Please help us decide if DVC is right for us

[passionfruit23]

My husband and I just turned 30 and have no kids (yet). In the last 5 years we have been to Disney World 3 times. We are planning a trip to Disneyland this December and a trip to Disney World in February. We have stayed at the Polynesian once and liked it, but the past two times we have stayed at the Waldorf because it was more value for the money. Downside was waiting for the buses to and from the parks. We do not usually plan our trips way ahead of time. We probably plan out 3 months in advance. We usually stick to DW trips in January or February (adventure season) and only Monday-Friday. We feel like we get to more attractions this way.

We are looking into purchasing BLT for about 60 points a year. We figure we can bank and borrow so that we can go once every other year. I am most concerned about increasing maintenance fees (this year 8%) and am not sure how we will feel about going to Disney World every other year when I'm 50+.

We have gotten most of our info about DVC through the Disney rep in our mall. I am trying to research everything but there's so much info that I don't really know if I have looked into every aspect. I would like to hear some input from people who bought their DVC some time ago (say twenty years ago) and how they feel about it now. Do you still enjoy going to Disney
World year after year for like 15 years? My husband and I have only gone 3 times and we still like it but I'm not sure what it will be like when we hit our 10th or 15th trip there.

We are looking for any advice we can get. Thanks in advance!

 

[sskem96]

I've only been a member for about 4 years, but I will share my point of view.

When our kids were young, we didn't have the money to travel much, and I really had no desire to take big trips with little ones. We always planned to do Disney after we were past the stroller and diaper bag stage, and planned out "once in a lifetime" trip for when the kids were 5 and 8. We stayed at Pop Century and had a GREAT time.

We made a couple more trips after that, also staying at Pop. We don't generally stay anywhere too fancy, and it feels very "Disney" there, so it suited us just fine.

As the kids grew, it started to get a little tight in a hotel room with 2 double beds and 1 bathroom. We had to start bringing a twin size air mattress for 1 of the kids to sleep on, and it's almost impossible to sleep in the same room with our oldest daughter snoring all night!

We visited the Doorway to Dreams store in Woodfield Mall just to get a Disney fix, with no intention of purchasing. When we saw the model room and realized that when spread over the course of 50 years, the cost of staying in a villa was less than staying at Pop,(at the time we were spending about $600/trip at Pop x 50 years = $30,000 even if prices never go up!) we decided to join on the spot. We bought 185 points, generally enough for a week in 1BR every year or a 2BR every other year.

It's wonderful to have our own bedroom and bathroom separate from the girls, epecially now that they're teenagers. We absolutely love DVC.

The only thing I regret is that I wish we had waited until we were debt free and able to pay cash. It's not such a cost savings if you're going to pay interest for 10 years. Our idea of "can we afford it" at the time was "can we make the monthly payment". We have since started working really hard to pay off debt and not make any large purchases (or any purchases for that matter) unless we can pay cash. We are in our mid 30s, and our oldest child will be starting college in 3 years. We hope to be debt free except mortgage by that time. I have no doubts that we will continue to enjoy our DVC membership throughout our lives because we have no desire to vacation anywhere else, but I can't justify the cost of airfare or park tickets right now when we're working so hard to pay stuff off. We plan to cruise in 2014 on points since we won't have to pay for food or buy park tickets, and can still have a great Disney vacation.

If you're not sure if you want to vacation at Disney regularly for the rest of your life, it may not be for you. If you absolutely love Disney and you think you'll go at least every other year, even when starting your family and when your kids are very small, and if you've got money set aside for this kind of purchase, then I highly recommend it.

 

[ToddyLu]

The first time I went to WDW I was hooked. It was a terrific vacation spot for my DH and I. we do not have children and are in our 40s. So in 2009 after going to WDW every year since 2002 we bought into DVC. My first trip to WDW was when I was 34. So we knew we would be going at least yearly to satisfy my need for the happy place.

We purchased 210 points direct and with using our points we have been able to go twice the last two years and just enjoyed our 13th trip in 10 years. So we are "devoted" WDW fans.

