How long before you bought?

[Sammie]

4 years. It was very thought out decision for us. We loved going but were very happy at the Deluxe resorts especially Grand Floridian and Polynesian.

 

[bigtgravez]

We're in a similar boat as Dee. I had a number of close friends that have been members for the past 3-5 years and would pick their brains from time to time. I was always "interested" but never really on the serious side of the spectrum. But, I would say that I had a fairly good understanding of it. Last April during our Disney vacation, out of the blue I scheduled a tour on the last day of our vacation and bought 2 days later. I've been feverously researching it ever since (Disboards RULES) and am thrilled beyond belief that we're now owners. We're anxiously awaiting our first trip! I'd also say that thanks to the Disboards, I know MUCH more than my friends.

 

[JimMIA]

About 3 months after the tour, and I bought resale.

At the time DD8-going-on-28 was almost-3-going-on-23, so I knew we'd use it. I took the tour one day when Mommy and Girlie were going girl things and had a nice friendly talk with a timeshare salesperson. I told her we were not ready to make a decision, that I was going home and do some research.

My research led me to the DIS (thankfully!), and here I learned of the resale marketplace and got a ton of solid, factual information. The DIS was an eye-opener for me because I learned how DVC really works and saw that it would be good for us. Had it not been for the DIS, I would not have bought DVC.

Before I bought, I talked to the DVC rep to refresh some details. When I told her I was thinking about purchasing OKW resale, she told me they had just left a "special meeting" where they were told that DVC would be ROFRing ALL resale contracts for the undetermined future.

Somehow, I didn't believe that rolleyes1) and I bought resale and saved $4,000.

Magic must have occurred because my contract somehow slipped through the ROFR gauntlet -- along with several hundred others.

I later bought a small add-on direct because DVC had a good promotion on SSR (good price plus 100 actual, real, free points in addition to the normal current UY points).

 

[calypso726]

We didn't know about DVC and had been taking annual trips with friends for MNSSHP every year. One year (in 2006) our friends suggested we rent points from a DVC member and that was the first I'd heard of DVC. We stayed in a 2brm at SSR and loved it. I wanted to know more about DVC and I wound up going to the DVC presentaion alone to learn more. At the time they were offering a $200 Disney Dollars to take the tour. My guide said that since I was alone without DH I wasn't eligible for the Disney Dollars. I told her I didn't care that I just wanted to learn about DVC and how it worked. She wound up giving them to me anyhow after the presentation We bought 180 points direct 2 months later at SSR when they were doing the friends and family promotion. We knew we could pay it off in a year so we applied for a Disney Visa which was offering 0% on purchases for one year and also got the reward points for the purchase. We paid it off in just under a year, so to me that was almost like paying cash since we were not paying interest on it. We have since added on twice at AKV. Once was 50 points direct. Used the Disney Visa which was offering 0% on DVC for 6 months up to $10K and paid it off in less than 6 months. Then just now we passed ROFR on a 200 point AKV resale which DH had been saving the money for so that will be paid in full at closing.

 

[Nikisha421]

six months after taking the tour

 

[dianeschlicht]

We started dreaming of DVC when we first saw The Disney Vacation Club (now OKW) being built on a trip in 1991. We didn't look into it seriously though until 1994. Then it took us another 3 years to buy! I guess we didn't exactly jump into this! Now our only regret is that we didn't do it right away when we first learned about it. For one thing, if we had done that, we would have had several years of free park passes!

 

[DMKEDM]

It took me 3 days to decide to buy...(within the window the guide gives you when you first do a tour)...

I had never even heard of DISBoards...my son found it, though, and linked me to it (took only about a week before I was as hooked on DISBoards as I am on Disney!)...

Did essentially no research...

It was purely emotional decision that has played out over the 5 years I've owned far differently than I would have predicted "back then."

But it's been pure good. Sure I've had my issues...but you know, there is going to be an occasional issue anytime you use something as often as I use my DVC (5 trips per year for the last 5 years--I'm fortunate to be able to work at Disney, and I've got two families in addition to my own who I absolutely love to take to Disney w/me)...

I bought the minimum number of points back in 2006 (150 then) and have since added on 4 times to get me to a total of 465...I may add more; then again I may not. I'm forcing myself to wait at least one more year (maybe two), because of family pattern changes (son will be graduating from law school and then in a work-vacation mode)...in the meantime, when I run out of points (which I do every single year--including borrowing), I've found an utterly wonderful fellow DIS'er who will transfer me the points I need...

