Please push me over the edge!

[Lyndarella]

Unsigned paperwork for VWL still sitting on kitchen counter. Don't know what to do:
(1) We've only gone on vacation every few years, always in a frugal manner.
(2) Hubby and kids are not WDW repeaters. ("We've already seen it!") On the other hand, I am a Disney fanatic. Lived several places in FL when I was single, and went to WDW frequently! (Only the MK then, at about $11 to get in.) Now raising family in northern MN where few people have been to WDW, and some have never even heard of Florida. . . Recently I discovered sites like the DIS Boards which I read every night. WOW! There are other people out there like me!
In Dec. we went to FL and stayed in a timeshare (2BR, whirlpool, kitchen, came home with clean laundry!) Whole family was thrilled! Said we must go again soon! ofen! always in such accommodations! Bought a very cheap resale near WDW...
I want, but do I need, DVC points too? Can we change from infrequent travelers to twice a year? (LONG vacations are out of the question.) Could I get away with going to FL with a lady friend when whole family can't go? Can I afford all those plane tickets? (not cheap from here) Looking to retire in 10 years -- will I have all our retirement $ spent so we end up having to eat cat food? It would be more fun to do it at WDW, but we wouldn't need a whole kitchen for that, would we? It's not the DVC purchase but the frequent travel hubby thinks we can't afford. He's being nice about it, tho, because he knows it's my heart's desire. Is he right? Willl I always be happy/sorry if I make the right/wrong decision? I need some totally biased opinions here to help me feel better about wanting to do this. . .

 

[Snowgod]

You can always rent out your points every other year, and save that money toward the next year's trip!

We bought in Oct. '00, then added on in 11/01. Never been sorry.

Owning at DVC allows you to better escape to the travel fantasy mindframe, in which you half remember your prior trips and half fantasize about your next one. Planning the next trip is great fun. When you own DVC you know you have that to return to.... or a cruise.... or trading out for something not Disney....

 

[patsal]

Hmmm....well given the constraints on your travelling, I'm not sure what to suggest. If you know you will want to travel every two, or four years you may get your money's worth. I guess I'd figure out how many points I'd need for the vacation type I wanted (ie room size) and then decide if I wanted to go every two years or every four. If it is every two years you would bank and use two years points at the same time. If you did the every four years you could bank, use year and borrow, skip a year (because you borrowed) and bank. Then bank, use year and borrow again. The second choice deminishes your value since 40 years divided by four = ten vacations. If the whole family is not on the same page with this and it is a financial struggle to keep payments up then I would skip it and try to rent points from a member when you do vacation.
As far as going with a friend rather than your family, you can take whoever you want with you.
Bottom line, only you really know your financial situation and your family's vacation habits. Sorry I couldn't be more help

 

[EROS]

If you're willing to stay off-site, as in your new resale timeshare, then I DON'T think that DVC is a very good value for you. It sounds like you're committed to at least 1 trip/year to Orlando with your new timeshare, unless you use it as a trading vehicle. Do you really wish to travel 2 times/year to Orlando?? If you do, is staying on-site that important to you?????

Good Luck,

 

[Granny]

Lyndarella....

The thing that concerns me most in your post is that you say that even the kids aren't too gung ho on WDW on a regular basis.

DVC is fantastic but it is not cheap. In my opinion, it is justified if you go at least every other year (you can make a case for every 3 years), really want to stay on-site, and do not want to use DVC primarily as a trade out to other timeshares.

Tough decision, especially for a Disney lover surrounded by a family who sound like they're luke warm on Disney, at best.

Good luck!

 

[ZerasPride]

I can relate to so many issues in your post! My husband is NOT a Disney fan. He would not even consider purchasing DVC on site at Disneyworld. He was sold after one visit to the Hilton Head property and agreed to purchase there. Even though we are new members and it took me almost 2 years to convince hubby I really wanted this, I admit, the victory is not as sweet in getting him to sign as I thought it would be. I am quite happy with our purchase, don't get me wrong but even my son is going over to the "dark side" with my hubby and said he doesn't care if we don't go back to Disneyworld for the next couple of years. So now I am faced with a household that doesn't care for Disney and I am all alone in my obsession.

I wish I could be like some DISers who say if hubby doesn't want to come, then he can stay home! I don't like traveling without my husband. I have gone to Disney without him and will probably do it again but it's not my favorite way to travel and I certainly don't want to think about going on vacation without him every time I need a Disney fix.

I share this with you to say that you really really need to consider not just your love of Disney but your whole family's attitude toward this expensive endeavor. I want to go to Disney over Thanksgiving week but hubby doesn't and even though my son is lukewarm about the prospect, he really doesn't want to miss school (first year of high school) and I really don't want him to either. I can honestly say I wish I would have thought this out more because the only one who is frustrated right now is me!

I know you will make the best decision for you and your family. If you decide to purchase, let us know so we can welcome you home.

P.S. I hope my post was not too negative. I love DVC and hubby loves making me happy (and I love making him happy too) so we do what any other intelligent married couple does when we don't see eye to eye on a major issue, we compromise!

Lisa

 

[sgtpet]

I would suggest you do not join DVC. It is not in the best interests of your family to do it. I have sympathy for you but it seems DVC is not the best option for you.


Good luck

 

[Orky15]

I'd advise you to wait on it. You can always do it in a month or so, and you can always buy a resale. I'm really gung ho about DVC (just signed) but I don't think you should sign if you suspect you will regret it. Wait until you are sure. We were going to sign in October, but waited till January. It was torture, but we were in a better financial situation, and now my fiance is actually HAPPY with the decision, and as excited as I am. Think it over. Take a trip to Vero Beach or Hilton Head to see if your family will be happier with some offsite options. Make sure it would be less expensive than just renting points every view years (if you like the accomodations especially) or reserving an on-site resort. If you got the 150 point intro package, you could bank and borrow so that you can take a larger, nicer trip every few years and it might still be worth it.

Your guide can give you some great ideas about 'stalling' the purchase as well--making slight changes in contracts and sending them back for rewrites, etc. More paperwork, but more time.

Only you know if this is the best move, so if you aren't sure, call a family meeting, take a vote with a few options:

a. Don't ever do DVC, pay as you go.
b. Buy later (save a bit exclusively for DVC so it's less of a long term pinch)
c. No for now, consider buying again in a month, two, or three
d. Do a short trip, renting points, then decide.
e. Buy now

MHO. But keep in mind, I'm 20 years old, so I do know everything ;o)

 

[caverill]

Well, you are asking a very difficult question. I find it hard to convince other people to purchase DVC, since it is such a personal thing.

I do understand some of the issues you are dealing with since we live in Northern Minnesota also. The transportation costs can be large, since Northwest owns the market and dictates the price. This makes multiple trips costly.

With the information that you provided, I am not sure purchasing into DVC would be right for you or your family.

If your DH and childern aren't that interested in going WDW every other year, I think you would be better served by spending your vacation dollars differently.

DVC is a great deal for those who like to stay on-site at WDW and have deluxe rooms. If you are happy staying off-site or in a moderate or value hotel on-site, DVC is not right for you. It also is not a great deal if you don't plan on using every couple years.

Take you time, think about your options, get family "buy-in" and go.