Non-DVC Member Thinking of Joining...

[cgorn]

My wife and I have discussed joining DVC for a few years now. We had a tour of Saratoga Springs in 2006, and at the time were not financially ready to consider any kind of time-share or vacation club. We said we would revisit the idea once we had a child, and saw how our financial situation shook out. Frankly, at the time, the notion of the $600 annual fee is what turned us off, as well as the fact that other non-Disney timeshares on the Interval International network were only available a week at a time (we very rarely ever went away for more than 4-5 days).

We had our baby in November 2007. Our financial situation is improving, albeit slightly and slowly. We just went to Aruba (on a trip that my wife won on TV) and we toured the Marriott Vacation Club, which only served to re-whet our curiosity of DVC.

We plan to go to WDW in December 2009 with our daughter, and we talked about re-touring then (BLT, I suppose) and seeing what incentives they have at the time, and how it fits in with our financial situation. I figured I'd post here to see how many DVC members are in similar situations as ours, and if you had similar concerns, what led you to join, and how you feel about your decision. I know it's a lot, but I appreciate any opinions.

Here is some more info about us:

- We are in our mid-30's. We have one child (1 yr old) and may or may not have more

- I work full-time, and my wife works out of our home as a freelance publicist, so her income is sporatic. My income covers the bills, though, but not much else.

- Prior to having the baby, we went to WDW three years in a row. One of those years we also went to Disneyland.

- We have a mortgage and some credit card debt. We each have a car, and both will be paid off this summer. We would not be able to afford much of a down payment or steep initial fees, but could probably afford a modest monthly payment.

- We try to take a summer and a winter vacation every year, even if they are just for an extended weekend. This summer we spent a week away, which was rare, in a rented house in Ocean City, MD. We appreciated having the kitchen and washer & dryer with the baby.

Like I said, we want to go to WDW next December, and if all goes well, go back annually or semi-annually. Knowing that, and knowing how the points values change, we're wondering if we should bite the bullet and start sooner than later.

Sorry this was so long. Thanks in advance for your opinions.

-- Chad

 

[thesupersmartguy]

After Jan 15th, the price per point for BLT is going up from $112 a point to $117 per point. AKV is going from $104 to $109. Then the minimal buy in increases from 160 points to 200. The current incentives are matching points for the first year, and a $5 discount per point. The points never change, merely fluctuate.

Hope this helps.

 

[wulfekamp]

DVC is great as long as its not burden on your family budget.

 

[Tara]

After Jan 15th, the price per point for BLT is going up from $112 a point to $117 per point. AKV is going from $104 to $109. Then the minimal buy in increases from 160 points to 200. The current incentives are matching points for the first year, and a $5 discount per point. The points never change, merely fluctuate.

Are you sure about that?

ETA: This was the first I'd heard these numbers associated with the price increase, so I did some searching and still came up with nothing like this. Effective 1/15 the price for AKV is going from $104 to $112. Both figures are pre-incentive point prices. The only changes in BLT pricing is related to the number of points required for purchase, not the price itself. The minimum buy-in is indeed going up to 200 points, and the minimum existing member add-on will go to $100.

 

[RobDoc]

As Tara noted - effective January 15, 2009 the price for AKV will increase to $112 (there will still be an incentive of $6.25 per point) and the minimum purchase for BLT (and only BLT) will be 200 points for new purchases and 100 points (only at BLT) for add-ons by existing members. The BLT price will still be $112 (still with the incentive of $5 per point).

 

[dianeschlicht]

As you can see from the other posters, waiting does tend to increase the initial price a lot. Don't, however, feel you MUST buy what Disney is currently selling. ALL the DVC resorts are available from Disney at any time, and there is always the resalel market. In fact, you are much better off buying through resale if you are thinking of some of the "sold out" resorts. At least your initial outlay will be lower. We waited 4 years from the first tour until we purchased, and the only bad thing about that was that the price continued to go up every year!

Instead of waiting for "BLT, I suppose", why not look at the resorts that have the location and amenities you want most, and choose your resort based on that rather than what is "currently selling"? For example, if you are concerned about maintenance fees, look at the resort that consistantly have lower fee increases. SSR and OKW are certainly in that catagory. Plus, both of those resorts have lower per visit point stays available, and that might mean more "bang for your buck" as well. BLT is going to require a lot more points per visit than some of the others. OKW is the lowest point structure, and VWL and BCV are the smallest number of units, so are more difficult to access when they are not your home resort. Those are all things to think about when making that decision.

