Is DVC a "Good Deal" for Dave Ramsey Fans??

[MrsPete]

Congrats on your debt free status.

DVC is NOT a good investment. It MAY BE a good value.

It commits you to making fairly expensive vacations at least every three years - probably every year. As was just mentioned, there are a lot of expenses in a Disney trip other than the hotel - you still need park tickets, transportation, food, etc.

If you want a condo like accommodation and are an on-site snob, and you are going to go to Disney regularly for at least ten years, DVC might save you some money.

You cannot use points purchased aftermarket to cruise (this is new) so you'd have to pay full price. And cruising on points - or in fact using DVC points anywhere other than DVC resorts, is not a good value.

I agree with this -- as an investment, it stinks. If you're the right demographic -- meaning that you want to vacation at Disney often and only in expensive rooms, and you don't mind no maid service, and you can plan far in advance -- it might be a decent value. You'll ALWAYS be able to find a cheaper way to go to Disney -- maybe not in a condo-type accomodation, maybe not in a first-class hotel, but you can always go cheaper than DVC.

Several suggestions:

- Investigate ALL your options before you choose DVC. I was amazed at how much better Marriott was for our family. Not only does it cost less, they offer a greater range of vacation options. And most important for us: If you choose the right type of plan (two-bedroom lock-out unit), for a reasonable fee (I think it's $120) you can "split" your ONE WEEK in a two-bedroom into TWO WEEKS in a one-bedroom . . . but it's even better than that: If you choose a resort that has only two bedrooms, you'll get TWO WEEKS in a TWO BEDROOM . . . without paying more. Similarly, my parents, who are retired and prefer shorter trips off-season, love their points-based Hilton plan because it allows them to take multiple short trips.

- As part of your investigation, you'll learn all sorts of details: For example, all five (five?) of Marriott's Florida timeshares are in the "Florida Club" and no matter which you own, you can reserve your time ahead of the general public at any of them. All of Marriott's Hilton Head condos are two-bedrooms, so you can split your lock-out unit into two weeks there. Whatever timeshare intersts you, be sure you know EVERYTHING before you buy. Don't count on what someone else considers a good feature.

- Take several timeshare promotion tours before you buy anything. They use a real hard-sale approach, but they're interesting. They start off with a snack and light conversation (which is really to make you feel like you're their friend and to scope out whether you have kids and how much you might earn). Then they talk to you about "anyway dollars" --- dollars you're going to spend on vacation anyway, and then they talk about how much costs will increase over the next few years. You'll notice that they're quite . . . um, flexible with their numbers. A solid look at the figures with a calculator or a quick consideration of other options would make their figures look less appealing. Then they'll take you on a tour of the unit -- this will probably be in their vehicle so that you're stuck on their timetable. And then when you come back to the sales office, they'll hit you hard to buy. As a part of this, they'll discuss how solid their company is. They'll offer financing, and I'd be willing to bet that you've come in at just the right time -- prices are going up next week! I think these things are fun.

- No matter how prepared you are to say no, a part of you will want to throw caution to the wind and buy that timeshare RIGHT THEN AND THERE. But you need to do your homework and take your time -- it will still be available later. To give you an example: The first timeshare we toured was Marriott's Grande Vista in Florida. One of its big draws is its golf course, and during the tour we'd convinced ourselves that that was a great thing! More valuable, easier to trade! Gotta have this! We totally ignored the fact that neither of us golfs, neither of us has any interest in golfing . . . so why should we pay for the upkeep on a golf course just in case someone someday wants to trade us for a golf resort? And as we thought about what we wanted, what we wanted as our kids grew up, what we wanted for grandchildren-extended family visits, we realized that we really wanted to be on the ocean. If we'd bought on impulse that day, we'd be disappointed today.

- Never, ever buy anything that doesn't allow you flexibility with your time. You don't want to be locked into week #30 every single year. Also, unless you're retired, or own your own flexible business AND homeschool, choose prime season (probably summer, though if you're buying into a ski resort that might not be true). If you can't easily fit the week into your schedule, you're not going to take advantage of it. Also, if you want to "trade" your week, you're going to be able to offer valuable trading times.

