DVC continues to amaze

[lisaviolet]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share what DVC means to me. First of all I realize that DVC is a large purchase and it should be bought after careful consideration. As I've written earlier we have wanted to buy it for ten years but we knew it wasn't the right time financially. We were Value girls. We were so lucky to finally purchase last fall.

I have just finished borrowing all our points from the next use year. We have 15 points left from the 2007 use year. Yikes!!

Why? Because my partner and I have had five deaths in less than a year. All deaths are obviously difficult. But two were particularly heartbreaking. Young....lives cut short. Parents and children left with such a loss.

The latest was a cherished mother two weeks ago. After the death of my partner's mother she wanted to escape reality for a bit. We couldn't afford it. Oh yeah...we own DVC and you can borrow points with DVC!! It started off slowly. We were going. Then her brother said yes he wanted to join us.

And then he decided after losing a brother and mother this year....he wanted his children by his side. We realized that our/her dream was to have both sides of the family at WDW and DVC. We thought it would be a couple of years from now as we built up the points. Forget it. Now is now. We are currently thirteen very excited people, and counting, going to WDW at the end of May. Both sides of our family. Parents, sister, nephews, nieces,
brother....grandaughter...grandparents.....

A two bedroom here, two studios there, a one bedroom down the river......Some for three nights...four.....seven....you got to love DVC... variety of units and length of stays and it all works out....

( Kudos to Southwest and their great prices and oh so easy flight modifications for making this dream possible for all )

We could not have done this without DVC. We would have said, "no....there is no money for this" and our family when asked about coming would have said without our points to use, "no...there is no money for this". This isn't the first time this year DVC has provided a wonderful break from reality.

I guess I just wanted to say that DVC was always our dream. We always knew it would be wonderful. We were anxious to share it with others. But we never perceived what an absolute godsend it would be. So much more than it reads on paper.

I would never advise people just to jump in. But if you are out there......financially able....sitting on the fence.....just go for it. One can never underestimate the "value" of this purchase. I'm sure many DVCers have realized this since their purchase.

We are all so thrilled to have this trip. My best to you all.

Lisa

 

[keishashadow]

Hope you all have a wonderful trip, with many magical moments.

I, too, tend to think of DVC as our refuge from the real world, and all that entails.

 

[dianeschlicht]

GREAT post! You hit the nail on the head! Our only regret was that we didn't jump in when we first thought of it in 1992. We waited 5 years, and it would have been great to have done it back then.

Once people truly start thinking of a DVC purchase as a prepaid vacation at today's prices, it makes more and more sense. For less than the cost of a car, you can have 47 years of vacations!

 

[lovinthemouse]

I am very sorry for all of your losses. My prayers are with you and your families. Have a wonderful trip. Always remember to cherish your loved ones while they are here. None of know what tomorrow will bring.

 

[diznyfanatic]

Lisa, thank you for saying exactly how we feel about DVC too.

It truly means going "home" for us....a shelter in the storm and the chance to reconnect with what's important in order to soothe your soul.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[Granny]

I'm glad that the flexibility of the DVC program is allowing you to do things you would have never thought possible. It's a great program, and it's wonderful of you to share it so selflessly. I hope your trip is a magical one, in every possible way.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Lisa, thank you for saying exactly how we feel about DVC too.

It truly means going "home" for us....a shelter in the storm and the chance to reconnect with what's important in order to soothe your soul.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

I completely agree. As someone who needed shelter last year and spent a month at WDW after the death of my sister, I too am very thankful for DVC. No way that would of happened if we didnt own DVC and if DVC were not so flexible.

Thank you Lisa for a wonderful post, and pixie dust for a wonderful trip full of memories

 

[justloveit]

Well said! I wholeheartedly agree! An escape from the stress to put things in their proper order. Priceless! So sorry for your losses, have a magical vacation!

 

[evaready51]

Pixie dust to all of you! Have a wonderful time!

And yes I totally agree w/you DVC is great!

 

[rigsby25]

I feel exactly the way you do! When my father passed away, he left us some money and said "take your family on vacation". We took, what we thought, was the vacation to end all vacations at the Contemporary. Until we spotted the DVC Kiosk. Now every vacation is the vacation to end all vacations! And we do go often just beginning our 50's and realizing that our health might now always be with us, even if we live longer and that life is short. Like you also, we have invited our family to join us in a Grand Villa. I am very sorry for your losses, and I know those in heaven are happy for you.

 

[Buckalew11]

Well, this might just be the thread to push me over!

I,too, am sorry for your losses.
I can certainly understand what going to WDW does to help one's grief. I've lost and left town for WDW also.

Thanks for this post.