We always stayed at value resorts before purchasing points and I wanted the luxury of staying in a resort with a more upscale feel. I feel like we get that with DVC. Now that we are comfortable with going, or not going to the parks, we enjoy the Disney resort pool, larger room, kitchenette (we stay in studios to get our trip and then a small trip with family), etc. It is our splurge at this age and we have no other hobbies or "fun" items we have purchased--so no boat, hunting, golfing, etc.

There is a huge resale market for points. If I were only getting 60 points, I would not buy direct--you could buy them resale for far less and pay cash. Using your DVC points outside of DVC for cruises or stays in other cities is no an economical way to use your points. It is easier to pay cash for those. For instance a trip to Ireland with ABD is 400 points for one person. Not gonna happen on our 210 points and me miss a trip to WDW. SO do not let the DVC guide sell you on this "perk" of using points elsewhere. One night in a hotel outside Asheville was going to be 70 points for one night.

You can always rent from an owner, try a DVC trip and see how it works. David's Vacaton Rentals is a sponsor of the DIS and he helps you make those kind of reservations with owners.

Read, read, read. Do not buy anything until you fully understand how to best use your timeshare--it is too expenxive not to--and DVC is an expensive timeshare compared to others. Yet, it does retain some value if you needed to sell it.

 

[ToddyLu]

There are several stickies at the top of this forum to read. PassPorter also has a good guidebook on DVC to purchase and download for information on how DVC works. only you can decide if it is right and if I wasn't really sure, 60 points would be plenty.

I look at DVC like this
DVC changes your trip to Disney like a Corvette changes your drive to work. Do you need it? Is it expensive? Will you enjoy it ? are all valid questions. Can you go to Disney with out it? Me, I just don't want to do WDW without it.

 

[Dean]

My husband and I just turned 30 and have no kids (yet). In the last 5 years we have been to Disney World 3 times. We are planning a trip to Disneyland this December and a trip to Disney World in February. We have stayed at the Polynesian once and liked it, but the past two times we have stayed at the Waldorf because it was more value for the money. Downside was waiting for the buses to and from the parks. We do not usually plan our trips way ahead of time. We probably plan out 3 months in advance. We usually stick to DW trips in January or February (adventure season) and only Monday-Friday. We feel like we get to more attractions this way.

We are looking into purchasing BLT for about 60 points a year. We figure we can bank and borrow so that we can go once every other year. I am most concerned about increasing maintenance fees (this year 8%) and am not sure how we will feel about going to Disney World every other year when I'm 50+.

We have gotten most of our info about DVC through the Disney rep in our mall. I am trying to research everything but there's so much info that I don't really know if I have looked into every aspect. I would like to hear some input from people who bought their DVC some time ago (say twenty years ago) and how they feel about it now. Do you still enjoy going to Disney
World year after year for like 15 years? My husband and I have only gone 3 times and we still like it but I'm not sure what it will be like when we hit our 10th or 15th trip there.

We are looking for any advice we can get. Thanks in advance!

It doesn't sound like DVC is a good choice for you. You don't plan far enough in advance and you may not use it consistently far enough out. Dollar wise it might make sense compared to your 3 previous trips if you only do studios. Of course there are other great options. If waiting on the bus is an issue, you'll have to do that at DVC resorts as well for many options but I know it can be less. There are other options for getting to the parks besides having to be on property. It'd be cheaper to stay at many off property options and use taxi's or rent a car than buying DVC if that's your major concern being off.

Still, buying a small package isn't a dramatic investment so getting 50-60 points and using them every 2-3 years might work out OK. IF you go that route, look at resale at other resorts instead of BLT, esp since you're planning short notice anyway. As for BLT dues I believe they will stay fairly low but not nearly as much of a difference as they started out. However, I would not consider VB or HH for that purpose because you lose any option of more than 7 months at WDW, the long term cost is likely to be more (guaranteed with VB) and you still have an ownership that's harder to sell and worth less than other options.

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip).......We do not usually plan our trips way ahead of time. We probably plan out 3 months in advance. We usually stick to DW trips in January or February (adventure season) and only Monday-Friday. We feel like we get to more attractions this way.........

