Help!!! How do I decide???

[APB513]

I am a die hard Disney fanatic. If I had my way, I would live and work at Disney . Until that happens, I am considering joining DVC.

This board is FULL of helpful people with a wealth of knowledge so I thought I would ask some questions of the people that know.

I have read people say that they "crunched the numbers" before they decided to buy into DVC. This may sound dumb but - what numbers did you crunch?

In addition to the numbers, what other factors influenced your decision to buy?

I am looking for any feedback (positive or negative) to help me make my decision.

Thanks in advance for you input!!!

 

[juliebrooks35]

For us, it didn't come down to crunching numbers re: the money.

As soon as we found out that we could afford to buy the points we needed, we couldn't sign quick enough.
The tour just helped us decide on AKV as my favourite. My family all love Disney and want to make every Disney trip a DVC trip and that's what it came down to for us.
We couldn't afford to stay at the DVC resorts if we didn't buy points so it's really fantastic for us. The way I see it is I can always sell in the future if I change my mind in 15 years or so-can't see that ever happening though

 

[APB513]

For us, it didn't come down to crunching numbers re: the money.

As soon as we found out that we could afford to buy the points we needed, we couldn't sign quick enough.
The tour just helped us decide on AKV as my favourite. My family all love Disney and want to make every Disney trip a DVC trip and that's what it came down to for us.
We couldn't afford to stay at the DVC resorts if we didn't buy points so it's really fantastic for us. The way I see it is I can always sell in the future if I change my mind in 15 years or so-can't see that ever happening though

Thanks Julie!!!

 

[squirrlygirl]

A big factor was having a "reason" to go to Disney each year! We knew we could afford it, but if it came down to it, we knew we'd always find something else "more important" (Illogical, I know--more important than a trip to Disney? ha!)

We didn't number-crunch too much--because we could afford it, and because we're huge Disney fans, and because every trip is 2x accomodation costs for us (with 4 kids)...we decided to go with the magic and not care if we were actually saving money. What we're doing is making memories for our family and enjoying a bit of magic in our lives--and that is priceless!

 

[chalee94]

I have read people say that they "crunched the numbers" before they decided to buy into DVC. This may sound dumb but - what numbers did you crunch?

figuring out how much it costs to stay on-site and how that works out for a given DVC contract:

1) using point charts in link at top right, figure out how many points you would need for a typical vacation at wdw at the DVC resort you prefer most

2) then you look at point costs for resale contracts or through disney direct for a contract that fits your vacation needs, and factor in maintenance fees for your preferred resort

compare those DVC costs (adjusted for "time-value of money" issues since you are paying a lot right now for 35-50 years of future vacations) to CRO prices (adjusted up for estimated taxes and down for "typical" discounts you expect to be able to find) and see if it's a good deal for you.

to simplify, if you typically go for long weekends or 9 day trips including 4 weekend nights, higher weekend point costs for DVC will make for some ugly numbers.

also makes a difference if you are happy to "have a place to crash at night" and are satisfied with a value room or want the sort of theming/amenities that DVC offers. on the other side, you may consider the DVC theming/amenities comparable to disney deluxe resorts but aren't willing to give up daily mousekeeping (and possibly a perceived "extra level of service.")

there's a fair amount to consider so take your time, as it can cost a great deal (even if it is a good value economically.)

 

[Granny]

In addition to the numbers, what other factors influenced your decision to buy?

For us, buying into DVC wasn't about saving money. We clearly spend a lot more money now because we go on vacation more often.

It was more about upgrading the vacation experience. Staying in a suite or condo on-site at WDW....something we could never afford to do if paying cash.

It was a luxury purchase, but also one with the practical benefit of improving our family vacation experience. That might not be saving us money, but clearly fits into the "worth it" category.

The main caution I will provide is that some seem to make their purchase decision based on perks that DVC owners enjoy such as AP discounts and other benefits. Your decision is better based on the accommodations themselves and what you are contracted to be able to enjoy. That way you won't be disappointed in the future if perks are trimmed or changed...you will still have the core value that you bought DVC for in the first place.

Good luck with the decision.

 

[crisi]

mousesavers and mouseplanet both have fairly good financial analysis that you can use.

DVC can save money IF you use it the same way you use CRO reservations. For many of us, we change how we vacation - more frequent, larger units, take guests - and it becomes a more efficient way for Disney to get our money.

 

[lesley.a.murray@talk]

We knew that we still wanted to be on-site but were finding the 2 beds in one room set up a bit awkward. DVC seemed the perfect solution. Flexible acommodation, right in the heart of it all.

We did look at buying a villa but decided that was taking us too far away from the magic. More of a Florida holiday than a WDW one.


For us, buying into DVC was not about money but about living out a dream and enjoying WDW trips for many years to come.
We'll be 75 when our contract runs out and our dd's will be 63 and 59 Loads of time to enjoy it all.