- Buying re-sale is so incredibly much cheaper that I don't understand why anyone ever "buys new". However, ignore those timeshares going for a couple hundred dollars on ebay -- I watched them constantly for months, and I can say with certainty the ones that go for next-to-nothing are all off-season. You CAN get a prime time resale timeshare in a great location for half what Marriott, Hilton, or other sellers want you to pay.

- Pay close attention to the maintenance fee. If you buy re-sale, you will -- over the years -- pay more in fees than you'll pay upfront.

- This is a luxury purchase. If you have to finance it, or if it's a financial stretch, WAIT.

- Before you buy, read the book TimeShares For Dummies. It's written by a former timeshare salesperson, and it's a real eye-opener. The author has no bias, no incentive to sell you anything, so you can trust what she says -- on the other hand, you cannot trust the salespeople who stand to make a big commission from your sale. She'll explain weeks vs. points, trades, and more things that you really should understand before you make this purchase.

 

[eliza61]

Dave Ramsey is adamantl against timeshares of any kind. Even if it is your version of his boat.

However, if it works with your Dave Ramsey debt free budget--consider it as a boat and get it without a second thought.

But don't for one minute believe that he would support it or his strictest followers would support it.

But this is why they call it PERSONAL finance.

Boats and cars go down in value--Dave has both. A timeshare is just a different toy.

That's what I never understood. My dh wanted a boat, he built up all these grand vacation visions in our head. So we brought a boat and it was one huge money pit. LOL Now every time I post this I get all kinds of replies about how people can slip their boat for 100 bucks for the entire season. Let me say, we've yet to run across those great deals (the last year we owned one the average price was $90-100 bucks a foot. so for our 30ft boat it was a tad more than 100 bucks) or how they can insure their boat for $39.99. Once again I'm glad all these dissers are finding these deals but here in Jersey, gieco definitely wanted more than 40 bucks for boat insurance.

We couldn't sell it quick enough.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I have been reading these DIS boards for years and the general consensus is: DVC is good for people who normally stay in premium properties. It is a deal. If you normally stay in budget or moderate properties, you are not saving money with DVC.

 

[surfgirl]

The other thing I'll throw in is that you are basically committing (sp?) yourselves to visiting Disney for many years.

Yes, I know you can trade and go other places, but the vast majority of people I know rarely do it. When your kids are little, it is the 'perfect' vacation, but I have friends with kids in ms who are burned out on Disney and want to go elsewhere. They haven't been able to swap into other locations as easily as they thought it could be done. They had visions of visiting London, Paris, etc. on the DVC and while I don't know how hard they've tried (or not), they haven't done it but have visited and paid cash for hotels.

For us, it wouldn't make sense. We've made a few relatively last-minute (booked w/in 6-8 weeks) trips when the kids have had 1/2 days for P/T conferences. We couldn't have booked into DVC with that short timing. Also, our kids aren't THAT old (elementary school, middle school) and we're already started traveling to Europe. I like the flexibility of not being locked into a destination.

good luck.

 

[Cotton's Parrot]

Dave Ramsey would absolutely not condone buying DVC (or any timeshare) even if you are debt free. He doesn't believe in them and thinks they are the biggest scams in the market today. What he's mainly opposed to is the fact that you have to lay out a bunch of cash to initially buy into it and then have to pay annual maintenance fees on top of it.

In his example, if you took the average cost to buy of $14,500 and invested it in a mutual fund averaging 12% long term, in 10 years you'd have $48,000. In 20 years $178,000. In 40 years, $1.7 million! Point is, if you invested what you lay out to buy into a timeshare, in 20 years, you could very likely have enough to buy a condo/townhome near Disney that you could use year round.

