Owning DVC is still better than eating broccoli

[we"reofftoneverland]

Nicely done. That'll count as half a positive thing about DVC.

But seriously, what do you like, love, or at least tolerate about DVC? If the images on your signature are correct, you own points at three different resorts, and so do we. So there must be something there for us, right?

Ok, I will be serious. We own at four resorts at this point but have started selling a couple of contracts (3 resorts had 2 contracts each). The Walt Disney World lifestyle we led for several years is no longer there because APs are gone. We allowed ours to lapse during covid because we were not interested in going to the parks with masks. We have kept some contracts for now because we like Vero, HHI, and Disneyland (once every five years). We also love Universal. But we might end up completely unwinding our relationship with DVC. Time will tell. We are doing it slowly.

We have not been back to the Disney parks since covid (except for one moonlight magic) because there has been no draw for us. Even though we are disney nuts and have been hundreds of times— I also grew up on Disney- we have felt very unwelcome at wdw and even to some extent at the wdw resorts since covid. Universal has welcomed us with open arms over the last two years as new guests, and we have also stayed at their resorts. They are absolutely lovely and well-priced.
We are not schedule people and like to relax and enjoy things. We go to parks for a couple of hours here and there. Hit volcano bay for one ride and then go to Islands of Adventure for 3 hours and call it a day. We used to go to wdw about 6 times a year and went to Disney parks in a similar fashion. I used to be the person to schedule fast passes, dh wants no part of any scheduling, and I am not a natural scheduler either. It is painful. I never use my phone on vacation. I am a free spirit and free thinker. WdW/the Disney company has become a rigid and confining place that not only wants to tell me how to run my vacation but also how to run my life. I don’t get the Chapek idea that pass holders do not spend money, because we spent a LOT of money. I thought we were in their target financial bracket but I guess not. And this past year and a half, during our first time as universal passholders, we have spent quite a bit of money, more than ever at theme parks probably. So I don’t actually think the AP deal with Disney is about money. I think it is about control. And that’s a real turnoff.

At this point I see Disney as a toxic boyfriend that wants to tell me where I can go and when and with whom and what I’m supposed to say and think. Lol. I’m not that girl. Find another one. I love the buzz of entering Universal with the happy crowds around us and the parks at our fingertips. Want to ride Gringotts? YES! Want to ride Hagrid’s? YES! Want to have another laugh at ET? YES! Want a discount on quick serve with your annual pass? YES! Want to eat at a restaurant? Walk right in without reservations and we are happily seated at 5 minutes before close. No attitude. No exclusivity. Because at Universal everyone really is included. That’s how Disney used to be. Now disney is all marketing and all about a “type” of person. Disney has also created false scarcity. Look at all the land they have. What is universal doing? EXPANDING. More than doubling their entire footprint. What is Disney doing? Mucking around with one or two ride editions for like three years. Changing rides that already exist, and changing them for the worse. Taking out all the eccentric originality that makes people think beyond the quotidian. Disney is thinking small and I’m thinking big. So yeah, the best thing about DVC is how close it is to Universal. Lol. And ironically all of Disney old management, the people they’ve weeded out over the last 3-10 years because they were too “Walt,” they’re at Universal too.

To add: and the worst thing about dvc is the reservation/account interface. Disney’s IT is embarrassing. There is no other company with whom I deal that has such an unreliable, half-baked interface.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Ok, I will be serious. We own at four resorts at this point but have started selling a couple of contracts (3 resorts had 2 contracts each). The Walt Disney World lifestyle we led for several years is no longer there because APs are gone. We allowed ours to lapse during covid because we were not interested in going to the parks with masks. We have kept some contracts for now because we like Vero, HHI, and Disneyland (once every five years). We also love Universal. But we might end up completely unwinding our relationship with DVC. Time will tell. We are doing it slowly.

