Has anyone bought into DVC and NOT changed they way they do Disney (besides the obvious DVC change)?

[Dean]

I keep reading that "DVC will change the way you vacation at Disney" and you'll end up going more often and spending more money at Disney. Has anyone bought into DVC and not had this happen?

Hubby and I LOVE to travel. Since we've been married (5 years), we've traveled internationally 3x, WDW 2x, non-WDW FL trips 2x, NYC, Washington D.C., 1-2 week road trips 2x... lets just say we use ALL our vacation time! We like variety and want to continue exploring new places (and returning to the places we love), but the one recurring trip that we seem to do every couple years is WDW and I definitely see that continuing, especially as our kids get older and can appreciate it more (age 4 and 1 currently).

I don't want to go to WDW more frequently, but I would like to upgrade how we do Disney (without forking out a ton more money). It seems like buying into DVC would let us stay deluxe onsite without the deluxe price. I would also love to do a stay at Aluani, HH, Vero, and VGF (challenging so I've read, but our travel times are pretty flexible and we would probably only do a couple nights during a longer California trip). And with young children and extended family who occasionally vacation with us, having the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom options is very, very appealing.

Renting points seems like a good options, but the lack of flexibility and need to book 11-months out concerns me (A LOT). I like having control over my reservation.

If we bought, it would be a smaller (100-150 points) resale contract with the intention of banking and borrowing to go to WDW every 2-3 years and a trip to one of the other non-WDW resorts every once in a while.

I would appreciate hearing from those who have not gone WDW crazy (no offense) after buying into DVC, and have been able to take "upgraded" WDW vacations thanks to DVC while still ragularly taking non-DVC trips as well. Thanks!

It likely does for everyone compared to what they would have done not owning DVC, even the ones that say it doesn't. But we all change, Disney has changed and DVC has changed. I don't get the impression you're looking to buy DVC for those other trips but this approach would be a mistake other than at DVC resorts.

One thing you might want to consider given your travel plans is a different timeshare instead or in addition. You'll likely save more there than you would owning DVC and paying cash for the other options though doing both might make sense.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Right. But if we own I would pick a Dec use year giving us a decent amount of time to cancel and bank our points or move points to a different resort at a different time. We've never had to change a vacation last minute. I'm thinking more like a wedding or some other event coming up after we've made our 11-month reservation (but still a good 4+ months before our trip) and needing to move our vacation back a week or so. Unlikely, but still nice to have the option. That's my thought process anyway...

There are many times of the year when you won't be able to modify your reservation by a week or two if you find out you have a conflict.

 

[bwvBound]

Timeshare changed the way we travel -- but DVC did not change how we do Disney. However, we feel we are far from 'normal' around here (on this board).

• We both grew up in Disneyland. We are locals -- we went all the time. We'd go as a family, we'd go when we had out-of-state visitors, we'd go for a special party, we'd go for Grad Night, we'd go for Thanksgiving Day, ... we'd go on a whim, "Hey, I'm having a really rough day. Can you get off? Let's go to Disneyland for the afternoon." Disney is simply part of the fabric of life when you live nearby.
• WDW is OK -- but we don't (generally) go there for vacations. We go for conferences and might, or might not, visit a park while we are there.
• We owned other timeshare, and LOVED our other timeshare, before adding DVC to the mix.
• Timesharing, long before DVC, nudged us into enjoying larger spaces (minimum 1BR units) for every trip. Hotels quickly became an unwelcome option to be avoided, if possible, by timesharing.
• Timesharing killed the radio cruising. We were avid cruisers before our first timeshare and, indeed, owning the timeshare opened the door to more road trips and ground travel instead of cruise bookings. The cruise industry, for its part, was undergoing major changes at the same time and we took a break from it. We've done maybe 8-10 cruises since our first timeshare purchase (July 2000) but we were cruising 4-6 weeks every year before that timeshare. (By 'cruising' I do not mean exclusively Disney Cruise Line. Yes, we've done a few DCL sailings over the past 20 years -- but we prefer extended global jaunts over repeat visits to the Caribbean.)
• Timesharing created a space for large family gatherings. It didn't take long for timesharing to become the 'go-to-choice' for visiting with extended family. We pick a location, book large and/or multiple units, show up and enjoy the family time. Much easier on all of us than one household hosting the gathering at their own home.

