Maintenance Dues out of this world

[gppnj]

I never thought that much about dues prices until I started looking at condos. I live in an expensive area of the country, and the maintenance cost of a condo I'm looking at that I would live in full time is only slightly higher than the maintenance cost for my DVC.

 

[Disney Doll]

We have 2 contracts. The dues cost about $2000/year.

I don't know what the cost is of a deluxe any more, but I have to imagine that a regular room in a deluxe hotel is not any nicer than the 1, 2 or 3 bedroom condos we have been staying in for the last 11 years.

That $2000/year gets us quite few nights in a DVC resort, depending on what size, where, when.

It's worth it to us.

 

[Laurajean1014]

What do you spend on accommodations? How long do you vacation for?

$73,000 / 672 ((14 (2-1 week vacations a year) * 48 (number of SSR years)) = $108.00 per night.

That's cheap.

 

[BeccaG]

I was just wondering if everyone else has the same concerns I do about maintenance dues...I'm looking to buy into the DVC and the initial price per point is more than OK for me (let's consider 25,000 for 250 as an example) but if I buy into the SSR that means that I will have to pay 48 years of dues...and at $4 a point (and it will continue to increase) that's an additional $48,000..bringing the total to at least $73,000. That is a lot of money for something that I will loose on Jan 31st 2054. What do you all think?

Before my DH and I purchased a few weeks ago, I ran numbers for hours. I would wake up in the middle of the night and consider a new way of looking at costs and would crunch numbers and go back to bed. After several restless nights, this is what I finally decided. There is no way to factor what the percentage increase in dues will be each year. However, on average they are at pace with inflation; if not inflation in general, at least the inflation in the hotel industry. With that being said, the maintenance fees are a moot point. (Or if you're a friends fan, a moo point!)

But not being able to leave "good enough" alone, I considered some other things.

I also compared prices with another timeshare. The maintenance fees at DVC were competitive in that regard as well as the cost to "rent" a one and two bedroom using points. (The one I compared to also used a point system.) That timeshare is a "forever" deal. If your worry about what DVC maintenances fees will be in 2054 can you imagine what they will be for this other resort in say 60 or 70 years? That seemed like a real burden for future generations more than this did.

As far as loosing it in 2054, I don't look at my vacations, which is what DVC is for me, as something I expect to get something out of financially in 48 years, so I never really worried about that aspect.

And as some one else mentioned, if you take your numbers and average it out you are only spending $1500 on accomodations for your vacations for the next 48 years. And those are not just any accomodations, they are pretty nice and that is a great price!

Alright, enough of my scary thought process!!

 

[tink2020]

What do you spend on accommodations? How long do you vacation for?

$73,000 / 672 ((14 (2-1 week vacations a year) * 48 (number of SSR years)) = $108.00 per night.

That's cheap.

VERY cheap, seeing as just in 2007 (let alone 30/40 years from now) a value resort in value season is around $92/night after taxes

 

[loveswdw]

We've paid around $675 in dues this year. Our 6 nights in 1 BR BCV in December would cost over $2700 if booked through disneyworld.com. (And I don't think that includes the 12 percent resort tax either) I think this is a very good deal.

 

[vascubaguy]

I was just wondering if everyone else has the same concerns I do about maintenance dues...I'm looking to buy into the DVC and the initial price per point is more than OK for me (let's consider 25,000 for 250 as an example) but if I buy into the SSR that means that I will have to pay 48 years of dues...and at $4 a point (and it will continue to increase) that's an additional $48,000..bringing the total to at least $73,000. That is a lot of money for something that I will loose on Jan 31st 2054. What do you all think?

Ok, now calculate the per point price over the life of the contract... lets see... that's 250 points per year X 48 years = 12,000 points.

Now take
$73,000 / 12,000 = approx $6 per point....

Ok... now... lets use that to calculate how much it costs for rooms at DVC....
I love using OKW in October... studio... 8 points for weekdays... that's like $48 per night... compared to what... $200ish if you booked thru CRO... not too bad, eh?

Anyway, I used to look at all that stuff before I bought... I mean I was crunching numbers left and right and considering how much I could save if I rented points each year too to help offset the MF... now... I don't really think about all that... I just try to use up all the points each year, and rent what I know I can't use... the money part of it I try not to think about anymore...

 

[Glorydaz]

all you guys number crunching!! now I'll be up in the middle of the night trying to refigure my DVC..lol....

here's how I see it:

200 points at SSR $18,000 (approx)

maintenance dues $800 (approx)

AP for one $334 ( approx)

my Magical Vacation at SSR in October : PRICELESS !!!


my bottom line: I LOVE DISNEY and could/would never be able to pay going room rates for the vacations I have and am planning at Disney.....just my 2 cents....

Michelle

 

[sigillaria]

Right now I am paying $1836 maintenance fees for my 430 points ($153 a month) and the fees will keep climbing. At some point I may not be able to afford DVC.

