Profile of a DVCer ...

[disvaclub92]

In 1990, my family and my boyfriend (future DH) traveled to WDW. We stayed at Fort Wilderness, future DH was sure that WDW would be boring and he would never want to come back again. <He was a annual visitor to the Jersey Shore>.

Well, the magic hit him hard. From that year on we have been to WDW every year and stayed at better resorts each time. In 1991 and 1992, we stayed at the Yacht and Beach Club. This is when we saw the presentation and bought into it.

We now have two DG (6 and 4) and they have been there every year of their life. We love coming to WDW. DH and I plan our next trip almost before we have taken our last one.

This year we added on BCV.

 

[OKW91]

My wife and I are both Disney nuts, have been since we were kids! that was a long time ago! We are retired now, going on 3 years, middle income folks, no college. Have 2 children, 4 grandchildren, part of our plan for buying into the DVC was for family trips, everyone together, we have had 3 such trips so far! Both of our children have made several visits on there own to OKW, and we visit several times each winter so we are getting our money's worth out of it.
We bought into the vacation club in Dec 91couldn't pass up the free park tickets till 2000, we have made2 add ons since then and have convinced some friends tobuy into it! They thank us everytime we see them!
I was lucky to have a postion before I retired that allowed me to travel around the world, and we both have seen alot, so all of are trips now are to WDW! It's the happiest place, and only place we wish to visit! Traveling is fun but just being at OKW is good enough for us!!

 

[WDWDad]

We'll at the risk of sounding repetative. We purchased DVC in 97. DW was 31, I was 33. We had DD at the time, Two DS followed. Like everyone we believe we are of middle class background although I'm not completely sure what the boundaries are.

We love visiting Disney and usually manage two vacations per year. I am in construction and own my own Co. My wife has been home with the kids, but recently began sub. teaching again. We find that we have the desire to see other places , but if pressed we would just as soon be back at Disney.

I find it strangely reasurring that there are other folks out there who are just as crazy as we are. we have tried to explain to others the Disney Attraction. Most just don't understand. We have had the pleasure of taking many family members and friends with us to OKW. Then they get it !!!! One even bought.

Later this month I will be giving my most valuable employee, and friend, A honeymoon at OKW. Our membership has been worth every penny!

 

[JVL1018]

DH and I first went to WDW together on our honeymoon in 1992 and we were hooked, have been going back once or twice a year since.
I am 30 and DH is 35. We have a daughter that will be celebrating her 3rd birthday in WDW this October and a son who will be ONE Sep. 5th. I have not worked since a month before our daughter was born.
DH is an assistant controller for a commercial real estate management firm here in NJ right outside of NYC.
We are middle class, don't own our own home, rather we share a 2 family with my elderly FIL. We are in the midst of movng downtairs(he's moving up) as downstairs has 3 bedrooms(upstairs only has 2), plus a playroomin the basement etc etc.
We bought DVC(BWV) while I was pregnant with our oldest,sight unseen. I'd say I wished we had done it sooner, but as we LOVE the BWV,'m happy we didn't join too early before they were built(much as I adore OKW, I'm thrilled BWV is our home).
We paid cash for our initial 170 poins, then cash again for a 30 point add on. Now with a new kitchen/new bath/new carpet/new furniture for the move and only 1 income, we financed 100 HH points last year and are waiting to hear back from DVC about a 25 point BWV add on(which is smal enough to be paid wth cash)
I was middle class growing up, DH was upper middle. My dad was a mechanic, his an account executve. My family made vacation time and family time a priority, his went on vacation together maybe 5 times growing up. Guess which side of the family we're emulating? <g>
I haven't gone a year without a vacation since I was born..and since DH met me, he hasn't missed a year either.
It is a HUGE prioriy for us to get away and spend time together..and we've gone other places, but always end up spending more $$ and saying during the vacation how we wished we were at WDW.
Even a week at the shore cost more, it's ridiculous.
Thank God my dh loves WDW as much as I do!
There are 2 things tha I think it's worth skimping to get:staying home with my kids and going to WDW, and we found away to do it. We reprioritized some things but to us it's worth it!

