Every other year stay with 50 pts/year

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Hey, we're talking about $4500 buy in and $300 per year in maintenance fees. I bet they can handle it.

Sometimes people decide that they can afford 50 points not because they are flat broke but because they are good money managers and want to pay cash.

If its not too far to drive and you can afford the tickets...you will be ok. Believe it or not...you'll have a pretty good time even if you can't buy tickets. My sisters family loves to swim and swears they could make a vacation out of the Beach Club Villas. The studios have good sized refrigerators. You wouldn't be the first people to pull out bologna sandwiches and eat overlooking the rivers of America and the riverboat.

 

[crisi]

Hey, we're talking about $4500 buy in and $300 per year in maintenance fees. I bet they can handle it.

Sometimes people decide that they can afford 50 points not because they are flat broke but because they are good money managers and want to pay cash.

If its not too far to drive and you can afford the tickets...you will be ok. Believe it or not...you'll have a pretty good time even if you can't buy tickets. My sisters family loves to swim and swears they could make a vacation out of the Beach Club Villas. The studios have good sized refrigerators. You wouldn't be the first people to pull out bologna sandwiches and eat overlooking the rivers of America and the riverboat.

Or maybe they can't. I'm not betting either way - I have no idea of "we can afford more points in a few years" means "in a few years, I'll come into my seven million dollar trust fund" or if it means "in a few years, I'll have enough 3% raises that we will have room in our budget." And frankly, I don't want to know I'm just saying - as a parent to a soon to be parent - those little buggers are way more expensive than you think that they are going to be. Think this through. If indeed they are good money managers, they already have, and I've simply typed advice that might be useful to someone else.

 

[Dean]

Hey, we're talking about $4500 buy in and $300 per year in maintenance fees. I bet they can handle it.

Sometimes people decide that they can afford 50 points not because they are flat broke but because they are good money managers and want to pay cash.

If its not too far to drive and you can afford the tickets...you will be ok. Believe it or not...you'll have a pretty good time even if you can't buy tickets. My sisters family loves to swim and swears they could make a vacation out of the Beach Club Villas. The studios have good sized refrigerators. You wouldn't be the first people to pull out bologna sandwiches and eat overlooking the rivers of America and the riverboat.

I agree with Crisi, we really don't know. In general terms, most people can't. We know this because most people can't handle where they are already. My personal definition of being able to handle such (able to afford it) is no consumer debt and living within one's means. Put another way, being able to make the payments does not equal being able to handle it.

 

[Kcags]

Thanks everyone for the input. Unfortunately we live in PA so flying is a must. And I assume I can afford more later because I will have my student loans payed off which are a hefty bill. I work in medical and make a very good salary, but my hubby is part time right now. We can afford the costs of a DVC 50 pt contract now. Although I don't know future costs of children, we are extreme money managers. Although AKL is not close to MK, I am still thinking it is my best bet because we can stay there for a week or more on 2 years worth of points. That would be ideal for us. The transportation to the parks does not seem like a big deal to me. It is part of going to WDW. Thanks again for the input. I am surprised to see how many people say it may not be a fit. We would love to go to WDW often and stay deluxe. A small contract after the baby seems like a good start to me.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Thanks everyone for the input. Unfortunately we live in PA so flying is a must. And I assume I can afford more later because I will have my student loans payed off which are a hefty bill. I work in medical and make a very good salary, but my hubby is part time right now. We can afford the costs of a DVC 50 pt contract now. Although I don't know future costs of children, we are extreme money managers. Although AKL is not close to MK, I am still thinking it is my best bet because we can stay there for a week or more on 2 years worth of points. That would be ideal for us. The transportation to the parks does not seem like a big deal to me. It is part of going to WDW. Thanks again for the input. I am surprised to see how many people say it may not be a fit. We would love to go to WDW often and stay deluxe. A small contract after the baby seems like a good start to me.

These kinds of threads come along frequently and the veterans (and I don't yet include myself in that illustrious group) make an effort at making sure that the OP and anyone reading the post understands what buying a timeshare is all about and the long-term impact of that decision.

