I'm so confused, to DVC or not?

[lmhall2000]

I try to look through the threads and then I get completely confused at all the mention of rates, referrals, points...that I go bonkers!

We are a family of five. We go to Disney about every 2-3 years..we always stay at a Deluxe because of our # in our family and because we prefer hotels that don't open to the outdoors from the front door (two kids with asthma)...

We're looking at paying 5k for a 7 night stay and it being that much, I figured, why don't we just look at the DVC? We could save the points and have a nice vacation every 2-3 years, even take our first cruise...but is it worth it if we don't travel there that often? We just don't have time to take vacations..but in our retirement we hope to take lots of short trips down there and carry the kids/grandkids (I'm only 40 now, and my oldest is almost 13)...but since the contract lasts so long, we figured it might be a good deal.

Can anyone share their regrets/ or lack of them to help me see if this is a good deal?

Thanks!
Tara

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Well what you could do is do a smaller contract from resale and bank the points and take a vacation every 2 years.Say maybe 100 point contract.But I like it better going through Disney to where my points are availible almost immediately,if you do a resale then it can take up to 3 months from th time you find the contract you want till you can actually use your points.You stand the chance of Disney buying that contract back.
If you go through Disney you can get their financing not the cheapest but it will do,but you do have to buy in at 160 points.

But we just added on at AKV it has always been a dream of ours to own there.We have VWL points to but we have are in the process of selling it and just keeping out AKV.

Noone can tell you whats good for your family but if you go at least once every couple of years to Disney and see yourself doing that for many years to come then I would say go for it.

Oh we have never ever regretted it the only thing we have regretted was not buying in before.

Good luck on your decision.

Check out the points chart at the top of the page and you can get an idea of how many points you will need.

 

[rsinj]

.

 

[PIERCEDRN]

You undoubtedly would save with dvc and I agree with the smaller contract.
For you I would also look into resales and "buy where you want to stay." You may need the 11 month window to guarantee a Hotel-type DVC rather than the OKW or SSR Condo-type DVC which would have outside doors.

Don't buy DVC for the cruises or for the "600 other places to stay" as they are all a unwise use of points with few exceptions. There are tons of timeshares with the same exchange value for less than half the price.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Hello lmhall:

It is great to see somebody from Huntsville here on the board. I'm originally from a small town just south of Florence, and went to college at UNA.

I think that what you are wanting to do is very do-able.

DVC is really easy to understand once you get the hang of it. I made up a sample points chart for a few different options for you guys during magic season. Magic Season is the next to most expensive season. Only Premier season at Christmas and Easter are more expensive.

6 days in a value 1 bedroom at AKV during Magic Season runs 147 points.

147 / 3 = 49 points / year.

Purchase 50 points @ $105/pt. = $5,500
Maintenance fees approximately - $250 / yr.
$250 X 3 = $750.00
So 6 days at AKL in 1 bdrm every 3 years would cost $5,500 initially and then $750.00 for rooms every 3 years, or $20 / month.

The more expensive route still comes out pretty favorably.
Let's say you want to stay in one of the preferred 2 bdrm villas at a 2042 resort other than OKW, which would be cheaper in Magic Season every 2 years for 7 nights.

350 / 2 = 175 points / year.

Purchase 175 points on resale for $80/pt. = $14,000
Maintenance fees = $875 / yr.
$875 X 2 = $1,700 for 7 nights in a 2 bedroom villa.

So 7 days at BWV, VWL, BCV, in a 2 bdrm every other year would cost $14,000 initially and $1,700 for 2 years, or $73/month.

Even in the more expensive scenario, you are paying $3,300 less in maintenance fees than your hotel stays. That goes a long way toward your initial $14,000, which will usually take 5 to 6 trips to make worthwhile. With the less expensive option, you've about paid it off with your first trip.

Since you are in Alabama, I'll let you in on some other options that are fairly close by.

DH and I have stayed at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort. Weeknights in low season is as low as 6 points for a studio. Its great for golf or tennis, or romantic day trips to Savannah. You can also make very reasonable exchanges for the Club Intrawest property on San Destin done per night, not per week. There are Interval International Exchanges that can be made at Panama City, Orange Beach, and Gatlinburg. These properties would cost 160 points at the most.

Reserving at Hilton Head is very easy. I've heard that trading into San Destin is easy as well. The II exchanges to the other places may be more difficult.

There are many, many places that you can go throughout the world of course, but I wanted to give you an Alabama perspective. I've also heard that there are $49 fares out of Huntsville. (I'm pretty jealous of that.)

Finally, I encourage you to check out the Alabama DVCers thread. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1158918

We have had about 200 post from all over the state, and have discussions about driving down, making trades, etc. If you have any Alabama questions, please feel free to post them on the Alabama board or send me a PM.

