put a deposit down and feeling...meh.

[dumbo_buddy]

first off, let me say that i haven't read through many of the posts here in the DVC area but plan to spend all my free time today doing so! i love the dis boards and always get great info from the people on here

dh and i went to the doorway to dreams DVC storefront at the roosevelt field mall on long island yesterday. we spoke with several CMs there but mostly Rob was our guide. we spent almost 3 hours with him! we saw the model studio and one bedroom of BLT (by the way, the one bedroom is bigger than my whole house here in the bronx! sad!)

dh and i decided to put the $500 deposit down and will receive the contracts in two days. i was up most of the night (partly due to my 8 month old teething) thinking about dvc. i'm incredibly nervous about it. we really love disney. we plan on going every year. we'd like to go more than once! for now we feel that a studio is plenty big for the two of us and our son. with that, we could basically do a 6 night stay at BLT and another 6 night stay at OKW with the 160 pts we decided on. that's pretty great! (we go during january/sept)

thing is, we've always stayed at moderate resorts and have been able to get deals (buy 4, get 3). so a little part of me still thinks that maybe the dvc isn't worth it. but the long term makes it seem like it is!

well anyway, i guess i'm looking for a little convincing that we're going to be happy with the decision. we're thinking of putting $7k down and financing the rest.

by the way, we walked into the doorway to dreams with dh wearing a mickey shirt and mickey socks and my ds wearing a mickey bib. thing is, we didn't even think about it til the CMs pointed it out. disney is just a part of us i guess

 

[nunzia]

If you love Disney and think you will travel there often, and you can get past the deals chasing mentality and see DVC as pre paying for nice stays forever, you'll be fine! I bet as you read more on the DVC area on the DIS you will feel much better. Anytime you spend a huge hunk of money you are bound to be nervous.

 

[RCM]

After you have paid off the purchase you will love going and not worry about lodging. We are going in June with 3 2/bedroom villas.We purchased in 2006 and have now broke even on the purchase at SSR. We are waitting for ROFR on 50 more points through TSS.


Congradulations!

 

[jesschris]

My wife and I love DVC ever since we bought it. We love staying in the condos and the fact that we have locked in a discount every time we go to Dinsey.

The condos are nice with the extra space and have at least a mini kitchen area.

It is really up to you as if it is worth it. It is nice to know what a Disenytrip will cost you and not have to look for deals.

Also if you decide to buy you should ask you guide to have your contracts broken into as many smaller contracts as possible. That way if you decide to sell later your contracts are worth more.




Good luck with your decision.

 

[Crystal_27]

thing is, we've always stayed at moderate resorts and have been able to get deals (buy 4, get 3). so a little part of me still thinks that maybe the dvc isn't worth it. but the long term makes it seem like it is!

Well, if you typically stay at Moderates, it will take you longer to hit the "break-even" point than those who routinely stay in Deluxes, *especially* considering the awesome discounts that Disney has been giving these past few years. BUT, there will come a point where you will break even, so just hang in there knowing that.

One thing that worries me, though, is that you said that you plan on spending a lot of time here (I assume researching DVC???). Please make sure that you are fully informed about what you are actually getting with DVC before your contract is final, so you can back out if you find that DVC really isn't for you. The Guides are salesmen and their job is to sell DVC, making sure to tout the pros and dismiss the cons. There *are* cons about DVC, so please make sure that you know them going in so you can make sure that you are fully comfortable with them. Good luck!

 

[DizGirl20]

I just wanted to say I know exactly what you are going through. It is a huge financial commitment. After debating DVC for about 2 years, we put in an offer last September on a resale contract. I put the check in the mailbox... and then ran out to the mailbox a few hours later to pull it back out! I got totally freaked out and cancelled the whole deal!

But I could't stop thinking about it. We made reservations for May using a 40% off pin code I had rec'd in the mail. But as time went by I began to realize that Disney is a place that I will want to visit no matter how old we are (even long after the kids have grown). We have been going every year for the past several years. I finally realized if we had bought into DVC "way back when" it would have been long paid off. I know the deals are great now but they won't last forever. So we finally bought direct from Disney in December and I have had zero regrets. I feel happy knowing the thousands of dollars I would have spent in May on Deluxe accommodations are now going towards DVC.

All this being said, don't forget about yearly dues based on how many points you own. Hopefully your guide filled you in on all that. Best of luck with your decision. You will know when the time feels right!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

My wife and I love DVC ever since we bought it. We love staying in the condos and the fact that we have locked in a discount every time we go to Dinsey.

