Husband can't get past cost.

[moepanz]

OK so I am probably driving people here crazy but he is another issue:
I am so close to pulling the trigger to purchasing the DVC, DH (with good reason because it is a lot of $$$) can't justify it. (even thought it is my father going who is going to buying it for our kids) His point is it is only the accommodations, period, that is it nothing else. We still have to buy air fare, park tickets, food etc. Yes, I guess I turned him into a free dining brat and Southwest $59 flights. (LOL) We are a family of 5 (got spoiled early before the twins turned 3) our WDW trips were cheap, like so cheap, we would pay less for a trip then what it would cost us in maintenance for DVC for a year. (not the case anymore)

So anyway, now I turn to you, the experts for pointers, valid points for my argument and would like to know if anyone had the same experience with their spouse. Please keep in mind it is a good natured "argument" you will not be picking sides in a bitter dispute between a husband and wife

Thank you very much in advance!!!

 

[rock_doctor]

This actually a valid argument and the same one i had until our first year came and went.

We always (since it opened) stayed at Pop for 10-12 days for the cost of about 3k. Yes, even though it is called a value we go over the busy times of the year and the rooms do hit nearly $200 a night not inducing taxes which which is a substantial amount of money... Anyway, we now own DVC (BLT) and pay about 1k a year in maintenance fees. That is a savings of about 2k per year and we now stay in a deluxe a stones throw from the Magic Kingdom. Those who stay in a moderate or deluxe will see a savings in the 3, 4, or even 5k range using the same comparison. So how long will it take to get our money back, well because we are comparing it to pop the total return is a long period of time, well over a decade and a half. But you have to remember that even though it is not an investment if we sell we will get between 1/2 and 2/3 (my numbers) of what we spent on the points. It is a nice thing to do what he is doing plus it (and this may be what he has in mind) is a great way to do a family get together every year or other year. He may suggest going with you to spend some time with the grand kids.... IMHO it is not wasted money if you have to money to spend... If you have to struggle to get the money together then more thought may be required.

 

[Disneypubgal]

We buy passes every other year and with scheduling our trips we are able to go every year... for example in year one we will go in month one and twelve, so we are 11 months in between trips and then not buy an annual again for 12 months after the second trip. We also have a disney visa card and use the points for our passes (which usually garners 1 1/2 passes).

Another big saver for us is the TIW card, we receive a 20% discount on all table service meals....

Good luck!

 

[mjc2003]

Having the money to spend on airfare, park tickets, etc...is a personal matter, and it is a legit concern. DVC does not provide you with a free vacation. The essence of the decision is really, will you travel to WDW anyway? If so, with 5 of you, would you like to have more room and stay in larger, nicer accommodations?
Free Dining is a temporary draw, don't base anything on it b/c as WDW attendance numbers rise, it won't be around forever.
With a villa, you can eat in the room; with little kids ourselves, we eat every breakfast, 1-2 lunches and 2-3 dinners in a 7-8 day trip. We also have the room to stock snacks for the park, cold drinks and a fridge to keep leftovers. This saves money.

We have paid cash for Beach Club villas each of the last two years. Total cost: $8000. We just bought a BC contract for 200 points, with 200 points from 2010. So, we had 400 points to use right away. We paid $84 pp, total cost $16,800 (plus MF for the year).

We booked 9 nights in November. We are staying in a Grand Villa for four nights at AKV, with 2100 square feet and room for friends and family. Rack rate: $1770 + tax.
We are staying the last 5 nights in a BC 2 Bedroom, 4 adults and 2 kids, rack rate: $770 plus tax.
Our rack rate for our rooms for our FIRST TRIP is approx $10,800, plus tax/fees, so the total would be approaching $12,000. We did borrow some 2012 points, but we would essentially have enough points in 2013 to do this same trip again.
This trip won't be the norm for us, but my point is this: There is no doubt that you will get your money's worth. We are making back 3/4 of our initial investment in year 1, and we have 31 years to go.

One other benefit of the DVC resorts is that they are fun in their own right, our kids love BCV and would just as soon stay at the pool for a few days. So, you can save on park tickets right there.

