No more codes and rates for me...we are doing disney vacation club...

[Got Quattro?]

We did the tour, and when you add it all up.... you cant beat DVC.

The best "deal" you can get for a week at WL will cost you $1,100 for the room only.

Using DVC it works out to cost you a little less than $6.00 a point for the lifetime of your deed. So, the same week in a 1 room studio will be $600.

$400 saved each year x 40 years = $16,000 savings at least. thats before you factor in disney price increases and such, where as the $6.00 a point is locked in for the next 40 years.

We signed and sent off paperwork today.

 

[InstImpres]

Welcome Home!!!

 

[keishashadow]

Welcome Home!

Don't be too sure about not needing codes & rates in the future.

You might find yourself choking when you have to pay double, sometimes close to triple points, for weekends. Suddenly it seems reasonable to stretch your points out for 2 or 3 vacations instead of one...perhaps a DCL; and find yourself back looking for bargin rates @ the resorts on the weekends.

Heck, you might even spring for the AP/PAP then get the urge to sneak in even more trips to make it worthwhile.

Don't forget the long-lost relatives who will want to come along too!

Enjoy the magic.

 

[cobbler]

Congrats!! But that 6 will go up because of the dues, but still worth EVERY penny!

For example if you bought at SSR for 83.30 a point you would take that amount and divide by 48 years that equal 1.74 per point + 3.98 in dues for a grand total of 5.72 for this year. Next year it would be the 1.74 and whatever the dues are.

Again, Still worth it!

 

[Stimpy]

Welcome Home!

Don't be too sure about not needing codes & rates in the future.

You might find yourself choking when you have to pay double, sometimes close to triple points, for weekends. Suddenly it seems reasonable to stretch your points out for 2 or 3 vacations instead of one...perhaps a DCL; and find yourself back looking for bargin rates @ the resorts on the weekends.

Heck, you might even spring for the AP/PAP then get the urge to sneak in even more trips to make it worthwhile.

Don't forget the long-lost relatives who will want to come along too!

Enjoy the magic.

Welcome Home!

I have to agree LOL I was just popping in here to check for AP codes for our May trip. It seems that our 260 points don't go as far as we thought they would. Our big extended family trip in November ate all our points for this year so in order to make Star Wars Weekends this year, we'll be staying at POFQ. It's like an addiction...you just keep wanting more!

 

[DisneyGirl]

Welcome Home!!!

Did you sign on SSR, or did you buy a resale?? I also agree with the not being done with discounts -- I lasted a year and a half, and here I am looking for discounts for this coming May and next January.

You are right that DVC is an excellent deal for those of us that are addicted to Disney, though!!

 

[MinnieGi]

Another Welcome Home! And another you may not be totally done with codes and discounts!! LOL!!! We have twice used AP codes for our weekend in our DVC villas to save on those weekend points!

 

[Purrrrfecta]

Welcome Home!

Good to have you. I agree with the other posters. You will NEVER have enough points. I am trying to see how I will be able to manage those weekends, and need a code to or an ap discount to stay in the wilderness cabins this year

 

[Maude4Disney]

Congrats!! DH just said the other night that we would probably buy in next year... I say WHY WAIT!!

 

[TinkTatoo]

Welcome Home!

Don't be too sure about not needing codes & rates in the future.

Another Welcome Home I am another one who is "just checking rates" for part of our Chrismtas stay

 

[Stimpy]

Congrats!! DH just said the other night that we would probably buy in next year... I say WHY WAIT!!

I heard a rumor that the rate may go up in March so you might look into it sooner

 

[CarolA]

I will say this... I find the 'code issue' is not near as big is most of your lodging is paid for by DVC. I am watching for a code in June, but it's not a big deal if it doesn't appear since this is just a few days as opposed to a whole week or something.

 

[nin8jc]

Welcome Home! Have to agree w/ all the others. We used up our points on the Dis Cruise last year and find myself searching for codes for this years trip. Oh well it's all worth it!!

 

[Maude4Disney]

Stimpy - thanks for the info. I'll have to let DH know. We'll see if I can talk him into buying sooner! Thanks again!

 

[LisaS]

Using DVC it works out to cost you a little less than $6.00 a point for the lifetime of your deed.

Your dues will go up an average of 4%-5% per year. So, the $6/point is valid for 2006 but it will go up a bit every year over the lifetime of your contract. For example, using an estimated annual increase of 4.5%, in 10 years (2016) your points will be costing you ~$8/point, in 20 years (2026) your points will be costing you ~$11.50, and by 2054 they will be costing you ~$34/point. However, the hotel rates will also go up every year so you should continue to save money with a DVC studio vs. a hotel room at the same resort.

