DVC when you prefer non-DVC properties

[greentx]

My husband and I (early 30s and no kids) are considering buying into DVC, but we prefer to stay at non-DVC properties, for various reasons. I know it's not as much of a "value" as staying at the DVC resorts, but I did a cost comparison and decided it's still a good deal for us.

However, when I spoke to a guide, he never mentioned the trash pickup on the 4th day/housekeeping only on the 8th day thing I learned on this site-- do these differences carry over to the hotel-type rooms? Are there any other big differences?

When I did the cost comparison, I was basing that on the deluxe accomodations we would normally have--- but it's not apples to apples if we aren't getting identical amenities as if we were paying cash.

Anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can use DVC points to book non-DVC resorts at WDW or other locations, but it will cost more in the long run. You can get a studio for about 8 or 9 points lots of time, but a room at the GF may cost you 50-90 points per night. If you figure about $10 a point, you wind up spending more for your reservation at non-DVC resorts. Same with the DCL. Heck, many times you can get a two bedroom villa for the price of a GF room during the same time period.

When you book outside of DVC resorts, you get the same services as the rest of the guests at that resort, full cleaning every day, etc. But you lose some of the DVC perks like the opportunity to purchase the DDP without a package purchase or pool hopping.

When you stay at a DVC resort, you can purchase additional cleaning services if you like. If you stay 7 nights or less, you get your towels replaced and trash removed on day 4. If you stay 8 nights or more, you get a full cleaning on day 4 and your T&T service on day 8. The cycle repeats for more nights. We don't miss the daily housekeeping at all. There is a vacuum cleaner in the closet that we can use if we need to clean up sand or something.

 

[spiceycat]

Deb pointed out some of the disadvantages to staying at a non-DVC resort.

here are some more from experience.

after I joined for the first couple of trips we would stay most of the time at a DVC resort then the last day go with a WDW resort - either on cash or points.

then I decided that DVC resorts were great and no more WDW resorts. (okay for non-planned trips Pop is still pretty wonderful).

so one time a couple of years ago, we went in Dec all the DVC resorts were sold out and I took the Polyn. First time in years the entire trip was in a WDW resort vs DVC resort. the entire time Mother (who wanted this resort) kept saying how much she missed OKW.

OKW had better temperature control. the hot tub outside and inside. the microwave & refrigerator (although the deluxes have improved they now have these) - for her snacks. the over all experience at oKW. I think what she mostly missed was the swimming pool. we can sometimes swim at OKW with only a couple of people or even no one else there. She loved those times. Polyn forget it - that pool stayed busy.

 

[RobDoc]

My husband and I (early 30s and no kids) are considering buying into DVC, but we prefer to stay at non-DVC properties, for various reasons. I know it's not as much of a "value" as staying at the DVC resorts, but I did a cost comparison and decided it's still a good deal for us.

However, when I spoke to a guide, he never mentioned the trash pickup on the 4th day/housekeeping only on the 8th day thing I learned on this site-- do these differences carry over to the hotel-type rooms? Are there any other big differences?

When I did the cost comparison, I was basing that on the deluxe accomodations we would normally have--- but it's not apples to apples if we aren't getting identical amenities as if we were paying cash.

Anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance.

DVC Members staying at non-DVC options will get all of the usual amenities offered to cash guests at those resorts -daily housekeeping, parking privileges, etc. You would not be able to add the DVC version of the DDP and could not get the plan at all since that would have to be reserved thru CRO.

I am interested in your cost comparison, since that would be, IMO, the ONLY reason to consider purchasing DVC to stay at non-DVC options. I did some pretty extensive comparison when we purchased back when DVC was selling in the mid $50's range and the numbers would not work even then.If you have some consideration that makes it work with purchase costs and annual fees almost double, please share your numbers as I know many would be interested in that comparison.

Without a convincing financial analysis, I can't really think of a reason to use DVC points primarily for non-DVC options. You will lose some flexibility since you can only reserve 11 months ahead thru DVC and will have some limitations as compared to DVC resorts. This is even more evident during times when there may be discounted rooms available.

I would certainly suggest re-doing the comparison to make sure there isn't something overlooked before committing a substantial sum to DVC.

 

[dannyh23]

My husband and I (early 30s and no kids) are considering buying into DVC, but we prefer to stay at non-DVC properties, for various reasons... Anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance.

Welcome to DIS -- We are same age, no kids yet either. Have you stayed in a 1BR DVC room yet? To be honest, it's really hard to go back to a "regular" room for us now!