So those are the changes we've experienced -- with the most significant changes shown in bold.

EDITED TO ADD: Hey - thanks for this question! I've had fun reflecting on our 'changes' over the past 20 years and how they've been shaped by the opportunities and decisions we've made. So, for what it is worth -- one particular timeshare has made a huge change by adding horses to our daily lives. Yippie! It was a ranch timeshare we discovered in 2002 that was 90-mintes drive from our coastal home. We bought (resale, via eBay) and quickly achieved our "independent rider" status allowing us to use the ranch horses as our own (we were free from "guided trail rides"). That ranch became the major hub of family gatherings until it closed in 2012. We purchased my favorite ranch horse, added another, and a home in the same area. Now I enjoy a horsey lifestyle every day. Simply awesome!!

• I keep reading that "DVC will change the way you vacation at Disney" and you'll end up going more often and spending more money at Disney. Has anyone bought into DVC and not had this happen?
  
  Hubby and I LOVE to travel. Since we've been married (5 years), we've traveled internationally 3x, WDW 2x, non-WDW FL trips 2x, NYC, Washington D.C., 1-2 week road trips 2x... lets just say we use ALL our vacation time! We like variety and want to continue exploring new places (and returning to the places we love), but the one recurring trip that we seem to do every couple years is WDW and I definitely see that continuing, especially as our kids get older and can appreciate it more (age 4 and 1 currently).
  
  I don't want to go to WDW more frequently, but I would like to upgrade how we do Disney (without forking out a ton more money). It seems like buying into DVC would let us stay deluxe onsite without the deluxe price. I would also love to do a stay at Aluani, HH, Vero, and VGF (challenging so I've read, but our travel times are pretty flexible and we would probably only do a couple nights during a longer California trip). And with young children and extended family who occasionally vacation with us, having the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom options is very, very appealing.
  
  Renting points seems like a good options, but the lack of flexibility and need to book 11-months out concerns me (A LOT). I like having control over my reservation.
  
  If we bought, it would be a smaller (100-150 points) resale contract with the intention of banking and borrowing to go to WDW every 2-3 years and a trip to one of the other non-WDW resorts every once in a while.
  
  I would appreciate hearing from those who have not gone WDW crazy (no offense) after buying into DVC, and have been able to take "upgraded" WDW vacations thanks to DVC while still ragularly taking non-DVC trips as well. Thanks!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I cannot say that it hasn't changed - we now enjoy getting larger villas and inviting family along although that was part of the plan - but it was not the way we did things prior to buying.

Visits have increased but I'm a bit in a chicken and the egg scenario there as we had a few life changes that made the Disney vacation a much better one for us to take vs other travel and was a large part of our deciding to buy. But on top of those reasons we've definitely thrown in extra visits over the years that we would not have otherwise.

 

[Sammie]

At the time we bought DVC we had been going for over 13 years at least once a year, sometimes twice. During that 13 years we stayed a week at Disney and another week seeing all that Florida has to offer. After 13 years, we were ready to travel to other parts of the country during that non Disney week. We started out with one room at a moderate and grew to 2 rooms at deluxe resorts. We had stayed at every resort before buying DVC. We just finally decided that a 2 bedroom villa was a better fit for us than 2 rooms, so we bought DVC.

We don't go any more often than before DVC and we spend less money since owning DVC than before.

 

[MamaBear12]

There are many times of the year when you won't be able to modify your reservation by a week or two if you find out you have a conflict.

Even in the low/moderate season (summer)? I thought I read that it was fairly easy to find SSR availability even 4-5 months out at non-peak times?

