How many times did you stay in DVC/related deluxe before buying in?

[Disney got all my$$$]

Honeymooned 2003 - Coronado Springs (moderate)
AKL hotel 2007 (1st child 2, pregnant with 2nd)
AKL hotel 2010 (1st child 5, second child 2)
Orange Lake, Christmas 2011 or 2012 and was just floored with the difference of staying outside vs inside the bubble. Decided off-site was not for us.lol
Bonnet Creek a couple times over the years but these were mixed Disney/other Orlando area trips
RCI trade for SSR during COVID (2021) Toured Riv, bought Riv and never looked back!

 

[The Jackal]

We bought DVC after staying at Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[Pens Fan]

The only place onsite we had ever stayed prior to buying into DVC was the Yacht Club. We stayed there (I believe) 4 times over the course of about 15 years. While there is no actual DVC component to YC I still picked four in your poll as it's basically the same as being at the Beach Club.

We purchased Copper Creek in 2019 and fell in love with that resort and just kept adding on there. But the call of Crescent Lake is strong, my friends. Every time we were in that area we lamented on how much we missed it. We finally chose happiness over financial sense and bought a BWV contract last year. 2042 math be darned!!!

 

[beccasmom]

We had been staying at the CR or the GF (and sometimes the “clubhouse villas” on one of the golf courses before that area became the Disney Institute and eventually SSR), but had recently started trying the moderates (CBR when it opened in 1988 and then Port Orleans FQ & Riverside). We took a DVC tour in 1991 while staying at CBR. We liked what we saw, but took a few weeks to make a final decision. Disney Vacation Club (OKW’s original name) was brand new then and we wanted to be sure it was right for us. It was and still is.

 

[ParrotBill]

There was only Old Key West when we first went for a sales tour. We stewed on it 2 years, then Boardwalk was nearing completion and we bought based on the location, among the first to buy there.

 

[geargrinder]

Just posted this in the "Confessions" thread.

I bought two contracts before ever setting foot into a DVC resort.

 

[Genie+]

We rented 5 times before buying. Also paid 2 deluxe villa stays in cash.

I dragged my feet for quite a while before buying. There is a different set of pros/cons to cash, to rentals, to ownership.

Cash works well for availability within shorter timeframes and pouncing on great offers.

Renting works well for alternating home priority and buying nothing other than the precise number of points needed for one trip. Avoids the need to consider future vacation habits.

Ownership works well for cost efficiency and control. Also the only way to access the ‘club’ of membership perks.

My apprehension to buy came from fear of commitment. Because the need to book early and use the points, I didn’t want to end up prioritizing them over other choices. It took a few years to become fully convinced we’d keep taking WDW trips over and over regardless of DVC ownership. We started visiting more frequently, but was it just a temporary cluster or had it become a traditional destination for us as a family? After renting a bunch of times it seemed the latter, and that’s what gave me the confidence to commit.

 

[BL2020]

We rented, though years ago when our kids were growing up, once each at BC and BWV, once we stayed using my sisters points at BW (thanks sis!) paying for her dues. Always thought about buying but couldn't justify it, we always stayed at swan/dolphin with points or one of their discounts. It worked for us. Bought resale during Covid after I retired knowing we would go or our adult kids would go with us, then bought direct during the VGF sale. Now after booking a full family trip with two studios and a one bedroom for Jan 2026 realize need more points for sure, especially now with the grandkids!

 

[zavandor]

Zero.
I had only visited WDW twice before buying DVC, staying once in a Value and once offsite. It helped that in 2012 buying resale was very cheap ($50 per point) and with almost no restrictions (I cannot use points for exchanges for cruises and hotels, but I've never been interested in those), so the money commitment was much less than a similar purchase would cost now. I am not sure I'd buy now (or maybe yes, because it was an emotional purchase to begin with).