Is It Worth it?

[PlutoTheDog89]

We're considering taking the plunge. We visit Disney every year during Christmas - well, close to every year during Christmas. We decided in 2013/2014 we will visit again for Christmas and NYE, and in 2014 we will visit for Easter.

This brought upon some new questions. My parents have always wanted real estate down south. We're from NY, and would love a place down in Florida. DVC has always been an option. We visit there enough (~once a year) to go through with it.

So it's between DVC, or taking the total plunge and buying a house in Florida. Orlando is a slight option, while other areas within travel distance of Disney are also options.

For people with DVC - how difficult is it to get Christmas? How about Easter? How would you compare DVC vs. owning a house in the area? The downfall is that I don't believe we'd actually live in Orlando or near Disney - just in traveling distance.

 

[Dean]

We're considering taking the plunge. We visit Disney every year during Christmas - well, close to every year during Christmas. We decided in 2013/2014 we will visit again for Christmas and NYE, and in 2014 we will visit for Easter.

This brought upon some new questions. My parents have always wanted real estate down south. We're from NY, and would love a place down in Florida. DVC has always been an option. We visit there enough (~once a year) to go through with it.

So it's between DVC, or taking the total plunge and buying a house in Florida. Orlando is a slight option, while other areas within travel distance of Disney are also options.

For people with DVC - how difficult is it to get Christmas? How about Easter? How would you compare DVC vs. owning a house in the area? The downfall is that I don't believe we'd actually live in Orlando or near Disney - just in traveling distance.

For the high season of Xmas DVC many not be worth it, simply run the numbers compared to what you normally spend and NOT the rack rates of DVC itself.

 

[chalee94]

So it's between DVC, or taking the total plunge and buying a house in Florida. Orlando is a slight option, while other areas within travel distance of Disney are also options.

have you looked at marriott (resale) timeshare weeks in the orlando area? cheaper upfront with lower annual dues - just not onsite at wdw...

For people with DVC - how difficult is it to get Christmas?

booking first thing in the morning on the day your 11 month window opens should work 99% of the time. it can depend on how late you wait to book, though.

How would you compare DVC vs. owning a house in the area?

i wouldn't consider them very comparable. more info is in this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3083219

 

[Deb & Bill]

Christmas requires booking 11 months out. If you bought now, even if you bought direct from Disney, it could be hard to get Christmas 2013 and New Years Even 2013/2014. Easter for 2014 will be booking in a little more than a month.

 

[ITGirl50]

You can get Christmas 11-months out. I just booked value 1-bedroom at AKV (Dec 26 - 28). I wait listed the night of 28th and I'm pretty sure I will get it. I already have Dec 21 - 26 Standard view at BLT. Booked it first thing in the morning 11-months out.

The point requirements for Christmas week are very high compared to other weeks, so it will take a larger investment if you want to go that week. Take a look at the point charts and see if you are willing to make that kind of investment for a week at Disney.

 

[disneynutz]

We're considering taking the plunge. We visit Disney every year during Christmas - well, close to every year during Christmas. We decided in 2013/2014 we will visit again for Christmas and NYE, and in 2014 we will visit for Easter.

This brought upon some new questions. My parents have always wanted real estate down south. We're from NY, and would love a place down in Florida. DVC has always been an option. We visit there enough (~once a year) to go through with it.

So it's between DVC, or taking the total plunge and buying a house in Florida. Orlando is a slight option, while other areas within travel distance of Disney are also options.

For people with DVC - how difficult is it to get Christmas? How about Easter? How would you compare DVC vs. owning a house in the area? The downfall is that I don't believe we'd actually live in Orlando or near Disney - just in traveling distance.

Look at the DVC costs as a pre-paid room only with yearly dues and locking you into doing something with your points each year.

Compare that to buying a house off site and see what the numbers look like. DVC works really well for some, ok for others and a poor choice for the remainder.

Until just recently there were a ton to resale contracts available, those owners bought not seeing the whole picture, had a life change, or got tired of doing Disney each year.

Bill