 

[mmmcq]

My family moved from MA to FL when I was a senior in high school, but my dad had worked part of the winter managing retail stores in Jupiter and Palm Beach for years before that. So we visited DW as a family when it first opened. Honestly, I don't remember much about those visits except there weren't as many attractions! When I was in college up north everyone wanted to come home with me over vacations to visit Ft. Lauderdale and Disney World. I can't remember how often I visited DW in the 70's and early 80's, but it had to be at least 10 times. I never stayed at a resort, however. As a family we stayed off site and I just drove up for the day with my high school or college friends.

After our first two children were born we took our first trip as a family to DW when my husband had a conference in Orlando. With a group of friends also attending the conference, we stayed at Westgate Lakes and had a wonderful 2-3 days together in the park and poolside at the condos. We had such a good time that we came back 1-2 years later and stayed onsite at Caribbean Beach. This was also a wonderful trip, but I thought at CB the rooms were way too small for us.

In 1999 my in-laws gave us a week of timeshare to use and we converted it to Westgate Lakes again for a 7-10 day stay in April. Our big girls didn't know it then, but I was two months pregnant on that trip and had to spend a few mornings in bed "resting" while they went alone with Dad to Disney or Sea World. When we first arrived we had said to each other that this would be our last trip until our unborn child was at least 4 and able to enjoy the park with us. But we were having such a great time on that trip that we actually considered buying a timeshare at Westgate Lakes. Then we stopped and said.....we should really look into the DVC while we're here. And 48 hours later we signed on at BWV.

We've never been any good at bugeting in general, never mind putting money away each year for a vacation. I was tired of paying for our vacations on credit cards. Right now we plan a vacation at DW every other year for 7-10 days. I'd like to go more often and am envious of others who can get there 2-3 times/year!

This year our plans got caught up in the aftermath of 9/11. We were purchasing two rooms with cash with friends as part of group trip for 4/02 from my kid's school. We put some DVC points into a 3rd room for a babysitter and our teenage girls. When the trip fell through, we got all our money back, but our DVC points were put in a holding account and had to be used by 10/31/02. It wasn't something anyone of us could have forseen. So in order not to lose those points we gave up a rental of an island beach house in late August and instead will be heading soon to the Yacht Club for 5 days and then Vero Beach for 5 days. We're looking forward to the different venues.

We purchased DVC points because our lives are soooo busy we don't plan vacation time. And after the deaths of both my parents at a young 65 and a miscarriage I started forcing us to take time as a family. I needed to get away and it seemed the easiest vacation for me to plan was one to Disney. In the past couple of years I've added to our repertoire of family vacations, but the ones I love the most with our kids are at DW. Our 2 1/2 year old is soooooooo ready for DW, we know we are going to have a wonderful visit there in a couple of weeks. (And this time I purchased trip insurance for both the points and the airfare!).

 

[mrace]

Dreamfinder2,

We have been going to Dis for about 24 years now. First started to go when we lived in Michigan - now we live in South Florida. Have lived here for about 22 years now. Our 3 kids have grown up and moved away on us. We just purchased BCV in July and am closing on OKW in September. All of our kids have grown up and moved away on us and it seems that it's easier to meet at Disney then to come down here. Wonder why?

<p><p><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica" size="2" >__________________<br>
<img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/banner/gizmotimetemp/US/FL/Miami" border="0" <br /> Ft. Lauderdale weather. Glad I'm Here ! ! ! !

