Dvc what draws you back trip after trip

[pmcpmc]

Why stay at Dvc when you could stay off site cheaper?
why go to DVC when you don't go to the parks?

 

[helenabear]

Off site may be cheaper, but it isn't worth the hassle for me to stay there. I like the theming at pretty much all of the Disney the moderate or deluxe resorts I have stayed or visited (all but AKL at the moment). I like the transportation options there as well. I do not usually rent a car so that's a big plus to me.

I just bought into DVC and haven't taken a trip on my points yet, but so far I havne't gone not to visit the parks... not sure I will get there ever or for a very long time.

 

[new_yawka]

I do not go to DVC because I want to go to a resort to relax.

I do not go to DVC because I want to get away from home.

I do not go to DVC because I want desperately to vacation in Orlando.

I am a WDW addict. I love WDW and the "high" feeling I get the moment I pass through the Mickey Gates...WDW has been a "home away from home" for me since the age of 2...DVC is just a more effective delivery system for that which I need to keep my addiction well fed.

Sadly, as with many addictions, words do not adequately describe "Why stay at DVC." My positive emotional response to going home to WDW is what truly draws me back like a magnet. I have little doubt that it was this addictive personality that Disney was trying to develop and fuel with the development of DVC.

 

[SamSam]

new_yawka, you describe my feelings perfectly! We're heading 'home' exactly 2 weeks from today and I get almost giddy thinking about it. We have been to WDW so many times in the past 14 years that I stopped counting long ago. Luckily, DH feels the same way I do.

 

[MiaSRN62]

We love DVC for the feeling of being in the middle of the magic, as corny as that sounds. We love the unique ambience that each resort offers. We also own a timeshare offsite, and while we enjoy our stays there, it just doesn't have that Disney touch--though it took us a couple years to realize this. We drive down from PA, so we always have our car with us. Disney transportation is a nice perk, but we may only utilize it 50% of our stay---sometimes less, sometimes more. We don't find staying offsite a hassle at all, as we can often get to the parks quicker with our car from Vistana than from onsite using the busses---just depends. We have never stayed at a DVC resort with no intention of visiting the parks, though we do like to have a couple pool days or just "kicking back" days so we can really take-in all that resort has to offer. There may be a day when we're older, when we do go to our DVC resort without visiting the parks---perhaps just to escape the cold, harsh winters of the northeast.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Originally posted by new_yawka
I do not go to DVC because I want to go to a resort to relax.

I do not go to DVC because I want to get away from home.

I do not go to DVC because I want desperately to vacation in Orlando.

I am a WDW addict. I love WDW and the "high" feeling I get the moment I pass through the Mickey Gates...WDW has been a "home away from home" for me since the age of 2...DVC is just a more effective delivery system for that which I need to keep my addiction well fed.

Sadly, as with many addictions, words do not adequately describe "Why stay at DVC." My positive emotional response to going home to WDW is what truly draws me back like a magnet. I have little doubt that it was this addictive personality that Disney was trying to develop and fuel with the development of DVC.

I can't say it any better than that!

If you have not ever stayed on-site, maybe you don't "get it". There is a HUGE difference from off site to on! Add to the that the luxury of a "vacation villa", and it can't be beat! We too always go to the parks.

 

[mbhoxsie]

Being a family with young kids, DVC works great for us...

The kids love the Disney theming and being close to the parks...

Staying offsite would not be as convient, and depending on where we would stay, we might not get all of the needed perks like washer/dryer or full sized kitchen..

Like other posters have stated, transportation is a definate advantage... That and being able to walk to either MGM or Epcot...

Sometimes we choose to go to the resorts, but not go to the parks... We do it because the resorts are very kid friendly, and resort activies allow Mom & Dad a chance to relax, while the kids can keep busy.

 

[Mickeydad]

We love Disney, but we really don't go to the parks like some of you have said.

We REALLY love the resorts! They offer a very relaxing vacation - first class Villas, etc.

We were planning on going back in April '05, but decided to take a quick trip in Oct., before the April '05 trip.

We stayed off site a couple of times, many years ago. We'll never do it again. DVC is like flying first class... if you've ever done it, going back to fly in coach is pretty tough.

Mickeydad

 

[Mickeydad]

Let me be a bit more specific...

We don't go to the parks AS MUCH AS some of you have said.

We do love Epcot & Magic Kingdom the best and usually always go there when we visit. We just don't do the parks every day during our vacations.

Mickeyday

 

[MDonley]

If you have children, I'm sure you're aware of how antsy they can get during a long day. Just having the ability to go back to the resort for a quick nap and lunch is a big plus when you're onsite. They handle the fireworks later that night much better. When you're offsite, it generally is understood that when you leave the park, you're pretty much finished for the day because of the trouble of driving back to the room and, if coming back, getting a decent parking space.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

DVC doesn't draw me or my family back. WDW draws us back. DVC has provided us with a way to save a considerable amount of money over staying at the Poly or the BC.

Off site is not an option for us.

