General Feeling of DVC membership

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

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)

I wouldn't count on selling because the teens "don't want/care about Disney" My two haven't stopped loving the excitement of a WDW vacation. They are now 22 and 20 and are pissed me and DW are going ourselves in Dec.
You may be surprised

 

[rmcildw2m]

I would say that I am most happy with the resort cost savings that I have done over my few years of ownership. But over all Disney is way to expensive anymore . with ticket cost increasing the way they have and food to boot you just can't afford to go as often as you would like . plus the oil companies ripping us off with the cost of gas . , you just can't hop in the car and go anymore . And yes even though Disney runs a great ship of fun they are very greedy in so many ways . But I will still keep commin .

 

[calypso726]

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.

THIS. We started with 180 points because that was all we needed. Fast forward 7 years later and we are sitting on 1000 points. We will probably add on again if Poly becomes a reality We love our DVC it works for us!

 

[staceymay00]

We are in our fourth year as DVC members with no regrets. I did a lot of research before buying, and we've gotten pretty much exactly what we expected out of our purchase. We've been very happy with our DVC stays, but also had realistic expectations going in. We love the 2BR villas for our family of five - so much space, a washer and dryer and a full size refrigerator!

That said, I am glad we did not buy more points or add on right away. I can see us adding on one day, but it might actually be after our kids move out. After five years of going to Disney twice a year, we are all a little Disney-ed out right now. We might take a year off or start going every other year. We still love and enjoy WDW, but there are other things we like to do besides WDW. My kids' school/sports schedules have gotten a lot busier and it is more difficult scheduling trips. Tickets and food for a family are expensive, the cost only grows as your children get older. Luckily we are an eight hour drive away and do not have to buy plane tickets to visit.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[brertoad]

We love our DVC. I think the general feeling about DVC ownership is positive, all the DVC owners we have met also love it.
My only regret is not having DVC sooner.

 

[Carl'n'Ellie'sDad]

Thanks to OP for asking a question that elicited honest and insightful responses.

DW and I we're first interested in DVC after a weeklong stay at Caribbean Beach in Feb 2001. DW had enjoyed Disney during a year in Florida (Kings' Bay GA actually) in the 90s. I was interested because of the impressive service that the CMs provided. Took the tour, but buying in to VWL in the $70s wasn't financially feasible.

Finally bought in direct SSR in 2004 (@ $85, points inflation!) and have been very satisfied with our decision. You'll often here many discussions about the loss of particular perks, perceived declines in restaurant quality or CM service (perceptions that I think are accurate, though to me are on the order of outstanding features now being "only" very good to excellent). As many posters have been regularly attending Disney parks for a decade or four, some nostalgia and rose-colored glasses about the "good-old days" is natural.

One particular thing that's worked out much better than expected for us has been how SSR has grown and improved since our first visit in June 2005. The Springs section was still under construction, Artist Palette didn't open until 8am, and the Treehouses were housing CMs. Even on these boards in the mid '00s, SSR was much maligned as a poor value. In those eight years, SSR has added two new themed pools, four added buildings in the Grandstand, a full-service restaurant, and a quick-service pool location. And THV.

Had we not bought in 2004, There is no chance that our family would have stayed for nearly a week twice in the last 3 years in a $700+ suite had we not bought in to SSR in 2004. My DD5 and DS3 might not have visited Disney yet at all. Our experience with DVC has definitely encouraged us to visit more regularly for longer vacations (and spend more) than we otherwise would have. But the thousands of photos, attractions, and memories we've shared as a family have been well worth it.

 

[Hunclemarco]

I was thinking about this thread for a while now...

Look at the number of regulars on the DIS...Many of us will sign on daily, perhaps a few times a day to discuss Disney, and in this area, DVC. While there may be gripes from time to time, it's still a love for many of us. Why else would we continue to come back daily and read/participate on these boards?

 

[runmommyrun]

Love our DVC! We looked at other timeshare companies, mainly Marriot, and we knew that for where we were in our lives (with two small boys), DVC made sense. Since our membership began in 2010, we've taken numerous trips to WDW, a Disney Cruise, DL and Aulani. We've stayed in villas, which we likely would not have done but for DVC. We have trips planned out through 2014, but realize we will need to take a break from WDW. But that leaves us with Hawaii, Hilton Head or RCI exchanges. I just love that we can do this.

