Two suggestions, but I am probably just repeating what you already know, or have read elsewhere
- Compare to what else you plan to do with the money
- Draw up your intended/desired disney vacation schedule accounting for age of kids etc
The motor home is a good comparison point. The initial purchase portion of a
DVC contract is essentially purchasing a depreciating asset, just like a motor home. The difference is there is a fixed supply and a growing demand for DVC contracts, and Disney effectively utilizes price control with its ROFR mechanism. So the value you put into a DVC contract depreciates much slower than a vehicle, and may even gain value, depending on when you sell. If you intend to utilize it for a limited time frame (say 5-10 years) it’s highly likely you recover a very high percentage of the value in your initial purchase, whereas a vehicle (unless it’s collectible / exotic), will hold significantly less value. On the other hand, if you find yourself using it for a very long period of time (close to expiration) then you know you have already made the right purchase and extracted significant value out of it. There is also a very real missed opportunity cost, if you are considering investing instead. However if the purchase is compared to another depreciating asset that factor is zero. It’s also important to consider that this isn’t all or nothing. A family might have younger aged kids and plan to go to Disney frequently during that period of life until they get older, and then sell off a chunk contracts, retaining a few for occaisonal travel.
The bigger problem is by far the commitment to paying recurring dues, but those can be negated (and then some) by renting, and all the rental sites claim that they are in demand for points.
You can then compare a projection of these factors on your desired vacation plan to a projection without.