DVC worth it?

[snow.white]

I just inquired about the DVC and was sent all kinds of info about it, I really found it to be a rip off because i would only use my points to stay on disney property plus i think there is annual fees? I dont know about you but i go to disney about three times a year and 17,000 dollars just doesnt seem like a good deal

 

[Pakey]

I just inquired about the DVC and was sent all kinds of info about it, I really found it to be a rip off because i would only use my points to stay on disney property plus i think there is annual fees? I dont know about you but i go to disney about three times a year and 17,000 dollars just doesnt seem like a good deal

We only use our points to stay on Disney property, which is the best use of the points dollarwise anyway. DVC will pay for itself if you vacation at WDW, staying in Deluxe resorts. If you stay at the Mods or Value resorts, then no, it is not a good deal. My husband and I had only ever stayed at Deluxes and we knew that we would continue to want to vacation there, so for us, it has paid for itself through the years, even with the annual dues we pay.

 

[twinklebug]

I just inquired about the DVC and was sent all kinds of info about it, I really found it to be a rip off because i would only use my points to stay on disney property plus i think there is annual fees? I dont know about you but i go to disney about three times a year and 17,000 dollars just doesnt seem like a good deal

There's a saying here that goes "buy where you want to stay" and in your case that's exceptionally true... don't buy DVC if you won't be staying DVC. It's silly to even consider otherwise. No brainer.

 

[Yen Sid]

I know we go 2-3 times a year and when we bought our first contract at SSR we figured we would break even after about 7 years, that means for like 40 years we would only be paying our dues whcih is going to be so much cheaper than staying at Disney 2-3 times a year.

 

[Brian Noble]

If you normally stay in Moderate resorts or better, DVC is probably at least a fair deal. If you normally stay in Deluxe resorts, then it's probably a darn good deal.

Mary Waring has a nice comparison of the true cost of owning vs. renting over at MouseSavers:

http://www.mousesavers.com/dvc.html#opportunity

 

[mikron]

If you like staying at a first class resort and want to cook in then it is worth it. We have owned since 2004 and own both SSR & OKW, like both but stay most of the time at BWV. It will take a few years to pay for itself, but 50 years is a long time to get a returnand break down the cost. You can pass the points on, rent if you can't go or sell probably for a profit after you have owned the points for 5 years or so. We love that all the resorts are in Disney.

 

[snow.white]

Yeah, I guess if you have the money to do it , more power to you all ,because i dont think i will ever be able to afford that, Thanks for the info

 

[Lynne M]

I'm staying in deluxe resorts for less than the price of a moderate. My lodging costs are prepaid (at 2001 prices) for the next several decades, when Disney's resort prices will only go up. It certainly hasn't been a rip-off for me. As for the maintenance fees, you take the initial cost, divide it by the number of years on the contract, and add in the yearly maintenance fees. That gives you your yearly cost. For that price, I get 10 nights in a DVC resort studio every year. Divide it out, and it is indeed less than the cost of a moderate.

Is it expensive? Sure. Does it suit everyone's vacation habits, or budgets? Of course not. But it's in no way a rip-off.

 

[Kiderak]

Remember, that price is for 50 years of vacationing, about $340 per year. Then adding the annual dues on top, about $700, get us to just over $1000 per year for about a weeklong stay. But, the places to stay are much nicer than Pop Century or the other value resorts.

 

[Lynne M]

OP, I just re-read your message.....are you thinking that $17K is for one year, or one trip? Well, no wonder you thought it was a rip-off. That's not the case at all.

With DVC, you pay up front for your resort stays for the life of the contract. You pay once, and get a new batch of points ever year. I paid my purchase off years ago, now all I pay is about $600 in annual fees every year - and for that, I get 10 nights a year in a studio. Or, I could get fewer nights in a 1 bedroom, two bedroom, grand villa, etc.

 

[christa112]

I am not a member yet, but you can stay all over the world if you choose to, there all 100's of place you can stay. You can also use your points to go on a Disney Cruise as well. I haven't seen the DVC dvd, but I did get the tour and have all the info from our DVC Guide.

Like PP's have stated if you are staying in a Mod or Value it is not going to save you money, but I am a family of 5 and can no longer fit into a Value or Mod so we are going to have to bump up to a Deluxe and for us when we join it will be a no brainer, plus we will be able to go to HH or VB and eventually Hawaii!!! We are hoping to purchase in 2009, we are just trying to pay down some debt.

Definately reading on this board will educate you and ask all the questions you want, everyone here is very helpful.

 

[Tara]

I just inquired about the DVC and was sent all kinds of info about it, I really found it to be a rip off because i would only use my points to stay on disney property plus i think there is annual fees? I dont know about you but i go to disney about three times a year and 17,000 dollars just doesnt seem like a good deal

For some people, DVC is never going to be the right choice. But if you are visiting 3 times a year, it's hard to imagine that it wouldn't work for you. Are you staying on-site when you go? You don't have to answer here, but think about what you are spending for lodging to visit Disney...and the fact that those prices are going to go up significantly over the next few decades. (For instance, I think a room at the Contemporary was either $27 or $33 when the hotel opened and now it's $300+ per night!)

Also, just as some people said the $17,000 isn't per year, there are also less expensive ways to buy into DVC. There is a healthy and reputable resale market (this board is sponsored by one - see the banner ad above). You could buy a smaller contract than the Disney minimum (of 160 points) at somewhere like Old Key West where the cost per point is low and the number of points needed per night is low. Then you can add on later (through resale or through Disney) if you need more points.