<p><p><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica" size="2" >__________________<br>
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[ncligs]

This is a great thread and will add our post also. We just bought into DVC in early 99(OKW). After my sister had brought us down in a GV for a week at OKW back in 97. She was the 1st in our family to buy (1995-OKW). After seeing what DVC is all about, we decided to buy . Now 4 members of my family our DVC members.
My wife(46) is a high school teacher and I(47) work for GM in Lordstown,Oh. We will both be retiring in 5 yrs at the age of "52".
We both love to travel, and we have 1 son(28) 1 daughter 16, with our 1st grandchild due in Oct. We love to bring family down and friends. We also love to go to other places as well. We just got back today from Nags Head, NC., and went to San Antonio in early July to visit relatives. But we love going to a DVC resort the most!! You know everything at DVC will be 1st class!!!
We were lucky enough to not have to finance our DVC. So just paying the dues is not that bad for us. We plan on staying every Jan down at a DVC resort after we retire. For now we go at least 2-3 times a year. We plan on enjoying DVC many more years and leaving it to our children and grandkids to enjoy.

 

[colleen costello]

Don't hate me, but... "I won the Disney lottery!" We went this past March with my parents and they bought DVC and put it in my name. How's that for great? DH works at Indiana University and I am a Mom. Kids are 8 and 4. NO WAY we could afford DVC. My parents took us down in March -- we stayed in a Wilderness Cabin at FW -- and on our very 1st day we went for the DVC presentation. My parents bought it just like that, and my Dad, ever the curmudgeon, said "Put in their names so the nursing home can never get it!"

I truly feel like I won the lottery. My parents gave the most wonderful gift to my kids, and when I get down, I remember, "I'm going to Disney World!"

It's all I can do to save for the trips even when the lodging is free. We don't go to the parks every day and we eat off-property a lot. No fancy meals, and we drive down to save money. But as everyone knows, just being there is enough! I think DVC is a wonderful thing if you can afford it. Thanks, Mom and Dad! Looking forward to all being together in a 2-bedroom at BCV in March 2003!

 

[Dreamfinder2]

I just spent the last several minutes reading through all these posts in sequence, and you can't imagine what a blast it's been getting to know y'all (here in the South, we put a high premium on being "neighborly!")

At any rate, I just wanted to offer a thought. You know how we get those occasional posts from the Disney lover who's having trouble convincing the unconvinced husband or wife that DVC is the way to go? Just refer them to all of our neat bios, and the "whys" of why we purchased. It's pretty compelling stuff, actually. I'd guess that somewhere along the way, they'd see themselves in one of our current members.

"It's a small world, after all..." - and here's proof!

 

[pwwhitehead]

From a brit who uses strange terms,no offence meant to our cousins over the water.

If we stay at a holiday location which we describe as Self Catering.This means the location provides cooking facilities which allows the persons to buy there own food and cook.Just as you would in our own home.If the place provides no cookinf utilites at all.We would be staying in a Room Only.Say All Star Resourt.

Or even half board or full board.Thats where the hotel provides food included in the price.Hope that explains things better.About out strange terms LOL

 

[eva]

I just sat down and read all of this thread at once. What wonderful and diverse people we have here.

I am 39 and DH is 38. We have two DDs, 19 and 17. We were only 19 and 18 when we got married. We supported each other through college, so the money was tight.

We bought in 96 during our second trip to WDW. It's funny because DH had to drag me to the presentation. We didn't have too much money at the time and I thought that we would never be able to afford it. I had just graduated with a BS in math the previous year and was teaching high school. DH was a technical programmer with an insurance company. Both of us with plenty of student loans.

The Lord has definitely blessed us since then. Now I am a training manager at a computer training company and DH is head of Systems at the same insurance company. We still live in the same starter home that we purchased 15 years ago. We have remodeled it , but feel that our money is best spent taking our DDs on great vacations. The oldest is a college student starting her sophmore year with a major in graphic design. The youngest will be graduating HS this school year.

And we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary on August 14th!

