dvc against a package deal

[pablackwell]

hi all

love disney and have been many times and have even signed up to dvc twice but have cancelled both times having second thoughts
both times when we have read the paperwork we have pulled out due to costs
we normally research our trips to get the very best deal for our money and often find it is cheaper to book a package deal than it is just a fly drive and often we wait until the last minute to book to get a better deal.

so if we don`t go one year we won`t have the annual dues to pay. with dvc the booking systerm worried us(ie booking so far in advance)

i love the concept of dvc so much that i keep checking the deals disney are doing and the costs on timeshare store but the little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me we are better off booking package holidays

my question is . when you purchased your dvc points did you have the same thoughts and if so how did you overcome them, and do you think that knowing what you know now would you have done anythink different (like paying a bit extra for a better home resort)

 

[Slakk]

Honestly we traveled similarly - I was waiting for codes and running numbers and all that stuff. Now I just pick a time and go. No worries about codes or anything like that. The worst thing we did is try a 1 BR - now I am spoiled.

We tend to spend more time at the pool and resort then the parks - you tend to slow down.

I like the 11 month booking because it gives me plenty of time to find air etc. But it is not for everyone and if you ave doubts I tend to say - don't. Just because we love it does not mean it is for everyone.

 

[disneynutz]

hi all

love disney and have been many times and have even signed up to dvc twice but have cancelled both times having second thoughts
both times when we have read the paperwork we have pulled out due to costs
we normally research our trips to get the very best deal for our money and often find it is cheaper to book a package deal than it is just a fly drive and often we wait until the last minute to book to get a better deal.

so if we don`t go one year we won`t have the annual dues to pay. with dvc the booking systerm worried us(ie booking so far in advance)

i love the concept of dvc so much that i keep checking the deals disney are doing and the costs on timeshare store but the little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me we are better off booking package holidays

my question is . when you purchased your dvc points did you have the same thoughts and if so how did you overcome them, and do you think that knowing what you know now would you have done anythink different (like paying a bit extra for a better home resort)

It all boils down to money. For some it's a good deal, for others it's not. I all depends on how you are going to use it. Until you work out the numbers, you won't know for sure.

 

[3guysandagal]

On those last minute deals, have you been staying in a value, mod or a deluxe?
Sure value is cheaper, but have you seen a 1 Bdr? Or a 2Bdr?
We had to be moved due to a room problem and due to 5 in the room (POR AB w/trundle) got sent to SSR in a 2Bdr lock off for the night.
I have been researching DVC ever since!
As I have read time and time again on these boards, compare apples to apples.
If you are a last minute type planner, then DVC may not be right for you.
DVC takes planning, not only with ressies, but point management as well.
Just keep reading and posting.

Oh, by the way, WELCOME TO THE DIS!!! (3 posts!)
Keep searching the DIS and asking questions, you will learn more here than any guide will ever tell you!
I've read that, (no first hand experience), a lot of the time you will hear it HERE first, and Member Services will have no idea whats happening!!

 

[Blahnde]

so if we don`t go one year we won`t have the annual dues to pay.

I'm not sure where you got this from, but maintenance fees are due every year regardless of your use or lack thereof.

with dvc the booking systerm worried us(ie booking so far in advance)

If you cannot plan more than 6 months in advance, DVC may not be for you. It is often possible to get reservations with only a few months, weeks, or days notice, but your choices will be limited. You also asked about paying more for a specific home resort, but the primary benefit of any home resort is the 11 month booking window which gives you a 4 month jump on owners of other resorts for reservations at your home resort. If you cannot book before this 4 month window closes, it does not matter at which resort you own.

we normally research our trips to get the very best deal for our money and often find it is cheaper to book a package deal than it is just a fly drive and often we wait until the last minute to book to get a better deal.

i love the concept of dvc so much that i keep checking the deals disney are doing and the costs on timeshare store but the little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me we are better off booking package holidays

What I hear you say is that you see the package plans that you can get which include Disney resort accomodations are a better deal than buying DVC ... right now! This is the problem with comparing DVC to current hotel pricing: of course a package today is going to beat having to spend thousands for 35-50 years of accomodations.

