Is DVC worth it?

[nicolej92]

I just came back from a vacation, and we stayed at All Star Music. The hotel was nice but I am used to things that are more upscale. I got info about the DVC while I was down there as I am getting married and will be settling down soon. Is the DVC worth it to those that have it or is it easier to just book a vacation at a nicer Disney resort? Ideally, I would like to visit every two years.

 

[suebeelin]

There's a thread a little further down on whether anyone has regretted their dvc. Most people love their dvc. If you hsve the extra cash, know which at resort you prefer, and are committed to going regularly, plus you stay in deluxe generally, then yes... It's better than paying cash in the long run.

Note- the caveat is if you would stay at deluxe on a regular basis...

 

[pangyal]

Hi and welcome!

You've asked some pretty huge but very common questions. I would suggest reading through the Ongoing DVC Discussion thread above and read all of the links. Then, read through many pages of this subforum (Purchasing DVC), as many others have asked these same questions and received lots of in depth responses. Happy reading!

 

[Dean]

I just came back from a vacation, and we stayed at All Star Music. The hotel was nice but I am used to things that are more upscale. I got info about the DVC while I was down there as I am getting married and will be settling down soon. Is the DVC worth it to those that have it or is it easier to just book a vacation at a nicer Disney resort? Ideally, I would like to visit every two years.

As noted, there is a lot here on the subject. In general DVC is only reasonable for those that can pay cash, plan at least 7 months ahead (11 months for some things/resorts), ONLY want to use it for DVC resorts, will go at least every couple of yrs and value staying on property enough to pay the extra. NONE of the exchange options are reasonable plans to use buying in. It's unlikely you have enough info or experience to make a good purchase at present.

 

[Joshuy]

Try renting first as an option

 

[DVC Doctor]

Wait until you get married, rent one year, then consider buying resale in the future

 

[Buzz-Light-Beer]

I have heard so many great things about having a DVC membership. Of course right now in my life there is no way I could afford getting it, but it is definitely on my radar for the future. I really like the look of the Bay Lake Tower.

 

[Minniesgal]

The answer to your question lies in how do you define worth it?

I love my DVC, never regretted buying it and hopefully will never sell. i love staying at all of my home resorts and would never care if I couldn't stay anywhere else. If we have to skip a trip i can rent (in fact we had to do this this year as work cancelled my leave so I have $5000 instead).

We waited until we could afford it and paid cash for all our points, built them up over a few years.

Has it saved us money heck no but i never expected it to. I knew once we bought DVC we would go more often and for longer.

However, we do much cheaper trips now. We have been so many times we no longer care much for park tickets. We go of dining, Golf, Lounges, mini golf, Spas, boat rental, illuminations cruises.........

Only you can really define what you want. A vacation package is never going to be a need it is a want so to me it comes down to how hard you want it.

 

[chalee94]

In general DVC is only reasonable for those that can pay cash, plan at least 7 months ahead (11 months for some things/resorts), ONLY want to use it for DVC resorts, will go at least every couple of yrs and value staying on property enough to pay the extra. NONE of the exchange options are reasonable plans to use buying in. It's unlikely you have enough info or experience to make a good purchase at present.

please read all of this a couple more times before proceeding.

DVC is a great choice for some people. DVC is a frustrating and expensive choice for others (the people who regret their DVC purchase aren't generally hanging around the DVC forums - they usually rant and then leave.)

you'll have to take a few months to do some homework to decide if it is a good fit for you. what do the owners posting here like or dislike? (how might their issues become your issues - are they complaining about things that bother you or stuff that isn't a big deal for you.)

DVC has been worth it for me but it is expensive (and has gotten moreso after i bought in). the "easiest" choice is to pay cash for what you want. the cheapest is to stay offsite (my non-DVC timeshare gives me access to beautiful marriott 2BR villas with granite countertops 2 miles off property for about half the cost of using my DVC for a studio).

but as others have said, if you are determined to stay onsite in deluxes (and don't mind the trade-offs that DVC tends to require - like limited housekeeping, sleeping on pullout couches and booking nearly a year in advance to get what you want), DVC can be a great option for some people.

 

[crisi]

Ditto what Charles said, and I'll emphasise one point

DVC has been worth it for me but it is expensive (and has gotten moreso after i bought in)

It isn't just DVC. Disney has gotten so much more expensive than when we bought it almost years ago. Our kids were under three. They ate cheap, tickets were cheap, airfare was cheaper.

