How does the cost of DVC compare to other Orlando area Timeshares...

[cgcruz]

I'm mainly talking about directly through DVC at the 150 point minimum. Are other Orlando timeshares about the same price. Although, I would love the idea of vacation at disney for the next 60 plus years, I would like to be able to actually own for life so I could pass it on. I was reading a little bit into Hilton's vacation club, but it's not really explained well. It says price start around $7,400, but what kind of vacation can you get out of that? They seem to use a points system, and I think you actually own for life??? I want a place were I can stay in a 1 bedroom, no more than that, for at least 7 days... Any info would be greatly appriciated about timeshares in Orlando. A lot of the listings are hard to understand.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I'm mainly talking about directly through DVC at the 150 point minimum. Are other Orlando timeshares about the same price.

You can get many other Orlando area timeshares at a fraction of what you would pay for Disney if you buy them re-sale. Whether you buy Disney resale or from Disney, the price is about the same. The other thing about Disney DVC is that in many cases you can sell it for more than you paid for it. That's a rare occurance in the timeshare world.

The biggest difference between Disney and Non-Disney timeshares is the fact that with one you are in Disney World, the other you aren't. To some people (like my family) that is worth a great deal. A few years ago we stayed "off campus" and it was not a good experience. We vowed never to do it again. If staying on Disney property isn't a big deal to you, then you can get a heck of a deal elsewhere.

HBC

 

[JimC]

Generally off site timeshares will be less than DVC. For example Marriott's Cypress Harbour which is very much like OKW (although it only has two bedroom units) cost about 37% to acquire and about 73% for dues as of Spring 2005. Prices were as of Spring 2005 for one week per quarter in a two bedroom villa. Marriott will tend to be one of the more expensive off site timeshares.

You can visit our site sponsor and see listings for other Orlando areas timeshares (Marriott, Hilton and others).

 

[crisi]

Also be very cautious of any timeshare telling you that it can get you into Disney. DVC is pretty hard to trade into - particularly with other Orlando timeshares.

However, if you are happy staying offsite, DVC is certainly money you don't need to spend!

We will be into our 70s when our DVC membership expires. I know its important to a lot of people to pass it on, but our kids are six and seven. I don't know if they will love Disney - and I don't know that they will be able to afford it. I also don't know that Disney is as eternal as I would love to believe it is.....

 

[cgcruz]

Being at WDW is the only thing keeping me from looking at timeshares somewhere else... I love being in the magic day and night. But then owning is better than leasing..... So I dunno... In the long run paying for hotels is more expensive, but it's not so bad since its spread over time... And there's always the DVC rental option, which I am currently doing... I don't know.... I guess I have plenty of time to think it over.

 

[Dean]

Prices for Orlando are all over the place. But even the top options like Marriott can be bought far less than DVC. I've seen platinum times for $5000 on several occasiona. Remember that 150 DVC points is not necessarily comparable to a 2 BR for a week. You should likely compare to more like 250-350 for a 2 BR depending on time of year and anticipated usage. But if one's goal is to go to Orlando yearly, one can get by even cheaper. All you have to do is buy a cheap II or RCI week and trade in every year to Orlando though not necessarily DVC. Up front fees in the $1000 or less range and yearly total fees including membership fees and exchange fees about $200 per year. And yearly maint fees a third to half of DVC. Or buy another points system like Fairfield, BG, Hyatt, Worldmark, Starwood, etc where there may be no extra costs to trade in though the upfront and yearly fees may be more.

 

[OnMedic]

We own at DVC and Hilton Grand Vacation Club and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to drop me a PM.

 

[cgcruz]

Is it possible to find fixed week timeshares in Orlando starting around $2,500? Even if it would have to be a not so popular week..

 

[Caskbill]

Is it possible to find fixed week timeshares in Orlando starting around $2,500? Even if it would have to be a not so popular week..

You might, but there's a good chance it's junk. Be careful you dont' get stuck with something where the upkeep is poor, or you might get special assessments later on to 'fix' things.

