How old were you when you purchased your first DVC contract?

[pinkxray]

38. Should have bought when I first started researching it 9 years prior but DH isn’t a Disney fan so I really thought I’d stop going so much. Hasn’t happened so once prices dropped during Covid I bought for the first time.

 

[Jlo85]

37 - Bought it when the kids were young as an investment in family vacations. Enjoyed it so far! We'll see if the kids get bored of Disney eventually.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

45…this year. Waited WAY too long considering we’ve been going at least once a year for the last 20+ years

So now I’m making up for lost time

 

[hhisc16]

Bought DVC at 29 during the pandemic.
Bought resale without ever staying there.
One of the best purchases for our familly with spending the stimulus money. Owe 0 on the contracts.

 

[tom1944]

65 in 2023.

I wanted to buy in 1996 but financially could not.

 

[E2ME2]

The “dvc story” threads are some of my
favorite to read, so riddle me this and share what you feel comfortable sharing: how old were you when you purchased DVC? What is your DVC story?

52 and 51 (DW) in 2010 - 2 years prior to becoming grandparents. Wish we had known more about DVC when our kids were younger, although we did have other frivolous uses for our money in those years, for things like rent and groceries
We were at the early stages of our retirement planning, and were considering ways to "snow-bird" in retirement. It was purely "happen-stance" that I was leaning on the desk at a DVC kiosk in Disney Springs while the DW was shopping in World of Disney, after we had spent several days near Orlando looking at Condos, Trailers, RVs, and Rental options for snow-birding. The young CM was so enthusiastic and pleasant to talk with, so I had the DW chat with him when she came out of the store. Her immediate reaction was NO WAY, "not another timeshare pitch"! After the CM assured her that Disney Timeshare presentations were different, ie; "No-Pressure", and that we would also get free ice cream , we set up a our tour. I have since referred to that day as our Gilligan's Island Tour, as we spent a full 3 hours with our then guide-to-be. We drug him through every model that was available, and I drilled him with questions, until finally I was convinced it would be financially beneficial for us. We bought 210 SSR Points on the spot. We used those points for our vacations for the following 10 years until I retired and, along the way, intentionally exposed our self to add-on-itis.(Adding Direct & Resale, incrementally, for the first several years). Then we really increased our points during COVID, as resale prices became too good to pass up. Now we have 940 Points over 4 Resorts, and spend 8-9 weeks of winter at WDW. As many others have stated, we do wish we had bought more points sooner! No regrets!!!
And that's our DVC story-to-date. We hope to extend this story for a long long time..............

 

[tom1944]

Duplicate

 

[Chili327]

24 at BWV 200 points. Have added on twice since then, both at BWV. Instead of a honeymoon we bought in for a lifetime of honeymoons. Still members 25 years later.

45…this year. Waited WAY too long considering we’ve been going at least once a a year for the last 20+ years

Yep, wish I had known better a decade or more ago. I was a DLR pass holder in mid 2000’s and shoulda woulda coulda, but had no idea about DVC. lol


Bought at 52 last year.. or maybe it was 51 the year before?

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

52 and 51 (DW) in 2010 - 2 years prior to becoming grandparents. Wish we had known more about DVC when our kids were younger, although we did have other frivolous uses for our money in those years, for things like rent and groceries
We were at the early stages of our retirement planning, and were considering ways to "snow-bird" in retirement. It was purely "happen-stance" that I was leaning on the desk at a DVC kiosk in Disney Springs while the DW was shopping in World of Disney, after we had spent several days near Orlando looking at Condos, Trailers, RVs, and Rental options for snow-birding. The young CM was so enthusiastic and pleasant to talk with, so I had the DW chat with him when she came out of the store. Her immediate reaction was NO WAY, "not another timeshare pitch"! After the CM assured her that Disney Timeshare presentations were different, ie; "No-Pressure", and that we would also get free ice cream , we set up a our tour. I have since referred to that day as our Gilligan's Island Tour, as we spent a full 3 hours with our then guide-to-be. We drug him through every model that was available, and I drilled him with questions, until finally I was convinced it would be financially beneficial for us. We bought 210 SSR Points on the spot. We used those points for our vacations for the following 10 years until I retired and, along the way, intentionally exposed our self to add-on-itis.(Adding Direct & Resale, incrementally, for the first several years). Then we really increased our points during COVID, as resale prices became too good to pass up. Now we have 940 Points over 4 Resorts, and spend 8-9 weeks of winter at WDW. As many others have stated, we do wish we had bought more points sooner! No regrets!!!
And that's our DVC story-to-date. We hope to extend this story for a long long time..............