But in the end, it still may not be the right thing for you -- only you can make that decision. If you decide you want to give it a second look, there are lots of people here who can answer questions and offer advice.

 

[disneynutz]

I just inquired about the DVC and was sent all kinds of info about it, I really found it to be a rip off because i would only use my points to stay on disney property plus i think there is annual fees? I dont know about you but i go to disney about three times a year and 17,000 dollars just doesnt seem like a good deal

I respect your feelings on the subject. Don't buy.

(That makes it easier for us to get our requested reservation dates).

 

[Yen Sid]

Just 1 quick thing about DVC, can anyone say Hawaii?

 

[Anal Annie]

I just inquired about the DVC and was sent all kinds of info about it, I really found it to be a rip off because i would only use my points to stay on disney property plus i think there is annual fees? I dont know about you but i go to disney about three times a year and 17,000 dollars just doesnt seem like a good deal

Rip off? That would be determined by how you intend to use your membership and where you typically stay. Not sure about the angle you're using to look at this since you didn't elaborate. Scenario for us was that we were being priced out of the "deluxe" resorts. We'd moved down to a "moderate" resort on our last trip pre-DVC and when we went to plan another trip we found ourselves pricing the "value" resorts. This was not where we wanted to stay. We wanted to go back up to the "deluxe" level and found that the cost of pre-paying for our accomodations for the next 47 years at SSR was quite a bargain in comparison to the rising prices. PLUS we have the oppportunity to stay in various DVC resorts, various size units and the ability to trade out to other destinations and DCL. It was also gratifying to know that with the way the resort prices were going up this may be the only way our grandchildren will ever get to go 20 or 25 years from now!! It was a no-brainer for us financially.

I see you live in FL so getting there is probably a lot cheaper for you. Since we also have to add on airfare to get there it's super nice to know that our accomodations are covered. And without DVC ownership we would never buy AP's (don't you get a discount for being FL residents?) That's another perk that's worth a lot for us. We estimate that with the trips we have already taken and that we have tentatively planned over the next few years we will recover our $21.5K investment within about 5 or 6 years.

Example - have you priced how much a cash ressie for 7 nights would run for a 2 bedroom villa in mid-August? We hope to take family with us next summer as our guests. We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to our family. I just plugged in some dates for 7 nights and chose VWL just on a whim. The cash price for a 2 bedroom villa was $630 / night for a total of $4,961. That is JUST for the villa, no park tickets or meal plans or anything else. I figure if we did that same trip every summer we'd recover our $21.5K purchase in just about 5 trips (including maint. fees and AP discounts). OR in another scenario we could spread our points into 3 trips per year for just the 3 of us in studios. If I price 4 n in January in a studio at VWL it would be $325 / n or $1,463. Then if we go again for 4 n (Sun-Wed) in April over spring break and stay in a studio at SSR it would cost $380 / n or $1,710. NOW, to finish off the year, we go for 6 n in mid-August and stay in a studio at BCV for $335 / n or $2,261. On a cash basis we just spent $5,434 only on our accomodations. Because we didn't own DVC we also spent a small fortune on our park hoppers for each trip. Because we went for more than 10 days the no-expiration opt. didn't work out for us either. HUMMMM..... Me thinks buying DVC would've been a real help.

The math works for us.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I'm thinking like some others... seems as though you're thinking $17K is per year and that surely WOULDN'T be worth it, but $17K is for 50 years. And then your maintenance fees will be in the $4 to $6 per point per year range.

 

[hockeyprincess]

I didn't read the entire thread, but wanted to add we bought our contract Resale, that's the only way we could have afforded it. There are very reputable resellers out there, we worked with Jaki & **** and like so many others, couldn't be happier! We bought a 100 pt contract for just around $7000, so we'll be vacationing at Disney with our grandkids! (We're young, I'm 30 and my husband 32) We're very pleased and excited about our first trip home in 1 week!!

 

[crisi]

It is certainly not a rip off for people who understand the program, were going to be taking regular vacations at WDW anyway, staying on site and using Deluxe hotels, who use the program to its best advantage, and who get value out of the program.

Its not a very good deal for people who don't understand the program, buy to stay at non-DVC properties, perfer bargain hunting, are willing to stay off site, cannot make a long term committment to Disney, don't bother to use their points, etc.

 

[WolfpackFan]

It doesn't sound to me that you really understand DVC at all. If you're going 3 times a year, unless you're staying in a value room, DVC would easily pay for itself pretty quickly. It would have been nice if you had supplied a little more detail rather than just calling the program a rip-off. You do realize you're posting on a message board full of very satisfied owners? I guess we've all been duped if it's a rip-off.

 

[robandkelly13]

I think you have to look at the big picture, yes 17,000 is a lot but add that up. Do the math if you stay at say Pop Century 3 times a year, and if you stay at AKV 3 times a year with a Savannah View, add all this up for 50 years. You will see what you are saving. Our only regret is not splitting our 320 points between different resorts. But if you don't care where you stay then it is not for you, and could be rip off. I know when we go on vacation I like to feel like I am going to something nicer than what I live in, and I can relax. But read all the fine print call your guide ask a 1000 questions and then make your assumption, but I can tell their are 1000's of people on this board who think it is wonderfull. Rob