has anyone found DVC to be...

[mygirl]

a more economical means of travel for your family? i have seen countless posts about how everyone LOVES their DVC, but in all fairness, it has been WAY more of an investment than they could have earlier realized. with more points, comes more visits - meaning more tickets, more EVERYTHING!

i am thinking that, in the long run, we will have spent way less on accomodations for our family. and with having access to a full kitchen and laundry - way less on food and such. just wondering if there are those who have made this a more $$ savvy way of travelling to WDW?

 

[ldo]

Family of 4--going to DVC end of June, staying in Studio sun-thur. = 55 points. Maintenance fees (annual fees) for this is $250. Cost for 50 points was $4000. We are taking ME bus, and having no rental car. Comparable room at moderate would be $160+ per night. We bought 10 day non-expire with waterparks and will use 2 park days and 1 waterpark day. Because we have microwave and fridge, we will eat in for breakfast and lunches. My out of packet for 5 nights with tax in a room would have been $900+. It is worth it for us.

 

[mikron]

We own 1,410 points and it works for us, we live 80 miles from Disney. We can book and go whenever Disney has a room. But if you are restricted to vacation time and don't have flexible times or only have 2 or 3 weeks per year and don't find staying on Disney property with all that it gives and adds to the vacation then staying off site is cheaper. Keep in mind if you are flying to Disney you get free bus to Disney, you don't need a rental car with bus service to all areas on Disney property.

 

[Dean]

a more economical means of travel for your family? i have seen countless posts about how everyone LOVES their DVC, but in all fairness, it has been WAY more of an investment than they could have earlier realized. with more points, comes more visits - meaning more tickets, more EVERYTHING!

i am thinking that, in the long run, we will have spent way less on accomodations for our family. and with having access to a full kitchen and laundry - way less on food and such. just wondering if there are those who have made this a more $$ savvy way of travelling to WDW?

Disney trips in general are expensive so it really depends on how you compare. If you do S-F in a studio (or 2 BR if you'd need 2 reg rooms) and still eat at least 2 meals in the room (more for a 2 BR), it's hard to not show a value. Still if you go to WDW a lot more, you'll spend more than you would otherwise but you'll have more fun as well. It's much like the idea of putting everything on your CC and paying it off at the end of the month. Most people spend more doing this than they would ever get in rewards and I say this as someone who takes this exact approach. With a little planning one can easily travel to the Disney area and stay off property for $200-400 a week and stay in places as good as DVC, sometimes better from the resort standpoint. Your only trade off is the on/off property debate.

 

[CarolMN]

DVC can save you money - but not if it changes your travel habits!

After DVC, many here say they go more often, stay in larger accommodations than originally planned, and treat friends and family. They would never have done those things before/without DVC. While wonderful to do, none of those things make DVC a way to "save" money, LOL.

We tended to go every year and stay in either a moderate or deluxe on site resort. Since DVC, we have treated family a few times and are now going a little more often, but in total, I think we have spent less on WDW lodging post DVC than we did pre-DVC. (We were fortunate enough to buy in when the price was $65 per point).

We are spending more on transportation (more trips) and about the same on tickets (due to excellent DVC discount on annual passes). I think we are spending more on restaurants. Since we are not so focused on "commando" park touring, trying all the higher end restaurants is more enjoyable. We are definitely spending WAY less on souvenirs, LOL.

We still vacation other places, but do not use DVC points to do it.

All in all, WDW vacations are a luxury and DVC is a commitment to regular, fairly expensive vacations. I don't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have the discretionary income to support it. JMHO. YMMV

 

[CarolAnnC]

Well, I don't consider DVC to be a "economical" way to travel, but depending on your usual travel habits, it can save you money.

If you are traveling once a year to WDW, staying at a Value Resort, you will not save by purchasing DVC. You definitely enjoy a much higher quality vacation with DVC, more comparable to a Deluxe resort, but it is not going to save money in all instances of WDW travel.

I know I have come a long way since the days of staying at the then known as Dixie Landings eating cereal and peanut butter sandwiches in the room, LOL!

