DVC Membership: Pros and Cons?

[MAKHayes-DisneyDiva]

I have just begun looking into DVC membership for my family. Would any experienced DVC members be willing to share some of the pros and cons of membership?
Also, what made you decide to join?
Thanks!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We decided to join 11 years ago because we wanted to "prepay" our future Disney vacations. We knew it would help us find a more eccomomical way to vacation at WDW every year, or several times a year and stay in deluxe accommodations without totally breaking the bank each trip!

Of course, the fly in that ointment is that once we became members, we started going MORE often! SO, the big pro for us was prepaying nearly 50 years of vacation accommodations at deluxe on-site WDW resorts at the prices from 11 years ago. Back then, we took the cost of about 3-4 trips, and put it all into DVC points, and have only had maintenance fees etc to pay since then.

If, however, you can't pay for the points up front, the con would be interest on the loan.

Generally, we felt that everything about DVC was and is a good deal IF:
1. you travel to WDW on a regular basis
2. you like to stay onsite at the deluxe resorts
3. you like extended time at Disney with other people (as in family or friends)

If you tend only to stay in value resorts or off site to save money, then DVC is probably not for you.

WHen we first bought in, we expected to occationally take exchange trips every once in awhile too. In the 11 years we have owned, we have only had one exchange, and that was to Hawaii. We have since learned that DVC, while it is a decent trade in Interval, is probably not a good trading value. The reason is that maintenance is on the high side as timeshares go.

The biggest pro about DVC is the flexibility of the program. You can stay in ANY DVC resort as long as you can find availability for your dates, and any size villa as long as you have enough points to make the reservation.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

The post above says it all. Pros and cons are a really individual thing with this.

The biggest thing is figuring out if DVC is right for your family. Do you go once a year or every other year? Do you stay at deluxe resorts? If so, it's probably for you.

 

[Coach81]

Here is something I put together the other day that sums up why we made the commitment to DVC.

Video- Why buy DVC???

 

[Mtnman44]

Pros:
You can "lock in" a significant portion of up to 50 years of future WDW vacation lodging expenses at current prices, resulting in significant savings in future years.

Con's:
you are locked in for 50 years. Use it or loose it. you can bank points for one year but that's it.

You pay up front, meaning you give up the opportunity to spend that money on something else. This is essentially true of any purchase, large or small. If you wouldv'e been spending money on WDW hotels anyway, DVC can be a financial benefit. If you would not have, then financially speaking, DVC or another similar program, is iffy. IMHO

 

[MAKHayes-DisneyDiva]

Thanks everyone! The video is awesome! DVC should hire you, Coach 81. My husband is not as sold on DVC as I am, but maybe he will come around. I think we will try to rent points on our 2009 trip, so we can see what it is really like.

 

[Coach81]

Ha Ha thanks Diva! Just a little something to show why we bought. We'll be heading "home" for the first time in less than a month.. you can only imagine our excitement!!!!

Another great thing about DVC is that we are already considering a 2009 cruise with a combination of our points and cash!!!

Unlike my childhood, my family will have many years of great vacation memories with our DVC!

And no, I don't work for Disney.. I'm just happy to have DVC!!!

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

Pros:
You can "lock in" a significant portion of up to 50 years of future WDW vacation lodging expenses at current prices, resulting in significant savings in future years.

Not really true, here are the calculations for my purchase:

225 points at $94pp = $21,150.00 (plus closing cost which was between $250-$300)

Current maintenance dues (SSR) are $4.21pp assuming 3.5% increase for the next 47 years the total maintenance cost is $109,266.00. So really only 16% of the cost is "todays" dollars. The plus is that the hotel rates increase at a rate greater than the the maintenance fees so every year it becomes a better deal. Also DVC owners do not pay tax on the room.

Another con is that if you are a last minute time of traveler DVC will not be as flexible for you.

The numbers are not meant to be a deterrent just a way to analyze your purchase. Obviously I still thought it was a deal.

 

[SSRFred]

First I'll write as to why we bought because there are many subjective pros and cons.

1) Disney
2) Semi Deluxe Accommodations (It's not like staying at the GF but still good and I'm all over Contemporary when it's announced this Summer/Fall....wishful thinking)
3) Membership benefits that essentially equate to a guaranteed reduced rate for staying at these rooms.

Now for some pros:

1) Disney - it makes it so easy to stay on Disney property in spacious accommodations.
2) Cheaper - If you compare the rack rates for these rooms or even a Deluxe resort you will certainly see "savings".
3) Value - a Disney timeshare holds it's value very well against other timeshares.

Now for some cons:

1)Disney - Do you want to go to Disney at least 2 times every 3 years?
2)Cheaper - You can find deluxe accommodations with daily housekeeping, 5 minutes away, for much less.
3)Maintenance Fees: Every January a bill comes in for about $5.00(depends on your home resort) a point even if you don't/didn't go that year. Disney has some high MF's in comparison to other timeshares.

