Should I Buy?

[lz01]

Is it worth buying any type of Time Share from Disney Vacations? I am wondering about the cost benefits, and the return of purchasing something like this.

 

[DisnutDave@work]

Hi, and welcome to the DIS!

I think you'll find that on this board are a lot of people who already asked themselves that question and answered with a resounding "yes!"

Just bear in mind that the "return on your purchase" will not be financial. It is a good, sound investment IF you enjoy WDW vacations and plan to return there often. But you can't look at it as an investment to make money, or even as a springboard to mainly trade out for other destinations (although you can do this from time to time; see our countdown below, we're about to head to Kapalua Bay in Maui using our points).

DVC is, it seems to us, perfect for those mainly wanting deluxe accomodations in the WDW atmosphere at a reasonable cost over the long haul. Plus, maybe either the marketing or the excitement here on the DIS has gotten to us, but it really feels magical to belong!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Merilyn]

I am not sure where you are from but we are from Memphis,TN. We travel to WDW at least 1 time a year for a week and try to trade off to other locations for another week. We find it to be well worth the investment. We usually stay in a GV for the week at OKW and at 1000 plus dollars a night you can see that is a hugh amount of money.without DVC. The other week is in a 2 bedroom somewhere. We have traded to the Plaza in NYC, the Jefferson in Washington, a Marriott in CA and several other places. We have a trip booked to a Marriott in Williamsburg, VA in Oct. Some say a trade is not a good use of points, but we love that option. DVC is an expensive timeshare compared to some, but it is a high end timeshare. If you like to stay in a less expensive place like say Pop Century then this is not for you. If you like staying at a higher priced place like OKW or BWV then it is. As I was saying, a week in a GV is about 7000 plus and taxes. With the dues we pay, then we have 5 days there at no cost. We also then have another week somewhere else. If you add in the original cost then we can divide that by the 40 years we will travel and it cost us just another day. So we can travel to OKW in a GV for 4 days free and then another week in a trade. I think it is well worth the money, so much that we have added on 4 times and bought at VB. You can see how much the prices have gone up over time by a previous post. I would say that is a real return on your investment. Most of us don't see it as an investment. I see it as a way to get my family and friends together in a great location and have some really good times. We have so many memories that we would not have without WDW and DVC.

 

[lz01]

Im kinda new to all this, so just wondering what "GV" and "OKW" are... I have been to Disney once in the past 25 years... Please dont bite my head off!

The other thing is, are the trades pretty easily done? Or is there a lot of red tape and blackout dates to deal with?

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by lz01
Is it worth buying any type of Time Share from Disney Vacations? I am wondering about the cost benefits, and the return of purchasing something like this.

At last count, about 75,000 families thought that buying into DVC was a good idea.

Is it right for you? Heck, how are we supposed to know?

If you want a complete stranger to make that determination for you, you need to at least provide a little more info. For some people, DVC makes great sense and will save them thousands of dollars in vacation costs. For others it doesn't make sense at all.

Tell us a little more about yourself and the types of vacations you like to take. Things like: How often do you visit WDW? Time of year? Days of the week? Average duration of stay? Type of room you want? Size of travelling party? Ages of travelling party?How far in advance do you plan your trips? Blah, blah, blah...

 

[lz01]

tjkraz:

If I were to try and get to know each and every one of you, so that I could get around trhe fact that you are ALL STRANGERS, it would take quite some time. So HECK, if you dont know anything, dont respond.

Im just trying to get an idea of people's experiences, good or bad, or any advice. If you dont have anything to say, why bother wasting your time reading and replying to other peoples posts?

A lot of people bought Yugo's when they came out...but that didnt mean they were good products.

 

[SSRex]

I can answer that.

GV = Grand Villa, a 3 bedroom unit found at OKW, BWV, & soon at SSR, but not at BCV or VWL.

OKW = Old Key West, formally known as Disney Vacation Club Resort.

BWV = Boardwalk

SSR = Saratoga Spring Resort

BCV = Beach Club Villas

VWL = Villas of Wilderness Lodge

Good luck with your decision and don't be afraid to keep asking questions.

 

[sunan]

Originally posted by lz01
tjkraz:

If I were to try and get to know each and every one of you, so that I could get around trhe fact that you are ALL STRANGERS, it would take quite some time. So HECK, if you dont know anything, dont respond.

Im just trying to get an idea of people's experiences, good or bad, or any advice. If you dont have anything to say, why bother wasting your time reading and replying to other peoples posts?

A lot of people bought Yugo's when they came out...but that didnt mean they were good products.

