Is DVC right for us?

[JenandFrank]

So my husband and I are considering DVC. I keep going back and forth about it, thinking it's a good idea one minute and the next not. Here is our situation. We are a family of 5 with 3 young children ages 7,4,and 14 months. We have been to Disney every year for the past 4 years and fell in love with it. We typically stay in a value resort (actually leaving this Friday for Disney and staying in a Moderate for the first time) and normally spend around $4000-$5000 for the whole vacation. I'm just not sure if DVC would be a good fit for our family. I know once my youngest turns 3, we will be limited to the resorts and rooms we will be able to stay in and our costs will rise. But, with the initial costs of buying into DVC and then the annual fee, the cost of annual tickets for all of us, and the meal plan....would we be saving anything in the long run? I am thinking also that we may need to purchase at least 200 points to begin with just to get us into a room that will fit us all. Are we limited to which resort we can even buy into because we are a family of 5?

 

[chalee94]

But, with the initial costs of buying into DVC and then the annual fee, the cost of annual tickets for all of us, and the meal plan....would we be saving anything in the long run?

it's expensive. compared to a deluxe resort, DVC should save you money. compared to a moderate...it's a much iffy-er call.

Are we limited to which resort we can even buy into because we are a family of 5?

well - you can buy anywhere. and keep in mind that resale would be a better deal.

but the issue would be where you stay...you would need at least a 1BR and only the 1BRs at AKV (non-value), BLT and OKW have the extra sleeper chair to accommodate 5.

ideally, you'd probably want to buy where you plan to stay the most (especially if you want MK view villas at the BLT) but if you are ok staying at OKW, that might be your best value option. (some OKW resales are extended to a 2057 expiration date, while all OKW direct purchases are extended.)

 

[DVCconvert]

If you're comfortable and happy staying in the value resorts, then DVC may not be the best fit for you. DVC works best if you:
a) go to the world at least once every year or two
b) like the deluxe resorts
c) can plan vacations ahead by at least 7+ months (if not longer)

HTH

 

[rpk1951]

Either way you will have the cost of meals and tickets. DVC is about the rooms.

 

[ccgirl]

So my husband and I are considering DVC. I keep going back and forth about it, thinking it's a good idea one minute and the next not. Here is our situation. We are a family of 5 with 3 young children ages 7,4,and 14 months. We have been to Disney every year for the past 4 years and fell in love with it. We typically stay in a value resort (actually leaving this Friday for Disney and staying in a Moderate for the first time) and normally spend around $4000-$5000 for the whole vacation. I'm just not sure if DVC would be a good fit for our family. I know once my youngest turns 3, we will be limited to the resorts and rooms we will be able to stay in and our costs will rise. But, with the initial costs of buying into DVC and then the annual fee, the cost of annual tickets for all of us, and the meal plan....would we be saving anything in the long run? I am thinking also that we may need to purchase at least 200 points to begin with just to get us into a room that will fit us all. Are we limited to which resort we can even buy into because we are a family of 5?

Doesn't sound like it is. Keep in mind that DVC owners do not get any of the special discounts that WDW releases in order to fill rooms such as % off room, or the free dining plan. As DVC owners, you can purchase the dining plan. For us, it isn't necessary to stay on site and we always get a rental car. We found the most bang for our buck is actually staying off site. We do not like all sharing one room so we typically rent a timeshare (or trade) outside of WDW. We have traded into WDW a few times as well. A lot of people have reported renting a house off site with 4 Bedrooms and it's own pool for $700 for the week. Keep in mind that once you pay the thousands of dollars to "buy in" to DVC you also have to pay maintenance and taxes every year. Depending on the resort and the number of points you own it could be well over $1,000.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[disneynutz]

You have a lot of reading to do before you can get a really good feeling of what the DVC is all about, the good and the bad.

You might also consider renting a reservation from an existing owner either to try out the DVC before you buy or as a yearly cost saver in lieu of paying Disney a higher price for the same room.

People hear that owning a DVC interest is a great way to get a cheap Disney vacation, that's not always true.

