Patience please :) Newbie Question

[Disney Bumfords]

We have yet to contact DVC and actually take a tour and gather info, but from reading here and about on the boards and different web pages, I think I have an idea of how it works.

Once you purchase your piece of DVC, you automatically earn that allotted amount of points each year?

Also - if you don't travel to Disney during one DVC year, do your points automatically get banked?

Are there any additional annual fees associated with DVC? Or is it - once you buy, you're a member.

Thanks for your time - as I said, I'm just learning.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Once you purchase your piece of DVC, you automatically earn that allotted amount of points each year?

Yes that's correct.

if you don't travel to Disney during one DVC year, do your points automatically get banked?

It's not automatic. You have to call and tell them to bank the points within a certain time frame. You can bank 100% of your points within the first 6 months of your use year.

Are there any additional annual fees associated with DVC? Or is it - once you buy, you're a member.

You are a member but there is an anuual maintenance fee of about $4.00 per point, depending upon which resort you own at. Some are higher, some a little lower and they generally do increase by 3% or so each year.

Good luck with your decision. This is the best place to learn.

HBC

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[Granny]

Once you purchase your piece of DVC, you automatically earn that allotted amount of points each year?

That is correct. Your points are renewed each year on the first day of your use year month.

Also - if you don't travel to Disney during one DVC year, do your points automatically get banked?

No, you must contact Disney (Member Services) and bank your points according to a schedule. Nothing is automatic. You can bank 100% of your annual point total 6 months prior to the end of your use year. You can bank 50% of your annual points up to four months prior, and 25% of your points up to three months prior to the end of your use year. So if you don't manage your points by actively planning and banking them, they will expire if not used or banked before the end of a use year.

Are there any additional annual fees associated with DVC? Or is it - once you buy, you're a member.

Yes, there is an annual maintenance fee, currently running approximately $4 a point. You pay this every year in addition to the one-time "ownership" fee. This maintenance fee covers all the expenses of running the DVC villas including utilities, maids, groundskeepers, insurance, taxes, etc.

It's good to come here, and ask tons of questions. Personally, I think it's better to do that before contacting Disney. That way, you can have your facts up front, and if they make a special offer good only for a few days during your visit, you will be making an informed purchase decision.

Good luck!

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Hi Bumfords....

Go to the following website:

www.disneyvacationclub.com

You can order a free DVD directly from Disney Vacation Club. This is fun to watch and will answer many of your questions.

 

[Disney Bumfords]

Thanks ALL!! What nice responses from all of you.

I'm just not sure if DVC is for us. I'm trying to weigh out the options.

We normally like to stay at the Polnesian Resort in the Concierge rooms. In order to do this, it looks like I would need about 350 points per year.

So I'm looking at about $1,400 annual dues (or $120/month) and approximately $32,000 retail value for the property.

Am I on the right track?

How does the financing work - how many months do you have to pay off the property fee and what do the interest rates run?

I just wonder if it's worth it ??????

 

[Dean]

Thanks ALL!! What nice responses from all of you.

I'm just not sure if DVC is for us. I'm trying to weigh out the options.

We normally like to stay at the Polnesian Resort in the Concierge rooms. In order to do this, it looks like I would need about 350 points per year.

So I'm looking at about $1,400 annual dues (or $120/month) and approximately $32,000 retail value for the property.

Am I on the right track?

How does the financing work - how many months do you have to pay off the property fee and what do the interest rates run?

I just wonder if it's worth it ??????

If your thinking about buying DVC to use the points at they Poly, save your money, you'll have more of it.

 

[J and R's mom]

Have you toured any of the DVC properties yet? Staying in a villa or studio is different from a hotel room (even the conc. level).

 

[Laurabearz]

DVC is a good vaule if you use the points within the 7 DVC resorts. Using points outside those resorts make DVC a very very expensive option, plus there is no garrentee that we will always be able to use our points at Disney Resorts.

A lot of DVC'ers get their fave Disney Resort Fix by staying at those resorts (on cash, ap discount) on the higher point weekends then switch over to a DVC resort for the Sun-Thursday stay.

Keep asking questions!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree with the above posters. If you have never stayed in a 1,2 or 3 bedroom DVC villa, you have no idea how much more luxurious it is than staying in any of the resort hotel rooms. DVC is a timeshare. If you want to stay at the other Disney resorts (non-DVC), you are doing an exchange out of the timeshare system, and that is always more costly. The exchange rate for points is determined by each resort hotel annually, and it is not a given that you will always be able to trade into them. We loved staying at Wilderness Lodge before Purchasing DVC, but there is no way I wanted to continue to spend $3-5000 a trip for accommodations that were nothing more than a hotel room. Before buying DVC, we assumed we would occationally use points for a night here or there at the deluxes, but we never have, because we don't want to give up the luxury of our OKW 2 bedroom villa!

 

[crisi]

Two additional peices of info:

Points required for DVC stays at DVC resorts are highly unlikely to change. (Details available on request, probably from Dean or Doc, but basically, just know its not likely). Points required to cruise, stay at the Poly, stay at a hotel in NYC, trade to Tanque Verde, can and do change yearly.

You can only bank for one year. If I don't go in 2004 and bank my points into 2005, I need to use those 2004 points in 2005 or lose them. You can also borrow from one year in advance, but no more than a year.

 

[Dean]

Two additional peices of info:

Points required for DVC stays at DVC resorts are highly unlikely to change. (Details available on request, probably from Dean or Doc, but basically, just know its not likely). Points required to cruise, stay at the Poly, stay at a hotel in NYC, trade to Tanque Verde, can and do change yearly.

You can only bank for one year. If I don't go in 2004 and bank my points into 2005, I need to use those 2004 points in 2005 or lose them. You can also borrow from one year in advance, but no more than a year.

LOL. And it's very possible those programs could evaporate altogether.