DVC works best for those who plan ahead. Members can start reserving their vacation at a home resort 11 months prior to check in. Even more members are trying to reserve when the non-home resort window opens - that's 7 months prior to check in.

If you don't book until 3 months in advance, you will often be frustrated if your aim is to stay at the BLT or one of the other smaller, more popular resorts (BCV, VWL, BCV). By that time, the lesser cost options at each resort will also be gone.

OTOH, the time between the MLK and President's Day holidays is one of the times that DVC resorts fill more slowly. You may get lucky. It happens - you will see posts saying that they never have trouble booking at the last minute. However, those are the exception, not the rule.

Most of the time, you will probably be staying at SSR or OKW if you can't book until 3 months out. Those are both nice resorts, but they are not within walking distance of any of the major parks (which I mention because your stated aim is to mostly visit the parks). SSR & OKW resale contracts go for less per point than do those for BLT.

BOTTOM LINE: Think very carefully before proceeding if you cannot change your planning to be 7-11 months ahead.

Good luck!

 

[crisi]

Do you still enjoy going to Disney
World year after year for like 15 years? My husband and I have only gone 3 times and we still like it but I'm not sure what it will be like when we hit our 10th or 15th trip there.

We are looking for any advice we can get. Thanks in advance!

We bought twelve years ago, when our kids were toddlers. They are now teens. And while I'm not "done" and I think it was a good value, I wouldn't buy again, and I wouldn't go every other year if I didn't have DVC. We'd still go to Disney - but on our pre-kid, pre-DVC every five years or so schedule.

The value for us has been being able to affordably put the kids in a different room while staying on site and making use of on-site transportation. If it were just the two of us, I think by now I'd be disappointed (but if it were just the two of us, we'd never have bought, we were bi-annual Disney people BECAUSE of the kids.)

For us, there is a huge world out there...and I like Europe way more than I like Disney. My son likes the beach way more than he likes Disney (Mexico or Hawaii). My daughter likes museums way more than she likes Disney (the Smithsonian was wonderful), and my husband likes variety. Disney was awesome when the kids were three, or six, or ten. And at almost 13 and almost 14 - its a nice easy vacation that we all know, but it isn't getting anyone really excited anymore.

I'd recommend visiting this board a few times a week for several months and reading.

 

[DizBub]

We have been going since 1975. Started out in Fort Wilderness, camping in a converted dodge van with a 5 year old. Moved up to a mini motorhome. 2 more kids later, stayed at moderates,(before the All Stars made them moderates) then just stayed value most of the time. Had gone back to moderates in recent years. Never stayed deluxe.

Then we bought DVC. We had done pretty much everything that we ever wanted to do Disney-wise but this was a game changer for us. This is a quality of life, slow down and smell the roses, relax and enjoy the resorts type of thing. Not park commandos any more, too crowded for us. We just like to BE there and we are staying at places we never, in a million years thought we would or could stay. We bought when we could afford it and consider it the best money we ever spent. This is just OUR experience.

 

[Missyrose]

OP, I'm just like you. DBF and I just turned 30 and we don't have kids yet. But we had been to Disney 5 times in 3 years, so we decided to buy into DVC so we could enjoy the points just the two of us before having kids in a couple of years.

I just want to point a few things out. First, just because you buy BLT points, doesn't automatically mean you get to stay at BLT. Buying there would get you the home-resort priority there, meaning you could make your reservation there up to 11 months out. At 7 months out, everyone can reserve at any DVC resort, regardless of their home resort. If you know you want to go every other January, then I would suggest locking in your reservation 11 months before (so the February before), so you get the type of villa and view you want.

Starting with a very small contract is a good idea so you can see if DVC works for you. But like PPs said, it's going to take some effort from you to change your booking habit. Three months out is an eternity when talking about a cash reservation through Disney, but it is considered last-minute in DVC.

Good luck with your decision! I'll second the recommendation of the Passporter book about DVC ownership, it's a good way to learn the basics.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I took my first trip to WDW in 1997 at the age of 47 with my husband and four year old son. Fast forward 15 years and 30 trips later and we still go. Just bought annual passes for our fall trip (and marathon trip). We usually go annually now and it will be about 18 months between our most recent trip and our upcoming trip. We booked a GV at OKW for a graduation trip (brought 9 upcoming college freshmen with us on that trip).

