Questions: DH and I STRONLY considering DVC membership

[bangzoom6877]

Hi! We went to WDW in July, and stayed at Pop Century. We would love to stay at deluxes for future vacations, so now we are talking about possibly buying into the DVC before our next trip. Actually, we plan to go back in 3 years from now (when our sons will be 4 and 6 years old), and then every 2 or 3 years after that. So we would definitely get plenty of use out of the DVC. DVC is also the only way we could afford to stay at Deluxes, IMO. I think it would be the best deal for us to stay at Deluxes, plus we can still get the dining plan, which we loved having on this past trip. I have tons of questions though for you experienced DVC members! Here goes:

1. We are looking into buying a re-sale as they are much less money per point. Anyone have experience doing this?
2. Let's say I purchase a DVC membership that is good for 45 years, for argument's sake. What happens when those 45 years are up?
3. Let's say I want to take my family on a cruise. Am I limited to Disney Cruiseline or can I book on Carnival, Norwegian, ROyal Caribbean, etc.?
4. Let's say one year I want to take my sons to different ballparks in the summer on the east coast. Are hotels available for my accommodations using my DVC points?
5. Is a studio at a DVC resort the same size as a hotel room at Pop Century (Value resort) or is it bigger?
6. What is included in a Kilimanjaro Club Level room at Animal Kingdom Villas? And what view do you get?
7. Can I still park for free at theme parks?
8. Do I get concierge service staying DVC?
9. Are toiletries included in my room with DVC? (i.e., Mickey soap, shampoo, toilet paper...sounds silly of me to ask, I know!)
10. Any ticket discounts besides Annual Pass? What is the Annual Pass discount?
11. In a one bedroom villa, is there a door separating the bedroom and livingroom?
12. There is a points chart online showing you how many points for a stay at certain resorts, certain rooms and times of year. How much has that gone up through the years?
13. Could you stay at non-DVC properties at WDW using DVC points? Let's say we wanted to stay at Polynesian resort. Could we do this and how would it work?
14. Anyone have any info as to how many points it is for other types of vacations so I can get an idea? For example, a cruise? We normally travel in July or August and on cruises we take an inside cabin.
15. How hard is it to book 7 months out if it is not your home resort?
16. Is it also 7 months out to book non-DVC resort vacations using your DVC points?

LIke I said, I have a ton of questions!! I am sure there are more I am just not thinking of at the moment. If you have any answers to any of my questions, even to just one of them, please do chime in here! I need all the info I could get!!

Thank you so much everyone!

 

[CraftyMouse]

1. We are looking into buying a re-sale as they are much less money per point. Anyone have experience doing this?
We have not, so I will let someone else field this one.

2. Let's say I purchase a DVC membership that is good for 45 years, for argument's sake. What happens when those 45 years are up?
The property goes back to Disney. Disney may choose to allow members to extend their contracts (they recently did this at OKW) but once the offical end-date is reached the property goes back to Disney.

3. Let's say I want to take my family on a cruise. Am I limited to Disney Cruiseline or can I book on Carnival, Norwegian, ROyal Caribbean, etc.?
You are limited to Disney Cruise line, except for Alaskan cruises through Holland America. I believe that if/when Disney starts cruising to Alaska the Holland America option will no longer be available, but that is just my opinion.

4. Let's say one year I want to take my sons to different ballparks in the summer on the east coast. Are hotels available for my accommodations using my DVC points?
There are hotels available in some cities, however they tend to be upscale, resort properties, not regular hotels, and require a lot of points. Some require a booking of a full week and others allow you to book just the number of days you need. To see if there are options for the cities you're interested in you'd have to check out the list of available properties.

5. Is a studio at a DVC resort the same size as a hotel room at Pop Century (Value resort) or is it bigger?
It is a bit bigger (much bigger at OKW) and offers a kitchenette (microwave, small fridge, toaster, coffee maker & sink).

6. What is included in a Kilimanjaro Club Level room at Animal Kingdom Villas? And what view do you get?
You get either a savannah or pool view room and you have access to the concierge lounge at AKL. The lounge provides a light breakfast, midday snacks and evening appetizers/desserts, plus non-alcoholic beverages all day and wines/cordials in the evenings. There are not many rooms in this category so if this is something you want to book you may want to consider purchasing points at AKV. Non-AKV members will have a very hard time reserving one of these rooms, particularly once the resort is sold out.

7. Can I still park for free at theme parks?
Yes, as long as you are staying on property you can. It is your Disney resort room key that gives you free parking. The DVC properties are WDW resorts so the perk applies to anyone staying there as well.