In your posts, there have been some red flags that have led a few to the conclusion that DVC might not be right for you . . . yet. Even this post has some concerning information about your current life situation, but only you know what your financial comfort level is currently. Some would suggest that before buying DVC, you should get those hefty student loan payments out of the way. You should definitely be maximizing contributions to your retirement before buying a timeshare. Certainly, you plan on starting a 529 college savings plan for your baby next year (PA has a nice tax deduction for the 529). Do you have 3-6 months of earnings socked away in case your work in medical job suddenly goes away (two health care systems in my region have recently announced over 500 jobs being eliminated in each system).

On a lighter note, AKV is a great resort with a nice range of room types and point options. Keep in mind that the value studios are usually booked up right at the 11 month mark, so unless you are able to plan that far in advance, you may want to use the standard studios as your reference point. And, even if you can plan 11 months in advance, those value studios are often difficult to get. I have one reserved for next year and got it by "walking" the reservation. And you are right, the trasportation from AKV is not that big of a deal. We have always been happy with it.

As I said before, 2016 is a long way off and AKV contracts (even small ones) are usually in good supply. You should at least put off spending this kind of money until you get through that first 6 months of motherhood, just so you have a better idea of you financial needs post-baby. DVC isn't going anywhere.

 

[bakerworld]

Thanks everyone for the input. Unfortunately we live in PA so flying is a must. And I assume I can afford more later because I will have my student loans payed off which are a hefty bill. I work in medical and make a very good salary, but my hubby is part time right now. We can afford the costs of a DVC 50 pt contract now. Although I don't know future costs of children, we are extreme money managers. Although AKL is not close to MK, I am still thinking it is my best bet because we can stay there for a week or more on 2 years worth of points. That would be ideal for us. The transportation to the parks does not seem like a big deal to me. It is part of going to WDW. Thanks again for the input. I am surprised to see how many people say it may not be a fit. We would love to go to WDW often and stay deluxe. A small contract after the baby seems like a good start to me.

We're from PA too - while it's not my preferred option - we have twice now and plan again in March 2014 to DRIVE . The plus is you drive 12 hours (yes, I know it's long) to DVC Hilton Head and 6 hours to Disney, stay for 7 days and reverse. DVC Hilton Head in March mid-week is 10pts/night.

Just something to file away in the memory banks if air is too outrageous.

 

[bakerworld]

SSR & OKW are fairly easy to get at the 7 month window. The studios at BLT are SMALL!!

I obviously like BWV.

Wilderness Lodge would be the preferred but it's so hard to find those points on re-sale, especially a small contract.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We always stay in the studios and they are an excellent use of points.
We would all be in one room if we were in a hotel and it is bigger than a value or moderate room.
I would never use a bathtub in a hotel---YUCK! There are many meals you can make without an oven or stove and we use the community laundry if we want to wash clothes.
You can stay twice as many nights in a studio as a one bedroom and they hold the same amount of people. We do not go to WDW to sit in the room.
It is perfect for sleeping and showering and the resorts are nicer and more convenient to the parks than a value or mod.
I think too that in future years you can expect increases in salary to allow for more points.
Buy now with cash and the amount you would spend on a hotel will easily cover your dues each year.
Congrats on baby!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We always stay in the studios and they are an excellent use of points.
We would all be in one room if we were in a hotel and it is bigger than a value or moderate room.
I would never use a bathtub in a hotel---YUCK! There are many meals you can make without an oven or stove and we use the community laundry if we want to wash clothes.
You can stay twice as many nights in a studio as a one bedroom and they hold the same amount of people. We do not go to WDW to sit in the room.
It is perfect for sleeping and showering and the resorts are nicer and more convenient to the parks than a value or mod.
I think too that in future years you can expect increases in salary to allow for more points.
Buy now with cash and the amount you would spend on a hotel will easily cover your dues each year.
Congrats on baby!