No, DVC isn't an investment. And if you buy a timeshare, any timeshare, for an investment, it isn't the right reason. People will be unhappy if they think of it that way. But in our situation, we bought when our kids were 5 and 7. We are watching them grow up in DVC. We see their faces light up with seeing characters, riding their first "loop" roller coaster, or standing on a paddle board for the first time. It is AWESOME! But, no, you can't kidd yourself. It is a business. DVC is here to make money. And Disney is expensive. But recognize that and if you are willing to spend the money and get enjoyment out of it, then so be it. We did it and I wouldn't take it back. And I have thousands of pictures to prove it!

 

[PrincessV]

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

I think, as Dean said, the answer is "maybe." Much of what you mentioned as your future traveling plans sounds like a good DVC fit, but there's always some hazard associated with guessing what kind of traveler you'll be in the future. What immediately comes to mind for me is accommodation sizing; what suits your family dynamics now may not be what works in a few years. As your family grows, you may want a 1 bedroom instead of a studio, or 2 bedrooms instead of 1... which will cost more points. You'd then have the choice of shorter trips or buying more points to afford the larger villas - and the latter would then involve more money. Something to keep in mind as you weigh the pros and cons.

For example my 300 VWL points cost nearly $1800 a year in maintenance fees. For us it is well worth it, but I cannot kid myself that I couldn't get very nice lodging in an off-property condo or timeshare for the cost of my maintenance fees alone without the buy-in.

And this is why I stress that every DVC situation is different! For sure, I could stay off-site far more cheaply than $1800 a year. But I have 130 points at around $600/year in maintenance fees - and I leverage my points to cover around 12 nights at WDW a year, so about $50/night in dues. I'm not finding any accommodations anywhere near the level of DVC at that price point. My usage is based on being a family of 2 and typically going for long weekends, not long trips. Very different needs from a family of 8 who wants to spend 2 weeks every year.

FWIW, I've been a WDW regular for 20 or so years and only bought into DVC about 5 years ago. By then, I knew my traveling habits, what I liked in a resort, how far ahead I'm willing to plan, my child's needs on vacation, etc. OP, it sounds like you're thinking about the right things and asking the right questions - I'm sure you'll come to a good conclusion as to whether or not buying DVC now is the right call!

 

[crisi]

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??

Here is where I see a potential problem.

Disney is expensive. Even with the room 'paid for' its an expensive trip. In the blink of an eye (especially in timeshare terms) that one baby will be three "Disney Adults" - look at the cost of park tickets for your kids when they hit ten. Airfare - if you need to fly - gets really expensive - we travel so much less with kids than we would if we only had to buy two plane tickets.

DVC locks you into Disney. You like to travel - for most people that involves variety. When the kids are little, Disney is the perfect vacation. But as they get older, you probably want to share more of the world outside the World with them. DVC is not a good trading timeshare.

If you hadn't put in "I doubt we'd be able to go once a year in a Deluxe resort without DVC" then I'd say "well, maybe these are the sort of people who don't have to worry about opportunity cost - they won't see a budget hit with three kids that are over ten and airfare for a family of five.

This is my deal....my husband and I make a lot of money (actually, I just quit a six figure a year job to stay home with two teenagers - and he still makes a lot of money - enough that we don't miss my income on a day to day basis - he switched jobs and we didn't loose that much) And with two teenagers - airfare and park tickets for two teenagers - two teenagers heading to college in the next five years, and a house built when the kids were babies that is now entering into "residing, recarpeting, reroofing" age - I'm not sure that we can afford DVC. We also like to travel - and right now, DVC feels a little more like a millstone than a treat, because we have these points to use, when we'd rather take the kids to Europe - and we can't do both in terms of time or money. I promised a trip to our godchild - who is a toddler and really too young - otherwise, I think I'd sell - but I'm renting out next years points and the family isn't going to WDW (we are going to take a Disney cruise - which was FAR cheaper with cash than points). We've only ever owned enough points to go every other years - so we have gotten to take the kids to Europe because every other year has let us have both time and money to do so (and Mexico, the Caribbean, California, Washington DC). And there are expenses I didn't foresee. My mother in law is getting very expensive as she gets older - she's never had a lot of financial sense, so she has no savings - and my husband has decided to supplement her meager social security income so she is comfortable.