 

[MamaBear12]

Timeshare changed the way we travel -- but DVC did not change how we do Disney. However, we feel we are far from 'normal' around here (on this board).

• We both grew up in Disneyland. We are locals -- we went all the time. We'd go as a family, we'd go when we had out-of-state visitors, we'd go for a special party, we'd go for Grad Night, we'd go for Thanksgiving Day, ... we'd go on a whim, "Hey, I'm having a really rough day. Can you get off? Let's go to Disneyland for the afternoon." Disney is simply part of the fabric of life when you live nearby.
• WDW is OK -- but we don't (generally) go there for vacations. We go for conferences and might, or might not, visit a park while we are there.
• We owned other timeshare, and LOVED our other timeshare, before adding DVC to the mix.
• Timesharing, long before DVC, nudged us into enjoying larger spaces (minimum 1BR units) for every trip. Hotels quickly became an unwelcome option to be avoided, if possible, by timesharing.
• Timesharing killed the radio cruising. We were avid cruisers before our first timeshare and, indeed, owning the timeshare opened the door to more road trips and ground travel instead of cruise bookings. The cruise industry, for its part, was undergoing major changes at the same time and we took a break from it. We've done maybe 8-10 cruises since our first timeshare purchase (July 2000) but we were cruising 4-6 weeks every year before that timeshare. (By 'cruising' I do not mean exclusively Disney Cruise Line. Yes, we've done a few DCL sailings over the past 20 years -- but we prefer extended global jaunts over repeat visits to the Caribbean.)
• Timesharing created a space for large family gatherings. It didn't take long for timesharing to become the 'go-to-choice' for visiting with extended family. We pick a location, book large and/or multiple units, show up and enjoy the family time. Much easier on all of us than one household hosting the gathering at their own home.

So those are the changes we've experienced -- with the most significant changes shown in bold.

EDITED TO ADD: Hey - thanks for this question! I've had fun reflecting on our 'changes' over the past 20 years and how they've been shaped by the opportunities and decisions we've made. So, for what it is worth -- one particular timeshare has made a huge change by adding horses to our daily lives. Yippie! It was a ranch timeshare we discovered in 2002 that was 90-mintes drive from our coastal home. We bought (resale, via eBay) and quickly achieved our "independent rider" status allowing us to use the ranch horses as our own (we were free from "guided trail rides"). That ranch became the major hub of family gatherings until it closed in 2012. We purchased my favorite ranch horse, added another, and a home in the same area. Now I enjoy a horsey lifestyle every day. Simply awesome!!

Timeshare changed the way we travel -- but DVC did not change how we do Disney. However, we feel we are far from 'normal' around here (on this board).

• We both grew up in Disneyland. We are locals -- we went all the time. We'd go as a family, we'd go when we had out-of-state visitors, we'd go for a special party, we'd go for Grad Night, we'd go for Thanksgiving Day, ... we'd go on a whim, "Hey, I'm having a really rough day. Can you get off? Let's go to Disneyland for the afternoon." Disney is simply part of the fabric of life when you live nearby.
• WDW is OK -- but we don't (generally) go there for vacations. We go for conferences and might, or might not, visit a park while we are there.
• We owned other timeshare, and LOVED our other timeshare, before adding DVC to the mix.
• Timesharing, long before DVC, nudged us into enjoying larger spaces (minimum 1BR units) for every trip. Hotels quickly became an unwelcome option to be avoided, if possible, by timesharing.
• Timesharing killed the radio cruising. We were avid cruisers before our first timeshare and, indeed, owning the timeshare opened the door to more road trips and ground travel instead of cruise bookings. The cruise industry, for its part, was undergoing major changes at the same time and we took a break from it. We've done maybe 8-10 cruises since our first timeshare purchase (July 2000) but we were cruising 4-6 weeks every year before that timeshare. (By 'cruising' I do not mean exclusively Disney Cruise Line. Yes, we've done a few DCL sailings over the past 20 years -- but we prefer extended global jaunts over repeat visits to the Caribbean.)
• Timesharing created a space for large family gatherings. It didn't take long for timesharing to become the 'go-to-choice' for visiting with extended family. We pick a location, book large and/or multiple units, show up and enjoy the family time. Much easier on all of us than one household hosting the gathering at their own home.

