Is the DVC really worth buying ?

[elmonshea]

DH was talking about it while on our trip.
Not sure if it is really worth it.
Any body got input positive and/or neg.

I plan to talk to disney about it in DEC on our next trip.

TIA

 

[Amy&Dan]

If you can afford to either make the monthly payments or pull that much out of savings/home equity it is a pretty good deal. You have to think about the long term picture. Can you afford to make those payments or lose that savings if you lose a job or take a pay cut? It is tough to make that committment in the short term but if you know that you will always want to vacation then I think it makes sense. Also, you can't look at it as an investment. Yes, your lodging is paid for once you are there, but with the cost of tickets, meals, transportation etc, if you end up vacationing more than you can afford to, so that you use those points then that is a different deal. The best part about DVC is that you are locked into today's point value's. I have heard people say they could continue to go to WDW that often staying in a mod or value. But those values and mods will go up in price whereas your DVC points are locked in today's value. I have never read about too many people over on the DVC board who regretted thier decision but you have to look at it from many angles. I would also post this on the DVC Board of the dis, there are many people over there who have owned DVC for many years and could give you an idea of their opinion based on long term experience.

 

[strasfamily]

OK - I may be in the minority here, but the one thing that bothered me about DVC is that you only own it for 50 years vs. a traditional timeshare which you own forever and can will it to someone.

Then again, we don't do Disney every year so it is not important for us to stay onsite either. We bought our timeshare for a fraction of the cost of DVC.

 

[brianm27]

There are as many opinions as there are DVC owners.

Some of the reasons we bought a small 50 point resale contract:

We go about 3 times a year. Usually one week and two weekends. I paid cash for the contract which will get us roughly one long weekend or the Sun-Thur part of a week.

Right now, although DVC benefits can and do change, we get $100 off per annual pass that we buy. That means our family saves more on our annual passes than I spend on dues per year. This a new benefit but important to us because we buy AP's every year. We use the AP discounts on other resort stays.

We enjoy Deluxe, Moderate, and Value resorts as well as the DVC resorts. I don't feel using DVC points outside of DVC resorts is a good value, so we stay on cash reservations (usually with the AP discout) for the other trips.

We will probably add another 50 DVC points in the near future to give us more nights in DVC, but Pop Century is fine for us on a quick weekend "park commando mode" visit.

 

[nbodyhome]

It really depends for each family - I never found a way where it would have worked for us (I did the math and it just wasn't there). If you have a larger family, especially with 7 or 8 - I think that would make a big difference.

I live fairly close to Disney, can get Florida Resident discounts (and an annual pass discount) and don't need anything fancy most of the time as far as a resort when we stay onsite. I like the Pop Century a lot, so that works out well pricewise. I also like going to Europe and other places, and I'd never use DVC points for something outside of Disney (or actually, outside of the DVC Disney resorts). I remember when one of the Villas first opened (either WLV or BCV) and I went with a friend and toured it - and the cast member who was there was like "oh, and you can use it to go to Disneyland Paris". I said I'd already been - I did stay onsite that time, and I'd definitely not use DVC points for there (since they are just hotels, not the nice timeshare type units).

Anyway - crunch the numbers, see if it's a value for you. If you go enough, it might be. But if not, you CAN rent points from other families who don't end up using theirs. I would do that instead myself (if I really wanted a 1 or 2 bedroom unit).

 

[A Mickeyfan]

If I had lots of money to spare, yes, I would buy it. I live in SW Fl & get the Fl resident discounts so it works out cheaper for me to go that way. Yes, I know that the rooms go up in price (as DVC CM's say) but so do the maintance fee's you have to pay. The big draw back to me is that I like to do many unplanned weekends. Weekend's use many points & to book, you really have to plan way ahead to get a smaller unit.... reasons I do not own. Now if I hit lotto & need to spend my money, Yes... DVC here I come.. Until then.. moderate & values are ok by me

 

[tabrizia]

It really depends on your needs. Hubby and I looked at it because it seemed like a great idea. We didn't like the 50 year ownership thing though. And we crunched some numbers, discounting the buy price, when we factored in the fact we go at most once every 2 or 3 years (though this year we are going a bit more) the cost of the matience alone was about the cost it would cost for a deluxe resort, tickets and food for us every 3 years. So it really did not fit our needs.

Now if we were going every year or twice a year it would have definately been a great deal. So it really depends on how you plan your Disney vacations and how often.

 

[nbodyhome]

Also, for me, 50 years is a really long time! Who knows if Disney will be around then, I know I probably won't be! (Well, it'd be cool if I was - but hopefully in good shape still).

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

We're wondering the exact same thing! You beat me to the post! I'm subscribing to read the answers.

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

If you like to stay in Deluxe accomodations and go for a week at a time once a year or like to stay 2 weeks a year every 2 years its worth it.

