Is DVC for us??

[dmoore22]

We have six children. Five girls and one boy. I feel your pain. Short answer. DVC works well for a large family. Prior to DVC we had to pay for at least two rooms and, of course, mom and dad had to split up since an adult was required in each room even though they were adjacent rooms. We agonized over the decision for a couple of years -- took the tour, read the DISboards, did the spreadsheet, etc. We finally took the plunge about eight years ago and have no regrets other than I wish we would have known about it back in 1993. We did pay cash for a resale and then an add-on. We discovered that we spent about the same as before DVC but for a longer stay. We now had a full kitchen that cut costs for dining, two baths, a laundry room so we didn't need to pack as much, and two bedrooms plus a sofa sleeper in the living room to accommodate 8 sleepy heads. Oh, and a Master Suite so that Mom and Dad are together and can have some well deserved privacy. Did I mention the jacuzzi?

We do purchase the Annual Passes with the DVC discount. Originally we would stagger our trips so that we would get at least two visits out of each AP only requiring us to buy one every other year. Now that our kids have grown up (we can actually anticipate an empty nest!!) and we only have our youngest at home full time, we visit twice a year and use the DVC renewal discount. Now, when we go, its just our youngest and one of the others will come along. We don't require the 2 BR that we did initially so our points go further. I anticipate this will change as our granddaughter gets older and more grand kids come along.

Here is a link to a primer that also provides a link to a spreadsheet to play around with if you feel the need to be logical about this decision. http://www.mouseplanet.com/8739/A_Disney_Vacation_Club_Primer

However, we consider this, DVC, to be a significant part of our physical and mental healthcare program.

 

[Eeyores#1Fan]

For all potential DVC owners..here's what DH and I did (and still waited two years) before purchasing.

1st- We wrote down EVERY DATE we would possibly want to travel to WDW (bdays, anniversaries, summer/spring trips, etc).

2nd- Determined during those time frames what kind of accomodations would we need? What are the 'standard' costs for those accomodations? What are the total pts for those same accomodations?

3rd- Totaled up years worth of paying for accomodations and years worth of points.

At this point we then added up the 40 years of maintenance fees and the cost for the total number of points we needed to purchase. Divided this by the 40 years to get an overall annual amount. This was actually less than if we had to pay for rooms each year.

We left out ticket costs because either way you have to purchase those. We wanted to compare apples to apples and since DVC ONLY gives you a place to stay for free (not thinking about the discounts you can get..those are extra perks) we only looked at cost for rooms.

Hope that helps ;o) Either way I think if you go to Disney 2 or more times a year and have kids or grandkids it's definitely worth it.

 

[hakepb]

Mind if I tag along on this discussion with questions of my own?

We (well actually me more than my wife) have considered buying into DVC for a couple of years now. This is our situation:

Our family (myself, DW, DS, age 17) LOVE going to Disney but have always stayed in the Value Resorts as we tour commando style. The only time we are in the hotel is when the parks are closed. We plan our trips well in advance. 11 months is not unusual at all, in fact we are planning our next trip to Disneland in may 2011.

Would DVC be good for us? It sounds like the monthly fees would equate to a large portion of what we pay for rental now, and without the initial cost for signing up. Of course, I realize the home resort would have much nicer facilities, but again, since we are typically not there a great deal of time, is it worth it?

I know with the point system, we might be able to get in 2 trips a year, so that is something to consider, and I know that we are the only ones who could make the decision, but if any of you could share your opinion, I would certainly appreciate it.

One final bit of info, our house is almost paid off, so I am considering this transaction when that happens, and I could put this on a home equity loan---for tax purposes only so the interest could be deducted.

DVC would not really save you any money over values. DVC generally works best when you plan to spend more time at your resort to enjoy the nicer facilities. Right now, it sounds like the main benefit some DVC could provide you is location. If you own and stay at a resort closer to your preferred park(s) I think you may enjoy the walking distance / shorter trips (i.e. BLT for MK or BWV/BCV for EPCOT and DHS or SSR if you go to DTD many nights)
I am a value "convert" but mostly because we wanted to "lock-in" prices more and DVC was the most affordable to upgrade us to deluxe. I have somewhat found we spend more time in the room because it is nicer, while in a Value I never really thought about that. My greatest little joy about DVC is sipping coffee (made in room without getting into any crowds) on my private balcony every morning..
That said, there's nothing wrong with values, and I still recommend values to friends that are considering paying for an occasional WDW trip.
Based on your situation, I would recommend renting a DVC stay in a resort offering you the proximity you prefer, and from there determine if the DVC investment makes sense in your situation.

 

[dmoore22]

DVC would not really save you any money over values. DVC generally works best when you plan to spend more time at your resort to enjoy the nicer facilities. Right now, it sounds like the main benefit some DVC could provide you is location. If you own and stay at a resort closer to your preferred park(s) I think you may enjoy the walking distance / shorter trips (i.e. BLT for MK or BWV/BCV for EPCOT and DHS or SSR if you go to DTD many nights)
I am a value "convert" but mostly because we wanted to "lock-in" prices more and DVC was the most affordable to upgrade us to deluxe. I have somewhat found we spend more time in the room because it is nicer, while in a Value I never really thought about that. My greatest little joy about DVC is sipping coffee (made in room without getting into any crowds) on my private balcony every morning..
That said, there's nothing wrong with values, and I still recommend values to friends that are considering paying for an occasional WDW trip.
Based on your situation, I would recommend renting a DVC stay in a resort offering you the proximity you prefer, and from there determine if the DVC investment makes sense in your situation.

The idea of "savings" over values is comparing apples to oranges not apples to apples. Here is a nice analysis of the opportunity cost factor. I wish this had been available when we were considering our purchase. We probably would have made our decision much sooner: http://www.mouseplanet.com/7289/BuyingDVC The section under the heading "The Analysis" is most illuminating. Best of luck in your quest!