Some of the old stuff out there that was built when timeshares first started becoming popular, were the ones that helped contribute to giving timeshares a bad name. They were built cheap, in the Orlando area, simply to capitalize on Disney.

 

[Dean]

Is it possible to find fixed week timeshares in Orlando starting around $2,500? Even if it would have to be a not so popular week..

Absolutely. I've seen a number of them at even lower prices. Orlando is overbuilt and the excess of weeks affects both prices and exchange equations. On TUG, there are 46 current listings at or less than $2500 and this is asking price. This represents just over 10% of the current listings for Orlando and I'd venture to guess you could get around 20% of them down to the $2500 level. Some of the units are 3 BR and some 1 BR but most are 2 BR. You can also buy Bluegreen and Fairfield points enough to a weeks yearly in a 2 BR for this general price range. And while the fees may be higher overall, they will likely not be higher than the Orlando area which tends to have high fees anyway. A quick search of ebay gives even cheaper options and additional choices.

I'd say you could easily get even a top resort OR top week at a mid level resort for that general price range. You could even get into Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and Sunterra for just a little more.

 

[littlestar]

I would join tug (timeshare users groups) tug2.net

I think it's $15.00 to join, but it's worth it. They also have a board to post questions and read others comments on timeshares in general. http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/

My family (brothers, sisters, parents) absolutely love Marriott's Grande Vista. They like it better than the DVC resorts. If a person doesn't care about staying on site at Disney, the Orlando Marriotts have some beautiful properties off site. I've heard good things about Fairfield's Bonnet Creek, too. It sits in between Disney's Carribean Beach and Boardwalk area.

We are actually doing a split stay in April/May and checking out Marriott's Cypress Harbour and then on to Disney's OKW. We are looking for an alternative to Disney for the month of May, as at that time of year I'm looking for palm trees, nice pools, and swimming after Indiana's frigid, cold winters and not so much hitting the parks.

Definitely check out the tug site. I think it would really help you.

I guess I'm kind of a resort snob in a way. I want quality when I go on vacation. We work too hard to settle for just anything is the way I feel. That's why I know we wouldn't be happy without probably something branded - like Disney, Marriott, or Hilton, etc. The big guys protect their brands well.

 

[disney-super-mom]

I'm no expert, and I'm just learning about all of this myself, but if I understand correctly, some timeshare vacation clubs charge a transaction fee everytime you make a reservation For example, RCI vacation club charges a transaction fee when you make a reservation at one of their properties using your points. If your reservation is only for one night then the transaction fee is $19, if the reservation is for two nights the transaction fee is $38, and the transaction fee continues to go up the more nights you reserve. (apparently it goes up an additional $19 for each night)

If you want to use your RCI points for airline tickets, car rental, cruises, etc, they charge transaction fees for these too, althought I'm not sure how much.

I'm pretty sure DVC doesn't charge a transaction fee. At least I haven't heard about it if they do.

 

[Dean]

I'm no expert, and I'm just learning about all of this myself, but if I understand correctly, some timeshare vacation clubs charge a transaction fee everytime you make a reservation For example, RCI vacation club charges a transaction fee when you make a reservation at one of their properties using your points. If your reservation is only for one night then the transaction fee is $19, if the reservation is for two nights the transaction fee is $38, and the transaction fee continues to go up the more nights you reserve. (apparently it goes up an additional $19 for each night)

If you want to use your RCI points for airline tickets, car rental, cruises, etc, they charge transaction fees for these too, althought I'm not sure how much.

I'm pretty sure DVC doesn't charge a transaction fee. At least I haven't heard about it if they do.