That said, we own a timeshare, not DVC, and make good use of it. To me, it's been worth it because up to the time I bought, I had not been on a real vacation in probably 12 years. Having timeshare weeks has "forced" us to make time for a vacation -- the use it or lose it mentality. If I had it to do all over again, I'd still buy, but would buy resale for a fraction of the cost.

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

For us DVC had to do with many things that don't have anything to do with our budget. For us it forces my DH to take vacation - something that is difficult to do with his job. Also, while in WDW it is hard for his emplyer to reach him and take time away from our family time - he leaves his blackberry in the safe at the hotel most of the time. We have been blessed to be able to "pay" for our room last fall and bring my Dsis and DNiece to WDW for thier first ever vacation - this is super inportant to us because my DSis is in the hospital fighting for her life after a terminal cancer diagnosis.

There are other things that make me think purchasing DVC was a fantastic idea for our family, but they are personal to our family.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

We recently sold our DVC and I couldn't be happier about the decision, actually. If I want to stay in a DVC unit, then I'm renting. I was/am a Dave Ramsey fan and was very familiar with his "Don't buy a timeshare" stance, but had myself convinced that DVC was different. I mean, DVC was easy to resell and DVC had a point system ... you weren't committed to a specific week, etc. etc. I truly felt that DVC was different than any other timeshare.

We were completely debt free (even the house) when we started to investigate DVC six years ago. We had been to WDW a number of times and had just returned from our first trip with rented points. We couldn't believe what a bargain the rental was compared to rack rate ($120 a night for VWL studio). At the time, our children were quite young (toddler and preschool) and Disney was the perfect vacation destination. We saw ourselves visiting Disney for years on end. And, given the ages of our children, couldn't think of a better accomodations at Disney than DVC ... the studios offered a kitchenette (great for little kid food & washing sippy cups) and one bedrooms had separate rooms for kids who needed to nap.

I made spreadsheets with dues, anticipated future rack rates, calculated how much eating in our room would save, and did everything under the sun to "prove" to myself that DVC would actually save me money because I REALLY, REALLY wanted to be a DVC member. I investigated the heck out of DVC. I followed all the conventional wisdom on this board ... I purchased where I wanted to stay (WL), I purchased via resale, I paid cash, and I purchased a smaller contract (100 points) for easy resale. I had it all planned out. Five nights (Sun-Thur) in a studio at VWL every year over spring break = 100 points. If I wanted to stay in a one bedroom ... I could bank, borrow, or transfer points. If I wanted more points, I could add on in small increment through Disney or look for another resale as cash allowed. Easy Peasy.

Then a few things happened. First of all, I noticed our DVC rooms seemed to show a lot more wear and tear than regular rooms. Not huge problems ... but, when you become a dues paying member ... dust bunnies, sagging sofa beds, and chipped bathroom mirrors are a little disappointing. Then, I realized that I didn't like saving money by cooking in my room on vacation - a meal or two in was fine, but it was vacation and I wanted to be served. Then, DVC changed the rules for transferring points from one member to another. Then DVC changed the point charts around to the point where my 100 points were only good for 4 nights during spring break. Then, the straw that broke this camel's back, DVC decided to change the rules and made resale contracts inferior to contracts purchased directly through DVC - this, IMO, will make reselling DVC contracts a lot more difficult. So, I decided that DVC was pretty much like every other timeshare in the world and we sold our contract.

And, like I said, I couldn't be happier. We spent 3 nights at Pop Century for spring break this year. Was it the same as a deluxe? No, but the rack rate was less than what I paid for in dues every year with my measily 100 points AND I didn't have to book my room 11 months out - and, I was able to change the dates TWICE without worrying about losing my reservation. Next year, we aren't even going to WDW for spring break ... and I don't have to b/c I don't have any points that need to be used. We plan to go back in August 2012 and visit for a few days before a scheduled Disney cruise ... we may rent points and stay in a DVC room, or we might just take advantage of discounts and stay in a "regular" room. It's just nice not to have all that money tied up in one vacation destination. We still enjoy Disney, but I'm not committed to make it a yearly trip these days. Our kids are older and there are more places we want to see.

