DVC help

[Lynn2205]

Hi, i'm sorry if this is in the wrong place!

my hubby and I have been to WDW every year since 2007, with the odd Paris trip thrown in. We're from the UK and don't really know much about the vacation club. We know it allows members to stay pretty much where they like and all we'd have to do is decide when and book a flight out. (at least i think that's the idea of it!)

What I want to know is as we don't have children and it maybe a while before they come along, if we plan to carry on visiting every year, is the DVC membership worth it? i've been told it works out better for families than it does for 2 adults but is this actually true?

is there any way of 'claiming' benefits from our previous visits or would we have to start from a blank canvas?

 

[SeilerBird]

Personally I would never join a vacation club anywhere. The first problem is they never tell you how much anything costs. It is always points not dollars they talk about. Second, once you buy in you are basically locked into Disney vacations every year. So if you are filthy rich and only want to vacation at Disney then go for it.

 

[patty57]

Hi, i'm sorry if this is in the wrong place!

my hubby and I have been to WDW every year since 2007, with the odd Paris trip thrown in. We're from the UK and don't really know much about the vacation club. We know it allows members to stay pretty much where they like and all we'd have to do is decide when and book a flight out. (at least i think that's the idea of it!)

What I want to know is as we don't have children and it maybe a while before they come along, if we plan to carry on visiting every year, is the DVC membership worth it? i've been told it works out better for families than it does for 2 adults but is this actually true?

is there any way of 'claiming' benefits from our previous visits or would we have to start from a blank canvas?

There is a DVC sectiion here on the DIS that you should post this in. You will probably get more responses there. I am not a DVC member, but I do know that it isn't quite as simple as deciding when to go and booking a flight out. There are times of the year that DVC is very busy, and to get a specific resort, you need to book many months ahead of time. DVC works best for people who can plan out their trips well in advance. If you don't care which resort you stay in, then you may be able to find something last minute, but maybe not.
I'm not sure what you mean by "claiming benefits from our previous visits or would be have to start from a blank canvas". Can you elaborate on that?

 

[Hokie2000]

Hi, i'm sorry if this is in the wrong place! my hubby and I have been to WDW every year since 2007, with the odd Paris trip thrown in. We're from the UK and don't really know much about the vacation club. We know it allows members to stay pretty much where they like and all we'd have to do is decide when and book a flight out. (at least i think that's the idea of it!) What I want to know is as we don't have children and it maybe a while before they come along, if we plan to carry on visiting every year, is the DVC membership worth it? i've been told it works out better for families than it does for 2 adults but is this actually true? is there any way of 'claiming' benefits from our previous visits or would we have to start from a blank canvas?

DVC works well for my family, but we're a family of 5. I think the idea is that most onsite rooms are for a maximum of 4 people, but most one-bedroom DVC villas allow 5.

The reason we bought DVC is because we wanted to visit every year. I have always wanted to stay at the Deluxe resorts but we couldn't afford it out of pocket. It doesn't necessarily save us money. For the cost of the yearly dues we could probably get a package, at a Value resort, with tickets, and maybe free dining. But my husband wouldn't want to go as much and we wouldn't be able to invite our parents along and pay for their accommodations like we do now.

It was a significant initial expense, but the rack rate of the villas that we've stayed at for the first 3 years is so crazy expensive that we're not far from the value of our initial investment. And we have 44 years to go! (We bought at AKV at a discount b/c 3 years had already passed in the 50-year contract)

We bought directly from Disney on a DCL cruise, I think you can get a great deal if you try the resale market. The benefits are different, though, so you'll want to look at that. If you just want to go to Disney properties resale is probably the way to go. There's no way to claim past stays.

It was worth every penny to us. Next month we're staying in a one-bedroom at the Grand Floridian for a week. Next December we're getting a 3-bdrm Grand Villa (not sure which resort yet) and inviting our parents again. So it's pretty awesome.

 

[patty57]

There's no way to claim past stays.

You seem to know what the OP means by this. I'm curious...can you explain? I definitely don't know what they are asking.

 

[wisblue]

You seem to know what the OP means by this. I'm curious...can you explain? I definitely don't know what they are asking.

I took it to be asking whether past stays at WDW could somehow be used as credits or something to reduce the cost of purchasing a DVC membership.

The answer to that is definitely no.

This thread belongs on the DVC board and I'm sure the mods will move it there soon.

 

[jimmytammy]

I agree with others, you will get some really good response if you post on the DVC forums.

