General Feeling of DVC membership

[bonrea]

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.

We wish it had stayed "Disney's Best Kept Secret".

 

[bonrea]

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!

Same here and couldn't agree more.

 

[jillmc40]

It's funny because I feel the opposite. I was impressed when I first started researching at how many people loved their DVC and kept adding on and on and on.

I will say this...This is my 3rd timeshare. My first is a big fat waste of time (thank God it ends after 20 years - almost there!!!). I was young, stupid, and had no idea of what I was getting in to. That salesman saw we coming 100 miles away He told me I could trade anywhere I want, Disney was part of it (it actually used to be part of Interval, then they switched to RCI, so he didn't lie about that...But he did tell me that if we traded into Disney park tickets came with it and that kinda sold it for me...Like I said young AND stupid). ANYWAYS, I learned a lot from that timeshare. Bought another Marriott one, that I do like, and now somehow I also ended up buying DVC as well...

If I did not have the first TS experience I think there would be some things that would have slipped past me in purchasing DVC. I am not very good at thinking of all the questions before I buy something, I am more of a learn as I go kind of person...Not the best way, that is just how I learn I guess

I have yet to even use my DVC, I am that new, BUT I feel pretty prepared for what I am about to face. I am thinking/planning for the worst (about getting rooms I want) and will hopefully be pleasantly surprised when it is not that bad. I already feel an urge to add on, but I will hold off until I see how it all goes.

It has been very insightful reading everyone's posts. I really love having this community to ask questions.

 

[disneynutz]

Scientifically speaking. 80% of the human race will mentally turn negatives in a positive. We tend to remember the good old days and forget about the other crap.

While at Disney you may have room problems, long lines, have to deal with other people and the heat. Don't forget the prices and the declining food value and quality.

After we get home, within a few months we are talking about the great vacation that we had and how we can't wait to go back.

DVC is a cost savings for some and an overall major cause of some very expensive vacations for others. If you keep your same number of vacations and the DVC rooms are equal or better that where you normally stay, then DVC makes sense.

Bill

 

[crisi]

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."

You are right, you CAN use DVC to go other places - but it often isn't a great value. We've traveled a lot, and I often compare what it would have cost me in points to the deal I got on cash. I haven't seen something yet where I haven't come out ahead booking with cash. For us, cash has been a better deal, with less hassle, and far more flexibility. Because of my financial OCD, that "bad deal" co mbined with "loss of flexibility" is the same as being locked in.

 

[wendydarling826]

We have been members for 10 years and we are a month away from our 17th trip. I think we understood what we were buying when we bought in and when we added on after a few years, and the way DVC works was much more attractive to us than the type of timeshare where you are locked into certain weeks every year. We have been very happy with our membership, and the vacations we take would not be affordable for us any more if we did not have DVC. We have never expected to be treated as more special than any other guests, but we have been happy with the service we have received on our trips. The perks, like the discount on AP's are nice, and we make use of them, but we understand that what we bought is a timeshare and these things are extras. I can honestly say that purchasing DVC is one of the best decisions we've ever made, and we have never been disappointed in our accommodations or in our overall vacation experience. There seem to be some who had an expectation that DVC is an exclusive club that Disney would cater to in some special way. It is not. But if you travel to WDW frequently, it is a good value.

 

[quandrea]

We've owned for 10 years (already)! We have thoroughly enjoyed the DVC experience. We or members of our family have been pixie dusted with special things, not very often, but enough to make us smile. We have never had a "bad, dirty to us" room, but we have had to wait for a room past 6PM. Years ago they tried (and did for awhile!) to take away real glasses and mugs in the studios and I was outraged. Yes, it would be a different experience for me without those amenities.

I have spent 3-5 weeks in January into February in DVC properties for 2 years now, and this coming January, DH is finally retired and he will join me!

We have shared the DVC villas with family and friends, and like at our Cape May NJ house, it feels good.

We own over 1200 points and we feel we are getting our money's worth.

Bobbi

This is our plan. We are at 860. Are you saying I will need more? We love our dvc. It is the most affordable way for our family of five to travel. We value our holiday time and disney feels like home. As I age I feel less need to travel the world but I do want to holiday. I call dvc my cottage. When I step off that plane I am home. Hope to spend more and more time there.

 

[tjkraz]

In my opinion, member satisfaction is largely driven by one's outlook going in.

Buyers who think they are joining an exclusive "club"--who feel they will be treated as the most cherished WDW / DL guests of all--are destined for disappointment.