 

[Mtnman44]

There is a significant flaw in your argument. You are stretching out the value of the initial purchase in TODAY'S DOLLARS over the entire 47 years but comparing that to 47 years worth of INFLATION ADJUSTED dues. Done this way, it is not really an apples to apples comparison. To be fair, you should inflation adjust the annual value of each year's "share" of the initial purchase. This is essential where the reason, or the value, of prepaying can be seen. You have to figure it in by amoratizing your pre-payment.

But you are correct in that the total of dues spent over the entire contract will be more than the purchase price, about double in a constant dollar comparison.

Not really true, here are the calculations for my purchase:

225 points at $94pp = $21,150.00 (plus closing cost which was between $250-$300)

Current maintenance dues (SSR) are $4.21pp assuming 3.5% increase for the next 47 years the total maintenance cost is $109,266.00. So really only 16% of the cost is "todays" dollars. The plus is that the hotel rates increase at a rate greater than the the maintenance fees so every year it becomes a better deal. Also DVC owners do not pay tax on the room.

Another con is that if you are a last minute time of traveler DVC will not be as flexible for you.

The numbers are not meant to be a deterrent just a way to analyze your purchase. Obviously I still thought it was a deal.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I used a friends points for 3 years in a row, lucky me they had moved away to start a business. The 1st time I was completely blown away, the second time I was hooked and by the third time I was willing to pay the premium to stay on-site. We love Disney, have loved it since it opened. The reason it works so well for us is that I plan vacations 3, 4, sometimes 6 months in advance, with school age kids you really have to. I generally stay from Sunday to Friday to maximize my points (I have 210) and then I also do long week-ends etc. The only cons are if you don't have the mind set to vacation and the cost. I didn't finance it, saved money there and I bought in 2000 through resales (had great agent) paid only $60 a point.

I love it and never leave a point on the table. I think renting a couple of times would help you to decide if it's for you or not. I've stayed at all of the Disney resorts, love them all but OKW is my favorite.

Hey, I'm looking forward to Hawaii, the possibilities are endless, not cheap but endless! The only true problem for me, not enough vacation time.

Hope you decide to join the DVC family.

B

 

[solgent]

We decided to join because we wanted the following:

1) Visiting Disney regularly. At the time we bought we had not visited for 7 years. But we knew it was a place we all enjoyed & we expected to continue to enjoy it for years to come.
2) Staying onsite. We had never stayed onsite but we wanted to have that experience, be able to use transportation so different family members could come & go, & not have to rent a car.
3) A room with a kitchen and separate bedroom. We usually stay in rooms of this sort and do some simple cooking for ourselves. It's convenient and cheap and we trully prefer to eat what DH cooks most nights and go out to restaurants occasionally.

DVC seemed like a great way to fulfill our requirements. When we began thinking about, I was about to turn 40 and about to receive a long-anticipated promotion. The time was right.

Pros: we
*love the resorts we've stayed at (SSR and BCV so far)
*love the variety of options in room size & resort ambiance
*appreciate flexibility in when/how long to stay
*were able to obtain 1 year loan so interest was minimal & we're all paid up
*can & do use Disney Visa Rewards points to cover most of our dues
*constantly look back on our vacations and look forward to the next
*are pleased that Disney continues to expand the options

Cons: (I'm really racking my brains to think of things I don't like; these are not big problems for us)
*weekend points are killer. I knew this going in and I understand why they do this, but it is a negative to me.
*too much solicitation mail. We have no intention of adding on.
*a better promotion came along shortly after we bought. I try not to think about that!

 

[angiepangie8]

Here is something I put together the other day that sums up why we made the commitment to DVC.

Video- Why buy DVC???

Thanks that is a great video you put together!
Thanks!

Not really true, here are the calculations for my purchase:

225 points at $94pp = $21,150.00 (plus closing cost which was between $250-$300)

Current maintenance dues (SSR) are $4.21pp assuming 3.5% increase for the next 47 years the total maintenance cost is $109,266.00. So really only 16% of the cost is "todays" dollars. The plus is that the hotel rates increase at a rate greater than the the maintenance fees so every year it becomes a better deal. Also DVC owners do not pay tax on the room.

Another con is that if you are a last minute time of traveler DVC will not be as flexible for you.

The numbers are not meant to be a deterrent just a way to analyze your purchase. Obviously I still thought it was a deal.

Right now I am a SAHM so we will probably hold off on DVC until I am bringing in some dough. But $250 to $300 down isn't that bad.
We will have to see if we are taken in by the magic this June. It's our first family trip to WDW and we rented points for a 5 night stay at AKV. DH's fear was ~ do you really think we will want to travel to WDW every year. We will just have to wait and see how this trip goes.

Is it best to buy in the month that you think you will be most likely to travel in?

Also is it better to buy resale or new with DVC?
I'd love to hear some opinions!

 

[chalee94]

Is it best to buy in the month that you think you will be most likely to travel in?

ideally, it's best to buy a year or so in advance of your planned trip, so you can make reservations at 10-11 months out.

if you have a choice, it is preferable to request (or, if you buy a resale, to look for a contract with) a use year month that is a month or two before your typical travel time. i.e. if you typically travel in nov/dec, then look for a use year month of sept/oct. it's not a huge issue but that will make it easier to bank your points if something comes up a few months ahead of your trip and you need to cancel.