Look long term - where are you going to be ten years from now? Look at opportunity cost - ten years from now, will you still want to be going to Disney every year. What are you going to give up - both in terms of time and money, to go every year? Don't forget to add in the cost of transportation, food and park tickets in your planning. I'm VERY conservative financially and where I feel secure is at a different place than most people - but think about whether you will be comfortable with this long term.

 

[Alexander]

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.

Absolutely! I spent so much time learning before we purchased. We also rented points 3 times from owners before deciding. I cannot even fathom buying in at today's prices! We paid $85/point direct purchase.

 

[AmyB2006]

I love my DVC. We bought it so that we could stay at Disney several times a year for about 3 nights each. My parents and my DH and I have a joint membership. I have 2 children, 6 and 4 right now.

We love staying on property. We love Disney. We love coming so often. I have no complaints.

Is it tricky sometimes to get the exact lodging I want? Yes. But I work around it. It's doable.

 

[Apps]

Here is where I see a potential problem.

Disney is expensive. Even with the room 'paid for' its an expensive trip. In the blink of an eye (especially in timeshare terms) that one baby will be three "Disney Adults" - look at the cost of park tickets for your kids when they hit ten. Airfare - if you need to fly - gets really expensive - we travel so much less with kids than we would if we only had to buy two plane tickets.

DVC locks you into Disney. You like to travel - for most people that involves variety. When the kids are little, Disney is the perfect vacation. But as they get older, you probably want to share more of the world outside the World with them. DVC is not a good trading timeshare.

If you hadn't put in "I doubt we'd be able to go once a year in a Deluxe resort without DVC" then I'd say "well, maybe these are the sort of people who don't have to worry about opportunity cost - they won't see a budget hit with three kids that are over ten and airfare for a family of five.

This is my deal....my husband and I make a lot of money (actually, I just quit a six figure a year job to stay home with two teenagers - and he still makes a lot of money - enough that we don't miss my income on a day to day basis - he switched jobs and we didn't loose that much) And with two teenagers - airfare and park tickets for two teenagers - two teenagers heading to college in the next five years, and a house built when the kids were babies that is now entering into "residing, recarpeting, reroofing" age - I'm not sure that we can afford DVC. We also like to travel - and right now, DVC feels a little more like a millstone than a treat, because we have these points to use, when we'd rather take the kids to Europe - and we can't do both in terms of time or money. I promised a trip to our godchild - who is a toddler and really too young - otherwise, I think I'd sell - but I'm renting out next years points and the family isn't going to WDW (we are going to take a Disney cruise - which was FAR cheaper with cash than points). We've only ever owned enough points to go every other years - so we have gotten to take the kids to Europe because every other year has let us have both time and money to do so (and Mexico, the Caribbean, California, Washington DC). And there are expenses I didn't foresee. My mother in law is getting very expensive as she gets older - she's never had a lot of financial sense, so she has no savings - and my husband has decided to supplement her meager social security income so she is comfortable.

Look long term - where are you going to be ten years from now? Look at opportunity cost - ten years from now, will you still want to be going to Disney every year. What are you going to give up - both in terms of time and money, to go every year? Don't forget to add in the cost of transportation, food and park tickets in your planning. I'm VERY conservative financially and where I feel secure is at a different place than most people - but think about whether you will be comfortable with this long term.

Great points but they have to do the their math and if their breakeven is within that 10yr period, it may still be worth it. My breakeven is in 6 years and that is assuming no salvage value of the points. If I sell the points, just a nice bonus for me.

Also, location is a key factor in having DVC...does the buyer have to buy plane tickets or are they within driving distance to go on weekend only trips. I could see myself keeping my DVC even as my kids become teens and we'd do a couple weekend only trips to Disneyland (an hour away) at the Grand.