You can do Disney more frugally. You can stay in value/moderate accommodations, and have a great time. Ultimately it's about your own financial interests and your capacity for the costs.

 

[Presley]

You sound like me. I used to do my Disney vacations extremely cheap.

The reason I purchased DVC was because it was going to guarantee us a family vacation on a regular basis. Not having it, it is too easy to put off the vacation because there is always something going on. Either we have big bills for a surgery, a family member is dying of cancer, etc, there are always things going on that can keep us from going on vacation. Buying DVC was my guarantee that no matter what life threw at us, we could take a time out together.

My husband kept saying that we could stay cheaper other places, etc. It is true. However, he is the one who ended up get spoiled by the accomodations. He cannot stand the thought of staying in a studio or regular hotel room now.

 

[MFMont]

This entirely depends on the contract you choose and cost and its impact to you. That being said, you should be able to rent your points on the years that you do not go to more than cover MF's if renting is something you want to take on.

 

[Dean]

OK so I am probably driving people here crazy but he is another issue:
I am so close to pulling the trigger to purchasing the DVC, DH (with good reason because it is a lot of $$$) can't justify it. (even thought it is my father going who is going to buying it for our kids) His point is it is only the accommodations, period, that is it nothing else. We still have to buy air fare, park tickets, food etc. Yes, I guess I turned him into a free dining brat and Southwest $59 flights. (LOL) We are a family of 5 (got spoiled early before the twins turned 3) our WDW trips were cheap, like so cheap, we would pay less for a trip then what it would cost us in maintenance for DVC for a year. (not the case anymore)

So anyway, now I turn to you, the experts for pointers, valid points for my argument and would like to know if anyone had the same experience with their spouse. Please keep in mind it is a good natured "argument" you will not be picking sides in a bitter dispute between a husband and wife

Thank you very much in advance!!!

I believe there are 2 components to your question. One is that of that finances of going to WDW, the other, that of using DVC for the stay. Disney is a lot of money no matter what. DVC tends to be a good value for studios and 2 BR units, less so for 1 BR units. You can save by doing some meals in the room and you get a lot of "value" for the costs with space, kitchen, etc. There are still units that will allow 5 in a moderate or even a value and if you're going during free dining, that may still be the best for you.

 

[crisi]

Its a huge committment in terms of annual spend. And since points are use em or loose em - you have to go at least every third year - or find another use for your points - rent them, find friends who will take them.

Is your father paying dues as well, or just the intial purchase price?

Figure out what you'll do in the years when money is tight if you own points. If you can make this less of a financial obligation to spend a lot of money on something that SHOULD be an optional thing, then it becomes easier to justify. Are you driving distance to Hilton Head? HH can be a cheaper vacation (cook in your room).

I'd be really tempted at this point to buy a different timeshare. My sister has had no problems trading into Disney for the last two years, and if she can't get DVC, there are great timeshares near Disney she could get. Plus, owning something that gives her direct access to RCI makes it much more flexible in terms of booking - if she needs to find something within driving distance or as her kids get older and they want to go to Mexico or the Carribean.

 

[The VWL Five]

One thing to note is you really can't go by rack rates as the gauge to say you break even in a year, two or three. Most of us would not pay 800 for a villa per night. Plus Disney is not gonna give us such a deal that our investment is gonna be paid off in a year or two and we live free for the other 30 years. There is nothing free about Disney

Now in saying that we DO own DVC and loved every minute of it over the past 10 years. Do I think it's worth it? Sure, I do. We are a family of 5 and love multiple trips per year maximizing the AP and TIW for a 12 month period like noted above. We also drive sometimes so there have been MANY occasions where we ONLY paid to eat and a little gas for the car.

It all depends on how you look at the money you are putting up to pay for DVC. It is gonna cost something to get something in return but all in all if you see it as locking in vacation time at the 'happiest place on earth' then its all good in the end.

All you have to do is pull out your photos from a past trip and see how happy you and the kids are. That is what DVC means to us.