I just joined DVC in July and am very happy I did. Even though I know my dues will increase every year, I believe it will continue to offer a significant savings over deluxe hotel rates.

I also agree with other posters about caring less about the AP rates now. I will be staying one night at AKL in May. I went ahead and booked at the AAA rate. I would prefer an AP rate but if that's the best I can do that's OK because it's just one night and then we move to BWV.

 

[LakeAriel]

With the $100 savings on an AP it's still a great deal. I am getting two trips in this year with the AP for a total of 14 days of park hopping plus I'm waiting for the AP rate for my already booked Wednesday through Sunday at POFQ. Then I will move to BCV's, 2 one bedrooms for myself and daughter and her extended family. So you never stop looking for deals but that's half the fun! Now DVC includes the dining plan if you want another plus! Plus Magical Express, the perks go on and on..

 

[kjs1976]

With the median price to buy into it, plus dues, plus taxes and other fees, like increases, I don't see how it is cheaper uless you always stay at a Deluxe for full price. We average a 5-8 day trip each year, have stayed at Values through deluxes and have never paid more that $850 total for our room stay. We always get good codes or deals, like through AAA. We considered renting points to stay somewhere nicer and that is even cheaper yet if you check and wait. If you can afford it, I guess it would be something worth doing. I just can't see any savings anywhere no matter how you break it down.

 

[Stimpy]

It really depends on what you are looking for. For us, it was a good investment. We love the BCV and the extra room we have. DVC members get a lot of great perks and discounts. Admittedly, it is not for everyone.

Like a previous poster mentioned, the AP discount is really great. Good dining discounts, plus since there is a kitchen, you can save money by having meals in the room. (I personally refuse to cook on vacation , but I know others do. We do have breakfast almost every morning in the villa) Also, free laundry....the villa's have washer and dryers and you don't need to pack as much.

There are also alot of special member only events, like Disney cruises and new attraction previews, special parties & mixers throughout the year. DVC members can "legally" pool-hop to most Disney resorts. (Exceptions are SKL and SAB if you are not staying at BCV)

You also are not locked into Disney vacations, you can trade out to many places around the country and the world.

I'm starting to sound like a DVC Guide! LOL Maybe I can get a deal on some more points

Ok, there are negatives too. For me, the biggest negative is no daily mousekeeping. That took awhile for me to get used to! But we do still stay at other Disney resorts when we are out of points, so I get someone to clean up after my family besides me sometimes.

 

[kjustice]

As a Florida resident, I don't see how it could be cheaper. We go all the time, but it's always over a weekend. With that and an AP, it's usually not a problem to get a good rate.

Plus, I don't know why, but I can't get past the idea of not staying "in" the hotel. I do like the idea of a kitchen, but since I also won't cook at Disney I don't think it's much better than the fridge in the other rooms. The only meal we sometimes eat in is breakfast.

 

[LisaS]

With the median price to buy into it, plus dues, plus taxes and other fees, like increases, I don't see how it is cheaper uless you always stay at a Deluxe for full price. We average a 5-8 day trip each year, have stayed at Values through deluxes and have never paid more that $850 total for our room stay. We always get good codes or deals, like through AAA. We considered renting points to stay somewhere nicer and that is even cheaper yet if you check and wait. If you can afford it, I guess it would be something worth doing. I just can't see any savings anywhere no matter how you break it down.

The dues include the property taxes, maintenance, housekeeping, transportation costs, etc. so there aren't any other taxes or fees. Financially it works out best for those who do currently stay in mods or deluxes, but not necessarily at full price. I did a price comparison against staying at YC at AP rates. By buying into DVC, I can stay in a BW-view studio at BWV for about 1/3 of the best AP-rate I ever got on a water-view room at YC. I can even move up to a 1 BR, BW-view at BWV and still pay only 2/3 of the best AP rate on a water-view room at YC, and I'll have much nicer accommodations: king bed, large bathroom with a jacuzzi, living/dining area with a sofa, a washer and dryer and a full kitchen.

DVC does work best for those who stay Sun-Thur because DVC charges more for Fri and Sat night stays. The points required for your stay vary based on time of year, by resort, and in the case of BWV, by view with BW views requiring more points than standard view rooms. As you say, DVC is not for everybody because it depends on when you go, how long you stay, where you stay, etc.

I think we ended up being just about the ideal candidate to buy in to DVC because we go every year (sometimes twice), prefer to stay at deluxe resorts and usually only stay one weekend night. Now that we're DVC members, it has freed me from that wait for those AP rates. I can now book my trip 11 months in advance, knowing I'll be paying less for my room than I ever did with AP rates. But again, YMMV. Anyone considering DVC should do what I did and crunch the numbers every which way before deciding to join.