So those are the changes we've experienced -- with the most significant changes shown in bold.

EDITED TO ADD: Hey - thanks for this question! I've had fun reflecting on our 'changes' over the past 20 years and how they've been shaped by the opportunities and decisions we've made. So, for what it is worth -- one particular timeshare has made a huge change by adding horses to our daily lives. Yippie! It was a ranch timeshare we discovered in 2002 that was 90-mintes drive from our coastal home. We bought (resale, via eBay) and quickly achieved our "independent rider" status allowing us to use the ranch horses as our own (we were free from "guided trail rides"). That ranch became the major hub of family gatherings until it closed in 2012. We purchased my favorite ranch horse, added another, and a home in the same area. Now I enjoy a horsey lifestyle every day. Simply awesome!!

Oh fun! What great vacations! Thank tou for sharing

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Even in the low/moderate season (summer)? I thought I read that it was fairly easy to find SSR availability even 4-5 months out at non-peak times?

This thread may help:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/pr...-some-1-bedrooms-vgc-update-10-21-15.3419112/

It's mainly from 2015 though. General consensus seems to be that booking during high demand times has gotten tougher, but 4-5 months out at SSR in the summer I think should be OK (no guarantees of course, things can change) as long as there are no special events like marathons/races and such.

 

[Marionnette]

Even in the low/moderate season (summer)? I thought I read that it was fairly easy to find SSR availability even 4-5 months out at non-peak times?

I think that because of its size, SSR is easier to book when you're under 7 months. For now.

With DVD still selling Poly and then adding even more overpriced cabins at Copper Creek, you're going to see a number of new DVC owners who won't be able to afford those bungalows and cabins...EVER...but don't always want to stay in one of the converted hotel rooms that DVC is passing off as studios. That means that there will be greater competition for 1- and 2-bedroom units at the 7-month mark than ever before. It's going to be increasingly difficult to book at the most popular times of the year even at the 11-month window (when owners want to make sure that they have something booked) and inside the 7-month window for all times of the year.

 

[MamaBear12]

I think that because of its size, SSR is easier to book when you're under 7 months. For now.

With DVD still selling Poly and then adding even more overpriced cabins at Copper Creek, you're going to see a number of new DVC owners who won't be able to afford those bungalows and cabins...EVER...but don't always want to stay in one of the converted hotel rooms that DVC is passing off as studios. That means that there will be greater competition for 1- and 2-bedroom units at the 7-month mark than ever before. It's going to be increasingly difficult to book at the most popular times of the year even at the 11-month window (when owners want to make sure that they have something booked) and inside the 7-month window for all times of the year.

Good to know. Thank you. This is something we'll definitely need to consider.

 

[squirrel4569]

We thought that we would still go at the same rate of once a year, and bought points to do just that. Nope. We wound up buying APs and going 4 times in our first year. Then we thought we'd take some time off from WDW and do DLR and DCL. Well, we're adding in a couple of days around our cruise, in the process of getting more points, and then doing another trip at NYE next year and possibly doing MNSSHP over a weekend. We're also planning a trip with family with multiple rooms, etc.

Like a previous poster said, the awesome thing is that you know you'll be back, so taking breaks at the resort and not doing rope drop to park close all the time makes it so much more relaxing.

Also, not stressing about promotions for rooms, free dining, etc is awesome. Also, the rooms are much nicer than the value rooms that we've stayed in before. Definitely prefer to stay DVC than not now that we've done it.