 

[mygirl]

thank you for your replies. i should note now that we are not looking to save or make money on our DVC purchase. it is an investment with non-monetery return (memories with my family). LONG-term, however, i forsee us as coming out ahead on what we would have otherwise spent on WDW vacations. DVC will not change our travel habits: we like to do 7-10 days per year - max. we live quite far, so adding more trips in would not really be feasable. we like mod-deluxe accomodations. our dates can be pretty flexible 8 mos out of the year. i highly doubt that we would have guests travelling with us every year; maybe only once in a while. having a kitchenette or full kitchen would not only save on park dining, but will likely be more health consious, as well.

OK! apparently i answered my own questions!

are there any others who feel that DVC was a cost-worthy investment that would actually help with accomodations costs?

 

[DeeCee735]

For us I think it's a value. Before we bought in we were staying in deluxe resorts - and once off property in a "dive" through a trade with II on a timeshare my parents used to own upstate. Horrible place, don't remember the name, on 192, took FOREVER to get into and out of the parks.

Anyway, the deluxe resorts back then were around $255 a night plus tax, and they are only hotel rooms - no washer/dryer, no kitchen or kitchenette. Figuring roughly around $1700 or $1800 for 6 night stays - now I understand the moderates can be that high (depending on time of year), and the deluxes are higher. Our maintenance fees are about $1100 a year and we are getting about 10 nights a year on our points, more if we use studio's. So there's a savings right there. We usually buy 10 day non expire park hoppers, getting about 3 vacations out of them, since we don't go into the parks everyday now, and we usually drive down. So we really only need meal $$ and travel $$$ for gas, tolls and an overnight stay (on the rise!).

While we aren't big on cooking meals while on vacation, having the option to store milk, scramble up some eggs and make some toast and coffee in the morning saves a ton of money on a sit down breakfast for 4 of us. So there's that.

Than there's no more souvenior money being spent, maybe bringing home some taffy or sweets from BW Sweet Shoppe is about all - so there's that.

We travel all together one week long trip a year, and I try to get there with a couple of girlfriends 3 or 4 nights in the fall too. Hotel costs alone would be about $3000 with tax (and I think I'm pricing moderates here) if we were to pay cash.

Our family trip once a year costs alittle less than that - so for us it is a savings, (we bought our points at $65 and paid it upfront, no financing)
but we really didn't look at it for that reason. We just knew we'd want to come back here as much as possible, and it has a nice strong trade out value if we ever want to start venturing further out into the world (that hasn't really happened yet - after all this is the happiness place in the world! ).

ENJOY!

 

[DisFlan]

DVC has saved us money. It paid for itself 2 trips ago. We spent 8 days in a BWV 2 bd last Sept. with extended family. and we bought APs, DDE's and the Golf card. This Sept, just my DH and I are going back for 8 days a little earlier in Sept. This way our AP's, DDE and golf cards are still good. This is a HUGE savings for us - all we have to do is get there. We'll be staying in a SV studio at BWV which also saves points.

Years back, prior to DVC, we'd always stayed in the Deluxes and traveled fairly high end Disney. Even though we're now retired, DVC has allowed us to NOT have to change our travel habits much - just to have as much or more fun. We love having the space to invite family and their little ones to join us. They love every minute of it and the memories make it priceless for us.

DisFlan

 

[moredisneyplease]

I see what you're saying: DVC = more vacation time = more money spent while on vacation (flights, tickets, etc) but for my family its a guaranteed vacation.

My husband and I did a lot of traveling prior to having kiddos and once I became pregnant with kiddo #1 everyone said "those traveling days are going to be over" With that said we made it a point to make sure we vacationed even with the little ones and our DVC purchase makes that a reality.

Do we spend more money over all? I dont know but what matters to me/us is that we're still on the move and still vacationing.

 

[crisi]

Its been a good value - but its been one of the LEAST economical things we've ever purchased. DVC and the year my husband decided to develop a taste for wine as my anniversary gift - now THAT has been expensive - its really nice to share a bottle with him, and "create memories" but my developing a taste for Bud Light would have been far more economical.

 

[Coach81]

Economical? If you are looking to save money, don't consider Disney. Disney is expensive, period.