But this is how I look at it: take how much you anticipate spending on accomodations while visiting WDW over the next 35-50 years depending upon your home resort choice (keep in mind that hotel room costs will continue to rise!) and compare that to how much you will spend on your DVC purchase. As an example, if you spend even $2,000 per year and multiply that by the fewest number of years (35) and you will spend $70,000 on hotel rooms. You could buy over 650 points at BLT ($107 per point) for that money! Go resale at $80 per point, for example, and that $70,000 will buy you 875 points ... that is a lot of points! And I'm just giving you "break even" numbers; if you only need 250 points you are way, way, way ahead of those package deals!

I only wish there was a way to "hedge" airfare, food, and souvenier prices the way DVC helps owners "hedge" accomodation prices! It is just like when you buy a home with a traditional fixed rate mortgage; at first the monthly mortgage payment is the same (or close!) to the price you would pay in rent, but over time the rent will go up while the mortgage payment will stay the same. If you constantly keep comparing current rent to current mortgage payments, you will never see the benefit. The financial benefit will come, but it is not immediate with home ownership; this is true for your personal residence and your DVC "home."

Blahnde

 

[bookwormde]

If you are a bargain hunter like me here are a few thoughts. First you do need to plan 11 or 7 months in advance if you want a particular reservation.

For bargains buy resale and stay DVC on weekdays only (means you can buy a lot less points, about half as many) and then bargain shop for the weekend days with CRO.

If you get a 1 or 2 br you can save a ton of $ on food if you do not mind preparing meals.

Of course if you hate to split stays this is not for you (we like doing 3-2 days CRO then 5 weekdays DVC and then 2-3 days CRO at the end. This still allows you to have flights days, which are adjustable to when the airlines are giving bargains.

bookwormde

 

[edk35]

Biggest mistake we have made was not buying in back in 93....and have regretted it ever since. FYI...the prices will only keep going up.

We finally purchased in Jan. 07 and just added on in Aug. There are tons of threads on here about DVC and the pros/cons. Check those out. I am sure it is a big deal for some to figure out if it is for them or not.....but to us....it just made sense and it was a great choice for us. I could go on and on about why we love DVC so much but there are lots of threads on this.

 

[Chuck S]

Package deals, like free dining with a full rack rate room? Only a seasonal "bargian" if you were going to pay rack rate anyway.

Really codes and packages come and go, as the economy improves, and it will, the question is when, occupancy will rise and Disney will need to offer fewer and fewer packages and codes.

 

[Laxmom]

I'm not sure where you got this from, but maintenance fees are due every year regardless of your use or lack thereof.

I think the OP meant if they don't do DVC and book a package that they don't have maintenance fees if they choose not to go. If they buy, they would have maintenance fees anyway. At least that is how I took it.

 

[dudelydude]

Well, why don't you start small and evaluate year to year. You probably know about banking and borrowing, but indulge me. If bought a 50 point contract now and banked and / or borrowed, you could take a 100 point trip every other year or 150 point trip every three years. In this scenario, you are likely to only pay $200 to $250 per year in maintenance fees. This will establish you as an owner with very little pressure, with very little in fees and will allow you to take trips (as you are now - CRO) in the years you are not using your points. And then if you find that it is not for you, a 50 point contract is pretty easy to sell and all you have risked are maintence fees. I am not a member yet, but I really should be taking my own advice...especially when there are so many good deals out there.

 

[mikesmom]

Lots of things made it right for us as far as quality. A few things stood out money-wise-

1) you spend time looking for bargains and hunting for deals. Me too. We realized that time is worth something and I could have been doing something else (even earning money) with the time I was spending searching for deals. And a couple of times those "deals" were great money-wise, but a disaster as far as the accomodations went. With DVC I always know what I am getting

2) the hotel prices are only going to go up. With DVC I am locking in the price of my accomodations. Yes, my dues go up, but not nearly as fast as the hotel prices.

3) the price of DVC just keeps going up. We tend to take a very long view of these things. If we HAD to bail out of DVC (because we couldn't travel or couldn't swing the dues) we could unload at a profit. We bought in when the price was $67/point and we did not finance. The resale price is a good bit higher than that and we have had years of vacations. Short term that is not going to work so don't count on it.

Everyone has to make decisions based on what is right for them. If you enjoy the Values, don't plan more than 6 months out, and don't want to be locked into dues, then it's probably not for you.