We just bought and had our 1st trip to the BWV. It was priceless. Sitting out on our Balcony overlooking the boardwalk and the lake. I've done the Value resorts and I've done Deluxe and to me the Deluxes add so much more of the magic. Its about the experience, not the money for me.

Did it cost me more than the value/moderate rate for the week. Yes, but, I also had a 1 bedroom, full kitchen, jacuzzi tub(in room) washer/dryer (in room). We ate breakfast at the hotel every day, did our wash, slept in a different room in a King bed from our kids. The BW is fabulous!!

Disney is exhausting and somewhere into day 3 or 4 I go into auto pilot. But this trip I took it slow and really enjoyed myself. We saw fantasmic and I would usually try to go to epcot to see Illuminations after, but we hung around in MGM and left at 8:30 and got back to BWV and watched illuminations from our room. Then the kids went to bed.

About the 50 year contact, its only 36 if you get into a sold out resort. We did a resale thru Disney for the BW because we felt that the BWV was exactly the hotel we wanted to stay at for the long term. Its a long term commitment but we love Disney. In fact I just got back from NYC and give me Disney Any day!!

If you really want other opionions check out the DVC boards. But remember its not for everyone. !!

 

[dvcgirl]

Well, whether or not DVC is worth it to you depends on a lot of factors. For one, no matter what anyone says, it's not an investment. It's a pre-paid vacation plan that can save you money in some instances. Who will save money with DVC? People who vacation at least every other year at WDW and routinely stay in a Deluxe Disney Resort. If you fit into that category, you'll probably save money.

Keep in mind, you'll read lots of factors about "breaking even" on your original investment. The number always used for comparison sake is the highest rack rate, and generally, it's not too tough to find discounts at Disney. There are codes and AP rates, and seaonal specials. Another big way to save without buying DVC is to rent points from a member. By renting points at a DVC resort you can literally pay half of the rack rate and never have to put in the orignal investment, or pay one penny in dues. We actually sold our DVC membership because we moved to Orlando and no longer use it, but if we ever do begin to vacation regularly at Disney again, we'd rent points from another member. For whatever reason, the members are reluctant to raise the price per point that they charge when renting points.

Also keep in mind that if you finance the purchase, your break even point moves out much further. Also, remember that buying DVC incurs a whole lot of additional spending in order to experience the whole package. There are dues, tickets, meals, transportation.....you get the picture.

 

[TandyR]

We have been DVC owners for about 5 years now. I do not think for one moment that it has saved us money. We could have done our trips cheaper. The thing DVC has done for us is make sure we have a family vacation every other year. My DH, I love him more then anything, but he is a workoholic. Before we had DVC we didn't take week long family vacations....except to see his family which personally I don't view as a vacation. Having already paid DVC we are sure to get away for at least a week every other year. Our DDs are now 9 and 6 years old, because of DVC they will have wonderful memories of family vacations that we wouldn't have been able to have before since DH would have work reasons that we couldn't have a vacation, but since it is paid for we have to use it and he agrees with that.

 

[canwegosoon]

We have been DVC owners for about 5 years now. I do not think for one moment that it has saved us money. We could have done our trips cheaper. The thing DVC has done for us is make sure we have a family vacation every other year. My DH, I love him more then anything, but he is a workoholic. Before we had DVC we didn't take week long family vacations....except to see his family which personally I don't view as a vacation. Having already paid DVC we are sure to get away for at least a week every other year. Our DDs are now 9 and 6 years old, because of DVC they will have wonderful memories of family vacations that we wouldn't have been able to have before since DH would have work reasons that we couldn't have a vacation, but since it is paid for we have to use it and he agrees with that.

This is why we brought it...MY DH also needs to be forced to get away. We have a house at the Cape, but because we also rent that...there is no need to get away(just put the extra weeks up for rent). This year we are going 2 times(one in March and One at Christmas)...and in past years we have done 10 days at Easter. If we will keep dvc or continue to go every year depens on our family...I know there will come a time my boys will want to do Universal too.

But I will agree with others, you can do it cheaper at a Value hotel if that size is good for you.

 

[dsanner106]

I have looked at this extensively, and re-visit the question about once a year, If I had unlimited funds, definately, I would go for it. I have a family of 5, so values aren't such a value with 2 rooms. On the other hand, it is a lot of money and my limited vacation time would just about have to be spent at WDW entirely and I want the kids to experience other things as well. In the end, I have purchased fairfield points, and can stay at Bonnet creek, in the heart of disney property, with the kitchen, jacuzzi, rec programs and shuttle service for a lot less money. I can use the points at about 2000 other locations as well, though, so I can take the family elsewhere sometimes. You just have to weigh your own needs and decide.

Drew

 

[DVCajun]

We've been members since 1999 and my very conservative DH, who had to be convinced to purchase, now says it was the best financial decision we ever made. I'm glad we bought when we did-- contrary to those who say it's not an investment, we could now sell our points for almost TWICE the purchase price, and that's having stayed at a luxury resort twice a year for the past seven years. We didn't, however, purchase our DVC interest as an investment. We purchased it because we knew we wanted to visit WDW every year. It has been well worth the money to us, and then some.

