DVC members, are you happy???

[spiceycat]

very, very happy - overjoyed even.

brought in 93 - so had the free tickets until 12/31/1999 - so yes it was and still is a good investment for me!

I have 350 points brought over the years. 240 at OKW, 50 at BWV (enough for a studio in off season) and 60 at VWL (again enough for off season).

My brother probably enjoys it more than I do - he never got to take a real vacation (his words not mind) before DVC. then they went to WDW every year until 2000.

I have send friends, family (besides my brother), co-workers, neighbors - to WDW - it is one of the best gifts a person can give (my opinion).

right now I am donated 5 nights stay in June for the charity auction here at work. (I know I can't get anything off my taxes)

It was a one of my best buys ever - I have no regrets!!!

 

[DisneysRockChick]

As Brits with a sizeable purchase, after the wedding license and the birth certificate (and I'm not too sure about those), DVC was the best purchase we ever made - made loads of virtual friends, build up regular anticipation and use first class Disney property and DCL or top of the range resorts and hotels via concierge collection - we're going back at Christmas for our second stay in the absolutely fabulous Charlston Place Hotel - and last autumn we stayed in the delightful and welcoming Boston Harbor Hotel with floor to ceiling sea / airport views.

 

[garydeb]

We are a family of two that made our first purchase in '97. We have added on three times. Put us in the should have bought sooner and still need more points!!!! We love it and go down three or four times a year!!!
We enjoy taking family and friend with us also!!!
Gotta love it !!!!
-garydeb

 

[pbharris4]

Absolutely love it! We bought sight unseen, as well. I read my sisters info (she joined a few months before us). What I like about it is it's not a typical timeshare (based on weeks) and that you can tailor it to your needs. That's why we bought it. We decided to buy after spending vacation at another hotel on HPBlvd and also after checking different hotel prices at different places around the East Coast. If we hadn't purchased this we never would be able to afford some of the vacations we took or are going to take. We only have 175 pts but may add on in the next few years. 175 has been enough for us. We've stayed in a 1 bdrm, a 2 bdrm, this yr a studio (with the 3 day cruise), next yr a studio, and the yr after that hopefully a 7 day cruise (w/ us paying for the kids). There's just soo much to do down there and you can always go to the other hotels or resorts in the other states/countries.

 

[AJKMOM]

We bought points a few years ago. Saw in the recent Birnbaums that the rack rate for what we are staying in when we go is =$900 a night. We're happy.

 

[DVCLiz]

Cardio75 - I've been a DVC member since September 04 - and love it! My family of one adult and two children has really enjoyed the variety available to us - and I live near you, so you should remember that Hilton Head is a great option too - and a nice change from our (admittedly fabulous) NC beaches. I think you'd love it!

 

[justloveit]

 

[simpilotswife]

We purchased in 2000. We have easily recovered the cost of our points since then.

 

[crisi]

Happy....yep.

Does it really pay for itself if four or five years? Depends. I doubt it does for most people. We figured our contract was about six years to ROI - and we bought for $63 a point. It depends on if you currently stay in moderate or deluxe resorts (the more you currently pay for your room the faster DVC will pay for itself). If you are willing to stay offsite. If you stay a lot of weekends (when points are expensive). If you will be cooking in your room (and didn't before - a lot of people do eat sandwiches out of their rooms even without a kitchen) - and figure in that savings. If you will be using your points at DVC resorts or using them to stay other places or cruise. And how you want to figure ROI, I don't use Scott's system as I'd never stay in a DVC room rack rate - so I use "reasonable" rate at the deluxe resorts I was staying at.

Some of us are fond of saying DVC doesn't SAVE us anything. We spend more. In addition to the up front costs, we now invite guests, frequently covering their room. We go to Disney on a regular schedule - giving up other (sometimes less expensive) options. Many of us go more often. Without a room bill at the end of the trip, the cash flow changes, and we spend more on dinner. The add on bug is really expensive.

 

[DeDixie]

We feel that it is truly the best money we have ever spent. We have vacationed alone as a family, taken family with us, I have gone with just my dd13 as a special mother/daughter trip for 4 nights, and my dh and I have gone alone without the kids.

