DVC veterans question is it time to go

[BLUEJAY]

My self and Dw have been DVC owners since 2000 and have recently been thinking of selling our interests due to the rising costs of taxes and fees stemming from our ownership at Vero Beach. We only own 225 points but pay approx $1500 a year in fees. We are thinking we would be better off banking these fees and paying OOP and possibility saving ourselves money in the long run with Disney offering free dining at Mod . resorts . I understand we will be giving up the better amenities with DVC but I was just wondering if we are alone in our thinking. We are beginning not to see any advantage to owning DVC since not only have costs gone up but perks are starting to disappear also. Anyone else having these thoughts??

 

[ToddyLu]

My DH and I are still very happy with our purchase and feel we get what we signed up for in our contract. We also enjoy the money off on our APs and appreciated that discount. We are going to WDW yearly anyway and have no desire to give that up.

DVC is a lovely blend of different resorts for a couple to spend a nice week with fun friendly surroundings. We could so Vegas, NYC, etc but AKV really does feel different to me and I am most comfortable vacationing there. We live on he Gulf Coast so we enjoy not being on the beach for vacation. So I guess everyone is different but I understand your point.

I often think how many people cannot afford a trip to WDW at all...and yet DH and pay dearly for the opportunity to vacation there in more "luxury" accomodations on a regular basis. Would it be nice to get a few perks along the way...sure...but that does not make our ownership any less fun or appealing.

 

[a742246]

I agree with Toddylu. To us DVC is like a second home without all the maintence issues. While it is not cheap, when you look at all you get it is not that expensive either. If it were not for the park tickets or airline costs DVC would be a very inexpensive vacation (our dvc ownership is fully paid for, and I consider that money gone).

If money ever gets tight for us we would drive down and not go to the theme parks and we would still be very happy. Just think (in our case) an old key west studio during off season is 76 points a week. MF is 5.50 that comes to $418.00 a week or $60.00 a night including tax. All transportation is free
( the boat rides ), you have DTD, first class fitness centers, great swimming pools, plus all the other resorts available, the firework shows at night and many other free things.

Where can you vacation like this (in this country) for $60.00 a night?

 

[OKW Lover]

Everybody has a different perspective on this. In our case (members since 1995) DVC is an even bigger bargain than ever before. We get to stay at some very nice deluxe accommodations for the cost of our annual dues. Places we couldn't afford to stay at otherwise. Add to it the discounted AP, which then leads to a TiW card and multiple WDW vacations become fairly affordable.

 

[hakepb]

Having a normal dues (non -subsizided) VB contract is an expensive way to use DVC in WDW. VB dues are crazy high for someone only using points in WDW.

Financially you may be slightly better in the long run (within 10 years) to sell VB and buy a cheap SSR resale..but that would cost you an extra $10+ /point plus closing fees...

I would not blame you for selling, but VB contracts seem to be listing in the $40's/point

I would probably try harder to talk you out of it if you had WDW points.

 

[DebbieB]

I originally bought DVC in 1999 for my mom and I to travel with nice accomodations. When she passed away in 2005, I considered selling. My next trip was solo and on the last night I was walking along the boardwalk and I realized I could not give it up, especially since boardwalk view is now a category. So I invite friends or go solo. It's long paid off and all I am paying is about $117 a month in dues. I really think the "loss of perks" is exagerated. When I bought, there was no AP discount. The only thing I used that is gone is the occasional free valet parking.

 

[hakepb]

If you are not experiencing an economic hardship, I would recommend renting out your points for a year, book a moderate stay on cash, then after the trip decide if the savings would be worth it.

That way you are not making a rushed decision and have a way out...

 

[Chuck S]

I originally bought DVC in 1999 for my mom and I to travel with nice accomodations. When she passed away in 2005, I considered selling. My next trip was solo and on the last night I was walking along the boardwalk and I realized I could not give it up, especially since boardwalk view is now a category. So I invite friends or go solo. It's long paid off and all I am paying is about $117 a month in dues. I really think the "loss of perks" is exagerated. When I bought, there was no AP discount. The only thing I used that is gone is the occasional free valet parking.

That is pretty much my situation now. Mom passed away in August, and I have points to use up before June. The problem is finding people that have the time, as well as them having the resources to pay for their park tickets and meals.

But I have, at his point, no intention of selling as I have enjoyed Disney since I was a young child growing up in the Los Angeles area.

 

[disneynutz]

For a lot of folks the recent rule changes and dues increase was a wake up call. What happens to many members is that they go from loving WDW and wanting to go often to having to go or forfeiting points.

