My argument against DVC

[Brian Noble]

If you have an idea of when you want to go, the time to secure an exchange can be very minimal---put in an ongoing request for the date(s), resort(s), and minimum unit size you want, and wait for it to happen. You need a backup plan in case that doesn't come through, especially if you are going during a time of high overall timeshare demand for central Florida and/or you have a very specific request.

The common backup strategies are to either add smaller units and more resorts (including non-Disney resorts) to your request as your dates get closer, or have a reservation using some other means that you can cancel very late with no penalty.

Another common strategy is to start with a very wide net, taking the first thing that is acceptable, and then "trade up" as better units become available. This costs a little bit more (because you nominally pay an extra fee each time you trade up) but a bird in the hand...

In II, I used the wide-net/trade-up approach, because inventory seemed harder to come by than it does right this second in RCI. In RCI, so far, I'm using the widen-as-you-go strategy but I may rethink that for the future.

Exchange is never as certain or as flexible/convenient as owning. On the other hand, it can be significantly less expensive than owning or renting from an owner. For the family that doesn't view the occasional offsite stay akin to a term in a federal prison, exchange can be a way to get access to DVC from on a space-available basis without the higher costs of ownership. In that sense, it works really well for us. We're happy to take an exchange when we can get it, but if we can't, well, staying at Bonnet Creek or maybe one of the Hiltons is okay too. In fact, after "squeezing" the four of us into a 1BR a couple years ago, we've mostly decided we'd rather be offsite in a 2BR+ than onsite in a 1BR going forward. We're not yet irrevocably addicted to the pixie dust.

Finally, while the "marginal cost" in time for each exchange is pretty modest, the "sunk cost" of time in navigating the timeshare exchange learning curve is non-trivial. As I alluded to before, it's a hobby, not a rational "time investment" strategy.

 

[Dean]

Perhaps it is as easy as you say. What is the average time you need to invest to make all of these transactions happen? Have you had any trades go bad? If not, what do you do to protect yourself?

This is not the grand inquisition. Just curious.

I would agree with Brian's information but will add a few tidbits of my own. As for time, effort, cost, risk, etc; it is mostly generated or avoided on the front end. Getting good timeshare choices for a good price that will do what you want it to and planning ahead accordingly is most of the battle. That's a little tougher with RCI than II but the rewards and returns appear to be better with RCI than with II as well. You put the effort and planning on the front end getting things that are quality (and inexpensive enough) and will work well for you in general and will likely be able to trade to DVC (if that is one of your major objectives). But you want to have situations and planning in such a way that even if you can never trade to DVC, you still have a good situation. Buying a timeshare to use or trade is such a personal decision that it's impossible to make one recommendation. I'd direct you to TUG for a rounded view and info from many different people rather than just the few of us here who are bi from a timeshare standpoint. I'd say that a points system that trades with RCI, allows you to pick the week to deposit (or ignores trade power), has top rated resorts not in Orlando and has resorts you personally want to visit would be a good choice for most for this purpose. Bluegreen fits that bill as does Hilton, Wyndham likely does not for DVC trading. Or you could look for a cheap week at a resort that is currently known to trade truly well and easily trades for DVC. Ultimately you'd want to get something you would be happy if it doesn't trade for DVC long term (or they switch back to II) or that is cheap enough that if you end up giving it away you really haven't lost anything. Also note that some of the systems also include RCI weeks and/or points as part of your ownership. A GOOD non Orlando RCI points resort is also a good choice but right now I'm seeing more inventory on the RCI weeks side compared to the RCI points side. However, you don't have to worry about trading power on the RCI points side so it is likely a less risky option for getting DVC. I made 2 deposits to my RCI weeks account yesterday and the trading power is all over the place. The one on file I had already sees about 150K units and sees DVC, the other 2 see 130K and 100K respectively and neither see DVC. I have another 3-4 weeks to deposit over the next month or so and I will be interested in how they compare. I am in effect doing my own mini trade test.

