General Feeling of DVC membership

[AmyDek]

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like for the most part people don't seem entirely thrilled with their DVC memberships. There's a lot of talk of resale, issues with reservations, resorts being unavailable, lots of issues with member services, talk of how savings are lost when you travel to Disney so much, and a general feeling of Disney being in it to make money and not to make DVC members happy.

Is this the general consensus? I appreciate all of the honesty, I just can't figure out if people enjoy their member ships or feel trapped or treated like second rate citizens with the system.

Thanks!

 

[dmunsil]

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like for the most part people don't seem entirely thrilled with their DVC memberships.

I think people are on net quite happy with their DVC membership. It's just that if you go to WDW often enough it loses some of its magic, and you see better that Disney is a corporation that is interested in making money. Most of the time, Disney does a good job of making money by providing people with unique and special experiences and everyone is happy. Sometimes, it's possible to feel like you're being nickeled and dimed.

And it's not as interesting to talk about everything that's going right. People will always post more about things that are going wrong.

 

[chalee94]

i get a bad feeling when people use the word "membership." it's not really a club so much as a purchase of a long-term real estate interest.

i am very pleased with owning DVC. i enjoy it for what it is. i have done my homework and have reasonable expectations about what i can typically book and how the system works.

but i would never want someone to buy into DVC thinking they would be a member of an exclusive club...that disney will treat them extra special...that they can book anywhere in the system (or trade out through RCI) on short notice just like a hotel...that it's an investment that will appreciate over time.

a number of experienced posters here will try to knock the pixie dust off from potential new buyers and make them think about whether DVC will be a good long-term fit after their kids are older...or whether financing a luxury item at 12% or more (or putting their home on the line) is a wise decision...or whether their ability to plan in advance is out of whack with their expectations (like those who say "i only want to stay in BLT-standard view villas but i can only book 3-4 months out - should i buy DVC?").

the DVC salespeople are usually happy to tell you it's a good move no matter what - but i'm glad the DIS has posters that don't just rubber stamp people's suggestions...

 

[Disney Spaz]

I love my membership although there are issues like with anything. I used to own at AKV and BLT during the Jim Lewis years. I loved my membership and my trips. Did I spend more then I would have on trip because I went more often for longer, yes but I wouldn't give up any of those trips. The memories were so worth it.

Then due to a major family change I had to get rid of my points. It was hard for me but DH promised we would buy back in one day. Fast forward and we bought back in at VGF. We had looked at SSR resale since that is DH's favorite resort but he knows what GF meant to me and when that came open we chose to buy direct but get less points.

When our family crisis occurred just months after buying BLT direct and I realized we couldn't afford even the MF and our AKV was worth less then we paid for it I did feel trapped. I had not researched enough before buying in and both contracts were 200 points which made them more difficult to get rid of. In the end we were fine but learned a very expensive lesson in financing, the importance of UY and breaking up contracts into more re-sellable sizes.

I tell you all this because I love DVC but see it for what it is, a timeshare. DVC/DVD is in it to make money, to have us commit to years of spending our money at their vacation destination. However we absolutely love our membership and look forward to years of sitting on the balcony at the VGF and watching the world go by. I don't feel like a second class citizen but there is always room for improvement. All things considered I think you have to remember that nobody and no company can make all of the people happy all of the time. Just my 2 cents.

 

[DougEMG]

I love owning and using my DVC points, but then I had a pretty good idea of exactly what it was I was buying, so no false expectations. Any potential owner should ensure they fully understand what it is they are buying and why they are buying it.

 

[jerseyduke]

First realize, Disney is a Company, and their goal is to make money. Now to do this, you need some level of customer satisfaction. Disney, offering a pretty unique experience, can probably have a lower level of satisfaction then say a regular resort.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect. DVC is some things, and it is NOT some things.

I personally would love it if I could book 2 or 3 days only a few weeks out and use DVC...that is not an option. It is for advance planning.

