Share your Magical stories!

[disneygang]

I posted this in August of 2004 and now a repost:

I have been very thorough in my search for information on the DVC. Already have the video.

I am looking for the intangible perks. Not the ones in the brochure or video. I am sure there are ways to use the membership to ones advantage (but not at anybody elses expense).

Looking at the numbers, flexibility, service and accomadations. I love DVC.

What does a member get that Disney can't put in a selling script or package? What does a member not get?

I have many ideas that include bringing family and friends, but these are not my reality as it is some of yours.

 

[fkj2]

I have many ideas that include bringing family and friends, but these are not my reality as it is some of yours.

I think that may be a big piece of the DVC persona, that being able to have the flexibility to manipulate the points you buy to accommodate the size of room you want whether traveling alone or with a group, how long you want to stay, the time of year you want to stay, the varied theming of the resort, if you want to stay in a DVC or exchange to a World resort--that the vacation you plan is the one that suits your needs. Yeah, it's the flexibility aspect. And, that you could enjoy DVC for nearly all of your life.

I do think it's a little different now since the cost of the points keeps going up. Some of us bought in when points were around $50, with a few buying pre-construction for $48 (I think, but Dean or Doc would probably know for sure).

For people with kids (or nieces & nephews, or grandchildren) and in this world of rush and hurry, it's just a great opportunity to make sure that a chance is always there for that yearly vacation together. Or just a yearly vacation.

 

[dznyacct]

It's knowing that when I'm leaving WDW on the last day of my trip, I have another trip already planned/booked. The flexibility is great. When I tell people that DVC is the Disney version of a timeshare, I always tell them how different it is from the traditional high pressure, locked into one certain week a year timeshares. I'm a very analytical Accountant and spent 2 years (after doing the DVC tour) making sure that DVC was a wise decision. I don't think of it as a financial investment, but it sure is an investment in my family and all the incredible memories that each Disney trip brings. I'm leaving in 30 days for a "girls only" trip with my 79 year old mom, my sister and my 7 year old niece (staying at OKW). I know that this trip will be very special. I am so thankful that I am a DVC member and can share my love of Disney with my family. I still get goosebumps every time I hear "welcome home".

 

[dianeschlicht]

The magic is knowing that I will be returning many times to my large bright "home" at Disney. Each time we leave, I imagine our return, and start counting the days.

It's knowing that even though we are just an aging couple, we can reserve a 2 bedroom for a couple of trips every year and invite family and friends at whim, offering them free accommodations at the happiest place on earth!

It's anticipating those trips with invited family and friends and planning how to make it extra special.

It's being able to donate five nights of a studio stay as a fund raiser for a local private school.

It's the happy feeling I get when we drive in the gate of OKW and get our welcome home salute.

It's feeling so comfortable at WDW, that we know the little nuances of each park and can expound on them for hours to folks who are there for their first visit.

It's figuring out the bus system that happens to be in effect o a given trip and learning how to avoid waits for said bus.

It's the happy countenances on all the people who are there enjoying the same thing we do!

 

[Safari Queen]

For us it's being able to leave "commando Disney" behind. We take our time to really enjoy each day whether it's in a park or elsewhere on the property. There's no rush because there will be another trip and another and another. On each trip we learn a few more "tricks" to get around easily and find a few more wonderful options like certain boat rides, great dining options and quiet corners with comfortable chairs where we can watch the world go by.

 

[disneygang]

We will be making our first trip to see the DVC resorts first hand. We are renting points and will be staying at SSR for 3 nights.

 

[StormTigger]

What does a member get that Disney can't put in a selling script or package? What does a member not get? .

The stuff the others won't tell you...

- never being able to stay in anything smaller than a 1 bedroom after you've stayed in a 1 bedroom

- the looks of confusion you'll be giving ppl who say they go to Disney every year and stay at a Delux resort and that DVC is just a scam to get your money.

- the addiction of planning your next trip before the one that you are on is over.

- The weight gain cuz not only can you eat in your room, the money you save there can be budgeted to eat at the "nicer" Disney resteraunts.

- the sly knowing grin you'll have when you tell people your going to Disney for the 3rd time in a year and all they can say is "How can you afford that?!"

- CM's greeting you by name cuz you been there so often.

- Disney withdrawl/panic when you return from a trip and don't have another planned.

- the overwhelming urge to buy more points so you can go to Diseny 4x's a year instead of JUST twice.

- the need to argue w/ people about why this DVC resort is better then that one.

- the rolls of film - or if you use digital - gigs of pictures you'll have to store from each trip, cuz there are always a couple hundred magical moments at Disney that you know you'll have to capture - who cares if you'll be back in 6 months.

- considering your "real life" an extended business trip, and you really are only home when you hear CM's say "Welcome home"

- knowing you're on vacation in a hotel, but dont' have to worry about Mousekeeping coming in and "disturbing" your stuff.. or kicking you out of the room to clean.

- becaming a non-paid travel agent for Disney cuz anytime anyone who knows someone who knows you thinks of a Disney trip they come to you, and of course being an addict you can't help but talk for hours and hours forgeting anything else in the world exists.

- family members and friend trying to invite themselves on your Disney trip cuz you'll have the room anyway.. "Doesn't a one bedroom sleep 4, and there's just the 2 of you going right?"

- oh.. and my all time favorite... the regret that you didn't buy in sooner!

Yea.. I'm done.. for now.