We have not been back to the Disney parks since covid (except for one moonlight magic) because there has been no draw for us. Even though we are disney nuts and have been hundreds of times— I also grew up on Disney- we have felt very unwelcome at wdw and even to some extent at the wdw resorts since covid. Universal has welcomed us with open arms over the last two years as new guests, and we have also stayed at their resorts. They are absolutely lovely and well-priced.
We are not schedule people and like to relax and enjoy things. We go to parks for a couple of hours here and there. Hit volcano bay for one ride and then go to Islands of Adventure for 3 hours and call it a day. We used to go to wdw about 6 times a year and went to Disney parks in a similar fashion. I used to be the person to schedule fast passes, dh wants no part of any scheduling, and I am not a natural scheduler either. It is painful. I never use my phone on vacation. I am a free spirit and free thinker. WdW/the Disney company has become a rigid and confining place that not only wants to tell me how to run my vacation but also how to run my life. I don’t get the Chapek idea that pass holders do not spend money, because we spent a LOT of money. I thought we were in their target financial bracket but I guess not. And this past year and a half, during our first time as universal passholders, we have spent quite a bit of money, more than ever at theme parks probably. So I don’t actually think the AP deal with Disney is about money. I think it is about control. And that’s a real turnoff.

At this point I see Disney as a toxic boyfriend that wants to tell me where I can go and when and with whom and what I’m supposed to say and think. Lol. I’m not that girl. Find another one. I love the buzz of entering Universal with the happy crowds around us and the parks at our fingertips. Want to ride Gringotts? YES! Want to ride Hagrid’s? YES! Want to have another laugh at ET? YES! Want a discount on quick serve with your annual pass? YES! Want to eat at a restaurant? Walk right in without reservations and we are happily seated at 5 minutes before close. No attitude. No exclusivity. Because at Universal everyone really is included. That’s how Disney used to be. Now disney is all marketing and all about a “type” of person. Disney has also created false scarcity. Look at all the land they have. What is universal doing? EXPANDING. More than doubling their entire footprint. What is Disney doing? Mucking around with one or two ride editions for like three years. Changing rides that already exist, and changing them for the worse. Taking out all the eccentric originality that makes people think beyond the quotidian. Disney is thinking small and I’m thinking big. So yeah, the best thing about Disney is how close it is to Universal. Lol. And ironically all of Disney old management, the people they’ve weeded out over the last 3-10 years because they were too “Walt,” they’re at Universal too.

To add: and the worst thing about dvc is the reservation/account interface. Disney’s IT is embarrassing. There is no other company with whom I deal that has such an unreliable, half-baked interface.

Thanks for sharing this perspective, and it is hard to argue any of your points. I think you are definitely on to something with the whole control piece. I am not a huge fan of that, either.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

I love that my family gets to go to Hawaii next year for less than $2,000 (flights on points), minus food.

I love love love that I'll get to enjoy Thanksgiving this year with my family, instead of sweating it out in the kitchen for 2 days, then spending Black Friday on the couch, exhausted. We went in 2019 and it was the best holiday I've ever experienced, hands down. Crowds and all, I'll take it.

I love that there's always something new to try.

I love being able to slow down more than we did the first time (cash) and thought it was a once every 3-4 year trip.

I love my children, but do not love sharing beds or rooms with them if we can help it. One bedrooms for the win.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I love my children, but do not love sharing beds or rooms with them if we can help it. One bedrooms for the win.

Absolutely!

 

[pineapplepalms]

Yum… steamed broccoli with a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

As for DVC, I love that we get to stay in 2BRs and sometimes GVs at resorts we love, when without DVC we would be in a hotel room instead if we wanted to stay at those same resorts.
I love that we now stay at VGC often, and it makes our DLR trips even better. Before we wouldn’t choose the GC because the rooms are so much pricier compared to other nearby hotels. On our last trip we had a 2BR overlooking Pixar Pier and could see WoC from our balcony.
I love knowing that we’ll be back soon for our next trip, and that our kids are growing up going on these family vacations. Disney trips weren’t part of my childhood and I love being able to go so much now that we can afford it, and it’s even better now with the kids.
I love the variety of DVC resorts and hope to stay at all of them eventually.

