Dvc????????????????

[scousemouse36]

Can someone explain in laymans terms, the basics of dvc ownership, the more I read the more i get confused over points and use months,

If I want to take my family of 5 to wdw 3 to 4 times a year what would it cost e.t.c and is it better than buying a villa

Hope you dont think im a thick scouser lol

thanks

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Hi scousemouse36

I'll try and answer your question here briefly, as I have probably taken up a page or two on the community board.

You purchase points from Disney which last for 50 years or from a resaler which last approx 40 years.

The cost per point from Disney is approaching $95 whereas the cost from a resaler is around $70 - $75

You pay maintainence per point per year on this purchase of around $4.75 per point.

The points enable you to book a DVC resort between 7 and 11 months ahead (depending on home resorts), other Disney hotels, Disney cruise line and many other exchanges through II. If available rooms can be booked as close as 3 or 4 days away.

You can choose room size - a studio, one bedroom villa, two bedroom villa or grand villa. Studios & one bedrooms sleep 4, 2 bedrooms sleep 8 and grand villas sleep 12

The points required are dependant on size of room and locations.

You can book any length of stay from one day upwards again depending on how many points you have.

If you buy 200 points they are available to use every 12 months, although you can bank your points and borrow from the next year.

This system is VERY flexable.

This is the VERY basics of DVC and I am sure many others will add to it.

Any specific questions ask away.

David

 

[Pootle]

Hello scousemouse36

If you want to take your family to Florida 3 or 4 times a year you need to consider what the costs would be like to stay in quality accommodation at the times you are likely to visit. For the past few years I've been over three times a year on my points (300) but then I don't often do a full 2 weeks at a DVC resort - it's not normally the way we take our holidays.

David gave you very good information but additionally you need to consider that weekend nights (Friday and Saturday) use a lot more points. If we were doing a '2 week' stay then we would arrive on Saturday evening, stay the first night in an airport hotel and check in early on a Sunday morning. Then the following week, we would fly back on a Friday (not Saturday), arriving home Saturday morning thus giving DH time to recover before work on Monday. This has the extra benefit of avoiding an 'expensive' (in points) weekend night.

If you followed this pattern in September (one of the cheapest times) in a studio this would use 10 weekdays @ 8 points and the Friday and Saturday in the middle at 20 points each, giving a total of 120 points. This would be at Old Key West which is the cheapest in terms of points to use and maintenance fees. A one bedroom apartment would be 240 points at the same time. Note at peak holiday periods of Easter and Christmas, these figures almost double.

As David said though, the system is very flexible - we like a few nights at Disney's Vero Beach then over to the Gulf Coast to stay with friends and then back to Orlando to OKW. If this is your idea of holiday hell, and you want somewhere for a full 2 weeks three or four times a year, then you *will* find the DVC expensive.

But so is owning a villa. I've done plenty of research into this one over the years and have come to the conclusion that a) buying one is a very small part of the equation - the taxes and maintenance in addition to any mortgage do not make it a cheap option and b) there is a lot of competition amonst villa owners for business (if you need to rent out to help cover the costs). On the other hand, it may be an appreciating asset which could be just the right option for you.

I'm sure you'll get others adding their thoughts too, but I think you'll find that the vast majority of DVC owners are very happy with their purchase. 78% who buy in go on to add-on more points eventually.

My aim was to help, but I've just re-read my post and I might have added to your confusion. I do hope not

 

[Pootle]

I've just realised there are 5 of you, so unless one is an infant, you would need 2 studios or, more likely a 2 bedroom unit, which would push up those points needed even more.

In the example I gave above, a 2 bedroom unit for 12 nights (including 2 weekend nights only) would call for 328 points at OKW at the cheapest time of the year.

Must brush up my reading skills

 

[vernon]

In the Villa/DVC stakes I don't think it's possible to give an all covering "this is the better option" it very much depends on individual circumstances as to which is the better fit.

