General Feeling of DVC membership

[lovin'fl]

I plan 2 years in advance. I'm not so much anal, as I am excited. When I leave WDW I need to know when I am coming back. Obviously I have nothing booked yet, but I know where we are hopefully going to stay in 2015 and 2016. We do Easter break when they fall within a year of each other since that gives us 10 days of school vacation each trip, and the ability to use an AP. If things don't end up going as planned, I don't care, but I love to plan it! Just like ADR's, those are 180 days in advance. You can chose to not book 180 in advance but then don't be upset when you can't eat in the castle...

I'm like you. I love to always be planning some trip. We go on a cruise in 3 weeks and that's all set...we do F&W in Oct and that's all set...we even have everything set for Xmas at WDW with all my inlaws. I need something to plan, so it's next year's trip. We know that Aug will always be a family trip, so in Sept I'll book Aug 2014 at HHI. I'm kind of in limbo right now with nothing to plan...so I just booked MIL and FIL a Bermuda cruise for them (with gift certs that we all, DH and SILs, have been giving them for the past 18 months). Hurry up Sept, so I can book my next trip.

 

[jillmc40]

See, I can't plan that far in advance, because even for 2014, I don't know if we'll go to WDW, on a cruise, to Aulani, or maybe Alaska or ABD. I know we will do something, we just haven't decided yet.

Oh man! I wouldn't survive . We are going to Tennessee in 2014 because dh wanted to do something rustic and that is what my junker timeshare had available. So I have to start dreaming about vgf now

We took the kids to Alaska a couple of years ago. It was such a wonderful trip! I would love to go back!

 

[jfish]

We love it and will add more points. I look at it like putting in a swimming pool, its a luxury and not a necessity. We will get our moneys worth and have a lifetime of memories along with!

 

[bakerworld]

We're happy with our purchase but these forums always make it feel more like another bill vs. an experience. You would never know that many of the people on this forum enjoy their ownership. They often act like its a liability instead of a vacation destination. After all, lets be real, a vacation is not a financially quantifiable entity. A vacation is lost $$ so it better be $$ well spent which IMO = WDC DVC.

 

[Apps]

We're happy with our purchase but these forums always make it feel more like another bill vs. an experience. You would never know that many of the people on this forum enjoy their ownership. They often act like its a liability instead of a vacation destination. After all, lets be real, a vacation is not a financially quantifiable entity. A vacation is lost $$ so it better be $$ well spent which IMO = WDC DVC.

I actually wouldn't take a vacation without DVC and if given a choice between deluxe and value, we choose value everytime cause I am sooooo cheap.

I decided this would make me take a vacations and be good to spend some family time. . The thought of paying rack rates or even discounted rates at a place like Aulani make me sick but the MFs don't really bug me at all . I barely think about the financial decision with DVC so I'm in the same boat as you. I just treat it like a luxury item.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

We're happy with our purchase but these forums always make it feel more like another bill vs. an experience. You would never know that many of the people on this forum enjoy their ownership. They often act like its a liability instead of a vacation destination. After all, lets be real, a vacation is not a financially quantifiable entity. A vacation is lost $$ so it better be $$ well spent which IMO = WDC DVC.

Nicely said
My current plans based on my point situation is-4 nights WDW this Dec - One week in April 2015 2br OKW then 2br ocean view Sept 2016 at Aulani. for 1 week. Already had 8 nites this yr at OKW 2br. Sad I don't have enough pts for 2014 WDW but already looking into a week in a cabin in Wisconsin.
YES I am a planner !! I feel ya kinda gotta be to use your pts correctly.
And I am trying to talk DW into BWV pts Might need some for that though

 

[Sammie]

I was very happy with our DVC until the Jim Lewis era. Now that he is gone, I am again pleased. We have no complaints. I understand how it works, as to booking early, so no problems there.

And I have never ever had a problem with Member Service. We had a resort problem it was taken care of quickly and we were satisfied.

 

[crisi]

We're happy with our purchase but these forums always make it feel more like another bill vs. an experience. You would never know that many of the people on this forum enjoy their ownership. They often act like its a liability instead of a vacation destination. After all, lets be real, a vacation is not a financially quantifiable entity. A vacation is lost $$ so it better be $$ well spent which IMO = WDC DVC.

Technically, it IS a liability. Even without a loan - you have a legal obligation to pay dues. Its important when buying in for people to recognize that liability - we don't do any favors to anyone selling them on an experience and pretending it doesn't come with a cost.

The deal is, and everyone here that talks about it as a liability is clear - you have to decide if 1) you can afford that liability and 2) that liability is a good trade to you for what you get. No one on this board can establish that it is or isn't a good trade for any other person.

(I've spent far better vacation dollars - the B&B overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge at $150 a night - since closed - comes to mind. The private Villa on the coast of Mexico South of Cancun - darn cool. The beach house in Phuket. The room in Bath. A suite at the MGM Grand in Vegas. I like WDW - and it is hands down my favorite vacation with young kids - but there is a whole world of incredible vacation values out there.)

 

[BEASLYBOO]

That would make me proud
I plan 2 years in advance. I'm not so much anal, as I am excited. ..

Thus we share the same enthusiasm! I learned the love of travel and vacationing from my late Father. I always have 2 or 3 trips in the works. We look forward to spending time together, and the excitement builds the nearer the trip gets no matter if it's 2 days camping, 4 days at OKW, or Greece in 2015.

I didn't buy into DVC to save money, I bought it to have fun though it undeniably has saved me money. There's no way I could have afforded those 4, soon to be 5 ( Feb 2014 here we come) GV stays without it!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

(I've spent far better vacation dollars - the B&B overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge at $150 a night - since closed - comes to mind. The private Villa on the coast of Mexico South of Cancun - darn cool. The beach house in Phuket. The room in Bath. A suite at the MGM Grand in Vegas. I like WDW - and it is hands down my favorite vacation with young kids - but there is a whole world of incredible vacation values out there.)

