DVC "Truths"

[PalmettoPath]

Is that like the backside of water?

One can only wish... haha.

 

[Genie+]

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/home/points

On the right, full statement of vacation point activity

Thank you!

 

[DonMacGregor]

The one that bugs me most is coming into EPCOT and seeing backstage of France. But I'm an oldschool purist and probably the minority

You mean the way you could numerous backstage areas (plus the whole run along Harbor Blvd.) at Disneyland from the Monorail starting way back in 1961?

 

[PalmettoPath]

You mean the way you could numerous backstage areas (plus the whole run along Harbor Blvd.) at Disneyland from the Monorail starting way back in 1961?

Yes...which is why Walt wanted the space of a WDW, so that he could create immersive experiences without the constraints of a small footprint.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Yes...which is why Walt wanted the space of a WDW, so that he could create immersive experiences without the constraints of a small footprint.

You do know you can see even more backstage areas from the WDW Monorail, and have always been able to, right? Also, both the Monorail and the Skyliner are transportation systems first and foremost, not ride attractions. No different than a bus going to Disney Springs or anywhere else outside the footprint of the theme parks.

 

[PalmettoPath]

You do know you can see even more backstage areas from the WDW Monorail, and have always been able to, right?

You can find someone else to harass and argue with. Have a great day.

 

[DonMacGregor]

You can find someone else to harass and argue with. Have a great day.

You decided to chime in with:

"The current crop of Imagineers seems to have lost Walt's core principle of never allowing guests to see backstage--to break the magic. That used to be a big differentiator compared to other parks etc. Anyway, things change."

Which is incorrect, as proven by the examples given (not to mention a purely subjective criticism of current Imagineers). The Skyliner is literally no different than the previous system (Monorail) when it comes to exposing backstage areas. If you think pointing out that your comment is incorrect is "harassing" you, then you go have a nice day too.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

You decided to chime in with:

Which is incorrect, as proven by the examples given (not to mention a purely subjective criticism of current Imagineers). The Skyliner is literally no different than the previous system (Monorail) when it comes to exposing backstage areas. If you think pointing out that your comment is incorrect is "harassing" you, then you go have a nice day too.

The site-lines at WDW have gone the way of the dodo.

 

[Little E]

OP, this is a fun thread! Here are my DVC "truths":

*We save $0 with DVC points. In fact, we spend much more thanks to DVC ownership, but we're OK with that. The memories made as a family at WDW are worth the investment for us.

*DVC properties make DH so much more happy when we visit WDW. While I love values, mods, and deluxe accommodations at Disney, DH feels like the values and moderates=kid soup in the pools and food courts. Pop was the reason we finally purchased DVC. (P.S. I love Pop, and I would stay there again in a heartbeat!)

*We have thoroughly enjoyed all of the properties we have stayed in, but some are "one and done" for us. We are happy our home resort is GF; it's our fav.

*Thanks to DVC ownership, I have set a goal to stay at least one night at every WDW resort property. So far, I have stayed at all resorts except: ASMovies, Coronado Springs, Saratoga Springs. While we have yet to stay at Boardwalk and Beach Club, we have reservations at both currently. We are checking in to a BWV 1 bedroom on October 27, and we have a reservation at Beach Club in March, 2025, so I'm "sort of" checking those off my list.

*Our DVC purchase prompted DH and I to purchase APs, even though we are from the midwest. See the spending more concept outlined in the first bullet point.

*We have no regrets about pulling the trigger and purchasing DVC.

 

[Kingkonig]

Agreed. The current crop of Imagineers seems to have lost Walt's core principle of never allowing guests to see backstage--to break the magic. That used to be a big differentiator compared to other parks etc. Anyway, things change.

The biggest one for me is how ugly the building that Guardians in is. I'm fine driving along and seeing the back of Pandora, the back of France, etc. When walking in the park, I don't want to see an ugly warehouse. It doesn't look futuristic at all, it looks like something Six Flags would put up

 

[Kingkonig]

OP, this is a fun thread! Here are my DVC "truths":

*We save $0 with DVC points. In fact, we spend much more thanks to DVC ownership, but we're OK with that. The memories made as a family at WDW are worth the investment for us.

