Help! Annual Dues Question

[mcbob66]

Hi all. My wife and I are thinking about buying into SSR. It seems like a great deal to buy for about $18,000 for 180 points or so, and have it until 2054. But, annual dues would be about $700 per yr. That's another $34,300 for the life of the contract (and annual dues goes up just about every year). That's a total of about $52,300 for 49 years in this example. Is there really a big savings by joining the DVC?
Thanks,
Bob.

1991 Port Orleans FQ,
1996 Institute,
2003 Carribean Beach + Port Orleans DL,
2004 BWV

 

[RobDoc]

Welcome to the DIS!

Right now, you can purchase 180 points at SSR for $15,300 ($85 per point)and you can find resales for much less.

To answer your question about savings though, you may want to figure the cost of paying cash for the next 49 years at a WDW resort. You haven't mentioned what size villa you'd want, but don't forget that the rates for onsite rooms will also go up over the next 49 years (probably MORE than the DVC dues).

Depending on how often you'll go to WDW and how you'll use your DVC points, there can be a great savings over cash reservations- especially when compared to moderate or deluxe resorts.

Enjoy!

 

[Chuck S]

Well, it could get to the point where the dues are outrageous, but remember, dues pays for taxes, staffing, maintenance...all kinds of things. At a regular resort, these cost are figured into the price of the rooms.

So, I'm thinking that if dues rise for some uncontrollable reason, the resort room prices would have to go up for the same reasons. I would think that DVC accomodations (purchase price divided by number of years, plus dues) should always be a better value than a regular resort stay at WDW.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you go to WDW frequently or would like to go frequently, it might be a good deal. If you went once a year on those points, it would cost you roughly $1000 each trip. Can you stay at a moderate for the next 40 years for that same price? Would you want to?

You can't even compare the DVC resorts to a moderate resort. So it just depends on what is important to you.

We don't save any money on DVC. We actually spend more since we go more frequently. Just got back on Monday and are now planning a quick trip in June and back again in January for the marathon again. When we were planning our first trip, we didn't think we could go back for five years or more because of what it was going to cost us on that trip. 7.5 yrs later, we've made about 18 trips to WDW mostly on DVC points. We've brought nieces, BIL/SIL, nephews, MIL & FIL, my mom. Our last trip was the best with my BIL, SIL and their three kids. We had a two bedroom villa at OKW and had the best time. So much that we'd like to invite them to go again. A real fun bunch. This is my husband's brother, but his wife and I even look alike. One of the castmembers thought we were sisters.

 

[disworldnum1]

First off I would take it one year at a time.Who's to say you are going to own it for the entire time.I know that i cant get a week at the boardwalk for what I pay in dues.I could probably get 2 days.I love the dvc because it enables me to stay on the property in a nice 1 bedroom with a kitchen.I have figured out that the cost of ownership has already paid for itself.

 

[Caskbill]

You're also looking at future dues payments as one lump sum using 2005 dollars. But 49 years from now $35,000 will sound like nothing. You have to keep it in perspective.

To basically reiterate what Doc said, compare for example just today: How much in maintenance costs would the dues be today to get a studio at BWV for one night? Compare that to what it would cost to get a hotel room at the BWI for one night. That's what you're <u>saving</u>. Now multiply that savings by how many nights you'd stay over the next 49 years. That's your total savings. Subtract from that your initial purchase price and you'll see that you're way ahead.

And if you check the history of hotel rates at WDW the last 10 years you'll see that they have risen at a much faster rate than DVC dues. I don't have any links but several years ago some members had some comparisons on things like how much a room cost at the Poly in 1992 compared to DVC dues for a studio room at OKW, and how much the Poly costs today, compared to today's DVC dues.