Feedback needed for potential DVC member

[PixieTink0302]

We are trying to way the pros and cons and potentially make a decision before 1/16 and the prices go up. We have been doing research for about 2 weeks now ... reading a lot of posts & talked with a DVC guide but would like any feedback DVC members have on our situation.

We are in our late 20s with 2 boys (2 years and 2 months). We have taken a Disney trip every year for the last 3 but we are military and live in Alabama (driving distance) and not sure where we will end up next summer. We absolutely love Disney and would not mind going every year for the rest of our lives! We would focus on the 1 to 2 bedroom suites. It just seems so enticing to be able to have the kids go to bed and we stay up. to have a kitchen to save on meals & to be able to have a more leisurely vacation because we would be able to enjoy our accomadations. We are looking at the 3 available in Orlando (BLT, SSR & AKL). We would be able to put about $6,000 down and looking at about buying 75-100 pts to start. That would leave about 1,000-5,000 we would have finanaced. Or we could wait until our debt is completely paid off in about 5 years ... save money for a year then buy into DVC. (But we would most likely be taking vacation to see the mouse in those 5 years.) Plus, they are offering a deal for 2011's pts and if you have AKL as your home resort they are matching your pts as well.

We have a trip planned mid april for a week with a value family suite. So I figured we would get our money back in 5-7 trips if we joined. The DVC guide told me we could take our payment for our trip and put it towards our down payment and then we could use our pts in April .. also enticing!

How often do they offer incentives? Is it as good as a deal as I think it is? Or am I just getting sucked in by the pixie dust?

I feel like I'm rambling but any responses with YAY or NAY would be greatly appreciated so I can begin to bring my head out of the clouds if need be =)

THANKS SO MUCH!

 

[disneynutz]

Skip a vacation, save your money and pay cash for a resale contract. In the mean time, start reading and learning about the DVC.

It's nice to play at WDW, but building a nest egg and saving for a house and your kids education needs to be considered too.

Bill

 

[rlovew]

Getting the 2011 points now is part of any deal because no use year has hit there 2012 points yet- it should not be just for AKV. If you want a Feb use year than the end of January would be the end of this but you always get the years points if you sign before the use year starts- don't let them try to tell you it is a specail offer. The offer to take yous vacation money and use it towards DVC is also not a specail insentive- it is the same as if you canceled the trip to use DVC - you get your money back.

If you want to save money looking into resale is the way to go- if you need financing resale is a harder route to go but you could start with a small contract and always add on. You probably won't be able to get a resale and make reservations for April (you may not even be closed by April if you made a resale offer today) but you could either take that trip and not worry about the money you spent on it or you could cancel the trip and wait till you have a resale and reservation to take a trip.

Also if you would prefer a resort other than the ones they are actively selling you can buy it directly from Disney - they are all available although sometimes you have to wait if they don't have points in the use year you want right away.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you can afford to do a purchase with DVC and not resale I would do the DVC purchase. Resales are cheaper but if in the future you want to use the points for a cruise you can not use resale points for a cruise. I would buy what you can afford from DVC and then in the future if you need more points you can buy more from DVC.

As far as waiting till you are debt free. If you wait 5 years the price of DVC will increase in that 5 year period. If you can afford the DVC now without to much of a strain on your budget I would do it now. Remember in 5-7 years if you vacation every year using your points you should reach your ROI - AKA return on investment.

When we became members in 2003 I started keeping track of what our vacation would have cost us if we had paid cash. And its true in 5 years we reached our ROI point. Meaning in 5 years had we paid cash for every reservation it would have equaled what we paid for our 160 SSR contract plus the yearly dues for those 5 years. So its like vacationing for almost free after 5-7 years of being a member.


Do it if you can you won't be sorry.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you can afford to do a purchase with DVC and not resale I would do the DVC purchase. Resales are cheaper but if in the future you want to use the points for a cruise you can not use resale points for a cruise. I would buy what you can afford from DVC and then in the future if you need more points you can buy more from DVC.

As far as waiting till you are debt free. If you wait 5 years the price of DVC will increase in that 5 year period. If you can afford the DVC now without to much of a strain on your budget I would do it now. Remember in 5-7 years if you vacation every year using your points you should reach your ROI - AKA return on investment.

When we became members in 2003 I started keeping track of what our vacation would have cost us if we had paid cash. And its true in 5 years we reached our ROI point. Meaning in 5 years had we paid cash for every reservation it would have equaled what we paid for our 160 SSR contract plus the yearly dues for those 5 years. So its like vacationing for almost free after 5-7 years of being a member.


Do it if you can you won't be sorry.

Using DVC points for the cruise and other non-DVC options is an expensive way to use points. The small number of points the OP would be buying wouldn't even make a dent in the number of points needed for a cruise.

I'd venture a guess that resale contracts may even continue to go down, especially as some of the older resorts near their finish times.