And that's your take, and how you assign value to the vacation dollars you spend and I agree with you. But it's different for everyone, some people see that same value in DVC and only vacationing in Orlando! Some people don't vacation at all, they consider spending money vacationing a waste! There's no right or wrong, its just a different perspective, and the dollar value to anything is subjective and personal!

 

[bonrea]

We're happy with our purchase but these forums always make it feel more like another bill vs. an experience. You would never know that many of the people on this forum enjoy their ownership. They often act like its a liability instead of a vacation destination. After all, lets be real, a vacation is not a financially quantifiable entity. A vacation is lost $$ so it better be $$ well spent which IMO = WDC DVC.

WOW!!! Could not have said it better myself! LOVE this post!

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

Technically, it IS a liability. Even without a loan - you have a legal obligation to pay dues. Its important when buying in for people to recognize that liability - we don't do any favors to anyone selling them on an experience and pretending it doesn't come with a cost.

The deal is, and everyone here that talks about it as a liability is clear - you have to decide if 1) you can afford that liability and 2) that liability is a good trade to you for what you get. No one on this board can establish that it is or isn't a good trade for any other person.

(I've spent far better vacation dollars - the B&B overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge at $150 a night - since closed - comes to mind. The private Villa on the coast of Mexico South of Cancun - darn cool. The beach house in Phuket. The room in Bath. A suite at the MGM Grand in Vegas. I like WDW - and it is hands down my favorite vacation with young kids - but there is a whole world of incredible vacation values out there.)

Before someone buys into DVC THEY better do their homework. If they are surprised by the financial liabilty of dues for 30 yrs or so, well then they probably have more troubles in life than monthly mf's. There are always going to be better values out there than a WDW vacation, but DVC ownership keeps you 1 leg up on rising costs for hotels/villas. In that way alone they can be a better value than many many other deluxe hotels.

 

[crisi]

Before someone buys into DVC THEY better do their homework. If they are surprised by the financial liabilty of dues for 30 yrs or so, well then they probably have more troubles in life than monthly mf's. There are always going to be better values out there than a WDW vacation, but DVC ownership keeps you 1 leg up on rising costs for hotels/villas. In that way alone they can be a better value than many many other deluxe hotels.

You'd think it would be obvious, wouldn't you? But we get the regular December feature thread "I can't believe how much my dues have gone up, I can't afford this anymore." And its less common, but rather sad, cousin "will they cancel my vacation if I don't pay my dues until March?" Sometimes from people who have owned relatively short periods of time.

 

[Nancy F]

Not me! I'm still in LOVE with DVC. Just got a new contract at GFV and I'm counting the days till my first stay there in December. But then... I ALWAYS count the days till my next trip. Buying into DVC was the best thing we've ever done. I fought it for years even when friends that knew how much I love Disney told us that we would benefit from joining. Soooo glad they get to say they told me so!
Nancy

 

[SFlaDisneyfans]

You'd think it would be obvious, wouldn't you? But we get the regular December feature thread "I can't believe how much my dues have gone up, I can't afford this anymore." And its less common, but rather sad, cousin "will they cancel my vacation if I don't pay my dues until March?" Sometimes from people who have owned relatively short periods of time.

So you are saying December and January are good shopping days in the resale market?

 

[OneMoreTry]

I am very happy with DVC. Have stayed many many times and in most of the resorts. Out of all that had only one experience I would call real bad -- grand villa not ready until 7 pm --and we still had a great stay after we got the room.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I want to add something that just happened that was "special" for me. We received an invitation to preview the Disney movie Planes when we are in WDW next week. We are not going to take advantage because we will be boarding the Fantasy for our family cruise, but receiving an invitation to sign up did make me smile, at least! Going to the preview would have been possible, but we want to board the ship as soon as we can, the family is just crazy about the Aquaduck! With any lucky they will preview the movie on the ship. We have been on board for special showings of a few movies, The Strange Life of Timothy Green and others.

Bobbi

Bobbi:

We went by the preview center to see the VGF models on Thursday and they would not let us in because of a "special" member event. I don't know what the situation was but I thought it was a little odd .

Maybe I'm just from Alabama, but if a friend shows up at my house during the family reunion, they get a plate of fried chicken and a tall glass of iced tea even if I don't get any. That goes for both business and professional dealings.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Bobbi:



Maybe I'm just from Alabama, but if a friend shows up at my house during the family reunion, they get a plate of fried chicken and a tall glass of iced tea even if I don't get any. That goes for both business and professional dealings.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Maybe I'm just from Alabama, but if a friend shows up at my house during the family reunion, they get a plate of fried chicken and a tall glass of iced tea even if I don't get any. That goes for both business and professional dealings.

I'm from Massachusetts and totally agree

 

[xipetotec]

Maybe it's because we're not as frequent visitors as many members. We tend to only go every two years and bank/borrow to bring a large group. ( 2014, we're going to be 19 people, three studios, and 1 two-bedroom ). I say this only because some have hinted that the frequency of their visits might take away from "the magic". But we love every trip. Of course things change with the age of the kids, and we do become more accustomed to the parks and what to expect. But we've definitely found that DVC has allowed us to have these magical family gatherings. Member services has always been great and accomodating to us. And as for availability, I GUESS I can't speak to that, because we always book at our home resort 11 months out. Well there was one time when we booked AKV for a couple of nights and had no problems.

Are they trying to make money? Of course, at the end of the day Disney IS a business. I do fear that maybe they are saturating DVC with making almost all the deluxe resorts DVC properties. But so far, we've not had any negative experiences.

Definitely dedicated DVC lovers over here...