Enjoy

 

[Mtnman44]

For us, DVC has drastically changed our vacation style - for the good. Instead a a week, we now spend two. Instead of a cramped, cheap room, we stay in much more spacious and convenient villas. Kitchen and washer/dryer make all the difference, even if you don't prepare your own meals. The space to spread out and send the kids to bedrooms is................priceless.

We also spend more time relaxing and not rushing and even some days we don't even go to a park! gasp!

Our disney vacations cost us more now than they used to. I'm sure that is the point. Disney did not create and grow the DVC programs in order to help us all spend less money at Disney. However, the Quality and Enjoymnet of our trips is now much much better. There is no way we could afford to simply pay cash for the size and quality of rooms we enjoy using DVC. 12 nights @ $500 = $6000. Our actual costs factoring purchase price and dues are less than 1/3 of that.

Bottom line: DVC has caused us to increase our spending on Disney Vacations. We knew this would be the case. However, we get a lot more for that money than we would have without DVC. This is why we bought, because we wanted the upgrades to our vacation style that DVC would bring. Those that go into this thinking that DVC is a way to save money on vacations are looking at it from the wrong angle IMHO. Yes, you do get villas for a better price, but for many people the entire DVC package (more frequent trips, longer stays, more expensive than values and discounts) ends up being more expensive than what they have been doing.

 

[Mtnman44]

Good Advice: pay cash (direct from disney or rent a reservation from a member) for just a few nights on your next trip. This should be enough for both of you to know if it will be worth it to buy DVC for your family.

(Sorry - I meant to add this to my previous post, instead I replied to myself )

 

[5forDiz]

I agree with pp who recommends trying it out (if possible more than once) by renting reservation before buying; it may not turn out to be all you've imagined particularly if you are happy with free dining promos & daily housekeeping service. Renting from a member or from David can be a better alternative instead of purchasing,and in the long run you'd most likely take a more reasonable amount of WDW trips instead of feeling compelled to make trips because of points that you own. DVC can, in a way, be thought of as a gift that keeps on giving but it is better thought of as the gift that keeps you more frequently spending on maintenance fees, transportation costs & park tickets, etc etc

Our family enjoys our DVC but I can assure you we are still spending significantly with each trip. I can say we have made a number of trips to WDW when we would have probably opted to travel to other destinations had we not owned - - not to say that's necessarily a bad thing but, since it does make the most sense to use DVC points at DVC resorts that's where we often find ourselves.

 

[mdsd8700]

Everyone here has already given you great advice and good things to consider. Agree as well that pulling the trigger on such an expensive purchase is hard. We have been taking a Disney vacation every year since 1997 and we just purchased in 2010 although we had thought about it for many years prior and came close a couple of times, but it was always the large outlay of cash that would keep us from doing it. Finally after one of last trips we realized that even after all the Disney trips (WDW, DLR and DCL) and trips to other great places as well that Disney was still a place that we loved and wanted to be. In fact our affection for a Disney Vacation has only grown over the years. So we knew that it was finally time to get DVC even though our kids are older (14, 17) and now we had the cash to pay for it, so we bought in. We had always stayed in a deluxe hotel and the costs had risen so dramtically that we are so glad that we will not have to worry about that going forward. I know there are great discounts now, but there were times there were not and at some point things will have to level out where the deep discounting is concerned.


With that being said we are going in June, but have another trip planned for November. The November trip wouldn't be on the table if it were not for DVC, so although we are "saving" by having pre paid the cost of the room upfront we are going to end up spending more money on Disney then we would have this year because of the other costs of taking a second trip.

For everyone it is a very personal decision and agree with pp that you should try it out and make sure you like it. For some the room discounts or free dining and mouse keeping are very important. It is really important to look at everything before you finally decide.

Good Luck!

 

[disneynutz]

With a DVC purchase you can save money on your room costs, but you are locking yourself into a WDW vacation and all of the associated costs for many years.

You will probably sell your contract at a loss so you need to add that to the costs also.

Bill

 

[Greysword]

The evil of Stacy will set you free!!

Get the DVC marketing CD and play it for your DH all the time (on low but audible volume). Stacy will convince him; she convinced my DW on our honeymoon cruise on the Magic

Another evil trick is to stay in a 1BR (or 2BR if you can) either through CRO (with a discount) or renting member points. Once you go villa, it will be very hard to return to a regular hotel room. Say, "Honey, we can have all of this every vacation for just a few dollars more than a value resort!"