8. Do I get concierge service staying DVC?
No...unless you are staying in a concierge villa at the AKV. No other DVC property offers concierge services.

9. Are toiletries included in my room with DVC? (i.e., Mickey soap, shampoo, toilet paper...sounds silly of me to ask, I know!)
Yes, but since you don't get daily maid service these supplies will not be replenished every day. You get either limited maid service (trash & towel) or a full cleaning only every so many days and your supplies will be replenished at those times.

10. Any ticket discounts besides Annual Pass? What is the Annual Pass discount?
The AP discount is $100 of of a regular AP and $125 off of a Premium AP. The only other ticket discount is $4A/$3C off of waterpark and Disney Quest admission.

11. In a one bedroom villa, is there a door separating the bedroom and livingroom?
Yes. The bedroom has a door.

12. There is a points chart online showing you how many points for a stay at certain resorts, certain rooms and times of year. How much has that gone up through the years?
It is on the member website but you will not have access to that until you are a member. I would suggest calling DVC and asking for the points charts. Just tell them you are interested in the program and they will get the materials out to you.

13. Could you stay at non-DVC properties at WDW using DVC points? Let's say we wanted to stay at Polynesian resort. Could we do this and how would it work?
You can, but it is not a good value for your points. The points costs for staying at non-DVC resorts are much higher, per night, than for a DVC studio which is a comparably sized room. It is an option, however, so you always have the choice to use it. You simply book your room through DVC member services.

14. Anyone have any info as to how many points it is for other types of vacations so I can get an idea? For example, a cruise? We normally travel in July or August and on cruises we take an inside cabin.
Cruise points are very high and not a great value for your points. You can usually do just as well, if not better, by booking with cash. The charts are, again, on the DVC member site or available through DVC.

15. How hard is it to book 7 months out if it is not your home resort?
At busy times it can be tricky, but we've always gotten everything we wanted. Sometimes we have to waitlist until a room opens up but we've always ended up getting the resort we want. It is always a gamble but, again, we've had good luck.

16. Is it also 7 months out to book non-DVC resort vacations using your DVC points?
No, you can book at the other WDW properties, Disneyland hotels and DCL cruises at 11 months out. Exchanges using the Interval International program can be made up to 2 years in advance.

LIke I said, I have a ton of questions!! I am sure there are more I am just not thinking of at the moment. If you have any answers to any of my questions, even to just one of them, please do chime in here! I need all the info I could get!!

You've asked several questions about using points outside of the DVC resorts so I will add this...If you are thinking of using your points on a regular basis at anything other than the DVC resorts then DVC is probably not a good idea. Exchanging out, taking DCL cruises and staying at the other WDW or DL resorts is a nice benefit,and one we use from time to time, but it really isn't the best use of your points. You will get much more value from them by using them at the DVC properties.

Thank you so much everyone!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Thanks everyone for the info!

We are considering this. We figure on having at least 7 trips to Disney World before my kids are out of high school. After that we will see. We also talk about passing it on to our kids when they are old enough which I know you can do. I know we can also sell it at some point but we are not figuring on making any money on it.

Anyone know how much it cost back when the DVC first started, per point, to buy into the DVC?

 

[mgilmer]

Actually the points allocations at the DVC can never change over a total year. DVC can increase or decrease points for a period in a year but they have to make a corresponding adjustment in another part of the same year. The total points in a calendar year will always remain the same. You can download Caskbill's DVC planner for free and it will show you the points you will need for any DVC resort in any size unit for any year. It is a great planning tool. Just google Caskbill.

 

[Inkmahm]

3. Let's say I want to take my family on a cruise. Am I limited to Disney Cruiseline or can I book on Carnival, Norwegian, ROyal Caribbean, etc.?
12. There is a points chart online showing you how many points for a stay at certain resorts, certain rooms and times of year. How much has that gone up through the years?

15. How hard is it to book 7 months out if it is not your home resort?
Thank you so much everyone!

3. I believe even Royal Caribbean has been elmininated for Alaska at this point. I remember seeing threads talking about that choice being eliminated after a certain date that was sometime this year.

12. There is a points chart on the DIS board. Look in the upper right hand corner.

15. The most important thing I learned before buying into DVC was "buy where you want to stay." I believe that is even more important now that there have been changes to the booking policy and waitlist policy. None of them are in the favor of people trying to book at 7 months in a resort that they don't own.

