looking to invest in DVC

[lonebadger]

what are the biggest problems or issues you guys have experienced since purchasing the DVC?

my wife and I are thinking about purchasing it, we're weighing the costs, etc...

 

[chalee94]

what are the biggest problems or issues you guys have experienced since purchasing the DVC?

perks go away. that's the important thing to remember.

you are buying a percentage of time in a DVC resort on wdw property - plan to get the value out of stays in that resort and you are in great shape.

if you bought in the past for perks like free valet parking - it can go away (and did, in the middle of some people's vacation...*awkward*...)

if you bought in because DVC has held its resale value better than other timeshares, you may be annoyed to find that DVC is currently taking benefits that used to apply to resales and only giving them to direct purchasers. if you wind up having to resell your contract on ebay for $1 down the road...don't be shocked.

if you bought in because you liked the point charts that had stayed the same for 15 straight years, you were disappointed when they were reallocated a few years ago. (points can't just go up - any nights for a resort that get more expensive must be offset by nights that become cheaper...but the net effect may hurt any given owner.)

there are sporadic concerns about maintenance/upkeep but you can get those issues anywhere.

mostly, i've really enjoyed my DVC ownership...for stays onsite at wdw it is a very good deal...but i knew the downsides going in.

 

[emlutz23]

We have never had problems with our DVC. But I think our expectations of what we get out of it are realistic. DVC ownership is how we pre-paid for our lodging at WDW. We wanted to be able to travel to WDW at least once a year and we love the villa-style accomodations. We bought in at SSR and even though we do love to try other resorts, I am just as happy to stay there if other resorts are booked, so buy where you really want to stay. I think if you stick to the basics like that, you will be happy with your purchase!

 

[DenLo]

It's not really an issue for us, but it's best to plan ahead for your DVC vacations. Making a reservation at the 11 month mark guarantees you a villa. At the latest make your reservation at the 7 month mark to get a room somewhere. Anything less than 7 months is a crap shoot. You might get a great room at the perfect resort or you might find nothing is available anywhere. Dates you think would be easy to get a reservation at a regular Disney resort will probably be hard to get at a DVC resort. E.g. the first two weeks of December are prime DVC weeks. Cheap points, holiday decor and the Christmas Parade is being filmed and every DVC resort is booked 6 months out.

 

[disneynutz]

Just read through the DVC threads here on the DIS and you will get a pretty good understanding of the product.

Bill

 

[ToddyLu]

You can also get info at DVCNews.com, Allearsnet.com, and you can download a DVC guide book from Passporter for a small fee. It is very good and easy to read. The stickies on this forum are very informative.

You need to understand the importance of Use Year, cancellation policies when using DVC points to book a trip and overall rules and regulations. Hang out on here for a few weeks and lots of this will be covered including other nuances (sp?) about the product.

My husband and I purchased direct form Disney in 2009. We have had two trips thus far and go to Disney every year for at least 9 nights--that will not change. We do not have children and stay in studios, then get a studio for my MIL (this year my parents will have one). If we had paid OOP (not getting any promotional discounts offered now by Disney) it would have been $14000. So we feel we have already gotten our money's worth, and will be able to make 2 trips this year on points. Once in May at a standard studio at Kidani and once in Oct with my parents, so 2 studios with a Savanna view. We also have annual passes this year with using the DVC $100 off discount.

So this May our room is covered and so are our tickets, this Oct our room is covered so are our tickets. Yes, we do pay for the priveledge but we fill the product is worth it.

 

[Sandisw]

The biggest issue I think could impact a DVC owner is the availability of DVC resorts at certain times of the year.

There are times, especially December, when DVC books up quickly and if you want to stay during this time, you have to be prepared to book 11 months out. While it is not impossible to get reservations with shorter notice, the chances of getting what you want, without having a split stay could prove fruitless if you are not planning well in advance.

If you are someone who wants the flexibility to always plan and go on trips without much planning, you could find DVC frustrating.

It doesn't affect us because I teach so I know when we will be going yearly (in August). This will always allow me to book my trip at that 11 month mark.

We also bought at the one resort we knew going in we would love. This prevents any disappointment as we can pretty much always get it when we book. Even if the SV rooms at BLT (which is what we book to maximize points) were gone, I don't think we should every have trouble getting a room when booking when we do.

Good luck!

 

[Deb & Bill]

First, it's not an investment. Just prepaid vacations, plus annual member fees that go up each year.

 

[csharpwv]

There are pros and cons - but you will find that if you vacation at least once a year at WDW - or plan to in the future - DVC is definitely worth it.

We only vacation at off peak times - so our points really stretch.

So far - we have owned since 2008 - we haven't had any problems booking something.

We have been able to book same day lodging when we decided to leave a day early for a vacation we had planned months in advance. We called driving through South Carolina 7 hours before we wanted to check in. We were able to get a Studio at VWL.

We planner a Labor Day trip 2 weeks in advance last year and got a 1BR at Old Key West.

This year we planned our December trip 11 months in advance for AKV - and then called at 7 months and were able to get 5 of our 7 nights at BWV - and within 2 weeks part of our wait list came through and we got 6 out of 7 nights - and then a week later 6 months from check in we were confirmed for all 7 nights.

We called the day after Christmas this year and got the exact reservation we wanted from a 2BR and Studio savanna view for May 2011.

You either need to be highly skilled advance planners or really flexible about where you stay.

We don't have kids - so we don't have to worry about planning around school schedules etc etc -

We love DVC - we love to travel, and we DVC we are always dreaming up our next trip! We have consistently had a vacation planned since September 2008! HAHA We are always planning, always scheming - and dreaming of where we'll stay - what we'll do - who we can take with us - and the best thing is - we don't have to think about where we'll stay, how we'll pay or if we can afford it. DVC really helps you budget for your vacations -

If you have any specific questions - feel free to PM me!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

First, it's not an investment. Just prepaid vacations, plus annual member fees that go up each year.

I was wondering who was going to say this first. You do not invest in depreciating assets and especially not a depreciating asset that you do not wholly own (you must give it back after 40 - 50 years).

Doesn't mean DVC isn't a good idea, but it's definately not an investment.

 

[Alice-in-wonder]

It IS however an investment in future vacations!

 

[McCrae]

I do think of DVC as an investment. The reason the majority of people buy DVC is because it is seen as a cheap way to finance Disney holidays longer term.

The assumption you need to make to justify buying is that the cost of buying a hotel room at Disney will either go up or remain the same for the next 50 years. If you think prices are going to fall you wont buy DVC.

I believe that the resale price of DVC will increase over time as it will track the holidays costs of staying at a Disney resort hotel.

I fully accept that when the contract matures I will get nothing back....but I firmly believe that I will have an opportunity to sell my DVC points in the future at a much higher price than I paid. I probably wont sell, but who knows 50 years is a long time!

 

[nukker7]

It IS however an investment in future vacations!

I do think of DVC as an investment. The reason the majority of people buy DVC is because it is seen as a cheap way to finance Disney holidays longer term.

The assumption you need to make to justify buying is that the cost of buying a hotel room at Disney will either go up or remain the same for the next 50 years. If you think prices are going to fall you wont buy DVC.

I believe that the resale price of DVC will increase over time as it will track the holidays costs of staying at a Disney resort hotel.

I fully accept that when the contract matures I will get nothing back....but I firmly believe that I will have an opportunity to sell my DVC points in the future at a much higher price than I paid. I probably wont sell, but who knows 50 years is a long time!

GREAT point folks! I agree!