As Brian pointed out, there are also strategies that improve your chances of success. Often these strategies are applicable to DVC exchanging out as well. These might include looking for more weeks, planning further ahead, more resorts or smaller units or a different time of year. One could also get a cash rental and then canceling if you get the match. I've used this with Marriott reward points canceling reservations as matches were obtained. Here's a good example for HI which I've used on DIS before. Say you want to go to HI for 2 weeks and have a period of time you want to go but air is also important because well it's HI and tends to be expensive. First you put in for multiple resort/multiple islands over say a 4 week period. But then you find the right air (or use FF miles) and lock in air arriving HNL on Fri and departing HNL in 2 weeks on Sun. So now you're limited to 2 weeks but you still have the option of any island and any start day (or at least most of them). Once you get one week, you alter your requests for the start days, resorts and islands that make sense. You'll have 2 or 3 days out of pocket at a hotel or timeshare. One can, and likely should, make a cash back up reservation for the times in question so you can keep looking for up until the last minute.

 

[Modeltrf]

If you have an idea of when you want to go, the time to secure an exchange can be very minimal---put in an ongoing request for the date(s), resort(s), and minimum unit size you want, and wait for it to happen. You need a backup plan in case that doesn't come through, especially if you are going during a time of high overall timeshare demand for central Florida and/or you have a very specific request.

The common backup strategies are to either add smaller units and more resorts (including non-Disney resorts) to your request as your dates get closer, or have a reservation using some other means that you can cancel very late with no penalty.

Another common strategy is to start with a very wide net, taking the first thing that is acceptable, and then "trade up" as better units become available. This costs a little bit more (because you nominally pay an extra fee each time you trade up) but a bird in the hand...

In II, I used the wide-net/trade-up approach, because inventory seemed harder to come by than it does right this second in RCI. In RCI, so far, I'm using the widen-as-you-go strategy but I may rethink that for the future.

Exchange is never as certain or as flexible/convenient as owning. On the other hand, it can be significantly less expensive than owning or renting from an owner. For the family that doesn't view the occasional offsite stay akin to a term in a federal prison, exchange can be a way to get access to DVC from on a space-available basis without the higher costs of ownership. In that sense, it works really well for us. We're happy to take an exchange when we can get it, but if we can't, well, staying at Bonnet Creek or maybe one of the Hiltons is okay too. In fact, after "squeezing" the four of us into a 1BR a couple years ago, we've mostly decided we'd rather be offsite in a 2BR+ than onsite in a 1BR going forward. We're not yet irrevocably addicted to the pixie dust.

Finally, while the "marginal cost" in time for each exchange is pretty modest, the "sunk cost" of time in navigating the timeshare exchange learning curve is non-trivial. As I alluded to before, it's a hobby, not a rational "time investment" strategy.

I would agree with Brian's information but will add a few tidbits of my own. As for time, effort, cost, risk, etc; it is mostly generated or avoided on the front end. Getting good timeshare choices for a good price that will do what you want it to and planning ahead accordingly is most of the battle. That's a little tougher with RCI than II but the rewards and returns appear to be better with RCI than with II as well. You put the effort and planning on the front end getting things that are quality (and inexpensive enough) and will work well for you in general and will likely be able to trade to DVC (if that is one of your major objectives). But you want to have situations and planning in such a way that even if you can never trade to DVC, you still have a good situation. Buying a timeshare to use or trade is such a personal decision that it's impossible to make one recommendation. I'd direct you to TUG for a rounded view and info from many different people rather than just the few of us here who are bi from a timeshare standpoint. I'd say that a points system that trades with RCI, allows you to pick the week to deposit (or ignores trade power), has top rated resorts not in Orlando and has resorts you personally want to visit would be a good choice for most for this purpose. Bluegreen fits that bill as does Hilton, Wyndham likely does not for DVC trading. Or you could look for a cheap week at a resort that is currently known to trade truly well and easily trades for DVC. Ultimately you'd want to get something you would be happy if it doesn't trade for DVC long term (or they switch back to II) or that is cheap enough that if you end up giving it away you really haven't lost anything. Also note that some of the systems also include RCI weeks and/or points as part of your ownership. A GOOD non Orlando RCI points resort is also a good choice but right now I'm seeing more inventory on the RCI weeks side compared to the RCI points side. However, you don't have to worry about trading power on the RCI points side so it is likely a less risky option for getting DVC. I made 2 deposits to my RCI weeks account yesterday and the trading power is all over the place. The one on file I had already sees about 150K units and sees DVC, the other 2 see 130K and 100K respectively and neither see DVC. I have another 3-4 weeks to deposit over the next month or so and I will be interested in how they compare. I am in effect doing my own mini trade test.

