Is DVC right for us?

[MaggieBailey]

Hi all! Not sure where to start, and hoping I have this in the right place . DH and I love WDW oh so much, and would love to buy a DVC... Thinking it might be more cost effective and fun to include DMIL, DFIL, (who have DSIL (16) and DBIL (13) ) in on this! DH and I have no kids, just fur babies! My questions are... Can you use DVC on the Disney Adventures and/or cruises? What are the pros and cons to going through Disney or through a resale company? Would we have to purchase a huge amount of points for the 6 of us to go together? It won't always be 6, as the kids won't always be wanting to go... They aren't Disney nuts just yet, haha! Thanks in advance

 

[thepops]

I guess the easy answer is .... Maybe...
you really need to look at a lot of things. First # of points. You can get an idea of what you'd need by looking at the points charts (there are links at the top of the page) and pick a location, date, size of the room and how long you think you'd stay.
If you are used to going to Disney every year or every other year, that makes it better. You can use your points for cruises, but lots of folks say it's not a good value (rent them and use the cash for the cruise). The best thing is to take your time, read LOTS on these boards (starting with the sticky threads) and ask LOTS of questions. DVC will be around for a while. No need to rush into it.

 

[carlbarry]

Also note that the Adventures by Disney tours require a HUGE amount of points. And judging by the points cost of cruises, I would guess that it would be cheaper to rent out the points and use those funds to go on the Adventure.

 

[JimMIA]

My starting point would be to ask you a couple of questions:

1. How often to ALL SIX of you go now? Or, if you want to be more speculative, how often to you anticipate ALL SIX of you will go for the foreseeable future? If that's not every year, I'd just consider the worth of DVC for the two of you. You can always bank and borrow to treat the extended family [after you read a couple dozen of the "What the @#&% (heck) is wrong with my family???" threads].
2. If all six of you go, would you be extremely disappointed to stay in an equally-nice resort offsite? If you wouldn't be crushed, all sorts of opportunities are there, and some of them might be a better fit than buying DVC.

And one statement: Once you get the pixie dust out of your eyes, understand that purchasing DVC involves a significant initial ourlay, and a 30-50 year timeshare financial committment. Think very longterm.

 

[disneynutz]

Your questions are asked here a couple of time a week. If you take some time and scan the threads on the subject, you will find some really good questions and some in depth pro and con answers. You will also gain some insights on what the DVC is all about and the changes that have occurred during the last 2 years.

Bill

 

[JimMIA]

My questions are... Can you use DVC on the Disney Adventures and/or cruises?

Yes...IF you purchase direct.

But the questions I would ask are

a) why would you buy ANYbody's "adventures" rather than planning and booking your own -- tailored to your own interests (rather than a groups) at a fraction of the cost. And if you were comsumed by "adventuritis," why on earth would you choose a Disney adventure when there are legendary companies out there who have been doing this for generations?

b) Same with cruises. Do a quick Google search for cruises and see what the real world prices are for cruises. Then compare those prices to DCL. Then look at the DVC points costs of a cruise. That should cure you.

What are the pros and cons to going through Disney or through a resale company?

The pros of purchasing directly from Disney are quickness and certainty. The downside is that you'll pay somewhere between 10%-100% more than you would pay resale.

The other perceived benefit of buying direct is you get the use of the "collections" and DCL. But that's not guaranteed, and it could be taken away from you with the stroke of a pen. And it's of dubious value on its best day.

The benefit of purchasing resale is large savings with minimal restrictions that you probably wouldn't use anyway. The downside is the process takes some time (I'd plan on up to 8 weeks from offer to ready to make reservations). And there is a tiny bit of uncertainty. A couple of years ago, DVC used to ROFR (right of first refusal) a reasonable number of contracts, meaning they bought it instead of the purchaser. That's not true any more, but with resale, it ain't over until it's over.

Also, I think with resale the quality of the sellers has deteriorated a GREAT deal in the last couple of years. IMHO, a LOT of people who shouldn't have bought DVC did, and they're no better as sellers than they were as buyers.

Would we have to purchase a huge amount of points for the 6 of us to go together?

Well...you'd need AT LEAST a two bedroom, and given the ages and sexes of the IL's, I'd say you'd need somewhat more than that. Figure out the sleeping/bathroom configuration you'd need and you'll have your answer. Six people -- including a 16 y/o young lady and a 13 y/o boy -- is not an easy, simple lodging choice.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Most things have been commented on, so I'll stick to one thought: I would think long and hard before buying with your ILs. Personally, I think this is not a great way to start. What happens when someone wants to use more of their "share" of the points? What about when you have kids in the future? What if their other two kids want to use the points with their kids? Too many variables. I would suggest that you think of both groups buying their own points, and then pooling them when you vacation together. We've done this with relatives, and I feel that it has stemmed times when there could have been hurt feelings.

 

[MaggieBailey]

Thanks everyone for all the answers/input I appreciate it! I'll keep reading around

 

[PineappleFloat]

DVC is basically pre-paid vacation, it depends on if you're the type who loves to travel a lot... you're initially going to be paying off the amount of points you bought, plus the annual dues depending on how many points you bought... Once you pay off the points you just pay annual dues...

We've paid off our points and now we only pay about 2800 a year in annual dues, for 650 points a year. With 650 points I can easily reserve more than $2800 worth in rooms.

However, you can use points for adventures and cruises, as well as other approved resorts in Vegas, NY, etc etc... However I do not consider it worth it to use points for the Disney Cruise. A Verandah room for two people can run you around 3-400 points for just one like 4 nighter on the Dream... With 400 points and low season I could get a studio at Old Key west for like 12-14 points a night... if you do that math that's a lot more bang for your buck than 400 points for 4 night on a cruise? I'd rather just pay the $2k in cash for the cruise...Actually something I want to start a debate over in a new thread lol!

Hope this gave some food for thought!