Is DVC worth the money, does it give you what you deserve?

[Sammie]

Because those who expect more usually end up getting more. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The people who don't complain when they have problems aren't usually going to be reimbursed if no one knows they have a problem.

I have a few pet peeves.

1. some housekeepers - not all of them. One came in and threw away my stuff before I was finished with the room (well before 11am).
2. booking a room category and getting a different category
3. changing my regular room that I booked to HA a few days before the start of my trip and then giving me a lie excuse or a lame excuse.
4. being stalked on arrival - please let me get to the restroom and not have to explain it to you
5. Renovations - should stay more whimsical - we bought into the fairytale - not the Holiday Inn

Oh, and Disney has all kinds of divisions, but at the end of the day it is still all Disney - there is only one stock offering - take responsibility for your product

That said, overall very happy - where else can you match the overall product?

Bill should not stop complaining - without Bill and others who complain - complacency will set in. Complaining takes a whole boatload of time - some of us will just move on rather than put the effort into it

I am confused, I never said Bill should not complain, it is his right. And actually I did not reference Bill in anyway.

I simply think that some that complain about not getting free dining, etc. are confused as to how the company operates. It has nothing to with responsibility for the product. It has to do with understanding why things like Free Valet went away and why we get the discounts and perks that we do. I don't think DVC members are entitled to anything more than what the purchased as no other guest is either.

 

[Sammie]

I have been critical of Disney because our family worships the old Disney, the ideas that Walt had, he wasn't perfect but he believed in pulsing it and creating a magical place for young and old.

DVC is polar opposite, it's all about making sales and doing what seems to be as little as possible to improve the member customer service. In the last few years we have had three different executives running the DVC, one got fired, one got transferred to France after 18 months, and now we have the current SVP. There is something wrong when an organization has this type of turnover.

Bill

However many of us do feel DVC is very much a part of that old Disney feeling, you just don't seem to see it that way. As to the turnover at the head of DVC, it is just as often in other Disney divisions, just not sure you are aware of it. Every division gets a bad egg sometimes such as Jim and Claire wanted to go to Paris. DVC has one of the best VPs in the company and he is definitely Disney old school. Also we have one of the finest General Managers in Sonya Deese-Byrnes and she is the only GM at Disney that has not rotated out of her position in years. She has been in the position since '95. She is definitely Disney old school too.

 

[Judique]

I am confused, I never said Bill should not complain, it is his right. And actually I did not reference Bill in anyway.

I simply think that some that complain about not getting free dining, etc. are confused as to how the company operates. It has nothing to with responsibility for the product. It has to do with understanding why things like Free Valet went away and why we get the discounts and perks that we do. I don't think DVC members are entitled to anything more than what the purchased as no other guest is either.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.
I did quote you but did not intend to say that you were referencing anyone in particular.

Free dining is not an issue for me. But I do note that when someone starts defending, they always bring up 'how people complain about not getting free dining'.

I see the free dining reference mostly from non members who are not familiar with DVC.

 

[Sammie]

Sorry for the misunderstanding.
I did quote you but did not intend to say that you were referencing anyone in particular.

Free dining is not an issue for me. But I do note that when someone starts defending, they always bring up 'how people complain about not getting free dining'.

I see the free dining reference mostly from non members who are not familiar with DVC.

Lots of DVC members think they should get free dining, not so much on here because we all understand how it works.

But many do think that DVC should get more perks. I simply think that we, as well as non-DVC, should only get what we purchase.

 

[Serkazong]

I voted Happy because I get from DVC exactly what I expected. If there was an option in the poll lower than happy, maybe Satisfied, I'd have voted that. I think a vote of Very Happy should be reserved for DVC beating expectations, which they don't.

 

[DVC-Don]

I bought in for the flexibility of accommodations period. I get what I paid for so I'm very happy. Any perks are just icing on the cake. Member since 2000.