As Brian pointed out, there are also strategies that improve your chances of success. Often these strategies are applicable to DVC exchanging out as well. These might include looking for more weeks, planning further ahead, more resorts or smaller units or a different time of year. One could also get a cash rental and then canceling if you get the match. I've used this with Marriott reward points canceling reservations as matches were obtained. Here's a good example for HI which I've used on DIS before. Say you want to go to HI for 2 weeks and have a period of time you want to go but air is also important because well it's HI and tends to be expensive. First you put in for multiple resort/multiple islands over say a 4 week period. But then you find the right air (or use FF miles) and lock in air arriving HNL on Fri and departing HNL in 2 weeks on Sun. So now you're limited to 2 weeks but you still have the option of any island and any start day (or at least most of them). Once you get one week, you alter your requests for the start days, resorts and islands that make sense. You'll have 2 or 3 days out of pocket at a hotel or timeshare. One can, and likely should, make a cash back up reservation for the times in question so you can keep looking for up until the last minute.

Thank you Brian and Dean. Some of your shared info I knew, other parts are good new info. I have used TUG over the years to increase my knowledge. It is a good resource.

The exchange can clearly save you considerable money. As Brian more than alluded though there is a time investment, which can be ignored especially if one likes to do those things.

A point to ponder: Do most people enjoy investing this amount of time and energy into their vacations? I would say no. Perhaps there are more of us on these boards that do (that is probably why we are on these boards and others are not).

Another point to ponder: I know some incredibly smart people who have a hard time just keeping their financial house in order. For them, and others, the task of exchanging isn't fun. It might be seen as risky, daunting or too much like a burden (although I can't relate to that one).

Again, thanks for the info!

 

[Brian Noble]

Do most people enjoy investing this amount of time and energy into their vacations?

Probably not. However, playing the exchange game "adequately" rather than "very well" takes a lot less time and it can still bring benefit. My uncle, for example, spends a lot less time on this than I do. He's owned at Orange Lake for close to 25 years now, and just by talking to folks around the pool has picked up some nice tips to extend his time at OLCC much less expensively than even buying a resale at that resort.

I know some incredibly smart people who have a hard time just keeping their financial house in order.

I do too. I can't tell you the number of otherwise smart people I know who are completely unable to, say, compare a home loan with and without points to decide which is a better deal. Such people are prime targets for timeshare salesfolk, unfortunately.

Another problem that often comes up---people tend to believe what their salesperson "suggests" about exchange. Namely, that you can buy an offseason studio week and then exchange it for anything, anywhere, at any time. When they actually try to trade that mud-season week for a 2BR at Atlantis for New Years, well, they're pretty darn frustrated.

Of course, the written material doesn't say that at all, but who reads that? Just take a look at all the people here on DIS who had no idea that reallocation was possible! And, these are the invested owners...

Edited to add: ultimately, though, you have to expect that over time exchange will lose its financial advantage. Most of the really great deals are due to an information advantage. As the various players get better information, these advantages begin to disappear, for a variety of reasons.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Until recently, DVC made no sense. DH is a castmember and it always beat the DVC price.

