Is anyone out there still happy with their DVC membership?

[WolfpackFan]

It seems like most of the threads on this Message Board as well as the Planning board are people complaining about DVC and saying things like they are going to sell their membership, etc. If it's not the new points charts, it's the wait list policy. If not wait list, it's walking reservations. And we always have the random post about how the person would never stay in xyz resort again because their room was filthy or they ran across a rude CM. I'll admit, I've done my share of complaining also. But in spite of that, I'm still very happy with our DVC membership and looking forward to all our future trips. It's funny, I was talking to a friend of mine on Saturday, who is also a DVC member and he had no idea that all this controversy was going on. In fact, he said he likes the new points charts. I'm just wondering if there is anyone else out there that is still very happy with their membership in spite of all the changes that people seem to be complaining about? It sure would be nice to have some positive posts for a change.

 

[iluveeyore]

We love our DVC - if I'm not planning my next vacation, I'm on the DIS getting my daily fix. Sure, we've had some issues on past trips, but nothing that would ever make me sell my DVC! I actually wish we could afford to add on - we just booked a getaway for March and had to rent points because DH won't stay anywhere but DVC resorts! We already have our August/Sept. vacation booked with another family who love our DVC membership. I'm sure they'll buy into someday too, but can only get away every few years right now. Let's focus on the positive people - do you know how lucky all you DVC members are to own a piece of the magic??

 

[mgroshans]

we have no complaints. our guide is excellent-when we email her or leave her a voice mail, she responds within an hour, member services- no complaints, website- no complaints, loan- no complaints. we have nothing but good things to say.

 

[cogero]

we are still relatively new members and haven't taken our first trip yet which is in April but we are very happy. Even though the points went up that doesn't effect us.

Our guide calls us back with in a few hours any time we call and Member services is very nice.

 

[moethorne]

Count us in as still happy as well. We've always tended to go for whole weeks so the whole point thing did not bother us. We've never had an issue with service or upkeep when we have gone. And I've only need the waitlist once and got it so that was never an issue either.
No complaints today!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Some of the changes bother me more than others. I don't like having to pay $95 if I want to stay at the POL etc. and the point chart changes are not advantagous to us, typical Sun-Thu travelers. With all that said I bought a certain amount of points to enjoy Disney the way that I like and that hasn't changed. DVC still holds the same charm for me that it held when I made the decision to buy into it.

The hard part is to accept that nothing ever stays the same, but no matter what my vacation memories at Disney w/ my family and friends will continue, even if the new point chart forces me to fortfit a day!

 

[bub]

We have complaints, but we are still addicted to our DVC, and what it represents to our family: a great place to be together for a vacation. Our best days on our last trip were not even spent in the parks (due to overwhelming crowds, the parks were fun but exhausting). We love the resorts, the pools, the shopping, just about everything but the food (we love DVC as we can make our own) and the costumed characters (if you can believe it, my 15 year-old is afraid of them).

Disney is one of the only places our family goes that we all enjoy together - our kids are teens now, and they still end up spending most of their time with my DH and I while there - maybe too much time .

Some of these recent changes, and they way in which they were communicated, have been hugely frustrating, but Disney is a tradition for our family, so we'll make the best of it.

 

[nunzia]

I am! How lucky we all are to be able to even HAVE DVC...we are fortunate indeed.

 

[westjones]

I love the resorts but I am unhappy about the change in points chart. I understand it, but I am unhappy because I can't afford to buy more points and now we either have to use studios or skip a year.

I am not planning to sell. I will keep my 150 points, but I won't be talking it up and making it sound as good as I used to when I talked about it to other people. For a time, I bet people thought I sounded like a sales person for DVC (I loved it that much). Now.....I wouldn't try to talk anyone into it. I don't feel the same about it as I did.....but I already own my points and I will make the best of it.

DJ

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have a "wish list" for DVC too, but mostly, my wish is to be at WDW, using my DVC instead of just thinking about my next vacation while being here.

Bobbi

 

[kerickson]

Head on over to the VGC Owners Group thread and you'll find a bunch of happy DVCers who just added on and can't wait to start booking June 1!

 

[Golden Rose]

We're fairly new members, and we've only made one trip. We're still extremely pleased with our purchase, and with DVC. We were probably ideal purchasers - we had been going to WDW twice a year, we always stayed in Deluxe resorts, and we went with 3 generations most than of the time, so we would get either two rooms or a suite. I'd read enough here on the boards before I purchased that I knew to buy where I wanted to stay. We bought AKV for the Savannah Views and the chance at Concierge, and we bought BWV for the location.

The changes we've seen in our less than a year as members are the new reservation policy, the shift to RCI, the waitlist policy and the point reallocation. That's a lot of changes in a year!