The mouse will help...believe in the marketing power of Disney

Good luck!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I just told my husband that we couldn't go in January 2012 for the marathon. We're staying in a GV with our son't nine friends the first week of June as a post graduation trip. And we're going to Montana in August to drive him to the University. Between those two trips we're spending a bunch of money. Plus he'll be having surgery when we return in June, I'll try to schedule my next knee replacement next January. So no Disney until maybe Jan 2013. And then there is the out of state tuition and room and board (not to mention books and airfare to come home at Christmas).

You have to consider all the costs that you have. Don't negate your husband's concerns. Write them all down and see what you have. The annual member fees keep going up every year. At first (and if you have them taken out monthly) they don't seem so bad. But after a while, you look at what you are spending on Disney and you sometimes think, it's just too much.

 

[Kidanifan08]

You are so fortunate to have a generous father who is willing to buy you this wonderful gift! Unfortunately, as others have posted, the gift does not end with the initial purchase. From you signature, it appears that you enjoy traveling to WDW fairly frequently, so initially you may benefit from ownership. But, as others have said, Disney trips only get more expensive as the years wear on. You may want to think about whether you would be able to use this as an every 2 or 3 year travel option. If you were going to WDW every other year, you could purchase half the points you need for a visit and pay half the annual MF necessary to keep things going. It is a big decision and all the other extraneous costs of life have to be taken into account, since this could be up to a 49 year commitment, depending on where you buy.

Good luck with your decision! Remember, DVC is going to be there for a long time, so you have time to think about this decision.

 

[JimMIA]

I am so close to pulling the trigger to purchasing the DVC, DH (with good reason because it is a lot of $$$) can't justify it. (even thought it is my father going who is going to buying it for our kids) His point is it is only the accommodations, period, that is it nothing else. We still have to buy air fare, park tickets, food etc.

Not to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the man does have a point.

If those honest costs will be a burden, then your family will just have to suck it up in other areas (food, entertainment, nice things) so that you can afford the vacations the DVC contract commits you to. And if you don't go, someone is going to have to pay the annual dues...which are substantial.

FREE!!! ...is not always really free.

 

[ToddyLu]

One of the things in my favor was DH bought a New Jeep Wrangler 2 weeks before we bought DVC....using my car as a trade in

So when I batted my eyelashes and reminded him how I was sufferig without a car

So far we have had 2 DVC vacations. In 2009 we got 2 studios with SV, same for 2010...so 4 studios thus far....we leave Saturday for our 3rd DVC trip...staying in a standard studio...then in Oct we have 2 SV studios booked again. That would cost about $24,500 OOP...and not really going to be possible on a fireman and nurses salary. We would never pay $3500 for a week at Disney....so we spread it out and financed our purchase.

DVC changes your trip to Disney like a Corvette changes your drive to work. Practical, nah....fun as hell, yep. In my 40s this type of Dsiney trip is important to me.

Own a rolex, have season tickets to the game, get a new set of golf clubs, put in a swimming pool, buy a Vette or get DVC...it is a luxury, nothing more...not an investment except in spending time with those folks you love in a place you love at a resort you really like. Period. I am trully happy with it and after the walk through that door the first time and DH looked out our balcony and saw a giraffe... I reeled him in and he was SOLD!!!

 

[dbs1228]

DVC changes your trip to Disney like a Corvette changes your drive to work. Practical, nah....fun as hell, yep. In my 40s this type of Dsiney trip is important to me.

Own a rolex, have season tickets to the game, get a new set of golf clubs, put in a swimming pool, buy a Vette or get DVC...it is a luxury, nothing more...not an investment except in spending time with those folks you love in a place you love at a resort you really like. Period. I am trully happy with it and after the walk through that door the first time and DH looked out our balcony and saw a giraffe... I reeled him in and he was SOLD!!!

Totally agree! But we did pay close to 3500.00 for a weeks worth of accommodations for 15 years in a row!