Now we are recipients of a dear friends points. He has "lost the love for Disney". I don't need to start an argument here so I won't define (will be happy to via PM). Ok, anyway, he is keeping his points to hopefully use in the future when the Disney experience improves for him.

He now gives us his points as birthday and christmas gifts. Most recently we made reservations for a 2 BR at the Grand Cali in December.

What we have found on our recent DVC trips has been discouraging, however.

Last visit was Boardwalk Villas and our poor little 1 BR was sad. It was in desperate need of renovations and hearing - "we will begin renovations soon" did not improve the stove not working, leaking shower and bathroom sink, and a general look of shabby. You can see at one time our little 1 BR was a charmer but Disney should be ashamed at it's condition durng our stay.

We have also never gotten into a DVC room before 5:30 in the evening. No thanks - never a problem with our Castmember reservations. (OK, this is one of the reasons my friend is discouraged wth his MANY DVC contracts).

Our other "issue" is ----- what's with the waitlists? .....and not clearing!! We change resorts rarely once we arrive and nest and didn't like having to change TWICE on one trip because our waitlist did not clear. (by the way, the resort was not sold out because they had castmember rooms available when my DH checked just before we left for WDW - what's with that?)

I will admit, we are very lucky to receive such generous gifts of DVC points - our friend is a very special person indeed. We are also lucky that we do not have budge an inch on our Grand Cali reservation in December - thank goodness...where would be move TO?????

We are very spoiled with the cost and availability of DH's Castmember choices (I cannot believe how much BLT is available in December for castmember rates!!!)

It's just not worth the $$$ and inconvenience to purchase DVC when castmember choices are sooooo cheep and flexible now.

Honestly, I hope our friend starts using his points more - he was a very happy Pooh Bear on his past trips to WDW. His last trip to BWI might be his last for a while, he was pretty discouraged .

Our Grand Cali reservation finally used his banked points from 2008.

Isn't this truly a sad thing - no one wants their friend to loose the Disney-love!!!!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Well you won't be able to beat that "Shabby Bwv condition" drum for too much longer as the resort is getting a total rehab and will be done by Jan. 1. . Let's not distract the readers.

Until recently, DVC made no sense. DH is a castmember and it always beat the DVC price.

Now we are recipients of a dear friends points. He has "lost the love for Disney". I don't need to start an argument here so I won't define (will be happy to via PM). Ok, anyway, he is keeping his points to hopefully use in the future when the Disney experience improves for him.

He now gives us his points as birthday and christmas gifts. Most recently we made reservations for a 2 BR at the Grand Cali in December.

What we have found on our recent DVC trips has been discouraging, however.

Last visit was Boardwalk Villas and our poor little 1 BR was sad. It was in desperate need of renovations and hearing - "we will begin renovations soon" did not improve the stove not working, leaking shower and bathroom sink, and a general look of shabby. You can see at one time our little 1 BR was a charmer but Disney should be ashamed at it's condition durng our stay.

We have also never gotten into a DVC room before 5:30 in the evening. No thanks - never a problem with our Castmember reservations. (OK, this is one of the reasons my friend is discouraged wth his MANY DVC contracts).

Our other "issue" is ----- what's with the waitlists? .....and not clearing!! We change resorts rarely once we arrive and nest and didn't like having to change TWICE on one trip because our waitlist did not clear. (by the way, the resort was not sold out because they had castmember rooms available when my DH checked just before we left for WDW - what's with that?)

I will admit, we are very lucky to receive such generous gifts of DVC points - our friend is a very special person indeed. We are also lucky that we do not have budge an inch on our Grand Cali reservation in December - thank goodness...where would be move TO?????

We are very spoiled with the cost and availability of DH's Castmember choices (I cannot believe how much BLT is available in December for castmember rates!!!)