With a family of 5, in the short term, it will be difficult to use DVC at it's maximum efficiency. But you are in this for the "long haul" so you need to take the view of what your total commitment/requirement is going to be. As a rough rule of thumb for less than 3 weeks a year in Orlando DVC is going to be a cheaper option, both in initial outlay and on going costs. More than 7 weeks a year then a villa is almost certainly going to make more sense. If your plans for retirement would be to spend several months in the US then obviously a villa gives you a much more flexible and long term answer. In between 3-7 weeks a year then you have to take a lot more factors into consideration, would you holiday as just a couple where a hotel room would be adiquate, do you like to jaunt off at weekends to other places (Miami, Tampa, the Gulf or Atlantic coasts). With DVC you can simply check out the resort and check back in on the Sunday, with a house you'd still be "paying" for the accommodation even if you're not using it.

Putting it simply ( I think) a villa is a much larger commitment both financially and emotionally, you are liable for repairs and other on-going costs. DVC is much more containable and SHOULD be much easier to off load should your circumstances change. The upside of a villa is the possibilities it offers once you retire and could spend months in accomodation that is much more like a "real house" , DVC offers top quality accommodation, but you do pay a premium for "living" on Disney property, I tend to think that spending 4,5 or 6 weeks a year living on Disney property would lose a little of it's lustre and one would think that maybe a less ostentatious answer was the more prudent.

With £ at it's current high levels investing in the US is an attractive thought, but both options are putting you in the position of having a long term commitment to maintaining that property, with a house some of that can be covered if you rent out the property when you're not using it, but it's still likely that you'd have to send money over to cover costs. If £ retreated to say $1.2 for the pound every $1000 outlay you have that currently costs you £543 to cover would cost you £833.

 

[Bexx]

If I want to take my family of 5 to wdw 3 to 4 times a year what would it cost e.t.c and is it better than buying a villa

I personally would far rather put my money into DVC than have the responsibility of a villa. And don't forget that however hard you look, you are never going to find a villa that's actually situated on Disney property!! JMHO

 

[scousemouse36]

Thanks everyone

What I dont see is the advantage of DVC over just booking hotel accomadation in WDW or even off site every year.

I see the advantage of a villa, as having the flexibility and also an appreciating asset as oppopsed to just 'renting a room' in a dvc package.

Its good to hear lots of different views

Keep them coming if you can


Cheers

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Originally posted by scousemouse36
Thanks everyone

What I dont see is the advantage of DVC over just booking hotel accomadation in WDW or even off site every year.

Tha advantage of DVC over just booking hotels is, after your initial outlay of £ xxx has been paid, you pay nothing else for the next 50 years except your maintainence fees of $4.5 ish dollars per point per year.

i.e. after 4 to 5 years your accomodation in WDW has been paid for until 2054 ( if satatoga is purchased ) except your maintainence fees.

Also DVC is 5 star accomodation right in the heart of WDW. As has been said before you cannot, yet, purchase a villa on-site.

regards

David

 

[Pootle]

We had been having Florida holidays yearly for 7 years before we bought into DVC and for us it was the standard of accommodation that really did it.

In the early years, our son was young, we didn't have much money, and spent most of our time in the parks or touring. The accommodation just had to be clean and convenient. I couldn't go back to that way of thinking now, apart from the occasional night - I've been spoiled by DVC!

To get accommodation of comparable standards you have to be staying at a deluxe resort - and have you priced those? Even then, you do not get the kitchen facilities you get with DVC. I don't cook on holiday but it is good to be able to make breakfast and be able to keep drinks cool etc.

Some Comparisons

Beach Club (deluxe hotel)
value season $289,
holiday season $449 per room per night,
not including tax (I think this is about 11%).

Beach Club villas (DVC - same site) - dues only (no tax to pay)
value season: $50.16 Sun-Thurs, $91.96 Fri & Sat
holiday season $79.42 Sun-Thurs, $178.74 Fri & Sat

This is a very simple comparison and takes no account of the amount you have paid upfront - which will be thousands of pounds.


