OK, so sell DVC to me!

[Hobbes]

Here's our background...
Soon-to-be married couple both 45, both work FT, steady jobs (Civil servants, but not those you read about with the huge salaries!!) We currently got to WDW every 2 years and stay for around 10 days at a Value resort. My dilemma is-would it be worth us buying in? I'd like to think we have at least another 20 years of WDW holidays in usand maybe we would be able to afford to go every year. I have read the spiel but I'm still fairly confused, so come on folks, what would you do?
NB I promise not to sue anyone whose advice we follow if it all goes wrong

And please, no flaming, I'm just after opinions of people who know what they are talking about.

 

[skelfbsfb]

It will depend on how many points you are wanting to buy into. When we first bought we were getting over 2$ to the £ and bought 160 points from Disney as we never knew enough details about resale, we have recently bought and did this through the resale market.

You will need to add up how many points you want for your stay every 2 years.

The reason we bought was that we wanted to have the Disney magic for our family each time we stayed and at resorts that we could normally not afford to stay at.

 

[Elise79]

Are you happy at the values? If so it is probably not worth it.

If you want to be able to afford to stay at deluxe resorts or have more space (ie a one bed) then yes it is.

We bought DVC as we wanted to keep going regularly and stay at the resorts closer to the parks.

I am really looking forward to our 1st one bed trip next year

 

[Disney archer]

We first went to Disney World in 1990 for our honey moon. I am a nurse and my husband an optician so we are not wealthy either. We looked into DVC a few years later and like you wondered if it would be worth it. We finally bought into DVC in 2004 when my mother was undergoing radiotherapy for Cancer, to give her something to look forward to. We bought into Saratoga Springs. Going from a budget hotel holiday to DVC is amazing. We have been back every year since. This year we are going to Old Key West. The freedom DVC gives you as well as the luxury is great. We get a one bedroom place when going with our parents or other guests (the sofa's in the sitting room are bed settees) and when on our own we often use the Studio apartments. You also have the freedom of borrowing from the following years points if you want a bigger apartment, to go for longer or at a more expensive time of year. Alternatively if you don't go one year (or don't use all your points) you can bank them towards the next year.
Don't forget you can also use the points towards holidays in other parts of the world by using the adventure, plantinum etc collections.
We really wish we had done this earlier. DVC is great.

 

[skelfbsfb]

Totally agree wish we had bought when we first went. DVC has been great for myself and family.

 

[Hobbes]

well thanks for all your input folksI guess we need to do some number crunching. I just keep thinking that at the moment its costing us around £2k every 2 years and to my way of thinking around £20k will buy us a holiday every year for the next 20 years at least! I know we'll still have flights but at the moment those figures look good to me. My mum died earlier this year and I just keep thinking life is too short to squirrel everything away until you are "old"-I will never feel "old", cause you don't stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing!

 

[skelfbsfb]

Mind also to pick a resort that you will not mind staying at all the time incase you cannot get what you want at the 7 month window. Another factor to consider is that you will have dues each year to pay.

 

[oceanscape]

We looked into it, but - to be honest - I think you'd be mad to buy into DVC right now as a UK citizen. With the poor exchange rate and the incredible 42% off deals and free-dining, it absolutely fails to make financial sense.

 

[skelfbsfb]

We looked into it, but - to be honest - I think you'd be mad to buy into DVC right now as a UK citizen. With the poor exchange rate and the incredible 42% off deals and free-dining, it absolutely fails to make financial sense.

This is very true but remember that these deals will not always be there.

 

[oceanscape]

This is very true but remember that these deals will not always be there.

Yep, and when/if the deals end and exchange rate improves, I'll be sure to reconsider DVC membership

 

[Elise79]

We looked into it, but - to be honest - I think you'd be mad to buy into DVC right now as a UK citizen. With the poor exchange rate and the incredible 42% off deals and free-dining, it absolutely fails to make financial sense.

Only if you want to stay at SSR or OKW.

If you want to stay at a resort near the parks then it still make sense.

 

[UKDEB]

Whilst it undoubtedly makes sense from a long term financial perspective, ultimately it boils down to a heart choice, rather than a head one.

I'd considered it on and off for several years, but never thought I'd talk Matt into it. In October, 2006, we took a tour of SSR, partly out of curiosity (and to see the AKL mock-ups) and partly to support a friend who works on the booths around WDW. You could have knocked me down with a feather when Matt started making buying signals. We weren't able to close the deal there and then because we'd made arrangements to meet friends for lunch, but we promised to call back in two days. There was no pressure from the sales guy and, in the end, it was me putting up obstacles, rather than Matt. I agreed on the basis that it wouldn't compromise our favoured arrangements of staying in a villa for the duration of our trips, and spending just a few days onsite. I figured it would allow us to upgrade to superior accommodation for our onsite forays.

Thanks to unforeseen financial setbacks in the ensuing years, we've actually used our membership to stay onsite far more than I'd initially anticipated. Even though we're probably yet to break even, the fact that the financial outlay is in the past, makes each stay feel like a free one. We've also been able to gift an onsite stay to our daughter, her partner and our grandson. You can't put a price on that - it's a purely emotional plus point.