DVC has the ability to be a well run first class experience but Disney doesn't make much profit from running the DVC, they make their money from selling contracts so they don't have any incentive to change.

Negative word of mouth and internet postings don't have enough impact on sales and you can bet that Disney does surveys and focus groups to keep in tune with public opinion.

Bill

 

[chainkid]

I think if I only used DVc for my immediate family , we would probably be abit bored as going to disney every year is not that appealing anymore. The parks have not really added that much in the last few years and alot of rides break down so frequently that it becomes annoying. I didn't buy for the perks but the $100 off the AP is still a great one as well as TIW for dining. I really thought i would miss valet parking but since i have a handicapped plate i still get it free so its not an issue for me. Having said that, I have found that I use my DVC every three years instead of once a year and bring as many of my family and friends as i can fit. This has dramatically changed my life for the better. The memories you share at disney don't end when you leave. My family is now very close and we all have shared experiences that we laugh about together. I'm not rich so I would never have been able to treat liek this with out DVC. It has more than paid for itself over 10years and I could resell it today for about what I paid for it.

I am not someone who likes to stay in a motel six even for one night so going to disney on the cheap is not for me. i would rather not go at all. DVC is not on par with any of the luxury hotels that I use when I travel but the location and space can't be beat. where else could you take over 28 family and friends and not need a car and have everyone do their own thing without impacting in a negative way the others. Its a win win.

Owning at VB or HH is a different experience and for me would be too limiting . Exchanging out of DVC is not that easy or cost effective so if dues become exhorbitant there you had better love it. I wouldn't.

 

[childsplay]

In the beginning of our membership (members since 2000), I never thought I would ever consider getting rid of it, but every year for the last 2-3 I have toyed with the idea. Things have changed, both with our families interests and Disney, which make me wonder how much longer I'll hold on to DVC. It's been 12 great years and I'm sure I'll stick with it until our oldest is in college (4 more years) and then I'll re-evaluate.

 

[DenLo]

I agree with those that posted the OP should rent out his points and try staying at a moderate and paying cash. In fact I would do that for two or three years. And then decide. And if you feel the same, sell it.

And to the others that think that they are somewhere else in their lives, do the same thing. Rent out your points and go somewhere else. And if you don't miss going to WDW after two or three years. Sell it. The reason I recommend waiting two or three years is to give you time to see if you miss Disney. If three years go by without you even missing it a little, then it's time to move on.

Sometimes you are ready for a change and it might not be a permanent change, just for a little while. So that's why I recommend you rent the points an see how you feel later.

 

[luckyman_apd]

The decision to buy was based on the banking and borrowing. We are buying 125 points and can't go every year, but more like twice in 3 years. If it gets too much, we will slow down and go once every 2 years and get better accomodations or stay a little longer. Either way the money will work out for us. However, I have seen many people wonder about buying HHI or VB to save on the up front cost. But dues should be a major factor because after 10-15 the amount in dues spent over that time will have equalled the buy in amount. So the dues became a major decision.

I agree with the earlier poster. If you still enjoy WDW, selling your VB contract and buying an SSR contract may cost you a bit up front, but you will save on the monthly dues. I would never buy a non-WDW resort to use the points at WDW unless I was taking a break from HHI or VB. Besides, I'm an OBX fan anyway. It sounds like the dues are starting to make it not worth it for you. I'll let you know in 10 years how I feel as we are just beginning the buying process now.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My self and Dw have been DVC owners since 2000 and have recently been thinking of selling our interests due to the rising costs of taxes and fees stemming from our ownership at Vero Beach. We only own 225 points but pay approx $1500 a year in fees. We are thinking we would be better off banking these fees and paying OOP and possibility saving ourselves money in the long run with Disney offering free dining at Mod . resorts . I understand we will be giving up the better amenities with DVC but I was just wondering if we are alone in our thinking. We are beginning not to see any advantage to owning DVC since not only have costs gone up but perks are starting to disappear also. Anyone else having these thoughts??

We've been members since 1997. About five years ago, we started looking at what we were spending on dues, what we were spending on going to WDW and decided it was enough. We sold off 175 of our 500 points and reduced our dues. We also said there isn't any reason to go twice a year. In fact, this year we're probably not going at all because our son wants to run the Disney marathon next January. And we used a lot of points last June to book a GV at OKW for a week.

And we don't do short trips because it just isn't worth it to drive all that way (flying is way expensive from where we live) for just a few days.

