Owning DVC is still better than eating broccoli

[DonMacGregor]

My favorite and least favorite things about DVC are all wrapped up in this idea. I really like 1BR and 2BR accommodations, particularly the King beds, but I think DVC Deluxe Studios are a significant downgrade relative to comparable hotel rooms at the same resort. I don't consider them a "qualitatively better" experience. I find the kitchenettes to be entirely a waste of space, and until the recent murphy bed conversions, the pull-out sofas were unusable. A Deluxe Studio to me is a hotel room with no housekeeping and a worse sleeping situation.

My own answer to the OP is that I've recently developed a huge appreciation of resort-only or parks-lite trips. Disney could raise the price of Magic Kingdom admission to $500 per day and Saratoga Springs would still be a place I can go sit and read by the pool for a week when it's 20 degrees at home.

This basically defines our "second' trip every year. This year, we will be at BRV from 9/5 to 9/10, and our only planned park time is Epcot for F&W (that's usually the reason for our second trip), and we may just hit World Showcase, which will make it a half-day park visit over 5 days. Plus, we do 2BR exclusively for the space and separate sleeping areas. We'll use the fridge and coffee maker, but that's about it.

When we do our late winter/early spring trip, it's typically 7 nights and we will do maybe 3 park days at most. Being from So Cal, that also ties in with our lack of desire/need for AP's.

 

[BeachClub2014]

My own answer to the OP is that I've recently developed a huge appreciation of resort-only or parks-lite trips. Disney could raise the price of Magic Kingdom admission to $500 per day and Saratoga Springs would still be a place I can go sit and read by the pool for a week when it's 20 degrees at home.

I can understand and agree. One of the significant advantages of owning DVC is knowing that you're always able to come back. If the parks are too crowded, we hang out at the pool and relax. Never feeling the pressure of having to commando the parks is a definite plus.

 

[BillPA]

For you newbee's here is the full show:

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

like - forced vacations
love - 1,2 & 3BRs; different resort themes
tolerate - wear & tear on rooms

 

[BeachClub2014]

like - forced vacations
love - 1,2 & 3BRs; different resort themes
tolerate - wear & tear on rooms

Nailed it

 

[CaptainAmerica]

tolerate - wear & tear on rooms

I've become a chaser of refurbished rooms and pretty much abandoned all of my other preferences about theme, location, and home resort priority. I like all of the DVC resorts, so I just want to stay where the rooms are in good shape. For our next trip in January, we really only considered the Poly, the Grand, and Saratoga.

 

[Brian Noble]

I think DVC Deluxe Studios are a significant downgrade

That's entirely fair. I wasn't thinking about those because I Don't Do Studios.

I think I've booked exactly one "studio" timeshare unit in 15 years, and even that was a loft with a king bed and a functional kitchen.

 

[RivShore]

I've come to the conclusion that the best thing about buying fresh broccoli is that you get a complimentary rubber band.

I like DVC, things change but I still enjoy staying in accommodations that we would never otherwise pay for.

And that is usually a quality rubber band!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I should have started a "who likes broccoli" poll instead of asking what people actually like, love, or at least tolerate about DVC.

I like the H2O+ toiletries.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I've become a chaser of refurbished rooms and pretty much abandoned all of my other preferences about theme, location, and home resort priority. I like all of the DVC resorts, so I just want to stay where the rooms are in good shape. For our next trip in January, we really only considered the Poly, the Grand, and Saratoga.

I have started to do the same in recent years. Hoping to switch from BCV to VFG for a late Mar stay later this week. Stayed SSR last Mar and loved it.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I like the H2O+ toiletries.

Me too. Rumor has it that they will soon be gone. Maybe we will get something even better in the future.

 

[RivShore]

Me too. Rumor has it that they will soon be gone. Maybe we will get something even better in the future.

No rumor, the company announced they are shutting down their H2O division:

https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-...th-amenities-sponsor-announces-retirement/#//

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

We had a nice DVC trip in Jul/AUG this year. I wasn';t blown away like i normally am just by being there but I was happy to be there.

One thing I think needs addressing is check out.

We had two resort stays.

The first sent us a push notification that we could check ourselves out anytime on the app up to 11 am and at 11 am they checked us out automatically. Fine by me. I looked at the app and saw where to check out and there was a button to click on.

