Just not adding up...

[zurgswife]

My first thought was why aren't you buying season passes..my estimate is that you would save about $250 for this trip and if you could take another trip in less then 12 mos you could save a lot more...

Second if you are used to the all stars jumping to the prices of a Deluxe is a big jump....If you typically paid moderate..it would be a better fit as far as spending goes...

Good luck with your decision...

 

[lenshanem]

We joined DVc about a year ago. This June will we buy an AP for a week stay, then come back again for spring break next year for another week. It was cheaper to do this then buying two sets of passes. Believe me, I played around with the figures even looking at online ticket brokers. As an added bonus I'm going back with my parents in July and guess what? I'll have a pass already and so will the kids. For our anniversary in February next year? We'll have a pass.
After that we'll go to VB, maybe HH skip that year with the passes and then start all over again doing the something with the APs.

Good luck!

 

[Barreras Family]

... way back in the day when Old Key West was the only DVC resort available my then girlfriend and I considered buying into DVC but for two 20 year olds the price made it out of the question.

Now 15 years and 7 trips later my now wife and I bought into DVC and bought "just enough" points to go to BCV every other year. Like we have since '91.

Well we had 30 some odd points left over from our October trip so we decided on the spur of the moment to use up those 36 points and go back in May. (I hated to lose those point and we borrowed jsut a few points from next year to make it to 5 days!)

So to make a long story short (I hope) buying into DVC has already altered how we vacation at WDW. The AP and DVC actually made it cheaper to go back to WDW for 5 days than to go up the California Coast for the same period.

A surprise and pleased
Rudy, Charlene & Carmalena
aka Tigger, Pooh & Piglet

 

[MELSMICE]

As others have said, if you are fine vacationing at the Value Resorts then maybe you shouldn't buy into DVC, however, over the course of time things definitely change & you may find yourself wanting to vacation a little differently.

We took many tours of DVC and each time my DH could not justify why we would spend so much money for hotel accommodations. On one November trip we rented points from an owner, and the rest is history - we came home & bought an OKW resale.

Seeing as though you are seriously considering all your options and really looking into the cost effectiveness of this then I would strongly suggest that you rent points from an owner & also look into the possibility of a resale. It is less expensive, but you will get less years than SSR.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[disneyberry]

DVC's "cheapest, most budget" units are Studios.
you already know this: that it doesn't make any sense to compare DVC Studios to a Value Resort room, since they are more comparable to a Deluxe Resort (BC/YC, WL) room.
you should redo your calculations using only 150 points (SSR Studio for 9 nights in early December only costs 135 points) vs. the cost of a DELUXE hotel room for 9 nights in December.

of course, like others have said, if you think of a hotel room as only a place to sleep/shower, then DVC is not for you at all. i'm surprised you even considered buying DVC if you are okay at the All Stars.

another thing that might be a minority opinion among DVC owners: DVC does not really save you money. you may end up loving your DVC vacations so much that you go to WDW more often. you get spoiled by the luxury and need to stay in bigger units, which means you will need more points. then comes the add-on urge, which comes every so often. it'll be more often if you read these boards a lot, and get jealous as you read about other families adding on more. i'm j/k (sort of). but really, IMO, if you are that concerned with saving money, DVC is not for you. it is most definitely a luxury purchase.

good luck, and don't rush into the purchase until you are sure. maybe call your guide back and tell them you need more time.

 

[goldilocks_63]

I was very happy to stay in a All Sport Room, because hubby had a relationship with McDonald's and could get a discount (like 10%), and back then, there wasn't a charge for the little fridge (or was like $5 later. Now it's $15/day, by the time you add taxes etc on.)

We could get a All Sports Room for around $65, even at XMAS, if we started around Dec. 20th.... Now it's been lately up to around $100.

During this time, my FIL belonged to DVC, and would bring us along for free and put us in the upstairs bedroom at OKW GV. It was lovely, but we didn't see that we needed to be locked in or wanted the extra cost.

The difference came when I started taking my daughter, then 3, who would spill everything (laundry every day), get hungry at odd times (love the stove and fridge), and I became more spoiled (wanted that jucuzzi tub). At this point, I had become addicted to using Concierge style rooms. For us, now DVC is cheaper.

But if your happy with the All Sports, etc. then I do NOT think it makes economic sense to buy DVC. But if you want more "luxury", and want to stay in the room more, then I would consider buying.