As for number crunching. I guess maybe people who finance their DVC purchase have to work out how much they can afford in monthly loan payments in addition to the Maintenance Fees. This may determine how many points they can buy. You wouldn't want DVC being a financial strain.

For us, calculating if one resort made more financial sense than others( due to MF and years left on contract) gave us an answer we didn't want ie our least favourite choice of resort. So we quit looking at $$$ and started looking at what we wanted. BCV! Fingers crossed!
Good Luck with your decision

 

[vandy]

The numbers I crunched was simply what each year will cost for me to own DVC versus staying at a value or a moderate. I divided our purchase price by the number of years left on the contract, and then figured in the current yearly dues to see what my total yearly cost would be. I then compared what my points got us for a room versus other options. I found for our situation, it was not much different from have two rooms at a value.

With six people, a two bedroom villa is perfect for us and provides an improvement over a value or moderate room.

The other factor that influenced us was the fact we were no longer just throwing money away as we would by "renting" our stay. By owning DVC, we have something that, if needed, could be sold and some of our expenses could be recouped (if not most). Of course this would depend on when we sold and what the going resale price was.

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

A big factor was having a "reason" to go to Disney each year! We knew we could afford it, but if it came down to it, we knew we'd always find something else "more important" (Illogical, I know--more important than a trip to Disney? ha!)

We didn't number-crunch too much--because we could afford it, and because we're huge Disney fans, and because every trip is 2x accomodation costs for us (with 4 kids)...we decided to go with the magic and not care if we were actually saving money. What we're doing is making memories for our family and enjoying a bit of magic in our lives--and that is priceless!

I know exactly what you are saying i was the same. I always seemed to have some reason why i couldn't make the trip this year. now that i have paid up front, I always find a way to assure i make the trip and get my monies worth

 

[epicureangirl]

Although I crunched numbers, by resort, current price per point and maintenance fee, against the cost of a hotel room on-property (accounting about 3% for inflation of the room rate and maintenance fees), I only had to convince myself that there would be a 'break even point' in the foreseeable future. For instance, my kids are 2 and 10, so we will forseeably be doing Disney only vacations (at the DVC resorts) for the next 16 years. That is PLENTY of time for me to get my money's worth out of membership, although I intend to enjoy my membership well into my 70's (2042)!

Another deciding factor was what kind of holidays would I like to take... ideally, as time went on. I knew I didn't want to have the four of us stuck in one room together, sharing a bathroom with two other girls! A one, or ideally two bedroom unit for the four of us would make our trips that much more enjoyable.

My vacation 'wants' also include being financially able to invite other family members along, who may not be able to usually do this type of trip because of the expense. Being on the west coast, the airfare alone can kill you! I could see how having a membership could allow me to rent villas or an extra unit to easily accommodate other family members and allowing us to all have privacy.

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

- and it becomes a more efficient way for Disney to get our money.

"Willingly throwing my money at the Mouse" Is that wrong do ya think?

 

[drag n' fly]

Although I crunched numbers, by resort, current price per point and maintenance fee, against the cost of a hotel room on-property (accounting about 3% for inflation of the room rate and maintenance fees), I only had to convince myself that there would be a 'break even point' in the foreseeable future. For instance, my kids are 2 and 10, so we will forseeably be doing Disney only vacations (at the DVC resorts) for the next 16 years. That is PLENTY of time for me to get my money's worth out of membership, although I intend to enjoy my membership well into my 70's (2042)!

Another deciding factor was what kind of holidays would I like to take... ideally, as time went on. I knew I didn't want to have the four of us stuck in one room together, sharing a bathroom with two other girls! A one, or ideally two bedroom unit for the four of us would make our trips that much more enjoyable.

My vacation 'wants' also include being financially able to invite other family members along, who may not be able to usually do this type of trip because of the expense. Being on the west coast, the airfare alone can kill you! I could see how having a membership could allow me to rent villas or an extra unit to easily accommodate other family members and allowing us to all have privacy.

Pretty much what I would have said. The only number crunching we did was figuring the cost of the flights for the five of us with the dues. We are tired of cramming into small rooms with no nice Mom and Dad time. We are taking our holiday back, getting a 2 bedroom villa and spreading out and everyone has a nice time not just the kids. Our needs will change and evolve. Kids grow, we retire, bring the grandkids down, it also provides an easy gateway to the caribbean if dh and I extend any trips from our home resort.

 

[rotlex]

We haven't decided yet....after nearly a year of thinking. We just came back from a week at CBR, and took the tour for the first time. WOW, the rooms our great, but, and this may be different than others look at it, it REALLY got us thinking about NOT buying. Sound strange? Probably, LOL.

What I mean is, they really blew us away with the look and size, however, we started thinking about how much time we actually spend in the room. For us, it's a place to sleep....and that realization alone may be a huge factor in us not buying. We have stayed at value's, mods and deluxes, and are coming to the conclusion that we area actually VERY happy at a value. Not only that, our 5 year old actually likes them best due to the themes, and she is the primary reason we go!

