Is DVC Ownership Right for me?

[Bell30012]

We make an annual pilgrimage to see the mouse. It's just my DD6 and myself. A four night/five day vacation is perfect for us. Thus far we have always stayed in the Value level resorts. We always travel during the Value or Regular seasons.

What I'm looking at is buying 50 points (possibly at AKL). My reasoning is that a Savanna View room would run me 44 - 48 points, as we can schedule to avoid weekends.

From reading on the boards, I believe that I would come out better purchasing 50 points cash then later (several years from now) I would add 25 or 50 points at a different property giving me two home resorts and enough points to rent a 1-bedroom or larger.

 

[Tara]

We make an annual pilgrimage to see the mouse. It's just my DD6 and myself. A four night/five day vacation is perfect for us. Thus far we have always stayed in the Value level resorts. We always travel during the Value or Regular seasons.

What I'm looking at is buying 50 points (possibly at AKL). My reasoning is that a Savanna View room would run me 44 - 48 points, as we can schedule to avoid weekends.

From reading on the boards, I believe that I would come out better purchasing 50 points cash then later (several years from now) I would add 25 or 50 points at a different property giving me two home resorts and enough points to rent a 1-bedroom or larger.

Ownership could work out very well for you - depending on the rate you can find on a 50 point contract (you'd have to do a resale to avoid the minimum buy-in through Disney) and how much fees go up over the next 50 years, you can have deluxe accommodations for less than $400 per year.

Just remember that if you buy points at another resort, you cannot combine them for a 1-br and book at the 11 month window. If you travel during times that aren't peak for DVC (spring/summer), then you will likely have little to no problem getting a 1-br at most resorts at 7 months out.

We just bought into Bay Lake Tower but we're looking to add on maybe 50-65 points at Beach Club Villas so that we can go for 5-6 nights during most seasons every 3 years. Or adding on 60 OKW points through resale so we could do 5 nights in a Grand Villa every 3 years.

 

[Dean]

We make an annual pilgrimage to see the mouse. It's just my DD6 and myself. A four night/five day vacation is perfect for us. Thus far we have always stayed in the Value level resorts. We always travel during the Value or Regular seasons.

What I'm looking at is buying 50 points (possibly at AKL). My reasoning is that a Savanna View room would run me 44 - 48 points, as we can schedule to avoid weekends.

From reading on the boards, I believe that I would come out better purchasing 50 points cash then later (several years from now) I would add 25 or 50 points at a different property giving me two home resorts and enough points to rent a 1-bedroom or larger.

For mostly long weekends DVC would not be a good value, for weekdays, it would be an excellent value. For example BCV, BWV non standard and VWL would be 78 points in summer for a studio over a weekend, if you were renting points you'd generally be at or over $200 a night for a 4 night stay. Non weekends cuts the price to about half per night. Looking at it from simply a purchase standpoint, 80 points would be in the range of $6000 and $400 a year in dues so your costs for weekends even ignoring the upfront cost is over $100 a night in yearly fees, again about half for none weekend.

 

[Anal Annie]

My thoughts are about how your travel pattern may change as your DD, currently only 6 gets older. Unless you home school, as she gets older you will probably find yourself traveling more during school breaks and that "value season" may change for you. Especially by the time she reaches middle school you may find you need to travel over weekends to avoid her missing so much school. Also, the DVC seasons vary a little I think from the seasons at the non-DVC resorts so you may actually be looking at something other than "value" on the DVC charts. DVC does not have a "regular" season. Have you looked at the DVC point charts / seasons? There are actually 5 seasons with DVC - Adventure, Choice, Dream, Magic and Premier. Just want to be sure you're looking at the right season and point requirements.

We love our DVC and bought it so we would be able to continue to afford "deluxe" accomodations. I have a cousin who also goes annually and looked into buying DVC. They always stay in the value resorts (they try for those family suites at ASM or where ever those are). They figured up the annual dues were more than what they were spending on the values for when they go. Since they don't know what staying in a "deluxe" is like they decided to hold off on it as it didn't seem to make financial sense for them right now. You just really have to consider a lot of factors for your own circumstances. Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[Bell30012]

Annie, one of the advantages of our school district's calendar is that they only have a seven week summer and then have strategically scheduled week long breaks in October, February and March. In addition to the normal week long breaks in November, December and April.

The points charts that I've been looking at show points as low as 8 per day (Sun - Thur) but I'd be more in the 11-13 range looking at Savanna View or Concierge.