I agree that DVC should never be a financial burden since its a luxury item. At your income, you probably barely notice the MFs if you only have enough points for every other year

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Overall, I have been very happy with my membership. Being a DVC member has allowed me to enjoy vacationing at WDW much more because I no longer feel hurried to do it all. Now, I look forward to pool time, horseback riding at Fort Wilderness and gym/spa days at SSR.

Occasionally, I am disappointed with availability at 7-months. Regarding member services, I too make multiple calls if I do not receive the help I need during my first call (e.g., why am I missing points?). However, for me, these are very minor points.

Although I am not presently concerned, I do wonder about what we can expect from Disney Parks & Resorts in the upcoming years. I am a loyal Disney fan and cannot imagine vacationing anywhere else, but I will admit that quality and detail has changed since we first started vacationing in the early 1980s.

 

[Simba's Mom]

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!

We're thrilled with our membership. As someone once told me, lots of people aren't really happy unless they have something to complain about. Yes, there are probably certain things to complain about-but if not DVC, some people would go looking for something to complain about.

 

[jennylyn_b]

Absolutely no regrets! We keep adding on! Lol

 

[disneybass]

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!

I would guess that the ones that are not happy with their DVC did not really know what they had when they bought in. We bought with the idea of prepaying for a villa at 2006 prices for the next 36 years. We thought of it as a good deal then and still do.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

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

I think knowing what you bought into before signing on the dotted line has a lot to do with it! It may be Disney but it's still a timeshare, run as a timeshare and with timeshare rules and regulations! Most of the recent changes haven't been in my favor but I'm still getting what I paid for! I'm happy when I can utilize some of the perks, but the perks aren't why I bought so when they come and they go, it's not a big deal to me!

I'm sure 1991 buyers felt special, part of the elite, secret Disney Vacation Family and now that there's so many of us, some of that magic and is gone or comes in limited supply.

As for me, it's continually met my expectations and I enjoy it now maybe even more than when I first bought. I've never had trouble booking where/when I want at 11 months or 7 months for that matter! I've read horror stories of beat up, delapidated villas, and thankfully in 35+ DVC trips I've never encountered one. Our DVC usage has changed as our family dynamic has changed and it continues to be a big part of how we spend our leisure time with friends and family!

 

[crisi]

I agree that DVC should never be a financial burden since its a luxury item. At your income, you probably barely notice the MFs if you only have enough points for every other year

I do notice it. And I do know that by many measures, we are well off. We also live in a relatively low cost of living part of the country. And that is one of the reasons I bring this up - because if I notice it with our income and our small number of points and our relatively low load worth of obligations (no debt other than an $800 a month mortgage which could be paid off except I've leveraging debt, property taxes of $3k a year) - I wonder about people who have two or three times as many points as we do with smaller incomes. But then, as I said, I'm really financially conservative, so I need a much higher level of financial security than a lot of people.

 

[bonrea]

DVC locks you into Disney. You like to travel - for most people that involves variety. When the kids are little, Disney is the perfect vacation. But as they get older, you probably want to share more of the world outside the World with them. DVC is not a good trading timeshare.

I have to disagree with this one part of your post. Most of the other parts I do agree with especially the part about the park ticket cost. Oy Vay!

"DVC locks you into Disney."

Not really. Just as an example my wife and I have DVC at three WDW resorts and use the points to stay at hotels around the world, and I don't mean WDW. Just this week we are at The Grove Park Inn in Ashville, NC on DVC points transferred. We have been to Washington D.C., San Francisco, and even to Vancouver BC to get on the DCL Alaska cruise in 2011 (we transferred into the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel), and to many other cities in the US with DVC points.

I do admit one very important thing with this. YOU HAVE GOT TO PLAN AHEAD! If you are not the type of person that plans your vacations then NO timeshare program will work for you. You MUST plan 1 or 2 years ahead of time and stick to that plan as best as possible.

I am also the kind of person that will get up at 5:45am ET to get online to book my reservations for DVC resorts and dining reservations. I'm so strict with myself on doing this I created a spreadsheet that tells me exactly then 11 months, 7 months, 180 days [for dining reservations], and other day counts are just so I get what I want when I want it. I leave nothing to chance when it comes to my vacations.