 

[dvcgirl]

We've been members since 1999 and my very conservative DH, who had to be convinced to purchase, now says it was the best financial decision we ever made. I'm glad we bought when we did-- contrary to those who say it's not an investment, we could now sell our points for almost TWICE the purchase price, and that's having stayed at a luxury resort twice a year for the past seven years. We didn't, however, purchase our DVC interest as an investment. We purchased it because we knew we wanted to visit WDW every year. It has been well worth the money to us, and then some.

Twice the purchase price? That sounds a bit high. We bought in 98 and just sold last year, and while we made a few grand on the deal, we were no where even close to getting twice our purchase price. Still, we were happy that we made a profit...

 

[HaleyB]

The only way to know is to run the numbers.

Do not forget the yearly fees, and the fact that they can and will go up. Also you should consider the possible growth of the money you use to buy in (say if it were in a long term CD instead).

Last of all, consider the fact that you can buy a week somewhere else for much less, and that it is possible to trade into DVC through I I. Many very savvy timeshare buyers consider floating weeks (points) to have much less value than a fixed week. I tend to agree. A fixed week can be traded out for another week, but you always have that week if you want it, no matter what (as long as you pay your fees).

I often see claims that room rates go up at WDW 10% a year or some other inflated number to help justify DVC prices. Your yearly DVC fees go up too. Look at the real numbers over the last 5-10 years.

I will say that DVC is a very high quality timeshare with very good upkeep of the units. Compare it to other top notch timeshares.

 

[simpilotswife]

DVC is a great deal if you like to go every year or every other year and stay in deluxe accommodations onsite. Will it save you money? If you regularly stay in deluxes, absolutely. Will it save you money if you are a moderate or value family? Not so much. That is where the intangibles come in.

We are a family of four and stay in a 2BR villa. Everyone has their own bed. We have space to spread out. I only have to take 2 suitcases with me when we vacation because there is a washer/dryer in the unit. We also have a kitchen so there is no need to rush out of the room for breakfast in the morning. I freeze water bottles to take to the parks and at night if we are too tired to go out to eat I throw a frozen pizza into the oven.

The villas are amazing. To the OP take the tour when you go to WDW. That by itself was the seller for me. I too was a "we can get it cheaper why spend all that money" skeptic until then.

We bought in 2000 and easily have paid back our initial buy in. To the poster who poo-pooed rack rate, sorry but if you can only vacation at certain times of the year then rack rate is what you get.

Certainly if you are someone who can be happy offsite then by all means go that route. Look at other timeshares in the area. They can be had for much less money. Just know that for the past 3 years DVC timeshares (OKW, BWV and VWL) have consistently listed in the worldwide Top 10 on Timeshare Users Group. No other Orlando timeshare resort can make that claim.

 

[crisi]

It costs me more because we go to Disney more often and frequently bring guests, some of whom we do a lot of treating for. But those were our choices.

DVC will not save you money if you are happy offsite. It will not save you money if you stay in values. It won't save you money if you regularly use your points to cruise, stay in non-DVC resort hotels, or trade out.

It will be more difficult to break even if you need to finance. Pay cash for the best return on investment.

We like having our kids sleep in a different room, but honestly - booking a one or two bedroom to enable that means spending a lot more on trips than if we'd put the four of us in a room at WL.

Some DVCers save by cooking in the room. Some don't.

I think most DVCers end up spending more. But a few are saving money. We have certainly gotten value out of DVC - but it hasn't meant more money in our savings accounts.

 

[jeankeri]

We bought so that we could stay in Home Away from Home accomodations at any time of the year (with the booking window at your home resort). WE had tried to book through WDW in the past and either the resort we wanted to stay at was unavailable, or the type of room was not available at the resore. Havine the separate BR, kitchen and laundry in the room makes the vacation more relaxing for us; my DH cannot sleep when we are in a standard room with 2 queen/king beds. For this alone buying DVC is worth it. While WDW can take reservations for a limited number of the DVC rooms, it is not a guarantee and discounts are also not something you can count on. Renting through a member is a great option. Renting out points as a member is where you get to the break even point (could be how the rate has been established). If I chose to rent out my points one year (I have 150 at BWV), half of that $ would go towards maintanace fees for that year, the other half I would keep. Fiquring the half I would keep over the life of the membership I would receive twice what I paid for my points. This is quick math- no interest/increase in dues figured in. But basically, if for some reason we could not go to WDW again, we would not lose money keeping and renting out our points. If I wanted to sell my points, I would be able to sell them today for more that I bought them for (through the Timeshare Store) -after enjoying weeks of vacations as a member. Lastly, if my DH could remember to show our DVC card while we are on vacation, there is countless $ we could be saving in discounts .