Is there a better way for DVC members?

[DVCFamilyVA]

More Cost effective method of doing Disney Adventures for DVC members?

Someone chime in here. To do Italy, one would need to fork over 482 points times two (964). If a point has a rental cash value of $10 (which it definately does), then the value of the points you are exchanging for the Italy adventure is $9,640.00. Now, if I call Disney and book the Italy adventure not as a DVC member, I will pay them $3,699 each or $7,398.00. The value of my points exceed the value of the adventure by $2,242.00 (which, incidentally is about the cost of air fair to Italy).

Where am I wrong? What's up with this? Same is true for the Disney and Holland American Cruises.

 

[bicker]

Many of the DVC exchanges are like this. We're using DVC points for ABD primarily because we have a glut of points this year. Otherwise, we probably would have found a more reasonably-priced guided tour (from Globus, not ABD).

 

[Didney Daddy]

I agree with your logic but do want to point out a few other considerations:

1) The $10 point value you premised is very difficult to acheive with regards to over 900 points. There are adminstrative issues to deal with at DVC and not to mention the incredible number of hours it would take to rent those points out.
2) Italy, notwithstanding - ADV did offer discounts for certain trips like Prague for example where the math is much more compelling.
3) Most folks do not have 900 points to use anyway so the best course of action is usually to pay cash for the adults and use points for the kids, or pay cash for one and points for the other adult - this makes the math better also.
4) Last point, folks like usually use their excess points for DCL or ADV. If we have 250 points we are not going to use at the resorts this year and we want to take a ADV vacation - paying for one of the adults usually makes sense.

As always, I do agree that using points at any place other than the parks resorts is not the best use - but it is usually not as bad as some seem to make it out to be either if you look at scenarios that are not all or nothing with the points.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Also remember that the DVC rooms at WDW are room only ressies. With the others, DCL ABD Holland, you have food and entertainment included.

Like all exchanges, they are more pricey than using points for DVC accomodations at WDW.

 

[DVCFamilyVA]

I get that others have food included, but that doesn't seem to be the point. The issue as I see it is, "are the rental value of the points greater than the cost of the vacation in cash". As for renting 900 points? I did it in a single day to 5 different people for between $10 and $12 dollars pp. Even using cash for adults, the value of the points still exceeds the cost of a childs "ticket" for Disney Adventures (although not the cruise line).