DVC - Gotta Ask "WHY" join??

[RJake1]

First, let me say I'm an avid WDW fan and frequent visitor. I've been to WDW 3x this year, and been on the cruise 2x ..this year.
Been to DL and WDW more times than I can mention. And I do love it. I can really relate to the excitement and giddiness that surrounds a WDW vacation. For me, with a 7 yr old child, I want nothing more than to be convinced that the DVC is worthwhile investment.

Financially, it seems at best a 'break even' or perhaps even more expensive than going on a cash basis. Last week I stayed at Vero Beach for $139/nite (AP holder) and didn't have to reserve 12 mos in advance. And I got maid service!!

And while DVC touts its 'flexibility' it seems to me its just the opposite. Members have to struggle to make reservations up to 12 mos in advance. Some can't get in at all while cash customers can. You are limited by the points you own and consequently restrict yourselves to certain times of year/weekdays. And you have to pay $3 - $4 per point maintanence fees.

Finally, if DVC changes its rules, point schedule, or quality of service goes south, members are locked in. As a non-member I can choose to take my business elsewhere if I am dissatisfied with a vendor, or if a hotel can't accomodate my schedule I can simply call another hotel. Can you?

Again, I don't mean to knock DVC. There is obviously something quite compelling to draw so many to it. And as I say I love Disney properties and parks. So what am I missing in my analysis??

 

[Maistre Gracey]

1) It is without question a money saver if you stay in the on-site deluxe resorts, but that is not my main reason for being a DVC member.

2) At the 11 month window, I think you would be hard pressed to find members who could not book what they wanted.

3) I own enough points where I am not at all restricted by the number of points I own.

4) The cost of maintenance fees is factored in when figuring my actual cost of DVC.

5) It would be foolish for DVC to reduce our service or quality of experience. For example, DVC can refurbish often, as we pay for it. In a regular hotel, they may be less likely to refurbish, as they have to pass the cost along to folks who may not want to pay the higher rate. It would make no logical, or financial sense to diminish the DVC experience.

6) DVC can change the rules, but it must be in good faith. If you are a huge Disney fan (as all of us are), you understand they are not out to get us.

7) By law, DVC can not raise the total number of points required to stay at the resort, thus it would not be in their financial interest to alter the point schedule.

In summary, I enjoy the pride of ownership instead of renting. I can stay in a beautiful 2 bedroom villa, and a non-member can squeeze into a hotel room. I enjoy my vacations more by knowing that I will return for the next 39 years. All the reasons you have listed as a 'minus', I view as a 'plus'.

I would not give up my DVC for anything!!!

Did I answer all of your questions? If not, please fire away...

 

[Dean]

What you say is true, to a certain extent. Any timeshare is going to tie you in and DVC is no exception. It is very flexible but will never be as flexible as cash. It sounds like you may be a prime candidate for DVC but the decision is yours. DVC will save you money in the long run compared to deluxe on site resorts as long as you don't compare to long weekends. Don't forget the food savings as well.

 

[DebbieB]

I thought DVC didn't make sense either. I have a friend who joined in 1996 at OKW, I thought she was nuts. In March of 1999, she asked me to stay in a 2 bedroom with her and 2 other online friends for a long weekend. After that weekend, I was hooked. I just loved all the space. Being able to sit around in the living room at night and talk instead of sitting or laying around on hotel room beds. The fully equipped kitchen, great for breakfast in the morning. The washer/dryer in the room. The huge master bathroom. I had to have this for my vacations with family. I bought at BWV in September 1999. I never really looked at it in financial terms when I bought. But I keep a spreadsheet of my trips and so far 7 trips totalling 41 nights in 1 bedrooms. I have a column for rack rate. After the last trip, the total rack rate was more than my initial purchase. My dues are about $1,000 per year (250 points). My initial purchase is paid for. So I look at it that get 11 or 12 nights per year in a 1 bedroom for $1,000.

 

[disneycrazed139]

I think you gave a very good analysis/argument of why it wouldn't be for you. I am in the process of becoming a member and thought all the same things you are thinking and heard all the same things from those I know who are opposed...why limit/restrict vacation days? why book far out? why not have maid service?

In my case, I am willing to trade the daily maid service and greater limitations on days for more of a home-like atmosphere in a location that I know and love, and at a place that I know I am going to keep coming back to...just like any other vacation home.
I want to be a member because I think it will bring me years of joy and memories that I can share with others. Plus, I couldn't justify paying for a deluxe resort any other way!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Addendum: Please remember that daily maid service is available for a fee. Also, if a DVC member runs out of points, they can still take advantage of annual passholder rates at the regular resorts.... which very well may become few and far between.

