It cost us nearly $4000 to go to DL...

[makthompson]

OK, so it was $26 K to buy in, PLUS the annual dues? Mind if I ask how much the annual dues are?? And I suspect those will go up, multiplied by 50 years... Would like to see a figure on that.

I'm not saying it's not a good deal. It's just not any kind of a deal most of us can justify. I can't justify the cost of GC hotel.

First of all, $26k wasnt the cost to buy in...it's how much we bought. you will have to check and see what the minimum buy in is now through disney, but you can buy at the timeshare store too and you can find deals to fit your budget, and how much you would use. our dues are 100 a month, but it's based on how many points you buy. if you buy half of what we bought(which was the initial buy in at the time we bought) then the dues would only be 50 a month. so far they have seemed to go up for us about .50 or 1.00 a year.
the great thing is you can stay where ever you want that is on their list. you can stay at PP or DLH, any of the DVC Resorts in WDW. we will be taking a Disney Cruise that is all inclusive and using our points for it. If we paid cash for the cabin we want it would be about $12,000. You can travel to almost anywhere in the country.
Some people also rent out their timeshare for a cheaper price if not traveling that year and it pays for the dues and then some, depending on what they rent them for. you can see the busy dvc rent/trade board for that.

 

[makthompson]

He has 300 points. annually you pay about $4 - $4.50 per point for maintenance costs depending on your home resort. So he is paying at least $1,200/year for maintenance costs. The maintenance fees go up 3%-4% each year so 40 years from now his annual maintenance costs should be about $5000/year. But 40 years from now it will still be like paying $1200 per year when you adjust for inflation.

i am not sure where you come up 5000 a year. if you take 1200.00 x 4%=48.00x40years= 1920+ current of 1200.00=3120.
another good point is that when non members rent rooms they have to pay typically 16% hotel tax....we dont pay that.

 

[Sy-]

i am not sure where you come up 5000 a year. if you take 1200.00 x 4%=48.00x40years= 1920+ current of 1200.00=3120.
another good point is that when non members rent rooms they have to pay typically 16% hotel tax....we dont pay that.

compound the inflation.....

 

[makthompson]

Wow! When you put it that way . . . it's like I'm losing money if I don't buy DVC!!! Sounds like you've got the spiel down but that just made my head hurt.

I've gotta chalk this one up to "different strokes. . . " or maybe it's "different wallet sizes."

It's just something to think about...everyone's situation is absolutely different. if you like to travel and you would be spending the money anyway....why not DVC... that's all..
for us it worked...i think it's one of the smartest things we did, and i just like to share this info.....i wish we would have heard about it sooner....we would have bought sooner and saved us alot of money in the mean time. the original post was that she like's to stay at DLH, well i prefer GC. But if it's the cost as to why she stays there.....then she could stay at GC also....it doesnt cost any different.

 

[makthompson]

compound the inflation.....

OK...lol i dont know how to do that...hehe

Are you a DVC member?

 

[brenda1966]

I appreciate seeing the numbers. I always figured DVC was out of my budget. Now I know it for a fact. LOL.

$1200 a year in maintenance fees is more than I paid for rooms for both my DL and WDW vacations in one year.

Timeshares have always been a luxury for the wealthy and not a money saver for the middle class.

 

[Sy-]

OK...lol i dont know how to do that...hehe

Are you a DVC member?

Not yet.... Am meeting with the sales people, and gonna drink some of their special punch, when I go to DL in Oct. I'd like to buy GCV but not sure they will be selling by then. If anything I may end up buying a OKW(2057) resale. I'm just not sure about buying in FL because I'm in Hawaii and even CA is far for us, and I don't know if I can get to FL every couple of years if airfares keep going through the roof!

So when you use your points to stay at a non DVC like GCH you don't have to pay hotel tax either? How many points does it cost to stay at say a standard room at GCH?

 

[Sy-]

I appreciate seeing the numbers. I always figured DVC was out of my budget. Now I know it for a fact. LOL.

$1200 a year in maintenance fees is more than I paid for rooms for both my DL and WDW vacations in one year.

Timeshares have always been a luxury for the wealthy and not a money saver for the middle class.

It may not be... $1200 was based on 300 points which IMO is a lot. many people only buy the 160 point minimum (or 100 now). and that is plenty enough for their annual trips. Depending on when you go and what kind of room you want, you could get a swtdio at Old Key West for as little as 80 points for a whole week. Figure out when you would most likely travel, what kind of room you would prefer and what DVC resort you are interested in and you can figure out how many points you would need...

 

[makthompson]

I appreciate seeing the numbers. I always figured DVC was out of my budget. Now I know it for a fact. LOL.

$1200 a year in maintenance fees is more than I paid for rooms for both my DL and WDW vacations in one year.

Timeshares have always been a luxury for the wealthy and not a money saver for the middle class.

Well i am a money saver in the middle class too. but i spend my money on what is most important to me and that is going on vacations every year with my family. that may be more than what you spent but for that price i can also go for 4 1/2 weeks a year....not just a week or so vacation a year. but if i were to rent out 2 weeks then that would pay for my 1200 maintenance fee and souvenier money...so really i dont have to pay anything for the maintenance if i were to do it that way..

 

[makthompson]

Not yet.... Am meeting with the sales people, and gonna drink some of their special punch, when I go to DL in Oct. I'd like to buy GCV but not sure they will be selling by then. If anything I may end up buying a OKW(2057) resale. I'm just not sure about buying in FL because I'm in Hawaii and even CA is far for us, and I don't know if I can get to FL every couple of years if airfares keep going through the roof!

