Help Understanding DVC

[jaylensmom]

Is there a beginners starting point to DVC? I will admit I'm clueless. At this point I just want to research to determine if it would be beneficial. Since I live in California I can see multiple trips to DL each year but I'm not sure if I would go to DW every year (it's possible but just not sure). Any help will be appreciated...I do plan to read thru the posts also...

 

[disneynutz]

IMO based on what you have posted, DVC doesn't make sense for you and will not save you money.

Bill

 

[MineeBaby]

We are in the military and haven't had the chance to get back down to DW in over 2 years, but when we were on the West Coast we LOVED going to DL! We have owned at Saratoga Springs for 5 years and, while we miss going to DW, have really enjoyed going to DL. We weren't able to use our points at the villas in the beginning because the villas weren't there yet, but now that the Villas were there, I think if a timeshare is something you would like, it might be right up your alley.

What exactly are you looking for when you say beneficial? Financially? Comfort? DVC doesn't save us money, but it changes the nature of our vacation by the mere fact that we have a kitchen and space to relax all within close proximity to the parks. That pretty much sold us on the idea!

 

[kenny]

IMO based on what you have posted, DVC doesn't make sense for you and will not save you money.

Bill

I disagree. Not sure why it would not make sense if the OP is going to visit DL muliple times per year and sometimes go to WDW.

I would look into buying VGC resale. Depending upon how much you currently spend to stay at DL, it may be cost effective. Plus you would get the added bonus of saving at WDW when you chose to come east.

Good luck

 

[disneydenisel]

Is there a beginners starting point to DVC? I will admit I'm clueless. At this point I just want to research to determine if it would be beneficial. Since I live in California I can see multiple trips to DL each year but I'm not sure if I would go to DW every year (it's possible but just not sure). Any help will be appreciated...I do plan to read thru the posts also...

We live in California, too ! We own points at BCV and VGC and LOVE being owners because we have complete control over our vacations at Disney! We love the villas because they provide a kitchen and nice accommodations . We can't stay in hotel rooms anymore...too small. We like to spread out with our kids and have all the comforts of home. We took a trip to WDW in 2005 with our kids on rented points. We knew that we needed the villa size and realized that paying for a hotel room was about the same as renting points. Once we rented points at BCV, we fell in love and knew right then and there that we had to buy points. We thought we might go to WDW every other year, and now we are trying to go every year . We haven't been to DLR in many years, so we decided to buy points there so that we could go whenever we could plan it. We are renting points for June, but knew that we wanted to go there often, so we bought points!

If you LOVE Disney, if you want condo-like accommodations, if you can forego daily maid service, if you can plan ahead (11-7 months in advance), then DVC might be for you

 

[mlandgrebe]

DH & I live in Indiana so either DW or DL are quite a trip! We own at AKV, GC and SSR. Whether or not to own is a very personal decision. We realized that we missed going to DW (when we lived in FL, we were passholders and were there every chance we got). We weren't setting aside money for vacations so when we finally went down after having been away for 4 years, we decided that owning would be like a forced savings account. If we bought the points, we would find a way to use them - and boy, have we!

We have stayed at Grand Cal in 2009; AKV in 2010; we did the EBTA in 2010; we're doing the WBTA in 2011; and the Hawaii cruise in 2012. All on points! (Disclaimer - we purchased 50 points in order to get the Hawaii cruise.)

For us, owning DVC points has made a world of difference in the way we travel. We purchased points not necessarily on where we wanted to stay but as a way for us to go to places we wouldn't have gone otherwise. Be careful on the secondary market, though. The rules have changed so that if you buy from a non Disney seller, you can't use the points on certain vacations (like cruising).

Good luck with your decision!!

 

[Greysword]

To answer the main question of where to start, I would suggest ordering the propaganda CD from the Disney Vacation Club website. It does have a lot of great information and is entertaining to watch (it also works well in brainwashing you spouse ).

From here you will develop questions, which we are happy to answer.