 

[bres@westernMA]

We are in our early 50s, have been married for 29 years (as of yesterday). Have two DDs, the oldest got her Masters this year. She is a preschool special needs teacher and is recently married. They plan to have grandkids but not just yet. The youngest got her Bachelors last May. She is working at the beach as a waitress this summer and will be looking for a permanent job, next month. I am a manager in Finance at a software business, my wife is a secretary at a local college.
We joined DVC, about five years ago. My wife was the driving force. She and both girls are very comfortable at WDW, they have gotten me to love it too. It is way more flexible than the timeshare that we own in the Bahamas.

 

[erikthewise]

I am a math professor (50) and DW is a stay-at-home mom (45) with an accounting degree she'll eventually put to use. We have DS 8 and 5. We just bought BCV and I fully intend we'll both be around to watch our membership expire! We went in 92 and 94 but hadn't been back until last Dec, now hoping to make an annual trip to WDW.

Actually 60,000 people isn't that many and it would certainly be possible that we are all millionaires in DVC, but obviously that's not true. I am still living in my first house and still driving my first car, 14 years old! (DW and boys use the "new" car.) We live economically the rest of the year so don't mind splurging a little on vacation. DVC membership was a lot less than a vacation home or new car or other things that the "rich" people indulge in.

 

[GraceDVC]

My DH, DD, DS and I have been coming to WDW since 1980, usually staying in the Contemporary every other year. When they became teenagers, they each wanted to bring a friend along, so we took three rooms at the CBR (for the price of one room at our beloved Contemporary). After the CBR, we tried different resorts, finally realizing that belonging to DVC would save us money, afford us a chance to return to the Contemporary occasionally, and also be able to have extended family join us.

As of the end of this month, my DH will be retiring from his position as a technical director with NYC's civil service; I retired early after 9/11, after having worked in a Wall Street area law firm as its manager for 20 yrs. We are both hard-working middle-class people with a love for taking vacations yearly. Now we may be able to visit the Mouse twice a year!

Both children are now married; our DD and her husband have an adorable almost-three-year-old son (our first grandchild). Our DS and his wife are expecting their first child at any moment! So, our investment in DVC will get even more use now!

For all you empty-nesters out there, it is not too late to purchase DVC -- for yourself and for your family members who will love you for thinking of them.

 

[ripleysmom]

We bought into DVC in 2000. I was tired of staying in small cramped hotels and trying to find restaurants to eat at with my tired children bouncing off the walls after the park. While I loved staying onsite, I was ready for a suite hotel or a condo.

That is when we toured DVC and I found that we could have the best of both worlds. It's been great!!

DH, 45, is a technical sales engineer for IBM. I am 43, and a CPA who is a flaming liberal. I work part-time consulting on accounting systems. I am also a PTA co-president. We have 2 children DS, 10, and DD, 6.

 

[Aurora2000]

Well we are a married couple ( 17 years---- high school sweethearts) , misplaced new yorkers living outside princeton Nj. Two DSs 10 & almost three. Hubby trades NASDQ stocks ( yes we are having a tough few years here!) He is a real life Prince.

After working for 13 years , I am a fulltime Mom now who spends her time advocating for my eldest son who is learning disabled and playing with my baby . I do charity work both locally and on the state level. and going to grad school soon!
( of course cooking cleaning ( ok I have HELP there) and pet care are my responsibilities too!)

I am a former director of a wall street firm but that seems ages ago. College grads History major........... we get lost in book stores for hours and the kids like them too! Normal middle class folks here.

Oh yes we have a dog and cat and on the hunt for a kitten!

We always loved Disney. We have been there many times. We also wanted a beach house. Disney was affordable to us.
I never got the impression people would think we were rolling in the dough because of belonging to DVC .

We did just buy a 2002 Tahoe which we drove down with this past JUNE it was wonderful.

We are all very happy here we have it and economically it is great for us because we were always spending alot of money on hotels. We all love disney even my baby boy who fell asleep with his Mickey sorcerrer hat on tonight.

