How many of you feel this is still the best investment you've ever made?

[igitur]

Despite the fact that it's summertime, and we're making vacations plans to head to the lake up north here in Michigan, and the economy is taking an even deeper dive, I still find myself dreaming about our upcoming Christmas trip to DVC and all the fun we'll have there as a family. I still feel that buying into DVC was the best decision we ever made! My 8 year old son said the other day, "Mom, my favorite place in the world is our home in Disneyworld!" We bought at BCV when he was 3 and just hearing that, warms my heart because I know he'll always have fond memories of every vacation we've spent down there. This will be our first Christmas trip and even if it's our last, I know the memories will be there forever

Deb

 

[DVC Mike]

DVC is not an investment. It's a prepaid vacation. It is a decision to prepay, at today's rates, the next several decades of Disney trips. I am still very happy to be a DVC member!

 

[SLM]

Oh, yes! I can't wait to go with grandchildren one day! And until then, enjoying our trips as empty nesters!

 

[bszoo]

ABSOLUTELY!!! This way my DH will take a vacation every year. He usually would just save his vacation and carry most of it over to the following year. It was getting a little crazy. There were times when those vacation weeks came in very handy for family emergencies. This year we're going to Orlando for nine nights, 7/13 to 7/22 - 5 at BWV and 4 at Bonnett Creek9gift from a friend).. This vacation is well needed and it will do my DH the world of good to get away and relax.

 

[DisneyOrBust2006]

As many have said (and will continue to say), DVC is not an investment, at least in conventional financial terms. Despite that, the fact remains that our magical home-away-from-home, VWL, seems to facilitate (at least for us, and for now) an investment in family time that is, in a word, ... priceless.

 

[RCDisneyFan]

Still very happy with our purchase! We planned from the beginning to travel to WDW once a year so whether the airfare goes up $100 (or whatever) is pretty immaterial to us. We were never going to "work the system" by staying only weekdays, etc. I agree it's a pre-paid week long vacation for the next 49 years and the annual cost is so much less than what you'd pay out of pocket 25+ years from now!

 

[Chic]

I am another very happy DVC owner. It's the best decision my family has ever made. I know it is pre-paid vacations but certain people could also make it an investment. How? Let's say you were an original purchaser of 200 points back when OKW opened. I think the cost was about $54 a point at the time. Let's say you have been enjoying WDW vacations since OKW opened up to the present. If you sold your contract today it would bring you about $85 a point. Your purchase price was $10,800 and your resale price would bring you $17,000. To sum things up, you vacationed free for almost 15 years and made a profit of $6,200 on your resale. Simply stated, DVC paid you $6,200 to come visit WDW for 15 years. Sounds like a winning investment to me!

 

[Nikisha421]

DVC is not an investment. It's a prepaid vacation. It is a decision to prepay, at today's rates, the next several decades of Disney trips. I am still very happy to be a DVC member!

I sometimes find these boards to be so critical as if it is a high school AP course in World Correctness. Investment...pre-paid vacation. I think we all got the jist of the questions.

N E Wayzzzzzzzz (please dont correct me), but I think it was still a great buy....if you are a Disney fanactic

Pixie Dust and Best wishes to all

 

[Disney_Villain]

I can't consider it a pre-paid vacation as there are so many other costs that are still incurred to vacation with DVC.

To me, DVC provides discounted travel and helps with our retirement investments (in that it will bring down the expenses we incur in retirement, as we plan to travel a lot). I can't help but view it as an investment.

As our RRSP's are not gaining any ground in this useless economy, I see DVC as our OUR BEST INVESTMENT (aside from our home) and an equivalent lifestyle choice to those who have cottages . . . which to me are investments.

 

[GoofItUp]

There are many types of investments besides financial investments!

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

Yes! My only regret is not buying more points at the beginning.

 

[ADP]

Still super glad we've purchased it. Hopefully, someday, we'll purchase a few more points.

 

[DoOverDreams]

Investment, pre-paid vacation, discounted vacation, call it what you will. It's definitely the best decision DH and I made (except getting married, of course!)

