Greenhorn Question

[Biscuitsmom31]

I don't know anything about DVC so I have no idea if it would be economical for my family. We have 4 kids and have spent upwards of $17,000 in the past three years on Disney vacations. It runs us $5,000 bare minimum for a week at the world - staying in a value. Would DVC be more or less for us?

 

[CarolMN]

You' really have to do the math for yourself to see if it makes sense for your family.

In general, DVC makes sense / works best if:

* You travel to WDW at least once every other year
* Stay in at least an on site moderate resort when you do
* Can plan your trips more than 7 months in advance
* Can minimize your Friday & Saturday night stays (DVC costs more per night for weekend nights)
* Have the discretionary income to pay for transportation, meals & tickets (DVC is only for accomodations)
* Can pay cash rather than finance the purchase

It does sound like your family would benefit from DVC. It may not save you money (although I think it will), but you will be able to stay in larger & nicer accomodations for the same $$.

Your family would need a 2 bedroom unit. Those units have a fully equipped kitchen, a washer & dryer right in the unit, 3 TVs, 2 bathrooms and a jacuzzi tub in the Master bathroom. The Master Bedroom has a king bed.

These boards are an excellent source of info on the ins and outs of DVC, so don't be afraid to ask questions. Good luck with your decision making!

 

[vandy]

I don't know anything about DVC so I have no idea if it would be economical for my family. We have 4 kids and have spent upwards of $17,000 in the past three years on Disney vacations. It runs us $5,000 bare minimum for a week at the world - staying in a value. Would DVC be more or less for us?

Of the $5,000, how much of that was for your room ressie? First off, our family of six prefers to stay in suites and villas when we travel because the youngest is 13 and we all want some privacy, a kitchen and a washer/dryer. DVC made sense to us. This is a VERY simplistic way we chose to look at the value of DVC:

We purchased 175 points @ $86/pt = 15050.00 (this promo price now over)
1st year prorated dues @ $4.12/pt = 601.00
Closing costs buying through DVC = 125.00
Avg ESTIMATED dues per year (6.50/pt. but no real idea what they will run as an average over the years) x 46 remaining years = 52325.00
Total Cost = 68101.00
Divided by 47 years = 1448.96 per year.
Plan on trip to WDW every 2 years so lodging will be 2897.92 per stay which equals 10 nights for us.

Compare that to two rooms at a value resort during the time we plan on staying (no discount) $109.00 per night x two rooms x 10 nights + 12.5% sales tax = 2452.50 for a ten night stay. No kitchen or washer/dryer and not much privacy.

For me, I prefer to spend the $445+ extra dollars on lodging because we now stay in a resort comparable to the Disney Deluxes and have so much more space. You may be satisfied with other accomodations and that's fine. This is the way we chose to travel and not everyone cares to do the same.

YES I KNOW THIS IS VERY SIMPLISTIC, but it does put into perspective the fact that with a large family, the DVC with all of the room and resort features could be a 'benefit' to you depending on your likes & dislikes, travel times and so forth. The benefit may come in the form of a more relaxing atmosphere instead of the cost of your stay.

 

[Dean]

If you use it right DVC MAY save you money but in other situations it would not. At the least it is possible it will give you more for a modest extra cost. Were you getting a suit or adjoining rooms?

In general I'd never recommend buying for the perks but for your family it may make sense. Will you eat in the room enough to save on food? Can you avoid weekends by going Sunday to Friday? Could you sqeeze 2 trips inside one year and get 2 trips on one AP, while you can get AP without DVC, you can currently save $100 per on an AP and $125 per PAP.

Another current perk, though not guaranteed, is you can get the Dining Plan. This may or may not be a good deal for you, it depends on your eating habits and age of the children. You should also try to judge your future trip plans at least the next 5-7 years. Do you see yourself going back every year for at least 5-7.

And even if you don't see going yearly or that DVC will save you money, you may be one of those where just buying a very small resale contract makes sense for the perks alone.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I think DVC would make sense for you if you like to go to WDW at least every other year, and you might like to go more often. One of the things you need to remember is that you spent $5,000 and it's gone, while DVC money can be recouped if you need to sell for some reason in the next few years, or if you decide it's not for you. We bought in 97 at $56 per pt, so we are very happy with our purchase. I sold one contract recently at $83 to a relative (no closing costs). Also, don't forget that one of the perks is $100 off an annual passport, and you can rent your points if you decide not to use them one year. I think you will enjoy the flexibility that DVC offers.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You still have to pay your transportation costs to WDW.
You still have to pay for your park tickets.
You still have to eat.

