Exploring becoming a DVC member

[ChiaraA]

We just finished our 2nd Disney cruise last week and are seriously considering becoming DVC members. The quality that Disney demonstrates repeatedly is exceptional and it would be nice to know that our future vacations will enjoy this level of service. I was wondering if current members would answer some questions to help us decide if this is the right thing for our family:

1. What do you wish you knew about DVC before you became a member?

2. What are positive things that you have been surprised about being a DVC member?

3. Have you had any disappointments with being a DVC member?

It's overwhelming thinking of all the options and points but I think if I get some honest feedback about the program it will help make the decision easier.
Thanks for all your help!

 

[Crystal_27]

There are some great threads on the DVC Operations Board (just above this Board) about various questions/concerns/FAQs which would be very helpful to you. I think that since DVC is a substantial purchase, you should really take the time to do some serious research on (i) whether DVC fits your needs; and (ii) what type of contract you want (i.e., how many points, home resort, maintenance fees, etc.). Also keep in mind that you have the option of buying into DVC via the resale market (much cheaper, but your options as to the newer resorts (BLT, VGC) are very very limited) or buying direct through Disney (currently selling BLT, SSR, AKV, and VGC). Given that you receive a 4 month "home" booking advantage, most, including myself, recommend that you buy where you want to stay. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that the response to your first and second questions should be "nothing" if you do your research about DVC - - there should be no negative surprises or perks that you don't know about that would impact your decision.

That said, I'm a fairly new member (bought into BLT in March) and have been researching DVC for many years. However, given that we typically stay on the monorail, we held off on purchasing DVC because we were anticipating a monorail DVC opening at some point. I'm glad we waited for the right fit - - I would have been disappointed had we jumped the gun and bought into a non-monorail DVC.

Generally, I think that, while DVC is obviously marketed (and marketed well) to all Disney vacation-goers, there is a specific group that DVC really works for; namely, those who want to vacation at Disney every year or every other year, those who prefer to stay at Deluxe resorts, those who can afford the steep buy-in and annual maintenance fees, and those who want to continue to vacation at Disney for 35-50 years. You will see that DVC is partnered with RCI which allows you to trade your points for other non-DVC destinations. However, the reality is that if you don't wish to vacation at Disney, DVC probably isn't for you.

I hope that my response has at least helped give you a good starting point. These Boards are full of great information and make sure to post any question you may have, no matter how trivial - - you're bound to receive many helpful replies. Good luck!

 

[chalee94]

1. What do you wish you knew about DVC before you became a member?

I read the DVC boards pretty thoroughly before ponying up the cash, so no complaints here. I made sure I understood things like “use year” and what sorts of leeway DVC had in making changes to the program (like re-allocating points, as they did for 2010). I read many random forum posts just to see what issues current DVC members were having, so I could evaluate whether such problems were likely to be an issue for me.

You’re investing thousands of dollars in a real estate transaction. Please take your time to understand the risks and don’t just assume things will pan out wonderfully. If you want to visit wdw on an annual or every-other-year basis while staying onsite at a DVC resort and can plan well in advance (at least 6 months, preferably closer to a year) – DVC is definitely worth investigating.

If you want to buy in to trade out for cruises or other locations…or you prefer to make reservations on shorter notice (3-4 months)…you may wind up disappointed.

2. What are positive things that you have been surprised about being a DVC member?

Not many surprises either way.

I expected to have more trouble moving to certain non-home resorts at 7 months out, so I have been happy when they came through (and not disappointed when they haven’t).

Getting a monorail DVC resort in Bay Lake Towers was a pleasant “surprise.” (And I hope DVC-Hawaii continues as planned.)

3. Have you had any disappointments with being a DVC member?

While I knew DVC could re-allocate points, I was disappointed when it was announced.

Not much to complain about, though. I feel like I’ve been getting excellent value for the money spent.

 

[disneynutz]

Our only complaint is that we wish that Disney would put as much effort into maintaining the resorts and member service as they put into making a sale.

I suppose that this is typical in business, but we hold Disney to a higher expectation.

 

[emckinnon]

1. Read up on the policies, understand the point system and select the amount that makes sense for your planned usage, and really understand banking points and using them outside of Disney rsorts.

2. It's Disney, so they really do things right.

3. None yet.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

1. What do I wish I would have known?

I wish I had realized all of the extra costs that would be associated with being a DVC member. We now go at least once a year, but we are more likely to fly, get the full dining plan, than we were before. We are only spending slightlly less money per trip, and going on more trips. However, the trips are absolutely divine.

2. Positive surprises - I'm really kind of surprised how much more we enjoy Walt Disney World. It is so nice to take the time to appreciate the parks and the whole resort. We enjoy just walking around and BEING in the environment. Plus, if we miss a favorite attraction...its no big deal...we'll see it next time.

DVC not only increased quantity of trips, but also quality of trips.


3. Disappointments - I would have really liked being able to share DVC with family and friends. They just don't get it, and sometimes think we are nuts! Plus, paying others hotel rooms can make for a strange dynamic. My non-Disney family thinks we are nuts, but I have new things to talk about with my few DIsney loving friends.

 

[wdrl]

1. What do you wish you knew about DVC before you became a member?

I didn't know that Disney offers a discount/incentive if a new member is referred by an existing member. Although we don't know anyone who is already a DVC member, I would have asked someone on this board for a referral before we bought.

My advise to anyone considering a DVC purchase is to 1) spend the time browsing this board - it contains a wealth of info and insights about DVC. And 2) be knowledgeable of the "fine print" about being a member. For example, remember that DVCers don't get mousekeeping until the 4th day of your stay; Disney has the right to reallocate the point charges for a particular room, which they are doing for 2010 and probably will do again in the future; Disney can suspend banking and/or borrowing of points (I don't think that has ever been done, but who knows what may happen in the future?).

One final thing: if I was going to buy a larger number of points, say 320 points, I might think about getting two or more smaller contracts. One reason is that it appears it is easier to resell smaller contracts than larger ones. Another reason is that if you intend to let your children inherit these contracts, you can give each child a smaller contract, rather than having them share one big contract.