The condos are nice with the extra space and have at least a mini kitchen area.

It is really up to you as if it is worth it. It is nice to know what a Disenytrip will cost you and not have to look for deals.

If you decide to still buy you might want to contact your guide and ask to use a member referral and you might get a little extra off. They have done this in the past. If you need a referral feel free to use my name Christopher Lapczynski of Madison, WI.

Also if you decide to buy you should ask you guide to have your contracts broken into as many smaller contracts as possible. That way if you decide to sell later your contracts are worth more.

Lastly, make sure that you get lasy years points as a bonus. Your guide should do that for you, but just in case it is good to ask.

If you have any other questions feel free to contact me through PM or e-mail me at aerotek1234-ts@yahoo.com

Good luck with your decision.

GREAT info!! thank you! i'm sending this to my husband.

our guide did tell us about last year's points...a nice incentive!!

how small should we break down the contracts? we plan on purchasing the smallest pts - 160.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

After you have paid off the purchase you will love going and not worry about lodging. We are going in June with 3 2/bedroom villas.We purchased in 2006 and have now broke even on the purchase at SSR. We are waitting for ROFR on 50 more points through TSS.


Congradulations!

my husband and i are having a hard time figuring out how you calculate when you break even..how do you know you broke even at SSR? did you just base it on how much you would have paid to book regularly online for the rooms?

also, what is ROFR and TSS?

thanks!

Well, if you typically stay at Moderates, it will take you longer to hit the "break-even" point than those who routinely stay in Deluxes, *especially* considering the awesome discounts that Disney has been giving these past few years. BUT, there will come a point where you will break even, so just hang in there knowing that.

One thing that worries me, though, is that you said that you plan on spending a lot of time here (I assume researching DVC???). Please make sure that you are fully informed about what you are actually getting with DVC before your contract is final, so you can back out if you find that DVC really isn't for you. The Guides are salesmen and their job is to sell DVC, making sure to tout the pros and dismiss the cons. There *are* cons about DVC, so please make sure that you know them going in so you can make sure that you are fully comfortable with them. Good luck!

you're right - our guide wasn't sitting there talking about the cons! that's why we still are researching! the contract is not final and the deposit is refundable. i think i got nervous after reading the thread "are you disappointed?" - there definitely are people who are unhappy!

also, not sure if he is right but our guide told us that disney won't be offering free dining or buy 4/get 3 in the future...hmmm...

I just wanted to say I know exactly what you are going through. It is a huge financial commitment. After debating DVC for about 2 years, we put in an offer last September on a resale contract. I put the check in the mailbox... and then ran out to the mailbox a few hours later to pull it back out! I got totally freaked out and cancelled the whole deal!

But I could't stop thinking about it. We made reservations for May using a 40% off pin code I had rec'd in the mail. But as time went by I began to realize that Disney is a place that I will want to visit no matter how old we are (even long after the kids have grown). We have been going every year for the past several years. I finally realized if we had bought into DVC "way back when" it would have been long paid off. I know the deals are great now but they won't last forever. So we finally bought direct from Disney in December and I have had zero regrets. I feel happy knowing the thousands of dollars I would have spent in May on Deluxe accommodations are now going towards DVC.

All this being said, don't forget about yearly dues based on how many points you own. Hopefully your guide filled you in on all that. Best of luck with your decision. You will know when the time feels right!

ah, good to know i'm not the only one!

thing is, we probably wouldn't stay deluxe if it weren't for dvc. that's really where we're still thinking about the pros/cons.

that being said, we have no doubts that we will go to disney at least every year, maybe twice, so why wouldn't we pre-pay for the vacations?

i guess everyone buys APs?

 

[mgroshans]

TSS: The Timeshare Store
ROFR: Right of first refusal

 

[dumbo_buddy]

TSS: The Timeshare Store
ROFR: Right of first refusal

ah, gotcha! thanks!

 

[zalansky]

We originally bought back in 2004 and I panicked and came home and cancelled right away. But like another poster said, DVC was always on my mind. In the meantime, we were also continuing to go to Disney a few times a year and staying on-site at a moderate or Wilderness Lodge. DH got a nice bonus in early 2006 and a good deal was offered so we finally did it again and got 200 points. Since then we added on twice. Our first trip as DVC members was a one bedroom at BWV with a boardwalk view and as soon as we walked in I said buying in was the best thing we'd ever done! We're lucky to live close to go many times a year.