We went to DL twice and did not use points there because VGC wasn't built yet and we didn't want to use all the points the non-DVC Disney hotels require. We used points for a DCL once, long ago, when it wasn't all that expensive to cruise on points.

VGC is very small and if you plan on staying there, you need to book exactly at 7 months out if you don't own there and want to stay there. Since you don't book that far out, you can probably plan on not staying there.

At one point we did have 500 points and have sold two of our contracts so we now have 325 points which is plenty. Most of them are at OKW, 100 at VWL. It's getting more difficult to get non-home resorts at seven months out, like for F&W festival (we tried to get BCV exactly at seven months and were not successful).

So if you decide to buy, buy at the location where you won't mind staying if that is all you can get and you can book at 9 to 11 months out (the closer to seven months out and you are less likely to get your home resort).

 

[cz4ever]

We do not usually plan our trips way ahead of time. We probably plan out 3 months in advance.

We are looking into purchasing BLT for about 60 points a year.

I don't feel qualified to answer your main question, but wanted to highlight the comments above. At least for now, the most important difference (*) between home resorts is that only people who own at a particular resort can reserve a room between 11 and 7 months out. Once you are closer than 7 months from your planned travel, points from any resort are equivalent can be used to book rooms at any resort.

BLT is the most expensive WDW resort in the DVC system (by quite a bit). To warrant the much higher per-point cost of BLT, it is more or less imperative that you be able to book more than 7 months in advance. If not, then you might as well buy the cheapest points, which would be OKW or SSR.

(*) That's not the only difference. There is also the maintenance fee differential and the different residual resale values, but those differences are unlikely to overcome the very large upfront cost of a BLT point versus an SSR/OKW point if you're not booking 7-11 months in advance to take advantage of being BLT owners.

 

[DizBub]

I don't feel qualified to answer your main question, but wanted to highlight the comments above. At least for now, the most important difference (*) between home resorts is that only people who own at a particular resort can reserve a room between 11 and 7 months out. Once you are closer than 7 months from your planned travel, points from any resort are equivalent can be used to book rooms at any resort.

BLT is the most expensive WDW resort in the DVC system (by quite a bit). To warrant the much higher per-point cost of BLT, it is more or less imperative that you be able to book more than 7 months in advance. If not, then you might as well buy the cheapest points, which would be OKW or SSR.

(*) That's not the only difference. There is also the maintenance fee differential and the different residual resale values, but those differences are unlikely to overcome the very large upfront cost of a BLT point versus an SSR/OKW point if you're not booking 7-11 months in advance to take advantage of being BLT owners.

This is good advice. We didn't know about resale (or anything for that matter) when we bought BLT for @ $100 pp. We have 310 points there. We have stayed at BLT exactly 1 time in 3 years and 7 trips. It is hard to get into if you don't book early. SSR is probably your best bet here and you CAN use SSR points to stay at all DVC resorts booking 7 months out. Something to consider.

 

[ELMC]

Hello,

Welcome to the boards and thanks for asking such great questions. I'm going to try to reply as best I can. Some of my answers will be repetitions of what others have said, but I feel that might still help you. So here we go!

My husband and I just turned 30 and have no kids (yet).

Well, it's a good sign that you both enjoy Disney. I'm guessing that when you do have kids, you'll want to take them to Disney as well. That is where your vacation habits will change. When your children are young they will most likely have an early bedtime, say 7-8pm. Well, do you want to go to bed at 8pm? Most likely not. This is where a 1 bedroom DVC villa is great. You put the kids down in the bedroom, close the door (or leave it slightly ajar, based on your preference), and you and your husband can stay up, have a late meal in the full kitchen, watch a movie, whatever...all while your children sleep in the other room. I know this is personal preference, but when my wife and I travel we like to have separate quarters for us and the kid (soon to be kids).

In the last 5 years we have been to Disney World 3 times. We are planning a trip to Disneyland this December and a trip to Disney World in February.

