Purchasing DVC

[your friend]

Just got back from a spectacular trip from Disney. We stayed at wilderness lodge and it was nothing short of perfect. We have two small children and do not see us staying at at value resort again. We've been each year the past three years one at the boardwalk, one at AOA, and this one at the wilderness lodge. I am ready to join DVC at Polynesian. I've been interested since we went in 2010 and stayed at pop century but we weren't in the financial situation we are in now and we can now afford it. However I am perplexed at how depressing this board is. I know things have changed but that should be expected. It is difficult to find positives from some of the posts here. Is anyone still happy with their DVC purchase? Let alone a direct purchase from Disney?

 

[mickeyman]

Direct is so expensive now. Unless you want to always stay at poly buy resale

 

[supersnoop]

If they weren't happy, they'd sell. I'd say the majority are satisfied with their ownership.

Decide where you want to stay, where you don't mind staying, and where you never want to stay. If you want to buy the Poly, then buy direct. Otherwise, buy resale.

 

[ziravan]

I love my DVC membership.

I own at Poly. Love it.

I would at least look at resale first. My first contract is BCV.

Now. For young kids, a monorail resort is a huge draw (don't have to take them out of stroller to use monorail), so Poly might be right for you

But just for kicks, a 150 point contract (I think the minimum for annual trips) at Poly will cost you $25,200.

For that same price, a BWV contract currently priced about $100/pt on resale market will get you 252 points for the same price, or cost you $10 grand less for the same 150 points.

If 2042 resorts scare you with short length of contract, an OKW extended contract can be had for $90/pt, or $11.5 grand cheaper than Poly for same number of points and that contract will end in 2057.

You just got back? So you like Fall trips, F&W maybe? Fall is DVC busy season, you'll need the 11 month window to consistently stay where you want to stay.

But there's more, it's not just that Poly is more expensive per points, but it's also more expensive per night. Take last week, staying in studios:

Poly Choice Season 118/week standard room, 148/week lake view.

BWV Choice Season 78 points standard, 107 preferred.

OKW Choice Season 76 points.

So, if you're comparing apples to apples, 118 points at Poly for a early Nov week last week would run you $19,824 for annual Poly points in a standard.

The same standard at BWV (that you absolutely couldn't get in Nov at BWV without booking right at 11 months or walking the reservation - look that up if you don't know what it is before you buy): 78 points at $7,800 for annual BWV points.

Big difference.

 

[kniquy]

I think most people feel better about their resale purchase than paying the extraordinary direct prices. It depends on what you want to do with your dvc. We knew that we would be very happy staying at WDW, VB, HH and hopefully Hawaii some day. The extra perks of direct purchase for the adventures by Disney and DCL were not important for us. We got much more points for our money buying an AKV contract resale and we will still be able to have stays at poly. There are still many happy people on this board but part of the happiness is getting a good deal and stretching your money. Not many people feel direct at almost 40-50% more than resale (in some cases) is a wise investment. Ultimately it is your money and you know what is going to bring happiness and meet your travel needs. If you are thinking DVC then it is definitely worth looking at what your money could buying resale vs direct.

 

[ziravan]

If you do decide to buy Poly, take a long look at guaranteed or fixed weeks.

Take a look at this thread where we discussed fixed weeks:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/finally-dove-into-the-dvc-world-where-to-start.3460071/

 

[Minniesgal]

I love my DVC membership but I wouldn't buy at the Poly. For us the whole point of DVC has been space to chill so the 1 and 2 bedrooms are essential.

However, I am considering selling my points not because of changes at Disney but because is change in our life which mean getting away is getting harder and harder.

 

[Popouri DVC]

I love my DVC. And I bought my first contract at The Grand Floridian direct from Disney last October. Last month we stayed in the Villas for the very first time. In my opinion, it was worth every penny: we want to go every year and we want to stay at The Grand most of the time. Buying direct then made sense for us.

I think most of the posters on these boards love their memberships. I also think most of us bought direct, at least at first. But depending on how you plan to use your DVC, you can save a bucketload by going resale. I think the people here are just trying to help make the new members aware of those savings: putting information out there that they perhaps they wished they had known when they were new to DVC.

That's how I see it... Good luck!

 

[DVC Mike]

Is anyone still happy with their DVC purchase? Let alone a direct purchase from Disney?

I am happy with my DVC purchase.


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[ziravan]

Again, using numbers above: 148 points to stay at Poly in Nov (you should include a small pad of 5-10% of points to cover reallocations that might occur later. DVC can't change total number of points within a resort but they can change values so long as things balance out) - but for argument 148 points: $24,864.

Now BWV, for $24,864 will get you 249 points if you find a contract for $100, 249 BWV points Fall Choice Season: 1 BR standard 166, preferred 213 or, 2 BR standard for 231 points.