I will share my thoughts here though. We have owned pts at Villas of Wilderness Lodge since 2001. Our 1st trip to WDW was in 1999, and once we made that 1st trip we were hooked, not having any idea we would want too or be able to afford to return on a yearly basis. Bear in mind, we can drive there in 10 hrs. With all that said, we took a non DVC trip ea yr after until we bought in. We realized quickly that DVC was a fit for us as our family dynamics changed, we needed more room, and understanding that basically the break even point was around 7 yrs.

For you, a studio would be fine for most trips as a couple, as a young family with 2 kids it worked for us. As our kids grew to teens, having more room was a must, so we bumped up to 1 bedrooms. Now our kids are grown, DD is married, so with our DS we can do either and be fine. For each family, its different.

Knowing what I know now, I would buy resale. Here is why...less expensive, more choices available. Downside, you cant transfer those pts to use outside of WDW and Disneyland.

As for using past stays as a credit, unfortunately not.

You are going to get all kinds of opinions on this matter. You need to weigh out options, and see what fits for you. Good luck!

 

[Lynn2205]

yes i meant could previous stays be counted as credits. it was early morning when i wrote this so i hadn't woken up yet!

as for the dvc thread, i didnt realise there was one, so i appologise for that

 

[Jennasis]

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28 This is the link to the DVC board. Tons of helpful info and folks in there!

Whether to purchase or not is a personal decision only you can make based on your own family, financial ability, vacationing habits etc. We took the plunge this year after much research and concluding that it was for us. We are NOT filthy rich..filthy perhaps, but nowhere near rich LOL. We only ever vacation at WDW, an we weighed many other factors before we bought (by resale). No kids. Just DH and I.

 

[matheke]

Personally I would never join a vacation club anywhere. The first problem is they never tell you how much anything costs. It is always points not dollars they talk about. Second, once you buy in you are basically locked into Disney vacations every year. So if you are filthy rich and only want to vacation at Disney then go for it.

You could not be more wrong. The costs of DVC are right up front. The only "unknown" cost is the annual dues which are fairly stable and just slightly higher from year to year.

You are NOT locked in to a Disney vacation every year. They have partnerships with other timeshare companies and you can exchange weeks to almost anywhere you like.

I don't consider the $12,000 that we paid to put us somehow into the filthy rich status. Most folks are middle-class working stiffs like us.

But to the OP there is plenty of information at the DVC boards.

 

[Hopefully]

Personally I would never join a vacation club anywhere. The first problem is they never tell you how much anything costs. It is always points not dollars they talk about. Second, once you buy in you are basically locked into Disney vacations every year. So if you are filthy rich and only want to vacation at Disney then go for it.

You have a right to your own opinion and obviously a Time Share is not for you.
But your facts are totally wrong. We knew EXACTLY how many dollars our DVC purchase cost us, for the number of points we wanted. You need to investigate a bit before you purchase, but that is true of any real estate purchase.. Our annual dues do rise, by pennies per year. We are not locked into Disney vacations annually. We have taken beach vacations weeks in Florida and never stepped foot on Disney property. We can trade out for other destinations. And we can bank our points for a future big family trip.

OP Dh and I are an empty nester couple now. We purchased when our kids were older and we could afford to buy without financing. DVC is great for just couples as well as families. The fact that it is a point based system, rather than fixed weeks makes it even more flexible for us a just a couple.
As others have said, you need to go to the DVC forums and do more research.
Good Luck

 

[hakepb]

There is also a UK DVC board (that is not grouped with the other DVC boards)
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=61

 

[chalee94]

Personally I would never join a vacation club anywhere. The first problem is they never tell you how much anything costs. It is always points not dollars they talk about. Second, once you buy in you are basically locked into Disney vacations every year. So if you are filthy rich and only want to vacation at Disney then go for it.

1) you are correct in general but wrong with respect to DVC. one of the reasons i bought into DVC was the transparency.

this recent thread includes links to upfront costs for DVC (direct and resale) and the link to the DVC resource thread includes details of how much DVC historically charged as upfront costs for each resort and the historical annual dues required per point for each resort.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3358817

2) whether someone buys DVC resale or direct, you always have the option to trade out through RCI (a timeshare trade broker) for other timeshares outside of DVC. DVC even includes resorts in hilton head, sc and oahu in hawaii within its system.

it is true that DVC owners get the best value by staying within the DVC system - and i would never recommend DVC to someone who did not intend to use it 80%-90% of the time within the system (i.e. for stays at wdw particularly) - but it does allow the option for using points outside of disney, and even in europe.