 

[KKCannon]

Sorry for your losses. Best wishes to all of you and hope you have magical times at WDW. Two and a half years ago when my Dad died after being physically handicapped for 15 years (my 80 year old healthy Mom took care of him at home), my family and my sister and her family had a trip scheduled for two days after his funeral. Not planned of course. We thought about cancelling and Mom said Dad would not have wanted us to, so we didn't - we brought her with us! It was the best thing we could have done. She loved the Boardwalk Villas and OKW and has been back with me three more times since then. Just last February, 23 of us went down for President's week. Thank goodness for borrowing and for renting points on this board. Disboarders are the best.

Have loads of fun!

 

[shantay1008]

What a wonderful post. I'm so sorry for your losses, and for the other posters on this thread who have experienced losses, too. I hope your family has a wonderful time in May.

There are a lot of reasons why people buy into DVC, but I don't think you can underestimate the power of that Disney Magic. I've posted elsewhere about how purchasing DVC and knowing that we would have lots of magical vacations helped me during the stressful but ultimately wonderful experience of adoption. It's hard to describe, but seeing our little girl perched on her Grandpa's shoulders six months after joining our family, taking in the spectacle of Cinderellabrations... well, "magical" doesn't begin to describe how it felt. My mom and I are practical types, but we both had tears pouring down our faces!

So, yes, be practical, be fiscally responsible, but like the OP said, don't be afraid to take the plunge when the time is right.
Shannon

 

[tmt martins]

You know Nothing says FAMILY then the place that was built for them.

Here's to your in having a great time together.

 

[lisaviolet]

I know those in heaven are happy for you.

Probably. One was responsible for making DVC a possiblity. Another rarely took vacations and we talked him into taking his daughter to POR. A year later he could no longer travel. That daughter is coming on this trip. I am hopeful that she will have some smiles for the memories even though I am sure it will be so difficult for her to be back without him. Every time I take the boat up to POR ...it's bittersweet....I smile imagining him there....grateful that we were so incredibly pushy to make sure he took her ....laugh about how we told him when booking that we were "Value" girls but he was definitely not. Definitely not. I'm smiling.

I am sorry about the loss of your father. I smiled at his wishes for you and your family and what it produced. My parents are coming on this group trip and they are both 70. One sister was a hold out on the trip. We reminded her that you never know about life and especially with them being seventy ....well we snagged her. And what a snag. First flight for her!!! She's forty six and has always had an intense phobia. So let's all pray for her. I booked her flight and she immediately said, "I feel sick!!!!"

Thanks to everyone who have shared their losses and their thoughts and lovely stories. I love the disboards. I've been off for quite awhile. It's nice to be back. Seems I haven't learned to shorten my posts though

 

[MinnieGi]

So sorry for your losses. I hope your DVC vacation with everyone is very memorable and soothing. Thanks for a great post. The flexibility of DVC is truly wonderful.

God bless.

 

[Glorydaz]

my heartfelt sympathy for your losses....my BF just lost his Dad less than 2 months ago and we are bringing his Mom to Disney ( her first time ever) in the fall....so I understand how you feel ...so glad you and your partner's families will get to share all the magic that Disney offers....and boy oh boy, you are so right - DVC was one of the best debts we ever incurred !!

it will repay us and our families 1000 times over in the years to come....

wishing you a wonderful trip! Michelle

 

[nicky mouse]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip. One of the reason we bought DVC is because we plan to use it to share Disney with family and friends. When you take someone to Disney for the first time, it's like you get to experience that first time magic again. I wish your family lots of magic.

 

[Ali and boyz]

so sorry Lisa for all your losses. hope you all have a wonderful trip. loads of . to you all

life it to short, my son broke his neck 4 years ago playing rugby, my Mum took a stroke and Dad got cancer so we thought life it just to short and you never know what is round the corner (thank goodness) and we went and bought last year. It will hopefully bring us much joy and help give us a break from the day to day burdons and enable us to have quality family time together for a fortnight of each year . It will be our first time home in July and we just can't wait.

loads of to you and let us know how your trip went

 

[Girlie Goofy]

I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathy to both of you and your families. Life can be very short, and full of strange twists. We also waited ten years to buy into DVC. We had daughters about ready for college, and other bills to pay. We bought in August of 2004, and waited until last September for our first trip. We almost didn't make it! My daughter became very sick, ending up in the hospital three times, and the ER twice, before they found out that she had Addison's Disease. Then through a routine health exam, my husband was diagnosed wht leukemia in July. He finished up his treatments the day before we left. We made it! They were a little wobbly and a little tired, but we really appreciated being together and enjoyed this trip with special, joyous memories! So, I agree with you, there are times to splurge, and enjoy being together as a family, celebrating life, and the joy of still being a family.