Dvc ????

[taben]

Hey all,

My hubby and I were checking out the DVC club online. WOW! Not exactly chump change! Just wondered from your experiences, both good and bad, is this really worth the $20,000.00 (price of a car)? We have no kiddies so I am concerned this really wouldn't be in our best interest, just for those with families. What benefits do you get with being a DVC member? Do you get extra perks when you go to the parks that others do not get, special access, free stuff? What sets this kind of purchase aside from the typical stay at a Disney Deluxe resort or a timeshare for that matter?

I would say they should provide gold toilets in your bathrooms for the money you have spent. LOLOL

Please let me know how you feel about being a DVC member. Thank you so much.

 

[UConnJack]

IMO, it was worth it when I bought a $68 a point, but not anymore with that almost doubled (and the newer resorts having higher point structures). I would still consider buying more points, but I would only go resale.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Here's a thread that does explain what you do get when you buy into DVC! We're grandparents, and have had a ball using our points with our family since 2003!

Bobbi

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2921755

 

[chalee94]

Just wondered from your experiences, both good and bad, is this really worth the $20,000.00 (price of a car)?

not to me, but my contract was less than $4,000. (which is very limiting but i have a different timeshare for other non-wdw trips.)

if financial value is critical for you, you should be looking at resales. and if you don't need more than a hotel room, just price how many pts you'd need for a studio...you probably wouldn't need 160 pts if that is your comparison.

What benefits do you get with being a DVC member? Do you get extra perks when you go to the parks that others do not get, special access, free stuff?

perks can come and go. AP discount for DVC is currently $149. dining/shopping discounts vary but are typically 10%-15%.

if DVC is worth it to you for the discounted accommodations, go for it. if you are counting on perks, don't bother.

What sets this kind of purchase aside from the typical stay at a Disney Deluxe resort or a timeshare for that matter?

DVC is a timeshare. so it's kinda like staying at a disney deluxe but with much more limited housekeeping (most of us consider that a perk). DVC 1BRs and larger offer a lot more space and kitchen/laundry facilities (worth it for some, not for others.)

the main thing that sets DVC apart is the same thing that sets the GF apart from the nearby four seasons or waldorf-astoria: DVC = onsite at wdw.

 

[Sandisw]

You can get into DVC for much less than that by buying on the resale market.

I think DVC is worth it for those that want to visit Disney either yearly or every other year and plan on doing so for several years. If it is just two of you, you can get by with studios and for probably about $5000 (if you are not concerned about home resort) you can purchase enough points to do just that.

However, it is really important to understand all the ins and outs as well and what you are committing yourself to for the next 30 to 50 years.

We joined in 2009, after having visited almost yearly since 1994. Our children are now older--youngest DD is 16--but we see ourselves visiting for many more years. I love going and now that I go as often as I do, I do much more than just visit the parks so the trips are certainly different as an adult without kids then it was when we went as a family.

Good luck!

 

[taben]

Thank you all for your wonderful information. Something to really think about! No matter what, DW will always be in my heart.

 

[com_op_2000]

Not sure of what you are looking for, but have you checked out the price of resales?
DVC for DW and I are our vacation spots. If you are happy staying offsite and looking for discounts then DVC is not for you. What are your traveling experiences like, do you enjoy the parks, the resorts, or do you want to travel alot?

 

[chalee94]

Thank you all for your wonderful information. Something to really think about! No matter what, DW will always be in my heart.

take your time and keep investigating.

poke around different threads on the DVC forums to see what owners like and what they don't like (and how that might affect you or not.)

if you love wdw and are motivated to visit at least every other year...if you love onsite stays enough to pay the premium and stay at mods or deluxes...if you'd rather get a good discount and not have to hunt for special deals (DVC points stays are not eligible for "free dining" or "40% off" codes as they are already discounted)...if you like the idea of housekeeping not intruding as opposed to preferring daily cleaning and made beds...DVC might be worthwhile for you.

it's a great option for some of us...but it's a commitment that others eventually find burdensome after they burn out on disney or their circumstances change. so keep looking around and asking questions if you are not sure - there's no rush...

 

[ELMC]

Just wondered from your experiences, both good and bad, is this really worth the $20,000.00 (price of a car)? We have no kiddies so I am concerned this really wouldn't be in our best interest, just for those with families.

First off, it's great that you're asking this question, because it is a tremendous amount of money. Looking at it from a purely financial perspective, the only real way it makes sense is if you typically stay in Deluxe type accommodations. DVC will probably never make financial sense for someone who enjoys staying at values and is able to take advantage of the "free dining plan" offers every once and awhile.

As you crunch the numbers, keep in mind that they may start to make more sense when you use a resale contract purchase price for your initial "investment". Even still, know that you are committing yourself to decades of maintenance fees and trips to Disney.

If you're ok with that, then continue to do more research until you feel comfortable. If that doesn't make sense for your situation, then I think you have your answer. Good luck making your decision!

 

[AJA]

It really is a great thing that you are learning all you can about DVC before you make a decision. Be sure you check out the resale market (and the limitations) and see if it makes sense for you.