 

[JimMIA]

You undoubtedly would save with dvc and I agree with the smaller contract.
For you I would also look into resales and "buy where you want to stay." You may need the 11 month window to guarantee a Hotel-type DVC rather than the OKW or SSR Condo-type DVC which would have outside doors.

Don't buy DVC for the cruises or for the "600 other places to stay" as they are all a unwise use of points with few exceptions. There are tons of timeshares with the same exchange value for less than half the price.

I think both paragraphs above are sound advice for your particular situation.

I'm one of the minority here who thinks "buy where you want to stay" is often overstated -- but in your case, it is very sound advice. We go to WDW 1-3 times a year; if we don't get exactly what we want every time, it's no big deal. But you will only be visiting every 2-3 years, and you have some good reasons for wanting particular types of accommodations. If you can't get what you want, it will be a big disappointment -- so buying where you want to stay will be a plus for your family.

The second paragraph is also very good advice, and something that is often overlooked. If you decide to buy DVC, buy it for the DVC accommodations -- not for trading out, or member perks, or anything except the core value of the program. The exchange rates are often very unfavorable, and everything outside of DVC is subject to change. As a matter of fact, right now, many of the prior exchange opportunities are being discontinued and some new options are being added.

As far as cruises are concerned, Disney cruises are very expensive compared to major cruise lines, and the point costs are very high. You can always cruise less expensively for cash, and if you don't really care about the Disney atmosphere, you can get a great cruise for a fraction of the cost of DCL.

But...for onsite vacations at Walt Disney World, DVC is hard to beat.

 

[gmboy95]

Wow there are some people here with some serious data to share with you.....my feeling is, I really dig the stove, washer and dryer

 

[PinkTink63]

WARNING! If you do decide to buy DVC, you will probably go more often! And then comes addonitis, which I have right now!

 

[Dean]

I try to look through the threads and then I get completely confused at all the mention of rates, referrals, points...that I go bonkers!

We are a family of five. We go to Disney about every 2-3 years..we always stay at a Deluxe because of our # in our family and because we prefer hotels that don't open to the outdoors from the front door (two kids with asthma)...

We're looking at paying 5k for a 7 night stay and it being that much, I figured, why don't we just look at the DVC? We could save the points and have a nice vacation every 2-3 years, even take our first cruise...but is it worth it if we don't travel there that often? We just don't have time to take vacations..but in our retirement we hope to take lots of short trips down there and carry the kids/grandkids (I'm only 40 now, and my oldest is almost 13)...but since the contract lasts so long, we figured it might be a good deal.

Can anyone share their regrets/ or lack of them to help me see if this is a good deal?

Thanks!
Tara

Given your family make up you will likely need a 2 BR if all 5 go. Currently AKV is the only 1 BR that will sleep 5 but there are no 1 BR units that will sleep that group comfortably IMO. No studios will sleep 5 for those ages. In a few years likely all kids won't go on all trips so it may be a temporary issue. Or they may want to take a friend and just compound the issue. The other question is what days of the week you normally go, esp since you mentioned shorter trips. DVC will not save you money for long weekends or the cruise, it will actually cost you money for those options.

Having said that I still think DVC is something that can be a good option for you. You could buy the minimum points (160) at AKV or ?CRV and do a 2 BR for a week every 2 years. Or you could go for around 100 pts resale for every 3 years but likely not get those 2 resorts for a while. It might or might not save you money but would give you more for your money.

 

[PEANUT1]

and after you buy you will be totally obsessed disney crazy at least that is what happened to us.

every 2-3 years will be a thing of the past. we are planning our october trip when our may trip hasn't even happened yet.

 

[rstackjd]

I'll add my 2 cents to this thread.

We agonized over taking the plung for several (too many) years before pulling the trigger in January.

I'm a finance nerd and finally built an extensive spreadsheet and did a present value analysis comparing the DVC (including annual dues) cost to a moderate resort, using inflation rates that we've seen in Disney resorts over the past 8 years and a modest (2.5%) increase in annual dues.

Bottom line, over the 50 year life of the membership the net present value at a reasonable discount rate actually appears to be a very good value.

In english - pull the trigger! I wish we had back in '99 when we first looked at it - it almost certainly would have paid for itself by this time.

An added benefit, by the time the 50 year membership is coming to an end we will likely be long gone (or at least no longer aware of our surroundings) but our kids and grandkids will still be enjoying DVC and, maybe, just maybe, remembering us fondly - sort of a little bit of imortality.

 

[disney dumbo]

Yes... do it! If you like staying in deluxe... you will LOVE staying in a 2BR DVC!!!!!!!! With kids... I cannot tell you how deluxe it is. 3TV's... 2 Bathrooms!!!... 3 Rooms to spread out in!!!... that's not even mentioning the kitchen and washer & dryer in your unit! Nothing better than space to spread out after spending too much time dashing through the parks.
Deluxe hotel room... vs. DVC 3room suite (2BR)
DVC wins with me!