 

[chalee94]

The points never change, merely fluctuate.

to add a little more detail here, the points per night don't generally change FOR DVC RESORTS except to move holidays around. the points required for trades, including cruises and disney hotels can and typically does change every year.

 

[Dean]

IMO, anyone living month to month should not buy DVC and definitely shouldn't finance DVC. You're better off looking to rent timeshares that are off property or rent DVC from a member or possibly looking for deals at the moderates or values. It sounds like you'd be one wrecked car or engine replacement away from disaster even without a timeshare purchase.

IF you were set on doing something, I'd look at a non DVC timeshare where you could trade to Orlando OR a very small OKW or SSR contract with just enough points to go every 3 years or so. Examples of possible choices for a trip every 3 years would include DVC 50 points for $4K and yearly $250 or so, Bluegreen 6000 points for $2K and yearly fees about $480, RCI points about $2K with variable fees, likely about $3-400, Wyndham points about the same as BG, All of these options will give you options without paying for both an exchange company membership AND an exchange fee. For DVC you'd be looking at a studio for a week every 2-3 years, the others would give you a 2 BR every 2-3 years or better. Bluegreen for example could give you a two 2 BR in Orlando every year plus exchange fees (RCI membership is included) for 6000 annual points if you learn how the system works.

 

[karriemouse]

Only you know your exact financial situation, but looking at the summary of your finances, the fact that your wife's income varies, and remembering the costs involved in having a growing toddler, I wouldn't be quick to encourage you to buy I'm afraid.

Yes, DVC is great, but it is a luxury and IMHO luxuries should be paid for not financed.

We bought a resale from the Timeshare Store, and are planning to add on next year when we've saved the money. I'd encourage you to take a look at their listings and those of other resale companys as the prices are much more reasonable and you can buy in with a smaller amount of points which may suit your needs better. Don't just buy what Disney is currently selling, do a little reseach and buy where you want to stay. Also look at the maintenance fees, and only buy if all of this would comfortably fit in your minimum income budget.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[calgarygary]

Before you jump into the world of DVC, visit tug to get a great education on timeshares - both DVC and elsewhere. Non DVC resales in the Orlando market go incredibly cheap and may provide a viable option vs. the expense of staying onsite through DVC. Also, Orlando is the easiest market to trade into and once you have educated yourself, you may find that a ts closer to home will provide more than enough trading power.

 

[littlestar]

I wouldn't jump into anything right now if I were you. I would watch for specials through Disney for the values or moderates, or you could always rent DVC points from someone. Then you could plan a trip whenever you had the extra money. DVC will be there, so don't worry.

We would like to add on, but in this economy, I'm too scared of turning loose of the money right now. I'm constantly seeing people all around me get laid off. I wouldn't lock my family into any constant bills right now when you can rent the same thing for pretty cheap without being locked into anything.

When you do save up some money, educate yourself on what you want and what's out there value wise for your family.

 

[cgorn]

Thank you all for your advice. I checked out some of the DVC sales and they seem pretty reasonable and sensible. If we chose WLV, for example, we could get points aroun $72-$75 per and still have the DVC when I'm 70. And there are more than enough people willing to resell that we shouldn't be in any kind of hurry.

However, it sounds like no one *regrets* having joined, which is also good to see.

Thanks!

-- Chad

 

[Dean]

However, it sounds like no one *regrets* having joined, which is also good to see.

DVC is a specialty item and it's unlikely those with regrets would be here posting very long. I think there are many currently with regrets related to financial circumstances and some where DVC simply didn't work for them when they thought it would. Just take your time and make the best decision for you. I'd suggest you assume a financial emergency such as a new fridge, a time out of work or major car repair and make sure you can easily weather something like that in addition to buying and owning DVC. Good luck no matter what you decide.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

My wife and I have discussed joining DVC for a few years now. We had a tour of Saratoga Springs in 2006, and at the time were not financially ready to consider any kind of time-share or vacation club. We said we would revisit the idea once we had a child, and saw how our financial situation shook out. Frankly, at the time, the notion of the $600 annual fee is what turned us off, as well as the fact that other non-Disney timeshares on the Interval International network were only available a week at a time (we very rarely ever went away for more than 4-5 days).

