Disney Doll
DIS Security Matron
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2000
- Messages
- 28,883
You are used to a certain level of service, doing all concierge deluxe, so DVC may not be for you. However, you said something kind of interesting...you work hard 51 weeks of the year to take that one week WDW vacation.
DVC will change all that.
The initial buy-in is expensive, no doubt about it. But, once you have that paid off, the total yearly fees are pretty cheap. This enables you to go more often, if you so desire. It becomes "doable" to do a long weekend at disney...after all, your room is already paid for!
DH & I own a total of 430 points, with our home resort as Old Key West. They have the least points per night amounts and their dues are the least expensive, even with a pretty hefty 8% or 9% increase this year. Historically, the dues increases have been about 2%-4% every year, and in a couple of the years that we have owned, the dues have actually gone down a bit. I pay about $1800/year in dues fee. We paid off our initial buy-in fees a few years back, so all we pay now is dues. Last year, that gave me 5 days in a 3 BR, 4 bath grand villa, over 2000 square feet of space and can sleep 12. It also gave me 8 nights in a 2 bedroom unit at the Boardwalk overlooking the canal and the Swan and Dolphin, with Tower of Terror in the distance. So basically, I got 13 nights in deluxe accomodations for about $138/night.
Now, the "drawbacks"(and whether or not these are really drawbacks is a matter of perspective)...there is not daily maid service included. If you want daily maid service, you pay extra for it, based on the size of your unit. There is not concierge service. You do have at least a kithenette (in a studio) or a full kitchen (in a 1BR & larger), so you can always have snacks at your disposal, but you have to get them yourself. You also have a full laundry in a 1BR or larger.
Personally, I don't miss the daily maid service. I find the maid annoying, not from a personal standpoint, but because they always seem to need to be in my room when I need to be in there. I like having the laundry...means less packing. I like having the full kitchen...we use it to make an easy breakfast, which we then enjoy on our balcony. There is something about relaxing on your balcony with a cup of tea that is just amazing. We also use it for snacks. We do not cook large meals in it, although I know some folks do, to save a little $$. For, us, just saving the $$ we save on breakfast is enough, plus it's nice not to have to run out the door early in the AM to get something to eat. In a 1BR or larger, there is a king size bed and a full bath with a jacuzzi tub, and the livingroom/kithcen/great room area is separate. There's something nice about relaxing in your room on real furniture instead of having to lay on your bed.
I would "second" the recommendation to rent points for one of your trips, experience what a DVC stay is like before you buy. It is different from a concierge stay, it's not for everyone, and it's a big outlay of money to make, only to find out that you don't like the "style" of vacation it offers.
DVC will change all that.
The initial buy-in is expensive, no doubt about it. But, once you have that paid off, the total yearly fees are pretty cheap. This enables you to go more often, if you so desire. It becomes "doable" to do a long weekend at disney...after all, your room is already paid for!
DH & I own a total of 430 points, with our home resort as Old Key West. They have the least points per night amounts and their dues are the least expensive, even with a pretty hefty 8% or 9% increase this year. Historically, the dues increases have been about 2%-4% every year, and in a couple of the years that we have owned, the dues have actually gone down a bit. I pay about $1800/year in dues fee. We paid off our initial buy-in fees a few years back, so all we pay now is dues. Last year, that gave me 5 days in a 3 BR, 4 bath grand villa, over 2000 square feet of space and can sleep 12. It also gave me 8 nights in a 2 bedroom unit at the Boardwalk overlooking the canal and the Swan and Dolphin, with Tower of Terror in the distance. So basically, I got 13 nights in deluxe accomodations for about $138/night.
Now, the "drawbacks"(and whether or not these are really drawbacks is a matter of perspective)...there is not daily maid service included. If you want daily maid service, you pay extra for it, based on the size of your unit. There is not concierge service. You do have at least a kithenette (in a studio) or a full kitchen (in a 1BR & larger), so you can always have snacks at your disposal, but you have to get them yourself. You also have a full laundry in a 1BR or larger.
Personally, I don't miss the daily maid service. I find the maid annoying, not from a personal standpoint, but because they always seem to need to be in my room when I need to be in there. I like having the laundry...means less packing. I like having the full kitchen...we use it to make an easy breakfast, which we then enjoy on our balcony. There is something about relaxing on your balcony with a cup of tea that is just amazing. We also use it for snacks. We do not cook large meals in it, although I know some folks do, to save a little $$. For, us, just saving the $$ we save on breakfast is enough, plus it's nice not to have to run out the door early in the AM to get something to eat. In a 1BR or larger, there is a king size bed and a full bath with a jacuzzi tub, and the livingroom/kithcen/great room area is separate. There's something nice about relaxing in your room on real furniture instead of having to lay on your bed.
I would "second" the recommendation to rent points for one of your trips, experience what a DVC stay is like before you buy. It is different from a concierge stay, it's not for everyone, and it's a big outlay of money to make, only to find out that you don't like the "style" of vacation it offers.
