Pros and Cons of DVC ownership?

[shortypots]

So what are the pros and cons of DVC ownership vs an Orlando Timeshare ownership?

My husband is going to bring this up and I need to have some good answers for him.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I think the BIG advantage to DVC versus other Orlando timeshares has to do with staying on site at WDW and having a 5 star accommodation right inside the "world". If you are not planning on visiting Disney each trip, then it isn't as good a deal. We would think of no other timeshare in the Orlando area unless it WAS right in Disney! Having access to all the WDW transportation, etc, and being on site all the time is a BIG perk. Plus, it is a very easy trade , since folks like to get into DVC.

The cons would be that DVC is a 5 star timeshare with a 5 star maintenance fee and initial cost. That might look like a down side, but you do get what you pay for! We have had 7-8 years of DVC pleasure, and LOVE the idea of 39 more!

 

[spiceycat]

if you don't buy DVC do not buy a timeshare in Orlando - there are several timeshares in Orlando (non-DVC) and that makes it a very, very easy trade.

You very expensive timeshare (and Orlando timeshare carry a high price from the developer) would not be worth it.

Also Orlando has some of the highest fees in Florida - Florida has some of the highest fees in the continental US.....

find an area that you like - then find a timeshare that you could live with - the closer to where you live the better.

DVC is great and will paid you back shorter than most of the other timeshare if you go to WDW every year and stay in a moderate or deluxe resort.

if you don't - save your money and buy elsewhere. I have a cheap SA that will trade into anything in Orlando that is listed in RCI. It does not do well in II - but there are cheap timeshares in the US that do well in II - look for Altantic Beach area - HH - or as I say one near you.

If you love WDW and only want to stay on site - then DVC is it - period....

All the DVC resorts are lovely - MS is a great organization - and it works pretty well for most people.

I love the flexibility of DVC - you can stay for a day or a month - you can stay in a studio or a 2-bedroom - you decide what you want and when you want it....that flexibility is very rare in timeshares - Marriott newer resorts are trying it - but not really - you can split your week into 3 days and 4 days - but that is not a great deal of flexibility.

most other timeshare have you stay for a week in the villa type you brought - be it studio, 1, 2, or 3 bedroom - the fix week it is always that week - floating it can be any week (in the season that you brought) but you must follow their rules exactly to get what you want - DVC is very flexibility compared to these.

 

[gilclan]

the one benefit as far as I can see for having a DVC over a Florida timeshare is the with DVC you can go anytime of the year as long as you have the right amount of points and the place you want to stay is available. But with a timeshare you can only go at a certain time of year, from year to year.
My family and I went to OKW on DVC for the first time on DVC and it was fantastic, (our home is BCV, ) This Nov. we will be going to BCV later than we did in 2003, you can't do that with a regular timeshare.

 

[Lisa P.]

There are other points-based timeshares that have almost as much flexibility as DVC and which may include far more destinations than DVC - Hilton, WorldMark, Sunterra, Fairfield, etc. Any of those will allow you to vary the room size, dates of stay, length of stay and resort with each vacation.

Truly, it's an onsite vs. offsite matter, IMHO. If you pay cash, do you pay the higher price to stay at a Disney hotel vs. a less expensive but comparable offsite hotel because you strongly prefer Disney hotels? Do you plan to continue to pay to stay at Disney deluxe hotels or DVC condos? Can you afford it? If yes to all that, then you would probably be unhappy with an offsite timeshare. DVC is so nice for the right people.

OTOH, if you enjoy offsite vacation stays, you would really be overpaying by purchasing DVC for all your Orlando vacations, IMHO. Maybe consider buying enough DVC points for your onsite stays or part of your vacations. Offsite timeshare stays are sooo nice, too, for the right people. As others posted above, don't buy in Orlando without learning a lot more about timeshares. Read up at TUG.

OTOH, if you cannot plan months ahead (many months, like 10-11, in some situations), timesharing may not be right for you anyway - not onsite nor offsite. It's not for everyone. HTH.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

For me the big selling point is the flexibility. With a lot of timeshares you are locked into a set week, or set of weeks, each year. With DVC you can go anytime of the year you wish as long as you have the points.

For me it's great to schedule vacations at different times of the year!

 

[Chuck S]

Also, with DVC vs an off-site time share, there are all the perks that on-site guests receive. Free parking at theme parks ($7 per day), free package delivery of items you purchase at the parks to your resort, on-site charging privileges throughout the WDW property, as well as WDW transportation. Not to mention the Disney "feel and service" of the resorts themselves.

Offsite timeshare salespeople may try and mislead you, saying you can trade into DVC resorts from other Orlando area timeshares...wrong, Orlando area trading is blocked through he regular trading companies.

 

[tjkraz]

Don't forget to mention the high resale value of DVC. I've read posts from people who own other timeshares who can't GIVE away their ownership (just to get out from under the maintenance costs.)

I'm sure there are other timeshares with excellent resale value, but if you're trying to convince him DVC is the way to go, this can be a convincing element of the discussion.

Granted we don't know where resale values will go in the future, but as long as DVC keeps exercising ROFR, the point costs won't fall below a certain floor. And, as long as they keep building resorts and selling "new" points at $84-89, it's in their best interest to keep resale prices up. Even with the added contract years, few people would be buying Saratoga Springs at $84 if they could get an OKW resale at, say, $45 per point.

Another element that appealed to us was the ability to reserve at Hilton Head and Vero. Yes, there are many other trade-in options available, but having actual DVC resorts in these locations makes it an excellent off-site use of points.

 

[crisi]

Another pro is that DVC is part of Disney and Disney is a reputable company. You are pretty sure when you buy that the property will be maintained to an appropriate standard, that the location won't lose value, and that Disney won't lie (too much) to get you to buy. There are other reputible timeshare companies out there, and some real fly by night operations as well. If you are considering a timeshare other than DVC, you will really want to look into the company you are buying from (and consider resale - DVC resales are an OK value, but because of right of first refusal, you probably won't save a ton buying resale....most other timeshare options will be MUCH cheaper resale - but IIRC some don't offer some perks unless you were the original purchaser)