 

[CraftyMouse]

Actually the points allocations at the DVC can never change over a total year. DVC can increase or decrease points for a period in a year but they have to make a corresponding adjustment in another part of the same year. The total points in a calendar year will always remain the same. You can download Caskbill's DVC planner for free and it will show you the points you will need for any DVC resort in any size unit for any year. It is a great planning tool. Just google Caskbill.

Just to expand on what mgilmer said...the points for the non-DVC resorts at WDW, DL resorts, DCL cruises and exchanges can go up so keep that in mind as well.

 

[CraftyMouse]

Anyone know how much it cost back when the DVC first started, per point, to buy into the DVC?

It was in the $50s, I believe. I know that when we purchased in '97 it was (I think) $62.50 per point. It still amazes me to see how much the price has gone up for resorts that still have the same end-date! Personally, if you are thinking of anything except SSR or AKV I think a resale is the only way to go these days.

 

[bookswin]

Don't make your purchase based at all upon current perks like annual pass discounts or trading opportunities to other hotels/resorts. These can change at any time, and 40-50 years is a long time.

Trading out to non-DVC properties in general is a poor use of points, and there are fees involved. In almost all cases you'd be better off renting them out to someone else for cash and paying for the alternative.

"5. Is a studio at a DVC resort the same size as a hotel room at Pop Century (Value resort) or is it bigger?"

Rooms at DVC are a LOT bigger than Values and a lot nicer; there is really no comparison. For example, 355 square feet at SSR vs. 260 at All-Star Music. Furthermore, the people staying at DVC are quieter in general (many fewer teenagers), and the construction is better, so it's more soundproof.

 

[JimMIA]

I think it is foolish to consider DVC for anything other than staying at DVC resorts. Buying DVC for perks, or to use elsewhere, is a fool's bet. Those things can, and do, go away with the stroke of a pen.

The points costs of other options are much higher than for DVC accommodations and they can and have changed. In addition, other options are being drastically reduced in the last couple of years. If your intent is to exchange out for other lodgings, there are probably many other options that are better.

If DVC makes sense for your family, considering only staying in DVC resorts, keep researching. If you are trying to uncover all the benefits to rationalize a purchase, you'd better quit while you are ahead.

 

[bangzoom6877]

DH and I were talking and now we are going to try to find a re-sale for Boardwalk, hopefully some time next year. Ideally we would like to purchase 150 points, and go to WDW every other year and stay at Boardwalk Villas each time. I looked at the DVC points charts, and for 300 points we can stay in a 1-bedroom for 10 nights at Boardwalk. We like longer stays because we are teachers and off for the summer. We plan to go every other year, which is what we had planned after going this summer. We figure Disney every other year, and some other type of vacation in the years between (i.e., cruise, other road trip, etc.). So the 10-day stay would be great since this was what we wanted to do every other year anyway, and a 1-bedroom on top of that is awesome! We figure if we go every other year that would give us 300 points to spend on our Disney trip. And after reading all these posts, I now know that a DVC resort is THE way to go with your points! And I figured it is so much easier to book at your home resort and we really do want Boardwalk because of the location and it is so beautiful over there!

So does this sound like a good use of points? We would get 7 or 8 vacations in by the time my older son is going into college, then DH and I can enjoy it ourselves if the kids don't want to go with us anymore. And when we retire we want to travel, so we figure if we go during off-season, we can just go more often! So this all seems very nice to us, and we also figured it would save us a lot since we want to start staying in Deluxe resorts anyway, but we feel you get so much more with the DVC.

One *dumb* question...can you use your points for anything other than accommodations? Or for accommodations only? I mean, you can't use them for the dining plan or for tickets, right?

 

[CarolMN]

DH and I were talking and now we are going to try to find a re-sale for Boardwalk, hopefully some time next year. Ideally we would like to purchase 150 points, and go to WDW every other year and stay at Boardwalk Villas each time. I looked at the DVC points charts, and for 300 points we can stay in a 1-bedroom for 10 nights at Boardwalk. We like longer stays because we are teachers and off for the summer. We plan to go every other year, which is what we had planned after going this summer. We figure Disney every other year, and some other type of vacation in the years between (i.e., cruise, other road trip, etc.). So the 10-day stay would be great since this was what we wanted to do every other year anyway, and a 1-bedroom on top of that is awesome! We figure if we go every other year that would give us 300 points to spend on our Disney trip. And after reading all these posts, I now know that a DVC resort is THE way to go with your points! And I figured it is so much easier to book at your home resort and we really do want Boardwalk because of the location and it is so beautiful over there!