Whoa, there!

You've come to the right place, but if you want the kind of thoughtful, in-depth responses to your question that people like tjkraz are accustomed to giving (I suggest you read through some of his posts), then be prepared to provide a little more info to go on! The members on this board have a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you make a decision, but you know the old "garbage in, garbage out" analogy. The points tjkraz raised are critical in evaluating whether DVC is right for any individual family.

If you'd rather not disclose information regarding your family size, vacation habits, etc., I suggest that you quietly use the search function to find the information you're looking for. Perhaps that would allow you to formulate more specific questions.

Good luck.

 

[wtpclc]

I'm a newbie myself. You can find a list of abbrevistions on teh IDS DIscussion Forums home page. Very helpful!

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by lz01
tjkraz:

If I were to try and get to know each and every one of you, so that I could get around trhe fact that you are ALL STRANGERS, it would take quite some time. So HECK, if you dont know anything, dont respond.

Im just trying to get an idea of people's experiences, good or bad, or any advice. If you dont have anything to say, why bother wasting your time reading and replying to other peoples posts?

A lot of people bought Yugo's when they came out...but that didnt mean they were good products.

Yikes, guess I touched a nerve.

Let's back-up a minute. First, you have to realize that 99% of the people that post on this board do so because they are either happy DVC members, or they are looking for info on DVC. Generally speaking, you're not going to find people here who are disgruntled with DVC as a whole. Who has that kind of energy?

The DVC program has its plusses and its minuses. For example, if you like to take a lot of long weekends at DVC, I can guarantee that it will not be a very good experience for you. Point costs for rooms on Friday and Saturday nights are often more than double the costs for weekday stays. The ROI is simply not there.

The one piece of information that you have actually provided about yourself ("I have been to Disney once in the past 25 years") is, quite frankly, a bit troubling. DVC is the cadillac of timeshares. While the initial investment may be on par with some of the other big programs like Mariott, the Annual Dues are among the highest in the industry.

Buying into DVC with the intention of regularly trading into other properties is, frankly, not a wise decision. As an owner, it's nice to know that those options exist if we decide we don't want to go to Disney in any particular year. But the financial impact of using your DVC ownership in this manner on a regular basis is quite poor.

So, if you want to provide more information about yourself and what you hope to accomplish via DVC, you're like to get a plethora of opinions as to why DVC may more may not be right for you. People who understand the program very well can take your information and very turn your situation into some reasons why DVC would or would not fit your needs.

But if you're waiting for people to line-up and issue general praise or condemnation of the program, you probably will not get a lot of feedback.

 

[jimmytammy]

If you plan on vacationing at WDW at least once every 2 years, like accomodations to be more than just the standard hotel room and want a relaxing vacation then DVC may be right for you.

DVC doesnt present all the problems and quirks that are typical of most timeshares. You can use your pts. anytime of the year. There are times when pts are low and peak times when it takes more pts to stay. You have several choices of places to stay also.

You can book your home resort up to 11 mos. ahead and the other resorts up to 7 mos ahead.

We were annual vacationers to WDW until we purchased into DVC. Now we visit 2 times a year which we never thought would be possible.

Dont view it as a financial investment but rather an investment into future guarnateed vacations for your family.

As for the investment if you want to put a $$ value on it, we purchased 2 yrs ago at $72 per point at WLV. Today those same pts if bought direct from DVC will cost $95 per pt.

We personally feel very good about our DVC purchase.

And dont feel intimidated by asking questions on these boards. You have come to the right place for your answers. Im still learning and I have well over 1000 posts.

And Welcome to the DIS!!

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by sunan
Whoa, there!

*SNIP*
If you'd rather not disclose information regarding your family size, vacation habits, etc., I suggest that you quietly use the search function to find the information you're looking for. Perhaps that would allow you to formulate more specific questions.

Good luck.

Heck with the search function, just read the board going back a few pages....and the FAQ's. I don't mind (as well as most around here) answering specific questions, there's got to be at least a level of self-effort.

To anwer lz's question, we (in this group) seem to think DVC is a great choice for our lifestyles. We also think it's not for everyone. It's a terrible choice for someone who expects to trade out and go anywhere other than WDW, Vero Beach or Hilton Head Island.

-Joe

 

[sunan]

Originally posted by jmminarik
Heck with the search function, just read the board going back a few pages....and the FAQ's. I don't mind (as well as most around here) answering specific questions, there's got to be at least a level of self-effort.

So true! You don't have to look very far to find out what a hugely helpful and supportive group this is! It certainly made our resale research a lot easier.