Also I think planning for a vacation there every 2-3 years is smart... you definitely will not burn out. But just like others have said... you will enjoy your trip so much more... don't be surprised how often you want to go back!!! SO TRUE!!!

Yes... I regret not finding out about the secret earlier. I figured, the people that I bought from had years of deluxe vacations for next to nothing! Even if I never sell mine... I feel like I am getting a great deal to stay at a more than deluxe room!

 

[debbiepump]

I'm realizing buying into DVC was one of our best purchases. I live in Seattle, fly all the way to Florida at least twice a year. We are currently in Maui on Kannapali Beach (premier beach here) and are in a wonderful condo and both my DH and I are saying WDW is more fun! Now that's a first!! We've been coming to Maui for over 15 years and this is our first trip back since purchasing at WDW (own at BCV) and miss what Disney has to offer!!
Great purchase for us! By the way, no grandkids, just us to go and we still enjoy WDW that much!

 

[lmhall2000]

WOW!! You guys are GREAT!!!

I just got notice that I had a response, and there are atleast 6 I haven't read yet...so I'm going to get my handy dandy "should I buy DVC" notebook and put on paper what y'all have done for me!!! THANKS SO MUCH!! How did y'all know that I have NO time to figure this out! I'm really thinking it could work, I'm sure someone has answered this, but can I use my points to stay at a single Deluxe room like at Poly? I'm sure once I read the posts it will answer it for me....we just may make this work!!

Oh! And do you get any break on park tickets and can you get the dining package? Just trying to figure all these details out!
Tara

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

You can use your points for single rooms at any moderate or deluxe non-DVC resort. (i.e., you can't use it as POP, All-Stars, BWI, BC, WL, or AK.) The points are pricey. Point costs start at 16 pts./nt. in a moderate and go up from there. I think GF points can go up to around 100 pts./nt. -- We may go back to POR sometime just because we love it - but DVC studios are a better value for what you get.

Keep in mind you can also use your points for DL, DLP, Hong Kong, Tokyo, DCL, & ABD, as well as timeshares around the world, a few nice hotels, and DVC at Hilton Head and Vero Beach. (You will love HH!) San Destin is also VERY reasonable. HOWEVER, your best value is to use your DVC for DVC!

For ticket discounts: you get $100 off APs. We are 100 pt. owners, and that is our biggest drawback. We don't go enough to get the APs. Some people bank and borrow to visit WDW alot in 1 year, and not at all in other years, making it WDW feast or famine.

You can get the dining package, but its not free. Adult prices are $38.99/day. You must get it for every day. Many DVCers will check out and check back in so that they can purchase for part of the stay. You can also get the DDE card if you get APs. There are a few DVC discounts for food.

 

[lmhall2000]

Mickey's Apprentice, I tried to figure out a way to PM you...I left click on your name but it just gives me the option of viewing your profile... You've got a birthday coming up! Happy Birthday! Thanks so much for your help!! I bet you a dole whip that we're related! I actually was born in Florence (just a year after you! )....my mom grew up in Russellville, Dad grew up in Spruce Pine (if you know where that is then we must be related! ) I lived in Jasper, Red Bay, Haleyville when I was little then on to Memphis....then college at Auburn (Dad went to Auburn, mom went to UNA) then Atlanta, Seattle, Memphis and now Huntsville! It's GREAT to be back in Alabama!

I need to read all the threads to see all the perks of DVC, but it looks like it would be well worth it since our family loves it so much there..we love to travel and having the option of overseas lodging sounds great! We went to England 2 years ago and that trip cost us less than Disney! I'm loving the low fares out of Huntsville...I've actually seen them for $38 RT!

Thanks so much for your help! Maybe I can figure out how to do the PM thing!

Tara

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I sent you a PM.

Nope, my folks aren't from Spruce Pine. They're from Isbell.
I bet that was a surprise!

Let me know if you can't get my PM.

 

[Coach81]

If you continue to do the 2 - 3 year thing, DVC would be a great option for you, especially in the future when you have the initial investment paid off and all you are paying are maint fees.

I suspect as many others have said, that you will be transformed into once a year visitors...

We bought in last year, and we just came back from our first visit (we were every other year people as well) this past February. We are going back in May, and are already planning two more trips next year.

We love WDW and our DVC!!!

By the way we currently only have 150 pts.

 

[covereddish]

Oh, yes! It is a must! The absolute best purchase you ever will make!

And, yes, discounts on AP's, and dining, and lots of other member perks!

 

[PinkTink63]

If we lived as close to WDW as you do, we would definitely go more often! As it is, we get one trip every summer. We buy AP's and get two long trips out of them!