So for the same price as a Poly Lake View, you could have a 1BR or even a 2BR at BWV with points left over for side trips. Or,

Studio preferred 107 - enough points for two weeks in studio for same buy in as one week at Poly. (Or two weeks in BWV standard for price of one week at Poly standard).

With the 1br comes a full kitchen, w/d and mommy/daddy space.

There are some options available.

 

[Cindyel]

I agree with popouri dvc. We bought VGF last Nov direct. We stayed in HH this summer and just returned today from 8 glorious nights at the VGF (our first time). We went by Poly and BLT and hated them both. Yes...direct points at VGF were a ton of money but with that being said...we bought where we would LOVE to stay and couldn't be happier. Our return trip is already booked to make use of those annual passes and TIW card we bought.

I have a friend with cash in hand wanting VGF points direct and she can't get them because she procrastinated. She does not want to suffer through the resale process.

 

[ziravan]

My personal example. I own 250 points at BCV and a 168 point fixed Poly Lake View.

With Poly, I have a fixed week F&W monorail resort that's a two minute walk to the EPCOT monorail. We love it.

But.

My BCV contract allows me to stay in 1 BRs and it also allows me to invite large family parties.

I have the best of both worlds. The Poly contract works because of the BCV. If I had to choose, I love the flexibility of the BCV contract more than the Poly.

For the record, my 250 point BCV contract resale was $6,000 cheaper than my 168 point Poly contract.

 

[suebeelin]

Buy where you want to stay, or don't mind staying, most of the time.

You've been to WLV and BWV. Despite the 2042 end date, they are much cheaper than poly, both in terms of buy in price, as well as how many points it wiil take to book a room.

During food n wine, as well as December, it is near impossible to get BWV.

During Xmas season, it is near impossible to get WLV.

Where do you want to stay? And when?

If the answer is poly during the first two weeks of December, then buy a fixed week poly.

Otherwise , look at your other options.

Good luck!!

 

[NoleFan]

I am very happy with my DVC purchase. I actually wish we had bought years prior to when we did. I definitely believe in buying where you want to stay. I will also aknowledge that our resort preference changed as our DS got older. When he was stroller age, we would only stay at a monorail resort. He did not like taking the bus, parking is a hassle, and the convenience of just taking the monorail can't be beat. He really only like MK at the time. However, fast forward to now and he is fine taking the bus, loves to swim, he enjoy MK & other park, and community hall is a must for us. The Epcot resorts are our favorite. Community Hall at BW, the entire atmosphere, boat access to 2 parks, & SAB during the summer. We also plan most of our trips 11 months in advance. You can even consider having more than 1 home resort (1 Epcot area & 1 MK area).

I would say consider the following:

Where do you like to stay most?

Do you feel your preferences will change as your children get older?

Can/will you plan your trips 11 months out?

 

[pmaurer74]

It seems most wished they had bought sooner. We just got back from a trip on Monday and DH wore a DVC shirt one of the days and had many comments from people on how much they loved their DVC. We bought WLV resale because we love the lodge so much! we saved almost 50% off buying direct. We are staying at BWV for our first DVC trip. We have watched the DVC resale market for 5 years so we knew what we wanted. Good luck!

 

[crisi]

Here is what I'd take away from the posts here if I were looking at buying.

DVC is not perfect. There are things about DVC which you are likely to find disappointing. Be realistic about that. When you turn over your money to DVC, Disney has you committed. You can't walk out because the room sucks and contest the credit card charge, a threat to never come back is empty. Rooms get shabby prior to the refresh cycle. Availability is often a lot harder than you would wish or understand when you are at the point in the process you are now. Perks come and go, and Disney doesn't see DVC as a loyalty reward program where they shower you with perks.

There are things about Disney that over time you are likely to find disappointing or have not planned for. Tickets get more expensive every year, and when you go from two small children to two "Disney Adults" the park tickets get really expensive - and sometimes the kids would rather be at Universal, or the beach. Sometimes your favorite attractions or restaurants disappear (RIP Adventurers Club, goodbye Wonders of Life pavilion). Over our Disney life together (we married in 1995), the food has gone from pretty good to barely edible - and at a dramatic increase in price.

There are things about your life that will change over time. Your kids will get older and may want to go different places - or be where mine are where there is no time on the calendar that there isn't school, sports practice, rehearsal, leadership retreat, or mom and dad having a work commitment (ETA: We can't even travel over Spring Break - baseball tryouts and practice is over Spring Break). Your finances may not always be what they are now. You may have a period of poor health that makes Disney difficult.