Fast forward to 9:30 am and hubby starts to go don to the car getting ready to think about packing. His key doesn't work on return I look at the app we have already been checked out automatically.

Second stay mousekeeping are trying to get in my room at 7am. They can't as I have it locked but by now I'm awake. Go down to the frnt desk oh you were checked out automatically at 7am and we can't undo it. We don't kno why the software did that. Phone won't work to get back in. They tried to make me a key but system wouldn't let them.

I think they are sneekily tryng to pus people to check out early which is not on.

Wow. That is terrible. The first I have read of that. Is that what is happening now, or was it a weird, unfortunate, anomaly?

 

[limace]

I like the H2O+ toiletries.

Too soon.

 

[Scholarma]

I spend a lot of time reading the various posts here on the DIS and see many lamentations on how badly DVC has evolved over time and the many, many negative posts about how DVC, WDW, and Disney, in general, have become by not caring about customer service, the constant money grabs, etc. I myself am guilty of doing so and have contributed to that mantra on occasion, especially about Genie+ and park reservations. But, I have to wonder if it is really that bad.

There are literally how many millions upon millions of points within DVC? How many different contracts are held by how many different families? Can it really be that bad? There are currently 1,866 contracts up for sale according to a popular DVC sales search engine. I would hazard a guess that those contracts add up to less than 500,00 total points, which seems like a very small percentage of the overall picture.

Granted, there is always room for improvement and I am no Disney apologist, but sometimes it feels as if the favorite pastime here on the DIS is to pile on about how bad things have become.

What do you like, love, or at least tolerate about DVC and WDW? I mean, after all, owning DVC is still better than eating broccoli, right?

We just sold our Rivieria contract, which we owned for less than a year. I was disenchanted by people walking their reservations, it was very difficult to get a room for more than one night at a popular time.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

DVC is definitely a different program from when we first bought back in 2000.

Boy that is the truth! Very different. It was still a "club", just ending the "you are special" which it had the first 10 years.

 

[BeachClub2014]

We just sold our Rivieria contract, which we owned for less than a year. I was disenchanted by people walking their reservations, it was very difficult to get a room for more than one night at a popular time.

What did you like about DVC that resulted in you buying it in the first place?

 

[BeachClub2014]

Too soon.

I thought it was a rather clever, and timely, response to my question.

 

[Sandisw]

Honestly, I am a go with the flow and look for the positives in everything because in the end I can only control me. Worrying or even getting angry about what Disney has done or changed just isn't for me, because in the end, we find a way to make it work.

I love my DVC and I love being able to jump on a plane and do something like the DVC previews. I love being able to take my family and friends to Disney and not have them worry about having to pay for the room, which allows them to afford to come much easier.

While yes, I have paid over 6 figures for all of the DVC points, I would never book and go like I do without DVC. Many of the current park changes didn't exist when we started going regularly in 1994...though I had been there a lot as a teen and young adult...so those changes just don't seem to be that bad.

The biggest thing I love about DVC is the laid back style to going we now enjoy. We don't need to rope drop and if we do, we spend more time at the resort and relax. We know longer come home and need a vacation after our Disney vacation.

Obviously, having an AP helps with the budget and it would be disappointing not to have one...then again, I don't need a traditional AP either so if they came out with a yearly pass in which I could choose X days to use over the course of a year, I'd be content with that too.

Disney in general has gotten more expensive and we have adjusted because of it..not as many TS meals as before, breakfast, snacks and more drinks in the room than before.

The thing that probably bothers me the most? The fact that they don't let you know a waitlist is pending!!!! But, pretty indifferent to the rest...resale restrictions don't bother me, so if they stay, no biggie and if they go no biggie. I do like that they are trying to add more perks back, like they did with TOTWL, and I do enjoy the perks we currently have. If they go away tomorrow, it would be a disappointment, but since I went in knowing that, we will adjust.

I have done a few resort only and solo trips in the past few years and I realize that I enjoy the ambience of being at Disney enough that I can still go and be happy.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I love broccoli. Cheesy broccoli soup in a bread bowl, broccoli orecchiette, roasted broccoli with parm...

yum.