One of the questions people need to answer when they consider purchasing DVC is "how many times do you go?" If the answer is once every 2 or 3 years, then the decision to purchase becomes more complicated. DVC is best suited for people who travel to Disney multiple times per year, every year or at the least every other year. This sounds like it could very well be you. So far...it's looking like you are a good candidate for DVC.

We have stayed at the Polynesian once and liked it, but the past two times we have stayed at the Waldorf because it was more value for the money. Downside was waiting for the buses to and from the parks.

Ok, so it sounds like you like accommodations on par with what DVC has to offer. Another check in the "buy" column for you. Keep in mind, though, that even if you buy at specific resorts (BLT, BWV, BCV, VWL) you will still have transportation issues to at least 2 if not 3 parks during your stay. If you buy at the other resorts you will have transportation issues to all 4 parks. That being said, my guess is that the Disney transportation system is more efficient than that of the Waldorf. One thing for you to ask yourself, though, is how important is it for you to be "on Disney property". Up until my daughter was 4, we stayed at Marriott Harbour Lake using our Marriott Vacation Club points. We drove to the parks (about 15 minutes each way) and had a great time. But we realized we were missing something by spending so much time in the car and by constantly removing ourselves from the ambiance that Disney has worked so hard to create. So that was the point where we decided to purchase DVC. So I think you really need to analyze how you feel about being on/off property. Also consider that even if you stay on property, renting a car could always be an option as well.

We do not usually plan our trips way ahead of time. We probably plan out 3 months in advance. We usually stick to DW trips in January or February (adventure season) and only Monday-Friday. We feel like we get to more attractions this way.

Uh-oh. Here's where it gets a bit sticky. DVC is typically most advantageous for those who can plan their vacations 7-11 months in advance. If you are a 3 month planner, that should affect which resort you purchase. The reason being that BLT rooms will most likely not be available at 3 months out. So what sense does it make to spend the extra money buying BLT points if you will rarely get to stay there? Most likely the only resorts available at 3 months will be AKV, SSR and OKW. So you are probably better off looking at buying there. They are all less expensive than BLT and are good options for "use anywhere" points.

We are looking into purchasing BLT for about 60 points a year. We figure we can bank and borrow so that we can go once every other year.

Again, consider availability when deciding where you buy. There's a lot more to this, but I think we've covered it enough for the time being.

I am most concerned about increasing maintenance fees (this year 8%) and am not sure how we will feel about going to Disney World every other year when I'm 50+.

Maintenance fees are going to go up every year and most years it will be somewhere slightly higher than general cost of living increases. I wouldn't sweat the increases as much as I would be aware of the fact that you are signing up to pay this bill for the next 50 years. As far as not wanting to go to Disney when you're older, that is a valid concern. However, right now there is a vibrant resale market for people who are in just that position. If you are smart about how you buy into DVC (I'm suggesting resale) then you should be able to escape out of your contract in the future with little to no financial downsides.

We have gotten most of our info about DVC through the Disney rep in our mall. I am trying to research everything but there's so much info that I don't really know if I have looked into every aspect.

Simply read the threads in this section as they pop up each day. Just about every major topic gets covered and you'll get some really great answers.

I would like to hear some input from people who bought their DVC some time ago (say twenty years ago) and how they feel about it now. Do you still enjoy going to Disney
World year after year for like 15 years? My husband and I have only gone 3 times and we still like it but I'm not sure what it will be like when we hit our 10th or 15th trip there.

I can sort of answer this...

I have been a (Marriott) timeshare owner for close to 15 years and I still use and enjoy my purchase annually. Add to that my wife and I have been travelling to Disney together since before we were married (11 years ago) and have been together over a dozen times. So put the two together and I can say that we honestly are not growing tired of Disney and we wish that we had purchased a DVC timeshare along the same time we purchased Marriott so that we could use them both. Walt Disney World is huge, and you can go dozens of times and not see everything. Odds are you will love going back year after year. And if something changes, you can rent out your points or sell your contract on the resale market and recoup a portion of your initial investment.

It sounds like you're asking all the right questions. All you have to do is think about the answers and decide what is right for you. Good luck with your decision, please let us know how it turns out!