Bill

 

[bakenatj]

So my husband and I are considering DVC. I keep going back and forth about it, thinking it's a good idea one minute and the next not. Here is our situation. We are a family of 5 with 3 young children ages 7,4,and 14 months. We have been to Disney every year for the past 4 years and fell in love with it. We typically stay in a value resort (actually leaving this Friday for Disney and staying in a Moderate for the first time) and normally spend around $4000-$5000 for the whole vacation. I'm just not sure if DVC would be a good fit for our family. I know once my youngest turns 3, we will be limited to the resorts and rooms we will be able to stay in and our costs will rise. But, with the initial costs of buying into DVC and then the annual fee, the cost of annual tickets for all of us, and the meal plan....would we be saving anything in the long run? I am thinking also that we may need to purchase at least 200 points to begin with just to get us into a room that will fit us all. Are we limited to which resort we can even buy into because we are a family of 5?

I will try and help you look at it the way my wife and I did. First off, DVC isn't a great deal. Don't let the sales people tell you how cheap it is....it isn't cheap. Then again Disney isn't cheap.

The way we decided it works for us is looking at what we were willing to spend for accommodations, and what size rooms we want. We have the same size family you do. Three children 10, 7, and 4. My wife and I have gotten use to renting condos/houses and value having our own room and the extra space that those types of rentals have. To be honest we can't stand staying in a normal size hotel any more. Once you are use to a condo or house rental, a hotel room is brutal!

Looking at room rates for villas on Disney property, it's a no brainer. We would never spend the $4,000.00 to $6,500.00 out of pocket that it would take for a reservation for a Disney Villa Resort (that is typically cash price for when we have gone.) So for us there was value in DVC, so we purchased.

You have to look at room rates and what room type you are comfortable staying in. Forget tickets, food and flights. You have that expense no matter what. Factor in all that and then make your decision. Also, don't do it if it make things tight financially. Don't add unneeded stress to your marriage over owning DVC. Hope this helps.

 

[disneynutz]

You have to look at room rates and what room type you are comfortable staying in. Forget tickets, food and flights. You have that expense no matter what.

I don't necessarily agree. One of the things that makes the DVC so profitable for Disney is locking owners into yearly vacations. If you aren't a owner and you decide to not go on vacation for a couple of years, you can bank the money and you haven't lost a thing.

DVC owners have to use their points or lose them. I have to assume that there are times when owners go to WDW even when they don't really feel like it because they can't bear the thought of forfeiting their points. I read a post a couple of years ago from a lady who said that they go to WDW even when they have the flu because they have to use their points.

Bill

 

[Mtnman44]

Will you save money? I don't think so, especially compared to what you have been spending on values.

Is it a way to save money if you want a Villa style hotel room on Disney property? Yes, this is one way to afford a vacation like this at much less than the going cash rate. Once you vacation in a 1 or two bedroom villa, it is hard to go back to a standard hotel room, especially with kids. It is definately an upgrade to your vacation.

Is this the only way? No. Note that DVC dues are among the highest in the timeshare industry. You can get cheaper, similar or even better rooms very nearby the disney property, even really IN WDW such as at Bonnet Creek. If you really like staying in Disney Resorts, then DVC villas are a family's best option. Ownership doesn't really pay for itself until after many years, so you need to be comfortable with your future travel plans...

Resale prices are way down right now, making them a fantastic deal (relative to 5 years ago when I bought at least). The lower your purchase price, the less opportunity costs and the sooner you break even.

 

[bakenatj]

I don't necessarily agree. One of the things that makes the DVC so profitable for Disney is locking owners into yearly vacations. If you aren't a owner and you decide to not go on vacation for a couple of years, you can bank the money and you haven't lost a thing.

DVC owners have to use their points or lose them. I have to assume that there are times when owners go to WDW even when they don't really feel like it because they can't bear the thought of forfeiting their points. I read a post a couple of years ago from a lady who said that they go to WDW even when they have the flu because they have to use their points.

Bill

Made that statement assuming they were going every year.

I actually would recommend buying less than the number of needed points for going every year so that way every third year you don't go. Give yourself a Disney break, go visit new places.

The other option you have is to "rent" your points for a year if you don't feel like going. Cover your fees that way.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I purchased 210 AKV points in June 2009. Since then we have used a total of 5 savanna view studios. They run around $3500 for the days we usually go. There is no way we would ever pay cash for that and until our purchase only stayed in value resorts. So in October we have 2 more SV studios booked, that makes 7 total. That brings us up to over $21,000 in rooms we could have paid cash for but didn't. Now I know there are 40% off deals out there but they may not be there a few years from now. That is how I rationalize it financially.

