DVC interest...a bargain or a waste?

[BobbyB0909]

My family of 5 have been avid Disney goers for the past 20 years, daughters are ages 20, 17 and 13. I've been intrigued by the DVC for the past 15 years, as we go at least once every 2 years and have actually been going every year lately or sometimes even twice a year. We live in NH so there's always airfare involved.

So here's my predicament...I love the idea of owning a piece of Disney and having access to larger rooms as my family gets older. However, every vacation we take advantage of a "Free Dining" offer that saves us around $4000 on dining for our 8 - 9 day stay, as we always stay at a luxury resort like the Yacht Club (our favorite area), Grand Floridian or Polynesian. For the last 3 trips, I've upgraded the free standard dining package to our new favorite--the deluxe dining--so we can eat at a signature dining experience daily and also another table service restaurant. I think this upgrade costs us around $200 per day for the 5 of us, so the upcharge ends up somewhere in the realm of $2,000, but we dine at all the best restaurants that we love.

Now I've been looking primarily at the possibility of purchasing a resale DVC at Animal Kingdom or similar, and 300 - 325 points seems to run around $35,000. Then there's the annual dues of what appears to be around $2,500 per year. But if I need to also pay for 8 or 9 day park hopper passes AND full price for the deluxe dining package for every trip, it appears it will cost me more money even after dropping $35K for the DVC property. So my question is...how do you folks actually make this worthwhile? Is there a method of saving money on the park tickets or dining for DVC members? I realize folks that buy directly from Disney have more perks (including some dining discounts), but I'm really stumped in trying to justify to my wife this expense if our annual trips will still be $8 - $10K like we currently pay AFTER dropping $35K or more.

 

[ClemTig]

There's a lot in there that I can't answer, perhaps others can help in your situation. We never stay that long. 5 days is our max, usually. The dining plan is not our thing either, we eat breakfast in the room and stick to 1 large meal a day- usually NOT in the parks, we eat all over.

This has turned out being GREAT for our family. We rent out points when we don't go and use the money to finance whatever vacation we take. Disney is always in demand and for the past 22 years that we have been members, costs have continued to rise.

The overwhelming reason we joined is to stay in suites as opposed to hotel rooms. That means a lot to us. I'm just not sure I could go back to 1 room stays.

 

[Sandisw]

When we bought in 2009, it was for something similar...to be in 1 bedrooms vs, regular size hotel rooms for our family of 5,

So, while it didn’t save us per se, we were getting a lot more for our money,

Always doing free dining for a family of 5 will definitely make the savings of owning DVC in the short term may not seem that great.

At some point, you won’t be traveling in all so that needs to be considered, and free dining could go away.

But, it seems like you currently stay in a regular room and 350
points, if you went with studios, will give you a lot more nights than the 8 or 9 you go now.

 

[Marionnette]

My family of 5 have been avid Disney goers for the past 20 years, daughters are ages 20, 17 and 13. I've been intrigued by the DVC for the past 15 years, as we go at least once every 2 years and have actually been going every year lately or sometimes even twice a year. We live in NH so there's always airfare involved.

So here's my predicament...I love the idea of owning a piece of Disney and having access to larger rooms as my family gets older. However, every vacation we take advantage of a "Free Dining" offer that saves us around $4000 on dining for our 8 - 9 day stay, as we always stay at a luxury resort like the Yacht Club (our favorite area), Grand Floridian or Polynesian. For the last 3 trips, I've upgraded the free standard dining package to our new favorite--the deluxe dining--so we can eat at a signature dining experience daily and also another table service restaurant. I think this upgrade costs us around $200 per day for the 5 of us, so the upcharge ends up somewhere in the realm of $2,000, but we dine at all the best restaurants that we love.