*DVC properties make DH so much more happy when we visit WDW. While I love values, mods, and deluxe accommodations at Disney, DH feels like the values and moderates=kid soup in the pools and food courts. Pop was the reason we finally purchased DVC. (P.S. I love Pop, and I would stay there again in a heartbeat!)

*We have thoroughly enjoyed all of the properties we have stayed in, but some are "one and done" for us. We are happy our home resort is GF; it's our fav.

*Thanks to DVC ownership, I have set a goal to stay at least one night at every WDW resort property. So far, I have stayed at all resorts except: ASMovies, Coronado Springs, Saratoga Springs. While we have yet to stay at Boardwalk and Beach Club, we have reservations at both currently. We are checking in to a BWV 1 bedroom on October 27, and we have a reservation at Beach Club in March, 2025, so I'm "sort of" checking those off my list.

*Our DVC purchase prompted DH and I to purchase APs, even though we are from the midwest. See the spending more concept outlined in the first bullet point.

*We have no regrets about pulling the trigger and purchasing DVC.

Ha! We are very similar, with the exception of where we live. We are spending a TON more at Disney with DVC than we ever would have before - but we are also getting a lot more value for our money than we did while staying at value/moderates.

I agree with your husband on the values, they remind me a lot of 1990s Target/Toys R Us (though that might not necessarily be a bad thing, that's not my idea of a nice vacation). Moderates are pretty good, and I would definitely enjoy staying at Coronado again at some point - though I would likely push to stay in the tower rather than the Casitas.

Riviera is our home resort, but I am absolutely excited to try the monorail loop at some point. We want to do AKL next, followed by Aulani though, so it may be a while!

 

[broncofan]

In homage to the great DVC "Confessions" thread started by @Spivey378 , what are your DVC "truths"? Here are a few of mine gleaned from years of experience and reading these boards:

• DVC has never saved us a dime. Since purchasing DVC, we have (and continue) to spend far more at WDW than we ever would have without it.
• If you actually use your points at a DVC resort, as opposed to always renting them out, you will likely never "break even" with your out-of-pocket costs. See the first bullet point.
• Riviera is, hands down, the DVC resort with the best rooms and amenities.
• DVC is not an investment. As @Brian Noble so eloquently offers, it's a toy. Enjoy it as such. And I would add for the spreadsheet crowd, nobody cares about the time value of money when it comes to buying a toy, so please stop trying to convince us that it matters when it comes to buying DVC.
• "Walking reservations" is rude and creates even more walking, and mega renters using web bots ruin the DVC experience.
• The skyliner is far superior to the monorail. Full stop.
• The original paper version of Fast Pass was far superior to its current iteration, and I've honestly lost track of how it currently works.
• The Vacation Points Activity Sheets on the member website are impossible to decipher. If I can't understand the time value of money, how am I supposed to understand the activity sheet math?!!
• The Epcot of 2004 was better than the Epcot of 2024.

I could go on and on. What are your "truths"?

Disclaimer: some (many?) of my "truths" may be a bit tongue in cheek.

I think I can agree with most of this... although I would note that for the best amenities it does depend on what matters to you. If you're going to use the pool a lot Beach Club is exceptional. Restaurants depends a lot on personal preference. If animals are your thing then AKL is unbeatable... For us personally, Bay Lake Tower is our favorite despite the fact that I don't like the resort in any way! That's because the amenity that overrides everything else is short walking distance to MK.

As an unofficial member of the spreadsheet crowd, I take your point. No one asks someone who just bought a high end Mercedes about the cost per mile including the time value of money relative to other options. 100% right that DVC doesn't save money - it facilitates trips to Disney at deluxe resorts for less than you might otherwise pay. I'll just make a plug that this is a unique toy where you can rent almost the exact same most of the time and is thus kind of unique in that regard - this makes in amenable to a kind of financial analysis for those of us who like that kind of thing... but no one should let us spreadsheet folks make you feel bad if you aren't very interested in whether or how much this saves money on Disney trips. I can absolutely imagine that for some that's totally secondary and that's 100% a to each their own situation!