 

[Chuck S]

And we used a lot of points last June to book a GV at OKW for a week.

I've always wished I could get a big enough group together to justify a GV trip. I'm jealous.

And we don't do short trips because it just isn't worth it to drive all that way (flying is way expensive from where we live) for just a few days.

I drive, too. It just isn't nearly as enjoyable to fly anymore, though prices are better now that Southwest has non-stops to MCO. It seems our San Antonio airport is always on some sort of security alert, I assume because we are "Military City USA." It is just a mess. So I plan at least 8 nights minimum and really like 10 or 12 to justify the drive.

 

[JimMIA]

Going back to OP's original post, I see several scenarios where one really should consider selling.

The most obvious is if your situation changes and you can't afford to keep the DVC contract. Many, many folks have faced that in the last few years...many through no fault of their own. Unfortunately, most of those folks bought very recently and financed, and will therefore be taking a real beating.

The second reason is if you realize you made a mistake. That happens, and it's better to have a horrible ending than a never-ending horror.

The third is if your lifestyle changes -- which it does as you get older and your kids (or your parents) get older. Interests change, and a vacation at WDW may no longer be what everyone wants. Outside of WDW, DVC is very limited and that may dictate a change.

I don't really see rising dues costs, or perceived loss of perks, or changing rules/points allocations as a reason for reconsidering DVC ownership.

I think they are considerations for people who may have been blinded by pixie dust -- but for someone who bought a timeshare for the timeshare, those are not relevant.

 

[Caren90]

I believe if you are able to evolve along with your DVC ownership you are most likely to enjoy it longer. When you buy into DVC, you are thinking about how you will use it immediately and possibly over the next 5 years. The problem is, we cannot predict how our lives will change over time. I may think I know what I will be interested in 20 years from now but I really don't know. I know this since 20 years ago I was not a big Disney fan and now I own 4 contracts (although my wife dragged me their with the children every year) and I was the one who pushed my wife into buying our contracts!

I would bet the DVC owners who have been the happiest over the past 5-10 years of ownership are the ones who have allowed themselves to change with the product as their lives have changed. Kind of like a good marriage...
Stephen

 

[jekjones1558]

Deteriorating health that might preclude flying or long car rides is the only reason that I can foresee at this time. Our lives have changed in the 12 years we have owned and DVC has changed but we are still happy with our ownership. We are probably more likely to hang onto DVC too long, when it is no longer a realistic vacation option for us, just because we have an emotional attachment to the whole idea of returning to our Disney home. I choose not to think about it until I have to.

 

[Dean]

My self and Dw have been DVC owners since 2000 and have recently been thinking of selling our interests due to the rising costs of taxes and fees stemming from our ownership at Vero Beach. We only own 225 points but pay approx $1500 a year in fees. We are thinking we would be better off banking these fees and paying OOP and possibility saving ourselves money in the long run with Disney offering free dining at Mod . resorts . I understand we will be giving up the better amenities with DVC but I was just wondering if we are alone in our thinking. We are beginning not to see any advantage to owning DVC since not only have costs gone up but perks are starting to disappear also. Anyone else having these thoughts??

My reality is that I'd be about as well off with 25 or even no points as I am with what I have. However, that's not because DVC is different or I'm unhappy with the system but rather my personal situation and options have changed such that I don't get the direct benefit I did early on. As a system DVC hasn't changed and there's been no specific changes that I feel anyone should be upset with. My only concern is that DVC isn't good at communicating changes for whatever reason and has tended to be very short notice the last few years on change announcements.

 

[Tamar]

My self and Dw have been DVC owners since 2000 and have recently been thinking of selling our interests due to the rising costs of taxes and fees stemming from our ownership at Vero Beach. We only own 225 points but pay approx $1500 a year in fees. We are thinking we would be better off banking these fees and paying OOP and possibility saving ourselves money in the long run with Disney offering free dining at Mod . resorts . I understand we will be giving up the better amenities with DVC but I was just wondering if we are alone in our thinking. We are beginning not to see any advantage to owning DVC since not only have costs gone up but perks are starting to disappear also. Anyone else having these thoughts??

If you rent out your points every other year for ~$10/point, then your cost of ownership would be down to ~$750 for the years that you used the points. I would think this would be worth a try before selling.

I should qualify this by saying our original points were at HH, we only used them there once, so about 4 years ago we sold our 150pt HH contact and added on 100 pts at BWV, where we love to stay and need the 11 month booking window for F&W.