We still enjoy the parks and spend a good amount of time there in addition to resort/pool time. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Things have changed over the years, but we adapt to them and still have a great time. So far my oldest is the only one who goes on and loves the coasters, and I’m looking forward to my younger ones experiencing them for the first time. At this age (almost 2, almost 4, and 6), so much is still new to them and it’s so fun to see things through their eyes.

My least favorite thing about WDW is the park reservations. I’d prefer if they weren’t required at all, but I especially dislike it there because you have to tap into your reserved park first even if it’s after park hopping time, and it takes so long to get between parks. They don’t have that requirement at DLR and I wish they would change that at WDW.

My least favorite thing about DLR is that they no longer have a MK that has no blockout dates, so we need to buy tickets for our Christmas trip on top of renewing our MKs.

 

[Rozzie]

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.

That is a buzz kill for sure! I am so sorry you had such trouble. We have owned RIV since 2020 and have not had many problems at all booking at 11 months (and a few later). I was just curious about what time of year you were finding such problems and room category. I have noticed those walking...sigh.

What I love most about DVC are the friendships and memories it has given us over the years. Met many lifelong friends through DVC. Owners since 2005. We have bought contracts, sold contracts, buy contracts, sell some more. I finally think we have found the sweet spot on our points.

What I dislike most is the lack of last-minute availability. Shoot I remember calling from the pool when we didn't feel like driving home and finding a room. Now that we are locals we wish for more spontaneity.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Yum… steamed broccoli with a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Yuck.

As for DVC, I love that we get to stay in 2BRs and sometimes GVs at resorts we love, when without DVC we would be in a hotel room instead if we wanted to stay at those same resorts.
I love that we now stay at VGC often, and it makes our DLR trips even better. Before we wouldn’t choose the GC because the rooms are so much pricier compared to other nearby hotels. On our last trip we had a 2BR overlooking Pixar Pier and could see WoC from our balcony.
I love knowing that we’ll be back soon for our next trip, and that our kids are growing up going on these family vacations. Disney trips weren’t part of my childhood and I love being able to go so much now that we can afford it, and it’s even better now with the kids.
I love the variety of DVC resorts and hope to stay at all of them eventually.

We still enjoy the parks and spend a good amount of time there in addition to resort/pool time. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Things have changed over the years, but we adapt to them and still have a great time. So far my oldest is the only one who goes on and loves the coasters, and I’m looking forward to my younger ones experiencing them for the first time. At this age (almost 2, almost 4, and 6), so much is still new to them and it’s so fun to see things through their eyes.

My least favorite thing about WDW is the park reservations. I’d prefer if they weren’t required at all, but I especially dislike it there because you have to tap into your reserved park first even if it’s after park hopping time, and it takes so long to get between parks. They don’t have that requirement at DLR and I wish they would change that at WDW.

My least favorite thing about DLR is that they no longer have a MK that has no blockout dates, so we need to buy tickets for our Christmas trip on top of renewing our MKs.

Thanks for sharing with us. I definitely agree with you on all your points, especially about the park reservations.

 

[BeachClub2014]

What I love most about DVC are the friendships and memories it has given us over the years. Met many lifelong friends through DVC. Owners since 2005. We have bought contracts, sold contracts, buy contracts, sell some more. I finally think we have found the sweet spot on our points.

What I dislike most is the lack of last-minute availability. Shoot I remember calling from the pool when we didn't feel like driving home and finding a room. Now that we are locals we wish for more spontaneity.

Yep. We have "annual" photo albums from the trips each year as our kids grew up. Those memories are priceless. We are planning our first trip with grandkids so really looking forward to the next generation of DVC'ers.

 

[DeeBee3]

I love being "forced" to schedule a vacation. Before DVC we didn't really do vacations. Maybe do a long weekend somewhere within driving distance. After we went to WDW and loved it so much, we decided on DVC and it's something we all look forward to each year. I am hoping the "magic" stays alive so that we enjoy each trip even when kids are older.

I absolutely agree that the DVC studios are just simple hotel rooms. Nothing special about them. Yes, they are nice, but they are just hotel rooms.

I do like the ability to move around the points and change accomodations. Maybe save up points for a 1-bedroom, or downsize if only staying a short time. Also like the variety of the resorts.