Is DVC a good deal? Well, if you only stay at deluxe resorts and are sure that you will love visiting Disney every single year for the next 20 years ... maybe. Also, be aware that if you purchase DVC the only thing that is covered is your hotel room. This seems like common sense, but I see so many people with the attitude of "we have DVC, so the Disney trip is practically paid for" ... airfare, food, park tickets and all the other things really add up quickly, so a DVC membership is just a pre-paid hotel room ... nothing more, but it guarantees that you will be spending a lot of money at WDW over the years.

Another thing to consider is what I like to call "accommodations creep" ... you start out in a studio and it's nice. Then you have all these extra points one year, so you decided to try a one bedroom ... and wow, the extra space is really nice. The following year, you "need" to stay in a one bedroom ... but you don't have enough points, so you borrow from the next year and pay cash for a couple of nights to make it work (thereby adding yet another expense to your vacation).

Anyway, that's my $.02.

 

[MEM]

I'm not a DR follower, per se, although my family's goal is to remain debt-free. Currently our only debt is a new one - $6,000(!) for cataract surgery for me - my insurance wouldn't cover the cost of the best lens for me. Anyway, our house is paid for as are our 3 DVC contracts. We think of DVC as pre-paying for our vacations. Our 2 children will inherit the contracts and our daughter will manage them. Our son is on the autism spectrum so there is no way he would be able to afford Disney vacations once we are gone - he will travel with his sister and her family.

We take advantage of the DVC discount on annual passes and buy them every other year.

The OP has such a large family that I can't see how DVC would be a good value for them, especially when renting a vacation home off-site can be done much less expensively. Also, using DVC points for cruises was never a good deal.

 

[LovableGluttons]

We recently sold our DVC and I couldn't be happier about the decision, actually. If I want to stay in a DVC unit, then I'm renting. I was/am a Dave Ramsey fan and was very familiar with his "Don't buy a timeshare" stance, but had myself convinced that DVC was different. I mean, DVC was easy to resell and DVC had a point system ... you weren't committed to a specific week, etc. etc. I truly felt that DVC was different than any other timeshare.

We were completely debt free (even the house) when we started to investigate DVC six years ago. We had been to WDW a number of times and had just returned from our first trip with rented points. We couldn't believe what a bargain the rental was compared to rack rate ($120 a night for VWL studio). At the time, our children were quite young (toddler and preschool) and Disney was the perfect vacation destination. We saw ourselves visiting Disney for years on end. And, given the ages of our children, couldn't think of a better accomodations at Disney than DVC ... the studios offered a kitchenette (great for little kid food & washing sippy cups) and one bedrooms had separate rooms for kids who needed to nap.

I made spreadsheets with dues, anticipated future rack rates, calculated how much eating in our room would save, and did everything under the sun to "prove" to myself that DVC would actually save me money because I REALLY, REALLY wanted to be a DVC member. I investigated the heck out of DVC. I followed all the conventional wisdom on this board ... I purchased where I wanted to stay (WL), I purchased via resale, I paid cash, and I purchased a smaller contract (100 points) for easy resale. I had it all planned out. Five nights (Sun-Thur) in a studio at VWL every year over spring break = 100 points. If I wanted to stay in a one bedroom ... I could bank, borrow, or transfer points. If I wanted more points, I could add on in small increment through Disney or look for another resale as cash allowed. Easy Peasy.

Then a few things happened. First of all, I noticed our DVC rooms seemed to show a lot more wear and tear than regular rooms. Not huge problems ... but, when you become a dues paying member ... dust bunnies, sagging sofa beds, and chipped bathroom mirrors are a little disappointing. Then, I realized that I didn't like saving money by cooking in my room on vacation - a meal or two in was fine, but it was vacation and I wanted to be served. Then, DVC changed the rules for transferring points from one member to another. Then DVC changed the point charts around to the point where my 100 points were only good for 4 nights during spring break. Then, the straw that broke this camel's back, DVC decided to change the rules and made resale contracts inferior to contracts purchased directly through DVC - this, IMO, will make reselling DVC contracts a lot more difficult. So, I decided that DVC was pretty much like every other timeshare in the world and we sold our contract.

