Need help convincing....?

[Esmerelda]

Ok...my fiance and I are in our mid 40's but 17 in our hearts. We both love to travel and we certainly do LOVE Disney World and all that it entails.

Please convince he and I that going the DVC route is the best. I really just do not quite understand the system. (yes, I DID read the FAQ section). It still seems quite confusing to me. It seems easier just renting a room on property??

I have a college degree here but am still confused on this system and can't really get the jist of the perks....

anyone....help....
Esmerelda....

 

[Beca]

Hi,

I am new to this whole thing, too. I would STRONGLY recommend going to www.disney.go.com, and linking on the "Disney Vacation Club" website. Request to have Disney send you a vacation package (or, you can call the number on the website and request one as well). They will send you a free video, plus an amazing book which lists all of your options, points required for each room at each time of year, and floorplans. The only thing the book really does not show you is location of each resort (because Disney is only selling SSR). But, you can easily find maps of the locations of all resorts online. Then, if you want to purchase, you can do so either through Disney (if you want to buy SSR), or resale (through the timeshare store on this site, or others). Then, I recommend coming back to this site...you will start to pick up the lingo because you will have more "help" with the DVC guide in front of you!!

Feel free to email me if you have any ques. I am new, and may not be able to answer...but, I will help you in any way I can!!

Good luck,
Beca

 

[HookdonWDW]

Some questions to ask yourself:

Do you travel to WDW at least every other year?

Do you like to stay onsite?

Do you like to stay in at least Moderate or Deluxe accomodations? If so, the cost of owning DVC will be comparable/less than you are currently spending (depending on number of points purchased).

Are you in a financial position to handle not only the points purchase, but also the Maintainance Fees?

If you can answer "yes" to each of these questions, DVC may be for you.

 

[borncinderella]

Esmerelda,

I think the last thing you will ever see on this board is anyone who will be willing to "talk you into it!" LOL
One of the things I love about this board is how honest DVC members are about the fact that "DVC is not for everyone." Not to be elitist, but just very supportive of having everyone go into their contract with their eyes open and feeling very good about their decision.
I think if you answer the questions above, you may receive specific information and opinions more helpful to your situation. For instance, where have you taken vacations in the last 10 years?

 

[niks81]

I'll keep it short and sweet.

Best investment I've made yet

 

[tjkraz]

I'll second the suggestion to get in touch with DVC and receive the sales materials. After watching the 20 minute video, you will probably know all you need to know about DVC.

To tide you over, here are some bullet points:

- When buying into DVC, you purchase a block of points (150 is the current minimum). Every year you receive that number of points to use for your vacation stays.

- Aside from the initial investment, you must also pay annual maintenance fees, which are also charged on a per-point basis.

- The point cost for any single resort stay will depend on several factors including the resort, room size, time of year and even the day of the week.

- When you buy into DVC, you are actually purchasing an ownership in your "Home" resort. DVC points can actually be used for stays at ALL DVC properties, but it's best to choose a "Home" resort that is your favorite amoung the properties. The main reason for this is that you can book 11 months in advance at your Home and only 7 months in advance at the other DVC properties.

- Ownership at all DVC properties EXCEPT Saratoga Springs will end in 2042. SSR ownership runs through 2054.

- Right now SSR is the only resort being sold direct by DVC. However you can buy into the other resorts via a resale.

OK, now I'll give you a real-life example to wrap yourself around. Bear in mind that this is probably the single most advantageous scenario I could come up with, so "mileage may vary."

If you bought into Old Key West on the resale market, you'd probably pay in the neighborhood of $68 per point. 150 points would cost you $10200 up front. At $3.68 per point (for 2004), dues will run you an additional $552 per year.

A studio room (which is the closest thing DVC has to a "Deluxe" guestroom) during the lowest season, Sunday to Thursday stay, would run 8 points per night. So, you could actually stretch those 150 points out to as many as EIGHTEEN nights in an OKW studio.

18 nights in "deluxe" accommodations for $552 per year. Does that help put things in perspective?

Now, realize that points go up to 20 per night on the weekends. And this low season only encompasses 2 1/2 months of the calendar (1/1 to 1/31, 9/1 to 9/30 and 12/1 to 12/14).

The materials that DVC would send out to you show the entire point charts for all resorts, all months. You should be able to plug in your vacation dates and see how many points you need to buy. No matter how you slice it, if you are used to deluxe WDW accommodations (or even moderate in some cases), it's just a matter of time before you break even on that initial up-front investment. From there, you're getting years of WDW vacations for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Esmerelda]

Wow...what great responses...

Beca: thanks for your post, and I will surely email if I'm still lost..I appreciate the offer!

HookedOnWDW: We have been to WDW...WDW...Daytona Beach..WDW...a cruise...another cruise last year...WDW this fall... spring of 2005 we are honeymooning at WDW for a short time before heading to the beautiful island of Kauai, HI!! So yep....we have hit Disney many times. Payiing maintenance fees? I have no clue because I don't quite understand this all yet.


tjkraz: thanks for your explaination...it was super. I still am not quite clear on things such as maintenance fees...I'm assuming those aren't in your points (which I think is odd?..) I will log onto Disney and ask for their package on the whole DVC thing. I would only want to invest in something if I thought I was really getting my moneys worth. (somehow paying $400+ for a concierge room at the Poly is not my moneys worth...I want to sleep in it...not take it home..LOL..sorry) I'm sort of frugal and I work hard for my money so I am careful about what I spend it on...but I still like to have fun!!

thanks for all responses...you folks are super!
Esmerelda

 

[Beca]

Your welcome...

The main. fees (no, they are not "in" your points), are tied to your points. Each resort has a "per point cost" of main. fees...so, the more you own, the more you pay.

For ex: We are in the process of buying 210 points at Boardwalk Villas. They "per point" yearly main. fee at boardwalk is $4.25 (I think, if I remember correctly).

So, $4.25 x 210=$892.50 yearly maintenance fees. These can be paid monthly or yearly (but, if you purchase resale, the whole first year's dues must be paid at closing).

Hope this helps,
Beca

 

[dcfromva]

I still am not quite clear on things such as maintenance fees...

Esmerelda,
Actually, maintenance fees represent your biggest expense on a per year basis--so, it is really important to have a good understanding of maint. fees.
Let me explain with an example. Currently, SSR costs $89.00 per point. (In this example, I am assuming the points are paid for using cash with no interest fees to figure in.) The contract for SSR is good for another 50 years. So, $89.00 divided by 50 years = $1.78 per point per year.

Add to that the maintenance fee of $3.80 per point and your total point per year cost is $5.58 (This will also give you an idea as to how much you are actually paying for a room using your points--by multipling this number by the point cost).

Divide 3.80 by 5.58 and you get the percentage of the cost that is the maintence fee (in this case, about 68%).

If maintenance fees stayed the same forever, then that percentage would never change. However, maintenance fees can and do go up a little bit each year. After you made your initial point purchase, your point per year price always stays the same (i.e. in the above case, it will always be $1.78 per point per year) So, every year that the maint. fees go up, you can attribute a higher percentage of your yearly point costs to the maint. fees.

What are the maint. fees used for? To give you an idea of some the costs: They go towards the transportation costs, they pay for member services, they pay for upkeep on the room and housekeeping and linens, et'c...

Good luck with your decision.

-DC

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Go to the official DVC website:

www.disneyvacationclub.com

Order the FREE video!