So when you use your points to stay at a non DVC like GCH you don't have to pay hotel tax either? How many points does it cost to stay at say a standard room at GCH?

a standard room is any where from 23-53 points per night..it depends on what night and what season you go.
you do not pay a hotel tax...no...all you do is call member services and say i would like to book a room at this place on these dates they check availability and if it's available you say book it..and they tell you how many points it will be and that is it...they send you a confirmation in the mail.

Be sure to go at the begining of your trip...they usually give you some free stuff, or really good coupons..

 

[makthompson]

A lot of DVC people go from Sun-Thur because it's less points.
PP is 17 vs 27 points per night (points based on super value season)
DLH is 18 vs 29 ppn
GCH is 23 vs 37 ppn

HHI during the Adventure Season is 55 points per week....that would be over 5 weeks in a studio.
104 points for a 1 bedroom almost 3 weeks
you can go to Argentina for 1 week in a 1 bedroom for 160 points during high season, 124 points for low season.

 

[disneyluvbug]

I drank the "punch"!! We just bought DVC last month.. we are going to DL at the end of this month.. we will go to FL maybe every 4years??We will be buying at Disneyland Grand Villas as soon as they sell them! We have 300points. We are staying at GCH and just changed our rooms to the 1bdroom suite for 4nights! We will also be going over christmas time and a few more during the year!! For us it worked. We always stay at GCH and love it there!! Yes its a lot of money, but for us its what we wanted. Plus you can stay at over 550 places...mmm the punch is talking!!! I have more trips planned now than I did before when we only went 1 or 2times a year (we went in march 08 for a week) our last 5 trips could have paid for a good protion of the DVC..

Ok that is all I have to add!!

 

[makthompson]

I drank the "punch"!! We just bought DVC last month.. we are going to DL at the end of this month.. we will go to FL maybe every 4years??We will be buying at Disneyland Grand Villas as soon as they sell them! We have 300points. We are staying at GCH and just changed our rooms to the 1bdroom suite for 4nights! We will also be going over christmas time and a few more during the year!! For us it worked. We always stay at GCH and love it there!! Yes its a lot of money, but for us its what we wanted. Plus you can stay at over 550 places...mmm the punch is talking!!! I have more trips planned now than I did before when we only went 1 or 2times a year (we went in march 08 for a week) our last 5 trips could have paid for a good protion of the DVC..

Ok that is all I have to add!!

ok, so where did you buy?? can i ask what the going rates are?

 

[disneyluvbug]

we bought at animal kingdom..it was 94/point.(there was a discount offered).plus we got 2 premium passes to DL .. we also got an xtra 300 points (developer points) so we have 600 points this year. we really want to buy the grand villas, and they will only be offered to current DVC members first and there is a high demand for them, .. we will buy 100 points there as soon as they go on sale. its a lot of money, but like I said we love disney!!

 

[brenda1966]

but for that price i can also go for 4 1/2 weeks a year....

You're very lucky you get 4.5 weeks off from work!

Most working class people only get 2 weeks vacation a year. I consider myself very lucky to now get 4 (lots of seniority), but still much of that is taken up by school field trips, school volunteering, and other kid related items. I try to take 2 trips a year. This year we're doing a 10 day trip and a week long trip. Most people are lucky to take 1 trip a year so I think we're doing pretty good.

I'm thrilled all of you are spending your money at DVC -- means the Disney parks should be there for my future enjoyment as well.

 

[moniquem]

We are going with five people in October too - but you can save a LOT of money by staying at the Hojo. We are getting two rooms with the Entertainment rate and the total is less than $700 - that's not EACH, but in TOTAL. Apparently, distance wise, the Hojo is about the same distance as the DLH..... If only one of you has an AP, the others could still get the Magic Mornings with their Park Hoppers.

See, you can save a bit ($1200!!!)

What do you mean about the AP holder and Magic Mornings? I was under the assumption that you can only use MM if you have the Getaway today tix or are staying onsite? if I am wrong, please correct me!

 

[makthompson]

You're very lucky you get 4.5 weeks off from work!

Most working class people only get 2 weeks vacation a year. I consider myself very lucky to now get 4 (lots of seniority), but still much of that is taken up by school field trips, school volunteering, and other kid related items. I try to take 2 trips a year. This year we're doing a 10 day trip and a week long trip. Most people are lucky to take 1 trip a year so I think we're doing pretty good.

I'm thrilled all of you are spending your money at DVC -- means the Disney parks should be there for my future enjoyment as well.

We are fortunate in that respect. I am a manager of a Tax Preparation office so i obviously dont go Jan-April 15. then off season work 1 day a week, so to ask for 4 days off isnt a big deal. Then my husband works in the ER so if we schedule it right he only uses 6-9 days of vacation.

That is awesome you take 2 trips a year...everyone needs a break! I know alot of people that cant afford to go on vacation... we were fortunate enough to take a family with us one year who would have otherwise never known anything about disney!! for them it's a trip they will remember the rest of their lives...................

 

[Wavy Blue]

What do you mean about the AP holder and Magic Mornings? I was under the assumption that you can only use MM if you have the Getaway today tix or are staying onsite? if I am wrong, please correct me!

If you buy any three or more day park-hopper tickets, you get one Magic Morning entrance, but you can only get one.

 

[DizOz]

Gees, I wish it cost that much for us. It costs the four of us $10K just to get there from Australia, let alone the accomodation and food.

Last December I took the family to DL and then WDW for 3 weeks. It cost in excess of $20K and that is with 2 of our tickets from Australia to US purchased with FF points.

 

[Queenbillabong]

If you buy any three or more day park-hopper tickets, you get one Magic Morning entrance, but you can only get one.

No, not true. If you buy three day or longer park hoppers from getawaytoday.com, you get TWO Magic Mornings!