And, like I said, I couldn't be happier. We spent 3 nights at Pop Century for spring break this year. Was it the same as a deluxe? No, but the rack rate was less than what I paid for in dues every year with my measily 100 points AND I didn't have to book my room 11 months out - and, I was able to change the dates TWICE without worrying about losing my reservation. Next year, we aren't even going to WDW for spring break ... and I don't have to b/c I don't have any points that need to be used. We plan to go back in August 2012 and visit for a few days before a scheduled Disney cruise ... we may rent points and stay in a DVC room, or we might just take advantage of discounts and stay in a "regular" room. It's just nice not to have all that money tied up in one vacation destination. We still enjoy Disney, but I'm not committed to make it a yearly trip these days. Our kids are older and there are more places we want to see.

Is DVC a good deal? Well, if you only stay at deluxe resorts and are sure that you will love visiting Disney every single year for the next 20 years ... maybe. Also, be aware that if you purchase DVC the only thing that is covered is your hotel room. This seems like common sense, but I see so many people with the attitude of "we have DVC, so the Disney trip is practically paid for" ... airfare, food, park tickets and all the other things really add up quickly, so a DVC membership is just a pre-paid hotel room ... nothing more, but it guarantees that you will be spending a lot of money at WDW over the years.

Another thing to consider is what I like to call "accommodations creep" ... you start out in a studio and it's nice. Then you have all these extra points one year, so you decided to try a one bedroom ... and wow, the extra space is really nice. The following year, you "need" to stay in a one bedroom ... but you don't have enough points, so you borrow from the next year and pay cash for a couple of nights to make it work (thereby adding yet another expense to your vacation).

Anyway, that's my $.02.

I sincerely appreciate you posting this! What you wrote of here mirrored things I wondered about ownership.

In 2006, my family and I vacation in Hawaii for two glorious weeks. On a whim, we attended a timeshare presentation at Ko Olina resort, owned by Marriott. It was a gorgeous place, and we had use of the pool and lagoon after the sales push. Dh wanted to go for it, citing a timeshare there would force us to return every other year to vacation.

A studio lockoff was $47,000 for one week every other year.

I felt we could buy a nice townhouse and list it with a management company and break even or come out ahead. More initial outlay of money, but an investment.

DH and I could not agree. Fast forward 5 years and Disney is building at Ko Olina.

We still aren't DVC members, but I have rented points from a wonderful man off eBay for a very reasonable rate.

I don't know if I'll ever buy DVC, renting was easy!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

What made the decision for us was when we met with our DVC rep and he showed us the cost breakdown that showed that with just 5 trips using our points we would reach the break even point. So we knew we would be visiting WDW more than 5 times so it only made sence to buy it. Every time I book a trip I also go online and price the same trip to see what the cost would be. Most of our trips would have cost between $3,000 - $4,500 based upon time of year and resort we would be staying at.
We bought right after we took a trip and right away we had 160 points to be used within that year so we banked the point since we just took a Disney trip. By banking those points the following year we were able to take a Disney cruise followed by 4 days at SSR. Price for that trip at that time would have cost us nearly $5,000. And that is the cost of just one trip!
Not to mention you have the ability to vacation at other locations other than Disney. We sent a week in Nashville last year and stayed at a wonderful resort. It was not just a hotel we had two baths, full kitchen, washer dryer, dinning room, and living room. It only cost us the exchange fee of $95.
The cost of our vacation that we plan to take tomorrow is $323 total for airfare, $85 for the rental car plus $45 for gas. So for less than $600 the two of us can go to Disney. I don't factor in the food price because I would have to buy food if we were staying at home. And with a car we will eat off property.
It really all depends on how many vacation you plan to take. And remember you are not stuck with just visiting Disney every year. In the fall we are staying at the Mardian Orient in Washington D.C. for 6 days and our airfare is $250 for both of us. We will take the metro so we don't need a car. If we did not use our points for the hotel most hotels in D.C. are at least $125 - $150 a night times 6 nights = $750 - $900 but our cost $95 total for the exchange fee.

