Questions: DH and I STRONLY considering DVC membership

[mommomtoJoseph]

We also talk about passing it on to our kids when they are old enough which I know you can do.

We are in the same situation as you right now with our two sons. One thing that has been pointed out to me is that if you want to pass it along to each child you will need to purchase 2 seperate contracts with the same UY to pass them down. For example, we are considering two 50-60 point contracts instead of one 100-120 point contract. That opens up a whole different scenario about booking 11 months in advance at your home resort, possibly trying to consolidate points from the two contracts at the 7 month mark to upgrade from a studio to bigger bedroom, etc. There is a lot to think about and consider, but where there is a will there is a way!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Okay, the DDE card is very tempting, but again, I would only get an AP if it would cost less than getting the regular ticket I was planning on for that specific vacation. As of now, we are not into the parkhopper tickets (kids are little) so I don't think the AP would save us any money if one of us gets it, because even with the current perk of the $100 discount, it would cost more than a 5 or 6 day base ticket. We did 5 days at the parks on our trip last month and it was plenty for us and the boys. We like one park per day. We are also not into water parks, so we would not add that option on either. The way we would like to vacation at Disney is to stay 10 nights, get a 5 or 6 day base ticket, possibly the dining plan depending on how it is at that given time, and take some off-days to enjoy the pool, go to Downtown Disney and check out the Marketplace, etc. Even a day at Universal and/or SeaWorld would be nice as the boys get older. On a 10-day stay, if we get a 5-day base ticket, one day at Universal, one day at Islands of Adventure, one day at SeaWorld, that would leave us with 2 days to do just whatever we want to do. Although we are partial to the 1-bedroom, if we stay in a Studio, we could stay even longer and have even more days of relaxation, like stay 2 weeks, do all of what I mentioned above (8 days of theme parks total), and have 6 days of more relaxation, going to the pool, shopping, etc. We would go every other year, not every year. Years in between would be for other trips, like cruises with extended family, or maybe driving to various ballparks as the boys get older (DH wants to do this at least once). So we would bank points and use them every other year, making a very nice long trip possible!

Like I said, I wouldn't change the ticket option unless that was what we really wanted. Perhaps when the boys are older we will want to park hop but right now a park per day is less stressful for us! However we only stayed 5 nights last month and did 5 days at parks. If I could go back and change anything, we would have stayed 6 nights so we would have had a rest day in between.

 

[hakepb]

Bangzoom,
It sounds like you have a great plan!
And DVC would work well in that plan, and the places are nice enough that you'll enjoy more time in them.

The DVC condo style resorts (SSR and OKW) are ideal for taking day trips (closer condo style parking) which is an advantage over other Disney cash hotel-based accomodations.

The one thing I kept hearing in DVC sales is the flexibility of the points usage, and never fully grasped the luxury of that concept until this summer when we realized that we could make a quick 3 night WDW getaway for the grand extra total of airfare and food (got points, and active AP, and ME to get us here)

Another ticket possibility. Have you considered buying 10 day with non-expiring option? That would cover your 2 stays over your 3 year period. You know tickets will cost more your next trip and the per day cost is usually lower for 10 day passes...

 

[bangzoom6877]

Bangzoom,
It sounds like you have a great plan!
And DVC would work well in that plan, and the places are nice enough that you'll enjoy more time in them.

The DVC condo style resorts (SSR and OKW) are ideal for taking day trips (closer condo style parking) which is an advantage over other Disney cash hotel-based accomodations.

The one thing I kept hearing in DVC sales is the flexibility of the points usage, and never fully grasped the luxury of that concept until this summer when we realized that we could make a quick 3 night WDW getaway for the grand extra total of airfare and food (got points, and active AP, and ME to get us here)

Another ticket possibility. Have you considered buying 10 day with non-expiring option? That would cover your 2 stays over your 3 year period. You know tickets will cost more your next trip and the per day cost is usually lower for 10 day passes...

How much extra is the no expiration date feature? Is there a catch to it or will the unused days really NEVER expire? And if we wanted to on the next trip 2 years later, would we be able to upgrade to park hoppers for the difference, in case we change our minds over 2 years?