We LOVE being in DW and we LOVE DVC. I can't imagine we will ever trade or points to go elsewhere, but at least we know we have that option.

 

[Tennesotans]

Happy....yep.

Does it really pay for itself if four or five years? Depends.

I guess I did my math differently. I looked at the initial price + closing price and assumed I could sell it back at a small loss. So the amount that *I* wanted to get back was the closing costs and that small loss (and lost ROI would be smart too). I feel we covered our closing costs on our first trip. The resale value of our property has actually gone *up* -- and not sure exactly how to calculate ROI for the money spent but feel we will cover that on our subsequent trips easily.

I feel the payback was pretty darn quick.

Tennesotans

 

[crisi]

I guess I did my math differently. I looked at the initial price + closing price and assumed I could sell it back at a small loss. So the amount that *I* wanted to get back was the closing costs and that small loss (and lost ROI would be smart too). I feel we covered our closing costs on our first trip. The resale value of our property has actually gone *up* -- and not sure exactly how to calculate ROI for the money spent but feel we will cover that on our subsequent trips easily.

I feel the payback was pretty darn quick.

Tennesotans

Yep, you can do it that way, too. Given the rate of appreciation on the asset, I think we could sell our contract today, break even after paying commission, and have had lovely accomodations for the cost of dues. In another year I fully expect to be eating into the dues on that equation. But eventually it will end, with a limited life contract it can't be worth more each year....

....it doesn't seem that the majority of DVCers (and this board may not represent typical DVCers) will resell their contracts, the value will be null by the end of the contract. But if what you are going to do is buy a contract, take four years worth of trips, and resell the contract, you may end up getting nearly free accomodations. And certainly if you stay with DVC until the end of the contract, you will have "saved" over paying cash rates at Deluxes, most likely Moderates, and possibly (depending on what inflation does) even Values or offsite hotels.

 

[DisNDat]

Yep, you can do it that way, too. Given the rate of appreciation on the asset, I think we could sell our contract today, break even after paying commission, and have had lovely accomodations for the cost of dues. In another year I fully expect to be eating into the dues on that equation. But eventually it will end, with a limited life contract it can't be worth more each year....

....it doesn't seem that the majority of DVCers (and this board may not represent typical DVCers) will resell their contracts, the value will be null by the end of the contract. But if what you are going to do is buy a contract, take four years worth of trips, and resell the contract, you may end up getting nearly free accomodations. And certainly if you stay with DVC until the end of the contract, you will have "saved" over paying cash rates at Deluxes, most likely Moderates, and possibly (depending on what inflation does) even Values or offsite hotels.

Very good points! But reselling a contract does take thought and energy, and the value is there inherent in the product and the Dis brand...so why even think of selling? And how can you put a price on priceless, top-quality family vacations anyway? Life's too short...enjoy the best!

 

[Blackunicorn]

We're a family of four, and we had to really work at it to fit DVC into our budget. We're not what I would call affluent, but we make ends meet. We bought SSR in 2003, and we've never even visited WDW, though we have plans to do that next year. We're currently using our points for trips to DL, which anyone can tell you is NOT the best value for our points. But we're ecstatic, and let me tell you why: They quantity and the quality of our vacations have increased. We have the option of vacationing at places other than Disney, though we don't currently want to. And now we know that EVERY year, we'll get a vacation, where before we didn't. This sounds pathetic as I write it down, but before DVC we never saved enough or planned well enough to take a vacation; after DVC, we planned 3 years in advance, and knew that we would be able to do it with our points. We're very, very happy.

 

[beccasmom]

Deliriously happy! We are at OKW right now and I am sitting here watching the boats go by our window (and doing some work ). It is sooo beautiful and I am so happy whenever we are here. It is so wonderful to have a place that brings us such joy.

If you love Disney, you will almost certainly be happy with a DVC purchase. It has never been a source of any regret for us. We can bring family and friends when we want, or just escape for a mid-winter break. Whenever we drive up and hear "Welcome Home", it is a moment of sheer joy for us.....and we trust that will always be the case.