I want to buy DVC but not convinced. Convince me. Please.

[Discruisin]

So, our family of 4 are huge Disney fans. We take one Disney cruise every year, go to WDW almost every year and this year we are taking the ABD to Peru. Every time we are on the cruises we see the advertisements to learn how being a DVC member can save you huge amounts on your Disney vacations. We are always too busy to sit down and learn about it then when we get home forget about it and never look into it any further. So, my question is for those of you that are DVC members do you really see the cost savings that they advertise and do you think it is worth it or is the DVC membership more about being a part of something special and the benefits really come from the special attention you get at resorts? Thanks.

 

[starwart]

Try renting points first. If you own dvc you will be locked in a very long term commitment. I think the perks are not as good as it used to be.

 

[com_op_2000]

People have asked me and I have told them to answer these questions:
1. Are you willing to go and stay at a Disney deluxe resort at least every other year? If not then no need to look any further cause the costs are not worth it.
2. Are you satisfied with staying offsite and going to the different locations around the Disney area and want to continue to do so?
3. Are you satisfied with staying at value or moderate resorts at Disney locations, looking for deals, and other ways to save monies?
4. Can you pay cash for your purchase?
5. What are your travel plans for the next 10 years?
Then after getting the answers, you need to start your research:
Read these threads on the DIS and understand the following terms:
UY
MF
HR
11 month and 7 month booking windows
Concierge Collection
RCI
CM
MS
Direct vs resale
Rule of 4
Once you have a full understanding of these terms.
Then read some more.

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

You save money compared to staying at deluxe resorts. You don't really save money compared to value or probably even moderate. It takes a while to realize those savings though. We rented points to stay at the poly and it was such a great trip we are in the middle of closing a resale now. We had done extensive research over the last year and a half though so understood the costs and benefits.

 

[E2ME2]

So, our family of 4 are huge Disney fans. We take one Disney cruise every year, go to WDW almost every year and this year we are taking the ABD to Peru. Every time we are on the cruises we see the advertisements to learn how being a DVC member can save you huge amounts on your Disney vacations. We are always too busy to sit down and learn about it then when we get home forget about it and never look into it any further. So, my question is for those of you that are DVC members do you really see the cost savings that they advertise and do you think it is worth it or is the DVC membership more about being a part of something special and the benefits really come from the special attention you get at resorts? Thanks.

For us it has been worth it, and it also provides that feeling of belonging to something special.
We consistently visit the Orlando area in the winter, and plan to do so more often and for longer periods in retirement.
Even in pre-retirement, we believe we have already realized a savings, having crossed the break-even point in 2019, based on what we would have/could have spent for our stays-to-date.
Do your research. Evaluate the benefit/need of having the minimum number of Direct Points for the Blue Card.
Depending upon the number of points you think you'll need, if you want to get 100 Direct Points, but see yourself buying more than 200 Points in total, I would recommend buying Resale first, then adding on Direct to more easily achieve matching the same Use Year. We just found Resale Points at our Home resort with matching Use Year and the right PricePerPoint (had been searching for about a year).
ET

 

[zavandor]

An easy prediction is that you would spend even more money with DVC. You clearly like the brand and the type of vacations, if you buy DVC you'd end up probably contracting addonitis and adding on. You'd go more often so an AP makes sense. That allows to go more often because tickets are paid for. So you go more often, for which you'd need more points...

DVC saves, long term, over the cost of Deluxe accomodations, but most people here will tell you they've spent more for Disney vacations since they bought, not less.

 

[cruisehopeful]

We take one Disney cruise every year, go to WDW almost every year and this year we are taking the ABD to Peru. Every time we are on the cruises we see the advertisements to learn how being a DVC member can save you huge amounts on your Disney vacations.

It can save you money on your stays at WDW. It won't save you money on cruises or ABD. If you are planning at staying at WDW at least once every other year, you can find a contract size that will let you do that. There's a break even cost calculator in this forum. Look at when you'd break even. For me, it would be about 15 years.

If you purchase directly from Disney, you can covert those points (for a fee) to use for cruises and ABD. There won't be any savings there and the cancellation policy isn't as good for paying cash. It will often end up costing you much more to use your DVC points for those. If you have a Costco near you, you are better off booking those at Costco and getting the Costco shop card. If you don't go to Costco, you can still book a TA who specializes in Disney and get credit to use on your trip.