It's just not worth the $$$ and inconvenience to purchase DVC when castmember choices are sooooo cheep and flexible now.

Honestly, I hope our friend starts using his points more - he was a very happy Pooh Bear on his past trips to WDW. His last trip to BWI might be his last for a while, he was pretty discouraged .

Our Grand Cali reservation finally used his banked points from 2008.

Isn't this truly a sad thing - no one wants their friend to loose the Disney-love!!!!

 

[thelionqueen]

Until recently, DVC made no sense. DH is a castmember and it always beat the DVC price.

Now we are recipients of a dear friends points. He has "lost the love for Disney". I don't need to start an argument here so I won't define (will be happy to via PM). Ok, anyway, he is keeping his points to hopefully use in the future when the Disney experience improves for him.

He now gives us his points as birthday and christmas gifts. Most recently we made reservations for a 2 BR at the Grand Cali in December.

What we have found on our recent DVC trips has been discouraging, however.

Last visit was Boardwalk Villas and our poor little 1 BR was sad. It was in desperate need of renovations and hearing - "we will begin renovations soon" did not improve the stove not working, leaking shower and bathroom sink, and a general look of shabby. You can see at one time our little 1 BR was a charmer but Disney should be ashamed at it's condition durng our stay.

We have also never gotten into a DVC room before 5:30 in the evening. No thanks - never a problem with our Castmember reservations. (OK, this is one of the reasons my friend is discouraged wth his MANY DVC contracts).

Our other "issue" is ----- what's with the waitlists? .....and not clearing!! We change resorts rarely once we arrive and nest and didn't like having to change TWICE on one trip because our waitlist did not clear. (by the way, the resort was not sold out because they had castmember rooms available when my DH checked just before we left for WDW - what's with that?)

I will admit, we are very lucky to receive such generous gifts of DVC points - our friend is a very special person indeed. We are also lucky that we do not have budge an inch on our Grand Cali reservation in December - thank goodness...where would be move TO?????

We are very spoiled with the cost and availability of DH's Castmember choices (I cannot believe how much BLT is available in December for castmember rates!!!)

It's just not worth the $$$ and inconvenience to purchase DVC when castmember choices are sooooo cheep and flexible now.

Honestly, I hope our friend starts using his points more - he was a very happy Pooh Bear on his past trips to WDW. His last trip to BWI might be his last for a while, he was pretty discouraged .

Our Grand Cali reservation finally used his banked points from 2008.

Isn't this truly a sad thing - no one wants their friend to loose the Disney-love!!!!

I totally understand the discount for CM's on hotels and other items. But, unless you can be guaranteed that your DH will remain a CM indefinitely, you might reconsider.

I am also a CM, but own DVC because of the accommodations and price for 50 years. Although I would LOVE to be a CM for 50+ years, the chance that I actually will be is small. Especially given the current economy, I've seen quality long-term CM's get a laid off (I'm talking people with 15+ years of service) with no notice, no opportunity to transfer, NOTHING!!

So while the CM discount is significant, the cost of owning DVC is comparable over the 50 years I plan on going to Disney. As long as you have the CM discount, DVC might not be for you. But if you find yourself one day among those non CM's, having DVC would be the next best thing IMO.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I totally understand the discount for CM's on hotels and other items. But, unless you can be guaranteed that your DH will remain a CM indefinitely, you might reconsider.

I am also a CM, but own DVC because of the accommodations and price for 50 years. Although I would LOVE to be a CM for 50+ years, the chance that I actually will be is small. Especially given the current economy, I've seen quality long-term CM's get a laid off (I'm talking people with 15+ years of service) with no notice, no opportunity to transfer, NOTHING!!

So while the CM discount is significant, the cost of owning DVC is comparable over the 50 years I plan on going to Disney. As long as you have the CM discount, DVC might not be for you. But if you find yourself one day among those non CM's, having DVC would be the next best thing IMO.

