Opinions wanted...new to DVC

[Big Al]

Hey guys...My wife & I are thinking of buying a DVC in either OKW,or the BCV..we are mid 50's,no kids,live 165 MI South of Orlando,and go 2-4x a year mostly to EPCOT,Sea World,and very soon Universal once Harry Potter opens...we usually stay at Marriott Timeshare villas (like Grand Vista,Cypress Harbor) or Sheraton (Vistana) and get the 1 BR villas.

Looking at the point systems,my concerns are the dues...correct me if I'm wrong:If I were to buy a 150 point timeshare at $5 points for fees,that would cost me $750 a year in annual fees.If I go 3 times a year,that's $250 per time we go.We tend to go Fri-Sun,sometimes 3 nights if there's a holiday weekend.I was looking at a 150-175 point BCV and they are $5.15 per point..is it me or does this seem VERY high to anyone else? I could stay at the Marriott or Sheraton for around $125-150 almost anytime,and yes,I understand they are NOT Disney/Beach Club/Old Key West-but I would have to go at least 5-6 times a year to make this worthwhile,wouldn't I? DVC Timeshare person told me OKW is cheaper and rooms actually bigger.We visited there last weekend and maybe that choice is the more affordable/logical one at 4.87 a point (and we really liked the rooms and property!)..so 150 points there would cost us $731...opinions? Thanks!

Big Al

 

[Sandisw]

Yes, your yearly costs would be the MF's. So, if you own a resort whose MF"s are almost $5/ppt, then you would be paying $750.00 per year to own 150.

If you are happy staying offsite, then DVC is probably not the best timeshare for you. DVC becomes a good option for those that visit the world on a regular basis and who had been staying at the deluxe resorts.

It becomes less of a savings for those that were staying value or moderates and for that matter, probably those paying only $125/night elsewhere and offsite.

We bought in last year and had been spending almost $400 per night for our stays at the CR. For us, DVC made a lot of sense and will save us over what we had been spending on our room costs. Plus, regardless of savings, we would not be interested in the offsite properties. If you are perfectly happy with that, I would say continue to go that route.

However, if you want to experience the deluxe villa resorts at WDW and become an onsite guest, then DVC might be a good option for you--but it won't necessarily "save" you money over what you have been paying at those offsite places.

 

[Big Al]

Yes, your yearly costs would be the MF's. So, if you own a resort whose MF"s are almost $5/ppt, then you would be paying $750.00 per year to own 150.

If you are happy staying offsite, then DVC is probably not the best timeshare for you. DVC becomes a good option for those that visit the world on a regular basis and who had been staying at the deluxe resorts.

It becomes less of a savings for those that were staying value or moderates and for that matter, probably those paying only $125/night elsewhere and offsite.

We bought in last year and had been spending almost $400 per night for our stays at the CR. For us, DVC made a lot of sense and will save us over what we had been spending on our room costs. Plus, regardless of savings, we would not be interested in the offsite properties. If you are perfectly happy with that, I would say continue to go that route.

However, if you want to experience the deluxe villa resorts at WDW and become an onsite guest, then DVC might be a good option for you--but it won't necessarily "save" you money over what you have been paying at those offsite places.

Sandi-Thanks for your imput...I DO like staying at the higher end Disney properties,but they are so $$ even w/Florida resident discounts..I will probably continue to monitor the resale boards to see if anything in OKW or the BCV come up..
Big Al

 

[RobDoc]

You are also basing your "value" decision on the higher weekend points. In 2011, the weekends will be lower than for 2010 (and earlier), so be sure to take that into consideration when figuring out what a stay might cost.

As noted, if you usually are OK with staying offsite, DVC may not be the best value for you.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[mecllap]

You also need to figure in the cost of the purchase ("amortizing" it over time -- I figure it's going to be 8-10 years before break-even point), plus the annual MFs. I bought SSR expecting that eventually I will want the elevators, but expecting to stay at OKW usually for now (bigger patios/balconies). You may want to stay at the resorts on cash ressies, or by renting, to compare them to the others you've stayed at (I find the Marriott's to be a bit of a cut "above" for the units and balconies themselves, but without the on-site advantages -- like the busses, which will are useful for me, when we aren't all on the same schedule -- that may not apply to you). It takes more points for weekend stays (altho they are levelling that a little bit).

Of course, it's partly an emotional decision -- there's that "something" about staying on-site and being part of Disney that's hard to quantify.

 

[dmoore22]

Since obviously you are a Florida resident you get to take for granted what we out-of-state DVCers receive as perks of ownership such as the AP/PAP discounts. Thus DVC ownership is more appealing to us. My DW and I have been considering a move to Florida since I'm already retired and she will be in a couple of years. We've also wondered if, as Florida residents, if continued ownership would be worthwhile. Obviously we haven't reached a conclusion yet but we are leaning in the direction of continued ownership. As far as the issue of maintenance fees its one of those "It depends" issues. When we purchased into DVC our six children were still at home. We did not travel often because of the hassle of making arrangements and, invariably, having to reserve a minimum of two rooms. So, thinking in terms of retirement, we bought into DVC via resale. What we discovered initially was we were now staying nearly twice as long each visit for the same cost as before DVC. Regarding the MFs nearly 20% of that expense is reported as property tax. Since we itemize every little bit helps. Since we paid cash for our interest we started off at the break even point alluded to in so many of the analysis. Now that we are down to our youngest at home we can get our points to go farther. We now travel to WDW twice a year for 12 nights each visit. One visit is during the "Dream" season while the other is during the "Premier" season. If we convert our per night stay from points used into dollar costs based on our purchase price and MFs it is costing us $65.62 per night for accommodations. However that is somewhat inflated since we invariably have points to bank each year. DVC works well for us -- so far.

 

[Big Al]

Hey guys Thanks for all your responses....we are still looking into the DVC and should make a decision real soon....

Big Al