Originally posted by mickeymom923
I've exchanged every year and stayed in Lake Buena Vista at great resorts.
If that's your philosophy, then
DVC probably is not right for you. Those who want to stay at a Disney World resort, DVC or not, will always pay a premium price for that priviledge. If you haven't felt the pull to stay on-site, I'm not sure that DVC will have a substantial impact on your outlook.
Compared to the WDW Deluxe room rates (which run $300+ per night for a standard room), DVC will often pay for itself in about 5-7 years. To answer one of your questions--THAT'S why DVC is worth it to some. But, there are clearly more economical resort options off WDW property.
The $14K figure is pretty accurate. To buy 150 points (the minimum) at Saratoga Springs will run about that much money. 150 points could get you a Studio room (comparable to a standard hotel room) for 11-12 consecutive nights most times of the year. Or, if you want to step up to a One Bedroom (full kitchen, separate bedroom and living area, whirlpool tub, in-room washer and dryer, etc.) it will get you about 5-7 nights per year.
You could save a little bit of money by purchasing a contract on the secondary market. That will reduce your cash outlay by approx. 15%, but you also will get 12 fewer years on the contract. SSR contracts expire in the year 2054, while all of the other resorts end in 2042.
Annual dues at all DVC resorts are some of the highest in the timeshare industry. 150 points at SSR will run you about $600 for the dues (using 2004 figures.) All other DVC resorts, with the exception of Old Key West, are a little higher than SSR.
As DeeDeeDis said, points can be used toward cruises, but the trade values are not particularly good. Members can often get at least $10 per point by "renting" (sub-letting) their points to non-members. Many members (at least those who read this board) choose to rent their points and use the proceeds to pay cash for the cruise. To book a cruise on points directly through DVC often returns only $7-8 per point in value when compared to the cash rate of the cruise. By renting at $10 each, the member can either rent fewer points than the cruise would cost or just pocket the difference.