Be realistic going in. Understand what you are contractually getting - because that is all Disney is obligated to give you. Make plans for "what happens in ten years when our kid is doing traveling soccer and we don't have time to travel" - there are options like renting points that can keep you content through that period. Know what availability is like - so you aren't disappointed by not being able to get a room for a week at Hilton Head during the Summer, or not being able to get that trip to Disneyland. Understand the cost of cruising on points if that is a driver for buying direct.

The people complaining here have a valid perspective. Your opinion under the same circumstances may be different and the things they are complaining about may not bother you or knowing about them, you may be able to compensate for them. But take your time to understand them - setting realistic expectations for your DVC experience can be the difference between being delighted and disappointed

 

[crisi]

Is anyone still happy with their DVC purchase? Let alone a direct purchase from Disney?

Let me answer this question specifically.

We bought resale in 2002 - which means that post 9/11 we got a pretty good deal resale.

I've never been delighted with DVC. I've been content with DVC - is content happy? Its been a good value for us. Its allowed us to take vacations where we've put the kids in a different room. We've been able to affordably treat family and friends to a room. But affordable in part because we bought resale during a down market cycle. And affordable because we are frugal people who have two really good incomes. And affordable because even at its peak, our Disney was an every other year thing.

(For us, we won't get financial aid for our kids - income too high, so we've saved enough to put two kids through four years of college while savings for retirement. So, again, this is for us, affordable means we can prioritize those two things, plus all of the day to day stuff, plus adding some pleasantness to the times we aren't on vacation - like being able to go out to eat - AND still go on vacation).

Right now, I have teenagers. My son has stopped having any interest in Disney - his last trip was three years ago and it may have been his last trip. My daughter's last trip to WDW was also three years ago, but she still has interest and will likely use our DVC for Spring Break trips with friends when she goes to college. We hang onto it for that, and for the thought that we live in Minnesota and may snowbird at HHI or BWV in January in another ten years. We've rented points that we aren't going to use, so we aren't out money, but that wasn't the plan going in.

If it weren't for the fact that I can have the capital tied up, rent my points out, and that I see a future just a few years out where my daughter is spending Spring Break in Orlando - I would sell. But I don't need the money I have tied up in DVC - and I do see the time when my daughter would regret us selling.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'll also answer the question. We bought in 1997 when our son was 4. We've gone a whole lot of times, at least once or twice a year usually using annual passes and sometimes getting three trips on one pass. We were able to help our son with his college expenses so he graduated in May with no student loans (he got tuition and fees every semester but the first one - he transferred back to an instate school). We're both retired and our son has turned his love of WDW into working full time at WDW in the Horticulture Dept. So while we might not buy the expensive tickets any more (we still have annual passes from years ago), we do have his guest passes if we want to go to the parks (as long as his friends haven't used them all). We like to spend time at the resort and we get to visit our son and see what he is working on. We enjoy Flower & Garden and Food & Wine (who wouldn't?). And we have another timeshare on the South Gulf Coast of Florida. So we can combine a stay at the beach with some nights at WDW. So it still works for us.

 

[disneynutz]

People seem to be confused on what the DVC is, it's a pre-paid room with yearly dues, that's all.

People will post how they love their DVC but often they are mixing WDW/Disney and DVC together. DVC doesn't have amusement parks, parades, restaurants and policies and perks will and do change. DVD/DVC is in the business of selling new resorts, that is where they place their focus. Maintaining the existing resorts and website, not so much.

If DVC allows you to save money and allows you to enjoy the parks, and everything else that Disney has to offer and you can live with the issues and problems that DVC has then great.

Bill

 

[ziravan]

People seem to be confused on what the DVC is, it's a pre-paid room with yearly dues, that's all.

People will post how they love their DVC but often they are mixing WDW/Disney and DVC together. DVC doesn't have amusement parks, parades, restaurants and policies and perks will and do change. DVD/DVC is in the business of selling new resorts, that is where they place their focus. Maintaining the existing resorts and website, not so much.

If DVC allows you to save money and allows you to enjoy the parks, and everything else that Disney has to offer and you can live with the issues and problems that DVC has then great.

Bill

DVC is more than a room, Bill. It's a club.

Really.

Saying that DVC is just a room and the parks are something different is like saying that a cruise is just a boat and the scenery is just incidental to the experience.

I don't drive or fly to Florida from Texas to stay in a hotel room. I'm going to Disney.

By prepaying for the room and tickets with an AP, and by being a frequent guest and not needing to load up on trinkets and junk, DVC allows me to come to Disney for $1500/trip instead of $5000.

That in turn enables me to make several trips each year.

DVC has changed the way we do Disney. We love it.

Yes it's just a room. But that's an incredibly downer way to look at it. In our view, that room enables so much more.