 

[Marionnette]

So, our family of 4 are huge Disney fans. We take one Disney cruise every year, go to WDW almost every year and this year we are taking the ABD to Peru. Every time we are on the cruises we see the advertisements to learn how being a DVC member can save you huge amounts on your Disney vacations. We are always too busy to sit down and learn about it then when we get home forget about it and never look into it any further. So, my question is for those of you that are DVC members do you really see the cost savings that they advertise and do you think it is worth it or is the DVC membership more about being a part of something special and the benefits really come from the special attention you get at resorts? Thanks.

There isn’t any special treatment other than (maybe) a “Welcome home!” greeting from a CM when you tap a theme park turnstile at the park entrance.

“Savings” is very subjective. I spend less for a 1BR villa than what Disney would charge me for a cash stay. But then, I wouldn’t be staying in a Disney 1BR villa on cash if I didn’t own DVC, so am I really saving anything?

If you typically stay in Value Resorts, take advantage of *free* dining or don’t visit at least every other year it won’t be worth your while to own.

Using your points for anything ther than a Disney resort stay (i.e. DCL, ABD, the Concierge Collection or RCI) is generally considered to be a poor use of your points. Don’t purchase DVC if it is your intention to use your points for those purposes on a regular basis.

On the plus side, I always know that I have a Disney vacation in the works. I get a discount on APs, food and merchandise discounts and I’m eligible to attend any special events that DVC sponsors. I can book hard to get villas that would be impossible to rent because of my ownership. And I bought at a time when prices were still relatively reasonable. I don’t think I would purchase now.

 

[rg35]

Added what these things actually mean, since you are a new person who is learning.

UY = Use Year
MF = Member Fees
HR = Home Resort
11 month and 7 month booking windows
Concierge Collection
RCI
CM = Cast Member
MS = Member Services
Direct vs resale
Rule of 4

 

[Sandisw]

Compare what you normally spend on your WDW hotel to the cost of buying DVC.

If you are staying deluxe resorts now, then over time, your costs for lodging will be less than continuing to pay cash rates,

Buying direct will allow you to have member benefits as long as you buy at least 100 points. This gets you discounts on food and merchandise eligible for DVC member cruise, member events, and the biggest one is the DVC AP discount.

Buying direct would also allow you to use points for things like cruises, etc, But, the point cost is high so it’s not really a good use of points. You would continue to save just paying cash for those cruises and buy DVC for the WDW stays only,

Resale will save you more money for sure in buying in. You lose the discounts, but unless you can capitalize on the AP..by going twice in a calendar Like 51 weeks apart, and the. Buying tickets every other year, it’s a lot of money to choose direct over resale,

Resale points also are not eligible for stays at RIV or any future resorts,

Pros and cons for each and it all depends on your situation!

 

[pineapplepalms]

If you are interested in upgrading to larger accommodations, you wouldn't necessarily save money compared to a hotel room, but you could stay in those accommodations for much less than paying cash. We bought DVC because we wanted to stay at deluxe resorts in 1BR or larger villas and it's the most cost effective way to do so if you plan on going regularly anyway and want control over your reservations (with renting you lose flexibility). If you're unsure, you could try renting points to see if DVC is for you. We stayed at CCV in a 1BR before buying as part of a promo DVC was doing at the time for prospective members, and it convinced us to buy after doing about 6 months of research before that trip. I wouldn't say we get or expect special attention at all, but we've stayed in studio/1BR/2BR/GV rooms since we bought a couple of years ago and have been enjoying our DVC. It's been fun staying with friends/family in the larger villas, which isn't something we would've done without DVC.

 

[RoseGold]

We have no idea how your family travels. If you stay in an AoA suite, this probably isn't the right choice for you.
If you book this a few months before, this probably isn't the right choice for you.
If you can't be bothered to do the minimum level of research, this probably isn't the right choice for you.

This is a very expensive, decades long commitment worth some actual investigation. It requires financial upkeep and significant planning and isn't for everyone.

 

[Coffee66]

Ok buy DVC and then I want to convince you to buy my swamp land that I have at a discounted rate in Florida. Laugh at loud. Tongue in cheek for what's its worth

 

[Brianstl]

I would wait a couple months before I would buy right now. There is a decent chance we could be looking at dramatically increased incentives for direct purchases at Riviera and a substantial drop in resale prices. I would wait to see the impact COVID-19 not only has on the travel industry, but the overall economy.