 

[quandrea]

We love it. I'm feeling particularly rosy about it now as we just booked a five night last minute stay at Wilderness Lodge. That truly shocked me. Disney is actually affordable for us. As a family of five, traveling anywhere else is really expensive. I can't find anything under ten grand a week. We could camp or do road trips but those sorts of trips hold no interest. We can fly to wdw for about three hundred each, the villa is discounted, APs are paid for and we cook a lot in the villa. We get by on a couple grand for the week. That alone makes me glad we bought in.

 

[Halefamilyof6]

We've had DVC for three years and we love it more now than when we first bought (thus the reason we seem to be continuously adding on points). Maybe we're lucky in that we have had NOTHING but AMAZING CS. I loved, loved, loved our first guide....our new one, he's okay. There's nothing I dislike, but he's just not Carlos, lol.

I look at all the 'perks' as just perks. We didn't buy for perks. We bought in to have a NICE and large enough space for our big family. We wanted nice, we wanted convenient, and we wanted LOCATION. To enjoy the kind of vacation, we look at our timeshare as prepaying our trips. Until we bought DVC (and another) we didn't take vacations. In three years we've gone to Disneyland a couple of times, Hawaii for three weeks, and next year, Disneyworld.

So, is it worth the money? Yes, because we have a family of six, we are adopting again, and my mom and her partner plan to join us on a trip or two. To stay in a nice resort that will hold ALL of us, it would cost a fortune. DVC is definitely worth it.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I was lucky enough to use a friend's membership a few times and I was hooked. Then I saved and bought 210 points, cash @ $60 per point resale. I didn't buy for perks but certainly use & enjoy then whenever/wherever possible. Free dining has no appeal whatsoever. I love DVC just as much today as I did when I bought 16 years ago. I've never had a rude CM, I don't have long telephone waits, I do most everything on-line. My son grew up with DVC, he's going w/out me for the first time with his friends, so our usage is changing but not our love of it. When the economy tanked, I came close to having to sell but a friend who I brought/shared my DVC with many times helped me out so I could hang on to it and I'm ever so greatful. The GV stays, the family reunions, so many fun times, albums full! I enjoy all of the Orlando resorts, though I have 3 top faves, don't hesitate to book any of them. I really have always gotten what/where/when I want to stay. DVC's not the only way we vacation but it's an integral part of where we spend our extra leisure time! No complaints, I'm happy and I have 4 reservations, as we speak.

 

[Sleepy425]

The DVC annual pass is the same price as Florida resident.

Florida Residents have more options for types of cheaper annual passes (seasonal, Epcot, etc).

 

[Sleepy425]

I look at all the 'perks' as just perks. We didn't buy for perks. We bought in to have a NICE and large enough space for our big family. We wanted nice, we wanted convenient, and we wanted LOCATION. To enjoy the kind of vacation, we look at our timeshare as prepaying our trips. Until we bought DVC (and another) we didn't take vacations. In three years we've gone to Disneyland a couple of times, Hawaii for three weeks, and next year, Disneyworld.

So, is it worth the money? Yes, because we have a family of six, we are adopting again, and my mom and her partner plan to join us on a trip or two. To stay in a nice resort that will hold ALL of us, it would cost a fortune. DVC is definitely worth it.[/QUOTE
We feel the same way. I love that our family of six can be comfortable in a room. And I know that if DCF calls us to take more children, at least we can still all fit in a room together! (plus there's still room for Grandma and Grandpa so they can help out with all the kids!)

 

[DVC-Don]

Florida Residents have more options for types of cheaper annual passes (seasonal, Epcot, etc).

Ah, but the seasonal and Epcot passes do not include free parking.

 

[freediverdude]

Ah, but the seasonal and Epcot passes do not include free parking.

I would argue that DVC members normally would not need the parking, as they would usually be staying in a villa getting free parking anyway. So DVC members might actually be a better fit for those passes than the Florida residents who come for the day. Although maybe raking in the dollars for parking is part of Disney's business model for those passes, and wouldn't make financial sense for Disney otherwise, I don't know.