For 2009, I'll probably rent points for AKL but maybe in 2010 I'll look at buying them. I can really see the benefits of buying points. I'm just waiting on the school calendar for next year to come out so I know when the breaks are.

 

[crisi]

I think there are two questions: Is DVC primarily about saving money for you? Are you happy with the Value resorts?

DVC is unlikely to save you money over a Value - and if money is a motivating factor, DVC ties up your cash and makes you commit to dues every year. This may be a big deal, or it may be not a big deal.

If that isn't a big deal, the next question is - does the 'upgrade' from value resort to VAKL provide value to you equal to or greater than the extra cost and committment of cash.

Do understand what you are getting with a DVC studio (a pullout bed - except at OKW, limited housekeeping) because that may detract from the value for you - or add to it - a lot of DVC members like limited housekeeping and a lot of them like the pullout rather than the bed.

 

[Bell30012]

The limited housekeeping isn't really an issue for us. It's just me and my daughter. I think having a mini-kitchen would be a big savings on meals for us and for a few more points the concierge studio level at AKL would be a real savings for us. $20 - $30 per day in breakfast savings alone. Plus that sunrise safari sounds like a "have to do" event.

I can just see the look on my daughter's face when she sees a giraffe from the balcony.

Don't get me wrong, I love the value level resorts but in comparison to AKL? There is no comparison. That place is beautiful. My thoughts are to rent points for 2009 at $11 to $13 a point see what we think then do the math.

 

[Anal Annie]

Annie, one of the advantages of our school district's calendar is that they only have a seven week summer and then have strategically scheduled week long breaks in October, February and March. In addition to the normal week long breaks in November, December and April.

The points charts that I've been looking at show points as low as 8 per day (Sun - Thur) but I'd be more in the 11-13 range looking at Savanna View or Concierge.

That is nice your school district has so many week long breaks. In our county, we have a 10 week summer...we start in late August and run thru mid-June. We do not get all of those weeks off as you do. They get 2 days at Thanksgiving...well, this year they have a 1/2 day on the Wed. before which I think is new, so only the basics for that holiday. Then they're off the week between Christmas and New Years for a winter break and then again 1 week at Easter. That's it for the prolonged school vacations. Our teachers have negotiated in a lot of misc. days off in their contracts for planning and grading etc. (so called "professional days") so that they don't have to do so much of this grading stuff on their own time. Therefore, our schools have very few real breaks and we are very limited to when we can travel - always at PEAK times. It is really quite silly. But good for you to be able to travel almost any time. I just wanted you to be sure that you were looking at the DVC seasons not the regular resort seasons.

 

[westjones]

My thoughts are about how your travel pattern may change as your DD, currently only 6 gets older. Unless you home school, as she gets older you will probably find yourself traveling more during school breaks and that "value season" may change for you.

Even if you do homeschool, that can change. We bought our DVC membership while we were homeschooling, and we also went in value season. I honestly thought I would homeschool them through high school. I even had a homeschool Girl Scout troop. ALL of those girls that were in my troop are now in school (high school, but all went during middle school). And now we find ourselves going during school breaks.

Also......I must say that now that my girls are 15, we have a trip planned for Spring break, but I am not sure we will go the following year. Sports schedules have a big impact on our schedules, as well as my kids attitudes (which right now is somewhat annoying--but hoping things improve over the next couple years).

Of course you can add on later and maybe the 50 points will work out for awhile.

But things do change, so keep that in mind.
DJ

 

[hakepb]

AKV is a really, really nice stay! After arriving late, I heard some stirring in the AM, then "Look a Zebra, 2 Zebra's, no 3 Zebra's! And an Ostrich!" - priceless.

I do not think you should buy AKV to always stay in Concierge. There are only 5 concierge 2BR lockoffs. That means, at most, there are 5 concierge studios (Or less if they are rented as 2BR's) You buy AKV to have a chance at booking concierge, but I would not count on it making any of your trips possible. (Also I do not believe all concierge faces the savannah)

As a value to DVC "convert", I have noticed a few disadvantages of DVC, but for the most part the disadvantages can be planned away. i.e Value's foodcourt has a much bigger selection than any DVC (so we eat more at the parks instead of before the parks), mug refill seems more inconvient. no daily stuffed animal arrangements to welcome you back into your room.
But you make up for it In the past few years, I have been able to enjoy my AM java on my balcony looking over a golf course and boats (SSR), Enjoyed a sunbeam while looking at the BWV entrance, and now gazing at animals roaming the savannah!