Many Questions from a Potential DVC Buyer

[islandtimect]

We're seriously considering buying into DVC, but not sure it's a good financial decision (I'm an accountant/financial analyst and tend to over-analyze information). We'll visit WDW every 2 years for 1 week until moving to FL in about 6 years. Then we'll visit every year. We stay at premium resorts when onsite and in the Caribbean. We'll be paying cash, and money isn't an issue.

It would be so helpful if you can direct me to threads that would have answers to my questions, or post answers here. Here we go:

1. How often do maintenance fees go up, and how much?
2. Is there a fee to bank points?
3. What's the fee to use points at non DVC property?
4. What's the fee to borrow future year's points?
5. Are the villas clean, safe and quiet? I read about thefts at SSR, noise at Beach Club and VWL (sorry, don't know acronyms yet) and poor views at these as well. Thinking of Beach Club, Boardwalk or Wilderness Lodge Villas. Any further opinions on these would be so helpful. Our favorite park is MK and the Seven Seas Lagoon, but I like the beach and boardwalk area.

Thanks so much for your input!

Marie, a 12 time WDW visitor and once at Disneyland.

 

[crisi]

Maintenance fees go up every year (and have occationally gone down). They tend to go up between 3-6% per year and have a 15% cap (as I recall)

No fee to bank points

I think the transfer fee is $95. Point costs for non-DVC options do go up each year and if you are doing a financial comparision, your best value in using DVC points are at DVC properties (I'm an accountant by training - though never by profession - we pay cash when we cruise and only own enough points for our Disney World habit).

No fees to borrow.

Clean safe and quiet - how about "depends on your expectations" - I think DVC is going to be as safe as anywhere on property (SSR has created some additional concerns from some posters here because its so close to DTD). I think (but I'm probably of the minority opinion) that the rooms are not as clean as the "normal" hotel rooms - but I think they are appropriately clean and that cleaner means higher dues. BW will be the noisiest of those three options. VWL will be the quietest - and its "hotel room that close to the MK quiet" - you'll get the occational loud neighbor, kids running down the hall too early, grownups coming back too late, and fireworks noises.

(www.mousesavers.com and www.mouseplanet.com both have some nice financial analysis).

 

[Orelover]

We're seriously considering buying into DVC, but not sure it's a good financial decision (I'm an accountant/financial analyst and tend to over-analyze information). We'll visit WDW every 2 years for 1 week until moving to FL in about 6 years. Then we'll visit every year. We stay at premium resorts when onsite and in the Caribbean. We'll be paying cash, and money isn't an issue.

It would be so helpful if you can direct me to threads that would have answers to my questions, or post answers here. Here we go:

1. How often do maintenance fees go up, and how much?
2. Is there a fee to bank points?
3. What's the fee to use points at non DVC property?
4. What's the fee to borrow future year's points?
5. Are the villas clean, safe and quiet? I read about thefts at SSR, noise at Beach Club and VWL (sorry, don't know acronyms yet) and poor views at these as well. Thinking of Beach Club, Boardwalk or Wilderness Lodge Villas. Any further opinions on these would be so helpful. Our favorite park is MK and the Seven Seas Lagoon, but I like the beach and boardwalk area.

Thanks so much for your input!

Marie, a 12 time WDW visitor and once at Disneyland.

Ok Here are some Answers:
1) Yes Annual Dues go up every year about 3%
2) No fees (yet) to bank or barrow points
3) It appears as of Jan 1 '08 there will be a $95 fee to use points at non DVC resorts.
4) See #2
5) Yes to all

We have been visting Disney twice a year since '95 and joined DVC in '99. We have never had any type of issue with theft and we have stayed at alot of the resorts both DVC and non.

As for noise: well BWV (boardwalk) can be noisey if your room is on the Boardwalk. Just because the Boardwalk is considered a destination and is open til 2am. Other than that the BWV is pretty quiet. VWL (Wilderness Lodge) was extremley quiet, however our room was in the back overlooking the woods. As for BCV (Beach club) we have not had the opportunity to stay there.

Views: This is a personal preferance. In my humble opinion I have not had a bad view at any of the resorts. It seems Disney tries hard to make all rooms as pleasent as possible even if your facing a parking lot. Although I sure some will disagree with me.

Also there is the possibility of tax savings, the propety tax can be posssibly deducted on your personal taxes, and the Interest may also be duductable.
Good luck on your decision hope this helps a little.

 

[solgent]

Re Q5: We have had 1 stay at SSR & 1 stay at BCV. We found the rooms clean, safe and quiet. You might be interested to know that the Unofficial Guide did tests on how sound travels at various resorts and they found that the resorts with the quietest tooms are the ones where rooms open to the outside (e.g., SSR, the "hallways" are outdoors) rather than those that open to an interior corridor (e.g., BCV). Reason is that the doors are thicker and seal better to insulate against the temperature difference between indoors & out.

 

[tigertamm]

Fellow accountant/overanalyzer here! Looks like all of your questions listed have been answered. I would add a few points here. You will be told to buy where you want to stay, but you will be also told that it doesn't matter where you buy as long as you are deligent about booking within the 7 month window and may be waitlisted, but will most likely get your request. If money doesn't matter "that much" don't worry too much about dues. They will be less than the inflation rates on the rooms and all are within a dollar of each other. Think of joining as a commitment to vacationing with your family -mostly at Disney World!!! You can use the points elsewhere when you want for a $75-$95 fee, so enjoy that freedom if you want. Take it from someone who has spent way too many hours sweating out this purchase-just estimate how many points your family needs and take the plunge. If it doesn't work out- you can always sell later or even better buy more points later. Just enjoy!!!