 

[gluestickgirl]

We're fairly new to DVC, but bought to support the way we currently vacation. We do a longer trip w/ the kids - mostly in a moderate w/ a couple of deluxe days at the end, and a shorter trip without them in a deluxe. With our DVC days with the kids, we ease off the parks and enjoy the resort. It's a great way to wind down a commando trip. =)

 

[crisi]

So how we've changed:

If we didn't have DVC, we'd book a single room. With DVC we book a two bedroom.

If we didn't have DVC, we'd go as just our immediate family. With DVC we've treated friends and relatives to lodging.

How we haven't changed:

We still commando - we are still on a every couple of years schedule, so unlike people who go more often with DVC, we still maximize our park time.

We still have breakfast in the room - in a hotel room it was more pop tarts and coffee - where with a DVC unit its eggs.

 

[MamaBear12]

So how we've changed:

If we didn't have DVC, we'd book a single room. With DVC we book a two bedroom.

If we didn't have DVC, we'd go as just our immediate family. With DVC we've treated friends and relatives to lodging.

How we haven't changed:

We still commando - we are still on a every couple of years schedule, so unlike people who go more often with DVC, we still maximize our park time.

We still have breakfast in the room - in a hotel room it was more pop tarts and coffee - where with a DVC unit its eggs.

This sounds like how we would use DVC as well if we decided to buy in...every couple years, inviting family, take advantage of the kitchen/kitchenette. How many points would you recommend for this use schedule (ballpark)? Which resort did you buy into and why?

Thanks!

 

[Marionnette]

This sounds like how we would use DVC as well if we decided to buy in...every couple years, inviting family, take advantage of the kitchen/kitchenette. How many points would you recommend for this use schedule (ballpark)? Which resort did you buy into and why?

Thanks!

Check the points chart here or on any of the DVC-related websites. You will need to have a feel for:

• When you will probably travel because different times of the year will require different amounts of points for the same villa.
• What type of unit you will typically be booking (obviously studios will be much less than GVs, but resorts, locations within the resort and views also need to be considered).
• How long you will stay for a typical visit.

Keep in mind that some units are harder to book than others (AKV Value studios, BWV standard views, any VGF studio, to name a few). So don't base the number of points you buy on the lowest season and the least costly villa. Any reallocation of points could put you in a situation where you end up short on points every time that you want to book.

Don't base your purchase on the points needed at a non-home resort. You may find that more often than not, you will end up staying at your home resort due to availability issues.

OTOH, don't buy so many points that you end up looking for someone to rent from you or you end up taking trips that you didn't intend to go on just because you have points that will expire if you don't.

There is so much about purchasing DVC that is extremely personal. My reasons for choosing my home resort may mean very little to someone who doesn't care where they stay as long as they are in Disney. Or the number of points I have might be very low in comparison to someone who vacations for 3 weeks annually and books GVs each time. And while someone with 3 small kids might be fine with staying in a studio for a week or more, others would rather slit their own wrists than share such a small space with their 3 teenagers for any extended time.

So, I really encourage you to make an informed decision based on your own needs and preferences rather than relying on how other use their memberships. Believe me, there are almost as many ways to use DVC as there are DVC owners.

 

[MrInfinity]

I keep reading that "DVC will change the way you vacation at Disney" and you'll end up going more often and spending more money at Disney. Has anyone bought into DVC and not had this happen?

We bought in just a little, so that we can get more booking options -- Instead of being able to book hotels, we can book hotels or DVC. If we're taking a trip with a small party, we'd stay hotel-side somewhere. Quick, nimble, easy to book any time, and full hotel benefits. If we're doing a 10-person family trip, we know this a year in advance and want a big room so DVC is perfect. It's more options, not less. Staying DVC is never your only option -- it's just one option that only some people have access to. Buying in gets you that access, which I think is the best reason to buy. The option to stay DVC. Not the obligation.

The one recurring trip that we seem to do every couple years is WDW and I definitely see that continuing, especially as our kids get older and can appreciate it more (age 4 and 1 currently).