When we bought at BCV, we figured a night in a studio would cost us (in todays dollars) somewhere around $60-80 dollars, depending upon the resort and time of year, etc. You can't beat that anywhere on property.

Some people also find it a comfort that you don't have to stess out waiting for discount codes (that may or may not come out) to enjoy -- my opinion here -- bigger and better than Deluxe rooms. You also have the flexibility to stay in larger rooms and invite family members along, or if kids ever come along.

As everyone always says, DVC doesn't work for everybody. Good luck on your decision -- but if you want to "look before you leap" and if you haven't had the chance to stay in a 1BR for a few nights, rent some points and try it out!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Doc is correct. I can not imagine how staying in a non-DVC resort could possibly be cost effective over a DVC resort.

I am one of those who definitely finds the "deluxe" resort rooms to be a huge step down from my usual DVC 1 bedroom. I "had" to stay at a deluxe this past week because DH's boss was footing the bill. I HATED it! I hate dealing with housekeeping, and I hate having just one room with no refridgerator and no personal Jacuzzi. I was actually not all that sad when we had to leave, because I know our next trip will be in a 2 bedroom and 1 bedroom respectively at OKW in November. I can't wait to go "home".

The difference is in how you look at it. I find daily housekeeping to be annoying. It never seems to fail, that just when I want to come back to the room and relax, that's when the housekeeper wants to be in there doing her thing. I know I never expected to like the no housekeeping thing before we purchased, but I love it! The space and amenities of that 1 bedroom over a regular hotel room so far outdistance the hotel rooms even at the deluxes. Now, if you are only comparing studios....maybe, but I still prefer the DVC over the non-DVC there too. The possible exception are the large CR rooms, but I'm not thrilled with that location.

 

[JimC]

Agree with the general proposition that DVC resorts are the best value for points. However, I was surprised on two occasions where the points gave me a better deal at a non-DVC resort -- once at AKL (2004) and once at GC (2005) -- both were concierge level.

I used my cost per point treating the pre-paid vacation as currency. I do not use its potential rental value which is higher and changes the conclusions. There is nothing wrong with that comparison if you would actually rent the points. I prefer not to rent and use the points as a form of currency.

The DVC end of the calculation is the amortized purchase price plus the current dues per point to get my cost. I multiply my cost times the number of points and compare that to the best discounted price, including tax, available for the resort. So my experience is that it is rare, but not impossible for it to make financial sense. And it is a calculation that must be made reservation by reservation for non-DVC resorts.

We also used stranded points at AKL (2002) and YC (2004) when we could not find a DVC reservation. Use it or lose it is a compelling value proposition. Long stories on why we had stranded points, but there was no way I was going to lose them. So we worked down the value chain until we got a hit.

I do not expect my DVC to give value beyond the DVC resorts, generally use cash for non-DVC Disney vacations and MVCI for non-Disney vacations.

 

[Lynne M]

Two important things to consider if you're buying DVC to stay at non-DVC resorts. I don't think they've been mentioned yet (sorry if they were):

1) The point costs for villas at DVC resorts are essentially fixed over the life of the contract. For instance, if they raised the number of points it takes to stay in a 1-BDR at OKW during holiday season, they'd need to balance it out with a equivalent decrease for some other season or villa type at OKW.

This is NOT the case for non-DVC resorts. The point costs are re-negotiated with the WDW resorts every year, and they can and do go up. There's absolutely nothing to prevent them from making it cost 150 points a night or more to stay at GF, or any other non-DVC resort. You could suddenly find that you don't have enough points to spend a night at the non-DVC resort of your choice.

2) There is also nothing to prevent them from taking away the ability to stay in non-DVC resorts using DVC points.

I think most of us consider the use of non-DVC resorts to be a 'perk', and not our primary reason for purchase. I've stayed at the other resorts on points a couple of times since I bought in, as a special treat for my Mom. I would never do it routinely. I simply couldn't afford to. I have enough points to stay for 10 nights in a studio at VWL. That same number of points gets me 3 nights at a deluxe.

If you truly intend to buy DVC to stay at non-DVC resorts, I'd recommend that you look carefully at the point charts for those resorts. Sorry, but I can't see any way to make the math work, either.

 

[greentx]

Doc is correct. I can not imagine how staying in a non-DVC resort could possibly be cost effective over a DVC resort.