 

[zavandor]

Others have already said this, but I would remark it more:

We probably plan out 3 months in advance.

Your home resort advantage counts only if you can book between 7 months and one day to 11 months before your stay.
Otherwise owning BLT, BWV or SSR is exactly the same.

In your scenario you should consider to buy the cheapest resort available, that would mean SSR (or OKW, but SSR have lower MF). You'll save from 10$ to 30$ per point upfront and also a few $ on maintenance fee every year, comparing resale prices.
That does not mean that you'll always visit only SSR; since you'll go during a very low period for DVC, you may be lucky finding availability also in other resorts. However this is true for every home resort you might have, so I would say: if you decide to buy, buy SSR.

Just to tell everything: reading the contract, the only thing that is really guaranteed with DVC is staying at your home resort. Every other rule can change in the future and if ever in the future your resort is removed from the club you'll be able to book only your resort. However, it's really ( < 0.1%) unlikely.

 

[alice99]

This is good advice. We didn't know about resale (or anything for that matter) when we bought BLT for @ $100 pp. We have 310 points there. We have stayed at BLT exactly 1 time in 3 years and 7 trips. It is hard to get into if you don't book early. SSR is probably your best bet here and you CAN use SSR points to stay at all DVC resorts booking 7 months out. Something to consider.

This is exactly my situation. I would have been better off purchasing at SSR.

Though at the time we bought, the prices of resales were higher than they are now, and my purchase direct through Disney was less expensive than current pricing. So there was not as much of a cost difference as there is now.

All in all a great value.

In addition , we have rented out our points through David's rental one time we couldn't travel.

To the OP:
We did not take out a loan, we paid cash. The loan rates from Disney are outrageous! I'd take a home equity loan before taking one of those horrible Disney loans.

I say, if you can afford it , go for it. DVC is great. We love the accommodations and the convenience of the washing machines and kitchen. I wouldn't travel any other way.

Also, my one regret was that we didn't purchase sooner. When we were child-free, at the age of 30 (1996), we contemplated purchasing DVC, over and over..... we waited until 2008. Wish we had done it sooner.
I think you have the right idea.

 

[alice99]

Hello,

Well, it's a good sign that you both enjoy Disney. I'm guessing that when you do have kids, you'll want to take them to Disney as well. That is where your vacation habits will change. When your children are young they will most likely have an early bedtime, say 7-8pm. Well, do you want to go to bed at 8pm? Most likely not. This is where a 1 bedroom DVC villa is great. You put the kids down in the bedroom, close the door (or leave it slightly ajar, based on your preference), and you and your husband can stay up, have a late meal in the full kitchen, watch a movie, whatever...all while your children sleep in the other room. I know this is personal preference, but when my wife and I travel we like to have separate quarters for us and the kid (soon to be kids).

Ok, so it sounds like you like accommodations on par with what DVC has to offer. Another check in the "buy" column for you. Keep in mind, though, that even if you buy at specific resorts (BLT, BWV, BCV, VWL) you will still have transportation issues to at least 2 if not 3 parks during your stay. If you buy at the other resorts you will have transportation issues to all 4 parks. That being said, my guess is that the Disney transportation system is more efficient than that of the Waldorf. One thing for you to ask yourself, though, is how important is it for you to be "on Disney property". Up until my daughter was 4, we stayed at Marriott Harbour Lake using our Marriott Vacation Club points. We drove to the parks (about 15 minutes each way) and had a great time. But we realized we were missing something by spending so much time in the car and by constantly removing ourselves from the ambiance that Disney has worked so hard to create. So that was the point where we decided to purchase DVC. So I think you really need to analyze how you feel about being on/off property. Also consider that even if you stay on property, renting a car could always be an option as well.



Uh-oh. Here's where it gets a bit sticky. DVC is typically most advantageous for those who can plan their vacations 7-11 months in advance. If you are a 3 month planner, that should affect which resort you purchase. The reason being that BLT rooms will most likely not be available at 3 months out. So what sense does it make to spend the extra money buying BLT points if you will rarely get to stay there? Most likely the only resorts available at 3 months will be AKV, SSR and OKW. So you are probably better off looking at buying there. They are all less expensive than BLT and are good options for "use anywhere" points.