I've learned a whole lot since I purchased...by experimentation and by trial & error...and I love Disney more than ever...I just don't ever get tired of it...it's gone from being a great place to take a growing son, to our family-tradition-at-Thanksgiving spot, to our happy place, to our "sharing place" and now to my "healing spot" (crawled off there, by myself, hurting big-time, when my father died, and found some peace & comfort just wandering the grounds (in and out of the parks)...never went on a single ride; ate all counter service meals; and just "chilled" and healed (a bit; lots left to do)...

Maybe I'm just lucky...but it was the best money I ever spent, even tho I didn't know what I was doing (financially speaking) when I did it.

(I did know I could afford it...I paid for it by a combination of cash and 0% interest credit card charges (which I paid off prior to a single penny of interest accruing)...

Good luck w/your decision making!

 

[DeeCee735]

We took the kids to WDW for the first time in 1996. I wanted it then. We went back in 98 and in 99. Finally I convinced my husband to buy in early 2000. We paid cash. We added on again in 04 and in 07, paying for it under the 0% financing for 6 months with a Disney Visa card, paying in full within a few months, to avoid any finance charges.

I still want more, another 50, but at these prices, I'm lurking around on the resale boards. If the right contracts (I want two 25 pointers at AKV) for the right price, I hope to be the one that snatches them!

BTW, we've NEVER regretted purchasing and we LOVE LOVE LOVE our DVC!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[ercrbc]

i have had dvc in the back of my mind since i first started planning our first family trip to disney world. I have gone back and forth on if this is something i think i would like to pursue or not.

I am back to the "i want to pursue this" frame of mind.

I am now getting serious about doing the research, and working towards moving forward with this once i complete the research.

How long from when you were originally interested to when you actually purchased?

there was about 9 months from the time i started looking into dvc until we were members (7 before we started the resale process). We rented pts to take a trip last fall and after the trip we saw the value in staying in dvc accommodations. We researched the pt system and different resorts and found a contract that worked for us.

did you save up the money, or did you finance? I feel like if i worked really hard at it, we could save up the money in 1 year to purchase and pay cash, or at least pay half depending on how many points we purchased.

we paid cash. I don't think i could justify the cost if we had to finance. I would probably would have continued renting instead.

i know this is all very personal and depends on your situation, but, i thought this might give me a basis to start from.

Thank you in advance!

hth!

 

[Fellowship9798]

I first became aware of DVC back in the mid-90's and though it was so unsavory that Disney was getting into the Timeshare market. Of course in my early 20's and just starting out I was in no position to really consider it anyway. A few years later I took a closer look and thought that maybe it wasn't so bad after all, but again in my mid-20's I couldn't imagine shelling out so much money for such a luxury purchase. In 2002 I married and discussed it with my wife, but with saving for a mortgage, finishing off paying student loans, etc. it just didn't seem practical then either. Something only for the "rich people".

Fast forward to September 2005, married with our first child at 6 months old we were back at WDW and my family (including my parents) took the tour on the last day of our vacation just to see what it's about. We didn't buy in then but I returned home and started to read up on the DIS boards and looked into resale, since I couldn't buy direct from Disney from where I live in Canada. The Canadian dollar seemed to be at a good exchange rate (although it since got even better) and with one child and the potential for more the time seemed right, finally.

In November 2005 we put an offer in on a BWV resale and were in the system by December. In 2008 we added on 50 more BWV points via resale and earlier this year purchased some VGC points from Disney direct.

So it was about about 10 years from becoming aware of DVC that we bought, but really only about 4-6 months from when I started to consider it really feasible for us. It still would be more practical and responsible to put that money down on our mortgage, make extra retirement investments, etc. but there's a lot of value in the vacations I've taken for me and my kids and something untangible but satisfying in knowing we'll be going back on a regular basis but staying in nicer and larger accomodations than we would otherwise.

 

[DVC-Don]

.................

How long from when you were originally interested to when you actually purchased?


Did you save up the money, or did you finance? I feel like if I worked really hard at it, we could save up the money in 1 year to purchase and pay cash, or at least pay half depending on how many points we purchased.
.............

I looked into DVC for about a year before our first contract back in 2000

Our first purchase was financed through DVC which we then paid off with a Home Equity Line of Credit. Our second purchase was with the HELoC. (both are paid off now) Our third was for cash.

 

[katieam1]

I have been back and forth for a year and a half now and just bought today. We are so excited. When time is right it just clicked! I had a wonderful guide who worked with us always send us the promos and it just was a great experience the whole way!

 

[bobbiwoz]

We looked in 1996, and bought in 2003. We just weren't ready in '96.