 

[atthebeachclub]

I think I can agree with most of this... although I would note that for the best amenities it does depend on what matters to you. If you're going to use the pool a lot Beach Club is exceptional. Restaurants depends a lot on personal preference. If animals are your thing then AKL is unbeatable... For us personally, Bay Lake Tower is our favorite despite the fact that I don't like the resort in any way! That's because the amenity that overrides everything else is short walking distance to MK.

As an unofficial member of the spreadsheet crowd, I take your point. No one asks someone who just bought a high end Mercedes about the cost per mile including the time value of money relative to other options. 100% right that DVC doesn't save money - it facilitates trips to Disney at deluxe resorts for less than you might otherwise pay. I'll just make a plug that this is a unique toy where you can rent almost the exact same most of the time and is thus kind of unique in that regard - this makes in amenable to a kind of financial analysis for those of us who like that kind of thing... but no one should let us spreadsheet folks make you feel bad if you aren't very interested in whether or how much this saves money on Disney trips. I can absolutely imagine that for some that's totally secondary and that's 100% a to each their own situation!

I agree with you. My favorite amenity of all is walking to a park without riding transportation to get there. I love Beach Club, but not for the pool.

 

[s.r.disney nut]

What’s the difference between a “confession” and a “truth?” This thread is rather unnecessary. OP must love having their name on things.

Not only here, but I see it on Facebook posts also.

 

[gmi3804]

Not only here, but I see it on Facebook posts also.

I figured as much.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

DVC has never saved us a dime. Since purchasing DVC, we have (and continue) to spend far more at WDW than we ever would have without it.

We actually spend less per trip since becoming DVC members. It’s probably not a fair comparison since our family dynamics have also changed, but now that our kids are a little older we buy far less merchandise. We do spend a little more on meals, but our overall vacation spend is less than before DVC.

If you actually use your points at a DVC resort, as opposed to always renting them out, you will likely never "break even" with your out-of-pocket costs. See the first bullet point.

Compared to what? Based on our old travel habits to WDW (I.e. what we were spending on our room for a weeks stay), we will have “broken even” on our DVC spend (initial cost + annual dues) after our next trip in January.

DVC is not an investment. As @Brian Noble so eloquently offers, it's a toy. Enjoy it as such.

100%. Buy DVC as a “luxury”. If you are buying it as an investment, you will always be thinking of it that way. That’s not very magical. If you buy it as vacation item and then just enjoy it, you will be much happier.

Walking reservations" is rude and creates even more walking, and mega renters using web bots ruin the DVC experience.

YEEESS!! Those reservation walkers should be banned! I wish DVC implemented a new policy where members could only change a reservation date once, then fees kick in…maybe $100 per change. We are talking about a Walt Disney World vacation people. These are usually planned out. The dates are not changing that many times.

The skyliner is far superior to the monorail. Full stop.

The skyliner stopped for 30 minutes when I was on it once. That has never happened with the monorail. I like the skyliner, but I prefer the monorail.

The original paper version of Fast Pass was far superior to its current iteration, and I've honestly lost track of how it currently works.

Agreed.

The Epcot of 2004 was better than the Epcot of 2024.

Guardians of the Galaxy. That is all.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

My truths:

1. While monorail, buses and the skyliner are all faster, the boat system is the most enjoyable mode of transportation at WDW.
2. The “least magical” area of WDW is the boardwalk itself. I have seen two fights break out there. If they were trying to replicate the actual Atlantic City boardwalk, congrats…they nailed it.
3. If I was forced to eat just the Cheeseburger Eggrolls at MK for the rest of my life, that would be OK with me.
4. The DVC attempt to drive direct sales by implementing resale restrictions has failed. Resales are still rolling and direct sales are ticking along at the same pace. Enough already. Make it easier.
5. The best DVC related term is “sleep around points”.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I agree with you. My favorite amenity of all is walking to a park without riding transportation to get there. I love Beach Club, but not for the pool.

I love Beach Club for 1) its proximity and then 2) Storm Along Bay. We have planned to spend two hours there and then 5 hours went by because we were enjoying the pool so much…several times. It’s the best pool on property.

 

[marmentrout85]

Riviera is, hands down, the DVC resort with the best rooms and amenities.

Absolutely 100%

 

[marmentrout85]

The monorail resorts don't "feel" like DVC resorts.