I understand what you are saying...but at 31 years as a castmember. DH will have some perks in retirement which work against DVC ownership. More importantly, however....

Not to be too blunt - but DH will be working for health insurance until I am out of the picture. I have an illness which is going to rob me of longevity. We don't make long-term plans. We make plans we can afford and enjoy right now. Thank goodness for Disney health insurance!

For us - and I'm speaking for just us....it simply is too restricting and too expensive for our travel choices. Sure, we got the Grand Cali 2 BR we wanted on the day we called....but we have also had to change DVC resorts TWICE in one trip because waitlists did not clear....ok,ok, I DID say that before..sorry to repeat myself!

Some may think it's OK for the BWV to have shabby accommodations because they are upgrading them soon. What about the people who have had to stay in.....shabby? We will now stay at BWI - their room on a recent trip was spectacular.

There are TOO MANY terrific travel deals out there at the moment. Each one we have grabbed have treated us like royalty. In NYC, for example, we "paid" for our room with AMEX points. Upon arrival, we were automatically upgraded to the concierge floor with a Fireworks View Room on July 4th. We have never stayed at a Crown Plaza where we have not been upgraded. (Ok, I travel a great deal for business and Crown Plaza's know me well.) THESE are the travel deals we prefer instead of shabby accommodations with the excuse of....."the villas will begin renovationed soon".

Anyway....for some of us DVC simply does not make sense.

I thought that was the purpose of this thread....why DVC didn't work for everyone.

 

[Dean]

A point to ponder: Do most people enjoy investing this amount of time and energy into their vacations? I would say no. Perhaps there are more of us on these boards that do (that is probably why we are on these boards and others are not).

I can't speak for others but for me I do but I'm a planner and it is a labor of love. Plus it keeps me occupied and out of trouble, not necessarily a bad thing. Another benefit to planning ahead is that if you have something already in the works at the time of a given trip, it significantly reduces the post trip blues that often comes for many. It also leads to cheaper and more productive vacations. And lastly, it can satisfy that sense of adventure by the chase itself.

I agree with Brian that it's not difficult if you have limited goals in mind. I was trying to say that but I guess I didn't very well. IMO you can put in some work early on in finding the right thing to buy and then figuring out how to use the system. After that the amount of work can be very minimal if you want it to be.

 

[thelionqueen]

I understand what you are saying...but at 31 years as a castmember. DH will have some perks in retirement which work against DVC ownership. More importantly, however....

Not to be too blunt - but DH will be working for health insurance until I am out of the picture. I have an illness which is going to rob me of longevity. We don't make long-term plans. We make plans we can afford and enjoy right now. Thank goodness for Disney health insurance!

For us - and I'm speaking for just us....it simply is too restricting and too expensive for our travel choices. Sure, we got the Grand Cali 2 BR we wanted on the day we called....but we have also had to change DVC resorts TWICE in one trip because waitlists did not clear....ok,ok, I DID say that before..sorry to repeat myself!

Some may think it's OK for the BWV to have shabby accommodations because they are upgrading them soon. What about the people who have had to stay in.....shabby? We will now stay at BWI - their room on a recent trip was spectacular.

There are TOO MANY terrific travel deals out there at the moment. Each one we have grabbed have treated us like royalty. In NYC, for example, we "paid" for our room with AMEX points. Upon arrival, we were automatically upgraded to the concierge floor with a Fireworks View Room on July 4th. We have never stayed at a Crown Plaza where we have not been upgraded. (Ok, I travel a great deal for business and Crown Plaza's know me well.) THESE are the travel deals we prefer instead of shabby accommodations with the excuse of....."the villas will begin renovationed soon".

Anyway....for some of us DVC simply does not make sense.

I thought that was the purpose of this thread....why DVC didn't work for everyone.

Which is why I ended my comment with "which is why DVC may not work for you".