I like the new reservation policy. I don't want to call every day for a week, just hoping to get the room type I want every day so I won't have to move. And so far, we haven't had trouble getting exactly what we wanted when we've called. I'm sure we won't always, but we're flexible about when we travel and don't mind planning way out.

As far as the shift to RCI goes, I don't feel like I have enough information yet to know if it will be good or bad for us. There were places we would have enjoyed trading out to in II; there are places we would like to trade out to in RCI. But we didn't buy DVC to trade, we bought it to go to WDW every year. I don't know if we'll ever even trade or not, so I'm certainly not going to be upset about the switch.

We're also not too concerned about the new waitlist policy; we haven't waitlisted yet, and I don't think we'll need more than two at a time. The one thing I do think is bad about it is if someone ends up desperate to go at a certain time, one can't just waitlist for "any studio or one bedroom at WDW." I would consider that one request, but under the new system, it would be more like 20 requests...

The point reallocation _is_ annoying. I don't think it is a disaster, but our favorite times and ways to vacation will cost us at least 10 more points a trip. On the other hand, if it makes it easier to get my first choice of dates at my first choice of locations by shifting demand a bit, I won't begrudge them those 10 points at all.

Anyway, I wasn't around for "the good old days", but these days still look pretty good to me. We'd have spent a minimum of $3000 on rooms on the trip we took using our developer points (+ 20 of our regular points), and we've got another trip planned for this year we'd have spent as much or more on. We're so happy with DVC we're considering adding on at BLT or GCV at some point, and we're almost certainly going to buy in Hawaii if it happens.

 

[Laurabearz]

We still love our DVC and can't wait for our next trip.

The point chart change was a bump in the road, we are over it, and have moved on.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We like using our points, but are unhappy with the trend in DVC. It used to be a lot more member oriented. We've sold off two contracts and have a third for sale. We've had fun, but...

Like my husband was just telling me, how long before DVC implements a change that really does affect us? Most of the changes so far didn't affect us negatively too much, but my luck can't hold out forever.

I hate to see the cost of points going up, up, up. We paid about $50 a point for our first 175 points and a bit more for the rest. The contracts we sold, we made back what we spent, even after the realtor's fees. I really don't know how some people are affording it anymore.

I really don't see us hanging on to our points much longer than five or ten more years. Then we'll call it quits.

 

[Sheribo]

The point reallocation _is_ annoying. I don't think it is a disaster, but our favorite times and ways to vacation will cost us at least 10 more points a trip. On the other hand, if it makes it easier to get my first choice of dates at my first choice of locations by shifting demand a bit, I won't begrudge them those 10 points at all.

Exactly! We are still happy with our DVC. We are NOT happy that our vacation will cost us 15 more points each year. We'll accept it and hope that they don't change the point charts again next year.

32 days till we return home!

 

[CarolAnnC]

We are very happy with our DVC! It has not only met my expectations, but far exceeded them. When I purchased my initial points back in 1997, I had no idea that DVC would afford me the opportunity to sail the Mediterranean visiting ports such as Spain, France and Italy. We will be visiting the Baltic countries in 2010 the same way.

Our love of Disney combined with the excellent accommodations of our DVC ownership has provided us with memories that will last a lifetime.

 

[Tigger031266]

We are very very happy! Just wish the economy would improve

 

[nordkin]

We are still very happy with our DVC purchase and are glad we took the advice on this board and bought where we want to stay. We just recently added on and see more add on's in our future.

I understand why some people are upset with the recent changes, but none of them affect us, so we are not upset. We fully understood they could reallocate points and were not bothered by it because we knew it could happen.

We still think this was the best investment we made for our family and our now grown kids know they will each be inheriting future vacations for their families when we pass on. They are thrilled as are we to be able to give this gift to our family.

 

[jpeka65844]

So far, we've been uber happy with our membership. We've only waitlisted once, with eventual success, we never "walk" reservations and have gotten everything we've wanted out of it (so far).

We live in a seemingly "affluent" community but as we look around us, very few people have the disposable income to do what we do. Instead, they drive flashier cars and live in bigger houses than we do. We count ourselves as super fortunate that we have this luxury and wouldn't trade it for all the McMansions in our county!

We didn't buy DVC to trade for DCL, ABD, RCI, or other non-DVC properties. We bought it for what (I feel) it is intended: stays in a DVC accommodation and so far, after four DVC trips, it's fulfilled its purpose BEAUTIFULLY!!!

Here's to 48 more years of wonderful vacations! I'm glad to be able to relax and enjoy my membership!

 

[jekjones1558]

For the first time in memory I am not able to have a trip in our plans. Too many health issues for the foreseeable future. For those who are bummed about all the changes, be glad if you can still plan a trip. Someday we will be planning again, too, no matter what the new policies are. Love our DVC.