 

[a742246]

Thanks everyone for the input. Unfortunately we live in PA so flying is a must. And I assume I can afford more later because I will have my student loans payed off which are a hefty bill. I work in medical and make a very good salary, but my hubby is part time right now. We can afford the costs of a DVC 50 pt contract now. Although I don't know future costs of children, we are extreme money managers. Although AKL is not close to MK, I am still thinking it is my best bet because we can stay there for a week or more on 2 years worth of points. That would be ideal for us. The transportation to the parks does not seem like a big deal to me. It is part of going to WDW. Thanks again for the input. I am surprised to see how many people say it may not be a fit. We would love to go to WDW often and stay deluxe. A small contract after the baby seems like a good start to me.

It sounds like you should be fine with a 50 point contract (if you can pay cash for it) . Remember if something happens and you can't afford it or need money, you can always sell it.

PS. Before you buy, understand use year. I would also try to look for a fully loaded contract which may be hard to find in this market. Good Luck!

 

[DenLo]

We stay in studios all of the time, but we're are only two adults. We much prefer the studios over any value or moderate and even deluxe rooms because I like having a couch in the room versus a second bed. And we prefer a queen bed.

We could not afford regular deluxe room vacations. DVC allows us to move from moderate and sometimes value resort vacations to deluxe resorts that are often attached to regular Disney deluxe resorts which we really prefer.

I think staying in a DVC resort is great even in a studio. But if you prefer to vacation at deluxe resorts, DVC villas are not a step up. And some people that stay in suites might consider them a step down. From my experience with a Disney Deluxe resort the rooms are similar. But the addition of a kitchenette is great. And we have access to washer and dryer at no charge. The 1, 2 and 3 BRs have a washer and dryer in the room.

 

[Mississippian]

If I were only going to stay in studios, I wouldn't buy DVC at all.

DVC studios have a queen bed and a full pullout - I'd rather have two queen beds for our current travel configuration.

DVC rooms do not get daily housekeeping - a lot of people don't miss it - I do.

DVC rooms are really not any cheaper than booking a moderate. They will save you money over booking a deluxe - but don't go into it expecting a deluxe hotel room. The locations are good (although often the DVC rooms are the poor stepsisters to the location of the resort rooms), but the rooms aren't as refreshed as often and the furnishing isn't as nice.

DVC - as was said above - requires a commitment of cash upfront and then a commitment of cash every year to pay for dues.

DVC has pretty severe use and cancellation policies - you have to bank your points by the deadline or lose them, you have to use them before they expire or lose them. And if you cancel less than 30 days out, your points become very difficult to use.

Of course, other people have other opinions - but I suggest that you rent points and stay in a DVC studio before making the investment to make sure you understand the difference between the hotel side of the business and the timeshare side. Make sure you understand what your obligations are on banking, borrowing and cancellation - especially with an every other year plan.

Crisi,

I usually agree with your posts, but I could not disagree more with your view of studios. Yes, the quality of most studios is on a par with the typical moderate resort, but the fact is that they are located in a Deluxe DVC property. For BLT, BWV and BCV that means you can walk to the parks. You have access to much nicer restaurants and bars.

One problem with DVC is that people buy in and then want to trade up. So the studio that would have been just fine if they were paying cash is suddenly replaced for the luxury of a 1 bedroom. If the OP is serious about keeping costs down and staying in studios, her plan to stay every other year is a good one. As her children get older she might want to go to the 1 BR. She can then stay every three years by both borrowing and banking.

I do agree wholeheartedly with your suggestion that the OP rent points and stay at a couple of the DVC resorts. She might even try to put together a resort-tour trip, where she gets someone to rent her one-night stays at three different resorts. I would suggest OKW, BWV, and BCV, but that's just me. Don't even bother going to the parks and the total cost should be minimal.

 

[Dean]

Crisi,

I usually agree with your posts, but I could not disagree more with your view of studios. Yes, the quality of most studios is on a par with the typical moderate resort, but the fact is that they are located in a Deluxe DVC property. For BLT, BWV and BCV that means you can walk to the parks. You have access to much nicer restaurants and bars.