 

[Lyndarella]

I've enjoyed reading this the last couple of days!

When travel became cheap after 9/11, we took our 1st family vacation in 5 years, to WDW. Neither of our teens liked it (or 5 years ago either!) We stayed off-site in a fabulous 2 bedroom villa and attended a sales presentation. When we returned home, we looked into resales. I wanted DVC and DH wanted another one. So as a compromise, we bought both! Got DVC through Disney, to use their financing and MB. DH and I went without kids this spring and stayed both places!

DH is 48 and is a computer systems administrator for the state. I am 5 years older and work in a child care center with infants (truly a dream job.) We've reached the point where we've already moved into the better house, paid it down, refinanced, paid off our cars, and are ready to go into debt again! Now our biggest trip expense is getting there!

 

[sueg]

I had to read every post before I joined in. We're long-time OKW owners ('93- 7 great yrs. of free passes) w/ a later add-on at HH. DH is 50 and I am 48. I convinced him to do a Big Red Boat cruise/WDW combo for our honeymoon. His first trip to WDW & he was hooked to a point where he is more of a disneyaholic than me. I'm the planneraholic. We have two wonderful DSs (15 & 7) who were raised on disney & are still really into it, thankfully!
We are both attorneys in the public sector. We are comfortable, but far from "rich". We have two priorities- our sons attend private school & we enjoy good vacations (2 per yr. -WDW in March & HH in Aug.) Last Aug, we used pts. to go to DL as part of a Calif. trip & loved it. We like to add spring training baseball to the March trip. We drive to HH & use that trip to enjoy east coast history--Wash.DC, Richmond VA, etc. This yr., it's Baltimore.
We love DVC & consider ourselves blessed w/ a wonderful family & a wonderful place to build family memories. We've given up, a long time ago, expecting any member of our extended families to understand the joy we get from DVC.

 

[living la vida mickey]

Great Thread!!!
We've been members since 1993!!! It's the best purchase we've ever made. We're definitely middle class. My dh and I have been married for 32 years and our ds is 22 and finishing school in about a month. I'm a middle school teacher and my dh is an investor relations consultant (tough times right now). We've had wonderful disney vacations over the years including a 7 day cruise, 4 nites at the Plaza to celebrate our 30th (that's where we honeymooned), sending my parents on a cruise for their 50th, taking them down with us to WDW or sending them on their own.
We love OKW, but we sure miss those passes that we had!!!
We look forward to many more years of visiting WDW.
Maybe if things get better we can do an add-on.

 

[Jacksmom99]

DH is 31 and I am 30. We have 2 children, DS 3 and DD 11 weeks old who is making her first trip home in 10 days. I am a high school teacher who works in a school for emotionally and behaviorally disordered children. DH works for a private social service agency dealing with the same type of children and their families. So, no we are not rich by any means. We are middle classers who live paycheck to paycheck and bought into DVC so we could prepay vacations. Both DH and I grew up in lower to working class and it was extremely important to him to provide our children with a Disney vacation every year because that was so out of reach to him as a child. We own a small home we bought from relatives and never buy new cars.

I also get embarassed talking about our Disney vacations to people. There are events and things we sacrafice during the year in order to pay for Disney, but people sometimes look at me funny when I say sorry we can't afford .......... right now. Oh well, my extended family has written me off as a looney liberal who had the nerve to move to Massachusetts (from Maine) and worse yet, MARRY someone from there!!!!!!!

Hey Credit Man....we are also arriving on the17th. That's our 6th anniversary. I will be at the BCV that night with the kids, but if you happen to be near the ESPN club, DH and MIL will be there decked out in their World Champion NE Patriots gear watching the game. Checkit out if you can, DH is a one man comedy routine and plans to razz the guys in the booth who told him last August that the Pat's didn't have a chance. P.S.ifyou'e a Jets fan that'll be evn funnier!!!