 

[chalee94]

is the DVC membership worth it? i've been told it works out better for families than it does for 2 adults but is this actually true?

you have to do your own math, based on how you prefer to visit wdw, but if you visit wdw every year anyway, DVC can be a great deal.

for 2 adults, it can absolutely save you money if you are happy in a studio - which is a lot like a hotel room in size. if you'd prefer more living space, a 1BR villa will have a separate living area, full sized kitchen, and washer and dryer...but at a higher cost.

i posted some advice in this thread including some links to more information that can help you decide:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3358817

 

[Baptist]

you have to do your own math, based on how you prefer to visit wdw, but if you visit wdw every year anyway, DVC can be a great deal.

for 2 adults, it can absolutely save you money if you are happy in a studio - which is a lot like a hotel room in size. if you'd prefer more living space, a 1BR villa will have a separate living area, full sized kitchen, and washer and dryer...but at a higher cost.

i posted some advice in this thread including some links to more information that can help you decide:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3358817

Although I respect your decision to buy into DVC. It's never a "great deal". During the sales process, they refer to the discounts over the rack rate. But in reality, you don't have to pay the rack rate as Disney offers discounts (free dining for example).

My basis for saying DVC is not a great deal is the availability of rental points. You can rent points from an owner who is unable to use them or wants to recoup part of their initial investment. This is the true "great deal" in DVC.

I agree with other posters that it's not the rich and famous buying into DVC. It's the average to above average income family. It's not uncommon for a $15,000 buy in that can be financed over a few years.

I don't fault people for buying DVC. There is a lot of pride in ownership. Plus, you have a lot of control in booking reservations. This has value for sure.

If you are going to buy DVC, be sure to check the resale market. Buying directly from DVC will cost you more but might be the only way to get into the new resorts like Grand Floridian.

I hope everyone is having a magical day!

 

[chalee94]

Although I respect your decision to buy into DVC. It's never a "great deal". During the sales process, they refer to the discounts over the rack rate. But in reality, you don't have to pay the rack rate as Disney offers discounts (free dining for example).

i skipped the formal sales process and did all my research online. naturally, i bought resale.

My basis for saying DVC is not a great deal is the availability of rental points. You can rent points from an owner who is unable to use them or wants to recoup part of their initial investment. This is the true "great deal" in DVC.

it can be. the thing is that those owners are (usually) still making money on those rentals. my cost as an owner is lower than what you are paying as a renter...and i still control my reservations and have a little more flexibility if i need to make changes.

OTOH, i am happy to make a commitment to wdw as i traveled there (and to FL in general, due to relatives) on a regular basis beforehand. renting is a great deal without the commitment, i would agree.

I agree with other posters that it's not the rich and famous buying into DVC. It's the average to above average income family. It's not uncommon for a $15,000 buy in that can be financed over a few years.

my buy-in was under $4000 paid with no financing for a very small contract. DVC is pretty scalable depending on what you are planning to do with it. for primarily single/couples use - staying in studios (typically weeknights) - it is a terrific deal.

If you are going to buy DVC, be sure to check the resale market. Buying directly from DVC will cost you more but might be the only way to get into the new resorts like Grand Floridian.

i'd agree that resale is the only way i would recommend DVC from a cost standpoint. for those used to staying at the GF, i'm sure the direct prices are not much of an impediment, though...

 

[Alpha1]

So if you are filthy rich and only want to vacation at Disney then go for it.

Couldn't disagree more.

We visit WDW every 18 months and after running the numbers, our DVC membership will pay for itself in less than 6 years. If we ever get tired of it, we can sell them at resale and if its after 6 years, we wont lose a penny.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Hubby and I don't have kids and have found DVC to be a wonderful fit for us. We generally stay in studios and have found 100 points to be a good fit for us. The key is to get the amount of points YOU need. A 250 point contract that would allow us to stay in a 1 or 2 bdrm would not be efficient for us As we don't need to make bottles or have Mommy & Daddy space.

 

[jmkjr72]

It depends upon how you like to stay
you don't get mouse keeping every day
you can book your home resort 11 months out othere 6 months out
we don't go ever year but every other year and are a large family normal 10 to 12 people go
so after 2 trips if we had to pay for a grand villa every time we are money ahead
this trip there are only 2 of us going so if we were to pay cash for our stay in the exact same 1 bedroom theme park view at bay lakes tower we are $4000 ahead (hotel rate minus dues for 2 years)
now if we had just a cheaper hotel room at the contemporary our dues were still about 1500 less then the stay
but if you stay at the budget or moderate resorts you would be better off just booking those roo s and not buying dvc
other ways you will be able to save on each trip is you can cook for yourself instead of eating out every meal

 

[jmkjr72]

As for the resale debate.
first issue with buying resale is if disney doesn't think your paying enough they have the first right of refusal so if your offering $5000 for points disney says should be worth $8000 they can buy them from the owner when you put your offer in and the owner accepts it

Second issue is disney is won't let you use resale for the Adventurer Collection, Concierge Collection, or The Disney Collection.