Now I've been looking primarily at the possibility of purchasing a resale DVC at Animal Kingdom or similar, and 300 - 325 points seems to run around $35,000. Then there's the annual dues of what appears to be around $2,500 per year. But if I need to also pay for 8 or 9 day park hopper passes AND full price for the deluxe dining package for every trip, it appears it will cost me more money even after dropping $35K for the DVC property. So my question is...how do you folks actually make this worthwhile? Is there a method of saving money on the park tickets or dining for DVC members? I realize folks that buy directly from Disney have more perks (including some dining discounts), but I'm really stumped in trying to justify to my wife this expense if our annual trips will still be $8 - $10K like we currently pay AFTER dropping $35K or more.

Well, first off, we don’t do the dining plans. We’ve found that using our DVC discount, or buying a Tables in Wonderland card, saves us more money than paying for the dining plan does. Plus it gives us the flexibility to dine outside of the Disney bubble or even just over at the Swan/Dolphin.

Secondly, we have DVC blue card memberships (now only available to direct purchasers buying 100 or more points), and we purchase APs at a discount. That way, we can get 2-3 trips in per year on the same tickets instead of having to purchase them with each package, as you are doing.

Thirdly, we eat in the villa for breakfast and at least one or two nights during our stay. Grocery delivery is not expensive and sometimes we get tired of a whole week of table service meals.

Lastly, we bought a while ago when prices were much more affordable than they are now. I paid $78/pt. for a 25-point AKV contract years ago. The asking price for a similar contract today is nearly twice that price.

 

[BobbyB0909]

I can see how multiple vacations annually would probably see a savings if we went with annual passes for parks, but a single vacation doesn't seem to make financial sense. Can anybody speak specifically to the charges or discounts available for park hopper tickets when not purchased through a Disney resort vacation package?

Also, thanks for the comments. I'm truly trying to figure out every angle here before investing in a DVC. As I said, I totally get the mental perk in owning a piece of Disney but the park tickets and dining are something I need to figure out, as it's become a huge part of our vacations there. I'd hate to revert back to standard dining.

 

[Marionnette]

I can see how multiple vacations annually would probably see a savings if we went with annual passes for parks, but a single vacation doesn't seem to make financial sense. Can anybody speak specifically to the charges or discounts available for park hopper tickets when not purchased through a Disney resort vacation package?

Also, thanks for the comments. I'm truly trying to figure out every angle here before investing in a DVC. As I said, I totally get the mental perk in owning a piece of Disney but the park tickets and dining are something I need to figure out, as it's become a huge part of our vacations there. I'd hate to revert back to standard dining.

There are a number of authorized ticket sellers that offer a discount over the gate price of tickets. Www.Undercovertourist.com, Mapleleaftickets.com, Boardwalkticketing.com to name a few. The price difference between Disney and these sellers can be as big as $70 for 8-9 day adult tickets.

ETA: I had no idea that first one is filtered. I see them referred to so often without the link that I just assumed they were okay.

 

[Garyjames220]

We looked into it and travel from the uk and by the time we pay the yearly fees and get offer like free dining, the dvc worked out more for us so we never bothered

 

[Chuck S]

It depends, really, on what your expectations are. When staying with people in a one or two bedroom unit, with a full kitchen, we usually have breakfast in the room, and sandwiches at night. I get the TIW card, which yields a 30% discount on most dining, including alcohol for a group (I think up to 10 people) I am a direct purchaser from 1992, so the cost savings on rooms alone over the last 26 years has been amazing. I also get the discounted AP, as a direct purchaser...so DVC has worked out very well for me. Remember, free dining, when it is offered, usually requires a full rack undiscounted room. With DVC that Deluxe Dining package would cost you $111.74 per person per night of your reservation in 2020, or $558.70 per night for your family of 5. While some DVC Members do purchase dining plans, I have never been able to make the numbers work over just paying out of pocket and using the 20% discount. Plus I can order what I want, I certainly don't need appetizer and dessert with every meal, nor do I generally order the most expensive menu item, as many are tempted to do with the dining plans. But, to be fair, I bought direct in 1992 for an average of $53.50 a point, when averaging my 4 contracts.