One problem with DVC is that people buy in and then want to trade up. So the studio that would have been just fine if they were paying cash is suddenly replaced for the luxury of a 1 bedroom. If the OP is serious about keeping costs down and staying in studios, her plan to stay every other year is a good one. As her children get older she might want to go to the 1 BR. She can then stay every three years by both borrowing and banking.

I do agree wholeheartedly with your suggestion that the OP rent points and stay at a couple of the DVC resorts. She might even try to put together a resort-tour trip, where she gets someone to rent her one-night stays at three different resorts. I would suggest OKW, BWV, and BCV, but that's just me. Don't even bother going to the parks and the total cost should be minimal.

Studios are what they are and from a cost standpoint, likely the best potential savings within the system. However, I believe they left a lot of potential on the table with the studios. Comparing to Marriott's Grande Vista, the studios there have a King and pull out plus a much more functional kitchenette than does DVC with an otherwise similar size and setup. Thinking of other studios we've stayed in, I think the one's at DVC are among the most spartan functionally. The studios at Wyndham PCB are much larger and have a much nicer kitchen, the same is true of a number of Caribbean, MX and Marriott studios we've seen. I'm not complaining but I do think they could have done better. Some of this was fixable on hard refurbishments and they've chosen not to.

 

[crisi]

Crisi,

I usually agree with your posts, but I could not disagree more with your view of studios. Yes, the quality of most studios is on a par with the typical moderate resort, but the fact is that they are located in a Deluxe DVC property. For BLT, BWV and BCV that means you can walk to the parks. You have access to much nicer restaurants and bars.

One problem with DVC is that people buy in and then want to trade up. So the studio that would have been just fine if they were paying cash is suddenly replaced for the luxury of a 1 bedroom. If the OP is serious about keeping costs down and staying in studios, her plan to stay every other year is a good one. As her children get older she might want to go to the 1 BR. She can then stay every three years by both borrowing and banking.

I do agree wholeheartedly with your suggestion that the OP rent points and stay at a couple of the DVC resorts. She might even try to put together a resort-tour trip, where she gets someone to rent her one-night stays at three different resorts. I would suggest OKW, BWV, and BCV, but that's just me. Don't even bother going to the parks and the total cost should be minimal.

While I like the locations (and I'd say the locations of SOME of the DVC resorts are deluxe - but if you stay at OKW or SSR you are losing that), and restaurants (although we take cabs all over the world to eat, no need for the restaurant to be near our resort), I think the disadvantages (for us, reduced housekeeping, cancellation policies, sofabeds, and the commitment) mean I would be very unhappy with a DVC purchase for studio stays. Other people disagree - and if the sofabeds don't bother you, you like the reduced housekeeping, you don't worry about cancellation or the commitment, those won't be factors - but to me, the savings isn't worth something I can get for cash in what I think is a far superior version.

 

[SarahInMN]

Studios are what they are and from a cost standpoint, likely the best potential savings within the system. However, I believe they left a lot of potential on the table with the studios. Comparing to Marriott's Grande Vista, the studios there have a King and pull out plus a much more functional kitchenette than does DVC with an otherwise similar size and setup. Thinking of other studios we've stayed in, I think the one's at DVC are among the most spartan functionally. The studios at Wyndham PCB are much larger and have a much nicer kitchen, the same is true of a number of Caribbean, MX and Marriott studios we've seen. I'm not complaining but I do think they could have done better. Some of this was fixable on hard refurbishments and they've chosen not to.

Agreed on the studio issue. For us, buying into DVC for the studio would not be a good "value" - we'd rather just pay cash for a deluxe room. We think the value in DVC (for us) is in the 1 bedroom - king bed, relatively huge bathroom, full kitchen (love being able to cook breakfast in while we get ready), and in room laundry.

I think the disadvantages (for us, reduced housekeeping, cancellation policies, sofabeds, and the commitment) mean I would be very unhappy with a DVC purchase for studio stays.