Over the last few years, with various friends I've also stayed off-site at a variety of Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Marriotts etc, and on-site at Port Orleans, Coronado Springs (both moderates) and the All Stars (value) and there is no comparison - the last 3 had nice surroundings and were on Disney property, but the rooms (IMHO) could have belonged to Days Inn. (Well okay, nicer, but similar). I've also been present when family rented a villa on Lindfields, which was very pleasant, and close to Disney - but still miles away.

If you can easily afford the Disney deluxe hotels - 2 rooms for your family with room service when you want it, or if you think you may not want to visit Florida regularly for years to come - then the DVC may not be for you.

 

[Richyams]

3 or 4 trips for how many days each?

I get the three bedroom GV at OKW for 12 nights and pay about $1,600 per year in dues, or about $150 per night.....we broke even a very long time ago.

You don't see the advantadge????

I would definitely visit the resorts first. The one and two bedroom units at SSR, VWL, BCV and BWV are tiny, unusable and worthless as far as I am concerned. Check out OKW to see what luxury WDW stays are all about.

I stay in a three bedroom, 2500 sq ft villa for $150 per night, I can get a hotel room for $200-300 per night.

 

[scousemouse36]

Hi Rich

We would intend to stay a minimum of 10 days and certainly in the year have a 3 weeker

Is dvc only good for short term stays ???

Cheers

 

[Richyams]

No, as a matter of fact, we stay 12 nights each year in an OKW GV. The weekend points are rough, but you can minimize them. We have 430 points and pay near $1600 in dues, really, sooner or later, you will only be paying dues. I figure I get a 2500 sq ft three bedroom villa for $150 per night.

Many people are cheap, they can't brong themselves to stay in the same room on the weekend that cost them near half the points the eveining before. If you look at your whole stay and average the points per night, its still a great deal.

The number and length of stays you are talking about do merit the consideration of an offsite house, there are many cool aspects of that, Florida residents passes, appreciation, very truly a 'home away from home'....it would probably cost less than DVC...but so would rooms at the All Stars.

What size room do you want? You may be first thinking a studio is what you are used to, you are a family of five, a two bedroom is needed for both following the rules and real comfort, we are only a family of three, we get the GV and bring guests, different guests each year. While a two bedroom would allow the kids to bring a friend, maybe even two, a GV or an offsite house would allow you to bring another couple and have all the dopey kids share the third bedroom.

Cheaper and financially sound, the off site house.

Truly carefree and extravagant vacations, 2,000 OKW points, $140,000 up front and some $8,000 in annual dues. If that's doable, the $8,000 in dues annually will be buying you WAY, WAY more than you caould get onsite through CRO.

Really, the money you spend on the house is in an appreciating asset, the money upfront into DVC will still be majorly recoverable for ten years, partially recoverable for many more years and worthless near the end.

Same thing with my Lincoln Navigator, I could have gotten a Kea station wagon, it would get me to and fro and would have cost less, I didn't.

Financially, the house is wiser, but 2,000 points is more fun.

 

[paulh]

as a rule of thumb if you would stay 2 weeks at a time in may june points cost average for all dvc is 200 points in standard studio. we got 200 points in 1999 cost then £7000 we worked out it would pay of after 4 visits including the dues for the first 4 years which on that amount of points is about £500 per year

we priced this againest the cost of staying at a moderate resort which is where we used to stay before so for the grand cost of £9000 we have had a 7 night cruise + 7 nights VWL+ 7 nights BCV+ 7 nights HH and a 11 night stay at BWV at christmas all on our points

If we had paid cash for these we would have paid a lot more and we probably not gone

So now as we are only paying dues we get 5 star accomadation (and disney 5 star is beter than the rest) for the cost of our dues each year

Paulh