I get a kick out of the saving money/not saving money because you go more often concept, because to me they are the same. If you do not go more often as a DVC owner, than you would otherwise, you will save money. However, most DVC members LOVE the world, like myself. I will save money...which will enable me to go more!

Resale will always happen. Some will realize it is not for them. Other's have changes in their lives.

Look at home many on this board own at multiple resorts!

 

[Minniesgal]

I love my membership. It is something I have wanted since 1998 and almost bought in 2006 but didn't. My husband finally persuaded me to buy it in 2012. We have three children although almost grown now and I always feel guilty spending on things I want especially expensive ones somehow it feel irresponsible to out me first. Well my husband said you have talked about this for so long, we can afford it now just do it already. I had been thinking about it so long I knew what I wanted and how to use it so we bought straight away. We did an I Italy contract direct and then added on twice resale. We have AKL as our home resort in WDW and have added on at VGC as I was to do east west coast stays. We fly from the UK so it is only nice ever y three years in theory although every other year is my master plan.

I am the DVC lover in the family, my husband really likes it both in its own right and because it ties back to the memories of when our kids were little. We have been doing split stays so in our first year of membership alone we will have stated at four resorts. Our next trip will hopefully be California and Aulani. We can honestly see ourselves having resort only holidays sometimes when we are older sitting on the balcony with a bottle of wine.

Is DVC perfect, no it isn't but I have never stayed In a hotel that is and I travel all over the world for business and stay in some very expensive 5star hotels on works money and many of those are far from perfect. Many are tired or have intrusive housekeeping or poor restaurants. I come to expect some dissatisfaction when traveling and some things that go wrong. As my DVC was Important to me I have tried to train myself to not sweat the small stuff. I expect that things will go wrong sometimes, I expect I will not always get my first choice room location, what is important to me is to use my DVC to add to the collection of memories we have made there and not to allow myself to worry about someone else getting something better than me or someone cheating the system etc.

 

[Minniesgal]

i get a bad feeling when people use the word "membership." it's not really a club so much as a purchase of a long-term real estate interest.

i am very pleased with owning DVC. i enjoy it for what it is. i have done my homework and have reasonable expectations about what i can typically book and how the system works.

but i would never want someone to buy into DVC thinking they would be a member of an exclusive club...that disney will treat them extra special...that they can book anywhere in the system (or trade out through RCI) on short notice just like a hotel...that it's an investment that will appreciate over time.

a number of experienced posters here will try to knock the pixie dust off from potential new buyers and make them think about whether DVC will be a good long-term fit after their kids are older...or whether financing a luxury item at 12% or more (or putting their home on the line) is a wise decision...or whether their ability to plan in advance is out of whack with their expectations (like those who say "i only want to stay in BLT-standard view villas but i can only book 3-4 months out - should i buy DVC?").

the DVC salespeople are usually happy to tell you it's a good move no matter what - but i'm glad the DIS has posters that don't just rubber stamp people's suggestions...

It is a club in the sense that you are buying a real estate interest in a club of resorts not a single resort that you are tied into visiting year after year. For me that's all the club means

 

[Minniesgal]

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like for the most part people don't seem entirely thrilled with their DVC memberships. There's a lot of talk of resale, issues with reservations, resorts being unavailable, lots of issues with member services, talk of how savings are lost when you travel to Disney so much, and a general feeling of Disney being in it to make money and not to make DVC members happy.

Is this the general consensus? I appreciate all of the honesty, I just can't figure out if people enjoy their member ships or feel trapped or treated like second rate citizens with the system.

Thanks!

In my job a lot of people myself included are part of the companies International staff and are on Expat contracts. Before we sign these contracts many people in HR push all the difficulties at us often not to be nasty and not to present it as a bad idea but to make us be sure we are sure before signing into what is a serious commitment. If someone goes into this and regrets it it is a pain for the company to undo what was done and it can cause grief to families with children's school disrupted etc...

I see people here talking about the downsides of DVC and I see it the same way. It is a fair chunk of cash so a serious commitment, it is good for people who have owned a while and maybe learned a few things along the way to help newer people to take the rosé tinted glasses off and buy something they will use knowing what it is and how they will use it. If you buy with 360 degree vision or as close as then less risk of significant regret.