HBC

 

[twinmomplus2new]

DVC is a way for me to be inside the park. I will never stay offsite again. I am reasonably assured of a clean, safe, And pleasing enviornment to spend my vacation time with my children. Anytime I have had a problem I have found the CM's to be helpful and willing to solve whatever the issue is 95% of the time. That in itself is a pretty good selling point.
Our vacationing styles have also changed alot since buying DVC, We used to go from ride to ride and make sure we saw everything...Always running to get there. Now we sleep until we wake up, take a stroll over to Epcot from the Boardwalk, we may stay an hour and stroll back. We never would have done this before.
Although we always have gone every year, It is hard to explain knowing for sure you have your points waiting for next year takes all the pressure off. Because you Know you are coming back. ( Combine DVC with an AP and you could end up back 4 times in 18mts)

 

[MiaSRN62]

Just to play "devil's advocate" here......don't get me wrong. We adore WDW and our DVC is close to our heart. But, we also own at the Vistana right down the road from WDW. It's also a luxurious 2 bedroom/2 bathroom/full balcony/w&d/jacuzzi etc. The views from the villas are very similar to garden and water views at OKW/BWV etc. Lots of birds, otters and other wildlife on the grounds. Of course there's no BW view or of any part of the park, though I will add from some of our Vistana villas we can see parts of Pleasure Island----caught a glimpse of Planet Hollywood one trip and could see the PI fireworks. For those of us who use our car while onsite (or even 50% of the time) staying offsite is really not that much different. I timed us driving from Epcot back to Vistana a couple of times and it's generally 8-14 min from getting in our car in the parking lot to the front door of our villa at Vistana. We very often take afternoon breaks and return to the parks after a swim or nap at the resort. So we find staying at Vistana to be very convenient. The MK is the most difficult park to deal with when not staying onsite, but all the other parks we have actually gotten to quicker using our car vs the busses.
Vistana is a "gold crown", first-class timeshare resort and there are several very good ones in the immediate WDW area.
So, not saying that we don't appreciate that special "disney magic touch" of staying onsite (afterall, it's why we purchased our DVC on top of our offsite accomodations), BUT, offsite is not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. I agree, staying offsite in a Holiday Inn or Ramada is no comparison to DVC, but there are several gorgeous offsite timeshares that compare very closely with DVC except for the fact that they're not on Disney property. I just wanted to say that, fair is fair, and offsite resorts don't always deserve the ribbing they get. No flames please because I know everyone is very PRO DVC here (myself included !), but my offsite timeshare is definitely not even close to being dumpy. We always feel pampered there with onsite restaurants, spas etc. Just wanted to show the flip-side of the coin. Thanks for listening

 

[Cruelladeville]

I also like the safety with DVC and onsite hotels vs. off-site. I felt safe letting my teens out of my sight, knowing that there were so many castmembers around to turn to for help, if needed. When they were 12 or 14, I could let them go get food or to the arcade without me, and they even did the monorail to visit the other resorts when we stayed at Poly. Since they had been to Disney since birth, they were familiar with how things are done at WDW, but it gave them a security and sense of freedom that I wouldn't have allowed anywhere else. Frankly, there is a different clientele that the onsite resorts appeal to vs. staying someplace on 192. I also have a Marriott that I have occasionally used in Orlando when I just want to visit some sunshine--and with all the rain we have had in the midwest this spring, I need another fix--but I would much rather stay onsite. And owning DVC has made me pickier about standards, no regular hotel would ever suffice, it's at least a studio with wet bar, preferably a one bedroom.

 

[ceejay13]

For us staying at a DVC resort is as much a part of the magic as the parks are. It is truly our home away from home. Like new_yawka, we are Disney addicts, I believe I was told the official term is Disnoid by a CM. It is our ultimate source of getting away from it all. We can choose to not go to the parks at all for a day or maybe take the boat over to MGM for dinner and Fantasmic, as we usually stay at the BWV, or a quick trip around Epcot's Food and Wine Fest if we visit in October. The choices are endless. It allows us such a relaxing and peaceful vacation at the one spot that most people visiting couldn't even fathom using those words. As many times as we have been to WDW we have people ask us for advice when visiting. The only advice I ever give is to stay on property. The rest is a matter of what each individual is interested in, but staying on property for us is very much part of the WDW experience even before we bought into DVC.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by new_yawka
I do not go to DVC because I want to go to a resort to relax.

I do not go to DVC because I want to get away from home.

I do not go to DVC because I want desperately to vacation in Orlando.

I am a WDW addict. I love WDW and the "high" feeling I get the moment I pass through the Mickey Gates...WDW has been a "home away from home" for me since the age of 2...DVC is just a more effective delivery system for that which I need to keep my addiction well fed.

Sadly, as with many addictions, words do not adequately describe "Why stay at DVC." My positive emotional response to going home to WDW is what truly draws me back like a magnet. I have little doubt that it was this addictive personality that Disney was trying to develop and fuel with the development of DVC.

Agreed. Very nicely said!

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by pmcpmc
Why stay at Dvc when you could stay off site cheaper?
why go to DVC when you don't go to the parks?

For us, it would be a waste of money if we went to WDW and didn't use our DVC points for accomodations. So, not wasting thousands of dollars is a pretty big draw for me.

As to not going to the parks, well, that hasn't happened yet for an entire stay but taking a day or two off to relax in the middle of a trip is nice. Knowing we're going to be back means we don't need to do everything every trip.

-Joe

 

[carone0318]

Originally posted by new_yawka
I do not go to DVC because I want to go to a resort to relax.

I do not go to DVC because I want to get away from home.

I do not go to DVC because I want desperately to vacation in Orlando.

I am a WDW addict. I love WDW and the "high" feeling I get the moment I pass through the Mickey Gates...WDW has been a "home away from home" for me since the age of 2...DVC is just a more effective delivery system for that which I need to keep my addiction well fed.

Sadly, as with many addictions, words do not adequately describe "Why stay at DVC." My positive emotional response to going home to WDW is what truly draws me back like a magnet. I have little doubt that it was this addictive personality that Disney was trying to develop and fuel with the development of DVC.

That pretty much sums it up here too!

I guess I would just add 2 things:

1)

 

[carone0318]

Oops, I didn't finish....

My 2 things:

1) My kids and their faces in WDW
2) DVC gives me the ability to budget my yearly vacation in my everyday budget. I know that we could own just any ole time share and get the budgeting advantage, but then I wouldn't be watching Illuminations from my balcony or looking at ToT. Need I say more....