I like the advanced booking/commitment - for us, having DVC means we don't have to play the discount game of watching for discounts, calling into disney, getting the discount applied. For us, booking at 11 months is advantageous with my work schedule. As for housekeeping, at first, we figured that we would just pay for extra housekeeping. We've never done that and just prefer reduced housekeeping. It is nice to have the option though!

 

[geraghty]

I like your strategy. When you listen to most owners, who paid cash, they all say the same thing. "I wish we had bought earlier". Add me to that list. I took two trips over three years, while I tried to do the math and figure out how it made financial sense to pay thousands of dollars upfront for a semi-deluxe room that I will pay hundreds of more dollars in mf to stay in every year. The math never works out until you figure what it's worth for location. We always stayed at moderates, but ate dinner at deluxe resorts. It's time consuming after going to a park, taking a bus to your resort to rest and then take a bus back to a park, then take a bus or boat or monorail to a resort for dinner. For us location is worth the extra money and when we want to go, one night renting a studio at BLT through Disney would be more than we pay in mfs for our contract. Without DVC we could not afford, or justify the cost, to stay where we want.

We bought for one reason. We wanted to stay where we eat and play. Our schedule is not as flexible as most because my dw is a school teacher. I don't have the ability to go when rooms are discounted. For us, airline tickets are cheapest if I buy them over six months out so we usually lock in our dates a year in advance. We bought a 100 point contract at BLT. We plan on going at Spring Break on years when Easter does not conflict and fall break if or when we have extra points.

We do not have any debt except for our house and were able to pay cash. If you can say that, than you can afford it. Because you don't need the points right away your in a good position. My advice would be to use the next year to put yourself in a financial position to be able to pay the five to ten thousand dollars where it does not hurt to write the check.

The you have to go to Disney every year for it make financial sense is bs. The savings is the same if you buy half the points and go every other year. You will have a lot of new expenses so tracking the market and waiting a year to see your true costs would be a good idea. Once you have the money saved I would not wait to start making offers. It will take a while to get the small contract at the right price. Plus if you don't need the points right away you can bank them or rent them.

Hopefully resale prices will come back down so you can save a little money. Plus were looking to add on then too.

 

[Dean]

Agreed on the studio issue. For us, buying into DVC for the studio would not be a good "value" - we'd rather just pay cash for a deluxe room. We think the value in DVC (for us) is in the 1 bedroom - king bed, relatively huge bathroom, full kitchen (love being able to cook breakfast in while we get ready), and in room laundry.

We prefer the larger units too for a number of reasons but the 1 BR is likely the poorest value in the system from a $$$ standpoint.

 

[SarahInMN]

We prefer the larger units too for a number of reasons but the 1 BR is likely the poorest value in the system from a $$$ standpoint.

Agreed in terms of monetary value but for us the value in the 1BR is non-monetary - more space, better amenities as I've mentioned. It's all about what is valuable to one person vs another.

 

[Dean]

Agreed in terms of monetary value but for us the value in the 1BR is non-monetary - more space, better amenities as I've mentioned. It's all about what is valuable to one person vs another.

While I would agree that there are costs and "value", I feel strongly that unless owning DVC makes financial sense, it's unreasonable to own. To me that means one has to be able to afford it no matter the rest of the analysis. My view of afford it is no consumer debt, not financed, live within one's means including the other items that should be considered (retirement, college, etc). Assuming one meets those qualifications, then one needs to look at the real costs including opportunity costs and what one would likely pay using other means to vacation. For many that might include considering off property, Disney hotels of varying levels and paying cash for DVC directly as well as renting from a member. For some it might also include RCI exchanging. YMMV.

 

[SarahInMN]

While I would agree that there are costs and "value", I feel strongly that unless owning DVC makes financial sense, it's unreasonable to own. To me that means one has to be able to afford it no matter the rest of the analysis. My view of afford it is no consumer debt, not financed, live within one's means including the other items that should be considered (retirement, college, etc).

I would agree completely with that statement!