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

My mom & I are newbies but I can try to give you an answer. First of all, we aren't locked in. We can sell our contracts if we want. Also after you pay your loan all we have to pay for is maintaince & fees every year. Of course that does go up! And you have to have your "play $$"! You aren't really locked into points either. You can have up to 4 months of vacation in points if you want/can afford it. DVC isn't for everyone! If you like your AP that's completely fine!!! I guess members feel like they are getting better accommendations. 1 to 2 bedroom villas with full kitchen, whirlpool tub in bathroom, and washer/dryer. You don't get that @ any of the other resorts. Even though they are great!! I also feel that we are paying for future vacations in smaller amounts (a little bit each month) verus a much bigger chunk @ one time. As for availabilty, I can't really say. You have to be alittle flexible. We have an 11 month booking window(from check out date) @ our home resort, so that's why you see countdowns a year or so in advance. We have a 7 month window @ all other DVC resorts. I would also like to say that this gives my mom & I a way to enjoy the higher end resorts when we would normally be @ moderates. Which is fine but its nice to be able to enjoy the finer things.

Allison an associate
Offically DVC 7/23/03
Home:BCV

 

[Richyams]

I broke even a very long time ago. I get my lodging for just dues now. I get an OKW Three bedroom Grand Villa for less than $150 per night.

Ever find a code to do that?

 

[JimC]

I agree with Maistre Gracey plus I will add that because we have APs we took a trip to the Poly on AP discount in June and extended a conference at CS in March. DVC has not restricted our travel at all.

The price equivalent of our 2 bdrm at VB in May was $168 per night based on the cost of our points. I don't see how we could do any better for equivalent lodging with any discount codes. We also expect that Disney will continue its tightening of room only discounts in favor of packages.

As to booking, we were able to use our points last December with only one month advance booking. We can book up to 11 months at our home resort and 7 months at others. AP codes rarely are announced that far in advance.

As Dean said, your description of Disney travel seems to make you a prime candidate for DVC membership.

Good luck.

 

[crisi]

RJake,

Because of the way AP codes work, you couldn't have reserved that Vero Beach room (or any other room) twelve months out.

DVC really doesn't work well for spur of the moment trips (when APs have traditionally worked pretty darn good). But it does work well for compulsive planners.

Part of the reason we bought in was to lock ourselves in to a bi-annual WDW vacation while our kids are small. Once they get Jr. High age, we will see if it still makes sense to us. If not, we will have gotten our return and be able to sell our contract (we will get our return on the investment about the same time the kids hit Jr. High). So to us, the whole lock in thing was a selling point.

We never go enough days to make an AP worthwhile. So we never used an AP discount. Besides, I'm not a code person. Some people bargain hunt. Some shop the sale rack. Some wait for the dress they like to go on sale. I buy the dress I like at full price when I see it - it isn't worth the effort to me to hunt for bargains or miss the dress because when it goes on sale there are no eights left.

And finally, I trust Disney. Not over forty years - but I'm really only interested in the next decade. And even if the theme parks go down hill, if the resorts stay at all decent, Orlando has some lovely golf courses and isn't Minnesota in Feburary.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Hay, if it's not for you, it's not for you. I'm not here to try to sell you, I don't make any commission. I also don't feel compelled to justify my purchase to those who may be critical. Our financial analysis, and cost benefit analysis came out diffferent than yours. We are very happy with our decision, if we weren't we could always sell. I don't see that happenning.

Good luck.

 

[wordzylady]

For us the decision was not totally based on a cost analysis -- in fact, a very small part was. We looked at it not as a cost effective smart monetary decision, but as an investment in years of family memories of quality vacations. We look forward some day to when we are at Disney with our grandkids, just as our son now has many happy memories of taking his grandparents to Disney.

Although monetarily, if we had done it five years earlier we could have paid for our 250 points by now.

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by RJake1
First, let me say I'm an avid WDW fan and frequent visitor. I've been to WDW 3x this year, and been on the cruise 2x ..this year.
Been to DL and WDW more times than I can mention.

Where do you stay when you go to WDW? On site? What level of resort?

If your trips are mostly weekend trips, then DVC might not be a good fit. The points for weekends are much higher than weekdays. To make it work well, you need to stay during the week with the lower points to offset the higher weekend points.