Bobbi

 

[rentayenta]

Our first trip to WDW was in Sept 2007. During that trip we met some friends there who owned DVC and were staying at the WLV. One night we went over, they showed us around, and my wheels started spinning as usual. Fast forward to our next WDW trip which was May 2009 and 2 DVC DVDs later. Same friends invited us to stay with them at the OKW and AKV for a fabulous 8 days. This started DH's wheels spinning.

We stayed another two nights at the POR after our friends left. Going from a GV at the OKW to a 2 bedroom SV at the AKV to a standard room at the POR was just the push DH needed.

During our stay at AKV he asked me if I wanted to tour the SSR. I thought sure, we could use the FPs never dreaming we'd actually buy though I had done and shared a lot of research with him.

Two hours later we were the proud new owners of 170 points at SSR.

So long story short it took just over a year and a half from our first trip to WDW to becoming owners.

 

[jvmbmc]

We've gone to WDW six times since my oldest was 3, she's 12 now. Also I have been lurking on the Disboards for about 5 years which is where I found out about renting points. So for the last 3 times visiting we've rented points and stayed at VWL, BC and BWV and we've been thinking about purchasing since our first stay at VWL. We never bit because we wanted a longer contract than VWL offered and SSR, didn't appeal to us since live right next to Saratoga Springs in Upsate NY and AKV, while we love AKL, was a little too far from the action for us. BLT just felt right and with the expansion to cali and hawaii gave us more options than before. Another reason that pushed us over the edge was that although studios have been fine in the past within a few years we'll need larger accomodations. So we just sent the contract papers back yesterday ( wooHoo) and already have our next vacation planned for feb 2011!

 

[Disneypubgal]

I have been back and forth for a year and a half now and just bought today. We are so excited. When time is right it just clicked! I had a wonderful guide who worked with us always send us the promos and it just was a great experience the whole way!

Welcome Home!

 

[ypv]

Between the time we first thought about DVC and the time we bought was about eight years. We had less cash (I pay cash for anything I expect to go down in value) laying around when we first investigated the idea and then had small children and didn't really go to WDW for several years. When the kids got a little older we bought a contract resale. Now I'm contemplating an add-on.

 

[walkdmc]

It was about 5 months from first learning about DVC (just by passing the many kiosks, didn't do tour, and learning a friend owned DVC) and submitting an offer on a resale contract. I wasn't interested at all initially as I have serious doubts about many timeshares. I talked to anyone who would listen about the DVC program. I read the Disboards, posted questions, called resale companies, etc. It became very clear that it was a good choice for us. In November, we'll be taking our first DVC trip!

Also, we payed cash.

 

[AndriaRose]

Early in our marriage we joined a vacation club of sorts. It wasn't a TS, and when the system collapsed our OOP costs hadn't been major. We regretted its demise but were happy while it lasted. In fact, our trip to WDW back then was through that system.

We were very happy with that vacation. (Super happy with the $15/day accomodations). But we made several decisions. If we ever returned to WDW we would fly (22 hour drive ) and we would stay onsite and use Disney transportation, oh, and I would buy shoes specifically for long distance walking

Fast forward. We're grandparents discussing our progress on spoiling the DGD rotten and deciding our task just won't be complete without a trip to WDW. We're also remembering our decisions and add one more: stay someplace quiet and relaxing. Which we translate to: expensive deluxe accomodations. I do a quick vaca workup on the WDW site. We add inflation, lots of character meals, splurge money, decide on a 10k budget and estimate 8-10 as a good age to take her.

The decision made, and budgeting and timeframe arranged, I begin the real research. I mean, yes we decided on the budget but I'm going to now try and get it for the best price possible. That's when I discover budget airlines and DVC and the Disboards.

DVC reminds me a little of our old vacation membership. The point system sounds much more flexible than the old TS's of back then. The brand name defintely makes me comfortable. When DH figures out he can go in January and save money his enthusiasm leaps ... and my vacation season is chosen for me We also don't have extensive vacation time. I even less than DH. When I add all these factors together I'm seeing where a 50 point resale contract can meet our needs. So I buy one.

From the discovery of DVC in this process, to buying resale, was only a few weeks. I paid cash and stayed under our 10k budget. Well under it in fact, and that inlcudes having our 1st vacation. We have since added on at the BLT, twice, as our plans have upgraded to yearly trips in 1 bedrooms. And DGD has gone twice now and isn't even 7 yet

 

[gillep]

DH and I had been researching DVC on and off for about 9 months while we were planning our first Disney trip together. We fell in love with disney as a vacation destination on our trip and realized that we really liked the deluxe and villa resorts and would want to stay at them in the future. We then took another month of serious number crunching and intensive research into DVC/disney then bought AKV in February of 2010 and have two trips planned that we are very excited about.