Profile of a DVCer ...

[Dreamfinder2]

Man, do I ever have great neighbors!

I just realized that I wasn't playing my own game, so ... I'm associate editor for a large weekly religious journal; DW manages the recreation facility at our church. DS, 19, is finishing up his first year in the United States Marine Corps (that'll keep your prayer life active!), and DD, 15, is blonde, a cheerleader, knows how to toss her head and flip her hair ... you get the picture.

I would like to add that at our first trip to OKW last month, I can close my eyes even now and see the look of delighted astonishment on my DD's face when we first walked in our 2BR. Try to write a check and pay for THAT, pal!

Somewhere along the way I realized that folks were gonna think whatever they wanted to about me, regardless of our touting DVC or not. If they're curious I just say, "Do the math, but ultimately, follow your heart." Works both ways for us!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

single woman in her 40's. I'm a programmer. When I first looked at DVC I thought it was a lot of money even splitting by two. Now...splitting by one its just the way I choose to allocate my money rather than in cars or expensive enhancements to the house.

 

[PoohBears#1fan]

We're just bought and are part of a reasonably rare breed of UK owners! (I've never come across any others than the ones I've met on these forums)

We're also in the middle, H works for SUN in the UK, I'm an RGN (same as your RN I think) by trade but not practising, since our DD started school I've been running my own jewellery franchise (which in comparison to your jewellery would seem extremely unimpressive and overpriced!!!! LOL)

We have one DD who'll be 7 in September and one on the way due in December this year.

We both love travelling and love Florida, I'm the major Disney freak and am heavily into Pooh Bear (our house is a shrine) and DD isn't far behind me. Family holidays are, to us a priority and our holidays create very fond memories that we'll look back on for many years to come. DVC, despite being a large initial outlay is a wonderful way of giving us the opportunity to go to WDW every year.

 

[dbond]

People seem to think we are rich because we go to WDW so often.

Ditto! I hear this so much, when actually the truth is, we probably spend less on our WDW vacations than most. My husband is an executive with a training company and travels for work often. We can usually count on his airline miles to provide airfare for the 5 of us once, maybe twice a year. We grocery shop and prepare the majority of our own meals in our 2 br condo at OKW, so our only major expenses are our park tickets and we usually rent a car. We bought our DVC membership 5 years ago and paid cash with my husband's annual bonus that year. (It was a good year!) We had been waiting for 5 years prior to that before we felt like we could afford to make the investment. We have added on twice in small increments since then when we had extra cash. I am a stay at home mom, with 3 kids, one going to college this year. Becuase of DVC, we have spent the past 5 years taking as many family trips as we could squeeze time for before the oldest left for college. The only thing holding us back from more trips to WDW is time off from school and kids extracurriculars and not enough points. So when people are envious and assume that we are wealthy because we go so often, I just let them go on thinking that and feel so good at the end of another trip because I didn't have to spend as much as they did.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Hi, it's nice to "meet" everyone!

I am 38 years old, and my wife is 30. We are currently trying to have kids, and my wife is getting sad about our failure thus far.

I am a Pilot/Flight Standards Captain on a business stlyle jet. I fly all over the US, Canada, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Mexico (and more that I missed). I am gone for seven days in a row, then have seven days off.

My wife is an Occupational Therapist. She specializes in mental health, and works with children.

We started going to WDW together before we were married, and it has continued right through our honeymoon (1995).

Karl

 

[cgcw]

We are also in the middle income group and happy with our DVC investments. DH is an anaylst with a financial firm and I am a home daycare provider. The income from my daycare business more than pays for DVC. It's the best of both worlds for us -- I get to stay home with our children yet bring income in. While we probably would have still bought our initial 150 pts, I'm not sure we'd have felt comfortable going ahead with the two add ons we've done at HH without my income. I love hear our DS7 say he'd rather go to HH over WDW anytime (I'm sure he'll enjoy our upcoming trip to WDW though). I hope DS2 feels the same way whe he gets a bit older. I know we'd never have been able to afford a week at HH ever summer let alone multiple trips to WDW without DVC....now we can plan on that for the next 40 years.

 

[pwoodham]

We have 6 boys, 1, 4, 7, 10, 11 and 26. The memories we've made at WDW are priceless. I am so grateful for a place that really WANTS my children to show up!! I'm the Disney nut, but only because WDW makes my children feel welcome and has provided the environment for wonderful memories. I'm a "retired" IT manager, and my husband works as a Sales Director for semi-conductor equipment. I'm 45, he's 50. We home school our kids and love every minute. Politically we're very conservative. We serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
We aren't rich, but we love to share our "points" with our family. Since we joined in 1998, we've only been once by ourselves! We've taken various family members, and when we go this time, we'll be taking 3 sisters, 1 bil, 3 nephews, 1 niece, and 1 mil. FUN!!

