If points are $106 then a 10 point room is....

[Dean]

Dean I'm glad you added this note because normally I see the two of us agree on many things. I feel you are really taking a hard line on cost savings and I see your point.

Cost is cost, value is value and they are totally different IMO. I think many are confusing the two by equating value (and emotion) as cost so I was just trying to point that out. Glad you got my overall point.

 

[culli]

Cost is cost, value is value and they are totally different IMO. I think many are confusing the two by equating value (and emotion) as cost so I was just trying to point that out. Glad you got my overall point.

Excellent distinction........and the boards are just like e-mail. Things are easily taken out of context and can be difficult to explain without typing up a small book!

 

[Brian Noble]

5 day park hoppers are currently good for 7 days

Ah, I didn't understand you were looking at UCT.

I was just referring to the cost of the parks themselves, not parks + Disney accomodations.

Even thinking about just park tickets, our parkhoppers (purchased from UCT) invariably cost us more than the sum total I've paid for all of our entertainment expenses at any of those other destinations I mentioned---except the Colorado ranch. But, again, the value is there, so I don't begrudge the cost.

 

[Dean]

Excellent distinction........and the boards are just like e-mail. Things are easily taken out of context and can be difficult to explain without typing up a small book!

I don't necessarily play devils advocate but I often post only the one side since there's usually plenty of others to post the other side. Plus I'm a rule following type of guy. Thus my position often comes out more hard line and one sided than it really is.

BTW, of our most recent large none WDW trips they cost the following including all indirected timeshare expenses, air, food, rental cars, etc).

• HI 2002 for 4 people for 14 days - $2500 (two 1 BR units at KBC Maui and a 2 Br the Embassy Kauai (now the Pointe, FF tickets).
• PV 2003 for 4 people for 14 days - $2300 (10 nights 3 BR ocean front, FF tickets)
• May 2007 - trade to DVC VB, total about $1000 for a week.
• HI 2008 for people for 15 days - $2500 (Wyndham 1 BR Waikiki, Westin 1 BR Maui, FC FF tickets).
• 2008 June (nine 2 BR for a week in Gatlinburg) - about $3000 total.
• Oct 2008 2 BR at the Hilton on I drive, under $1000 total for 3 and a 1/2, no parks days.
• Aruba 2009 for 2 people for 11 nights - $3000 (La Cabana, Marriott Surf Club, sadly, no FF miles)

There were a couple of HH trips in there as well with timeshares we own which end up being our most expensive trips usually, another Gatlinburg trip and MB for a week each both under $1000 for two. There were also several WDW trips most on exchanges, a couple on points.

 

[crisi]

$200 each.

http://allears.net/btp/bibbidi.htm

But they put through about 40 girls an hour. Its quite the little money factory for Disney - and if you didn't reserve in advance, forget it. They are booked.

 

[crisi]

Ohtarabell!!!
"I am always fascinated by posts that talk about how expensive Disney is. I will acknowledge that Disney isn't cheap, but is it the blowout that some make it out to be? What do people do on their vacations, nothing? If you go to the beach and sit on a chair, then Disney is expensive"


I LOVE THAT!!!
THATS GREAT!!!!
YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!!

There are other vacations than sitting on a chair - and some of them are not expensive. I love spending time in San Fransisco - between the National and State Parks in the SF/Monterey area and the museums, there is plenty to do without sitting on a beach - and we don't spend that much money. Washington DC is a hotspot of free activity. Most big cities have inexpensive museums and many have inexpensive theater as well. We go to the North Shore in Minnesota - its hard to spend money up there - but there is plenty of hiking and scenery.

Disney is a pretty good value - and it is possible to do it less or more expensively. I'm actually always impressed that Disney doesn't charge you $10 for a bad hamburger - a lot of amusement parks do. But its never a "cheap" vacation - even if you can get a good ticket deal from UCT.

 

[culli]

There are other vacations than sitting on a chair - and some of them are not expensive. I love spending time in San Fransisco - between the National and State Parks in the SF/Monterey area and the museums, there is plenty to do without sitting on a beach - and we don't spend that much money. Washington DC is a hotspot of free activity. Most big cities have inexpensive museums and many have inexpensive theater as well. We go to the North Shore in Minnesota - its hard to spend money up there - but there is plenty of hiking and scenery.

