Is DVC cheaper for those with bigger families?

[lpoeppelman]

I need your opinion:

We have 5 children ages 1 to 13 and plan to go to Disney every year for at least 4-6 years or so, then may go every other or make them shorter stays.

We will typically go the end of May or 1st week of June.

Given that we rented points last time and spent 2,500 for only 5 nights at BCV and another 530 or so for two more nights at all-star suites, I'd say our average price for lodging will be over 3,000 dollars to stay a week for each trip.

It seems to me, if the right deal came along, it would be much cheaper in the long run to buy DVC. I don't see us ever "not going", but I do see us taking a break one year here and there. My kids love Disney and the 13 year old is a Disney nut too....

Am I delusional in thinking that it would actually be in our best interests (financially) to purchase DVC (probably via resale)?

Would love to hear thoughts on this!

Thanks,
Laura

 

[Dean]

I need your opinion:

We have 5 children ages 1 to 13 and plan to go to Disney every year for at least 4-6 years or so, then may go every other or make them shorter stays.

We will typically go the end of May or 1st week of June.

Given that we rented points last time and spent 2,500 for only 5 nights at BCV and another 530 or so for two more nights at all-star suites, I'd say our average price for lodging will be over 3,000 dollars to stay a week for each trip.

It seems to me, if the right deal came along, it would be much cheaper in the long run to buy DVC. I don't see us ever "not going", but I do see us taking a break one year here and there. My kids love Disney and the 13 year old is a Disney nut too....

Am I delusional in thinking that it would actually be in our best interests (financially) to purchase DVC (probably via resale)?

Would love to hear thoughts on this!

Thanks,
Laura

If you're sure of your game plan DVC may be a good option for you. You'll need around 250 points a year to consistently stay in a 2 BR at SSR or OKW. If you buy a contract with around 200 points but with banked points, you should be able to squeeze your 4-6 years worth of EY with banking/borrowing and 200 will be a good number for EOY. Up front costs around $10K and yearly fees around $1K, a 2 BR will end up saving you money in the long run, esp if you take advantage of the kitchen. It will not save you money compared to value but it will give you more for not that much more cost.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We have 4 kids and love having DVC. Not sure if it's cheaper compared to the way we used to book packages. We don't think about the money/savings or anything like that. We just love the resorts and the 2 bedroom villas. We love bringing extra family and friends with us and sharing our membership with them. We've always had great luck getting whatever resort we want in a 2 bedroom during various times of year which is so nice. I look at room rates every year when they come out and do think it was a good idea that we joined. I can't even imagine what a family suite will cost 20 years from now! Just keep in mind you have to be ok with all of the other costs..like park tickets, food, airfare, etc. It's not cheap to use our membership for 6 people every year!

 

[luckyman_apd]

It would be cheaper, but you would own it for 30-42 years, so your game plan needs to be more than just 4-6.

We are a smaller family, so we only need studio's or 1 br. 125pts works for us. You would need double that. When our kids are grown, my wife and I will still be using 1 br or studio's for just us, so the 125 still works. 20 years from now, will you still use 250? It's possible.

I'm not saying it's not for you, I just want you to make sure you think it all out. It's a big commitment. Took me almost a year to decide.

 

[a742246]

If your jobs are secured, and you can pay cash for a dvc membership, then I believe DVC would be a good fit for you. I would strongly suggest you look at the resale market, and spend some time reading this "disboards". Once you decide on what you want to do then ask us questions , I am sure you would get some helpful tips.
Good luck!

 

[Caren90]

I would think the savings on food (since you would have a kitchen for some meals and many snacks) as well as the use of laundry (those extra bags on the airplane can add up) would also add to the worth of your membership.

I understand that some people do not like to cook on their vacations, but with so many children it might be better for them (gastro-intestinally) to eat some familiar foods rather than eating out all the time. I have found this to be true with my own children.
Stephen

 

[akl-fan]

It would be cheaper, but you would own it for 30-42 years, so your game plan needs to be more than just 4-6.

If you will use it long into the future, then go for it. If not then just rent. All your sellers fees etc will negate some of your savings if you plan to sell after 6 years.

 

[browniemtb]

I agree with the above post...if you are going to use it then consider it. When we bought in we were a family of 4 going every year....fast forward, now we are a family of 6 and I thank my lucky stars we bought in when we did. Every now and again I price our a stay online for a 2 bedroom villa, scary price. On top of that with a large family your options become limited on where you can stay. Though with DVC you will sacrifice any deals like free Disney dining.

 

[ldo]

This is how I do the math for buying DVC:

For each year I amortize the purchase price per point (price per point divided by # years left) + annual fees = cost for the year. If I can rent equivalent space for the same or less, it does not make financial sense to buy.
Annual fees are about $6 per point. I takes anywhere from 220 (AKV-value) to 313 (BCV) for a week end-May. I will assume $2 per point perchase price (such as $70 for 35 years left). So, if you stayed at SSR or THV for 270 points, you would pay (270 X $2) + (270 X $6) = $2100 or so. If you can book AKV-value for 220 points, you would save a lot more, if you stay at BCV, you will be higher.
The nice thing about owning is that you can change your mind about going and rebook without a hassle.
If you buy resale, I would make SURE I liked the resort I was buying, as DVC has been limiting resale options and one day they could make resales stay only at their home resort---just a wild speculation (and I think unlikely)---but I think you need to consider that over the next decade. If it were me, I would definitely buy resale---the deals are just so good---just be careful where you buy. With your kids, you might consider SSR to be able to get Treehouse Villas. But, if you can plan 8+ months out and like AKV, the 2BR value is a great bargain at 220 points for the week. At that time of year, if you bokked right at 7 months, you would have an decent chance of getting the 2BR value if you owned elsewhere, IMHO. Elaine

 

[shalom]

We have 5 children ages 1 to 13 and plan to go to Disney every year for at least 4-6 years or so, then may go every other or make them shorter stays.

We will typically go the end of May or 1st week of June.

We've got five kids, and I'm wondering if you might get cramped after a while. When our kids were little, we would have loved a DVC 2 BR. Now they're older, they want more space to spread out; they might be okay with OKW 2 BRs (which I'd have tried to show them if anyone in the family had liked that resort ), but thus far our off site 2 BRs have been larger even than OKW, and they thought the Boardwalk unit looked terribly cramped.

Of course, you could start out with getting a 2 BR every year and then, once the kids get older, go less frequently but get a Grand Villa when you do. Dunno how the points break down for that, though. And my kids are more bunched than yours (my oldest is 8 years older than the youngest), so might not be an issue for you, depending on how your kids are distributed.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.