How many trips to WDW before you bought DVC?

[LIFERBABE]

My first visit to Orlando in 1998 was to help out a deployed military friend with her daughter. So Dh and I and then 1 son, stayed with her parents in Apopka. We went to AK but spent most of our time at Daytona beach, because we thought Disney was tooo expensive.

Did not return until 2002 when I bid on a vacation home on Ebay. I didnt even know they existed. We went with family and had a great time but we spent most of our days at US/IOA because the AP's were cheaper and 1 day at MK.

Went again in June 2003 and stayed in a great vacation home with friends and had an excellent time. We also spent more time onsite because we took advantage of the Military Salute passes.
On our long drive home, Dh and I discussed purchasing a vacation home for ourselves. I even called the community we were interested in building from my cell. We would need approx. $30,000 to start building.

We had such a great time at WDW that I thought it wouldnt be right to build a home so close to WDW unless I was definite that we would never want to stay onsite. I knew the resortl rooms were small and I wasnt willing to give up the space of the vacation homes.

I was already on the boards, and kept seeing DVC in others signatures, so we went again in Sept 2003, stayed onsite at the CR, visited all the DVC resorts onsite and used our villa money to buy BCV, OKW and SSR!

 

[Disneylovers]

Back in March, on our sixth trip (and one Disney Cruise), we finally took the plunge! We stopped at the DVC desk on our fifth trip,(two years ago) but decided we weren't in a good place financially. This past March, something intrigued DH, he was the one who kept stopping at the booth to pick up the flyers, tho' I was the one who said "let's see what we have to do to find out about DVC". Our guide, Amil, warned us we'll kick ourselves for not doing this sooner, but we just reminded ourselves, we couldn't afford it back then. (tho' I'm not so sure now how we'll afford it, we came back from our first visit home two weeks ago, and I found out I didn't have a job to go back to

 

[Pet1021]

One time as an adult.....we went on the Magic Western 7 day last summer then to All star for 5 days after that and bought withing weeks of getting home!

 

[travelbug]

I visited WDW many times for commando day trips while on various Florida vacations. But I never stayed onsite, took the DVC tour, or even visited a DVC kiosk before buying in 2000. I've never regretted my decision for a second. Being a DVC owner is the best!

 

[Lesley]

4, not counting our trips as children (1 each for my dh and I). Our first trip together was our honeymoon and I didn't really want to go do Disney, but wasn't consulted on the choice. I loved it though....and we returned 2 years later.

We first heard of DVC during that trip in 1994....and had we been in a more secure financial situation we would have joined then. But I had only graduated from college a week earlier and we were already expecting our first child...so we didn't look at it seriously. We were unable to return to WDW until 1999.

In 2000 I had planned a surprise trip for my dh and kids...booked All Star Music. Then I caved and told my dh about it. A few days later we got a postcard rate for the Polynesian and switched our reservation. Soon after that we had an unexpected windfall....so we made an appointment with DVC for the first day of our visit and became members then! That was possibly our best WDW vacation....almost spur of the moment and then we joined DVC and walked around the whole time going "we own a little piece of this now!" and "well, if we don't catch that this time...we'll do it next time!"

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

Originally posted by Lesley
Soon after that we had an unexpected windfall....so we made an appointment with DVC for the first day of our visit and became members then! That was possibly our best WDW vacation....almost spur of the moment and then we joined DVC and walked around the whole time going "we own a little piece of this now!" and "well, if we don't catch that this time...we'll do it next time!"

Gotta love those "unepected windfalls"! That's exactly how I was able to join DVC. As a single Mom since 2001 money was tight, and I didn't want to get myself into debt with a loan to become a DVC member. So I scrimped and saved to go to WDW the first year after my divorce, and then came the "windfall". It still took me a couple of years to get up the nerve to spend that much money at once and actually make the DVC plunge. But once I rented points for a one BR at BWV there was no turning back to just a "regular" room at the Poly. I have no regrets at all, definitely money well spent. And like Lesley I really love that feeling of owning a piece of the magic and knowing I don't have to do WDW commando style--as Ah-nold says "I'll be back!".

 

[SoCalKDG]

Thanks for all the responses. I had hoped that I wasn't the only crazy one that bought without ever stepping foot into WDW. Well, at least my wife has been to Epcot once when she was just a kid.

I didn't want to be one of those that said, I wish I had done it sooner. Oh wait, I do wish I had done it sooner, I'm staying offsite Sept. 18-26

Glad to see many of you chose DVC after just one visit. I do have many, many, visits to Disneyland under my belt, including one this Thursday.