Economical with regard to going to Disney and using DVC vs not DVC? If you want to stay on Disney property, and have nice rooms year after year, then I would say, yes. As opposed to just getting the regular "rack rate" resort prices year after year (especially in the future), DVC will become somewhat of an economical investment.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I bought in @ $61 p/ point and my maintenance now costs me $1000 a year, no DVC doesn't save me money but it does afford me a nicer standard of vacationing for what I deem a very reasonable lenght of time. I considered other timeshares and for my family it's preferable to stay on Disney property so that was the deciding factor. So when I'm 80, this family of mine are going to have to make their own choices, because time's up. I didn't buy into it for the world travel etc., I bought it because I love Disney.

In the 70's & 80's we left the house at 7am, headed for Disney and did MK. We ate sandwiches that my Mother prepared and bought just a few goodies from the park. Then, worn out, with our left over e-tickets etc. we headed home after the fireworks. When Epcot came we sometimes stayed overnight at the Red Carpet Inn, the big time. My how things have changed. I enjoy DVC and the priveleges and perks that come with it. (Even if they appear to be dwindling)

I think the only true way to save on vacation is just to stay home! But what fun is that.

 

[4Pluto]

I bought into DVC mostly to start a tradition of sharing an extended family vacation. Since we would otherwise need 3 rooms (7 people, 3 generations needing 4 beds and 3 distinct bedrooms), I think using a 2 BR villa gives us lots of value over traditional hotel accommodations (and it would be difficult to convince my parents to spend a week at a Value Resort). For families over 5 people or with a mix of people that require separate rooms or beds, I think DVC can save money over other Disney options.

That won't be the case for 50 years, but at this point, it works for us.

 

[DVCRob]

We bought into DVC because it would save us money based upon our Disney travel habits. We try to plan vacations so that in a 12 month period we'll do two weeks. We take advantage on the discount for annual passes. This year we'll do 16 days in the parks on the AP, knocking out two annual vacations. We also let others going with us share some expense, well below what they would otherwise pay - but that little bit helps to pay annual dues or buy park tickets.

 

[londonderrydisneyfan]

Because we'll end up making more trips to Disney and staying in nicer places than before we bought DVC there aren't any cost savings for us but there is cost avoidance. As others have mentioned, DVC is less expensive per trip than comparable accomodations on property.

 

[dvc at last !]

Yes, Disney vacations are expensive !

 

[bams50]

eating cereal and peanut butter sandwiches in the room, LOL!

Hey, that sounds good! What kind of cereal did you put in the sandwich??

 

[disneymayz]

We are cheap also. It took me about 6mnths to a year to figure it out. We go for atleast 7 nights / year. We are a family of 4 so a studio would be just fine for us. 1 kid on airbed other on bed (they rotate). We ended up buying 70 points resle because this allowed us to go (with no hotel cost) 2 years then off one year then 3 years then off one year then 2 years etc. The cost of DVC will pay for itself in 4-5 years. We will continue to go the off years but stay in a value resort. We also do the annual pass so that the off years we do not have to pay for ticket since we have to pay for room. From one cheep person to another I hope this last.

Someone stated that Disney is expensive. I beg to differ because I was just at Hershey Park, PA. When in Disney I bought a 4 pack of drawer knobs for $12 (they have 4 Mickey parts) A drawer knob at Hershey was about $6-7 for one. So compared to other amusment parks Disney is not expensive.

 

[FreeTime]

DVC has not been more economical for us, on most years, because we have spent more on travelling, tickets, food, etc. This year, we bought AP's (we haven't held them in several years) and we will get 24 days out of them. This is costing us $58 dollars and day for 4 of us to get in. Way less that the price of a 1-day adult ticket. The problem with this calculation is that I am thinking we are getting a deal when on some of those days we may only go in for early entry!!!

The memories that our family has is something that can't be replaced and is worth every penny! We have used our points elsewhere and were happy to not have to come up with the money for a DCL cruise and a week at Lake Tahoe.

I am feeling a little better with how much we paid ($65 a point and $1900 in annual dues) because we just paid $129+tax a night at the All Stars last week! All I kept thinking the entire time was we were paying half of our annual dues on this trip!