Is dvc membership a value at the proposed increased prices?

[pinnocchiosdad]

So it works for me, I'll not "save" money, because I would have gone offsite or in a value without DVC, but I'll stay in a much better resort and I'm very happy.

I suppose DVC is a little like leasing a car. It lets you drive a much nicer car than if you were paying cash.

 

[Dean]

Honestly, for me, under the new prices, $15,750 for 150 points at Hilton Head would be preferable to $21,750 for 150 points at Animal Kingdom Villas, direct through Disney.

Again, to answer the original poster's question, yes, the price increases would affect my choice if I was to become a member in today's market.

Vs what, $6K to $6500 for a similar resale? Plus what you own is worth less than many other options.

 

[Dean]

I suppose DVC is a little like leasing a car. It lets you drive a much nicer car than if you were paying cash.

And it's about as bad of a financial decision paying retail as leasing a car, maybe worse.

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

And it's about as bad of a financial decision paying retail as leasing a car, maybe worse.

Leasing lets drivers drive Mercedes who otherwise couldn't afford to. DVC let's travelers stay at GFV who otherwise couldn't afford to.

 

[DebbieB]

The discounts from Disney appear to be dwindling, though. People used to routinely get 40 percent off deluxes, now that tops out at 35 percent (except for military) and the number of rooms that fall under that discount are much fewer than in the last few years.

And free dining isn't really a "deal," you pay astronomical rack rates for your room so Disney can give you your dining plan for "free." When people rent DVC points, they often figure out that the cost of the room plus adding a dining plan is lower than the room and dining would have been under free dining.

Free dining is more of a "deal" for a value or moderate and you have more than 2 people 10+.

 

[Dean]

Leasing lets drivers drive Mercedes who otherwise couldn't afford to. DVC let's travelers stay at GFV who otherwise couldn't afford to.

In the same way 100% financing allowed buyers to purchase houses they couldn't afford. IMO, if you have to lease it to drive it, you can't afford it. Leasing is about the worst way to "buy" a new car one can imagine.

 

[lugnut33]

I've had some great vacations so far with DVC and am a happy owner, but I certainly wouldn't call it a "value".

 

[dwight16]

I've had some great vacations so far with DVC and am a happy owner, but I certainly wouldn't call it a "value".

I agree it opens up resorts I would never spend the money on. Your hardly in your room so I would be at a value place if I was paying cash. If you add the cost of the top resorts then yes you save money but who year after year would spend 300-400 a night for a room.

 

[JimMIA]

But those are not the only choices.

This is a fundamental reality in all these discussions. There are LOTS of other options -- options within DVC, other ONsite options, OFFsite options at Disney World, other options elsewhere in the galaxy.

IMHO, anyone considering DVC -- or anyone else's timeshare -- should look at the whole universe of choices.

IMO there is the should I seriously consider DVC question, then resale question and the home resort question.

Not surprisingly, I agree with Dean here, but I take it a step farther.

Before anyone seriously considers DVC -- or anyone else's timeshare -- I think they should look seriously at whether they want to get involved in a timeshare at all. Timesharing is a longterm committment to significant expenses, whether you use the timeshare or not.

The sales weasels will fill your head with what you could do with your timeshare. But you really need to focus on what you actually WILL do. In many situations, there are better ways to do vacations than timeshares.

Many families get full value from appropriate timeshares purchased in a sensible manner. Many others are honestly not even viable candidates for any timeshare...but they buy anyway.

I'm not one with perfect knowledge of anyone else's finances, so I can't tell you whether you should finance or not. I can tell you that financing will raise your cost a LOT, and if you shouldn't have bought a timeshare in the first place, financing is compounding the felony.

The first step -- to me -- is to think seriously about whether you want to commit for 30 years to infinity and beyond to substantial maintenance fees.

Don't focus on what might be. Focus on the real stuff. It doesn't go away.

 

[disneynutz]

In the same way 100% financing allowed buyers to purchase houses they couldn't afford. IMO, if you have to lease it to drive it, you can't afford it. Leasing is about the worst way to "buy" a new car one can imagine.

You can't win an argument with human nature. There will always be people who live beyond their means, most feel that they deserve it. Some want a new car every 3 years and they love driving by the neighbors in their leased car, (they don't tell the neighbors it's leased).

Bill

 

[Dean]

You can't win an argument with human nature. There will always be people who live beyond their means, most feel that they deserve it. Some want a new car every 3 years and they love driving by the neighbors in their leased car, (they don't tell the neighbors it's leased).

Bill

I realize the issue but I hold to 2 things. One is that I can still acknowledge the fact it's a bad choice for the sake of others plus I am optimistic that someone will be helped along the way when they think about these type of issues though it may not the the individual posting.

 

[johnsbelt]

You can't win an argument with human nature. There will always be people who live beyond their means, most feel that they deserve it. Some want a new car every 3 years and they love driving by the neighbors in their leased car, (they don't tell the neighbors it's leased).

Bill

Bill,

And there are people like me who take pride in driving a 10+ year old car that looks almost as nice as that leased car.


John

 

[bobbiwoz]

Bill,

And there are people like me who take pride in driving a 10+ year old car that looks almost as nice as that leased car.


John

Hi, Kettering neighbor! My car is a 1999 and since it recently was washed and waxed, it looks just fine!

 

[heynowirv]

I almost cried when we said goodbye to the 1997 car with only 160,000 miles on it.

 

[Brian Noble]

I hear you. I figure my '01 Odyssey with 155K has at least another 5 years/50K in it.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The Saturn got the wash and wax for hitting 180,000! It brought me to/from Florida this winter!

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

In the same way 100% financing allowed buyers to purchase houses they couldn't afford. IMO, if you have to lease it to drive it, you can't afford it. Leasing is about the worst way to "buy" a new car one can imagine.

Funny, I think people who buy their cars can't afford to lease them

 

[disneynutz]

Bill,

And there are people like me who take pride in driving a 10+ year old car that looks almost as nice as that leased car.


John

My '01 Toyota does me just fine. I can't really afford to buy a new car even if I wanted to because we spend all of our money at Disney!

Bill

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

I agree it opens up resorts I would never spend the money on. Your hardly in your room so I would be at a value place if I was paying cash. If you add the cost of the top resorts then yes you save money but who year after year would spend 300-400 a night for a room.

I keep telling myself to look ahead to when my financing is paid off. I am sure I will value/enjoy my DVC membership more when a week at a villa only costs me my MF's.

 

[corpcomp]

I bought the first two contracts through DVC. After they raised BCV to 115, I bought the next contract of 30 points at $80 through resale. With BCV going to $145, just cannot justify the cost. And with ds 17going to college next year, no reason to spend any extra money of a few extra days in Disney. And my Honda accord 2002 has 205,000 on it, the 2005 pilot has 105,000 and the 2009 Toyota Camry has 21,000. I bought the Camry for my son for college but I have noticed my wife stealing it from him every now and then. So when he takes it to college, she will have to drive one of the others.