Also is it better to buy resale or new with DVC?

long story short: resale is cheaper but takes longer. if you love AKV, resales are much tougher to find. if you don't really need 160 pts, resale is the only option.

another thread with more discussion of resale/new...

 

[angiepangie8]

ideally, it's best to buy a year or so in advance of your planned trip, so you can make reservations at 10-11 months out.

if you have a choice, it is preferable to request (or, if you buy a resale, to look for a contract with) a use year month that is a month or two before your typical travel time. i.e. if you typically travel in nov/dec, then look for a use year month of sept/oct. it's not a huge issue but that will make it easier to bank your points if something comes up a few months ahead of your trip and you need to cancel.



long story short: resale is cheaper but takes longer. if you love AKV, resales are much tougher to find. if you don't really need 160 pts, resale is the only option.

another thread with more discussion of resale/new...

Thanks
It definitely doesn't have to be AKV. I still get kind of confused by all of this I'm not sure how many point we would be interested in. $160 probably would be fine and then if we wanted extended family or friends to go too we could bank our points if we wanted to and use them the following year. ~is that right? Could I still do the 11 mos out at my home resort with the banked points included?

I'll check out the link you attatched a little later.

Does anybody out there like to use their points for locations other than WDW? Would love to hear about your experiences and if you think it is a good value.

thanks for your help in advance

 

[chalee94]

I'm not sure how many point we would be interested in.

definitely look at the point charts in the top right hand corner of the screen and, based on your typical vacation plans, start estimating how many points will get you there...

$160 probably would be fine and then if we wanted extended family or friends to go too we could bank our points if we wanted to and use them the following year. ~is that right? Could I still do the 11 mos out at my home resort with the banked points included?

yes - banking pts would make them available in the next use year, so you could use twice as many points to make a reservation at 11 months out.

Does anybody out there like to use their points for locations other than WDW? Would love to hear about your experiences and if you think it is a good value.

from the perspective of a potential buyer, it's just not a good value to use points outside of the DVC resorts. you can use pts for cruises or trade for other hotels or timeshares, but it would almost always be a better deal to pay cash or buy a timeshare with cheaper dues for trading. dvc also charges a $95 fee to use pts outside of the DVC resorts and DLR hotels - this $95 fee is now charged for booking onsite hotels at wdw.

if you already have bought the points and need a break from wdw, it's nice to have options, but if you're looking for the best value, then you should be planning to use them mostly at the DVC resorts.

 

[angiepangie8]

definitely look at the point charts in the top right hand corner of the screen and, based on your typical vacation plans, start estimating how many points will get you there...



yes - banking pts would make them available in the next use year, so you could use twice as many points to make a reservation at 11 months out.



from the perspective of a potential buyer, it's just not a good value to use points outside of the DVC resorts. you can use pts for cruises or trade for other hotels or timeshares, but it would almost always be a better deal to pay cash or buy a timeshare with cheaper dues for trading. dvc also charges a $95 fee to use pts outside of the DVC resorts and DLR hotels - this $95 fee is now charged for booking onsite hotels at wdw.

if you already have bought the points and need a break from wdw, it's nice to have options, but if you're looking for the best value, then you should be planning to use them mostly at the DVC resorts.

Thanks for the info.

I am confused about this part of what you said.....

- this $95 fee is now charged for booking onsite hotels at wdw.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

That just means that if you book anything but DVC resorts then you would be charged the 95.00 fee.
So if you wanted to stay at the Poly then you would have to pay the 95.00 fee then.I hope this helps.
If you have any other questions let us know.

Thanks for the info.

I am confused about this part of what you said.....

 

[chalee94]

I am confused about this part of what you said.....

there used to be no fee to use DVC points at, say, the grand floridian. if the DVC resorts were full, you could still book a wdw mod or deluxe hotel (at a high point cost, though.)

now the point costs are still really high to book at the GF and disney also charges you $95 to book the reservation. there is a $95 fee for most trades outside of the DVC resorts.

also, while point costs to stay in a DVC resort are (relatively) fixed for the next 30+ years, point costs for cruises and trades can and do increase from year to year.

all of which is to say, if you plan to use a DVC timeshare to trade out on a regular basis, it would not be a good value.

 

[angiepangie8]

there used to be no fee to use DVC points at, say, the grand floridian. if the DVC resorts were full, you could still book a wdw mod or deluxe hotel (at a high point cost, though.)

now the point costs are still really high to book at the GF and disney also charges you $95 to book the reservation. there is a $95 fee for most trades outside of the DVC resorts.

also, while point costs to stay in a DVC resort are (relatively) fixed for the next 30+ years, point costs for cruises and trades can and do increase from year to year.

all of which is to say, if you plan to use a DVC timeshare to trade out on a regular basis, it would not be a good value.

That just means that if you book anything but DVC resorts then you would be charged the 95.00 fee.
So if you wanted to stay at the Poly then you would have to pay the 95.00 fee then.I hope this helps.
If you have any other questions let us know.

Ahhhhh...... now I understand
thank you for answering my questions
You all have been so helpful

We will just have to wait til June to see if the magic hits us!