 

[robinb]

First of all, congratulation on being almost debt free and the birth of your new baby!

Unfortunately, I am having a hard time reconciling in my head that the DIS's most famous Budgetnista is considering buying an expensive luxury like DVC. You are famous for your 17 day trip for a family of 6 for only $3160 back in 2005 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=824539) and your 13 day trip for a family of 7 for only $2642 back in 2007 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1618376) as well as the "Feed your family for $10 per day challenge": http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1470743. I think it's great and everything that you are so budget-minded that you can do all those things and still have a happy family , but I just can't wrap my head around that same person buying into DVC.

I want to point out that your family of 8 can't get away with a smaller contract if you want to go every year as you will need to book a 2-BR at the very least. And even that will be cramped with every available bed used. The cheapest 2BR is 217 points at OKW in Adventure Season so you're looking at a contract in the $14K range on the resale market PLUS yearly maintenance fees of $4.99 per point or over $1000 per year. Even if you only buy a small contract of around 100 points and bank and borrow to go every other year, you are still paying $1000 per WEEKLY trip in maintenance fees on top of the $7K initial outlay.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, I just don't see where DVC is a good fit for your family. I think you would be better continuing to rent condos off of SkyAuction or rent a big house where you can all spread out.

 

[eliza61]

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, I just don't see where DVC is a good fit for your family. I think you would be better continuing to rent condos off of SkyAuction or rent a big house where you can all spread out.

Robin,

This brings up, what I consider to be the most important point for any luxury purchase. The consume must be totally honest. So many times they are not and that's where you get buyers remorse.

 

[The 6 J's]

Seems like there are a couple of different aspects to this:
1. Would DR approve?
IMO - if you achieved debt-free status and you have the money - to be blunt - who cares if he would approve? I love DR and his plan but asking this is like asking if your coach approves of the technique you used to win the Gold Medal. Who cares - you won!

2. Is DVC a "good deal"?
Trickier. The main reason we bought was because with 4 kids we don't easily fit into standard rooms and with extended family/friends added in we really want the larger accomodations we can get through DVC. That being said we could still go for cheaper even if we had to get 2-3 rooms at a value resort (vs. a 2BR or Grand Villa). We like it because it works for us and that's enough. But no, its not financially the best option and possibly a good reward if it helps motivate you to debt free status. Of course, renting Disney movies and putting a slip'n'slide in the backyard would be cheaper than park tickets but when talking about going to Disney "good deal" becomes a fuzzy term.

 

[cseca]

I don't know about DR but I think DVC is not necessarily a good deal for anyone who is happy with AS resorts accommodation or for bargain hunters.

Simply because with DVC:
1. You get more than a value accommodation.
2. You will never get the "feel" of I paid the bottom dollar for your vacation.

If you simply go to Disney to do park commando style, there's no reason for DVC style accommodation generally.

But we go to Disney to relax now and as much as we love Pop Century, I don't feel like schlepping laundry down to the pool house every couple of days. Or eat at the food court almost every meal, etc.
I want a relaxing vacation, which is what DVC allows me to do.

Do I pay more than staying at a value resort? Absolutely
Is it worth it? You bet

Now, I continually evaluate our accommodation and the value we get. If we see that the value isn't there anymore I will be the first one to sell our contracts. DH who isn't a Disney person couldn't believe it when I started talking about possibly selling our contracts sometime down the road.
I've taken my DVC colored glasses a long time ago, but so far I still see a great value in what we have (we've owned for over 10 years now). Once we see the value isn't there anymore I will gladly sell it. But by then we would've used the heck out of our contracts anyways

 

[Tiger926]

I have been reading these DIS boards for years and the general consensus is: DVC is good for people who normally stay in premium properties. It is a deal. If you normally stay in budget or moderate properties, you are not saving money with DVC.

