Joining DVC??

[KingdomKeepersFinn]

Well my family is thinking of joining DVC and we want to know if it's worth it?

What oppertunities do you get?

 

[becca-becca]

To our family it is very much worth it. We love the villa style accomodations, having a washer/dryer available, extra bathrooms, etc. I love it because I get to go to Disney at least once a year.

I have always read a good general rule is if you come to Disney at least once every two years, and if you stay in moderate or deluxe accomodations (especially deluxe) that you will break even (on your initial price) within 3-4 vacations. After that, you have your yearly maintenance fees.

We couldn't stay in a value with our family (too big) without getting two rooms, so for us, the larger rooms with the villas are great.

If you are always looking for the best buget deal, package or discount and get really low priced vacations doing that, then maybe DVC wouldn't be best for you. However, the prices of the nightly room rates go up a little each year. You sort of lock in your vacations with DVC.

If I have said anything wrong, someone please correct me!!

 

[RCM]

We have owned since 2006 and so happy we did! Just bid on resale pts from TSS and waiting for ROFR. We go every 3 years with our 5 children and 7 grandkids. Then between years go with friends or ourselves. This June we will have 3 2bdrm villas and it is so nice not to have to think of oh how much is this? Adults can go and not even look at the parks and find so much to do. The hotel prices are sure to increase by 2054 and we will never have to worry.

 

[dmoore22]

Well my family is thinking of joining DVC and we want to know if it's worth it?

What opportunities do you get?

That depends. I can only speak from our experience. We did agonize whether it was worth it or not. We did the spreadsheets, visited the discussion groups, and took the tours at WDW. Even then we weren't quite convinced. What actually pushed us was more an emotional reaction than a logical fiscal decision. It was the reality of the quality of life my parents had as the result of poor health that prevented them from enjoying their retirement. I decided then and there it was time to go ahead and enjoy my retirement savings while still healthy enough to do so. Once that decision was made we purchased a resale and then a resale add-on. We have no regrets. Since we've worked our way up from absolutely nothing to a state of extreme poverty, prior to DVC we would stay in the most economical accommodations possible. Since we have 6 kids we couldn't get by with less than at least two rooms. We noticed after DVC we ended up in much nicer accommodations and we actually stayed longer for about the same expense as we were spending in our pre-DVC economy mode. With two bedrooms and a full kitchen, living room, two baths, a jacuzzi, and a laundry room we felt like we died and went to heaven compared to our pre-DVC vacations. Initially we would purchase annual passes for the parks then stagger our visits so that we would get two visits out of each pass, purchasing APs every other year. Of course, now as DVC members we essentially get what amounts to a Fl resident discount on our passes. Now that we are close to empty nesters, only our youngest is still at home, we've altered our accommodations so that we have enough points to go twice a year. Of course we now do the AP renewals which also have a DVC discounted price. There are also discounts to various events, shopping, dining, recreation, and tours just to name a few. There is in-room free internet access for DVC members, and free movie rentals at the Community Center at the DVC resorts. Of course this is just scratching the surface. One thing to consider is that your basically prepaying for your accommodations as opposed to it being an investment or savings. So far, for us, the costs have remained relatively stable compared to the room rack rate we would have been paying had we not joined DVC.

I noticed that you have visited WDW or DL at least once a year for the past 9 years. That tells me you are a prime candidate for DVC. Good luck whichever direction you choose to go.

 

[KingdomKeepersFinn]

Thanks all for the feedback! I believe we might join DVC now! Thanks so much!

 

[Lynne M]

The best recommendation I can make is to do a LOT of research before buying, and not just read the Disney marketing materials. Not that the marketing is misleading, it just doesn't tell you how DVC works, and what the timeshare ownership experience is like - very, very different from reserving hotel rooms. You'll want to be sure that DVC fits with the way your family vacations, and run the numbers to make sure it's a good value for YOU.

One of the very best sources for that info is the DISboards. I read these boards like crazy when I was deciding whether or not to buy, and it was invaluable. I knew a LOT about DVC before I signed the contract, just by reading about real world experiences and explanations from long time members, and I'm a happy DVC owner now because I knew exactly what I'd be getting.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Well my family is thinking of joining DVC and we want to know if it's worth it?

What oppertunities do you get?

You get the opportunity to give Disney a whole lot of money.

Basically, you get a nice place to stay for a reasonable amount of money (most of the time). If you like to stay somewhere other than a standard hotel room, DVC is a great choice. If you have a larger family, DVC is a great choice. But if you want to travel somewhere other than DVC locations, it's not a great choice. Perks come and go. The point requirement for places other than DVC are renegotiated every year. And it's much more expensive that many other timeshares out there, including the ones that can trade into DVC.

If a value or moderate resort meets your needs, then DVC is probably not for you. You'll pay more for a DVC resort than a value or moderate, but you'll get nicer lodging.

 

[Crystal_27]

For us (a family of 3 who loved to stay at the Poly) DVC was a no-brainer. However, our hesitation was that, before BLT, there wasn't a DVC on the monorail. So, when BLT was announced, we ran the numbers and bought in. Just to give you an example of some "real world" numbers, our buy-in cost was $21,250 and through trips we've taken and have booked through 2011, we would have paid right at $9,500 for accommodations alone. So, we've already saved almost half of our buy-in cost in only 3 years of trips. Sure, we have to pay $800 in maintenance fees every year, but that still doesn't compare to what we are saving. Also, before DVC, DH would have never consented to spending $7,000 for just a hotel to vacation at Disney during the holidays. With DVC, it's a possibility. I don't regret buying in one bit. Good luck with your decision!

 

[chalee94]

The best recommendation I can make is to do a LOT of research before buying, and not just read the Disney marketing materials.

i completely agree.

PLEASE don't think in terms of "joining" DVC as if it's cool to be a member.

you are "owning" DVC as a long-term real estate interest that costs thousands up front and additional maintenance costs every year...even if you don't want to travel...and even if you can't travel. it's an expensive commitment - make sure you've done your homework to see if it works for you...

 

[dmoore22]

The best recommendation I can make is to do a LOT of research before buying, and not just read the Disney marketing materials. Not that the marketing is misleading, it just doesn't tell you how DVC works, and what the timeshare ownership experience is like - very, very different from reserving hotel rooms. You'll want to be sure that DVC fits with the way your family vacations, and run the numbers to make sure it's a good value for YOU.

One of the very best sources for that info is the DISboards. I read these boards like crazy when I was deciding whether or not to buy, and it was invaluable. I knew a LOT about DVC before I signed the contract, just by reading about real world experiences and explanations from long time members, and I'm a happy DVC owner now because I knew exactly what I'd be getting.

"Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see." -- Edgar Allen Poe

I found the DISboards to be an okay source. The challenge was in knowing which half to believe. Even back in 2002, when we finally bought into DVC, there was a great deal of misinformation intertwined with legitimate info on the DISboards. I would not, and did not, rely on just the DVC marketing materials or the DISboards. We checked other sources for differing points of view such as the MousePlanet and AllEars.net, among others, which provided spreadsheets and cost analysis. We also talked to DVC members while staying onsite. DVC, and timeshares in general, are not for everyone. One size does not fit all. However for us it seems to work very well, so far, after nearly 8 years of ownership.