 

[Artemis Fowl]

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?

DVC is still without a doubt less expensive than rack rates. Our plan had been to go every 3 years and get a couple 2BR's so our entire family (grandparents, siblings, nieces, nephews) can go together. When I look at the rack rate of a 2BR compared to what it costs us in dues and purchase cost, we're paying half.

If you're going to go to disney at least every 3 years like us, it's worth it.

 

[keishashadow]

I am still a happy DVC owner. It initially convinced my workaholic DH to commit to at least one vacation per year. A rarity when we bought into DVC 20 years or so ago. For better or worse, I did create a Disney monster there

Originally, we were both impressed with the unusual flexibility options as to usage & the perk of the discounted APs

IMO There’s always ‘a catch’ when something is seemingly too good to be true. Disney is a (big) business. Expected to eventually see the model change within legal parameters, just not quite to the point where some things have evolved.

The recent decision to permit borrowing when availability still seemed challenging had me shaking my head. However, so many others seemingly embraced it here.

Circling back to flexibility, either you eat the broccoli DVC puts on your plate or you run away from “home”

 

[BeachClub2014]

Circling back to flexibility, either you eat the broccoli DVC puts on your plate or you run away from “home”

Nice!

I still think there is decent flexibility with DVC and the options for accommodations, certainly not as in years past.

Agree with you on the decision to reinstate the ability to borrow 100% of your future year's points. Given the reservation pressures, that is a head-scratcher.

 

[Brian Noble]

IMO There’s always ‘a catch’ when something is seemingly too good to be true.

Two things you never want to catch yourself saying at Disney:

1: "Wow, this is a really good deal." Expect the price to go up (a lot).
2: "Gee this is great! No one is here." Expect it to be cancelled next year.

 

[MonaMN]

We are new owners (as of early 2021). We had our first stay in March in a 2 bedroom with friends - completely different experience than it would have been otherwise because we probably would have had to squish into a couple of value rooms based on budget. Prior to becoming owners, we mostly stayed at moderates and bought our points resale when I looked at booking a trip and nearly fell off my chair at the cost increases of the regular rooms.

We also just booked VGC (1 bedroom) for a DLR visit next March. There is no way we would have ever justified staying there with cash rates… but we are very excited about the opportunity to do so with our DVC points.

My kid also has food allergies - which is part of why Disney has been so great for us - and having a kitchen makes trips even better for us.

We live in Minnesota so most every trip requires a significant amount of planning - and I am pretty type A - so the rest of the changes to park reservations/APs/etc frankly don’t bother me that much.

Also, big broccoli fan here.

 

[KimMcGowan]

I love looking forward to my next vacation for 11 months. I love switching resorts at 7 months, and then many times after that. I love trying out all the different resorts (we will have stayed at every WDW resort by April 2023 except for Saratoga, which I’m “saving” for when we get priced out of APs and spend more time at Disney Springs). There’s something to love about every resort, whether it’s the theming, pool, food, proximity to parks, or awesome CMs. Sometimes I think planning is more fun than the actual vacation for me…

I love being able to scale my accommodations depending on who I’m traveling with. We have changed from staying in 1 bedrooms only to staying in mainly studios to make points stretch, and will try 2 bedrooms for the first time next year.

I don’t like walking reservations. I can do it, and having 500 points and staying in studios allows me to do it easily, but I don’t like it.

I don’t like resale restrictions and the different classes of membership that DVC created.

I don’t like that some members still run into borrowing glitches and DVC doesn’t proactively fix it.

I like broccoli.