When we bought we knew what we were buying how we would use it and where we wanted to stay. Many people are on here saying they have bought then asking these questions after the fact.

Now there are some who regret buying, some who change their minds, some whose circumstances change but there are many DVC owners who have owned many years and never looked back other than to add on more points.

 

[PrincessV]

I'm rather disenchanted with the Disney corporation for a number of reasons, but I'm still very happy with DVC. It provides for me exactly what I wanted from it: accommodations that include a kitchen/kitchenette at an overall cost much lower than I'd pay at cash rates. I bought at SSR and am perfectly happy there, as well as almost all of the other DVC locations. I live an hour and a half from WDW by car, so I have the luxury of planning trips well in advance and on short notice; I can roll with availability options in ways others who need to book airfare cannot, which I think makes DVC work really well for me, too. As a FL resident, I already get a discounted AP, which nets me room/dining/merchandise/recreation discounts, too, so those kinds of DVC perks were never important to me in the first place. Overall, I've been very pleased with the quality of resorts and resort service I've experienced with DVC.

All of that to say that I think people's perspective on DVC has an awful lot to do with how it fits into their individual traveling plans and preferences.

 

[Apps]

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like for the most part people don't seem entirely thrilled with their DVC memberships. There's a lot of talk of resale, issues with reservations, resorts being unavailable, lots of issues with member services, talk of how savings are lost when you travel to Disney so much, and a general feeling of Disney being in it to make money and not to make DVC members happy.

Is this the general consensus? I appreciate all of the honesty, I just can't figure out if people enjoy their member ships or feel trapped or treated like second rate citizens with the system.

Thanks!

If you LOVE Disney its for you. If you know what you are getting into and it can save you money in the long run, its for you. However you are competing for space with all the other members so you won't get what you always want. I fully expect to sell my shares in about 10 years time when my kids become teens and don't want / care about Disney anymore. My breakeven is about 6 years and I'm hoping there is some value left in my shares when i sell. That being said, I made sure the MFs are low enough that I barely notice it so its really just a perk for my family and something to look forward to for vacationing (we treat it like a luxury item and not an investment)

 

[com_op_2000]

DW and I consider DVC to be our 2nd best investment, 1st being our daughter's college fund.
We have taken over 100 DVC trips in 20 years and those are vacations/fun time/memories that we would not have if not for DVC!
We have enjoyed something from every trip and will contine to do so as long as we can. My daughter has offered to buy our DVC, if we ever wanted out but I can not forsee that happening. With a DGS (1), we have plenty more memories yet to make at DVC.

 

[DisneyDenis]

I have read about a special "condition" that only DVC owners get called...ADDONITIS. Many, many DVC owners including myself have "suffered" from this. After getting my first contract, I loved it so much that I need to "ADD ON" with another contract, as I am doing now.

If DVC were a bad deal overall, people would never buy more and more and more.

 

[DizBub]

If DVC were a bad deal overall, people would never buy more and more and more.

True.

No regrets here after 4 years of membership. We just want more and more. The more points you have the more flexibility you have. We can be flexible with our schedule and aren't especially picky about where we stay.

It works for us.

 

[RebelSoul]

Zero regrets buying into DVC. We own three contracts and we plan on having them until we can physically no longer go to WDW. I am sure we'll add on again at some point over the next few years...depending on new resorts. (Like DVC Poly!)

 

[Sandisw]

We bought in 2009, and just finished adding on another 100 points to put us up to 430 points!

We love it and can't imagine not having it. We went in, though, knowing what we were buying and what it really would give us--better rooms for a lot less in terms of long term on our vacations.

Of course, who knew at the time, how addicting it could be and instead of actually saving--vacation budget is still just as big--we go to WDW much more often and bring more family and friends with us.

Maybe it is because we went in only expecting it to do what it does, the little things that others get frustrated with don't bother us. We own at the two resorts we love and could stay those places every single time...since we don't ever have to trade out, not getting another resort would be no big deal.