Now we end up with $2k in airfare just to go down and another $2k in tickets. And then we have to feed a seventeen year old boy. All while on the cusp of paying college tuition for two teens and facing our own retirement in a few years.

Map out your life plan as part of deciding whether DVC is worth it - how does the expense of Disney vacations fit in with your total life goals - some people prioritize it highly, others don't. I'm assuming "getting married" means you are fairly young (although maybe you are on your second marriage and the kids are grown). Also look at opportunity cost. While we've enjoyed our DVC, we've always only owned enough points for every other year and have done other travel. For us, the opportunity cost in TIME - when we are at Disney we aren't somewhere else - and there is lots of the world we've seen and want to see. Other people want every vacation to be at Disney - and if every vacation will be at Disney, you'll be going at least every other year because you prioritize vacations, and you like the DVC resorts - DVC often makes sense.

 

[zavandor]

I'm very happy of my DVC purchase, however I spent 5 months in advance on this forum reading virtually all posts in order to educate myself. It's a complex system with a lot of rules and your chances of regretting the purchase will be much lower if you know it well before you buy. Just an example: do you have a job that might require to cancel your stay less than 30 days in advance? Then don't buy DVC, because cancellation policies may bring you to loose a lot of money.
Knowledge is power!

 

[hopeful4fl]

"If" you have some level of disposable income and take a vacation every year (or two), DVC offers a great value to stay in luxury, on Disney property.
You will always have friends who will tell you how much "cheaper" they can plan their vacation by staying at cheaper off site locations. They are correct. You can also live life cheaply and not experience luxury. In the end, it is "your" choice and satisfaction that will define if it was worth it.
For us, it is oh SO worth it. We all work hard and in my opinion should pamper ourselves if we can.

 

[crisi]

"If" you have some level of disposable income and take a vacation every year (or two), DVC offers a great value to stay in luxury, on Disney property.
You will always have friends who will tell you how much "cheaper" they can plan their vacation by staying at cheaper off site locations. They are correct. You can also live life cheaply and not experience luxury. In the end, it is "your" choice and satisfaction that will define if it was worth it.
For us, it is oh SO worth it. We all work hard and in my opinion should pamper ourselves if we can.

And if you have a little more disposable income - and don't need the extra space of a one or more bedroom unit - you can just book cash, and get that gains of a cash booking. Like better availability, more flexible cancellation options, and not having capital tied up. And more luxury than DVC. If they aren't making my bed every day, it isn't luxury. (Frankly, Disney at WDW doesn't do luxury well unless maybe in the suites, never spent the money to try them, they do on the cruise line).

There is a financial sweet spot for DVC ownership. Too little income/wealth and its a burden and not a good idea. Too much and you might do better spending more for the added benefits of cash.

 

[disneynutz]

If you already vacation at WDW or really want to vacation there every year or two and you really want to stay in a DVC room then buying DVC could save you some money.

It isn't magical, it's just a cost savings if everything lines up correctly. IMO DVC puts you at a slight disadvantage compared to cash guests.

Bill

 

[Lynne M]

In your situation, renting could be the better choice. It's easy enough to rent from companies like dvcbyrequest.com, and you get the savings without the long-term commitment. Remember, as an owner, you're on the hook for at least several hundred dollars worth of membership fees every year whether you use your points or not.

 

[hopeful4fl]

And if you have a little more disposable income - and don't need the extra space of a one or more bedroom unit - you can just book cash, and get that gains of a cash booking. Like better availability, more flexible cancellation options, and not having capital tied up. And more luxury than DVC. If they aren't making my bed every day, it isn't luxury. (Frankly, Disney at WDW doesn't do luxury well unless maybe in the suites, never spent the money to try them, they do on the cruise line).

There is a financial sweet spot for DVC ownership. Too little income/wealth and its a burden and not a good idea. Too much and you might do better spending more for the added benefits of cash.

Agree on your comment of Capital being tied up, but would disagree on cash bookings being the way to go. If you decide to stay on Disney property (not outside, where cash bookings would indeed be a deal) cash bookings are, well, $$$$$ .
In my situation, I get a tax break on the annual dues, get a "condo like" experience (yeah... not having the linens changed on vacation is non optimal, but at home we change once a week anyway) and the proximity of the parks is unbelievable. We also like to dine well, and the discount due to being a member of DVC does save 10-20% off of the bill.
100% in line with your last paragraph of "sweet spot for ownership".

