Real world number crunching

[disfanforlife]

That is great to hear! I did not calculate it all out, but we stayed at SSR last November with our DP we got buying in at AKV. We were going to go to AKV this November but decided to try and book at BLT at the 7 month mark and got it. We decided to go there since we could. We are staying in at 2 bedroom villa which we would do anyways with 3 children in our family, but we are also bringing our MIL which we would not be able to do without DVC. There are all kinds of ways to see value with our purchase. The best value to me is to know that I have no excuse NOT to go on a vacation every year. I am looking forward to many years to come vacationing at WDW!!!!!

 

[VallCopen]

Our actual DVC purchase may be paid back in about 5-7 years but the dues go on forever. We have run all the numbers with dues and all and it isn't so much a savings for us but a definite upgrade in our quality of vacations and for us that is what we wanted. I think we are going to love our new DVC family.

 

[AdamsMum]

For my calculations I used the cost of a moderate room which we would usually stay in. I have stayed once in a deluxe paying cash, but that would not be my normal pattern.

Between a small resale of 60 points (through the TSS-great customer service by the way) and an add on of 40 points, I have spent $10,544 including maintenance fees since 2007 when I joined. I paid cash, did not finance.

In that time I have priced out the moderate rooms I would have stayed in during regular and peak seasons when I travelled. So far the cost of those rooms not including tax would have been $5,116 including a modest discount of 10%. I have never received a pin code or been able to travel during value season or when rates have been deeply discounted.

When we started staying in moderates (back in 2004) the price of a room was $145 a night in peak season. It is now a whopping $225 per night with an extra $10 for weekends.

So yes I think I have my moneys worth from DVC. If the gods are good and I keep being able to travel to my favourite place every year, my break even will be in another 3 years.

 

[PrincessDadx2]

Timeshares are tricky. That is why they sell so well and why I own two

You can rent points here for $10 a piece (or less) and dues are ~ $5 a piece, so if you paid $90 a point your break even is about 18 years if you ignore the cost of money. Still a good deal for a 50 year contract, but I don't think you need to convince yourself that you are really breaking even in 4 trips or whatever. Yes, there is risk in renting, but there is also risk in owning a 50 year contract at a premium destination that you might not want to or be able to go to in 20 or 30 years from now.

You could also buy a few cheap RCI contracts and obtain the same result for less than renting. That was how I justified my Marriott breakeven When we could trade in, I used 905 points for a net cost of about $5 a point and I got to stay on weekends

My experience mirrors some of the previous posters. I pay more than I used to for vacation, but I stay in much better accomodations than I ever did. I believe the extra value more than offsets the extra cost, but I also know that people can do the same deal for much less if they are a little flexible. Eventually I learned to forget about the cost and just enjoy my vacation

 

[jarrdisney]

I agree it's all about the real world analysis of your trips. That being said, I know we always go to WDW at some point over the summer and Dec. Even with insane discounts (Cast Member and otherwise), we'll break even in about 6-7 years. Say we stayed off site (over the summer) at some 4 star around $75/night, we would still break even in like 12 years.

 

[gchiker]

I am very happy with my DVC membership. But when attempting to figure out its value or how many years it will take to break even, it's important to distinguish between rack rate and the actual "going" rate. Rack rate is MSRP. Hotels will only be able to get this when the law of supply and demand allows it. Would you pay sticker price for a new car today? So when we are comparing what we paid for our membership vs what it would cost if we paid cash, let's be realistic. This will be different for every member, as we all vacation at different times of the year.

 

[Brynna87]

My family bought into the DVC in May of 2008. The first time we ended up using it was this past April at The Disneyland Hotel. We stayed 7 nights which I think worked out to being worth something like $2000 dollars. On top of that, when we got there, the lady at the front desk bumped us from a crappy Standard View on a lower floor, to a high floor room with a view of the entire resort - downtown Disney, Disneyland, and California Adventure, which according to the site would have added around $500 to the reservation. It was such an amazing view and experience and something my family never would have done without DVC. So while I take in the monetary value, which seems pretty good. At this rate we'll pay for our points within four years...I'm also taking in the added values of experience, and that's priceless!


Brynna

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Just bought a small resale 50pts, total cost $3322, includes closing cost, no financing. MF about $320 per year. We will travel every other year. We would normally stay at a moderate for 7 nights at a cost of about $1450. MF's every two years $640, savings $800. Apply this to our initial cost and break even is about 4 trips. Not to bad of a deal. Just wondering how long it will take before we add on.