Just not adding up...

[BigDisneyKids]

As other folks have mentioned, without your input and expertise, this could be a lot harder then it is. Thanks to all of you for you're assistance.

To start, I guess you can technically say we're coming home... Last night we called the MS and "started our contract," committing for 250 pts. at SSR. But thinking it over the last 24 hours, we're are still not 100% sure if we are doing the right thing and have some reservations. Maybe you can help?

Please hear me out and don't kill me...

For the last 2 years, we have vacationed at AS-Movies during the first week of Dec. In the end, both years cost us about $2200.00 for 10 days/9 nights with UPH passes for a family of 4.

Now the yearly maintenance fees for us at SSR will be $950.15. The DW informed me late last night that the UPH passes for 11 days next Jan will be about $1700.00 for the 4 of us, not counting our DVC discount. So essentially $2650.00 for the a similar (not the same) vacation.

(Please don't kill me), I realize there is no comparison between SSR and AS-Movies. However we aren't a family that goes on vacation to sit in the room, with 2 DK's tagging along, it's all about a place to sleep and shower.

My hang up right now is that it's a mathematical thing. I know the inflation thing, SSR rooms are bigger and costlier etc... And I am willing to put out the $22k to lock me in for the next 50 years, but if it is still going to cost me at least $2500.00 a year, after already shelling out $22k, what's the point???

We're really confused. Does anyone see my point or are we just getting cold feet and not seeing the big picture???

 

[CarolA]

If you think that All Stars will always fit your needs then maybe this is not the best choice.

That said the room rates at All Stars will continue to rise. There is a risk that your dues could rise, but.... I have found that room rates go up faster then my dues.

If it were me I would look into APs and staggering your vacation. That would get you two vacations for the price of one of the UPHs.

 

[Tiggery]

UPH's are really expensive have you thought about APs or PAPs and overlapping your trips so you can fit 2 trips into 1 pass?

 

[PamOKW]

You've got to think about what makes you happy and what, in the long run, is best for your family.

You've already said that you are perfectly happy at All-Star. Think about as your children continue to grow -- and the family itself grows-- will you still want to vacation at WDW and will you still want to be "going" constantly? Or, do you think you would find enjoyment/benefit in being able to spend time around a resort -- spread out and enjoy each other's company, too?

If you are going to join DVC and plan on traveling to WDW regularly (once a year or more), you'll want to start considering alternatives to the UPH. That's really not the best value even with the DVC discount. You may also want to figure some costs that you save by having access to a kitchen. I'm not talking about cooking meals but just having the snacks and maybe a few breakfasts in often tastes better and does save a few $$$.

No, DVC won't save you money compared to All-Star but it will give you a different kind of vacation at a higher level of comfort without a whole lot of additional expenditure. We've been in an economic and tourism lull that has made discounts plentiful and resort rates stable. That may end in the future and we'll be back to the 6% yearly increases in resort prices with 10% discounts at most.

It is a luxury item purchase. Just as you decide what kind of car you're happy driving and want to purchase so, too, with Disney. There are lots of options for how you want to vacation. DVC really is terrific and has value that can't be measured in dollars alone.

 

[Poorman]

If you are having doubts,and are happy with Allstars and the like ,don't buy in!!!

As everyone says,only buy in if you goe at least every other year and stay in a Deluxe resort.

You can always buy later.

Food for thought though,in a couple of years those small rooms at the AS will get even smaller. Dvc gives you flexibility and a wonderful place to stay. It also gives you a kitchen and laundry ,if you want one.

It is a lot of money to put down and you must be certain you are doing the right thing for your family.

You may just want to rent points and see if you really want to go this route.

Good luck.

 

[tyandbash]

We have the same questions as you do. Just when I decide that we should go ahead and buy into DVC, I think that same thing. Though, we have three dk's so our choice could not be the value resorts, since we would not fit. I do think that some portion of the yearly maintenance fees are tax deductable, right?? So technicaly it should not be as expensive yearly, since you would be able to use a certain amount as a tax deduction. I could be wrong though. Just starting to understand everything.

 

[bcvillastwo]

................to get caught up in making an emotional decision. Real Estate sales people that I know will tell you that people form emotional attachments to houses. They find one they like (or love) and then sometimes (maybe most of the time) they let that lead the way in their decision making process.

We took several years to make our decision about DVC and probably wouldn't have done some then except for some "found money" that we weren't counting on right at that time.