It just depends upon your normal travel habits, and also remember that while dues will increase, it will usually NOT increase at the same rate as cash reservations. For instance, on my 345 OKW points, I pay roughly the same as 4 nights in a standard hotel room at the Grand Floridian. For that, if I wanted a studio at OKW, I could stay there for 4 weeks+ per year, depending upon the season 2 weeks+ in a one-bedroom. I generally eat 1 table service meal per day in the parks, including the Brown Derby...and when you consider the Brown Derby is two dining plan credits, the savings really add up. To the poster from the UK, it kind of is apples to oranges, when you consider that the UK often get phenomenal discount prices on cash bookings compared to USA residents.

 

[Garyjames220]

It depends, really, on what your expectations are. When staying with people in a one or two bedroom unit, with a full kitchen, we usually have breakfast in the room, and sandwiches at night. I get the TIW card, which yields a 30% discount on most dining, including alcohol for a group (I think up to 10 people) I am a direct purchaser from 1992, so the cost savings on rooms alone over the last 16 years has been amazing. I also get the discounted AP, as a direct purchaser...so DVC has worked out very well for me. Remember, free dining, when it is offered, usually requires a full rack undiscounted room. With DVC that Deluxe Dining package would cost you $111.74 per person per night of your reservation in 2020, or $558.70 per night for your family of 5. While some DVC Members do purchase dining plans, I have never been able to make the numbers work over just paying out of pocket and using the 20% discount. Plus I can order what I want, I certainly don't need appetizer and dessert with every meal, nor do I generally order the most expensive menu item, as many are tempted to do with the dining plans.

It just depends upon your normal travel habits, and also remember that while dues will increase, it will usually NOT increase at the same rate as cash reservations. For instance, on my 345 OKW points, I pay roughly the same as 4 nights in a standard hotel room at the Grand Floridian. For that, if I wanted a studio at OKW, I could stay there for 4 weeks+ per year, depending upon the season 2 weeks+ in a one-bedroom. I generally eat 1 table service meal per day in the parks, including the Brown Derby...and when you consider the Brown Derby is two dining plan credits, the savings really add up. To the poster from the UK, it kind of is apples to oranges, when you consider that the UK often get phenomenal discount prices on cash bookings compared to USA residents.

I think u may be right

we were looking at going every 2/3 years. So by time I pay three years fees plus dining etc it was working out more. Not to mention the actual loan itself

 

[Ben@M1CK3Y]

I also think the comparison might not work out like this. For a week in a Studio you just need between 76-151 (Standard View) or 97-188 (Savannah View) at AKL. So to compare it you could more likely take a one bedroom or - depending when you travel - even a 2 bedroom for the 325-350 points.

Also you should consider if you book more than 7 months out. If not, Saratoga Springs might be a better deal for you, as it is the overall cheapest option (price per point & Maintenance fees lower than @ AKL). I especially think that because based on your last trips (Poly, Grand Floridian, Yacht Club) the Animal Kingdom lodge doesnt seem to be your favorite.
So in this case the question should be: Do you book with more than 7 month in advance? (important because you can just book your home resort from month 11-8)?
If the answer is "yes" than you should buy where you want to stay, if its "no" it doesnt matter, as you can use your point at every other resort. In this case you could go with the cheapest option --> typically Saratoga Springs

I think you should also have a look if it might be interesting for you to buy 100 points directly from Disney in order to get the direct perks (the most important is the Gold AP you get for currently 719$ vs. the platinum AP (1199$), which is the only AP available for non DVC member (and non Florida residents). If you do 2 trips in 365 days this might work for you.
Another perk which might be interesting for you is tables in wonderland. As a direct DVC member or AP holder you can buy it for 150 Dollars per year and it gives you and up to 10 other guests 20% off basically all table service and signature dining restaurants. So this might be something you also could consider.