At any rate, I bought, thinking if it was a mistake, I could always sell it ($500 closing costs on the resale purchase, and about $1,000 to sell it). I've lost a lot more than this on the stock market, so decided to give it a try. Now I've added on 3 more times

FYI - I believe the food costs have gone up significantly at the value resorts, making them not the value that they appear to be. Consider the money you would save eating breakfast and dinner in the room, and see if this helps anyway.

To summarize, DVC is not a way to save money. You will spend more than ever, because you tend to come more.... But I believe the quality of the vacations become nicer, and there is less stress.

Hope this helps,
If you would like to call me to discuss, please do

Goldi
630.973-0828 Cell Phone

 

[BigDisneyKids]

First of all, thanks for not killing me! Most importantly, thanks for your thoughts and opinions. They really have helped.

I could have typed the many variables swarming in my head when I put up my first post, but there's only so much spac, but here's what I got.

We are not rookies to WDW. At the time the ASM was a great choice for the quick commando style vacations. Since we've fell head over heals in love with the place, as many of you have, we want more!! And intend to enjoy WDW as a whole instead of invading it park by park.

There are several reasons we chose the 250 pts at SSR.

1. Our last trip we took a set of grand parents along and expect to do the same with the other set this year, and so on...
2. Even though we did 10 days in Dec, we may want to break it up into 2 different seasons.
3. Looking at the SSR point chart, 250 will get us a studio for a week in all seasons except the Premier Season. (Flexibility)
4. We thought about other resort resale add on's, but they only last until 2042.
5. We have all intentions on using our points in the World Passport, Concierge and possibly the Adventurer Collection too.
6. We might even try the D Cruise too. Although I haven't read about many of you doing that. Is there a reason why?
7. Disney Financing...
8. Finally, DW's sister took ill with cancer just before our Dec. trip. She's doing well now, but life is too short, we're going to enjoy it while we can still afford to.

In the end, the DW and I decided last night just to keep the 250 pts. we agreed upon at SSR.

And to you DW's, I did get yelled at for trying to compare a Yugo (ASM) to a Lexus (SSR). She may even be bar me from here too. Just kidding, thanks.

 

[sunan]

As you now describe your already changing vacation needs (which are very different than the simple bed-and-a-roof requirement you initially posted!), it seems to me that you've made a sound decision. So, again, I chalk it up to a minor case of cold feet.

As you say, life is too short... embrace your decision, enjoy sharing DVC with your family, and welcome home!

 

[jarestel]

Congratulations!

and

Welcome home!

 

[joepoe]

Originally posted by BigDisneyKids
...8. Finally, DW's sister took ill with cancer just before our Dec. trip. She's doing well now, but life is too short, we're going to enjoy it while we can still afford to.

In the end, the DW and I decided last night just to keep the 250 pts. we agreed upon at SSR.

And to you DW's, I did get yelled at for trying to compare a Yugo (ASM) to a Lexus (SSR). She may even be bar me from here too. Just kidding, thanks.

You just hit on some big, important points! God bless and Welcome Home! After your first trip home, you will be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner.

 

[rocketriter]

Sounds like you thought this through carefully.

And since your family made the same decision we did, we think you're positively brilliant!

 

[jodifla]

BigDisneyKids, welcome to the club! You're going to have a terrific time at SSR for the next 50 years, with great memories with all of your family.

 

[Forever a Princess]

Congratulations on making your decision.

Sounds like you have done a lot of thinking on this and you and your family are ready to do this.

It took DH and I five years to decide on whether or not to purchase into DVC.

Like you we went over the calculations, our finances, etc. For a while we were apprehensive about prepaying for our vacations for years down the road.

We finally came to the conclusion that the reason to buy into DVCis not soleley to save money (it may save us a little over the long run). We bought into DVC so that we could share special times with our family and to have special vacations. Like you we have a family member that has a terminal cancer. Our memories at Disney world with him are PRICELESS. I would like to echo you and say that life is short we need to enjoy every minute.

I have felt at peace after we made the difficult decison to buy into DVC.

Please let us know when you get your paperwork so that we can officially say "Welcome Home."

Renee

 

[JLS]

Congratulations - I think that you have made a great decision, not just for the financial reasons but for the other important "life" reasons that you pointed out. The only thing I would say is that based on your plans, FORGET about UPH passes and make sure you go with Annual Passes for your first trip home. Since you might be taking 2 trips a year, it absolutely makes sense to do the Annual passes. In fact, on the mousesavers.com site, I think there is a calculator about the "break even" point on an annual pass, and it is something like 7 or 8 nights. So, in other words, even if you are going once per year, it never makes sense to buy a 10 or 11 day UPH. Consider just an AP rather than a Premium AP, depending on your plans, because unless you are really going a lot to the Water parks, Disney Quest or Pleasure Island, the increase in cost for every person in your family does not make it worth the extra money. You could buy APs and then just pay out of pocket once or twice a year for visiting a water park or DQ and come out ahead (but this does not apply if your family likes to do those things several times per visit).