Maintenance fees are going to go up every year and most years it will be somewhere slightly higher than general cost of living increases. I wouldn't sweat the increases as much as I would be aware of the fact that you are signing up to pay this bill for the next 50 years. As far as not wanting to go to Disney when you're older, that is a valid concern. However, right now there is a vibrant resale market for people who are in just that position. If you are smart about how you buy into DVC (I'm suggesting resale) then you should be able to escape out of your contract in the future with little to no financial downsides.

I have been a (Marriott) timeshare owner for close to 15 years and I still use and enjoy my purchase annually. Add to that my wife and I have been travelling to Disney together since before we were married (11 years ago) and have been together over a dozen times. So put the two together and I can say that we honestly are not growing tired of Disney and we wish that we had purchased a DVC timeshare along the same time we purchased Marriott so that we could use them both. Walt Disney World is huge, and you can go dozens of times and not see everything. Odds are you will love going back year after year. And if something changes, you can rent out your points or sell your contract on the resale market and recoup a portion of your initial investment.

It sounds like you're asking all the right questions. All you have to do is think about the answers and decide what is right for you. Good luck with your decision, please let us know how it turns out!

 

[madelyn]

I'm not a DVC owner but attended our first BWV presentation with my DH when we were in our early 30's before we had kids. We had gone for our 1 year anniversary (after being married at WDW). DH wanted to purchase (back then BWV points direct were I think in the $80's per point?). I didn't want to spend the money and it probably ended up being for the best since we used the money we would have spent on DVC towards our home purchase. Attended our 2nd DVC presentation when AKV was being sold. My sister ended up purchasing. DH again wanted to purchase but I still had doubts. At that time we were able to use SIL's timeshare to trade through Interval for DVC. Finally, more than 15 years after our first presentation, I am interested in purchasing a small contract resale. After helping my sister plan many trips through DVC and being in a financial situation where we've paid off our home, I feel comfortable making this purchase. Sure we still have other things the money can go towards, like college funds for our kids (one starts college in 4 years) or retirement or home improvement projects. But this purchase would be small enough that it shouldn't make that much of a difference and I think we'll use the points or if we don't, we know enough people who travel to Disney and we can rent them the points. Do I regret not buying 15 + years ago? No, not really.

 

[JOEJENN]

DVC members for 15 years! Just visited WDW two weeks ago with our kids (23, 18 & 10). They still love it. We just changed to more adult oriented fun such as Epcot, Pleasure Island, shopping, dinners or whatever we feel like doing.
In hind sight, one of the best moves we ever made. We still visit other places outside of Disney. Just rent the points and use those funds for your own destination.

 

[kcdisneymom]

I originally purchased in 2002 5 years after getting married and one year before son was born. The only time I lost points was year of my divorce. (ended up not using a reservation). Since, I have not been but have rented points to pay dues and have extra income. I am almost in a place to plan a trip with my 4DD and 9DS. I miss OKW(not home resort). It is so peaceful and beautiful. Can't wait to take the kids to do some pool hopping. Take DD for her first trip to meet the princesses. She will flip when she sees the castle. I think even when the kids are gone I would go down by myself to play golf or take a jog through the beautiful landscape. Do they still have single rider lines? In short, still a good investment for me.

 

[BestDadEver]

I dont plan on using my membership exclusivly to stay at disney . In my later years(50's) I am sure I wont want to do to disney I wil take advantage of rci . But that gives me 20 years of disney vacations .
the only issue I see you having is your not going to do much with rci or a cruise with 60 points . Also the 3 month booking may be a problem but if you are flexible where you stay you shouldn't have a problem.

Cruising on points makes sence to me cause you have almost no out of pocket expense unless you drink a lot . Vs dvc resort where you wil likely spend $1500-2000 a week for dinning and tix.

Another thing to think of if you decide to go with the cheaper resort like SSR is the exportation date . OKW will expire sooner then SSR . Cause all dvc resorts are 50 year contract from there opening date . This is the reason I bought SSR over others , cheap pp and less dues then others , that were avalable .