To sum it up: I think in order to analyze if DVC is worth it for you, you should:

1. Check your travel habits (time of the year, length of stay) and also the place you want to stay. Based on this you can determine how many points you need, using the DVC point charts

2. When do you normally book? (11 vs 7 month) based on this decide to go for "buy where you want to stay" or "buy here it is cheapest"

3. Additionally you might consider buying 100 points direct for the perks mentioned

Hope this helps. Of course the calculation is much easier if you do not use the dining plan, as already mentioned

 

[Minniemoo15]

We go once a year for 10 nights, always renting DVC points (usually stayed at Beach Club Villas). We finally bought in last year (resale at Poly).

We were paying about $4000 annually on hotel costs - and this cost has risen quite a bit since we started going. My husband made an elaborate spreadsheet and after factoring in dues, inflation, etc.,we figured it would be about 8-10 trips before we would break even. Over the next 44 years, we surely will make that many trips and more.

It was also appealing that we could rent out our points in years we don’t go which would cover our dues and then some.

Also, if for some reason we ever decide to sell our contract after our disney years are done (ha - yeah right!) - it has historically held its value well and we could get a good chunk of our money back. On the other hand, that $4000 we were giving Davids every year was sunk costs. Of course this is never a guarantee but after looking at historical trends we felt good about buying in.

We do still get the dining plan and buy our Canadian resident tickets . We didn’t factor those costs into our decision making as DVC is primarily lodging only (especially when buying resale).

 

[Ben@M1CK3Y]

I also think the comparison might not work out like this. For a week in a Studio you just need between 76-151 (Standard View) or 97-188 (Savannah View) at AKL. So to compare it you could more likely take a one bedroom or - depending when you travel - even a 2 bedroom for the 325-350 points.

Also you should consider if you book more than 7 months out. If not, Saratoga Springs might be a better deal for you, as it is the overall cheapest option (price per point & Maintenance fees lower than @ AKL). I especially think that because based on your last trips (Poly, Grand Floridian, Yacht Club) the Animal Kingdom lodge doesnt seem to be your favorite.
So in this case the question should be: Do you book with more than 7 month in advance? (important because you can just book your home resort from month 11-8)?
If the answer is "yes" than you should buy where you want to stay, if its "no" it doesnt matter, as you can use your point at every other resort. In this case you could go with the cheapest option --> typically Saratoga Springs

I think you should also have a look if it might be interesting for you to buy 100 points directly from Disney in order to get the direct perks (the most important is the Gold AP you get for currently 719$ vs. the platinum AP (1199$), which is the only AP available for non DVC member (and non Florida residents). If you do 2 trips in 365 days this might work for you.
Another perk which might be interesting for you is tables in wonderland. As a direct DVC member or AP holder you can buy it for 150 Dollars per year and it gives you and up to 10 other guests 20% off basically all table service and signature dining restaurants. So this might be something you also could consider.

To sum it up: I think in order to analyze if DVC is worth it for you, you should:

1. Check your travel habits (time of the year, length of stay) and also the place you want to stay. Based on this you can determine how many points you need, using the DVC point charts

2. When do you normally book? (11 vs 7 month) based on this decide to go for "buy where you want to stay" or "buy here it is cheapest"

3. Additionally you might consider buying 100 points direct for the perks mentioned

Hope this helps. Of course the calculation is much easier if you do not use the dining plan, as already mentioned

this post took me so long that some of my points were already mentioned, sorry

 

[Eric Smith]

My family of 5 have been avid Disney goers for the past 20 years, daughters are ages 20, 17 and 13. I've been intrigued by the DVC for the past 15 years, as we go at least once every 2 years and have actually been going every year lately or sometimes even twice a year. We live in NH so there's always airfare involved.