I don't think you will regret your purchase for a minute. Not everything in life comes down to a pure dollar equation. There is no comparison to your family getting to stay in a villa at SSR compared to bunking at the All Stars - especially as your kids get older.

Welcome home!

--Jenn

 

[Xtine76]

Perhaps 250 points is a bit high for your budget. Think about the accomodations-they will be bigger that the all stars-you probably got that many points for a 1BR. With a smaller contract the dues are lower and if you travel at the right times you can still get ten days out of a 150 point contract.

 

[MELSMICE]

Looking at all the "points" you posted the 2nd time around, I believe you made a wise decision.

One of the reasons my DH finally decided that DVC was the right thing for us is family. We have 3 DD's & as they get older who knows where they will end up living. I would love for us to be together in the same city forever (somewhere warm though) but that isn't always the case. His theory is that at least now we can get together & enjoy our vacations when they have families of their own!!!

 

[jaysue]

I do not have anything to add to this but I did spend the time to read through the thread and wanted to thank everyone for reminding us why we bought into DVC

This thread is a gem, people invested quality time into their replies and thinking and it is reflected in the content and quality discourse.

Excellent job all (and no I am not a teacher - DW is

thanks
jaysue

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by BigDisneyKids
[B1. Our last trip we took a set of grand parents along and expect to do the same with the other set this year, and so on...

8. Finally, DW's sister took ill with cancer just before our Dec. trip. She's doing well now, but life is too short, we're going to enjoy it while we can still afford to.
[/B]

Two of the most important justifications of your purchase. You will now be able to create lots of family memories (not just vacations). I think over time you will be very happy with your purchase and value those times with friends and family at WDW.

Congratulations and Welcome Home.

While 250 points sounds like a lot when so many people are buying in at 150, it really is closer to the original suggested purchase point DVC had -- 230 points. If it doesn't create a financial hardship, you might as well buy them now since they tend to only increase in price.

 

[sueg]

There have been many good thoughtful replies. I'll just add-on about some very practical ones, that have been touched on. I can't explain how much having the full laundry improves, not only our vacation, but our pre-vacation planning. No need to count out underwear for the week, just pack what you want & run a tub while you are back in your unit. I think I'm only packing 3-4 pairs of my favorite shorts, for a week long stay. Since I've lost weight, they are the only ones that fit & I'm not ready to buy more in March, before I see my weight for the summer.
The kitchen is the best. I've never cooked a full meal at WDW, but I have at HH. The kitchen allows coffee as soon as you get up & a great breakfast. your family's way, before you hit the parks. There are always cold drinks & snacks when you return to the room. We have also taken an occassional doggy bag from a full meal & re-heated it in the room for a snack.
And let's not forget the whirlpool tub.
I'm not criticizing All-Star. We've never stayed there. But I don't think you'll miss it one bit after a DVC vacation, no matter which of the DVC locations you choose - OKW, BWV, VWL. BCV or SSR.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by BigDisneyKids
...(snip)......
5. We have all intentions on using our points in the World Passport, Concierge and possibly the Adventurer Collection too.
6. We might even try the D Cruise too. Although I haven't read about many of you doing that. Is there a reason why?
.........

The reason is that most consider using DVC points for anything except staying at a DVC resort to be a poor choice financially.

Points required for the non-DVC options can (and have) changed yearly. In almost evey case, they have increased. Points required to stay at a DVC resort cannot increase for the life of the contract. To be specific, the total number of points required to reserve all the rooms at a DVC resort for a year cannot increase. DVC has the option to "reallocate" points to correct imbalances in demand. In other words, if the points for some nights/room types increase, somewhere the points must decrease an equal amount. The only time DVC has reallocated points for a DVC resort was for OKW. Some days in some seasons increased slightly and some decreased. (DVC also made some changes at the BWV - introduced the standard view option, but that was well before the resort sold out).

In almost every case, if you want to go to one of the non-DVC resorts or go on a Disney cruise, you would be better off financially to rent your points and pay cash for the non-DVC option.

Do not buy into DVC if you plan to use the non-DVC options on a regular basis - there are much less expensive ways (including other timeshares) to do that. That said, it is nice to have the other options available for an occasional change of pace or for the times when you don't want to travel to WDW and don't want the extra work of renting out your points.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be the right decision for your family.

Best wishes -