Is DVC right for us?

[k_hase]

We are considering a resale but are concerned about being able to take other vacations using our DVC points. We love Disney but we also love our other trips. In the last 5 years we have been to Disney twice, Belize, Belgium and Turkey. We can't afford to have two timeshares, and generally travel on a shoestring for our exotic vacations. Is the exchange something we could expect to use well, or would we be better going along as we are, saving for and then taking vacations.

In addition our travel time is limited. We can expect to take only one week per year for vacation, maybe two if we go during the summer. Our other unfortunate vacation fact is that as a teacher I can only go during the highest seasons (Christmas, Spring Break, etc.) and due to my husband's business he us unable to take much time in the summer. Is this the right deal for us?

Thanks for your advice and honesty.

 

[Bill & Deb]

I wouldnt buy it for trades outside of Disney. It has a good exchange value 160 points for a premium week, but I waited a year to get a week in Hawaii in a one bedroom. You would have a hard time staying in Disney for a week for 160 points.

You may consider a 150 point package the base contract and use it buy banking and borrowing. It works great for Disney because you can plan with it, you can not plan on interval exchanges.

Good Luck

 

[Maistre Gracey]

In my opinion (using my formula), it can be a good deal to trade DVC points. If you plan on exensive trading, I would guess that there are better options out there that would be a better deal. If you visit Disney at least every two years, perhaps DVC is still for you.

Good luck.....

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by k_hase
We are considering a resale but are concerned about being able to take other vacations using our DVC points. We love Disney but we also love our other trips. In the last 5 years we have been to Disney twice, Belize, Belgium and Turkey. We can't afford to have two timeshares, and generally travel on a shoestring for our exotic vacations. Is the exchange something we could expect to use well, or would we be better going along as we are, saving for and then taking vacations.

In addition our travel time is limited. We can expect to take only one week per year for vacation, maybe two if we go during the summer. Our other unfortunate vacation fact is that as a teacher I can only go during the highest seasons (Christmas, Spring Break, etc.) and due to my husband's business he us unable to take much time in the summer. Is this the right deal for us?

Thanks for your advice and honesty.

It sounds like DVC may not be right for you. Actually it sounds like timesharing in general may not be best for you. As for owning 2 timeshares, that may be much cheaper in the long run than buying enough DVC points to do what you are thinking. DVC is expensive and for Xmas and Easter, doubly so. You would also need to plan exactly 11 months out and call day by day to be sure you get what you want. If you want to go the timeshare route, consider something you can buy that is fixed for the times you want to go or a large floating time resort like Marriott's Grande Vista though you'll still need to plan and call day 1. The platinum time at GV would cover all of the times of the year you suggest traveling.

Though It's easy to trade into Orlando, that's not necessarily true Easter and Xmas so if that's your goal, I'd still buy there rather than a cheaper timeshare and try to trade in every year.

As for trading DVC, it's only a good deal if you are very selective for what you trade for, try to do uneven trades (less points) or for very casual exchange options (maybe once every few years at most).

 

[vernon]

Unless your vacation needs and habits change I would say probably not. As Dean correctly points out there are cheaper products on the market that will swap as well as DVC. To be honest, looking at how you vacation, I'm not sure any timeshare would work for you.

 

[crisi]

We have a similar situation in that we enjoy going to Disney, but enjoy other places. We don't intend to trade out. We have enough points to enjoy a week at Disney every other year, and we pay cash for any other traveling.

However, we travel during a low point season, when DVC becomes a decent deal - I'm not sure we could get value out of it over school holidays - although as our kids get older we will probably move to the first two weeks of June - higher points than currently, but still a cheaper time of year than the height of school break.

The other factor is that we can afford to spend this money and not worry about whether we actually end up saving money - in fact, I kind of expect that DVC makes us spend a lot more - as our pre-DVC Disney travel pattern was more like every 3-5 years - now we are in for every other year - and Disney is not a cheap vacation, even when your hotel room is paid for.

 

[alsipd]

I agree with Dean, it may not be for your situation.

To add my own opinion:

DVC is the best value when you are flexible on when you go. Trading or moving within the Disney resorts that are not DVC is not the most efficient use of the points.

The real test for purchasing is this:

Do you think that a bad day at Disney is better than your best day at work?

Would you like to know that you have the ability to go to Disney for a few days multiple times a year?

If you answer yes then buy, otherwise think it over carefully.

Just my input, since it is free, take it for what it is worth!

Just know that if you do buy, you will be guaranteed at least 50 welcome homes from this page!!

Cool Huh!

 

[caverill]

All of the above posters have made good points...

I believe that there are a couple of rules (or benchmarks) that help decide if DVC is a good deal.

1) Would like to stay at a DVC resort at least once every three years. DVC points are best used at DVC resorts at WDW, VB, and HH. Exchanging out to other Disney resorts or other timeshares can be done, but it is not as good a deal.

2) Prefer to stay in Deluxe resorts. If you are happy with off-site or value resorts, DVC may not be the right thing to do.

3) Can plan your vacations 11 months in advance. While you can get rooms on shorter notice, DVC is really setup for planning ahead.

If you answer yes to all of these points, then DVC may be the right fit for you.

As far as the investment. You will need to know how long you normally would stay at a DVC resort and when you normally would go. You can use this information to calculate the number of points you would need to purchase.

A lot of people buy the minimum to start and add-on as their vacation habits change. Of course, if you have a larger family, you may need a higher number of points to start.

Hope this helps...