I really love hearing about the retirement/snowbird planning aspect of DVC - this thinking has definitely informed (helped rationalize ) how many points I have now even though I have some time before I get there.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Yep, wish I had known better a decade or more ago. I was a DLR pass holder in mid 2000’s and shoulda woulda coulda, but had no idea about DVC. lol


Bought at 52 last year.. or maybe it was 51 the year before?

I had to stop for a minute and fact check myself when I said 45…at some point the years start to blend together

 

[boba_balla]

Still in the process of closing on our first contract (resale), but currently 46 and turning 47 soon. Guess DVC will be a bday gift to myself (and my family) heh.

Live on the West Coast and we used to go to Hawaii just about every year. Haven't gone in over 5 years though after our son was born, and we finally took him to his first Hawaii trip this summer. It was our first time at Aulani and we loved it. A couple weeks prior to our trip, found out that my cousin's bf's family are DVC owners, and he explained to us how it all worked so that got us interested. During our trip I started looking up resale listings and doing all the research regarding direct vs resale, and determined that resale would probably work for us, since we mainly plan to use it to stay at Aulani, with occasional trips to WDW as well. When we go to DL, our trips are pretty short, and sometimes spontaneous, so probably won't use DVC there unless we somehow get lucky and can book at VGC.

 

[JackosinDIS]

Yep, wish I had known better a decade or more ago. I was a DLR pass holder in mid 2000’s and shoulda woulda coulda, but had no idea about DVC. lol


Bought at 52 last year.. or maybe it was 51 the year before?

It’s funny how we always have picture of people in our heads… I had you down as mid 30s for some reason..

 

[VGCgroupie]

It’s funny how we always have picture of people in our heads… I had you down as mid 30s for some reason..

hahaha me too. I was like I would've bet 33-34.

 

[Chili327]

I had to stop for a minute and fact check myself when I said 45…at some point the years start to blend together

Wait till 50, you really won’t care anymore. lol

It’s funny how we always have picture of people in our heads… I had you down as mid 30s for some reason..

hahaha me too. I was like I would've bet 33-34.

Funny I had a customer just yesterday tell me he “”was probably a couple years older than me”” and I told him I was 53, he said oh wow, I’m only 42. lol
I have had things like that happen a few times before (I remember when I was 38, someone said, you mean 28?) so I guess that’s good!!

Edit to add I always worked in the entertainment biz (mostly rock radio), so a lot of my coworkers and friends were younger, so I guess it rubbed off.

 

[tx911]

Age when I look down Main Street and see that castle for the first time on every trip: 10

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

1st purchase was BCV in 2013 @ 57. Started looking into DVC about a half dozen years or so prior but then the recession hit and money got tight. Heard that VGF was going on sale and got myself a guide to get some info. Researched a little so I knew about resale but wasn't certain that was the way to go. DW wanted BCV since we had stayed at YC and she liked that resort best (also had stayed @ Disney Vacation Villas, GF, WL and off-site over the previous 20 years). Guide told me he couldn't get me BCV so decided to go resale to get it. Subsequently purchased a BCV add-on in 2015 resale and just last year got a SSR resale. So still buying @ 68.

 

[deannaf87]

2023 at 35 yo.

 

[DisneyisGr8]

I was 35 and DH was 36 when we first purchased back in 2007. We bought 250 SSR direct points, and then added a 270 point HHI resale a couple of years later. Our kids grew up going to Hilton Head and Disney every year, and still love Disney to this day (now 19 and 22). So many memories, worth every penny!

We did end up selling the HHI contract this year since we haven’t been to HHI in a few years and bought a 160 point SSR resale. But now I’m really missing those extra points!! On the lookout for another contract!

 

[lovin'fl]

The husband and I each went once to WDW as kids, around 1980. Fast forward to 2003 and we are married with 3 little kiddos and hubby wanted us to take them. We did the money saving trip off site, packing food for lunch and eating dinner on way back to rental at like Applebee's and such. Had so much fun and loved seeing the perks and magic of staying on site so we went back in 2005 and stayed at a moderate with the dining plan. Man, that trip was even more magical and fun. We were hooked. So we went home and looked into DVC. Bought 200 OKW resale points in 2006. We were 33 and kids were 9, 7 and 7. Added on many many more (bought 776 total) and then resold over half. And also moved near WDW in 2022.

 

[gleddo]

We first bought at BWV in 1996. I was 35 and my wife was 33. We have since added on at BWV and bought at VB in 1997. We are currently waiting on two BLT resale contracts to clear. One has passed ROFR and is waiting on a closing date and the other is still waiting on ROFR.