 

[burnsoc]

Why? Because next thanksgiving I'll be renting two 2 bedroom villas at BCV to take my parents, brothers, their wives, and children. If I was paying cash for these rooms it would easily have been $4000 minimum (if I could even get a code for such a busy week). Before I bought into DVC I wouldn't have even contemplated getting accomodations for my whole family. To be able to stay in a deluxe resort in a villa that can't even be compared to a regular room is priceless to me. My membership will have more than paid for itself within six years, and then I'll be staying for just my dues which will be a lot less than any code that maybe will be available. As far as daily housekeeping goes, I find it to be intrusive. When I stayed at WL last year on cash, several times during my trip I went back to my room in the early afternoon only to find I had to wait until they finished making up my room. Not worrying about housekeeping is actually a plus to me. I like reserving my room 11 months out, and taking spur of the moment trips. Both of which I've been able to do with my DVC membership. I don't worry about the resorts slipping into disrepair. This is Disney we're talking about, not some fly by night timeshare. Being that some of the DVC villas are attached to Disney's Deluxe properties means that the same standards apply. Do I know what Disney will be like thirty years from now? No, but looking at what they have done over the past 25+ years is a good indication that it is a solid investment in my future vacations. And if I ever want out, there is a substantial resale market to ensure I'll get at least some of my initial investment back. It's the first time in my life I've spent thousands of dollars with no buyers regret. And oh yeah, I know I'm going to have a lifetime of memories at the happiest place on earth.
-Chris

 

[vernon]

Coming from the UK I plan my vacations at the absolute minimum 3 months ahead and usually 8-12 months ahead. Waiting and hoping for AP codes isn't really a viable option so knowing my DVC points costings works better. Like Rich my DVC paid for itself a long time ago and now my rooms cost me "dues" per year. That room at Vero you were so pleased to get for $130 ( plus tax I presume? if so that pushes your cost up to about $145)) I could book for 12-14 points a night on weekdays only( a cost of $40-50 a night), if you average over a week its about 17 pooints a night it pushes the cost up to about $60 per night and even the comparitively expensive weekends only would give a cost of about $100-105 per night (no tax either on those either). Granted you do get mousekeeping for that, but you can order that and pay cash on DVC points for a lot less than the money saved.

As has been said if you vacation exclusively at weekends then DVC may not work out so well, but if you usually visit weekdays or a weekly basis then it's almost certain DVC will be cheaper in the long run. It is also important that you figure in room cost inflation into your equation, unless you think room costs will remain the same or lower than they are now over the next 40 years ( which very few people believe) it does become a major factor once you get past 10-12 years life of DVC.

If you want to be convinced, I would suggest you try this , if you have the figures for what all your trips to WDW over the last say 5-7 years. Compare what you've actually spent with what it would have cost had you bought into DVC at the beginning of that time and accrue all the dues costs. Probably the fairest way to do this is start with the same amount of cash that you would have to spend on DVC points, take away what you actually spent on your cash reservations and add the potential interest you would have earned/paid at the end of each year. If your use is as you have explained I think that if you started from 7 years ago you would be pretty close to have all used up your cash reserve now whereas with DVC you would have an asset worth several thousand dollars and would be now getting your hotel rooms for about half the cost of your best AP rates.

 

[Dean]

Rent points for a 1 BR or larger and give it a try. If you're not convinced after that, you definitely don't need to buy into DVC. Good luck.

 

[RJake1]

Thank you all for your insight. Let me say again that I didn't mean to challenge anyone's decision to join DVC, nor did I expect anyone to try to sell it to me. I was curious as to your reasons for joining and thought there were some intangibles I might've missed in my analysis.

Your replies have been helpful. Not sure if I'll be joining but I am leaning in that direction. We usually stay off-site at a condo, so I am used to getting spacious accomodations. Although I must say that the quality has varied, and its always an uncertain moment the first time I open the door to an off-site property.

I figure I'd go resale and start with 300 points. Unless someone could recommend otherwise. I guess I could get resale for $62/point or thereabouts, but I am intrigued by $79/pt at SSR with its 50 year plan. I am an old geezer - almost 50 -- but I have a 7 year old daughter. The 50 year plan would provide vacations for her future family which is very appealing to me.

Any thoughts on that? This is a great forum with great people....hey, what did I expect....you're all Mouseketeers!!!

 

[crisi]

If you get a resale for $62, you'd be darn lucky. Disney ROFR floor has been floating around $70 or higher. One of the reasons I am currently convince I have a "deal" is that I bought a resale a year plus ago for $63, and know I can find a "buyer" at $68 and have Disney snap up the contract - without even bothering with commissions.

Has anyone gotten a contract through below $70 in the past three months?

 

[paults]

if your thinking of 300 pts try buying 2 (150 pt contracts )so if you decide to sell in the future a 150 pt contract is easier to sell than a 300 pt. contract or you could just downsize by selling one and keeping one.



also if you have 2 children like us you can pass on one contract to each of them so there are no problems who gets what. If you have more than 2 children then guess what ( you have to do an add-on) huh

now since you have only on child, isn't she lucky

 

[RJake1]

Two 150 pt contracts. That's a good suggestion. Would it be a problem to split between resorts. Would I be able to book 12 month window at both even if I had to "borrow" some points from the other contract?