DVC Member moving to Orlando area

[lloydjason]

Rather odd question for fellow DVC members. My spouse just got a job working for the mouse and we are relocating to Windermere next month. We are also DVC members. I know we have other options such as Vero Beach, Hilton Head, and Disneyland, but I'm curious how other DVC members live in the Disneyworld area and are still happy with and maintain their DVC memberships. I'm thinking great weekend stays when we need a mini-vacation.

Thank you for your help and suggestions.
Jason

 

[com_op_2000]

I am a 3rd generation native of FLA. I first went to MK in '71.
We have been DVC members since '93.
We use our membership for multiple 2 - 3 nights stays with one longer 5 - 10 nights each year.
We have also done multiple last minute trips:
DW and I several times have been at DTD for the day and decided we wanted to stay the night. Called the resorts directly (back before MS was open on Sundays) or MS and checked in within 15 minutes.
At MK for the day in Feb ’14 for our anniversary, called MS @09:00, and booked a room at BLT for that night. Checked-in @11:00 and the room was ready. We did not plan on this day going like this until @05:00 while still in bed.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I wanna be that guy. ^^^^^

 

[disneynutz]

My guess is after working for the mouse awhile and seeing behind the curtain, DVC stays will start to decline. I know that the longer that we are members and the more WDW vacations that we take, the feeling today is less than when we first bought.

Bill

 

[Barbydoll8]

An hour and a half away here and we are there all the time. We don't stay in the parks like we use to but we do some hotel stays and just relax and swim, eat too much and explore the surrounding area. We take weekend trips rather than whole weeks. To me, there is nothing like staying on property.We even use it like a hotel (for real) and drive other places so we don't have 3 hour drives in state for day/over night trips. There is so much to do in FL that WDW is pretty centrally located so it's easy to use for over night day trips for us. We enjoy our DVC and the world so much that we are actually looking for a condo closer so that when we retire (God willing) we can move closer to the mouse house (and one further south so we can be "seasonal" residents in each area.) We have no intention of selling our DVC then as we could still use it at other places, rent or gift it.

You'll probably just change the way you use it.

 

[DVC-Don]

What we did when we purchased a home about 25 miles from WDW was to sell off 4 DVC contracts and keep 1. That we use for Hilton Head and Vero with an occasional short stay at WDW.

 

[gdrj]

My guess is after working for the mouse awhile and seeing behind the curtain, DVC stays will start to decline. I know that the longer that we are members and the more WDW vacations that we take, the feeling today is less than when we first bought.

Bill

Bah Humbug! We have been members since 99 and have been going more now than ever before. We are not local but we would most likely be like member who does weekend trips, not to mention extended family. Worse case we would rent out.

 

[southerngirl528]

Welcome to FL, Lloydjason! Like Com_Op, I've owned DVC since '93 and moved to a community super close to WDW in the late nineties. As my kids have grown I find I use MORE DVC points. My kids live all over the country and I book a GV to gather as many as I can together about once a year. Though many will shoot this down, I also sometimes use my points for a Disney cruise. Plus, we LOVE Aulani and have used a lot of points there since they opened! Yeah, I know. Aulani is not in FL, but it sure is a great place to burn some points! DH and I will occasionally book a night or two here at WDW on my points and stay onsite. We book special dining and go play in the parks. It's a great little getaway even though I can be on WDW property in about 5 minutes.

I say wait until you move, get settled in and don't make any decisions until you've been here in FL at least a year or so to see what works for you all. I think you will find you will still be enjoying your DVC membership!

 

[disneynutz]

Time will tell, southerngirl528 give some good advice, wait and see what happens.

Bill

 

[River Country]

I wanna be that guy. ^^^^^

SAME

 

[spiceycat]

I move this Sept and still definitely use my DVC points - I am around an hour away (north) - and still love WDW and DVC. would you believe have yet to visit DS but have definitely gone to the parks and of course used my DVC points.

that say my brother, my niece and nephew will probably use more of my points this year and next. Going to have start charging them.

 

[a742246]

I am a 3rd generation native of FLA. I first went to MK in '71.
We have been DVC members since '93.
We use our membership for multiple 2 - 3 nights stays with one longer 5 - 10 nights each year.
We have also done multiple last minute trips:
DW and I several times have been at DTD for the day and decided we wanted to stay the night. Called the resorts directly (back before MS was open on Sundays) or MS and checked in within 15 minutes.
At MK for the day in Feb ’14 for our anniversary, called MS @09:00, and booked a room at BLT for that night. Checked-in @11:00 and the room was ready. We did not plan on this day going like this until @05:00 while still in bed.