Buyers who realize they are buying into a timeshare--and fully comprehend the pitfalls of timeshare ownership (advance booking necessity, occupancy levels, expected room condition, rising dues cost, etc.)--will be very satisfied more often than not.

I've been an owner for 10 years now and have never felt like a second class citizen. But then again, I understand why DVC members don't get "free dining"...I understand why you can't get a room at BCV or BLT on three months notice...I understand why DVC villas aren't refurbished as often as hotel rooms...and I understand why dues go up every year.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

In my opinion, member satisfaction is largely driven by one's outlook going in.

Buyers who think they are joining an exclusive "club"--who feel they will be treated as the most cherished WDW / DL guests of all--are destined for disappointment.

Buyers who realize they are buying into a timeshare--and fully comprehend the pitfalls of timeshare ownership (advance booking necessity, occupancy levels, expected room condition, rising dues cost, etc.)--will be very satisfied more often than not.

I've been an owner for 10 years now and have never felt like a second class citizen. But then again, I understand why DVC members don't get "free dining"...I understand why you can't get a room at BCV or BLT on three months notice...I understand why DVC villas aren't refurbished as often as hotel rooms...and I understand why dues go up every year.

Over the years I have valued the advice of Crisi, Dean, Diane, Bobbi, Granny, and many others. Taking their perspectives and my needs into account allows me to make the best use of my DVC. I bought in 2005, and 8 years late I have no regrets.

DVC allows us to relax, shop, do the parks, and so much more. IMHO...when we added our 2 Owners Lockers this year, we made our home away from home.

 

[PrincessV]

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.

Sorry, but I have to point out that this isn't the case for everyone. I've NEVER planned 2 years ahead, and rarely as far as a year. Most often, I plan DVC trips 3-6 months out, but I've booked as short-notice as 2 days before checking in. It's entirely possible to use DVC for long-planned vacations as well as short-notice getaways, which is exactly what sold me on it - the flexibility is ideal for my travel needs.

You are right, you CAN use DVC to go other places - but it often isn't a great value.

Totally agree - I've never and can't imagine I ever will use my points for anything other than DVC accommodations. Instead, I bought a number of points that, financially speaking, isn't my entire travel budget for each year. Some years, I can't afford the cost of traveling anywhere outside of FL and end up spending my DVC costs plus cash at WDW. Other years, the non-DVC portion of my travel budget takes us elsewhere. That's something that caught my notice, OP, that you already know you'll want to travel other places, too - I suggest considering those costs as much as possible and only buying the points you really need for WDW stays and budgeting for non-Disney travel on top of that.

 

[eyor44]

We bought in a couple years ago. DH had been pushing to buy, but I couldn't see the value. I finally agreed to a tour in 2008 but the agent couldn't/wouldn't answer my questions. He didn't show me the value. DH kept talking about it so I started researching. A couple years later I requested the tour again but with a different agent. I had specific questions I wanted answered. Taxes, insurance, responsibilities, unexpected bills due to damage. I had heard horror stories from other people who owned timeshares and wanted to make sure Disney wasn't the same. IT's NOT. The agent answered all of my questions and said he was very surprised as no one had ever asked those things before.
Now we own DVC and are very happy with it. I think the people who are not happy, did not do their research first and had mis-conceptions about how the program works. As one woman posted that she purchased a specific room/view type and it would be available whenever she wanted it, her agent told her so. No one could convince her otherwise.
If you love visiting WDW and come every year or so, and if you can afford it, then do your research and seriously look into it.

 

[jerseyduke]

Sorry, but I have to point out that this isn't the case for everyone. I've NEVER planned 2 years ahead, and rarely as far as a year. Most often, I plan DVC trips 3-6 months out, but I've booked as short-notice as 2 days before checking in. It's entirely possible to use DVC for long-planned vacations as well as short-notice getaways, which is exactly what sold me on it - the flexibility is ideal for my travel needs.

How did you do this, I thought the rooms were dumped into the cash pool at about 60 days out...

