DVC Purchase?

[cbd3]

We just returned from 7 awesome days at Disney and sat thru the presentation for DVC we were very impressed but also a little unsure if this will work for us
We love to travel-1,2 trips per year and have 4 kids ages 7-13
We did not buy before we left but are still considering does anyone have any feedback,suggestinos etc. ANY help would be great

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

I finally got my husband to go to the DVC presentation when we were at VB last week and I am very interested in buying also (still working on convincing DH). I would be very interested in hearing the pros and cons also! Give me some info to help convince my husband!!!! LOL

Cheryl

 

[kem330]

The best advice I can offer is do the math: if you visit at least every other year, figure what it will cost you for those accomodations. We figure we are saving 1/2 the room cost or better depending on time of year and size of accomodation. The point system is extremely flexible- being able to bank or borrow and use at alternative sites. And no other timeshare resells at close to full value. So you really have nothing to lose, and a lot to save by joining DVC, if it fits in your budget and if you travel at least every other year to WDW. More advice is buy where you plan to stay. The 11 month window can be very useful if you have a preference of one resort over another. While many have success at the 7 month window, you can never be guaranteed to get your first choice, especially during holidays. Resales are a viable option if you prefer OKW or BWV resorts. Do a search on this subject and other topics- there is a wealth of information on this board, and many more opinions than mine! Good luck!

 

[normr]

CBD3, sounds like DVC would be perfect for you, with the size of your family yu'll be very comfortable using the 2 bedroom unit or 2 studios, but the added amenities in the 2 bedroom really makes more sense. With the full kitchen you'll be able to save on food and snacks loading up the refrigerator, With the standard rate being anyhwere from $279 - $955 a night, you'll see you'll recoup your cost rather quickly and then just have to worry about dues until 2042, once you stay in a two bedroom or larger you won't want to stay in a regualr room ever again, Many of us here say DVC was the best thing we ever did and that we wished we would have bought sooner.

Cheryl, you won't get too many cons here except that you'll find yourself vacationing more. Do yourself a favor and just start reading the messages here, you'll get the picture really fast and see that we love DVC, but the biggest thing to always consider as many say, buy where you plan on staying the most.

We've used our DVC to travel to London and Paris Disneyland with our kids, without DVC we never would have done this. Our accomodations were taken care of, all we had to worry about was airfare and food. And you can use your DVC points all over the world.

 

[ripleysmom]

One other thing if you are planning to buy direct from Disney...you only have 30 days to take advantage of special finance rates

 

[NJParkhopper]

You can now focus your vacation dollars on having fun and not worrying about having money to stay inside the park at Disney. You also can go tons of places outside of the Disney Collection. Flexibility (you go where you want, when you want), Disney quality (you never have to worry about the accommodations), and great places you and your family will love to visit year after year. This all influenced our decision.

 

[Dean]

If you plan to go to WDW basically every year with possibly breaks to the other Disney resorts (HH, VB), it's a great choice. It's is not reasonable to use for trading much at all. Also not workable to use for long weekends. OF course one could buy less points and go part of the years with banking and borrowing and do other things independent of DVC on off years. Good luck.

 

[danny1649]

We purchased in 1993 and think it was the best family investment we ever made. You add up the dollar's we have saved on our WDW vacations since we've been DVC owners and we have already recouped our purchase price. One of the perks when we purchased was free park hopper tickets til 2000.Our home resort is OKW.

 

[Coastie]

We just closed a few days ago with 225 points at VWL. Our family has never been to Disney World and we bought site un-seen. As crazy as this may sound, we really got great feedback from the Disney veterans on this web site. Ask them ANYTHING, and you will get a response usually within hours. After spending 2K+ at Myrtle beach last year, we decided the Magic of Disney would be money well spent.

 

[Richnj]

We also have a 7 and 13 year old and found DVC to be one of the best investments we ever made. For many years we didn't take a vacation. DVC not only gives us a great place to go but we can go untill 2042 with 1997 dollors. If you like Dinsey, youll love DVC.

 

[SENATOR K.]

I would try to buy via resale than through Disney. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Many people taking the tours are not aware of the resale market. There are several brokers including the one who advertises on this site. Good Luck

 

[Lisa P.]

Just wanted to echo what others have said, to a point. IF you plan to visit WDW at least every other year and IF you really would pay the Disney rates to stay onsite each time, then go for it.

Just as Disney's onsite rooms are more expensive than comparable area offsite rooms, DVC is more expensive (both resale purchase and annual maint fees) than area offsite timeshare resorts, especially for people who trade into overbuilt Orlando using inexpensive timeshare weeks from other regions. Trading into DVC is generally not an option so if you want to stay in 2-BR's onsite, buy DVC. The recurrent onsite visitor will usually benefit from DVC. Those who would use it for repeated offsite vacations (exchanging) or who would happy in luxury offsite resorts near Disney, would be overpaying by buying DVC. That expense is the chief negative about DVC, IMHO, and for some of us, it's a doozy.

You can't really expect much negative about DVC from a board that is essentially supported by happy DVC owners. Those who find it too expensive or that their families end up wanting to vacation elsewhere more... would not usually frequent this board. They leave once they've decided DVC is not for them or they sell their interest after reaching that conclusion, as we did. I'm in a great minority here, I can assure you. DVC offers wonderful resorts for the frequent WDW onsite visitor. Hope that helps.

 

[wdwnut]

hi: just another vote to go ahead and buy in. our only regret, as previously posted by many of us, was not buying in sooner. the initial investment will pay for itself within a few years unless you keep adding on points.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Just giving a "me too" to the other suggestions! WE are now empty nesters, and it is still great to have a guaranteed vacation spot each year that we love. WE also really enjoy taking family and friends with us to share the magic!

 

[mapny]

cbd3 and Cheryl N.

We (me, DH and DS, 11) became DVC members (OKW) in 1997, during our second family trip to WDW. We had considered it during our first family trip two years earlier, but didn't - and I wish we had!!! We initially purchased 250 points and added on another 50 just before OKW sold out its inventory. My husband was very reluctant at first too since he isn't as much of a WDW fan as DS and I are, but he doesn't have any regrets either. We chose OKW over Boardwalk (the only options when we bought) because OKW is quieter. (If buying now, I think I would do WVL.)

We like the idea that we can take vacations without "breaking the bank". Our mortgage and dues payments are set every month, so it's part of our budget. When we want to vacation, we just need to budget for airfare, food, admission, etc.

Since 1997, we've been to OKW twice - once in a 1BR and last summer in a 2BR. Last summer's trip was a birthday present for my sister, which I don't think we would have been able to do otherwise. This month we're cruising on the Magic - borrowed some points to do it. I don't think we would have done these three trips in such a short time if we weren't DVC members.

The other thing we like is the options for vacationing elsewhere (a big selling point for DH!!). There are many exchange possibilities that are within driving distance for us, which makes them even more accessible. In fact, we spent two nights at The Plaza in NYC for just the $75 reservation fee. I can definitely say that we never would have done that otherwise!!!

Good luck and have fun, whatever you decide...