Actually you can't generalize this answer. I get amused when people talk about extra fees from other timeshare systems when they are personally paying twice as much up front for DVC. DVC doesn't have AS MANY extra fees because they have already charged you for them. But to say DVC doesn't charge you for certain things would be incorrect and at times things that other timeshare don't charge you for. Extra towels, CC, DCL all come to mind.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

Prior to owning DVc, we owned two red floating weeks at Vistana, one in Orlando and one week in St. Augustine. St. Agustine we bought from the developer (stupid), but by the time we got home from our trip, they stopped selling and were selling it to Bluegreen, we freaked, and they turned our week into a Vistana week. We had one of the nicer sections, I think Fountains or Cascades, I loved the place, BUT, they nailed you with fees, because it was an odd and even week, we had to pay almost an extra 200 a year just to belong to II, then had to pay something extra to trade to other Starwood resorts, plus almost 700 a year in maintenance. Buy the time I exchanged the "points" for a different place, it was costing me well over $1300.00 a year just to do that. And if we didn't want to exchange out, we still had to pay some goofy fees. So we sold both units, one we brook even on , we bought it on e-bay for maybe $4000.00 (again evey other year), and the other we lost half!! But did sell it on e-bay for $4000.00 also.

Vistana is an awsome resort, it has alot going for it, but be careful when it comes to the whole "Starwood" concept, it has great resort, but I also remember when you turn your unit into the "points" your unit in Orlando that equals a 2 bedroom, may only get you a one bedroom elsewhere!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Actually you can't generalize this answer. I get amused when people talk about extra fees from other timeshare systems when they are personally paying twice as much up front for DVC. DVC doesn't have AS MANY extra fees because they have already charged you for them. But to say DVC doesn't charge you for certain things would be incorrect and at times things that other timeshare don't charge you for. Extra towels, CC, DCL all come to mind.

I wasn't trying to generalize or amuse with my response. I was trying to point out that other timeshare organizations charge fees that DVC does not. I'm assuming most people already know that it can cost twice as much to join DVC up front, but over the long haul, the overall expense seems to be a wash (equal) between DVC and other timeshares.

That $8500 Marriott resale timeshare, with $660 annual dues, may look great up front, but if you're planning to own for the long hall, it may not end up saving you any money. That's all I was trying to say.

 

[littlestar]

Marriott dues for Cypress Harbour are way cheaper than a dvc 2 bedroom. That's one of the reasons we are checking it out as an alternative to more DVC points. The dues are high for DVC. Of course, we would still have two onsite DVC trips a year with our 340 points

We just want a cheaper alternative for our spring trip than buying more DVC points.

 

[Dean]

I wasn't trying to generalize or amuse with my response. I was trying to point out that other timeshare organizations charge fees that DVC does not. I'm assuming most people already know that it can cost twice as much to join DVC up front, but over the long haul, the overall expense seems to be a wash (equal) between DVC and other timeshares.

That $8500 Marriott resale timeshare, with $660 annual dues, may look great up front, but if you're planning to own for the long hall, it may not end up saving you any money. That's all I was trying to say.

Sorry, it was a general statement not directed at you, I apologize that it came across that way. Even with the extra fees, DVC is still usually 50-100% more yearly than most other timeshares including Marriott's.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Sorry, it was a general statement not directed at you, I apologize that it came across that way. Even with the extra fees, DVC is still usually 50-100% more yearly than most other timeshares including Marriott's.

No worries, no offense taken.

I just don't think I explained myself very well in my first post, and so I thought I'd take the opportunity to save face.

 

[Dean]

No worries, no offense taken.

I just don't think I explained myself very well in my first post, and so I thought I'd take the opportunity to save face.

Glad to hear it, sometimes we all write things that don't come out the way we intended, like mine on this thread, LOL.

If one wants to compare true overall costs, it's good to look at all the issues. These included exchange company membership, exchange fees, yearly fees, up front costs, lockoff fees, housekeeping fees for some and anything else you can think of. However, I think DVC members, and Disney fanatics in general, get in the rut of forgetting the real costs in favor of how things feel. The Dining plan is a great example.

 

[redmomof4]

what do you mean by the dining plan being a great example? I'm lost