Disney is a pretty good value - and it is possible to do it less or more expensively. I'm actually always impressed that Disney doesn't charge you $10 for a bad hamburger - a lot of amusement parks do. But its never a "cheap" vacation - even if you can get a good ticket deal from UCT.

If you do it right I think (as Dean would say!) a good "value". When we go there is so much to do with easy access. When we did our "adult" only vacation it was amazing how much there is to do and how easy it is to get around. We don't vacation so to speak in the summer because we have land that we do some "luxury" type camping and have a boat that rent a slip on the local lakes. We love skiing too but have you checked out the price of lift tickets lately? IMHO skiing sucks for the most part in the midwest and still costs $$$, so I'm not happy unless I go out west. With all this in consideration, I feel Disney is a good "value" and DVC is a vehicle that allows me to enhance the experience I wish to enjoy. I know blah blah blah, but just like anything if you use it......hard to say it is a bad investment. If you don't use it......well then hard to say it is not a bad investment.

 

[ohtarabell]

There are other vacations than sitting on a chair - and some of them are not expensive. I love spending time in San Fransisco - between the National and State Parks in the SF/Monterey area and the museums, there is plenty to do without sitting on a beach - and we don't spend that much money. Washington DC is a hotspot of free activity. Most big cities have inexpensive museums and many have inexpensive theater as well. We go to the North Shore in Minnesota - its hard to spend money up there - but there is plenty of hiking and scenery.

Disney is a pretty good value - and it is possible to do it less or more expensively. I'm actually always impressed that Disney doesn't charge you $10 for a bad hamburger - a lot of amusement parks do. But its never a "cheap" vacation - even if you can get a good ticket deal from UCT.

I did not mean to disparage sitting on the beach. I was just using it as an example of what I view as a cheap vacation. I can see I am not in the mainstream regarding vacation expenses. I live frugally, but spend like a drunken sailor on vacation. For me, Disney tickets are not expensive. There are few vacations I have ever taken where I spend that little on entertainment for an entire week. One day deep sea fishing costs that much or more. I like to play golf, and can easily spend that much for two rounds for two people. When in New York, my family of four have spent almost that much on a broadway play/dinner (The Lion King in fact and I liked the 40 minute version at Disney just as well). To me $150 per day on entertainment is not only cheap, it is dirt cheap.

In summation, I view Disney as cheap AND a great value. Others view it as expensive and a great value. Cost and value are both relative. We are all comparing the cost of Disney to our normal vacation costs and forming an opinion as to whether it is "costly" or not. Value is the gratification realized per unit of cost. The relative nature of cost will affect our perception of value.

 

[OneMoreTry]

I believe many people are off the mark when they believe they have broken even in 6 years.

We took the Disney Financing (10.75% ) and when I looked at the payments online they were broken down separating principle and interest. Principle paid was $140. .... interest paid was $260.

I could go on vacation on the interest ALONE, without the investment of DVC.
I am a FIRM believer that this is a purchase that should NOT be financed. Any savings is rendered null and void by the ridiculous interest rates.

And- I haven't paid a penny of maintenance fees yet in this equation.

My point is , if you have financed this purchase you are most definitely saving nothing.

PS - My loan is going to be paid off by the end of April,so I will be paying interest for only 3 months. Yes, it seems that I am caught in this financing disaster, but not really the case.

We did not finance. I wouldn't have purchased via finance -- cause I don't know if I would have broken even. I agree with you on that.

We picked the accomodations we wanted -- on site 2 BR condo -- and we were/are gonna take the vacations anyway. We were going to stay in the parks just as much. Maybe even more. It was either cash or DVC. That's what I compared. If stays are Sun-Thurs comparing apples to apples, it breaks even between 6-7 years comparing rack rates at time we bought (vs our price pp). If weekends included it takes 2-3 years longer. We avoided weekends -- now we don't.

To me, 2 rooms in a moderate is not only not worth the money -- it is DEPRESSING. They are tiny and cramped -- IMHO. We spend the majority of time outside the parks and like to crash in the room and you can't in those rooms. And we really need/want a kitchen.

If lost investment on money figured in, that adds several years -- unless the country goes into a depression and the value of points since you purchase goes up $10 pp (as did happen).

If I'm deluded on this, it's not by much.

Our real perk was discovering the HH resort. Saves bucks for us, and driving and it's a nice switch from WDW.