This. All of this is exactly me (and my family). Well…we don’t have 500 points and I really don’t care about walking one way or the other. Otherwise, I could have written this post.
I understand that there are issues for some people. However, for me a “bad” day at WDW is still better (every time) than being at home. I absolutely love the planning required. I love playing around with my resort choice until it is perfect. (My husband thinks I am a lunatic and would just stay at the first available place. FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. Who ever heard of such a thing? Split stays at all of my favorite resorts is what I love!). Getting up in the (very) early morning for reservations? A very exciting part of the whole process! Is there a better feeling than actually getting the Ohana (or Sci-Fi, or Olga’s, or…) reservation you were hoping for? Sure, park reservations for Hopping are a drag - but we actually found it rare to leave one park for another before early afternoon anyway, so we can make it work. (But I DO wish they would go away or change to noon.). Right now the parks are super crowded. I have never seen it as busy as it was the first week of March. But I think that will probably lessen over time. And the bonus is that we have already seen everything before (mostly) so we can move at a slower pace if we choose. I just love everything about the process. Have I mentioned how much I love the planning??
We are a family of teachers so DVC was a stretch for us. But our Poly contract was so worth it. In fact, we are actively trying to add on points at Copper Creek - if we can ever just get the ROFR lady to play along. The membership has given our family time together that is priceless in resorts that we probably would not have been able to afford otherwise.
So, what do I like about DVC? Almost everything (warts and all). What do I dislike? There are things I would change - but the good things outweigh them so much that they are a non-factor!

 

[goofystitch]

To me the best thing about DVC is being able to vacation with family and friends. We have 4 trips this year to make up for the past 2 years, some being just resort stays. We only stayed in a studio once - never again. We are fortunate in that we were able to renew our annual passes, but with the price increase of those as well as the crowds in the parks it might not be worth it to renew again when the time comes. We also miss TiW and agree that there should be a replacement.

I like broccoli

 

[SleeplessInTO]

This. All of this is exactly me (and my family). Well…we don’t have 500 points and I really don’t care about walking one way or the other. Otherwise, I could have written this post.
I understand that there are issues for some people. However, for me a “bad” day at WDW is still better (every time) than being at home. I absolutely love the planning required. I love playing around with my resort choice until it is perfect. (My husband thinks I am a lunatic and would just stay at the first available place. FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. Who ever heard of such a thing? Split stays at all of my favorite resorts is what I love!). Getting up in the (very) early morning for reservations? A very exciting part of the whole process! Is there a better feeling than actually getting the Ohana (or Sci-Fi, or Olga’s, or…) reservation you were hoping for? Sure, park reservations for Hopping are a drag - but we actually found it rare to leave one park for another before early afternoon anyway, so we can make it work. (But I DO wish they would go away or change to noon.). Right now the parks are super crowded. I have never seen it as busy as it was the first week of March. But I think that will probably lessen over time. And the bonus is that we have already seen everything before (mostly) so we can move at a slower pace if we choose. I just love everything about the process. Have I mentioned how much I love the planning??
We are a family of teachers so DVC was a stretch for us. But our Poly contract was so worth it. In fact, we are actively trying to add on points at Copper Creek - if we can ever just get the ROFR lady to play along. The membership has given our family time together that is priceless in resorts that we probably would not have been able to afford otherwise.
So, what do I like about DVC? Almost everything (warts and all). What do I dislike? There are things I would change - but the good things outweigh them so much that they are a non-factor!

Yes my fellow planner!!! I don’t mind if my family thinks I’m a lunatic (which they do). They’re stuck with me

 

[kanerf]

Sauté the broccoli in olive oil with several garlic cloves. Delicious. A French woman taught me this preparation.

Just bought 50 resale at Riviera. I will be gone long before 2070, so don't care about the limitations.

 

[Genie+]

Broccoli? Yes please. I come from a family of broccoli eaters and married in to one too!

DVC works for us because it helps us get more out of the money spent in WDW. Park resorts are just so much more convenient all around. They save time and elevate our experience. Our DVC stays don’t cost much more than moderates and it greatly improves our itinerary. Paying cash we might stay at CBR or POR but we’d never be walking over to Early Entry, easily taking a midday break, enjoying Evening Hours or walking back to our room after a holiday party. DVC is like a perk for being a dedicated visitor. I couldn’t justify paying cash rates at these deluxe resorts year after year but for us they’re a great value at $200-$400 a night. Without DVC we’d probably not return as frequently.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Kale isn't even worth mentioning.

I'm amazed its legal to sell kale as food for humans.