We have no regrets, we would do it again in a heartbeat and we could easily have afforded DVC even without the "found money". But I still don't think we would have made the leap without that found money. But, that's just us.

There are at least two ways to look at DVC. It can be looked at strictly from a financial perspective. It can be looked at from a making memories perspective. If you're up in the air on this and not absolutely sure then you probably should look at it from every angle.

Now, I'm speaking just for myself and no one else. If I wasn't absolutely sure about the "financial" aspects of doing it, I wouldn't go through with it. I wouldn't want to commit myself to something could be a financial burden to me right from the start.

 

[Doctor P]

Let me make another--IMHO, fairer--comparison. A studio at SSR in early December or early January is 95 points per week, and 128 points for 10 days. This is a room that is comparable (albeit nicer, actually) than a room at All Stars (and, yes, I have stayed at All Stars and like it very much). With a 150 point contract, your maintenance fees will be more like $600 per year. Alternatively, you could take TWO ten day trips to SSR for 256 points and buy annual passes to get two trips for LESS than you are spending on All Stars right now for one trip (of course, your calculation also didn't include the up front costs which need to also be factored in).

My math has me getting DVC accomodations for what it would cost me to stay at All Stars--that is a deal to me, but it may not be for you. You also may not want to lay out the start up money, either.

 

[PamOKW]

The tax deduction is only the real estate tax portion of your dues. As an example, OKW 2004 dues are $3.6766 per point. $.7959 per point of that is the real estate tax estimate. (The actual amount paid is given to you at the end of the year to use toward a deduction.) You might also be able to deduct your interest payments if you finance your purchase.

 

[rocketriter]

When you want to put the kids to bed at a different time than yourselves, when you want to close a door between family members for any reason during the evening, when you want to prepare breakfast for $7 rather than for $45, when your kids are old enough to bring their own friends, when you want to invite along a relative and not charge for accomodations--at all of these times the DVC will really shine. Sometimes these factors aren't "luxury," they're the foundation of a relaxed vacation without crowding or cabin fever.

 

[jmminarik]

Since SSR&S isn't likely to sell out in the next few weeks, you can always postpone until you have more time to think about all of the options.

Regardless, I'd really consider dropping the UPH's. As Tiggery mentioned, an AP or PAP is usually the most cost effective admision media if you'll be actively in the world for 8-10 days per calendar year. If not, X day parkhoppers might be a better value. Visit the budget boards for me info if you're not familiar with these.

-Joe

 

[DisneyKidds]

It appears you are not only comparing All Stars rates to the cost of DVC, but DISCOUNT All Stars rates to the cost of DVC. DVC will never be a more affordable option under such a scenario. If the 'value' resorts suit your needs and you will have no desire to stay in larger/nicer accomodations in the future then DVC is not a good choice for you.

In making your comparisons I'd take tickets out of the equation. On your previous trips your room probably cost about $600 for the 9 nights. That is less than dues would be. Without a discount it might not be, but you still may never recover the up-front purchase price. Bump those accomodations up and it is a different story.

Of course your preferences may change, and who's to say that discount rates will always be available. That is one of the benefits I see with DVC. It is flexibile and allows your accomodations to change along with your family. You also don't have to worry about finding discounts on rooms. We are DVC members but don't have any points available for a vacation we are planning in May. It stinks having to wait for discounts and I won't pay rack. When staying on our DVC points it is nice to not have to worry about such things.

We bought DVC knowing that our vacation patterns would change. While moderate accomodations suited us fine when we bought, we know that in a few years when the kids are larger we will want more room and larger accomodations.

Another thing to consider is what DVC will do to your WDW vacation habbits. We go much more often now than we did before we owned. The more you go the more you find yourself actually taking advantage of the wonderful resorts themselves, and accomodations no longer represent just a place for a bed and a shower.

So consider what you might be likely to do in the future. If you will likely go to WDW once a year and are likely to begin staying in nicer accomodations then DVC might be the right choice for you. If you will go once a year or less and always stay in a value resort than you may want to pass.

 

[DemoBri1]

I guess the thing that you have to really decide upon is if you are willing to stay at a value resort each time that you go to WDW, then by all means DVC is probably not for you.

The big advantage in DVC comes with the idea that most of the people would probably be staying in Deluxe resorts each time they visit. By all means I am not putting anyone down here for wanting to stay at a value or moderate resort. Personally, I could probably get away with staying at a moderate, but once I stayed at YC on my honeymoon that was it.