 

[BillM]

We are grandparents with 3 children, ages 41 to 47 and 7 grandchildren, ages 7 to 25. When DW and I bought OKW in 1998 our main motivation was to provide our kids and grandkids with quality accomodations at WDW at no cost. Also we intended to see that our 7 grandkids got to WDW since none had been before. Almost 5 years later we have gotten 5 of the 7 there several times. As grandparents we have joined our kids at DW about 4 times and enjoyed seeing them have fun. DW and I always have our own villa which is usually a 1 BR at OKW. WE have also been able to provide our DD and her family of five trips to DVCHH and DVCVB. Another DD and SIL went on a 3 day cruise.

I am a retired insurance agency owner and DW taught for eight years and retired so we could travel. We spend four months a year in a owned condo at Ft. Myers, Fl. and qualify for Florida Resident Seasonal passes.

I can't think of a better way we grandparents could have spent our $$$ than to give so many great vacations to our kids. WE have had to add on 4 times to have enough points for everyone to use.
I would encourage other Grandparents out there to join the DVC and help their "struggling kids" by sharing DVC.

 

[mrsdon]

We're both 41 and have been members since 94. Dh was in the Navy at the time and I worked as a waitress at Shoneys.
We lived in Ga about 3 miles from the FL biorder. We thought we had died and gone to heaven on our first trip.
DH retired and moved us to Memphis where he is now involved in security sales and installtuion for a BIG company. *Johnosn Controls"
I work at Chick Fil A and really love it. Also a PT TDS CM
Working at TDS enabled us to buy 3 add-ons.
One was for VB with 100 points costing us 42.50 per point.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Guess we're the only "newly empty-nesters" so far. Two sons in college (Thand goodness Texas state universities are fairly reasonable and didn't take all my income). DH is an engineer, I'm a Math teacher at a Military school. I'm the disney nut, and like a previous poster, DH knows he'd "wiggle out" of vacation if he could-he's such a workaholic who at least knows that's not good, so he was easily convinced to buy DVC-he was looking for a way to be forced to take vacation more. Didn't do it for the kids-did it for DH and me! I want to go there with my grandchildren some day, meanwhile with DH, and next year with both sons, as one FINALLY graduates.

 

[wdwsos]

My DH and I are both in our late forties, and have three wonderful boys, ages 14, 16 and 19. The 19 year old will be entering his junior year at Boston University, majoring in film, the other two are still in high school. My husband is the CIO of a financial investment company; I'm a part-time editor, writer, web designer, working out of the house. We also try to give back in a small way to the community. My DH runs the soccer league here (1200 kids) and I have the Mickey SOS program to keep me busy. We live in Boston, have a simple Colonial, and drive minivans.

I'm the big Disney fanatic in the house, followed closely by my 14 year old. I try to go 3-4 times a year - why we live in a simple Colonial and drive minivans. We bought into the DVC in 1995 and haven't regretted it for a moment.

I agree with how people think you're rolling in dough to be visiting WDW regularly. I often wonder why my timeshare in WDW seems to be so much more exotic than their house on Cape Cod. Some of my friends understand the obsession, others tolerate it - doesn't much matter to me because I'm happy.

 

[CK1]

My sister and her fam of 4 bought into DVC at the very beginning, many moons ago. Now some 10+ years later, my DH and I are proud members as well. What sparked us to buy? SImple -- it makes a "family vacation" possible (and by family, I mean extended family); and also, it makes vacation a priority for within our our immediate gang of 5. Prior to DVC 3 years ago, our vacations were little more than the "World TOur For Peace" amongst my dh's and my families - easter at one house, the 4th at the other; Turkey day at one house -- xmas at the other. ONce we had our 3 kids, however, we knew the cycle must stop! Disney is wonderful middle ground! Our families are too proud, however, to let us "pay" for their rooms... but for some reason, DVC style works ("points" are mysterious enough, and it's as if we are just sharing what we already own, rather than paying their way!) ALso -- my dh is NOT good about taking time out for himself. DVC and the banking/borrowing system INSURES that he HAS to take a break SOMETIME (after all, he's no point-waster, either!!)