OP, you are young, have two very young children, your life is uncertain with the military career right now. Rent a few times from a DVC member to try out the resorts and see if they are what you want.

DVC is a very expensive luxury.

 

[jagson]

Read the post on "what would make you sell?" on this mousecellaneous board to get info on the cons of buying DVC; most, like me, are very satisfied with our decisions to buy from DVC; but, get the cons of buying to balance out all the sugarcoated/ingratiating rhetoric the salesperson will feed you.

 

[wulfekamp]

Dvc is great we really enjoy our trips but it is a monthly payment. We were older when we bought and very secure. Only you can decide if its to much of a burden on your income. If you can afford it welcome to the club.

 

[hmire]

You could get a resale DVC for the amount you have. Look at the timeshare tore at the top. We are in the same boat as you, trying to decide if DVC is the best for us. We have a family of 5 (3 toddlers). We are 90% sure we are going to buy, but it will be resale. We need more points bc we are a family of 5 and will most need 1-2br rooms.

 

[disneydenisel]

We bought resale when our kids were 6 and 3, after we rented first from an owner. Wish I would have found out about it earlier and we would have bought in!

At the time, the resale prices were fairly close to the retail price (for BCV), so in retrospect it would have been MUCH easier to buy retail, put it on a credit card for points, have our points immediately, and have access to the previous year's points. In fact, I know for sure that it would have saved us money! And I wouldn't have had to wait for ROFR and all of that. But oh well, that was years ago and it doesn't matter now. We love our DVC ! Perfect for our family and we always get 2 bedrooms at BCV even though there are four of us. We love the space after a fun day at the parks !

I would highly recommend paying cash and not borrowing any money, so if you can even buy in with a small amount of points, that would be much better than paying interest. I actually sold my piano to help buy my DVC! That is how much I wanted the points and how much I didn't want to finance.

Sounds like DVC is the right thing for your family, and with all of your annual trips, you will definitely save money in the long run!

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

You could get a resale DVC for the amount you have. Look at the timeshare tore at the top. We are in the same boat as you, trying to decide if DVC is the best for us. We have a family of 5 (3 toddlers). We are 90% sure we are going to buy, but it will be resale. We need more points bc we are a family of 5 and will most need 1-2br rooms.

Ditto! You could easily pay cash for a 100 point contract resale if you looked around.

 

[JimMIA]

We have taken a Disney trip every year for the last 3 but we are military and live in Alabama (driving distance) and not sure where we will end up next summer.

In that case, I would hold off on any purchase until you know where you are going to be. I would not base a purchase decision on what you've done from Alabama unless you KNOW you're going to remain within driving distance for the foreseeable future.

Plus, they are offering a deal for 2011's pts and if you have AKL as your home resort they are matching your pts as well.

They're not giving you a thing. You would be buying in your 2011 Use Year and they are doing nothing more than giving you what you are paying for...as they are required to do by law.

I don't think there is much justification for buying direct at these high prices. Buy resale for half, and choose any resort except Aulani.

 

[a742246]

As others have said you can buy a 100 point contract for $6,000.00 on the resale market, today. I would do more research and I would consider renting points first before deciding on buying. Renting points costs about $10.00 a point and you would need between 10-20 points (no tax) per night depending on resort and day of the week.

 

[PixieTink0302]

Thank you all for the feedback! I was looking at the resales last night and you all are right about getting about 100 pts with the money we have. What are some companies you suggest to rent from? Want to make sure we have a company that is reputable! Is there a way while we are down in april to check out the rooms at a few resorts we are looking into? I really love the location of beach club and boardwalk which are only available for resale but wondering how the upkeep of the rooms are since they are a little older. Any feedback on SSR? Pts are going for around 60 on the resale mkt.

If we did do resale say on BLT which they say is selling out quickly on a small amount of pts now does that hold our spot? Can we add on directly through Disney or resale in the future?

Thanks you so much! You all have so much knowledge and it's nice to get it from others and not the company who sugar coats things!

 

[chalee94]

What are some companies you suggest to rent from? Want to make sure we have a company that is reputable!

david and the timeshare store are good options for renting. (david's ad is on the rent/trade board.)

keep in mind, though, that these are just brokers who are having individual DVC owners make reservations behind the scenes...

Is there a way while we are down in april to check out the rooms at a few resorts we are looking into?

BWV still has a model 2BR open on the boardwalk, so that is easy.

for BCV or other "sold-out" resorts, you are on your own. you can go to the front desk and ask if they have the time and a free room that they could show you...but if they are busy, you will be out of luck.

ask at a DVC kiosk at wdw (there are several hundred so you can't miss them) and you can either set up a tour with a salesman or find out when you can wander through the model rooms at SSR for resorts still being sold directly without much interference (i prefer this option).

If we did do resale say on BLT which they say is selling out quickly on a small amount of pts now does that hold our spot?

there will always be BLT pts available, both through DVC directly and through resales. don't worry about them running out...

you can still buy BCV or OKW directly through DVC even though they officially "sold out" a long time ago. likewise, plenty of resale contracts are still out there. BLT will be the same way...