One more question (for now!)...how far a drive is WDW Resort from SeaWorld and Universal? The original plan was to start taking longer vacations in the future, and stay at Universal Orlando first for a few days, then WDW for a week, because of the close proximity to the park at U. Orlando. But since we drive down we would have our car with us anyway so could just drive there. Not more than 30 minutes is it?

 

[ctydisneyfan]

Hello All,
One more thing to remember about the Annual Pass. Remember timing is important...for example AP's are good for 365 days from the date you use them. So using the following you can use your AP twice with planning.

For example: DH and I have a trip planned for this June 22, 09 for 7 days, we are purchasing AP's, we will book another trip for spring break April 2010. You can then use the same AP's for that visit so in effect you have bought AP's for at least 14 days, in our case...a better use rather than 10 day pass with no expiration + we would need more days...So with good planning AP's can be used for two years. Combine that with my multiple trips to Disney for business and in my case its a must. Especially if you plan on back to back vacationing. Now if you plan the every other year...this may not work.

Again, it is all depending on your usage of your DVC. \
Also, I just want to note, it has been mentioned briefly, you can rent your points, this is really easy and these costs could easily cover MF's, cruise fares, etc.

The choose of usage of your DVC depends on you. And you are very wise to do your homework prior purchasing. I myself did the research then took the plunge and its been the best decision my husband and I have made!
Good Luck!

 

[Caskbill]

Hello All,
One more thing to remember about the Annual Pass. Remember timing is important...for example AP's are good for 365 days from the date you use them.

Actually they're good for 366 days, including date of first use.

We've gone for NYE a number of times over the years, and are going back for NYE again this year. We have our vouchers and will activate them on 12/31/2008 for NYE. We're going back again next year, so they will still be good for NYE 12/31/2009

 

[labsrus1]

Maybe they should try to rent some points for the next vacation and see how much they do, or don't like the deluxe expirence. This way it would not be a big loss on there part.
I've been to disney 3x in the past 5yrs and an looking into the DVC but I would like to rent points this year, we are still on the fence and don't want to get caught up in the moment. Its a lot of money and along time to commit.Better to be safe than sorry about a commitment. We would of bought after my very 1st visit had I known about it. But looking back I'm glad I waited and still thinking about it.Just mt opinion on the subject.
Chuck

 

[Mississippian]

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?
Yes, this is the best way to buy at some resorts.
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 party's over. That's it. Be aware That anything beyond 30 years has absolutely no value and should not figure in your decision. So better to buy at a resort you like with a 35-year life than a resort you hate with a 45-year life.
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.?
Never, ever, ever, under any circumstance should you use your points for a cruise. It is a terrible value.
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?
Yes, but it is a terrible value. Better to buy fewer 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?
Bigger.
8. Do I get concierge service staying DVC?
No, nothing close to it (except a few AKL rooms). These are apartments.
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.
10. Any ticket discounts besides Annual Pass? What is the Annual Pass discount?
You get $100 off annual pass, could end any time. No other ticket discount.
11. In a one bedroom villa, is there a door separating the bedroom and livingroom?
Yes.
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?
The point chart cannot "go up"; one day can go up, but another day must go down. The overall annualized point requirements must remain the same.
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?
Yes, but this is a terrible value. Better to buy fewer points and use the savings to pay cash for these rooms.
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.
Don't do this. Pay cash.
15. How hard is it to book 7 months out if it is not your home resort?
Depends on the resort, the month and the room. BCV is hardest to get. Grand Villas are impossible. Standard Views at BWV are next to impossible. But there is generally pretty good 7-month or even 3-month availability.

Good luck!

 

[Plutofan]

Maybe they should try to rent some points for the next vacation and see how much they do, or don't like the deluxe expirence. This way it would not be a big loss on there part.
I've been to disney 3x in the past 5yrs and an looking into the DVC but I would like to rent points this year, we are still on the fence and don't want to get caught up in the moment. Its a lot of money and along time to commit.Better to be safe than sorry about a commitment. We would of bought after my very 1st visit had I known about it. But looking back I'm glad I waited and still thinking about it.Just mt opinion on the subject.
Chuck

I sent you a PM about AKV.

Thanks
John
stilljc@msn.com