I'm certainly not advocating that DVC is right for everyone, or that it is not. Just posting my opinion, which I thought is the purpose of this board overall, not just this thread.

 

[Modeltrf]

ultimately, though, you have to expect that over time exchange will lose its financial advantage. Most of the really great deals are due to an information advantage. As the various players get better information, these advantages begin to disappear, for a variety of reasons.

So very true.

 

[Modeltrf]

I can't speak for others but for me I do but I'm a planner and it is a labor of love. Plus it keeps me occupied and out of trouble, not necessarily a bad thing. Another benefit to planning ahead is that if you have something already in the works at the time of a given trip, it significantly reduces the post trip blues that often comes for many. It also leads to cheaper and more productive vacations. And lastly, it can satisfy that sense of adventure by the chase itself.

I agree with Brian that it's not difficult if you have limited goals in mind. I was trying to say that but I guess I didn't very well. IMO you can put in some work early on in finding the right thing to buy and then figuring out how to use the system. After that the amount of work can be very minimal if you want it to be.

The section in bold describes me. I annoy my wife with my incessant ‘next’ vacation plans while we are traveling back from our current vacation. If we ever get a divorce she would probably list that in her top five reasons. My DW will often point out we don't need to plan this much as we can afford to go as we please. Oh, how those words hurt! Our circular reasoning always includes me mentioning we can afford it because my planning makes it affordable. But it is the chase that I enjoy the most. Please don’t think this is too weird - some of our friends routinely ask me for help in planning their vacations. I am always more than willing to oblige.

That leads me to why I mentioned the points to ponder rather than just stating what was on my mind. This time I will state my point. There are cheaper ways to get all the DVC benefits but the majority of vacationers are not like us. Unlike us the chase of the next affordable vacation is a burden not a hobby. For them DVC membership may be the only way they can tolerate the minimal planning that must be done with a timeshare.

There is another reason why one would purchase through DVC, lack of personal flexibility. I have 4 children and it can be difficult to find the window of time where all of us are available. I have taken some of my family here and there on vacation but I prefer to have us all together on our annual Florida, which includes Disney, trips. For those trips convenience of scheduling trumps price.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

The section in bold describes me. I annoy my wife with my incessant ‘next’ vacation plans while we are traveling back from our current vacation. If we ever get a divorce she would probably list that in her top five reasons. My DW will often point out we don't need to plan this much as we can afford to go as we please. Oh, how those words hurt! Our circular reasoning always includes me mentioning we can afford it because my planning makes it affordable. But it is the chase that I enjoy the most. Please don’t think this is too weird - some of our friends routinely ask me for help in planning their vacations. I am always more than willing to oblige.

That leads me to why I mentioned the points to ponder rather than just stating what was on my mind. This time I will state my point. There are cheaper ways to get all the DVC benefits but the majority of vacationers are not like us. Unlike us the chase of the next affordable vacation is a burden not a hobby. For them DVC membership may be the only way they can tolerate the minimal planning that must be done with a timeshare.

There is another reason why one would purchase through DVC, lack of personal flexibility. I have 4 children and it can be difficult to find the window of time where all of us are available. I have taken some of my family here and there on vacation but I prefer to have us all together on our annual Florida, which includes Disney, trips. For those trips convenience of scheduling trumps price.

I agree about planning.

I am the planner and the idea guru in our family. The flexibility of AMEX points means we have free car rentals when we travel, free flights, free hotel rooms.....can't beat that. We pay for everything with the AMEX card for the points - GO AMEX!

I have come up with so many solutions to airfare for our outbound flight Thanksgivng Saturday that we can't remember all the choices...one of the rare occassions we have to PAY for a flight because of a blackout date.

Most of my agressive planning happens when I am first back from a trip. It helps bounce over the "I'm home blues" by planning the next adventure.

My DH has 7 1/2 weeks of vacation....that means LOTS of planning!