If what you spent on lodging, would be covered by your DVC dues and the initial buy-in costs, then it could be a good deal for you.

With a family of 6, you'd need a two bedroom at a minimum. Check the points charts at the top of the page to see how many points it would take for your family to stay at the time of year when you usually like to go. Multiply that with $100 per point to purchase and see if it is something you could swing. Purchasing resale could be a bit less right now. But if Disney offers another deal on points (reducing the price below the price of $101 a point), you might want to wait. There is talk of prices going up in March (maybe??) to about $105 a point.

 

[shellbelle1971]

Only you can crunch the numbers and decide whether DVC makes financial sense for your family.

For us, travelling with children is so much more pleasant with a home away from home that has a kitchen and laundry room, and enough space to stretch out a bit and give everyone the "personal space" they need. The commercial could say "The ability to stroll back to the villa and let a tired toddler take a peaceful nap...priceless."

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree with all the above posts, but wanted to point out one very important perk that is active right now that might make a big difference to you. Since you seem to go more than once in a 12 month period, the Annual Pass option and DVC's HUGE discount on it would definitely save your family money!

Our original buy in price for 380 points was around $25,000. We usually travel to WDW at least once and every other year about 3 times. We utilize Annual passes and buy them every other year. That way, by shifting dates by a week, we still get an annual vacation, but also add a couple more on our AP on year. We paid for the original purchase in full, so no financing to worry about. Then we figured we were locking into 1997 prices (when we purchased) for the next 40 some years. Our maintenance fees have increased over the years, but they are still a small price to pay for premium resorts. We figure our out of pocket for accommodations and park admission combined each year is around $2500. For that, we stay in full sized 2 bedroom units with full kitchens, an in room laundry, and what feels like a vacation home. Once you have stayed in these accommodations, you will LAOTH to go back to the moderates or values.

As previously stated, you still have food and transportation expenses, but we find DVC units to be a savings there also, since we like the convenience and lower cost of preparing at least breakfasts and light suppers or lunches in the unit. We don't have to rent a car when we fly in if we don't want to. Utilizing DME is still available to DVC members as well as all resort guests.

 

[the who #3]

i don't know if it would be a savings to you or not but if has been to me. until we went dvc i was spending $5000.00 to $7000.00 per trip for 7 nights. i did this for 10 years and finally realized that i must do something if we were to be able to continue.

we have out grown a one room wheather it is economy, mid-range, or a delux resort. (i quess i'm spoiled i prefer the delux). we no longer fit a regular room so the villas are just great. if you have 5 people, you will also out grow one room before long. also having laundry facilities means you don't have to lug as many suitcases with you. a kitchen is a big money saver if you are willing to eat in your room (food is one of the biggest expenses of the entire trip). the discounts for dvc members at restaurants and other outlets at dtd is nice too. one of the biggest savings for our family is being able to buy annual passes, since we live out of state we have not been allowed to purchase them before, and if you go more than once a year that does help. also, we have actually saved money by using the ddp.

with all people some years are leaner than others. we hope dvc will help us when we have lean years. after all, if you can not go one year you can bank pts and use them the next year.

i always divide my trip expenses into 3 parts when preparing for the expense, accomodadtions, food and park passes(entertainment).

we love dvc! it is our vacation and we love the spacious accomodations, it helps keep attitudes nicer.

 

[NYMomof4]

I also have 4 kids and was doing the same thing every year until I joined DVC. I think that DVC is exactly for those families that know that they love Disney and want to visit regularly. My kids were getting older and I felt that I wanted to enjoy the years that they were growing up with a nice vacation every year in great accomodations. I had paid off my car loan just before and decided that this was comparable to that but I'd have my vacations all set (aside from food, transportation, passes) for the next 40 something years.

 

[bcvillastwo]

Sounds to me like everyone up to this point is saying the same thing......DVC is definitely something for the OP to consider.

My advice would be as follows.

1. Take your time and don't rush the decision (impulse buying can get anyone in trouble).

2. Break out how much you are spending on accomodations from the total that you spend on each trip. You want to compare what you have been spending on accomodations to what the DVC accomodations are likely to cost.

3. Run the numbers (there is lots of advice on the boards on how to conduct your financial analysis).

4. Lay out the pro's and con's. While there are lots of pro's there are also some con's (e.g., no daily maid service).

5. Discuss the financial aspects of DVC vs. renting along with all of the other factors that are important to your situation.

6. Make your decision (It's best if DH and DW are in substantial agreement).

Good luck