 

[DVC-Don]

Ah, but I live near WDW for six months a year and the free parking is a big plus. This year I only stayed onsite at OKW for one night, and the rest of my DVC stays were at Hilton Head and Vero Beach. But, I visited WDW once or twice a week for day trips.

 

[freediverdude]

I don't know what your situation is, but it seems like if you're living in Florida for about half the year each year, you should qualify for the Florida resident passes. If you're still keeping the driver license from the other state, then I would look into getting a Florida ID card with your Florida address on it. If I lived here 6 months out of the year and kept a domicile here, I wouldn't feel I was doing anything wrong doing that.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have been members since 1998 and have over 1400 points spread across 7 resorts and a combination of resale and Disney points. Haven't regretted one dollar. And we did no cost analysis because we aren't tjise kind of buyers. We Go to DW once or twice a year. Always stay in at least one bedroom if not two. Visit vero beach at least once s year and have been to aulani 4 times. When we visit DW we rarely go to parks anymore. Just enjoy the resorts. Yes we pay close to 9000 a year for maintenance but we always feel like we get our money's worth during the year because of the type of rooms we get. We just were at aulani for 10 nights in a one bedroom which would go for at least 1200 a nite retail. And we had been at vero and WD in March for about three weeks in one and two bedroom villas including club level at AK which goes for about 700 a nite alone.
We are lucky that we paid cash for all the points. And our kids love Disney so they will be happy to have them when we are gone. I only joke with my husband that it would be nice if they gave members some little perk like a Disney cup that never expires. Or a couple FPs every time we check in But as others have said they don't have to. We get the TIW card which we use all the time and with food and slcohol it pays for itself in a couple of restaurant visits.

 

[DVC-Don]

I don't know what your situation is, but it seems like if you're living in Florida for about half the year each year, you should qualify for the Florida resident passes. If you're still keeping the driver license from the other state, then I would look into getting a Florida ID card with your Florida address on it. If I lived here 6 months out of the year and kept a domicile here, I wouldn't feel I was doing anything wrong doing that.

I DO qualify for a Florida resident pass, but the DVC pass is the same price as the regular Florida resident. Our county stopped giving out Resident ID's, but I could still get Florida prices by just showing a recent utility or insurance bill. Same as our local area, want a library card? Just show the bill with a Florida address. There are a lot of DVC members just in my community (Solivita) that have the DVC AP and make a lot of visits to WDW and yet not stay there.

 

[MsMagical]

I am freakin obsessed with my dvc membership!! It is the best thing I (my family) ever invested in. I regret not doing it sooner. It was worth every penny for us because it made it possible for us to go to Disney over 3 times a year. We feel we get everything we deserve and more. We did a lot of research so we knew what the deal was when buying. Discounts/deals are extra bonuses. My only disappointment is not having enough money to buy points at every single resort and the inability to live in Disney on points. That is all.

Ditto and amen to all of this. ^^^

 

[Mokat76]

I'm happy with my membership, but perhaps that's because after the first few visits I settled into the realization it's a terrific place to stay on property without having to shell out big bucks every time I visit. I don't expect a bucket of pixie dust every visit. I appreciate the little things and don't expect huge perks. I'm pretty easygoing so a simple "welcome home" and a clean room at a clean resort is enough for me. For me it's a good investment for now.

 

[mort1331]

We are very happy with out timeshare purchase. That's right our TIMESHARE purchase. We purchased at Disney to be closer to Disney. The other Timeshare properties we went to both abroad and near our house were pricy, locked into weeks, and times of year. We didn't like any of these options. As well I know for a fact that the timeshare near our house that is attached to a ski hill, DOES NOT include ski hill passes, discounts on ski rentals, food plans, or local discounts to restaurants that are different then anyone picking up the local paper would get.
People have to know what they are buying. Those who don't are the unhappy ones, and they are the ones that make me happy when I pick their resales. Thanks.