I would absolutely disagree that you won't save money if staying in moderate properties.

When we total up our costs for each trip for accommodations (includes our buy-in plus dues), we are at approx. a very close cost to a moderate room, but that is for a 1 bedroom villa. So, it is a good value in that respect, as it's a bigger room, laundry, balconies, full bathroom with jacuzzi and full kitchen, which we use to cook, and that saves $$$.

Each person's totals will be different, depending upon what they paid for buy-in, plus their dues, but our per night costs are almost identical to, or pretty darn close to moderate rates.

Tiger

 

[auralia]

It doesn't have to be that expensive either. We go every three years we bought 50 points at old key west resale it was about 4600$ they expire in 2057 our dues are 250$ per year and we go every 2-3 years... if we go every 2 years we have 100 points that will get us about 10 days in a studio during low season if we go every three years it gets us 15ish days. For us it forces us to take a vacation as a family and we need that, because other wise our extended family guilt trips us to spending all our vacation visiting family (which costs us almost as much as disney because we can drive to disney but we fly to family). So, that's how we kept costs down and still got the DVC! I would LOVE to have 150 points, but 50 is enough for a nice vacation every couple of years and if finances look good we can always add on!

 

[ValpoCory]

In my opinion, renting DVC points is the way to go. None of the obligation of owning, and still get the great deal. 8 nights at BWV was 86 points ... I paid $860 ($108 per night).

It is so easy to find owners who want to rent. In January, once owners on the BWV bus rides found out I was a renter, several gave me their cards and told me to call them to rent next time. If I can plan 7-11 months in advance, I will rent DVC points. If I can't for some reason (unlikely), I'll go discounted moderates through southwestvacations.com or some other deal.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

She could book the Tree House Villa's which sleep 9 people.

First of all, congratulation on being almost debt free and the birth of your new baby!

Unfortunately, I am having a hard time reconciling in my head that the DIS's most famous Budgetnista is considering buying an expensive luxury like DVC. You are famous for your 17 day trip for a family of 6 for only $3160 back in 2005 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=824539) and your 13 day trip for a family of 7 for only $2642 back in 2007 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1618376) as well as the "Feed your family for $10 per day challenge": http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1470743. I think it's great and everything that you are so budget-minded that you can do all those things and still have a happy family , but I just can't wrap my head around that same person buying into DVC.

I want to point out that your family of 8 can't get away with a smaller contract if you want to go every year as you will need to book a 2-BR at the very least. And even that will be cramped with every available bed used. The cheapest 2BR is 217 points at OKW in Adventure Season so you're looking at a contract in the $14K range on the resale market PLUS yearly maintenance fees of $4.99 per point or over $1000 per year. Even if you only buy a small contract of around 100 points and bank and borrow to go every other year, you are still paying $1000 per WEEKLY trip in maintenance fees on top of the $7K initial outlay.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, I just don't see where DVC is a good fit for your family. I think you would be better continuing to rent condos off of SkyAuction or rent a big house where you can all spread out.

 

[robinb]

She could book the Tree House Villa's which sleep 9 people.

What does that get her? They don't currently need to sleep 9 people and the THV is 30 points more per week and much, much harder to get than a 2BR at OKW. But ... if she's thinking of having more kids that is something to consider. As a family of 8, she has maxed out OKW which is the cheapest resort. One more child puts them into the resorts that have a chair sleeper for 9 people which are: SSR (THV only at 248), AKV Kidani (273) or BLT (Standard View - 273). Two more kids puts them into a Grand Villa (349 points per week) unless she and her DH want to split up kids into two villas since DVC doesn't have connecting villas.

 

[TnTWalter]

OMG. That place is NICE. And so close to WDW. And so cheap! People buy points off Ebay for pennies a point. It's a Wyndham resort.

I still wouldn't buy it but I'm happy to rent from Ebay. They have 1-4 BR units. Tons of pools, hot tubs, grills, shuffle boards, daily activities, etc.