So does this sound like a good use of points? We would get 7 or 8 vacations in by the time my older son is going into college, then DH and I can enjoy it ourselves if the kids don't want to go with us anymore. And when we retire we want to travel, so we figure if we go during off-season, we can just go more often! So this all seems very nice to us, and we also figured it would save us a lot since we want to start staying in Deluxe resorts anyway, but we feel you get so much more with the DVC.

Yes - buying only the amount of points you plan to use at a DVC resort is good way to go. Since you want to do other things in the "off" year, buying enough to go every other year will work well for you.

One *dumb* question...can you use your points for anything other than accommodations? Or for accommodations only? I mean, you can't use them for the dining plan or for tickets, right?

FWIW, I don't think it is a dumb question. Points are only good for accommodations. They can't be used for the dining plans or for tickets.

Good luck with your planning and future purchase.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Thanks so much! Okay, so here's what I have learned so far today:

1. Best use of points is to vacation at a DVC resort (no problem for us!!)
2. You are only allowed to use DVC points for accommodations
3. The DVC sounds too good to be true!

Please pinch me, for I feel like I am dreaming right now! It has been our dream to vacation like this with our children, and now it seems more of a reality! I can't believe I can actually afford to go to DIsney and stay at a Deluxe resort in a 1-bedroom villa for 10 nights every other year!!

 

[mgilmer]

Don't forget you also get a DVC discount on annual passes to Disneyworld and you also get free valet parking at the DVC resorts and free internet. Regular guests do not get these discounts\freebies. You can also avail yourself of the various Disney meaiplans and you get other discounts as well. It is almost too good to be true. That is why we own.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Don't forget you also get a DVC discount on annual passes to Disneyworld and you also get free valet parking at the DVC resorts and free internet. Regular guests do not get these discounts\freebies. You can also avail yourself of the various Disney meaiplans and you get other discounts as well. It is almost too good to be true. That is why we own.

What?! FREE valet parking? Okay, I know they change the "perks" of DVC membership sometimes, but my my my I am ECSTATIC now!!!

Now, I knew I could get the dining plan as a DVC member, but how does this work as a DVC member? When we went in July on a regular vacation, we had to purchase the MYW package. The DDP rule is you must purchase it for the entire duration of your stay, for every member of your party, as well as a ticket for every member of your party. Does it work the same for DVC? What are the rules? Could I buy my ticket someplace else? We are teachers (union members) and I know that at least right now for this summer, working advantage is offering certain Disneyworld tickets at a slight discount. We would get a 5-day base ticket and they have that for cheaper. I am a member of working advantage, so I would book tickets through them if they offered a discount again. But only if I could still get the dining plan because we love to do character meals and this trip, it saved us a lot of money. So does it matter when or from whom I purchase my tickets? I am assuming I would still need to purchase the DDP for the entire length of the vacation, but that is okay by me!

 

[mgilmer]

What?! FREE valet parking? Okay, I know they change the "perks" of DVC membership sometimes, but my my my I am ECSTATIC now!!!

Now, I knew I could get the dining plan as a DVC member, but how does this work as a DVC member? When we went in July on a regular vacation, we had to purchase the MYW package. The DDP rule is you must purchase it for the entire duration of your stay, for every member of your party, as well as a ticket for every member of your party. Does it work the same for DVC? What are the rules? Could I buy my ticket someplace else? We are teachers (union members) and I know that at least right now for this summer, working advantage is offering certain Disneyworld tickets at a slight discount. We would get a 5-day base ticket and they have that for cheaper. I am a member of working advantage, so I would book tickets through them if they offered a discount again. But only if I could still get the dining plan because we love to do character meals and this trip, it saved us a lot of money. So does it matter when or from whom I purchase my tickets? I am assuming I would still need to purchase the DDP for the entire length of the vacation, but that is okay by me!

You do not need tickets to get the DDP (any of the three) with DVC. You just have to make the reservation at least 48 hours prior to your arrival. You pay for it when you get there and it is for the length of stay. As for tickets, you can get them where ever they are cheaper for you. The only DVC discount is for APs.

 

[Caskbill]

Some other things not yet mentioned.

If you plan on staying for 10 days and were planning on buying 10-day MYW passes, you might consider getting AP's instead. With the $100 discount (that's about $107 discount including taxes), it may be cheaper. I think the break even point is somewhere around 8 days.

