Question about dues

[Tammi67]

We just bought 200 points and I am thrilled. However, I can't get past this dues thing. It is going to be almost $800 a year. How do you all justify in your minds? I can't help but think that maybe it's not worth it when I have to pay that much in dues. Can someone help me get past this hangup?

 

[Judique]

We just bought 200 points and I am thrilled. However, I can't get past this dues thing. It is going to be almost $800 a year. How do you all justify in your minds? I can't help but think that maybe it's not worth it when I have to pay that much in dues. Can someone help me get past this hangup?

Have it deucted monthly from your checking account and it will become like the electric bill....comes once a month whether you want it or not......

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We just bought 200 points and I am thrilled. However, I can't get past this dues thing. It is going to be almost $800 a year. How do you all justify in your minds? I can't help but think that maybe it's not worth it when I have to pay that much in dues. Can someone help me get past this hangup?

You've purchased a partial ownership in a fabulous resort complex. You'll have the use of this resort for many years. Since ownership is involved, it's perfectly natural that you'll incur annual maintenance expenses, just as you do with your permanent residence, automobile, and so forth. Since you have 200 points, you can enjoy an annual vacation in deluxe accommodations for approximately one to two weeks (depending on the accommodations chosen) at WDW at an annual cost of these dues plus a prorated portion of your capital contribution in the purchase (perhaps $500 per year? you'll have to do the math for this). Calculate your nightly cost and compare it with an estimate of what you would be spending for like accommodations if you did not have a DVC membership. Think of the buy-in cost plus annual dues as a prepaid vacation expense for the next 37-47 years (depending on your home resort).

There are lots of threads that provide more sophisticated analyses of how to factor the purchase cost into the annual vacation expenses involved. I just use the simplest of all possible models: divide my purchase cost by the number of years on my contract at the time of purchase. Others may use a "net present value" calculation or consider the "cost of money" in forgone income. Your cost will also be different if you financed your purchase (we paid cash up front). In any case, you'll probably end up with a cost per point of something like $2.50 - $3.50/year to add to your annual dues. Still a bargain, when you consider the vacations you'll enjoy.

Ralph

 

[PamOKW]

When you purchase a beautiful Ferrari -- ya still gotta pay for the gas and oil.

The dues are what keep your vacation home so beautiful and well run for many years to come.

 

[DebbieB]

How many nights does 200 points get you? I have 250 points and get 11 nights in a 1 bedroom out of it, so my dues are about $100 per night (about $1,100 annual). Pretty good for a room that racks for over $400 per night. I get monthly deductions, it was $91 per month this year.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

We just closed in August. I didn't know you could deduct dues monthly. How is this set-up?

 

[disney-super-mom]

If you bought a condo, you'd have condo association dues. If you bought a home (in many places) you'd have homeowner's association dues. If you buy a timeshare, like DVC or any other, there's no way around it, you have timeshare dues. (I know...a bummer, but true).

Personally, I don't think Disney's dues are too bad in comparison to other timeshares, or even other associations' dues.

$800 per year (for you) is about $67 per month. That's really not too bad to "maintain" a DVC property. Especially with all the wear and tear a DVC resort withstands day-to-day, not to mention that I can't even comprehend the grand amount of maintenance a DVC property requires for every aspect of functionality. Plus, your annual dues also helps to pay employee salaries and resort transportation for your DVC resort property that you "own".

DVC annual dues are reasonable for now. Let's hope the dues stay reasonable and don't get too out of hand. (Pixie dust)

 

[Halle]

I justify it by adding up the number of nights per year and divide that into the annual dues. In the past 13 months we stayed at a DVC resort 23 nights, divided into my dues comes to approximately$43.00 per night. All in a one or 2 bedroom villa. We always borrow from the next use year. I know you'll love being a DVCer! Welcome Home!

 

[DebbieB]

We just closed in August. I didn't know you could deduct dues monthly. How is this set-up?

Contact member services accounting. You have to send a voided check from your account. They will deduct on either the 1st or the 15th of the month February to December, your choice. In January, everyone is the 15th.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Contact member services accounting. You have to send a voided check from your account. They will deduct on either the 1st or the 15th of the month February to December, your choice. In January, everyone is the 15th.

Thank you!

 

[Disney Doll]

Once the inital cost of the contract is paid off, the only expense you'll have is dues.

Figure out what a week in a deluxe hotel will cost you, because that is essentially what the DVC properties are equivalent to.

As an example...if you could get a deluxe room for $200/night, a 1 week stay would be $1400.

That $800 isn't looking so bad now, is it???

 

[Tammi67]

I know all of you are right. As with any major purchase, I am just going through "sticker shock" right now. Like someone said, once it starts coming out of the checking account, it will become like any other bill and never be missed. Thanks for all of your responses.