Other thoughts on our end. Sure, the price is great, IF, you stay deluxe, however, don't get to hung up on just the points\dues. You are still paying a TON of money up front, which many seem to forget about when calculating. Still paying for air fare if your not close by and who knows where the price of that will be going over the next 5-10 years. You STILL have to pay for park passes, and no, I don't think season passes for someone who does not live in Florida are worth it, and on top of that, you don't get any "deals" like free dining, packages or heck, even daily mouse keeping!

Now, don't get me wrong, it's probably a great deal for many that always stay deluxe and take more than 2-3 people, but even then, I'm not really so sure.

So to finally get to your original question , we have crunched everything, thought of the positives and the negatives, and really, as bad as my above stuff sounds, are still considering "buying". Why? We love Disney, LOL.

I really, really hate trying to make this decision!!!!!!!!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

It was easy for me to make the decision...it was convincing my DH!! lol

I started *learning* everything I could from these boards back in the end of March and we jsut purchased 9/1 during our trip.
The numbers we "crunched" , if you will...was regarding resale or direct. The double incentive pts was our deciding factor.
Prior to our trip, DH just wasnt crazy abt a trip to WDW every year..then he saw VB and HHI....a possible exchange to Italy someday...a cruise..etc...the clincher??

Seeing his 14mth daughter having the time of her life at WDW...and wanting her to have this available to her for the next how many years So..it was an emotional decision for him
Take your time...read here and make sure DVC fits your lifestyle..and vacationing habits!! Good luck!

 

[chalee94]

Sure, the price is great, IF, you stay deluxe...

you can stay weeknights ("sun-thurs") in value season at OKW or AKV for as little as $56ish a night, including taxes. (counting dues alone, it would cost as little as $35 a night.)

if you're flexible enough to avoid weekends - and disciplined enough to continue staying in "hotel-room-like" studios - DVC can beat anything on-site if you're looking purely at price, IMO.

the biggest "cost" IMO to DVC is losing flexibility. you do tie up a lot of cash upfront and you do need to plan well in advance to get the most benefit...and weekend point costs push that $56ish room into a $140 room...which can quickly change any benefit calculations.

however, don't get to hung up on just the points\dues. You are still paying a TON of money up front, which many seem to forget about when calculating.

well...historically, those who have bought DVC and held on for 5-10 years before selling have been able to at least break even, if not get back more than what they paid up front. (but, as always, past performance is no guarantee of future results.)

so while i would agree with you that the downpayment should be factored into the calculation, there is some justification for expecting to get (at least) most of your downpayment back eventually if you need to sell within 20 years or so.

so while i think you're probably on the right track as far as concluding that DVC is not for you, i did want to nitpick your comments a little...

 

[gkrykewy]

As others have pointed out, Mousesavers.com has a great article that will help you figure out if DVC will save you money:

http://www.mousesavers.com/dvc.html

Personally, I agree with them that if you have to borrow money to buy into DVC, then it doesn't make financial sense.

If you can pay cash for your membership, then you can break even in as soon as 7-10 visits, even considering opportunity cost of lost investment income on your purchase price. The rule of thumb is that if you a) HAVE to stay on property, b) ALWAYS stay in moderate or deluxe, and usually deluxe, and c) will visit Disney at least every other year, then DVC can save you money.

 

[APB513]

Wow!!! Thanks everyone for the insight and advice. I really appreciate it!!!

 

[perfectparanoia]

Sorry. I have to apply my two cents.

My husband and I (no kids) just bought a DVC membership and most of our reasons were emotional not logical (though we had the money).

Our biggest reason is that we wanted to share the Disney Magic that we feel every time we go their with our families and friends. We wanted them to be able to come with us and to be comfortable.

Then there was the privacy issue. I am not sure how a family of four stays in the same hotel room for an entire week. I think I would lose it.

I know I am going to go to Disney World every one or two years. I can't stop going. It really is home to me.

So, now I can take friends and family and in the future when we have our own family, we can stay in comfortable accomodations.

As for the lack of mousekeeping. I hate housekeeping when I am staying at a hotel. Again, the privacy thing. I like things to be where I left them and to tidy up myself.

 

[OlderMan]

FWIW......

In 1997, DW had a seminar in Orlando.

Before the seminar, we visited one of the theme parks. In the park, DH stopped at one of the omnipresent "Ask me about DVC" kiosks.

SHE signed ME up for a tour of OKW two/three days later.

I was convinced it would be a high-pressure sales job and not worth the $$$ they wanted.

Naturally, I was surprised at how nice OKW was and how LOW-pressure the sales pitch was.

The 'guide' told me to bring DH by if I could and that someone would show her the units. If we decided to buy, great. If we did not buy, also great.

I took DH over to OKW and she was sold! Shortly after returning home we called our guide and have NEVER looked back.

Even living an hour or so away from WDW now, we still visit OKW 2-3 times a year.

As I said, FWIW..............