 

[DrMomof3]

We are brand-new DVC members (or will be in a few days when our closing documents are processed).
My husband and I are both surgeons and we have 3 children ages 9, 7, 5. We took our 1st family trip to WDW when I was pregnant with the 5 year old (January, 2008) and fell in love. We started considering DVC at that time but money was tight (I had just finished 8 years of residency/fellowship training) and we weren't sure it was right for us. My children have now taken 12+ trips to WDW, my husband and I have taken several adult-only trips, and I have taken several solo trips to participate in runDisney events. During this time we have stayed at almost every DVC resort (BLT, SSR, BCV, Kidani, Vero Beach, we've stayed in the hotel part of WL and GF, and we're staying at BWV this summer). We looked closely at Hilton Grand Vacations and other timeshare programs before committing ourselves to Disney.
In the past 5 years we've purchased a house, paid off tons of debt that was accumulated from med school and residency training, and gotten ourselves into a pretty good financial place. At the same time VGF was announced. Our jobs (and our children's school schedules) generally require us to plan our trips quite far in advance anyway. This will be our 4th late August trip in a row and then our 4th WDW Marathon Weekend trip in a row. I have been an AP holder for 3 (or 4?) years in a row now. Even so we started out with a conservative contract (160 points at VGF with August Use Year). I'm guessing we'll eventually want about 300 points but didn't want to over-extend until we see how things work out.
We are VERY realistic in our expectations and also very flexible in our expectations (meaning that I'll be happy staying at SSR if that's the only place available but I'll also rent a car for that trip). We waited until buying DVC was a financially responsible decision for us. And we know that my husband and I will use DVC even without our children (who are not only aging rapidly but expressing interest in traveling other places). Although DVC would have cost less if we had bought 5 years ago, I'm very satisfied with our decision to wait and buy the right home resort and use year. I literally spent years reading on the Purchasing DVC board and asking questions until I was sure I understood the product and the costs.
My advice is to look at your financial situation closely before making a huge investment. Children are expensive and job situations change over time. Make sure you're in a good place before laying out tens of thousands of dollars. DVC will still be there next year or in 5 years or 10 years. It's emotionally appealing but take the time to make sure this is right for you and your family.

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

How did you do this, I thought the rooms were dumped into the cash pool at about 60 days out...

Our friend called me on Wednesday leading up to Memorial Day weekend and offered me her expiring points. We flew to Disney 3 days later and stayed DVC on points. We had to switch resorts every night but we were still able to use points...

Amanda

 

[tjkraz]

How did you do this, I thought the rooms were dumped into the cash pool at about 60 days out...

Nobody seems to know exactly how the DVC and CRO systems coordinate this process. However, my own impression is that this program feature is often discussed in very misleading terms here. There are daily occurrences of members booking on less than 60 days notice and/or having waitlist matches processed within this timeframe.

The 60 day CRO clause exists as a means of monetizing rooms which would otherwise be left empty. By that point, members have had 9 months to book all accommodations using points. If they choose not to do so, vacant rooms can be made available to CRO to increase the odds of SOMEONE occupying the room. If the room is booked by a cash guest, a portion of the proceeds are credited to member dues as "breakage", so owners actually benefit from these reservations.

Nevertheless, I highly suspect there is common sense used in these CRO room releases. If the DVC villas are already booked to 99.9% occupancy, there's little reason to block members from booking last-minute reservations at the handful of unbooked rooms.

And from Disney's perspective, the hotels they own run at an occupancy rate around 80%. On any given day they have HUNDREDS of vacancies. Why would they rush to give DVC villas to CRO when the "breakage" proceeds come back to DVC owners? Disney is much better served by encouraging last-minute bookers to stay at the cash resorts, so that 100% of the revenues go into Disney's pockets.

EDIT: My assumption is that it works something like this: If there are a dozen or more unbooked 2B villas at SSR for a given arrival date, at 60 days you might see 2 or 3 of them flipped to CRO inventory. But if there are only 2 or 3 unbooked rooms, I suspect they are all left in the DVC inventory for last-minute reservations on points. Again, there's just no reason for Disney to rush those rooms into the CRO inventory when they have many other more profitable accommodations to offer cash guests.

 

[PrincessV]

How did you do this, I thought the rooms were dumped into the cash pool at about 60 days out...

I know nothing of how things work on the backend, but I can easily log in to the member site now and see what's available to book starting tomorrow. (I'm on there, now - SSR isn't available tomorrow, but it is on Sunday!)

Nobody seems to know exactly how the DVC and CRO systems coordinate this process. However, my own impression is that this program feature is often discussed in very misleading terms here. There are daily occurrences of members booking on less than 60 days notice and/or having waitlist matches processed within this timeframe.