The next time you are in DL or WDW, setup a meeting to talk to a guide. They also have a lot of information, and they are pretty much low (to no) pressure on the sales tactics.

Good luck!

- Chris

 

[DenLo]

The DVC News has some information you might find beneficial. Here's the link:
http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program

It will depend on whether you normally stay at a Disney resort when you visit DL and how many days you stay each trip as well as how many trips you do a year. If you go to DL for three nights, three times a year and stay at a Disney hotel then the DVC could definitely work for you. And then if you decide every three years to go to WDW then you'll be able to use a DVC membership even more. Also a new Disney Resort is opening in Hawaii that is called Aulani and it has DVC villas. So if you have plans for an Hawaiian vacation then you could use your membership to stay there.

 

[ORD2KOA]

I disagree. Not sure why it would not make sense if the OP is going to visit DL muliple times per year and sometimes go to WDW.

I would look into buying VGC resale. Depending upon how much you currently spend to stay at DL, it may be cost effective. Plus you would get the added bonus of saving at WDW when you chose to come east.

Good luck

I absolutely agree. Plus, living in CA may allow opportunities to visit Hawaii with much less expensive airfare.

 

[disneynutz]

I disagree. Not sure why it would not make sense if the OP is going to visit DL muliple times per year and sometimes go to WDW.

I would look into buying VGC resale. Depending upon how much you currently spend to stay at DL, it may be cost effective. Plus you would get the added bonus of saving at WDW when you chose to come east.

Good luck

I guess it depends on how many overnight stays and the availability at VGC. It is the smallest of the DVC properties and from what I have read, Disney has not declared all of the rooms into the DVC and they don't have to.

Bill

 

[Brian Noble]

It's pretty simple. You commit to vacationing in a Disney resort for the long term---and your commitment takes the form of pre-paying a good chunk of the expenses for lodging. In exchange, Disney gives you a discount on the lodging in question.

 

[darby888]

We also live in SoCal and VGC is our home resort. Just yesterday, I changed our Nov. '11 planned trip from Orlando to Aulani.

I received a Yapta alert informing me of Hawaiian Air's fall sale which ends after tomorrow. The airfare went from $539pp to $329pp overnight. I am so excited about this trip (will have to fight not to consider a small add-on there after we arrive). I have been to Hawaii before and can honestly say that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. "Nature at it's best."

However, I think in the future, availability at Aulani will be more limited at 7mos and we might not always be able to find affordable airfare.

We also have looked forward to and greatly enjoyed our trips to WDW the past two years. Hmm..I think alternating between WDW and Ko Olina could suit us well.... But if there's a year when it's just not in the budget, we can take our "staycation" at VGC.

It is such a beautiful resort. I can imagine, in the future, taking long weekend trips with just my husband, with or without park tickets. Maybe sometimes for special occasions like our anniversary or New Years Eve (last year for Thanksgiving and we cooked in the room).... treating ourselves to Napa Rose, spa treatments....maybe excursions to nearby Newport or Laguna Beach.....Or maybe when my daughter gets older splurging on a 2 bedroom or grand villa for her and her girlfriends...

 

[Presley]

I am in southern California, too. I, too, make frequent DL trips. I bought at VGC and if I had more money, I'd buy lots more.

My family does vacation in Hawaii, so the new resort might be useful to us. I have been to WDW once and may or may not go back. We pretty much have everything in southern cal that they have there - it is just spread out more and not always a Disney theme park, but the only thing massively different in WDW was Epcot.

The downside to owning VGC is that it is hard to get a room on short notice. I can book at one of their other hotels since I purchased direct from DVC. If you buy resale, you won't have that option.

Depending on how much you like to travel, DVC has another resort in Vero Beach, FLorida (but we have lots of beaches here, so not sure how useful that will be) and also a resort on Hilton Head Island in south Carolina which sounds heavenly.

My only regret is that I didn't have more money to buy more points when VGC weren't sold out. Right now, you can get on waiting list to buy from DVC, but they are charging $120/pp. That is an extremely high price for a resort with limited availability.