Is there something about your stays currently, that is not working? For example for us, we always loved our regular rooms. We did the math, and figuring discounts, payment method benefits, and the interest on money not spent, we stayed in Deluxe rooms for less than we could have stayed DVC. But as our family grows and we're taking trips with more people, we find it is more fun to get 1 big room than 3 small rooms. Thus, DVC is a good solution because of the extra space.

I don't want to go to WDW more frequently, but I would like to upgrade how we do Disney (without forking out a ton more money). It seems like buying into DVC would let us stay deluxe onsite without the deluxe price.

I wouldn't look at it that way. You're not staying Deluxe for the price of a timeshare, you're staying timeshare for the price of a timeshare. You lose some benefits, the most important of which can be location. Like, if you stay at the BLT, you are in the adjacent building. That means for almost every benefit, you're walking over to the Contemporary. At the Beach Club, you are in the back section with a long walk to the pool, a big BC draw. Boardwalk is laid out pretty pro-DVC, but this resort is mostly DVC so that makes sense. And then consider that new features designed to draw hotel guests to the properties will be targeted at the hotel side first, not the DVC. You shouldn't expect much in the way of innovation at DVC. 20 years from now what new tech or features will exist in hotels? Will Disney roll this out to the hotels or the fully sold DVC props first? Think about it... So, it's similar to a Deluxe, but not the same.

I would also love to do a stay at Aluani, HH, Vero, and VGF (challenging so I've read, but our travel times are pretty flexible and we would probably only do a couple nights during a longer California trip). And with young children and extended family who occasionally vacation with us, having the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom options is very, very appealing.

You already do these things. You've traveled around so much. We're kind of in the same boat. I'm sure we'll use points for Aulani, but if we didn't have them, it's not like we wouldn't go to Hawaii.

Renting points seems like a good options, but the lack of flexibility and need to book 11-months out concerns me (A LOT). I like having control over my reservation.

Like you, I want to be more in control of our fate.

If we bought, it would be a smaller (100-150 points) resale contract with the intention of banking and borrowing to go to WDW every 2-3 years and a trip to one of the other non-WDW resorts every once in a while.

This sounds great! By buying small you can use it every 2-3 years, supplement with other room stays, and not have to go more than you want. You can always add on if you love it!

I would appreciate hearing from those who have not gone WDW crazy (no offense) after buying into DVC, and have been able to take "upgraded" WDW vacations thanks to DVC while still ragularly taking non-DVC trips as well. Thanks!

I think this is us. I look at the financial transaction pragmatically... You are buying access to a unique set of rooms that most people do not have access to... and paying for them in advance.

Very true! So many posters make it seem like DVC=spending every vacation and all your money at Disney, lol. Just trying to figure out if there are other use models that have worked more similar to how we would want to use it (I'm certain there are, but I've yet to see discussion on them).

You're on the Dis. Naturally you hear from the most avid fans. Most guests are way less into doing Disney all the time.

 

[crisi]

This sounds like how we would use DVC as well if we decided to buy in...every couple years, inviting family, take advantage of the kitchen/kitchenette. How many points would you recommend for this use schedule (ballpark)? Which resort did you buy into and why?

Thanks!

We bought fifteen years ago and we bought at Boardwalk because that was what was available at the price point we wanted resale - back then, resale was OKW or BWV - with a very few expensive VWL contracts hitting the market. We have 150 points, which gets us about six days every two years in a two bedroom in August. We've done some creative juggling to get a grand villa, but only for four nights midweek in a low point season.

But, I'd really discourage buying if money is a factor (e.g. "I'll save money") at all. We do not save money this way - we spend a lot more. A two bedroom DVC is way more expensive than a moderate room for four. The kids outgrew the pullout rather quickly, and my son outgrew Disney shortly afterwards.