Less than 3 weeks until my first trip, then I get to plan for my first DVC trip.

 

[pennilessinpa]

We visited 13 times since WDW inception - 7 times since DVC inception before we bougt. What burns me is that we were SO close in 1994, but blew it off for financial reasons - and we actually have less disposable income now! Go figure - priorities, I guess. I need the vacations now - more than before.

 

[yasuern]

4 trips to the All Star Resorts then we bought through DVC followed by 2 resales within 1 year!

Sue

 

[gjw007]

The correct answer is probably "way too many" as has been noted earlier. Somewhere around 10 times. The first time I went to DisneyWorld was in July 1995. I hated it. Too hot, too crowded, too commercial, too long waiting in lines, so expensive; you get the idea. I tried it again about 2 years later after my friend convinced me to give it another try. I went at Xmas time; loved the atmosphere. I have gone done at Xmas time every year since. I have also gone during April/May and late August. None of these times were as miserable as the July 1995 period nor were the parks crowded. I will be there during Xmas this year rather than the week before Xmas; I expected it to be way too crowded; definitely not in the hundreds and hopefully not too cold (I've been there when the night temperatures have reached the lower 20's - the orange growers are real busy trying to protect their crops).

 

[memeyers]

Too many to count, but the final straw was the first family trip we took after my grandmother had passed away (She had gone with us to WDW three previous times. My family (mom, her sister and her family) stayed at the Disney Institute and we just hated the brown building, brown furniture etc. It was just depressing during a trip that was already hard enough. It was then I realized if the family was going to continue this tradition we needed new digs. I bought into BWV in 1998 and have never regretted being able to share my love of WDW with my family. I am now looking forward to sharing my love of WDW with my fiance. He knows our future includes many trips to WDW!

 

[JLS]

One trip as a 12-year old, staying in some motel on International Drive. As an adult, stayed one week at Wilderness Lodge in summer 2000 with my then-fiance (now husband). Stayed at Beach Club (loved it!) in December 2000 with a friend for 4 days. Found out about renting points on these boards, so we rented DVC points for a 5 day stay at the Boardwalk Villas in 2002 with my husband and two friends. The following year, my husband and I stayed 3 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge and 3 nights on rented points at WVL. On the last day of our trip we wandered into the Boardwalk sales office just to "get more information" and 3 hours later we owned 300 Beach Club points. Took our first BCV trip this May and look forward to many more.

 

[sssteele]

We visited Walt Disney World three times before DVC existed. There was then a 13 year hiatus with no trips. Then decided to take our grandchildren June '02. They were delayed, so we took a "tour", went back home and decided to buy two months later. We're very happy with our decision. Obviously there will no longer be 13 year gaps in our Disney visits. First DVC trip was June '03 (just wife and I), then last Xmas with my sister, then this past June with son, DIL and grandchildren again, and a trip coming up again over Xmas this year.

 

[Tennesotans]

Two trips before DVC became available -- and then I stayed at OKW when it was the DVC! I thought about it then but didn't even take the tour

Three trips since then and now we are in the CLUB!

 

[robinb]

One trip, sort-of. I had been to WDW about 3 times before and only once before with my husband. This was over the space of 15 years and we never stayed onsite. We spent 3 days at All Star Music and bought at DVC within 2 months.

 

[BigDisneyKids]

3 For us!

 

[mackdaddyrocker]

Just two, not counting the three made as a kid and the one between buying and closing.

 

[Deb & Bill]

None, we bought on our first trip. We were able to apply some of our stay at the Polynesian towards our downpayment.

 

[kmcrosby]

Three trips, and bought at the end of the third trip.

First trip was in March 1995 prior to DVC, although we heard that Disney was getting into the timeshare business. Second trip in March 1999, we actually heard about DVC, but was scared away by the idea of a timeshare. We also didn't think we could afford it. Not smart.

We didn't even take time to check it out until our third trip in Aug 2002. This time we were enticed by the DVC infomercial on the TV, but still didn't think we could afford it. Again looked for excuses not to find out more. Near the end of our trip, the cloudy rainclouds parted and destiny called. Read handouts on the plane home and called back with the down payment the day after arriving home. Were so happy, we added on points after receiving first contract. This delayed our closing until Oct. 2002, but pat ourselves on the backs everyday for being so smart. We don't like to talk about why we didn't join sooner.

 

[kimpossible]

My first trip was a senior class trip in 1988. My DH, DS, and I just went for three days last June. Now we are in ROFR awaiting the outcome of our first contract. Talk about being smitten