So who are we? DH and I are both 35, married for 12 years; we met in graduate school. DH has his MS and is in mgmt for a major Fortune 100 chemicals corporation; I have my PhD in chemistry and work for the same company as a rsch chemist. SInce the birth of our 3 kids (boys 7 and 6, dd age 2), I have been working part-time. We live in a very nice part of the mid-Ohio valley (well, actually, WV, but we can see Ohio from our street!) We usually take DVC trips every 12-16 mos....we hope to try HHI next year, just as something "different"! (We keep hearing such rave reviews!)

Next trip: VWL, Aug 11-22, 2002 (woo hoo!)

Cindy

 

[Disney Doll]

DH is 44, I am 40, we have no kids, we have 200 points at OKW and are looking to buy 200 more somewhere soon. DH has been tossing around BCV...I can only hope!!!!!!!
I would consider us middle class in the income department...we both work, have a normal house(3 BR Cape, nothing fancy)in a nice suburban town.

 

[sgtpet]

I am 32 and I am an Internal Audit Manager for a large insurance company in New Jersey. My 28 year old wife is staying at home with our 22 month old son. We both enjoy Walt Disney World in particular, she likes more of the other Disney things. We own a townhouse and have a pretty good life.


Update 9/10/02

In fact it is getting a lot better. My wife and I just found out we are preganant (actually she is the one who is pregnant). Looks like I will be looking at larger accomodations.

 

[patsal]

Thanks for this thread...it is so hard to expalin that to DVC you do not have to be rolling in dough! We are a middle class family of four Me 35, DH 34, DS10 and DD7. We live in a suburban single home just outside of Buffalo, and have a duel income. DH is an engineer who specializes in software. I am a duel certified HS English teacher and Reading specialist. We are bogged down by rigorous schedules in the fall, winter and spring with sports, church activities, and the usual kid stuff. DH and I never had spectular vacations as kids. The fist time I went to WDW I was 26. Family vacations are a priority for us, especially since the kids grow up so fast. Right now we have 210 points, but I would like to get another 210 so that we can vacation generously with our children for many years to come.

 

[DVC-Don]

I just hit the "half century" mark, my wife is early 40's. We started late with the kids who are only 10 & 11 now. My wife owns an insurance agency and I am a stay at home dad after a career in law enforcement. I also work part time as an agent for my wife. Neither of our parents went anywhere on vacation when we grew up. Family vacations are a priority in our household.

 

[DeeP]

This thread points out just how diverse DVC members are. I think I am the first single parent to post though. I bought into DVC, after years of going and paying for WDW resorts, when my kids were 13 & 15 they are now young adults in college. Once I sat down and figured out what I was spending to stay 10 nights at YC, Poly, CSR etc I thought this is crazy I could have bought DVC years ago, so I joined and it was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. My DVC needs though have changed a lot since joining because now I take many trips without my kids and I do not need as large of a unit so my DVC pts really stretch out and now I go 4 times a year!
Who am I and what do I do when I'm not in the land of Mickey? I own property in NJ where I live and work most of the year and also property in FL where I visit often and will one day make my year round home. I work for a large Health Care System in the Tri State area in Human Resources/Compensation Dept and I'm a Compensation Analyst. We live in a beautiful community 15 minutes from the So Jersey beaches but we are definitely middle class. I drive a Dodge Neon! For our family DVC has been worth every penny and then some.

 

[Sue's Mum]

A struggling "middle-England" UK DVCer here. We started with 171 points, bought an add-on of 25 and are expecting FedEx here tomorrow morning with a contract for another 40 points. To say that we have had a bath, wash-hand basin and lavatory sitting in various part of the house for the last twelve months waiting until we have got the money together to have it installed and the bathroom tiled, redecorated etc. just about sums us up completely. Holidays before home!

By the way DH is 62 and retired, and I'm 57 and can't afford to retire - too many DVC points to buy.

 

[MdmMim]

DH and I are just over that magical age of 50. Kids have left the nest. We joined DVC 2 years ago when DH told me he didn't care how often I went to WDW, as long as he didn't have to accompany me. (He does visit WDW sometime!) We joined at the BWV and are just adding on at the BCV. DD is in her senior year at college and has used points during her winter break. DS has little or no interest in WDW at the present, although he may combine a stay at the BW with a trip to Daytona someday.

I retired 7 years ago and now work temp assignments to pay for my/our WDW "fixes." DH is in the medical field.

I truly appreciate where I am in life right now--I remember the days when I never for a minute thought we'd be able to afford to visit WDW--even once. Now we "own" a piece of the magic.

 

[pluto109]

we live in the city..my wife is 45,I am 42..4 children ..one son three girls aged 23 , 21, 17,15..my wife is a teachers aid...I fix natural gas lines for a large company.. both of us are union workers.... next trip oct 20 ,,two bedroom at bcv