Also, as someone with a seventeen year old and an eighteen year old. College is really expensive and financial aid for middle class people is in the form of loans. They will be at that age before you can blink. Vacation on the cheap - and put your money in a 529.

 

[MamaBear12]

Check the points chart here or on any of the DVC-related websites. You will need to have a feel for:

• When you will probably travel because different times of the year will require different amounts of points for the same villa.
• What type of unit you will typically be booking (obviously studios will be much less than GVs, but resorts, locations within the resort and views also need to be considered).
• How long you will stay for a typical visit.

Keep in mind that some units are harder to book than others (AKV Value studios, BWV standard views, any VGF studio, to name a few). So don't base the number of points you buy on the lowest season and the least costly villa. Any reallocation of points could put you in a situation where you end up short on points every time that you want to book.

Don't base your purchase on the points needed at a non-home resort. You may find that more often than not, you will end up staying at your home resort due to availability issues.

OTOH, don't buy so many points that you end up looking for someone to rent from you or you end up taking trips that you didn't intend to go on just because you have points that will expire if you don't.

There is so much about purchasing DVC that is extremely personal. My reasons for choosing my home resort may mean very little to someone who doesn't care where they stay as long as they are in Disney. Or the number of points I have might be very low in comparison to someone who vacations for 3 weeks annually and books GVs each time. And while someone with 3 small kids might be fine with staying in a studio for a week or more, others would rather slit their own wrists than share such a small space with their 3 teenagers for any extended time.

So, I really encourage you to make an informed decision based on your own needs and preferences rather than relying on how other use their memberships. Believe me, there are almost as many ways to use DVC as there are DVC owners.

Oh I agree 100%! It's a very personal decision. I already have a short list of resorts that we would consider purchasing points at with pros/cons and high/low point needs for the times we would likely travel and room types we would likely use. We will rent DVC and tour the properties before we buy. I just like to read examples of others' point usage to get a more realistic perspective.

 

[ldo]

we have not varied our trips that much. We live 12 hours away, so no run down for the weekend. We typically go at least 1X per year and sometimes 2X per year. The difference is that we stay onsite in nicer places than we would pay for out of pocket onsite (SSR vs. POP) and we stay onsite vs. an offsite (very nice) condo. Our teens really like taking the bus, so onsite has become more important than when they were younger. Plus, the parks are not new to us anymore, so 4 hours in a park, then downtime at the resort is what we do. If staying offsite, we would probably do fewer, longer days, then go elsewhere like Univ., etc. We have love owning DVC. I esp. like that I can bank/borrow points, so I don't feel like a "have" to use my ponts every year.

 

[MamaBear12]

We bought fifteen years ago and we bought at Boardwalk because that was what was available at the price point we wanted resale - back then, resale was OKW or BWV - with a very few expensive VWL contracts hitting the market. We have 150 points, which gets us about six days every two years in a two bedroom in August. We've done some creative juggling to get a grand villa, but only for four nights midweek in a low point season.

But, I'd really discourage buying if money is a factor (e.g. "I'll save money") at all. We do not save money this way - we spend a lot more. A two bedroom DVC is way more expensive than a moderate room for four. The kids outgrew the pullout rather quickly, and my son outgrew Disney shortly afterwards.

Also, as someone with a seventeen year old and an eighteen year old. College is really expensive and financial aid for middle class people is in the form of loans. They will be at that age before you can blink. Vacation on the cheap - and put your money in a 529.

Thank you! Kiddos are 1 and 4, so many more years to love Disney. And we've already started on the 529 covered

I guess "saving money" wasn't really the right way to phrase it. More so, I could never ever justify spending $1,800/night on room accommodations (AKV 2-bedroom savannah view rack rate in June). Even if we can afford it, I couldn't justify it to myself. I think it would be an awesome trip to do with my kids and bring grandpa and grandma along, but not for that price. Going the DVC route makes it a lot less expensive (1/3 to 1/4-ish the cost (depending on how you do the math) if we buy points resale), which is a number I can more easily stomach.