was always of the belief was that an inheritance was all or nothing. Somebody leaves you a million bucks, and also something that has a half million of negative worth. You can’t pick and choose which you’ll accept and decline the bad parts. It’s all or nothing.

Again, that’s just what I always believed. I have no legal background to substantiate that.
 
The do not have to accept it if you leave it to them after you pass. Let them make the decision.
How do they know what kind of financial responsibility it comes with? And if they don’t want it even if the estate provides for dues, they’d still have the headache of having to sell it. Again, this would be a curse.
 
Yeah the prices for Pop specifically went crazy the year the Skyliner opened and the year after. Something like a 35% increase over 2 years.

I don’t know how you got rates in the $80s in 2009, that must have been some extreme deals. When the All Stars opened in 1994 they advertised rates “starting at $79”!
The economy was not that great right then with the whole housing collapse and all... In that moment DVC sounded like a horrible deal, then hotel rates shot up and here we are... POP used to basically be priced within a few dollars of all-stars back then.
 
Sorry to say it, but a 2BR lock off (the only option at BWV), no matter the view, is very difficult unless you have BWV points and are a fast/lucky clicker at 8am EST on the 11-month mark. There's just not a lot of inventory and the studios are in high demand by owners because they are relatively cheap.

1BRs are the easiest to snag at BWV. You can occasionally get a Boardwalk view at the 7-month mark for a few nights (like, right now, it looks like there is actually a week of availability starting on exactly the 7 month mark, but it'll be gone by next week for sure). Pool/Garden view is much more likely to be available within the 7-month window. I've never had a problem getting a 1BR, P/G view at or reasonably close to the 7-month mark, outside of the few high demand weeks.

This goes without surprise, though, as BWV is definitively the best Disney resort per every expert, ever :P (and no, I don't own there).

Enjoy your trip next fall!
25 year BWV member. A 2 BR Boardwalk View is our room of choice. I’ve generally had to walk these reservations the past several years (never had to before). Very difficult to get unless you do so. Competition is fierce!
 
Confession - I like Garden/Pool view at BWV much better than BW view. Really dislike being woken up by drunks on the boardwalk. I needs my sleep!!
Confession: in any other part of my life, I would be livid to be woken up by drunks after 1:00 am. But BWV has been our happy place for 25 years, especially the Boardwalk view , and the late night revelry doesn’t bother me at all. Go figure! 🤷🏻‍♀️🥰
 
My confession is that because of DVC we're going so much more often than normal people probably should be going to Disney and because of that I either don't tell friends and family we're going on "another" trip or I outright lie when asked if we have plans for a break.

P.S. I'm spending a lot more money to save money than I thought was possible.

Your P.S. is spot on! 🤣
 
I could be wrong, as I’m not a law guy. Also, it may vary by state.
That said, I was always of the belief was that an inheritance was all or nothing. Somebody leaves you a million bucks, and also something that has a half million of negative worth. You can’t pick and choose which you’ll accept and decline the bad parts. It’s all or nothing.

Again, that’s just what I always believed. I have no legal background to substantiate that.

I am not a lawyer either, but I did a few hours research watching Brewster’s Millions and I concur.
 
I’m always looking for cars with a DVC magnet. If I find one, I chase the owner and introduce myself as a fellow DVC member. Only happened twice and DH gets so embarrassed.
I’ve only been pulled over twice in my life for exceeding the speed limit. The last time was several years ago and when the officer walked up to my car, he said “is that magnet because you’re a Disney Vacation Club member?

And I said “why yes ,officer”

And he said “we just bought into Disney Vacation Club!”

We proceeded to chat about DVC for 10 minutes…and no ticket 😁
 
I would never burden anyone with an estate gift of a DVC contract, even someone who loves Disney. The gift, however much one loves it, comes financial burden, and presuming another party would want, and be able to, take that on is a tall order.
I paid someone who inherited a DVC contract in an estate $12,000. They didnt want it so Im sure that the hassle of selling was well worth the 12k.
 
I paid someone who inherited a DVC contract in an estate $12,000. They didnt want it so Im sure that the hassle of selling was well worth the 12k.
Did you do this out of the goodness of your own heart?
 
(sorta) DVC Confession:

My newest DVC/DIS confession is that I laugh every time I see the pro vs. con DVC contract "inheritance" debate. There is no right answer. Do whatcha wanna do.

I have always wondered, for those of you in the anti-inheritance crowd, when do you offload your contracts before you die to protect your heirs from the dreaded DVC inheritance? Don't you have to know when that may happen so you can unload DVC from your portfolio? I could fall over dead tomorrow (for the record, I hope I don't), and then my kids would suddenly own over 500 DVC points. I hope they'd be more upset over their beloved DVC-loving dad croaking than the inconvenience of getting $60K worth of DVC.

There are "problems," and then there are problems.......
 












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