Limited to certain resorts

[Klib624]

So if you join the DVC you can only stay at DVC resorts ?
We love staying at WL and I was reading that the Grand Floridian is the only deluxe resort ? I may have misunderstood.

 

[DizBub]

So if you join the DVC you can only stay at DVC resorts ?
We love staying at WL and I was reading that the Grand Floridian is the only deluxe resort ? I may have misunderstood.

I think you may have misunderstood. Wilderness Lodge does have a DVC there. Grand Floridian has a DVC opening later this year. In fact almost all of the Deluxe hotels have DVC attached to them. Poly and Yacht Club do not but Poly will be getting one in the next few years. Deluxe hotels at WDW include Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn, Contemporary Resort, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian Resort, Yacht Club and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

You can use DVC points to stay at deluxe hotels but they have to be points purchased direct from Disney and they are very high/expensive. DVC points are best used at DVC resorts but there are currently 7 resorts and soon to be 8 at WDW alone. There is also Hilton Head, Vero Beach, Aulani (Hawaii) and Grand Californian. In addition there is Saratoga Springs and Old Key West that are stand alone DVC resorts. Lots of flexibility.

 

[Dean]

So if you join the DVC you can only stay at DVC resorts ?
We love staying at WL and I was reading that the Grand Floridian is the only deluxe resort ? I may have misunderstood.

You should not buy DVC to use for non DVC options. Currently the GF, Poly and YC are the only deluxe ones could use points to stay at WDW if they wanted but expect the GF to drop from that list and the Poly to do the same in a few years. Besides who wants to pay the same for a hotel room as it would cost for a 2 BR DVC resort. One should only buy DVC to stay at DVC resorts, nothing else is reasonable as a factor of buying.

 

[Klib624]

Thanks! We were just thinking it may be cheaper to buy DVC Instead of paying $7000+ a year.

 

[DizBub]

Thanks! We were just thinking it may be cheaper to buy DVC Instead of paying $7000+ a year.

Oh wow! I would think that you would save some money by buying DVC especially if you bought resale. But don't forget DVC is only for your lodging. You still have to pay yearly members fees (depending on which resort you get, they vary), still have to buy tickets, eat and travel to get there.

Keep learning about it and do the math. Only you can decide what's best for your family and how much you can and cannot afford.

 

[Lynne M]

The best value in DVC, like other timeshares, is when you use your points within the DVC system. At WDW, that means: VWL, BWV, VGF, BCV, AKV, BLT, SSR, OKW. There's a DVC resort at the Grand Californian at DL, and DVC resorts in Hilton Head, Vero Beach and Hawaii.

Note that in the resorts I mentioned above that share facilities with a non-DVC resort, you may not use your points to book rooms in the non-DVC part of the resort. For example, you can't book a room in the CR tower or garden wing, only in Bay Lake Tower. To use points at WL, you'll be in the villas building, not the main building.

Currently, members who buy direct from Disney can also use points at Poly, YC, and the moderates, but you'll need to use a scary number of points for that. Since those are considered an exchange out of the system, the number of points required can and do go up every year, and the ability to use those resorts can go away at any time.

 

[crisi]

Note that when you stay in a DVC Villa you are not staying in a Deluxe Hotel - you are staying in the timeshare portion of the resort attached to the Deluxe Hotel. For some people this is no big deal - perhaps even preferable, but for other people, its a big deal.

Learn and understand the difference before making any purchase decision. The best way to understand the difference might be to rent points for a DVC stay so you can see the timeshare side in action.

 

[mmdisneylover]

So if you join the DVC you can only stay at DVC resorts ?
We love staying at WL and I was reading that the Grand Floridian is the only deluxe resort ? I may have misunderstood.

If you buy resale dvc membership you can only use them to rent dvc villas. You can't use dvc membership to go on cruise either now. Things have changed with dvc but I believe these are the big ones.

 

[Dean]

Thanks! We were just thinking it may be cheaper to buy DVC Instead of paying $7000+ a year.

As noted, the room is only part of your costs. You will likely save money only if you compare a studio to a hotel room or maybe a 2 BR to two hotel rooms if applicable. Another area where people turn potential savings into costs is by financing.

 

[com_op_2000]

OP, start your research right here by reading as many of these threads as you can. You need to have a basic understanding of these terms, before making your purchase:
UY
ROFR
MS
banking/borrowing
MFs
direct purchase vs resale
travel with
rule of 4

 

[ToddyLu]

Other good places for reading and starting your research are found on the stickies at the top of the DVC forums here. The Passporter Guide to DVC which you can download in PDF format and DVCNews.com. Once you have read all these things read some more...we love our DVC.

VWL is an awesome resort and while we have never stayed there we love visiting for the theming and restaurants.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you buy resale dvc membership you can only use them to rent dvc villas. You can't use dvc membership to go on cruise either now. Things have changed with dvc but I believe these are the big ones.

Not quite. You can still use DVC points to trade to RCI and the World Passport Collection. You can't use resale points to book the Disney Collection if purchased after March 20, 2011 (maybe 2012?). If you buy direct from Disney you can book anything in the Disney Collection that is available.

 

[LisaS]

We love staying at WL and I was reading that the Grand Floridian is the only deluxe resort ? I may have misunderstood.

If part of what you love about staying at WL is the view from your room, be aware that about the only thing you see from the balconies of the rooms in the VWL building are trees and more trees. There are a few rooms that can see a bit of the lake or a bit of the VWL pool but for the most part, you will be looking at trees. We love staying at VWL and always request to be on the lake side of the building in hopes of getting one of those few rooms that can see the lake or the pool but requests can not always be met. On the plus side, the VWL building is quieter than the main lodge building. It is also closer to the bus stop.

While Disney calls all of the DVC resorts "deluxe", the rooms are not refurbished as often and the furnishings themselves are not the same. You do not get housekeeping services every day, something that bothers some people but for others (like me) is not a problem. It's nice coming back to the room after a swim knowing that there is zero chance we'll have to wait to get into our room because it's being serviced. We don't mind making our own bed every day and taking our trash to the trash room as needed.

When we first heard about DVC I thought the last thing I want on vacation is a kitchen in my room. Now we actually enjoy fixing our own breakfast in the morning and occasionally dinner as well. If we eat dinner out and can't finish everything, we bring home the leftovers and have it for lunch the next day. We've been to WDW enough that we're no longer commandos. We like to kick back and enjoy the resort and having a nice 1BR villa with a jacuzzi tub, full kitchen and washer and dryer is a great thing!