Can we add on directly through Disney or resale in the future?

either way, yes. sometimes it's harder to find a matching use year month on a resale but the cost usually makes it worthwhile.

 

[TimandMellie]

I agree with JimMIA. Hold off until you know where you’re going to be. Purchasing DVC is a long term commitment to vacationing at a DVC resort (WDW…) and airfare could get expensive if you end up having to fly to Orlando every year. Rent a couple times and figure out which resort you like, then look for a resale.

We bought direct in September 2007 at our first meeting with a DVC guide – we got similar guide logic & looking back now I think we got sold. Don’t get me wrong, we love our membership…but there are better deals out there on the resale market.

Another thing to consider – your kids are young and AKL is the farthest resort from MK (20-30 min bus ride) – we are also in our late 20’s planning for kids and I would not choose AKL for my home resort. AKL is beautiful and seeing the animals from your room is awesome, but it is a hassle to get to the parks and DD from AKL.

T

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

We are currently buying resale through Fidelity Real Estate. So far the service has been great. The Timeshare Store, is also another reputable company that many have used and are very happy with.

 

[eliza61]

So we purchased our DVC when we were in our early 30's. Here was some of the reasonings.

1) We knew we would be going to disney for many, many years. We brought an 180 pt contract. It gives us enough for 6 nights in a 1 bedroom at BCV's in August when we usually travel. We do skip a year and go elsewhere and the number is small enough to comfortably roll over

2) a 1 bedroom is a must for us. we love the extra room. I also have 2 sons and though they were small when we purchased, both are now over 6 ft tall and hover around 230-260 lbs (they both play football ) We once tried the values and I almost committed a homicide just for the extra space.

3) we love the kitchen. I don't do a lot of cooking but one of my favorite ways to enjoy disney is to wake up in the morning and everyone can have a great breakfast without the rush to get to a restaurant.

4) I can't help you with the money part. We payed cash for 1/2 our points and financed the remaining over 2 years. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not a follower of Dave Ramsey. I have financed things before and will do in the future so I have no burning need to be 100% debt free. I think it was about 5K. That was comfortable for me.

Cons.

My biggest con is with Disney itself. I have seen a decline in the level of quality and service and it disturbs me. While I love my home resort (BCV's) and I also love the WL. Disneys parks and especially their restaurants are on a downhill slide.

 

[PixieTink0302]

We are travelling inmid April to wdw. If we were to rent do you think it is too short ofawindow to either cancel our wdw resort accommodations or to rent points?

Does Disney allow an infant in the 1 br with a pack n play? In our budget to rent would be a 1 br that sleeps 5. Family that is going consists of myself, husband, mom, dad, 2 yearold and a 5 month old.

 

[mjc2003]

We are travelling inmid April to wdw. If we were to rent do you think it is too short ofawindow to either cancel our wdw resort accommodations or to rent points?

Does Disney allow an infant in the 1 br with a pack n play? In our budget to rent would be a 1 br that sleeps 5. Family that is going consists of myself, husband, mom, dad, 2 yearold and a 5 month old.

I would think it's going to be virtually impossible to find a week via point rental during mid-april; however, you can always have them look. MAYBE SSR or OKW, outside shot at AKV, no chance at BCV, BLT or most of the others.
As for putting that many people in a 1 BR, it's going to be very tight....if it is even allowed. Remember, you are renting a reservation so the reservation is essentially somebody else's; if you break the rules, that falls on them. Just something to keep in mind. I know they don't "count" infants, but I'm not sure how that applies to 2 children under 3. Somebody else might shed some light on this?

The one benefit of buying direct would be that they have a way of "finding" rooms for new members who buy direct. So, you might be able to use the points towards a trip in April if you buy direct--maybe. That said, if your sole intention is to use the points at WDW, buy resale. The $6000 you have already would cover the costs, you would not have to finance and you can get more for your money. The usage options you would lose are negligible, and not really a good return for the money anyway.

Good luck. I agree with Jim, wait until you know if you are going to be transferred before making a final decision unless you are committed to traveling to WDW regardless of where you end up.

 

[mjc2003]

My biggest con is with Disney itself. I have seen a decline in the level of quality and service and it disturbs me. While I love my home resort (BCV's) and I also love the WL. Disneys parks and especially their restaurants are on a downhill slide.

Maybe it had something to do with the margaritas or beautiful weather, but on our most recent trip my wife and I both found the food to be appreciably better, whereas over the previous two trips we found it to be subpar at best (especially for the money).

The parks suffer from what I call the "Legacy Affect". People want them to stay the same so they bring their kids on the same rides they went on as children. As a result, they have been passed by by many of the local non-WDW parks (Universal, SeaWorld). However, with the Fantasy Land expansion and the Avatar World at AK, I think in a few years we are going to find them much improved. Just my take.