Honestly it gives us a Deluxe trip to Disney. We have a kitchenette in the room, lovely pool, seating under covered patio at bus--no standing in the sun so to speak. The best way I can describe it is...

DVC changes your trip to Disney like a Corvette would change you drive to work.

Do you need it? No Do your kids no the difference? No. Will you know the difference? Definitely. So it is simply a way to have a little bit of luxury on Disney property--that is all. On a nurse and fireman's salary that was the only way to get it for a yearly trip of 7-10 nights.

Some people buy boats at our age (40s) some buy cars, and a few get the ole Rolex--we got DVC and love it.

 

[LSchrow]

Also, DCV members currently get 100 dollars off APs (for entire family, living at same address).
I can't think of any off-site room, house, whatever, that could possibly compare to even a studio with BW view btw

 

[ToddyLu]

One of the best sites to view is DVCNews.com. Then there are the resale sites to visit. Timeshare Store (DIS sponsor) has a really goot FAQs section and then you can download the Passporter DVC book for around 10$ I think. There are four main resale sites a couple of which do not show up on the DIS when we type them in but two that do are TImeshare and Fidelity, which is the official resale site for Disney. You need to read all the stickies at the top of this forum again, and again and again. Then do a search of the forums to see if others have asked similar questions and what the responses where.

To me it was very difficult to get lots of info without calling DVC itself. The DIS was invaluable to me for info. I just read and read and read here. The DIS was how DH and I found out about a discount they were running at the time we bought.

We go to Disney every year for 7-10 nights. It is our yearly trip like some folks go to the beach. Our 210 points cost us around $237 a month until the mortgage is paid off (no penalty for paying it off early). Our monthly dues run $80 month for our points. So once the mortgage is paid, our dues would be around $1100 per year. Not bad for a week in a deluxe villa. Now dues will rise about 3% each year but so will room rates. Many folks here will tell you not to finance DVC. We did. We pay our bills and we enjoy our trips.

I guess it depends how how much you like WDW and how much you like staying on property..and how much you like staying Deluxe.

 

[Dean]

So my husband and I are considering DVC. I keep going back and forth about it, thinking it's a good idea one minute and the next not. Here is our situation. We are a family of 5 with 3 young children ages 7,4,and 14 months. We have been to Disney every year for the past 4 years and fell in love with it. We typically stay in a value resort (actually leaving this Friday for Disney and staying in a Moderate for the first time) and normally spend around $4000-$5000 for the whole vacation. I'm just not sure if DVC would be a good fit for our family. I know once my youngest turns 3, we will be limited to the resorts and rooms we will be able to stay in and our costs will rise. But, with the initial costs of buying into DVC and then the annual fee, the cost of annual tickets for all of us, and the meal plan....would we be saving anything in the long run? I am thinking also that we may need to purchase at least 200 points to begin with just to get us into a room that will fit us all. Are we limited to which resort we can even buy into because we are a family of 5?

In your situation it will not save you money but it will give you an upgrade for a modest additional amount of money. If it fits into your budget easily and you plan to only use the points at DVC, it can be a good fit for you. I'd suggest you rent or buy a small package and see how it works for you before you make a major long term commitment.

 

[dmoore22]

I must emphasize what may work for one family may not be appropriate for another. When we purchased DVC (pre-AP discount era) all of our six children were still in the nest. Invariably when we vacationed we were required to rent a minimum of two rooms and the rules required an adult stay in each room. This was pricey for us even at AS. We decided to take the plunge and bought into DVC. For us it actually cut costs and enhanced our vacation experience. The family stayed in one accommodation rather than being split up. We could prepare fresh meals rather than our budget being at the mercy of the restaurant and food court menus. We could pack lighter since the villa included a laundry. We had a room of their own. We staggered our trips so that we would get two trips out of our annual passes meaning we purchased new ones every other year which was cheaper than the Ultimate Park Hopper of that era. We apply that part of the maintenance fees designated as property taxes to our deductions when we itemize. Every little bit counts. We did buy resale rather than from DVC.