If you do get at least one Annual Pass (and MYW tickets for everybody else), you're eligible to purchase a DDE card for dining discounts. The DDE card is basically a 20% discount, including discounts on alcohol. You may find this a better deal than buying 10-days worth of DDP's. If you do want the DDP, you have to purchase it for every person staying in the room, for the entire length of stay. That's it. There is no requirement to purchase tickets, so you are free to get tickets any way you wish.

There are also some regular DVC discounts you get at some restaurants. For example 10% at Ghiradelli.....When you check in to your resort, you'll get a package which includes a small booklet: "Portable Perks" that lists all the currently available discounts.


When you stay at a DVC resort, you get: Free parking at the theme parks, free valet parking (tip is still appropriate), free in-room internet, all Disney transportation. One thing different is you do not get daily Mousekeeping. DVC is a timeshare, not a hotel. Studios have a mini-kitchen area. OKW has a full kitchen. The other DVC resorts have apartment size kitchens. (EG smaller refrigerator, no ice-maker, etc)

If you want to do some 'planning' feel free to download my DVC-Planner program. Follow the link below.

We're a friendly crowd here, feel free to post back with any questions.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Some other things not yet mentioned.

If you plan on staying for 10 days and were planning on buying 10-day MYW passes, you might consider getting AP's instead. With the $100 discount (that's about $107 discount including taxes), it may be cheaper. I think the break even point is somewhere around 8 days.

If you do get at least one Annual Pass (and MYW tickets for everybody else), you're eligible to purchase a DDE card for dining discounts. The DDE card is basically a 20% discount, including discounts on alcohol. You may find this a better deal than buying 10-days worth of DDP's. If you do want the DDP, you have to purchase it for every person staying in the room, for the entire length of stay. That's it. There is no requirement to purchase tickets, so you are free to get tickets any way you wish.

There are also some regular DVC discounts you get at some restaurants. For example 10% at Ghiradelli.....When you check in to your resort, you'll get a package which includes a small booklet: "Portable Perks" that lists all the currently available discounts.


When you stay at a DVC resort, you get: Free parking at the theme parks, free valet parking (tip is still appropriate), free in-room internet, all Disney transportation. One thing different is you do not get daily Mousekeeping. DVC is a timeshare, not a hotel. Studios have a mini-kitchen area. OKW has a full kitchen. The other DVC resorts have apartment size kitchens. (EG smaller refrigerator, no ice-maker, etc)

If you want to do some 'planning' feel free to download my DVC-Planner program. Follow the link below.

We're a friendly crowd here, feel free to post back with any questions.

Wow, thanks so much! I will definitely check out your DVC-planner. I want to do as much research as possible so that we know everything we can before purchasing (even though we're pretty sure we will!). I never thought I would even consider a timeshare program of any kind, but this one seems to make a lot of sense.

The kitchen in the room is not all that important to me, because I do not cook on vacation! However, we did do breakfast in the room 3 mornings out of 5 when we stayed at Pop Century last month, and I needed to store the milk for my little guy, so we rented a fridge. Having a kitchen means I can also prepare waffles for my kids, which they love for breakfast! That is about the extent of cooking on vacation for me!

I do like the idea of a washer and dryer in the one-bedroom. Like I said, we would be staying 10 nights, but we drive down from NY, so add on 2 more nights to that vacation to get down there and back up here, and it's almost 2 weeks long. Packing less and washing in the middle of the trip is like music to me ears...means I could lease a smaller car next time and save a lot on gas for the trip and overall! As far as tickets, we would probably stick with what we got this time...the 5-day base ticket. At least for the next trip because the kids will still be little. 2 days at MK, one day at each of the other 3 parks. This worked well for us but was hectic on a 5-night stay! DH said to me when we left that he would love to do a park every other day and see more of Downtown Disney, etc., or at least have a day or 2 of just enjoying the resort and pool and things like that. We may also try Sea World or Universal next time we go, or both. So we could still do that and not have to pay more for a hotel closer to Universal since we could stay the full 10 days on points. This made a lot of sense to us.

Now, for the dining, I would have to crunch numbers. Maybe one of us getting the AP would be lucrative, depending on the cost of the DDE card. Anyone know what this costs? I can't believe they include alcohol in the discount too!

Thanks again everyone! This board is the best and you are all so friendly and patient!

 

[JimMIA]

You currently get free valet parking. You currently get a $100 discount on AP's. Either or both of those could go away tomorrow.