We had our baby in November 2007. Our financial situation is improving, albeit slightly and slowly. We just went to Aruba (on a trip that my wife won on TV) and we toured the Marriott Vacation Club, which only served to re-whet our curiosity of DVC.

We plan to go to WDW in December 2009 with our daughter, and we talked about re-touring then (BLT, I suppose) and seeing what incentives they have at the time, and how it fits in with our financial situation. I figured I'd post here to see how many DVC members are in similar situations as ours, and if you had similar concerns, what led you to join, and how you feel about your decision. I know it's a lot, but I appreciate any opinions.

Here is some more info about us:

- We are in our mid-30's. We have one child (1 yr old) and may or may not have more

- I work full-time, and my wife works out of our home as a freelance publicist, so her income is sporatic. My income covers the bills, though, but not much else.

- Prior to having the baby, we went to WDW three years in a row. One of those years we also went to Disneyland.

- We have a mortgage and some credit card debt. We each have a car, and both will be paid off this summer. We would not be able to afford much of a down payment or steep initial fees, but could probably afford a modest monthly payment.

- We try to take a summer and a winter vacation every year, even if they are just for an extended weekend. This summer we spent a week away, which was rare, in a rented house in Ocean City, MD. We appreciated having the kitchen and washer & dryer with the baby.

Like I said, we want to go to WDW next December, and if all goes well, go back annually or semi-annually. Knowing that, and knowing how the points values change, we're wondering if we should bite the bullet and start sooner than later.

Sorry this was so long. Thanks in advance for your opinions.

-- Chad

Since you guys go to Disney often, I say...pay the cars off, save up for a few months and buy a small resale with a good down payment. You might could even save a tax refund and pay for all of a small resale in full.

You were very smart to consider the annual fees. Don't forget the park tickets, food, transportation and souvenirs that go along with it.

 

[flatzkids]

I can't really give you any advice. We are in the proccess of buying a DVC at SSR. We're waiting to close. I can, however, offer up our situation and how we decided to buy.

We started visiting Disney before we were married. We visited about every other year and still do 10 years and 4 children later. That's what led us to buy. Knowing that we still wanted to go. If not every other year, then every 3rd year or so. Yeah, the value resorts are fine until you hit that 3rd or 4th child. That usually means a 2nd room. We bought a 200 pt. resale and that should give us enough points for a nice vacation for the 6 of us even if we go every other year.

As some other posters have said, only you can make your decisions. If you decide to go ahead with this, I would look into the resales. You can find some really good deals at the Time Share Store. That's where we found ours.

Good luck in your decision and keep us updated. I know we are excited about becoming part of what seems to be a big family.

 

[wendyinoc]

I would just start small and work up. So if you buy say a 25-50 pt contract you could use it in 09. It will almost pay for itself versus paying for a room. You can always add on. I started with a 65 contract last year. I went this year for 5 nights on 08 pts and borrowed 24 pts for 2 more nights . I also did the 3 day cruise which helped with my points since weekends are higher. So I spent 10 nights on a 65 pt contract plus the cost of the cruise. I love buying resale. Disney does not punish you versus other timeshare companys. We are treated equal.
Now after staying in Nov I am currently buying 50 more points. I am paying cash versus financing. If people added the finance cost the pt value is alot higher.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

-
- We try to take a summer and a winter vacation every year, even if they are just for an extended weekend. This summer we spent a week away, which was rare, in a rented house in Ocean City, MD. We appreciated having the kitchen and washer & dryer with the baby.

-- Chad

This is in my view out of my bedroom window

 

[Teachckg]

Chad,

My husband and I recently bought a 150 pt contract through re-sale at BWV. We did not finance-- and would not recommend financing. If we did not have the cash we would have saved up first, but I do think the earlier you buy the better. We are each 30, have a mortgage, still paying on one car, but have enough for our MF (BWV is high for MF- but we liked it best so we went for it). We plan on having kids soon and figured if we could not use our points, we would either bank them or sell them to cover our MF for that year. Making sure it fits your budget is important because it already seems like your family loves disney. We bought our re-sale from http://www.**********.com/ and I have also heard the timeshare store is great.

Also before we bought we got so much info. from this site it is amazing!! The DVC DIS boards are great!! good luck

~Courtney