My son just moved to Fl, he is not a planner. What are the chances of calling MS the same day and being able to book a night or two. I know there are last minute cancellations, have you ever been unsuccessful in getting a last minute reservation?

 

[mac_tlc]

We have been DVC members since 1992. We bought a house in Orlando 2.5 years ago ... about 20 miles from the EPCOT parking lot. It's not our principal residence ... yet....We have never felt the desire to sell our DVC contracts. We will be heading down to FL next week and will stay at the house, except for two days at OKW, on New Years Eve and New Years Day. Its still super convenient to be on-site.

Our kids use the points if they go down to WDW sometimes, especially if it s a short stay. Being on site eliminates the need for a rental car. Still use the points at Vero, California, etc.

mac_tlc

 

[Dean]

Rather odd question for fellow DVC members. My spouse just got a job working for the mouse and we are relocating to Windermere next month. We are also DVC members. I know we have other options such as Vero Beach, Hilton Head, and Disneyland, but I'm curious how other DVC members live in the Disneyworld area and are still happy with and maintain their DVC memberships. I'm thinking great weekend stays when we need a mini-vacation.

Thank you for your help and suggestions.
Jason

Many have done so, some have sold and others are very happy owning. I agree with move and see where you are. Even if you have to rent out a couple of years, I wouldn't be hasty. As a CM you'll have other advantages and disadvantages of being DVC members but to a degree, it may make DVC less valuable simply because you'll have other options.

 

[com_op_2000]

... have you ever been unsuccessful in getting a last minute reservation?

No.
The thing is I have never tried a last minute during the last four months of the year. During the mid-Sept - mid-Jan quarter, getting a last minute reservation is very hard. Also, do not try and get one around a holiday the rest of the year.

 

[southerngirl528]

My son just moved to Fl, he is not a planner. What are the chances of calling MS the same day and being able to book a night or two. I know there are last minute cancellations, have you ever been unsuccessful in getting a last minute reservation?

Is your son the member, or you? Last minute bookings can and do happen but one should always be aware that this is not the "norm". DVC is meant for folks that are planners. I have been able to add onto reservations while in house more than once, which certainly qualifies as a last minute rez. Once I called after midnight, our last night in a GV at OKW, and asked if it might, maybe maybe be possible to extend one night. I absolutely did NOT expect to be able to do so. It was the first week of December which is a popular time for DVC members and there are only so many GV's even at OKW. I called expecting nothing, but nothing ventured nothing gained, right? Well, it was a Christmas miracle because not only could they extend us one more night, but we were able to stay in the same unit! I was beyond surprised!

There is no reason not to call last minute to check (and/or go online), but it would be very unrealistic to expect to find something most of those times, IMO.

 

[rlovew]

You can always spend the night when you are planning a late night- such as an event at Food and Wine or a special date- my husband loves that he can drive to property and then let the mouse do the rest of the transportation (of course we have never had a really bad transportation event in the times we have gone). We lived 1.5 hours away and just used it to get away a little and for special nights when we didn't want to have to drive home.

 

[Conan the Librarian]

We live about 45 minutes from HHI and stay there occasionally. Occasionally we make an excuse to go to HHI just so we can go and get a Mickey Premium, and, breathe a little Disney Air.

Can't say for you, but, if we lived in the Orlando area, we'd still be staying at WDW.

Our plan is to one day sail our home (we live on a sail boat) to Hawaii and stay at Aulani. The house would be right down the street as it were.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

My son just moved to Fl, he is not a planner. What are the chances of calling MS the same day and being able to book a night or two. I know there are last minute cancellations, have you ever been unsuccessful in getting a last minute reservation?

Yep, I have done it a lot.

You have to be flexible so if your son only wants a Studio Standard View at BWV Good Luck! (just go ahead and sell LOL!)

If however, he's willing to take a one bedroom anywhere the odds go way up!

 

[lloydjason]

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. We just booked a weekend at Vero Beach, which I'm looking forward to seeing new parts of Florida (outside of Disney). We have been extremely happy with our DVC memberships and if any decisions are made concerning it, it will not be done in haste.