If you think that's an exaggeration, look at the threads here on the DIS complaining about no longer being able to use points for various non-Disney properties, no longer being able to use points for Alaska cruises, and being charged $95 to book non-DVC vacations. Or only being allowed to transfer points one time a year, or having banking and booking options drastically reduced, or having confirmed reservations arbitrarily cancelled by DVC, or...

If you are planning to purchase three years from now as you said, none of us have any idea what the perks will look like then.

In fact, the ONLY thing you are guaranteed by DVC is that you can use your points at your home resort. Anything else, they can change.

I think you had one great trip, were blown away by the DVC concept, and as a result, are not taking a critical, objective look at the suitability for your family. You're not looking at important factors, you're looking at "free valet parking -- WOO HOO!!!"

DVC is not "too good to be true." It's a good timeshare for people whose needs it meets.

If you think it is perfect for everyone, take a quick look at the hundreds of contracts for sale on the resale market. Each of those folks were just as excited as you are. Now they're trying to get out, and many of them are taking a loss to get out.

 

[bangzoom6877]

You currently get free valet parking. You currently get a $100 discount on AP's. Either or both of those could go away tomorrow.

If you think that's an exaggeration, look at the threads here on the DIS complaining about no longer being able to use points for various non-Disney properties, no longer being able to use points for Alaska cruises, and being charged $95 to book non-DVC vacations. Or only being allowed to transfer points one time a year, or having banking and booking options drastically reduced, or having confirmed reservations arbitrarily cancelled by DVC, or...

If you are planning to purchase three years from now as you said, none of us have any idea what the perks will look like then.

In fact, the ONLY thing you are guaranteed by DVC is that you can use your points at your home resort. Anything else, they can change.

I think you had one great trip, were blown away by the DVC concept, and as a result, are not taking a critical, objective look at the suitability for your family. You're not looking at important factors, you're looking at "free valet parking -- WOO HOO!!!"

DVC is not "too good to be true." It's a good timeshare for people whose needs it meets.

If you think it is perfect for everyone, take a quick look at the hundreds of contracts for sale on the resale market. Each of those folks were just as excited as you are. Now they're trying to get out, and many of them are taking a loss to get out.

I did post later on in this thread that I learned here that the best reason to join the DVC is to be guaranteed a deluxe resort stay at your home resort every time you go. Others have already informed me that the perks change at any time, and have over the years. That is why I am researching all of this now, so we do not make any rash decisions about this purchase, to see if it really is for us and what we should do for our own situation.

Yes, we had a wonderful trip last month. Yes, at first the perks did excite me, but now I have learned through this thread more about how the DVC works. That said, I am looking for a resale as opposed to buying directly through Disney for 3 reasons. One, it costs less, two, I do not have to buy a certain number of points that Disney will only allow you to buy, and three, I could look for something at BWV, which we decided we would like to be our home resort so that we could always stay there (we prefer that location, and points-wise it seems like the best choice for us). We also book our vacations way in advance, so booking 11 months out does not scare me. In fact, this is what we prefer to do. I booked our Disney trip that we just went on back in November, but we wanted to book last August when the 2008 rates first came out. We were ready back then to book but we waited until November because my TA told us we had plenty of time to book. So, knowing that there is a deluxe resort waiting for us every time I go to Disney, in the Epcot area, is the best reason to join. The other extras are just that, extras that I have learned not to expect in the long-term, or maybe even not when we go on our first trip "home" (which we discussed and are now talking about July 2010 instead of 2011).

 

[crisi]

DVC is NOT too good to be true. Its good for certain types of people. For MOST of us DISers, it becomes a much more effective way for Disney to remove money from our wallets.

DVC is a timeshare. That means you'll pay dues every year. For the timeshare world, DVC dues are pretty high. You'll pay those dues when you are excited for your Disney vacation, and you'll pay them the year you discover both your kids need braces and you need to find money for that.

In addition to dues, you'll need to afford that Disney trip every year - park tickets for the whole family, meals out (since you don't cook in your room), transportation. Currently, there are a lot of DISers reeling from increases in airfare. Non-DVC people can much more easily choose to stay close to home this year. DVCers have to use or loose their points.

Disney and your family will both change over the years. Many DISers have owned DVC for ten years and still love it as much as the day they bought it. But a lot of people have also bought and sold over the years, some have been disappointed in Disney and/or DVC enough that they've chosen to sell, others have just "moved on." DVC has - in the past - held its value well enough (through ROFR) to make moving on not quite as painful (and often profitable) compared to other timeshares, but there is no guarentee this will continue.

We've owned since 2002 and - while I continue to be content - I wouldn't purchase today.