I will say it took us 3 full years to make our decision. We travel to Orlando at least once a year, our daughter is 7 and has made 4 trips to DW, even DH loves Disney. Twice we've stayed on Disney property and not gone in the parks. We like to stay in Orlando and make day trips to both coasts. Orlando is a close enough drive for us that we don't worry about the price of flying (if we get a killer rate great, if not it's an easy drive ). -Even with ALL that info (that make owning DVC a plus) we went back and forth on if we should purchase or not, the next 30-48 years of rising maintenance fee's really need to be taken in to consideration as much or more than your original purchase price even if you're buying at the retail price.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's a timeshare and they really don't treat you like you are God's gift to WDW. In some cases, you are treated worse than the cash guests. No free dining, no discounts on rooms or MYW tickets. DVC members do get discounts on Annual Passes and can buy the Tables in Wonderland card just for being a member.

If they did have solid gold toilets in the villas, we would pay for them, plus their maintenance. Nothing is free in a timeshare.

 

[OldGrizzly57]

Financially you won't be able to make the numbers work unless you always stay in the deluxe resorts when you visit DW. We reached the point where we wanted to stay on property and in the deluxe resorts. At that point it was a "no brainer" that there were savings to be had by being members.

I frequently see people try to downplay the value of DVC and then compare it to the cost of staying in value and moderate accommodations. There is NO comparison between a stay in a Deluxe Resort and the values / moderates.

Beyond that.... RESALE!

Griz

 

[Dean]

Hey all,

My hubby and I were checking out the DVC club online. WOW! Not exactly chump change! Just wondered from your experiences, both good and bad, is this really worth the $20,000.00 (price of a car)? We have no kiddies so I am concerned this really wouldn't be in our best interest, just for those with families. What benefits do you get with being a DVC member? Do you get extra perks when you go to the parks that others do not get, special access, free stuff? What sets this kind of purchase aside from the typical stay at a Disney Deluxe resort or a timeshare for that matter?

I would say they should provide gold toilets in your bathrooms for the money you have spent. LOLOL

Please let me know how you feel about being a DVC member. Thank you so much.

DVC only makes sense if you'd go at least every other year or so, value staying on property, and would stay in deluxe options most of the time. In the past I have added that one must be light or neutral to weekends and that may change back in the future if there are reallocations. IMO, it also makes sense only if one can afford to pay cash. One will likely only realize a savings comparing a studio to a deluxe room or a 2 BR to 2 rooms.

 

[zavandor]

I frequently see people try to downplay the value of DVC and then compare it to the cost of staying in value and moderate accommodations. There is NO comparison between a stay in a Deluxe Resort and the values / moderates.

The comparison is that for what you would pay for a moderate you get a deluxe accommodation.
DVC is not about saving the most money. Last January I got a nice hotel room offsite for $70 a night, with hot breakfast included. If I compare DVC with that it really would not make any sense.
I bought DVC to upgrade my accommodation. I will end paying more than my cheap stays offsite, but I'll be able to enjoy resorts that I would never pay out of pocket.

 

[veritas]

The Better Half and I bought into DVC in 2004. We had been visiting every year since 2000. If you plan to visit every year or every other year it is a good deal and pays for itself fairly quickly. If you expect to visit sporadically, say every 4 years or so it probably wouldn't be worth it.

 

[standardgirl]

Hey all,

My hubby and I were checking out the DVC club online. WOW! Not exactly chump change! Just wondered from your experiences, both good and bad, is this really worth the $20,000.00 (price of a car)? We have no kiddies so I am concerned this really wouldn't be in our best interest, just for those with families. What benefits do you get with being a DVC member? Do you get extra perks when you go to the parks that others do not get, special access, free stuff? What sets this kind of purchase aside from the typical stay at a Disney Deluxe resort or a timeshare for that matter?

I would say they should provide gold toilets in your bathrooms for the money you have spent. LOLOL

Please let me know how you feel about being a DVC member. Thank you so much.

I don't know how long and how often of a vacation at a DVC resort you're thinking about. But even if you buy direct (which we did!), the starting point is less than $20k. It's been reported that you can now buy contracts as small as 50pts or 100pts direct.

One question worth considering is that - do you plan on having kids? With DVC prices getting more and more expensive each year, I bought this year in a good promotion. Like you, we have no kid at the moment, though we do plan on having them later down the road. We did a calculation and if we rent out the points for, let's say, the next 5 years and don't use them, then we would still be better off buying today than buying in 5 years time when we have kids. Of course, you cannot predict future DVC prices. If prices do fall, then we might lose out.

One other question worth asking yourself is - what's your alternative return on this initial investment? For me, I'm very risk adverse and therefore would not invest this money otherwise in any sort of equity market for the most part. This means that I'm happy if I can on average achieve around 5% interest rate. So, I did a calculation assuming that we would never use any DVC points and only rent them out, and depending on the assumptions of rental prices, etc, we would still break even at some point. In reality, we know we'll use the points ourselves from time to time anyway, so we know it's going to be a better deal.

At the end of the day, it all really comes down to your own personal situation. If you know how to work an Excel spreadsheet, that may give you some useful insights on whether purchasing DVC is the right decision for you financially.

 

[DenLo]

I too would suggest you consider buying resale to lower your initial expense. But as to your query about spending $20K for DVC worth it when you can buy a car for that amount? I would look at it this way, will you keep that car for 40 to 50 years? That's the length of a DVC contract. I've never kept a car longer than 14 years. But like others have posted, unless you plan to take a Disney vacation every 2 or 3 year or more frequently, then buying into DVC isn't worth it.