So here's my predicament...I love the idea of owning a piece of Disney and having access to larger rooms as my family gets older. However, every vacation we take advantage of a "Free Dining" offer that saves us around $4000 on dining for our 8 - 9 day stay, as we always stay at a luxury resort like the Yacht Club (our favorite area), Grand Floridian or Polynesian. For the last 3 trips, I've upgraded the free standard dining package to our new favorite--the deluxe dining--so we can eat at a signature dining experience daily and also another table service restaurant. I think this upgrade costs us around $200 per day for the 5 of us, so the upcharge ends up somewhere in the realm of $2,000, but we dine at all the best restaurants that we love.

Now I've been looking primarily at the possibility of purchasing a resale DVC at Animal Kingdom or similar, and 300 - 325 points seems to run around $35,000. Then there's the annual dues of what appears to be around $2,500 per year. But if I need to also pay for 8 or 9 day park hopper passes AND full price for the deluxe dining package for every trip, it appears it will cost me more money even after dropping $35K for the DVC property. So my question is...how do you folks actually make this worthwhile? Is there a method of saving money on the park tickets or dining for DVC members? I realize folks that buy directly from Disney have more perks (including some dining discounts), but I'm really stumped in trying to justify to my wife this expense if our annual trips will still be $8 - $10K like we currently pay AFTER dropping $35K or more.

You really need to run the numbers for your situation to see if it makes sense for you. It very well could not make sense for your situation. Just based on some of the numbers that you and Chuck S provided, it looks like the free dining discount is saving you about $360 per night. To get that discount, you're having to pay rack rate at the Yacht and Beach Club which would be around $600 per night on the low end. For an 8 night stay, that comes out to $5,400 per stay plus tax. Your free dining would save you $2,880 per trip. Your total cost for a stay now (hotel plus deluxe dining plan) would be about $7,000 total plus hotel taxes. Tickets would be a wash as you'll have to buy them either way. Based on your numbers, DVC would cost you $2,500 per year and the deluxe dining plan would cost you $4,470 per 8 night stay. That adds up to $6,970 per stay for DVC without factoring in the initial cost.

So on the surface, it would not save you money when you factor in the initial point cost. However, you would likely be getting a larger room for the same price. In fact, you could afford a 2 bedroom for most of the year at AKL on 350 points. I also agree with Chuck S. We've priced out the dining plan and it hasn't come close to saving us money. We just pay as we go and it costs less. It's even more of a savings because we buy Disney gift cards at Target at a 5% discount with the RedCard.

This is a large purchase and you should really analyze whether it will save you money in the long run. Go back and look at how much you paid for your hotel over your past couple trips and compare that number to an estimated cost of DVC (maintenance cost plus the initial purchase price). I wouldn't recommend looking at DVC as an investment. See whether there is a benefit to you in either saving money or getting larger rooms (with multiple bathrooms) and make the decision based on that. You should also analyze how you plan to travel to Disney in 10 years, in 20 years and in 30 years. I think it will probably only make sense for you if you plan on going for that much time.

For some background, I did about a year of research before finally buying in. We've made four trips (2 WDW, 2 DL) in the last three years and it would have been five if not for COVID. This isn't an easy decision. I'd also recommend going to get the DVC pitch on your next Disney trip. Ask the guide some tough questions and see what they have to say.

 

[craigkerstiens]

Piling in here on a few things that have been mentioned and a few that haven't.

You mention the idea of owning a piece of Disney. On the one hand, great, whatever makes you happy, on the other hand this isn't really owning any piece of Disney. In 30 years it's gone. You just get to go for the next 30 years at a possibly slightly discounted rate. Don't get me wrong we own plenty of points, but if you want to "own" a piece of Disney consider the stock instead.

Now onto what makes sense. I'd highly encourage thinking about annual pass as opposed to tickets + dining plan. We often tend to try to leverage the AP so we can get a few trips in. As a hypothetical if you were to have trips in August of one year, and then in June of the next you can get both of them in on the AP. I haven't looked at the numbers at the moment but suspect the AP is already going to be cheaper than two trips of 8/9 nights.