Also, alot of people are bringing up a good point about the AP's. They used to be even more of a bargain when the DC was still around, but I think you can get 4 AP's for adults for a bit less than $1,600. You will just need to stagger your vacation, and by all means don't utilize the renewal for AP's when they expire, because the new AP period will begin on the renewal date, not the first time you use them.

Whatever you decide...Good Luck and enjoy WDW!!

Brian

 

[Donna]

When staying at the ASM, it would make sense to spend little time in the smaller room and commando the parks as much as possible. As a DVC owner, you will see that you will WANT to spend more time in your luxury accommodations and maybe spend a little less time in the parks (you'll be more rested and relaxed when you DO go). Once you have AP's and with DVC, you KNOW you are going back and can relax more on those trips and oh what luxury you can relax in!
Maybe this would be a perfect example of trying to RENT some points first, see how you like the DVC accommodations and then decide if it's right for you. You have some time on SSR without worrying about it selling out. Once you price out the AP and squeeze in two trips in 12 mos, you'll see the AP is more cost effective. In fact, it would be more cost effective for you no matter what because the break-even point is 8 days and you said you stay 10 days; it's like getting two trips for less than the cost of your 10 days UPH.
Welcome Home!

 

[LisaR]

I have a question for you. Why are you buying 250 points? If I am reading your post correctly, you vacation once a year, first week of December for 9 nights. If that is the case you do not need anywhere close to 250 points. I don't have a SSR point chart handy but that same amount of time at BCV is 128 points. I am assuming you are figuring a studio since you say that the room is only to sleep and shower in. Why don't you just buy fewer points?

Lisa

 

[disneycrazed139]

Just my opinion, but I think if you are happy with the value resort then there is really no reason to buy into DVC. You can get a room any time for $99 and often less with discounts. I don't see how DVC would make financial sense for you.

However, if you decide to try a deluxe resort and like what is there, you may not be able to go back to value accomodations without wishing for more. Then you may want to revisit the situation.

 

[mowog]

You are a strange bird!!! You are doing something very unusual- you are going from a "cheap" resort (sorry for term) to point overkill at a premium resort. let me explain. You now will have enough points to stay about 3 weeks in a much nicer room than you are used to. We always stayed at the "deluxe" resorts (CR,GF,YC/BC) and just bought 170 BCV points. I figure it will cost us about $7/pt /year for our contract with purchase price and dues. (value of lost interest or time value of money not considered so don't go there!) We just booked a 1br villa next Jan for 110pts for 5 days which would be about $770. We could have got a studio for 60 pts or about $420. We would be lucky to catch a sale and get 2 nights at that price. So you are not comparing apples to apples. 150 pts would be a better comparison, although you will probably find to love the extra points.

 

[sunan]

I have the same question as LisaR: why so many points? You could always go with the 150 minimum for now, and add on later if your needs change (via Disney or resale). The numbers are certainly more reasonable in that case, as Doctor P points out.

I have to assume you put some thought into the decision to begin with, in which case you might be suffering a bit of buyer's remorse.

Let's face it, planning for your family's needs over 50 years is no simple task. But my family first visited WDW a very long time ago (don't even ask), and we're still going. Go figure. Our approach is a little different as we've gotten older, as people here have noted... we tend to relax more and enjoy the resort aspect of deluxe accommodations (except while slogging through those 26.2 miles). Anyway, I wish we'd figured out this DVC thing a lot sooner.

In the end, you have to do what is right for you. If you need to rent points first or take a little more time, so be it. But a couple of final notes...

You are not locked in for 50 years; you can sell anytime you want. And while members of this forum can be a passionate lot, they are very wise and wonderfully supportive... they won't kill you!

Best of luck with your decision. Keep us informed.

 

[jarestel]

I don't think anyone should buy DVC for the sole purpose of saving money. If the financial bottom line is at the top of your priority list, my advice would be don't do it. Good luck.

 

[sgtdisney]

You may find, over time, that you won't want to spend as much time in the parks as you do now, but more time doing other things. We bought in 12 years ago and when we first were members we went to the parks, a lot. (Of course having free tickets helped that as well ) Now as time has passed we find ourselves spending a few days in the parks and other days enjoying Dinsey World. I always look at it as having Luxury accomodations in a world class resort. There are so many things to do in Disney World (and even in Orlando) that you could spend weeks there and not see and do it all. Best of luck to you. Follow your heart. It is not a decision to be taken lightly, but I have never regretted it personally.