 

[Dean]

There is another reason why one would purchase through DVC, lack of personal flexibility. I have 4 children and it can be difficult to find the window of time where all of us are available. I have taken some of my family here and there on vacation but I prefer to have us all together on our annual Florida, which includes Disney, trips. For those trips convenience of scheduling trumps price.

A couple of points. Even owning DVC instills a certain amount of risk of not getting what you want, esp if you are inflexible. I'd suggest that the chance of getting something good even if not DVC trading is infinitely higher than the chance of getting a given DVC reservation. Some would say that view excludes Xmas, President's week and Easter but I would suggest it really doesn't.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I'm certainly not advocating that DVC is right for everyone, or that it is not. Just posting my opinion, which I thought is the purpose of this board overall, not just this thread.

You are absolutely right...the purpose IS for exchanging ideas....not that we are always allowed to exchange a .. differing idea.

 

[DVCGeek]

I can't speak for others but for me I do but I'm a planner and it is a labor of love. Plus it keeps me occupied and out of trouble, not necessarily a bad thing. Another benefit to planning ahead is that if you have something already in the works at the time of a given trip, it significantly reduces the post trip blues that often comes for many. It also leads to cheaper and more productive vacations. And lastly, it can satisfy that sense of adventure by the chase itself.

I'm absolutely the planner of my family and for me being able to book DVC 11 months out is GREAT! The periods where rates aren't available for early in the calendar year trips (like now for Jan/feb. 2010) drive me nutty. Makes chasing the blues away easier to always have at least 1 Disney trip booked at all times. In fact, right now I have three booked due to some odd circumstances, and am considering on logistics for a fall 2010 trip + calculating ideas for point use in 2011...

 

[fishermouse]

Just to add my two cents, we have 425 points in 3 contracts and usually visit 3 or 4 times a year, depending on hpow we handle the weekends. Definatly get smaller contracts if you want that many points. You may decide later on you need more or less points 150 point contracts seem to sell pretty quick, anything more might be hard (not impossible) to unload if you decide to.

 

[Dean]

I'm absolutely the planner of my family and for me being able to book DVC 11 months out is GREAT! The periods where rates aren't available for early in the calendar year trips (like now for Jan/feb. 2010) drive me nutty. Makes chasing the blues away easier to always have at least 1 Disney trip booked at all times. In fact, right now I have three booked due to some odd circumstances, and am considering on logistics for a fall 2010 trip + calculating ideas for point use in 2011...

Being a true planner does make a lot of difference.

To clarify, when I stated above that those trading had a better chance of getting something good that DVC members, I was referring to resorts in general, not simply DVC. Obviously a DVC member has a better chance of getting a given DVC reservation than does an exchanger. However, exchangers do have access to inventory that DVC members don't necessarily have access to just like through CRO.

 

[thelionqueen]

Count me in as a big time Planner!!

Honestly, the planning is one of the things I enjoy most about vacationing. My brain loves working out every detail and reservation, and I look forward to it. DH figured out about 5 years ago that at the end of a vacation, if we already had another planned, I could go back home without tears or incident Which is why DVC is a must have for us.

 

[Modeltrf]

To clarify, when I stated above that those trading had a better chance of getting something good that DVC members, I was referring to resorts in general, not simply DVC. Obviously a DVC member has a better chance of getting a given DVC reservation than does an exchanger. However, exchangers do have access to inventory that DVC members don't necessarily have access to just like through CRO.

Thanks for clarifying Dean. I read your post a few times because I couldn’t figure out how it could be as you stated. Now I understand the point you were making.

Do DVC members have less access through CRO? I know you and I discussed this in detail on a different thread. I remember the discussion concluding with us agreeing we don’t know if there are restrictions. Some say yes…Disney says no. It is probably best we don’t get into that discussion again?

That being said, DVC members do have as much access to CRO as the general public. They just need to book it through the CRO. Or find someone to exchange through a CRO booking. IMO you don’t have less access as a DVC member.