First, let me clarify-- not that the cost comparison made me belive it would be MORE cost effective to do the hotel rooms, just that it wouldn't be horribly detrimental to use the points that way...I spreadsheeted out the cost per year for 45 years, based on $106 per point and including maintenance fees with a 3% compounded increase per year. Beginning at year 8, I'm okay with the numbers and the value. (I'm okay with a lot of things for the sake of convenience, so I'm probably not everyone's best judge on this!)

We stayed at a DVC the last time we were there, so I do know what to expect. The idea is that we would stay at a DVC every two years, or if we had a group with us... during those times, our expectations would be modified from "hotel" to "homey" and that's fine.

We also know we wouldn't enjoy doing that every year, and my main concern was that during those times we stayed at a non-DVC, we would not experience the same service we had in the past... and now it's clear that won't be a problem... so, thanks!

 

[Lynne M]

I'm sorry, I don't want to be repetitive , but I'm not sure how your 45-year cost comparison could be valid when there's no way to predict how many points per night it will take to stay in a non-DVC resort in future years.

I've owned DVC for 5 years, and the point requirements for the non-DVC deluxes have gone up significantly in that time. We have every reason to believe that they will continue to increase.

I'd suggest modifying your spreadsheet, adding 5 points per year to the nightly cost of a deluxe room. The increase hasn't been that rapid, I don't think, but it could easily hit that pace in the future. See if the value looks as good when you get 10 or 20 years down the road.

Before your make your final decision, ask yourself if you would be happy with your purchase if the point costs rose to a point where you could no longer stay at non-DVC resorts every other year, or if DVC took away the ability to stay at non-DVC resorts on points. Either one is a possibility under your contract, and as such has to be considered.

If you'd be perfectly happy staying at DVC resorts every year, then by all means go ahead and buy in! If not.....DVC may not be a good choice for you.

 

[crisi]

Also, you should be aware that the hotel options disappear when they add DVC to that resort. So you can use DVC points at the Poly, but not the WL. At the Yacht Club, but not the Beach Club. At the Contemporary, but not the Boardwalk Inn. If DVC expands to - say the Contemporary - you'll be able to use your points at the Contemporary Villas (subject to availability), but not at the Contemporary resort.

 

[bwvBound]

The idea is that we would stay at a DVC every two years, or if we had a group with us... during those times, our expectations would be modified from "hotel" to "homey" and that's fine.

Have you considered buying a small DVC contract -- just enough for DVC stays every other year? Perhaps a smaller entry point would maintain sufficient flexibility in your travel options.

 

[Dean]

Also, you should be aware that the hotel options disappear when they add DVC to that resort. So you can use DVC points at the Poly, but not the WL. At the Yacht Club, but not the Beach Club. At the Contemporary, but not the Boardwalk Inn. If DVC expands to - say the Contemporary - you'll be able to use your points at the Contemporary Villas (subject to availability), but not at the Contemporary resort.

Or they could just go away period or increase so much to make the projections not accurate as the DCL has. The BEST you could do would be to break even if you were lucky. Why complicate your life just in the hopes of breaking even. I would agree that if you give them a chance you might actually prefer the DVC resorts/units.

 

[wildernessDad]

Also note that there is no correlation between vacation points (DVC points) and reservation points (the points you get when you exchange your DVC points). Thus, Disney can increase the number of reservation points required for a night's stay at the Poly, for example, from year to year, while the total number of vacation points at a resort cannot change.

 

[Lisa P.]

The idea is that we would stay at a DVC every two years, or if we had a group with us... we wouldn't enjoy doing that every year...

Then only get half the number of points you'd need for your DVC vacations. Bank and borrow them to get your DVC reservations. You'd still get the DVC member privileges (which currently includes an AP discount). Look for nice deals to stay wherever you'd like in the "between" years, paying cash as you go. Tying up more of your money in a larger membership contract than you need, so you can stay at non-DVC properties every other year, when that benefit is subject to change (or disappearance!) doesn't make good sense, IMHO.

 

[dianeschlicht]

As others have stated, you are assuming the point cost of deluxes as they are now. That changes nearly annually. As the cost of those deluxes increases, so does the number of points you will be charged to use them in exchange. Also, because it is an "exchange", it is not guaranteed to be available next year or any time in the future. Perks get changed all the time. As long as you know that you are buying DVC points and would "settle" for DCV stays each trip if that Disney collection exchange perk ever went away, then go for it. I do agree that getting the points for an everyother year DVC stay and purchasing your deluxe stays might be more cost effective in the long run.

There has also been an oft repeated rumor (just heard it from two sales people again last week) that DVC will eventually be at ALL the deluxe resorts. That will mean no exchanges to the hotel portions of those resorts if and when that happens.