 

[llp479]

Upside -

You go so often that it really does feel like a second home. You don't feel the need to "do it all" because you KNOW you'll be back, most likely in less than a year. You get to share that second home with family and friends. Like the first time we took my then 42 year old BIL to WDW. He was dead silent for the first 15 minutes at MK. I was so nervous that he was hating it. I tentatively asked him what he thought. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said he had never been any place so perfect. I now look forward to sharing that with his 6 mo old dd.

Downside -

You get seriously spoiled staying in such lovely accomodations. Even when staying in a 5 star hotel on the ocean in HI, you long for your DVC accomodations. This then leads to the need to buy additional timeshares because you "can't" stay in regular hotel rooms any longer. You are envied by your friends for having as many as three trips planned in the next year.

Good luck with your decision. We bought our first contract at BVW in '98, and purchased a resale at OKW in '01. We have also now purchased 2 MVC timshares. I'm spoiled and I know it, but I'm also making wonderful memories with my 3 dds and family, and those are priceless.

 

[Lizardbeth61]

. . . It's got that special magic! Even if you're at Vero Beach which isn't overwhelmingly Disney in terms of characters, rides, etc, it's got that special quality Disney feel. When you know you can go to a Disney property you just know it's going to be quality . . . pretty, tasteful, wholesome, clean, family oriented with lots of great people . . . both cm's and guests!

We love it and have to say ditto to everything everyone else has said . . . including the comment, "we just wish we'd done it sooner!"

 

[oldkeywestfan]

I'm pretty new to this site and was just telling DW about it and used this post as an example of what was here. I asked her about the question on this post and I thought her reply summed it up. Being a member gives you the same feeling you have when your the first one picked for the team.

 

[jimmytammy]

I will start with the downside cause I cant think of many

Having to compete with 90,000 other members to get ressies....BUT, we have always gotten ressies when we wanted them but once, and still got them for 2 weeks later....no biggie, our mistake. I think its more the little stress it causes hoping for that perfect timing, and yet it always works out.

OK, cant think of any other downsides

So now for the good

Wonderful, spoiling accomodations. No kidding, kids compare other places to DVC now.

Leisurely, relaxing vacations. As another poster put it, no more commando style touring of theme parks. Most days we dont get to the parks til lunchtime or later. And yet we still get to do plenty.

Knowing we will be returning soon and returning often.

Spending true quality time with my family. What I mean by this is DW and I can relax and get away from it all for awhile and kids can enjoy the time with Mom and Dad without the typical hustle and bustle of a vacation. Ex. We go to Myrtle Beach and trip is chaotic the whole time because we have to constantly entertain. At WDW, they can be settled that we will be enjoying our time together in the parks and not have to rush. And most of all, work is left behind like it should be.

Being able to help others by sharing pts. On a particular occasion we along with some fellow DIS DVCers were able to put together pts. to allow a family to go to WDW that had been going through some rough times. God has blessed us with so much, it is only fair to share it with others in need.

Being able to share with family. My parents have been once with us and will be returning again next March. My MIL after a bad experience her first time in WDW, returned with us to VWL and got to see another side of WDW and said she began to understand our passion a little clearer.

My nephews have been begging my SIS and BIL for years to take them to WDW after hearing all the kids at school talk about their fun trips. They can afford the trip but are very frugal. They cant see spending that kind of money to stay onsite. So we offered them pts to stay a week, just to get them there and enjoy together as a family.

There are so many more things that dont come to mind right now but we love being members and each trip we look forward too with as much anticipation as the one before.

The magic remains!

 

[CHOPR]

All very true!! Add me to the list of "why didn't we do this sooner"
But,we're here now and waiting to close on SSR.

 

[MagikMom]

I love that there are so many different resorts to choose from. You're not "locked in" to staying at one particular place at a certain time of the year. The flexibility of DVC makes it unlike any other timeshare.

 

[Alexander]

Having two future trips booked and working on squeezing another one in between the two! It makes those "I wish I never got out of bed" days go by so much easier!

The only thing I do find is that I wish the days to go by quickly so we can go again. As you know time goes by fast enough, so I really don't want the days to go by faster, I just want to get to WDW sooner.

 

[Yardbird]

In less than two weeks we will be spending our first DVC stay at VWL, this thread has made me beyond excited! For the past three years we have made numerous trips to WDW taking my first grandchild. He was three at the time of his first visit. Now, he has a little brother that we will share the magic with on this trip. One of the reasons that we purchased was that not only will we be able to enjoy WDW for many years with our family, we will be able to pass this on to our children at some point in the future.

The funny thing is, we haven't even made our first DVC trip, and we are already contemplating an add on.

 

[disneygang]

This is the type of response I wanted from the post.

Richie

 

[callnamegrumpy]

joining in 95, after many great visits to wdw, vero, hh and dcl, wife and i learned about the II lower point exchange program on the member cruise of 03, so being the born sceptic i am, i went through the motions of calling ms getiing all the info about the 160 point II exchange program, well using the quidelines ms gave us we put in for one week on maui, i like most figured exchange on maui in may. ha no way! well last may while staying at sands of kahana we decided to check out their sales presentation, and it was true boiler room style pressure, now here is the real tid bit of information i want to pass on, while talking to the very polite and persistant sales guy we have, i learn that DVC is one of an elite time share product that really does have exchange power within the industry, that their product does allow their owners to exchange but the owners are required to pay something like over $125 just to make themselves members of II program, and read what you will into this, but the sales quy tells us he has put in for exchange to go to dvc orlando about three months ago for a trip in october of 04 and was concerned about disappointng his family and may make a cro just to be sure they had something booked, read the good stories, the bad events from folks on this board, but in my oppinion disney and dvc for life time vacations, is a treasure.