We also financed all of our 3 contracts, and 2 are paid off now.

One thing to consider is with having a baby, a studio might seem ok for now - but wouldn't it be nice to have a one bedroom to put the baby to sleep in the bedroom while you and your DH watch TV and stay up for a little bit? That was one of the main reasons we finally bought. We rarely stay in a studio. And, think ahead, you might have another child and outgrow that studio faster than you thought.

I would seriously consider a resale if I were in your shoes. You can get more points for a lot less money and have stays in bigger accomodations. Just something to think about. Have fun deciding!

 

[iwrbnd]

You sound just like me when we first bought! I finally canceled it too. But, then whenever I would plan a Disney trip and I would think how much of that money could go towards owning DVC! We ended up buying this year and so far no regrets. I will miss that free dining, though! Good luck!

My only regret right now is not buying sooner. My kids are getting older. If they were young, like yours, I wouldn't have hesitated as much. Like you, I want to keep going even when the kids are grown so that helps.

 

[twinklebug]

I felt the same way after signing my contract for AKV even though I had been renting points, staying DVC and planning out my purchase for years.

You'll get over the feeling the moment you walk into the door, in your case at BLT, and say "I own this & we can come back over and over and over... "

BTW - years ago I had figured out the cost of DVC ownership to staying at a moderate with discounts & it was almost a break-even for the way we travel. I by far prefer the Deluxe resorts & accommodations, having a balcony, kitchen/ette available and in a few resorts covered walkways all the way from my room out to the bus stop (we traveled in August a lot) After I fell in love with the Villas at Wilderness Lodge it only made sense to join

Welcome Home!

 

[Disneypirate85]

I WISH I had purchased my DVC in 1997! Now after numerous trips at Moderates I could have paid off my DVC few years ago. We love our DVC and went resell to save a little money and will add on eventually.
Welcome Home.....Shawn

 

[bastraker]

We are purchasing DVC this year BLT, 100 points, and like you we have always stayed at the moderates, Caribbean Beach to be exact. We've been going twice a year for the last three years now, using the various deals, 4/3, 40%, and free dining.

The way my numbers played out with DVC we will be paying the same, even with the discounts, for the deluxe now that we did with the moderate. Same studio mind you, those 1 bedrooms are nice but point heavy!! Also after looking at the whole deal we realize going with the Annual Pass also makes sense as long as you do two trips. Hopefully we'll try to squeeze in three trips May 2010, Oct 2010, and Apr 2011. The only real loss we see with DVC deal wise is the free dining, but since we only have points for one trip a year we can always do the other cash. Also now that we'll have APs we'll get the Tables in Wonderland card as well.

If you have the cash available and know you will be making the trek to Disney I think DVC is a sound idea, I just wish we wouldv'e pulled the trigger sooner.

 

[thelionqueen]

I spent 2 years renting points and another 2 with DVC on my mind. Every trip we used an incentive (free dining, pin codes, etc) and thought we were getting a heckuva deal. When I look back at the thousands (almost tens of thousands) of dollars I spent that could have went to my DVC membership, it makes me cringe
That said, I am incredibly happy that I bought BLT when I did and don't regreat a second of it!!
I'd also like to point out what others already have, is that your travel patterns will change along with your preferred room accommodations.

We were quite happy staying @ POP with 4 of us, but quickly realized, as my boys got older, that it was NOWHERE near enough room. We have now "matured" to a 2br and cannot imagine anything smaller than a 1BR.
Enjoy your purchase and wlecome home!!

 

[Crystal_27]

We are purchasing DVC this year BLT, 100 points,

Just FYI, the minimum buy-in at BLT through Disney for new members (not add-ons) is 160 points. If you want AKV, you can get a 100 point minimum, but BLT is still 160.

 

[Dizny Dad]

Don't look back . . . go DVC! It will prove to be a major memory maker in your family's life!

Have Fun, and Welcome Home!

 

[Coach81]

We were just a bit nervous too... at first.. but after our first visit.. we have been sold and completely happy and satisfied ever since....

Now we are looking to add on within the next year or so!!!

 

[bastraker]

Thanx for the heads up Crystal but we are buying resale through the Timeshare Store. Really I don't get why anyone would go direct, unless maybe for financing or dead set on a specific UY.