 

[Dean]

"If" you have some level of disposable income and take a vacation every year (or two), DVC offers a great value to stay in luxury, on Disney property.
You will always have friends who will tell you how much "cheaper" they can plan their vacation by staying at cheaper off site locations. They are correct. You can also live life cheaply and not experience luxury. In the end, it is "your" choice and satisfaction that will define if it was worth it.
For us, it is oh SO worth it. We all work hard and in my opinion should pamper ourselves if we can.

I'll point out that off property timeshare doesn't have to be less luxurious. Actually a good dozen or so properties are on par or above DVC in that area and a number of others fairly close, around a half dozen or so are clearly better than DVC in many ways. DVC is just another high end timeshare and it really only has 3 issues that set it appart. It's more flexible in SOME situations than most of the rest though not all, it's on property and nobody does theming like Disney. Other than that it's an also ran, IMO. From a service and responsiveness standpoint DVC is average at best, the rooms are small, upkeep is lacking and it's a poor choice for anything that's non DVC. While we prefer on property, we don't see a big difference in off property and for some trips, prefer off property. Just like we don't see a big difference between the various DVC resorts though each has their own character and specifics. There are many people that prefer non DVC even side by side.

 

[DougEMG]

There is a financial sweet spot for DVC ownership. Too little income/wealth and its a burden and not a good idea. Too much and you might do better spending more for the added benefits of cash.

 

[crisi]

Agree on your comment of Capital being tied up, but would disagree on cash bookings being the way to go. If you decide to stay on Disney property (not outside, where cash bookings would indeed be a deal) cash bookings are, well, $$$$$ .
In my situation, I get a tax break on the annual dues, get a "condo like" experience (yeah... not having the linens changed on vacation is non optimal, but at home we change once a week anyway) and the proximity of the parks is unbelievable. We also like to dine well, and the discount due to being a member of DVC does save 10-20% off of the bill.
100% in line with your last paragraph of "sweet spot for ownership".

That's why there is a sweet spot. You aren't saving money over values - but the quality difference in DVC is worthwhile to you. Cash guests spend a little more money - but they do get some bonuses - more flexibility in booking and cancellations, the ability to take advantage of specials, daily housekeeping (if you care), concierge availability (if you care, DVC's is really limited to a handful of rooms). If you made $500,000 a year, would DVC be a good deal over being a cash guest in a luxury suite at the Yacht Club? Or would it be similar to how you feel now about the comparison between DVC and offsite or values? As you make more an more money, the incremental value of that dollar is less and less.

 

[suebeelin]

That's why there is a sweet spot. You aren't saving money over values - but the quality difference in DVC is worthwhile to you. Cash guests spend a little more money - but they do get some bonuses - more flexibility in booking and cancellations, the ability to take advantage of specials, daily housekeeping (if you care), concierge availability (if you care, DVC's is really limited to a handful of rooms). If you made $500,000 a year, would DVC be a good deal over being a cash guest in a luxury suite at the Yacht Club? Or would it be similar to how you feel now about the comparison between DVC and offsite or values? As you make more an more money, the incremental value of that dollar is less and less.

I know three families/couples who make appx 400-500k/yr or more who have dvc.

Family one goes to DW 2-3 times a year and uses their BLT dvc to get a grand villa once every three years. Otherwise they pay cash or go to medical conferences and stay at a discount. They only get regular hotel rooms, no suites, with their cash bookings.

Family two has no children. They bought dvc just before their wedding at DW (2009) to house family. They bought 800 points and I think still have them. They always fly out to DW and stay in a dvc resort. They love Disney. Really bummed I couldn't make their wedding bc I was 8 mo pregnant. But I digress.

Couple three has SSR via resale. They are very frugal despite driving around in a new masarati. Best bang for your buck for the experience is their motto. You would never know they are doing well financially (modest home, etc) but if not for the car (which they leased on impulse and shall be returning to Odysseys in 2 yrs).

Dvc is a great way to save money without paying the deluxe rates. The 500k salary isn't really that high flying. The true rich make multi millions a year, imo