 

[MICKIMINI]

If you are truly interested in DVC, you have to sit down and study it thoroughly to evaluate whether it is right for you and your family. My DIL, an engineer with an advanced degree is learning as I teach her this "subject" and my son, in medical is happy to let her figure it out! Everybody will have an opinion here though no one can tell you what is good for your family. We bought in 1996 and have saved a ton over the years and have bought and sold many contracts for a profit. At this point you can save the most buying resale for cash. The resort you decide on is crucial as it is your "home" where you can book at 11 months and trade out, based on availability, at 7 months. There is no special treatment these days - perhaps when we first bought...not now. Watch the videos and read the posts here. These are the most DVC educated people on the planet, but it is up to you to do the homework.

 

[Coffee66]

If you are truly interested in DVC, you have to sit down and study it thoroughly to evaluate whether it is right for you and your family. My DIL, an engineer with an advanced degree is learning as I teach her this "subject" and my son, in medical is happy to let her figure it out! Everybody will have an opinion here though no one can tell you what is good for your family. We bought in 1996 and have saved a ton over the years and have bought and sold many contracts for a profit. At this point you can save the most buying resale for cash. The resort you decide on is crucial as it is your "home" where you can book at 11 months and trade out, based on availability, at 7 months. There is no special treatment these days - perhaps when we first bought...not now. Watch the videos and read the posts here. These are the most DVC educated people on the planet, but it is up to you to do the homework.

You have your point of view and I have mine. I think you can figure out my POV

 

[bwvBound]

We purchased because we wanted to book a 1BR or larger unit when we visit WDW. We wanted the full kitchen, the in-room laundry, the king bed and the jetted-tub. We studied the program for nearly six years (1998-2004) before deciding that owning was better (more effective, more reliable) than trading in or renting.

 

[ELMC]

So, our family of 4 are huge Disney fans. We take one Disney cruise every year, go to WDW almost every year and this year we are taking the ABD to Peru. Every time we are on the cruises we see the advertisements to learn how being a DVC member can save you huge amounts on your Disney vacations. We are always too busy to sit down and learn about it then when we get home forget about it and never look into it any further. So, my question is for those of you that are DVC members do you really see the cost savings that they advertise and do you think it is worth it or is the DVC membership more about being a part of something special and the benefits really come from the special attention you get at resorts? Thanks.

I see cost savings in owning DVC, but not the cost savings they advertise. As with anything, they make a lot of favorable assumptions about costs, etc. when designing this marketing pitch. I think it would be time well spent to look at ALL the options, not simply the ones they present (namely booking rooms at rack rate) to determine if there are savings there for you.

As for the non-financial benefits, there's lots of good information on here about what they are, but really it comes down to the individual to determine if there is any value to them personally. For me the answer is a small yes, but there are others who don't care and yet others who feel like they are part of some inside club. It all comes down to how you perceive it.

To answer your most important question, I think that if you buy resale at the right resort at the right price then DVC is still worth it. But one thing you should keep in mind is that many of the people on here who swear by their DVC bought in for less than $80 per point (myself included). That tends to color one's judgment I think. At today's direct prices I personally could not justify buying DVC, but there are many who can. Good luck with your research and decision!

 

[sethschroeder]

In the end do the math. See for yourself will it come out cheaper?

After you see the math then learn about the product and all benefits or gotchyas.

 

[bumbershoot]

You simply have to learn all about it. In skimming what you said, I don’t see huge value for you. But I don’t know what kind of resorts you’re staying in. There’s a lot of reading to do to learn how it works and how it doesn’t work. There’s no substitute.

Savings” is very subjective. I spend less for a 1BR villa than what Disney would charge me for a cash stay. But then, I wouldn’t be staying in a Disney 1BR villa on cash if I didn’t own DVC, so am I really saving anything?

yep.

Added what these things actually mean, since you are a new person who is learning.

The person literally wrote “Read these threads on the DIS and understand the following terms:” before listing them.

It would have been really valuable to learn them by reading all about it, rather than by being given a vocabulary list. I know if I were the OP I would probably skip the reading if everything was spoonfed to me.

You have your point of view and I have mine. I think you can figure out my POV

Hmm. I’m not sure you’re who the person you responded to was responding to. I’m not super-sure what your previous reply meant, but you’re here on a pro-Disney purchasing-DVC page, so...