 

[Disney Lover JJ]

Vascubaguy: I liked your calculation...while I wouldn't say 8 points a night is the norm at DVC resorts....it still comes out as "cheap" when considering other points / night such as 12 and 20.

Tink: Can't agree with you there since 250 points usually doesn't get you 2 weeks at Disney...unless you always go during low season and stay at studios.

Nevertheless I agree with you guys...it's not about saving money...it's about knowing you will go to Disney a lot more often

 

[Granny]

Nevertheless I agree with you guys...it's not about saving money...it's about knowing you will go to Disney a lot more often

...and staying in upgraded accommodations.

We would never be able to stay in a 2BR suite on-site at WDW for cash prices no matter what the discount. DVC is an investment in vacation upgrades. If you can make the numbers work out where it saves you money...all the better for you. We can't make that claim, and don't care to.

 

[U2FanHfx]

Hi All,

Here is how I looked at it. If you plan on going to Disney every year (or second year) and you think you can do better by not paying up front and dues, take that initial money and invest it and use it to fund your future vacations. My formula works like this:

Initial Investment + 8% Interest - 14 Night Stay for that year (w/ three year average increase in cost of 4.97%) + Dues for that year you would have paid (w/ OKW lifetime average increase of 3.58%) = Remaining Investment Account.

You quickly see that break even is not as good as Disney states, but it still saves a bundle!

Regs,

CJM

My Excel Sheet

 

[JandD Mom]

Also, look at it in today's dollars. This year, we rented about 1/3 of our points and that covered all but $30 of our MF. We then reserved for our use a BW standard view studio for 1 night, then a 2 bedroom standard at BW for 7 nights. This will be for November.

On the Disneyworld Web site a studio at BW goes for $345 (Regular season) and the 2 bedroom goes for $745 per night (regular). If I booked those accommodations through Disney the cost would be $5560 plus 11.5% tax (Don't forget, DVC members don't pay tax on the rooms) for a total of $6199.60. This would come down to about $5500 if the AAA discount were available, but you can hardly ever get a 2 bedroom with a discount. In fact, you would be hard pressed to ever rent the 2 bedroom nightly through Disney.

That is 1/4 of how much it cost us to buy DVC. If I do this for 2 more years (I had similar usage last year) my principal is paid and then we will have a vacation at Disney for $30 plus the cost of passes (which is SUBSTANTIAL) for 37 more years. If we no longer want to return, then we sell it or we rent out all of our points.

 

[cgcruz]

Just outta curiousity... I think OKW went up for sale in 1993 right? How much were annual dues in 93? what are they now... 13 years late?

 

[U2FanHfx]

Year OKW BWV VB VB(sub) HH VWL BCV SSR
2006 4.24 4.69 5.27 4.12 4.34 4.61 4.48 3.98
2005 3.86 4.41 4.87 3.84 4.04 4.35 4.27 3.83
2004 3.68 4.25 4.67 3.67 3.86 4.22 4.18 3.80
2003 3.49 4.11 4.36 3.45 3.70 4.05 3.97
2002 3.22 3.92 4.17 3.33 3.48 3.80 3.77
2001 3.13 3.82 3.97 2.70 3.32 3.63
2000 3.16 3.94 4.08 2.87 3.25 3.62
1999 3.16 4.02 3.99 2.82 3.18
1998 3.17 3.94 2.76 3.20
1997 3.14 3.84 2.90 3.16
1996 2.99 3.70 2.82 3.16
1995 2.84
1994 2.70
1993 2.63
1992 2.56
1991 2.51

 

[sigillaria]

Just outta curiousity... I think OKW went up for sale in 1993 right? How much were annual dues in 93? what are they now... 13 years late?

Disney started selling OKW in October 1991--we bought in November 1991
(we are contract 270).
I can't remember what the maint. fees were-but I will try to look it up.

 

[drakethib]

2 years ago gas was about $1.50 per gallon and no it is about $3.00.

I could walk everywhere but I prefer the comfort of a vehicle.

I feel the same way about my vacations.

YMMV

 

[Darkside]

Unfortunately, "dues" are just part of life. I think the dues are very reasonable. I recently looked at buying a condo in Destin for $190,000, this is a real deal for this area of Florida. The Maintenence fees are $2500 a year and trust me the grounds and pool(The only pool) look nothing like Saratoga Springs. I kind of campare it to paying off the phone company, no matter how hard I try, I just keep getting that $50 bill in the mail every month and I don't even like talking on the phone!

 

[MermaidJan]

(Don't forget, DVC members don't pay tax on the rooms)

JandD Mom ~ can you tell me why that is I am curious.

 

[tomandrobin]

JandD Mom ~ can you tell me why that is I am curious.

It's because you are not renting the room....you are staying at a place you already own.