 

[lowepg]

DVC is not an investment. It's a prepaid vacation.

*yawn*

 

[WDWLVR]

To me it is an investment in our future and in each other. Since we honeymooned at WDW and had gotten to the point where we were going once a year it made sense for us. 8 years later it still does. I love that when I go to WDW now I'm going home. I have a washer and dryer, I have a separate bedroom, I have a full kitchen. I can go and relax in the villa just as much as I can go and enjoy the parks. The best of both worlds.

So yes I consider it one of the best investments that DH and I have made.

 

[mrdiscranky]

Great vacation chice.

Horrible investment. I've never had another investment that cost me so much.

 

[moredisneyplease]

Of course it is a prepaid vacation (yes ther are indeed additional costs once the vacation comes around) but really I do think of it as an investment!!! I also see it as a committment. I've committed to vacationing the next 40+ years no matter what happens in our lives.

BC (before child) my DH and I traveled often. When I became pregnant with #1 I was told many, many times "those traveling days are almost over" I never agreed with them or succumbed to the my-life-is-about-to-change nonsense and ended up buying into DVC to insure that my traveling days were NOT over. My oldest boy turned 3 back in March and he has been to WDW 5 times, countless times to DL (socal residents), an Alaskan cruise, many road trips, at least 10 US states, and the list goes on.

To me it is an investment in quality family time!

 

[starbox]

It's hard for me to think of something that requires I add thousands of dollars to it a year to use it as an "investment" - it's more of a sacrifice that I am happy to make.

We're middle class and, for us, the decision to spend a good chunk of our disposable income on Disney/vacations each year means that DH drives an older car, we only have two kids, the family squeezes into a little gas-efficient Scion, we have not redecorated the bedroom, we are not early adopters of technology, etc. But there are plenty of families that choose to sacrifice expensive vacations but spend their money on other things. I figure the cost of DVC is about what we'd have paid for a nice Minivan, and though I'll admit to occasional minivan-envy., I'd rather have DVC.

That said, every year I do think that the vacations we take are completely worth the small sacrifices in other areas. Both of my kids absolutely love Disney Vacation Club (to the extent that DD wrote her big essay "What would you do with 10,000" last year about how she'd use 10,000 to buy more DVC points) and they are joyful and grateful when we are there. I do believe the memories they (and I) have (and will have) are completely worth the money we put into the initial purchase and keep putting into each trip we take.

 

[igitur]

I agree with all of you...didn't want to start a word war over "investment"

What I was getting at was....isn't buying into DVC still the best "thing" you've ever done in terms of family vacations? It's just such a feel good place that I know my kids will enjoy and remember for years to come! Every year, as they get older, it seems to offer something new for them. First it was the characters they were into...then getting the characters' autographs...now it's more about getting onto the rides they couldn't get onto the previous year because they weren't tall enough...and for my 10 year old "foodie" dd who must now order off of the adult menu under the DDP...it's about all the fun meals she's going to enjoy!

It's been a great investment of our family vacation time because instead of only being able to afford to visit WDW once in a lifetime...we've been able to visit numerous times as DVC members and each time, we find a new reason to love it!

Thanks for sharing all the great replies!

Deb

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

How's this?

We all have those 'money decisions' in our past that we either agonized over, felt like jumping over a cliff, or caused us some sleepless nights just after making the big decision ! For us DVC was one of those choices. I am happy to say it is also the choice that gives us the greatest pleasure and will continue to do so for a great number of years.

...When our plane lands in MCO we can't help looking at each other the laughing with how lucky we feel to be back again.

...Sometime during our vacation someone says "this is the life !"

When asked we always say, "it isn't a cheap vacation choice, but it definitely was the right one for our family"

...we regularly take vacations twice, maybe thrice a year
...no arguments or indecision as to where to stay
...no uncertainty as to whether the resort will be ok
...no panic as the whether we will fit everything we want into the vacation

And...vacation time permitting we can still take those last minute cheap sell-offs if we wish.