DVC....Worth it?

[Tink113]

On our last Disney Cruise we looked into the DVC. I was wondering if anyone is a member & if so, is it worth it? Can you share some stories?

 

[TnRobin]

I am going to move this to the DVC Board. You will get a lot more responses and great information from there.

But from my opinion - OH YEAH it is worth it.

 

[wildernessDad]

On our last Disney Cruise we looked into the DVC. I was wondering if anyone is a member & if so, is it worth it? Can you share some stories?

That depends on your vacation habits. If you go to WDW every year or every other year and stay at a deluxe or moderate resort on WDW property, then I believe that yes, it is definitely worth it. If you are happy staying offsite or at the value resorts, then, no, DVC is not worth it for you. These are just my two cents worth. I am sure that others will comment.

 

[edmartin]

On our last Disney Cruise we looked into the DVC. I was wondering if anyone is a member & if so, is it worth it? Can you share some stories?

We are definitely DVC fans. We bought into it before ever cruising. Ironically, we bought into it about 6 months before moving to the Orlando area.

Major advantages of DVC (non-cruise-related):
- DVC rooms are nicer, better, bigger than non-DVC rooms. They have studio, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom units. Studios are more or less normal Disney rooms with a wet bar, small fridge & microwave. 1, 2 & 3 bedrooms have full kitchens, washer, dryer & large master baths.
- If you finance it, it's considered mortgage interest & is tax-deductible
- You can carry-over points for a year and you can borrow from a year out - so at the extreme, you can use 3 years' of points at the same time.
- There are web sites out there where you can buy, sell & trade points within a given year. The going rate is about $10 per point per year. For example, if I want to go stay at the Wilderness Villas but I'm 10 points shy, I can buy points from another DVC member to make up the difference (or sell as need-be). You can also "sell" points to a non-DVC member. Basically, you make a DVC reservation in their name using your own points and they pay you.
- Bang for the buck. Using the points or selling the points, the rooms you get are the best bang for the buck on property.
- Because it is an asset, you can sell your DVC property down the road if you wish to.
- DVC has reciprocal agreements with MANY other properties out there so the points can be used across the globe in some great places.
- DVC already has properties outside of their theme parks - Vero Beach, FL & Hilton Head, SC are the current ones. Disney just bought property in Hawaii.

As it relates to DCL, we haven't found that using DVC points directly is the best way to go. In fact, at $10 per point, we've found that selling points is much more economical than trying to use points. There are DVC deals where you can pay part with points & then get discounts on other passengers but again, we've found that selling points is much more economical.

On the cruise, DVC members have a special reception & you get a "Welcome Home" magnet on your door. Otherwise, not a lot of advantages.

Things to consider.
- If you are going to travel to Disneyworld 5 or more times in the next 20 or so years, DVC will likely work out to be a good deal economically. Better rooms, less money, more bang for the buck, etc. All you need to do is figure out the cost of a normal room and compare it against DVC. The math works after a few years/visits.
- There are monthly maintenance fees - so even if you just write a check for the DVC membership, you will still have fees to pay for as long as you own it.

 

[psu4glory]

as i'm sure you will see from whatever responses you get to your question, DVC worth is certainly in the 'eye of the beholder'...

if i had to sum it up succinctly, i would have to agree with a previous poster and say that if you visit WDW at least once per year and prefer to stay in on-property deluxe accomodations, then yes...DVC is worth it. if this does not describe your vacation habits, then probably not.

as for me...after we (a) started visiting WDW twice / year, and (b) stayed at the wilderness lodge for the first time a few years ago and fell in love with the deluxe accomodations....DVC became a very attractive option for us.

 

[JsMom2]

I'm living overseas right now, and wasn't sure if DVC would be a good deal for me now. But I bought in October and then added on in November and December!

I've spent around $40,000 on points, but I've already booked almost $16,000 of vacations between Dec 07 and Sep 08!

I used points for:

2 nts at Disneyland Hotel Paris last November - at the time that included park tickets for 3 days, but that no longer applies for 2008

SSR last December - 1 BR for 5nts for me, Studio for 2nts for DSis, and Studio for 1nt for DB before our cruise on the Magic.

Tokyo Disney in April - 4 nts Ambassador Hotel April

Adventures By Disney in July - 8 nights in Germany. I paid cash for DD's portion.

AKV in September - 1BR Savannah View for 7 nts

DVC Member Cruise in September - 1BR suite for 4 nts on the Wonder. Paid cash for DD

Do I think it's worth it? Definitely!

 

[chalee94]

On our last Disney Cruise we looked into the DVC. I was wondering if anyone is a member & if so, is it worth it? Can you share some stories?

a lot of members over here on the DVC boards. feel free to be nosy and scan the "OKW (or whatever resort) Lovers Thread(s)" or complaints threads (last minute reservations seem tougher to come by) to get a feel for what it's like to be an owner.

IMO, you get the best value if:

1) you use the points at wdw. cruises and trades tend to offer much less financial value.

2) you prefer to stay onsite at moderates or deluxes.

3) you don't primarily use DVC for weekends. fri and sat nights cost more than twice as much as weeknights, so planning a lot of long weekends can destroy the financial benefit of owning DVC.

4) you can make plans well in advance. some owners have had success with a lot of last minute booking, but it's not what DVC is designed to do well.

also, to correct a previous poster who wrote "There are web sites out there where you can buy, sell & trade points within a given year..." - you are only allowed one single transfer (in or out) per year. DVC is not quite as flexible as that description made it sound.

 

[DVC Dude]

DVC using DVC = yes

DCL using DVC = no

 

[crisi]

What are YOUR travel plans and what is YOUR intended use. Then we can probably give you a better idea of if it is worth it.

For most people that hang on the DVC board, they've owned for several years and believe it to be worth it. But most people that hang on the DVC board have unusual travel patterns or needs - often multiple trips to Disney in a year, almost always onsite snobs, not happy with value accomodations, willing to pay a premium to have the kids sleep in a different room, larger families. If you fit the profile (or have a desire and means to fit the profile) DVC is probably worth it. If you don't fit the profile, its a very expensive timeshare and can be a burden.