Once you have the AP... then you want to skip out on the dining plan and go for the Tables in wonderland. For $150 you then get 20% off on food and alcohol, or you can just leverage your AP discount as well for food discounts at a lot of sit down restaurants. (If you do a nicer restaurant and want a bottle of wine this can quickly add up to some savings).

And finally, if you want to stay at the Yacht Club/Poly/etc. setup, then I'd encourage buying where you want to stay. You may get to book them otherwise, but for 8/9 nights could be very hard to manage at the 7 month window.

 

[glamdring269]

You could also consider running the numbers on renting points + dining vs. owning. Considering the amount you're looking to buy in with I'd definitely encourage giving a DVC room a shot first. You might decide you don't like certain aspects like no housekeeping.

 

[sethschroeder]

Do the math but 350 seems like a ton of points for you as it could get you 9 nights in 3 studios. Are you paying for 3 rooms at Yatch Club?

I mean based on someone else's math that is $600 night * 3 * 9 nights is a total of $16k for your stay.

Also hards for people sometimes but I am betting on continued room rate increases in the future. Math will become only more favorable over time as prices go up and you have part of your costs locked in.

It's fine to want 350 points but you need to account for the difference in rooms then.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

If you are counting on staying somewhere other than AKV, you may want to review this:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-bd-charts-september-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/
And understand 7 month non-home resort availability will likely be even tougher these next few years.

As for buying some points direct for the AP's, just realize that if you don't intend on putting your adult children on the deed, you will not be able to get them discounted APs if / when they aren't living at home. And of course, that there is no guarantee that discount will continue forever.

We own a small amount direct at BWV and my kids are on the contract (Well, 1 is, the other just turned 18 so I'm working on it!). The dilemma then becomes do you add them to all contracts (to keep 1 membership) or leave them off the rest because of the associated risks? Not a question I expect you to answer, but something to think about.

 

[Bobby2443]

This is a good thread with a lot of great perspectives. In my opinion the type of room you want is the key factor. If you’re someone who is happy in regular hotel rooms and would only want studios then DVC may or may not be for you. For my family we want the kitchen so we want 1 or 2 bedroom units. If you pay cash for those units in my mind buying DVC makes tons of sense. If you don’t need the kitchen then maybe regular hotel rooms so you can maintain flexibility in which resort you want to stay at Is for you (one trip at grand, next trip at poly, beach club after that etc)

 

[BuzzLightyearDad]

I agree with this last post that the room type is key here. I have 4 teens and we have gone for years now only in 2 bedrooms. That layout is perfect for us as my wife and I enjoy the privacy of the main bedroom while the kids have their own room with 2 queens. Then we have the common areas where we can all relax, talk and make food in the kitchen/dining area. We stayed many times before DVC at the Poly and Contemporary but just loved the extra room of a 2 bedroom while still at a deluxe resort. The points for this vary obviously based on resort and time of year and number of nights but the 350 you are considering seems high.

One option for you would be to buy 100-125 points and then use banking and borrowing to stay at DVC every other year or so. Your outlay would be way less and would give you a feel for if it fits your family. The annual dues would also be much less. If you like it, add on more points, maybe strategically at a different resort you like. Then rotate between years and stay in normal cash rooms when you aren’t using your DVC. And if you don’t like it, sell it. Smaller contracts generally are easier to sell.

 

[RoseGold]

DVC versus cash rooms at VGF/Poly is some of the best value in the system. VGF in particular is very small and the cash values are crazy, and I don't see that changing. If you paid cash for VGF and run the math, you'll be sad you didn't buy years ago.

I don't really understand your point about the food. You can get a TIW pass with a blue card.

Nobody has any idea what will happen to the parks or ticket prices.

These are all super luxury pricing and items. I'm not sure I would do any of these options if you are worried about a couple hundred bucks in food or tickets. That doesn't line up with buying two-three cars worth of timeshare IMO. If history has shown us anything, it's that the tickets/food/everything else will keep going up. And that's OK, it's not for everyone.