 

[JenandFrank]

Thank you so much for all of your responses and advice. I have done some research on DVC and don't think it is a good idea if our situation were to remain the same. I just know that once my youngest turns 3, things are going to change. Our expenses will rise and we will be limited to where we can stay. There are only a handful of value and moderate resorts in which we can stay, and many are suites which we will be paying quite a bit more for. We will also have more in our tickets and meals (I understand either way we will be paying for this). I just have to wonder, when he is of that age, and we may be paying between 5 and 8 thousand per trip just to stay in a value or moderate room/suite, if it would make more sense to invest in DVC and stay in a deluxe resort. The only reason we were even considering buying into it now was because of the low resales and thinking it may be better to buy sooner rather than waiting for the inevitable. Hope this makes sense!!

 

[logan115]

In your situation it will not save you money but it will give you an upgrade for a modest additional amount of money. If it fits into your budget easily and you plan to only use the points at DVC, it can be a good fit for you. I'd suggest you rent or buy a small package and see how it works for you before you make a major long term commitment.

Thank you so much for all of your responses and advice. I have done some research on DVC and don't think it is a good idea if our situation were to remain the same. I just know that once my youngest turns 3, things are going to change. Our expenses will rise and we will be limited to where we can stay. There are only a handful of value and moderate resorts in which we can stay, and many are suites which we will be paying quite a bit more for. We will also have more in our tickets and meals (I understand either way we will be paying for this). I just have to wonder, when he is of that age, and we may be paying between 5 and 8 thousand per trip just to stay in a value or moderate room/suite, if it would make more sense to invest in DVC and stay in a deluxe resort. The only reason we were even considering buying into it now was because of the low resales and thinking it may be better to buy sooner rather than waiting for the inevitable. Hope this makes sense!!

Renting points sounds like a decent option for you. Out of the estimated $5-8K cost of your vacation, how much are you assuming for lodging ? Compare that against the number of points a 1BR at AKV, BLT, or OKW would cost and while it may not save you money on the lodging aspect, it may give you the upgrade Dean was referring to.

Another option may be to buy a small contract and get points transferred into your account so that you can book your vacations yourself.

Good luck,

Chris

 

[ccgirl]

Thank you so much for all of your responses and advice. I have done some research on DVC and don't think it is a good idea if our situation were to remain the same. I just know that once my youngest turns 3, things are going to change. Our expenses will rise and we will be limited to where we can stay. There are only a handful of value and moderate resorts in which we can stay, and many are suites which we will be paying quite a bit more for. We will also have more in our tickets and meals (I understand either way we will be paying for this). I just have to wonder, when he is of that age, and we may be paying between 5 and 8 thousand per trip just to stay in a value or moderate room/suite, if it would make more sense to invest in DVC and stay in a deluxe resort. The only reason we were even considering buying into it now was because of the low resales and thinking it may be better to buy sooner rather than waiting for the inevitable. Hope this makes sense!!

As others have said, you can rent points. I had a great experience with that and will do again. You can also move off site. It is so much cheaper when comparing the accomodation sizes. There are also wonderful DtD hotels that are much less expensive.

 

[alice99]

Made that statement assuming they were going every year.

I actually would recommend buying less than the number of needed points for going every year so that way every third year you don't go. Give yourself a Disney break, go visit new places.

The other option you have is to "rent" your points for a year if you don't feel like going. Cover your fees that way.

This is exactly my method. We rented out our 2012 points and will skip Disney next year, we made a profit on those points.

 

[Dean]

Thank you so much for all of your responses and advice. I have done some research on DVC and don't think it is a good idea if our situation were to remain the same. I just know that once my youngest turns 3, things are going to change. Our expenses will rise and we will be limited to where we can stay. There are only a handful of value and moderate resorts in which we can stay, and many are suites which we will be paying quite a bit more for. We will also have more in our tickets and meals (I understand either way we will be paying for this). I just have to wonder, when he is of that age, and we may be paying between 5 and 8 thousand per trip just to stay in a value or moderate room/suite, if it would make more sense to invest in DVC and stay in a deluxe resort. The only reason we were even considering buying into it now was because of the low resales and thinking it may be better to buy sooner rather than waiting for the inevitable. Hope this makes sense!!

Prices will likely NOT rise faster than inflation, quite the contrary is likely. If you plan correctly and can afford it otherwise, DVC may yet be a good choice for you but you'll likely have to factor in food savings to make the numbers work. Also, don't forget there are many off site options that may be cheaper and give you a significant room and resort upgrade at the cost of not being on property.