 

[blondietink]

We have 2 children with disabilities and bought in 2005. We should have bought when we first saw it in 2000. We love the extra room in a 1 bedroom. and since our children need special foods, being able to cook our meals saves us a small fortune over eating in the parks all the time. Last December we bought an annual pass which saaved us $100.00 each with our DVC discount. We have our 3rd trip coming up in October so we saved another fortune on admission tickets. I love to plan in advance, but on our trip in August, we decided to gown to Florida at the last minute and were able to get a studio at AKL which was much larger than we thought it would be. So, I think you can go at the last minute if the time of year is nto a busy time.

 

[wendyinoc]

I also regret not buying in 2000. I finally boughtin 07. I started with a small resale package and will work up. Disney is one of the few that go up in value. I think the next year your going to see some good deals on resale due to the economy. The best deal is SSR on resale. Once those treehouses are finished I think it will go up. With only 60 rooms it will be hard for the other locations to get a room at 7 months.

 

[pablackwell]

i am back in jan so i will take some time to look at the resorts, i think at the present moment that the package holiday suits my requirements, but also i can see that the purchase of dvc is for many years, and now my youngest has turned 9 we will have to start to pay an adults price for her

the first time we looked at dvc was 10 years ago and i had the same veiws then as i have now so maybe it time to move on and take the plunge

many thanks for all your messages

 

[jarestel]

we normally research our trips to get the very best deal for our money and often find it is cheaper to book a package deal than it is just a fly drive and often we wait until the last minute to book to get a better deal.

DVC isn't really meant to be a "lowest-cost" vacation alternative for people who like WDW. I suspect bargain hunters like yourself will always be able to find better value on a year to year basis than would be possible by committing to DVC for the long term. If you're happy and things are working out well for you, why change? DVC will be around for another 50 years or so if you decide that your current plan no longer works for you.

Good luck!

 

[Dean]

i am back in jan so i will take some time to look at the resorts, i think at the present moment that the package holiday suits my requirements, but also i can see that the purchase of dvc is for many years, and now my youngest has turned 9 we will have to start to pay an adults price for her

the first time we looked at dvc was 10 years ago and i had the same veiws then as i have now so maybe it time to move on and take the plunge

many thanks for all your messages

If you can plan at least 7 months ahead, not do long weekends and afford to purchase up front, DVC is likely a better deal for you. Obviously you value staying on property which is the largest decision in this equation IMO. I would concur with buying a lower number of points and seeing how it works. You can still do packages when you get the best deals and use points for the other trips. Still, it's not common that Disney's packages are cheaper than doing it on your own unless you can maximize the free dining options available at times the last few years.

 

[dvcforlee]

We bought 10 years ago after staying at OKW twice. We have 4 kids and booking 2 rooms didn't quite feel right, we needed to be together, the kids were little. When we walked into that 2 bedroom the first time we couldn't believe that we weren't sharing with the other family traveling with us...they had their own 2 bedroom! It's huge! Anyway we bought enough points to take a weeklong vacation in a 2 bedroom villa during the summer every other year...and a long weekend in a studio for dh and I every year. DH figured out we made up our investment after like 4 years. We have added on over the years because we love it! The kids are older, we relax more and enjoy the great restaurants and resorts! Maybe you can get a great deal each year but with DVC the accomodations are already "paid" for. We felt it was a guarantee that we would go on an awesome vacation every other year. Now we go every year

 

[brianm27]

Have you considered starting with a small contract? We started with 50 points, then added on 70 more. We still go more than once a year, but use other discounts on long weekends where DVC isn't so economical.

 

[mowog]

We've always stayed at moderates before buying DVC, so it was a no brainer for us. Just the thought of checking into a value gives me panic attacks! Our daughter did the allstars once and I don't think she'll do the values again. She said it was just too much work.

If you are happy with the value resorts, then DVC may not be for you. For the short term you can go cheaper with a package special then with DVC. For us it's all about priorities, preferences, and value (which are all mixed together). We would rather go for 5-7 nights at BCV every year or two, then go twice as often and stay off site or at a value.

We're fortunate to be able to do DVC. The convenience of making breakfast in the room, washing our clothes, knowing we can go to our room anytime and not be bothered by housekeeping, walking to the resorts and others make DVC worth it to us. It's entirely different and once you do it its hard to go back.

DVC for us is a lifestyle choice of how we want to do WDW. We know we're always going to go back, (even after saying we're Disney'd out at the end of each stay) so why not go back the way you want?

 

[cn123]

what is CRO? is it cheaper to do that on weekend and use points for the weekdays? how do you know what the price is?