We book our trips 11 months in advance...on the off chance we want to plan an additional trip less than that, we are flexible and will stay where there is room.

We love the new online booking option and the ability to wait list. We also are okay that stalking the website vs. having to call, can get us rooms faster than the wait list...again, we are okay with this.

The current DVC price for an AP is great and makes it much easier for me to book those extra yearly trips--we went from one trip a year to my visiting 4 times in 2012!!!

We also love that DVC, and going as often as we do, allows us to feel a lot less pressure when we visit to just "relax". If we don't get on rides, we don't. If we want to sleep in, we do. If we want to go out late and enjoy an extra cocktail or two, we do. Our kids are older now so can go off on their own, but no more commando, up at rope drop, etc. unless we decide we want to do it that way!

No regrets here at all!!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have been DVC owners for 16 plus years. We consider it to be one of the best purchases we have made when it comes to investing in vacations. We have yet to be disappointed in DVC.

 

[mopee3]

Yep what Sandi and Diane said, we are newbies, our first trip to Disney World was in 2006. We have gone twice a year ever since to either Land or World and will be in Hawaii this coming spring. We have over 900 points and are still borrowing.

We are almost retired, 66 & 65 but we still look forward to our 10-14 days in spring and fall.

Can not get enough, unlike some who are almost burned out. I understand the burn out, we went to a family beach cabin on west coast for... well I think I was born there. In the last 10 years it has been, well not quite a vacation.

So our feeling, I smile when the plane touches down in Orlando and the smile gets bigger when I get on Magic Express!!

Color me a Kool-aid drinker and loving it!!

Moe

 

[AmyDek]

Thanks for your responses. So would you say my reasons for wanting to buy DVC are the right kind:

I want to take my kids to WDW as often as possible, I would love to take them once a year. I love staying on property and would love even more to stay at the deluxe resort villas with the kitchenettes. I doubt that we will be able to afford to go once a year to a deluxe resort without DVC. I have no issues planning trips far in advance, as a matter of fact I like having something to look forward to! I understand that having DVC will cause us to go more often, in turn spending money. However, I would think that no matter what if we go each year for cash it will cost a boat load more AND if we purchase our points up front now it will be easier for us to afford going to WDW later on with all of our kids since the hotel will be paid for and we'll just be paying dues, park tix, food and airfare.

We have one child that is 2 months old and hope to have at least 2 more kids! I can see us going to WDW with our kids consistently for the next 15 years at least. I can also see some trips that are at WDW resorts but that don't involve visits to the parks every single time, or especially if it's just me and my hubby!

Vacationing is important to me and my husband, before our daughter we traveled at least twice a year. Once to an all inclusive in the Caribbean and once to Europe. When we go to Europe we usually see two cities, we stay at a moderate cost hotel in one city and we splurge on the hotel for the other. When we go to the Caribbean we stay at 4 or 5 star resorts. We want to keep up the traveling once a year with our kids (hopefully to WDW) and keep the Caribbean trip for possibly just us. Maybe doing Europe every 3 years or so rather than every year. We have NEVER met a vacation that we didn't love!! No matter what happens on our vacations we are in vacation MODE once we're there and almost nothing can bother us! We have reasonable expectations and don't expect 5 star treatment when we're not paying 5 star prices!

Neither of us had a lot of family vacations when we were kids-- we each had one WDW trip as a child, and we really want our kids to have that experience, to see WDW through their eyes as they grow and experience it with them as they grow. We see DVC as a way for us to afford giving yearly trips to WDW to our kids.


Ok....what do you think? Am I one of the buying for the wrong reasons type??

 

[Bellecruiser]

I fully expect to sell my shares in about 10 years time when my kids become teens and don't want / care about Disney anymore. My breakeven is about 6 years and I'm hoping there is some value left in my shares when i sell.

I am laughing at your comment, because that was my plan too. Alas, that day has never come. My kids love Disney as much as they did when they were little, just in a different way. One thing about kids is that they always teach you that you cannot predict what they will like or not like in the future.