I don't ever remember seeing a post from a member who regrets the decision to buy in. Even in our darkest financial times, we've resisted the temptation to sell. Financially, the benefits are in the future, but psychologically, we're benefitting already. We were lucky enough to buy when the exchange rate was $2:£1, but that's a bonus rather than an overriding factor. I really don't think it would have affected our decision had the rate been less favourable.

 

[mark&sue]

I know we made the right decision when the Treehouse Villas were added on at Saratoga Springs. The minute we stayed here I knew I had come home. For me nothing else comes close.

Not for everyone I know but total heaven for me


Susan

 

[skelfbsfb]

The beauty of DVC is being able to try each resort every time you visit. Ive been to AKL, VB BWV, OKW and to be perfectly honest, its actually makes our holiday knowing that we own a little piece of the magic.

If you have the time go and visit the DVC centre at SSR, you will not be put under any pressure, write down all the questions you want answered as they will take the time out to help you.

 

[Boss Hogg]

I think you'd be very hard pressed to say it doesn't make financial sense when you look at what you're buying. You're talking about 45yrs (or so) or holidays at a price set now. The resorts cannot alter the number of points in the whole resort so even if you buy now at around $1.5 to the pound that rate will not alter.
The Disney resorts will go up with inflation, which you will beat so in 30 yrs time you will be up by the $000's.

Now this all assumes that you use it each year and will stay there regardless. That having been said, if you don't use these assumptions I don't know how you make a comparison.

My opinion FWIW

 

[jana]

For 10 days on an EOY basis staying at a value , then the finances will be fairly close in the short term. HOWEVER DVC is a long term holiday plan. The further down the curve you can look, the better the financials will look. There is also the fact that you will be upgrading to a nicer hotel, for the same money. Much better facilities that may induce you to want to spend more time enjoying those (free) activities ( pools with slides, gyms , DVD hire etc) , instead of paying to be in the parks. Discounts on AP , dining, recreation. Even on 100 points or so, you'd get close to 10 nights EOY in a 1 bed at OKW (you can save a fortune just on breakfast and beer/wine in the room) or 2 trips every 3 years in a studio. You can always start at the lower level and if you did want to/were able to start coming every year add on the few extra points you need. I'm guessing at 45 and soon to be married, any kids ( from former relationships) have or soon will have "flown the coop" or aren't likely in the future so a studio is likely to be more than adiquate for you.

Another aspect to consider is, while the exchange rate with the $ isn't as good as it has been, it's still a hell of a lot better than the Euro and your fine British Pound goes a lot further in the USA that in Europe. However using DVC to travel in Europe is still a pretty good deal. 160 points will get you a week in a top quality timeshare resort all over Europe. I think DVC is still cheaper than buying something comparable in Europe and has a better "trading value" .

If you haven't taken a tour before, I would strongly recommend doing so EARLY IN YOUR NEXT TRIP. There are two main reasons for touring early
1) If you want to take out Disney's finance you have to sign in Orlando ( you can buy from home, but have to sign for finance while there)
2) There have been times, depending on how your room was purchased , that DVC have been able to take the remaining hotel days on your holiday, transfer you into your new DVC home resort and use the money you'd already spent on that holiday towards your down payment.

So many people leave it to the last day and then find they would have REALLY benefitted from one or both of the above, at the very least from the extra "thinking time" it gives them on any incentives DVC may be offering.

 

[Disneymad]

There is also the fact that you will be upgrading to a nicer hotel, for the same money.

This actually turned out to be the single MAJOR benefit for us though we didn't realise how much it would turn out that way until after we'd bought in.

DVC may(will) not have saved us a lot of money overall (yet) because we'd have never been able to justify the extra cost of staying at places like Boardwalk, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge etc on a regular basis in the first place, most likely we'd have stuck with Moderates. Now we've stayed at all those resorts without having to justify anything - we just stay there when the urge takes us and get better rooms to boot.

We've had our WL DVC for over 8 years now (6 years for our smaller BW add on) and are approaching that point where we're breaking even on our initial purchase. I've never once regretted the purchase and if anything the benefits over the years were actually greater than I anticipated before we bought in. You'll pry my DVC from my cold lifeless hands before I'll give it up

 

[martinrmn]

I have read this with interest. A friend of ours bought points years ago and swears by it. We fly in 10 days and I have thought about DVC. What puts me off is the yearly maintenance fee and having to find flights which can be expensive. How much does 100 points cost if I buy in Orlando?

 

[skelfbsfb]

I have read this with interest. A friend of ours bought points years ago and swears by it. We fly in 10 days and I have thought about DVC. What puts me off is the yearly maintenance fee and having to find flights which can be expensive. How much does 100 points cost if I buy in Orlando?

Martin that will depend on if you buy direct or resale, also which resort you want to buy into.

 

[UKDEB]

Also, the minimum initial purchase if you buy directly from DVC is 160 points.