The 60 day CRO clause exists as a means of monetizing rooms which would otherwise be left empty. By that point, members have had 9 months to book all accommodations using points. If they choose not to do so, vacant rooms can be made available to CRO to increase the odds of SOMEONE occupying the room. If the room is booked by a cash guest, a portion of the proceeds are credited to member dues as "breakage", so owners actually benefit from these reservations.

Nevertheless, I highly suspect there is common sense used in these CRO room releases. If the DVC villas are already booked to 99.9% occupancy, there's little reason to block members from booking last-minute reservations at the handful of unbooked rooms.

And from Disney's perspective, the hotels they own run at an occupancy rate around 80%. On any given day they have HUNDREDS of vacancies. Why would they rush to give DVC villas to CRO when the "breakage" proceeds come back to DVC owners? Disney is much better served by encouraging last-minute bookers to stay at the cash resorts, so that 100% of the revenues go into Disney's pockets.

^ This is pretty much what I've assumed to be how it all works. If there are DVC rooms available, they're available on points.

 

[Andrew015]

This may have already been posted in one of the previous five pages (I apologize, as I haven’t taken the time to read the entire post)…

One thing to keep in mind is that we as DISBoards-DVC owners represent a very small subset of total DVC owners. People that come to these specific forums to discuss their DVC ownership experiences are typically emotionally charged (either positive or negative). Studies show that more often than not, people are more apt to vocalize their negative experiences than positive ones. After all, the expectation is that any experience at WDW, or more specifically a DVC Resort as it pertains to this discussion, should be a wonderful, positive experience. In the off chance that one has a negative experience - be it customer service related, room condition, etc. - you are more likely to hear about it on these forums as opposed to a positive experience, even if such negative experiences only represent 3-5% of all vacation experiences.

I think that you will find the vast majority of us to be very satisfied with our DVC ownership. The key is to make sure that you totally understand what you are buying into. As others have mentioned, DVC is not an elite “club” that treats its members with white glove service on a higher level than a cash guest. DVC is simply a means of pre-paying for the room portion of your Disney vacations for years to come at today’s rates, thus avoiding annual room rate price increases. DVC ownership offers some “perks”, such as discounted AP’s, the ability to buy TIW, discounts on merchandise, TOTW Lounge access, etc. I take advantage of these perks, and they do help to make me feel “special” about my ownership to some extent. During my family vacation this past May, my family enjoyed a very special moment at TOTW lounge that we will cherish for years to come. This wouldn’t have been possible without DVC. I also take advantage of TIW and the DVC merchandise discount. I love that CM’s tell me “welcome home” when arriving at my resort.

With all of that being said, I personally find these perks to be “marketing tools” that are used to sweeten the deal and help to attract more perspective owners. To some, these perks add magic or pixie dust. To others, they do not. While these “perks” are nice, the bread and butter of DVC is the cost savings that you can realize year-in and year-out on your hotel expense. Perks may come and go throughout your ownership. But the only thing that is guaranteed to you is the price you paid for X amount of points, which over a 30 or 40 year ownership, should add up to a pretty substantial cost-savings.

 

[jillmc40]

One other thing...As far as being "locked into Disney"...The way I look at it. Let's just say that my kids hit the age where they hate all things Disney (that never happened for me, but let's just say it happens), I would just rent the points and vacation somewhere else. OR - I would leave those stinkers at home and DH and I could go on a nice trip by ourselves for Food and Wine I also have a Marriott timeshare so I am not totally without a condo somewhere else in the world - whew! But still, I didn't feel as trapped as I do with my first timeshare (I wrote about it earlier). THAT is a major selling feature for me, and the fact that they have a resale market that is pretty competitive...Knowing that I wouldn't have to dump my DVC on ebay for a dollar just to get out of it is pretty reassuring!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

One other thing...As far as being "locked into Disney"...The way I look at it. Let's just say that my kids hit the age where they hate all things Disney (that never happened for me, but let's just say it happens), I would just rent the points and vacation somewhere else. OR - I would leave those stinkers at home

Those stinkers are the ones who now, at 16, are planning the trip without me, when they turn 18! Because you see it's "our" DVC!

 

[Alexander]

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.

Kind of hard to plan that far ahead when you can't even book your home resort until 11 months out! We, as many people, are not even able to think that far out as travel depends on school breaks. The only time we even book at 11 months was when we are visiting at Christmas.

I cannot imagine how strict you are in your real life, if you take your vacations so serious! What do you do when something goes off plan? DVC really is about relaxing and enjoying all that WDW has to offer because being an owner you get to go back time and again. Life is too short to make vacations into such serious business!