Someone convince me - is the DVC worth it?

[Guapy]

I may be interested in the DVC but need some convincing. Let's say i purchase the minimum 150 points at VWL. What are annual dues and do you pay these while you are paying off the initial $75 a point? Are you better off just paying for each vacation because you are limited to staying in your home resort in the DVC because it cost more points to stay else where in the resort? These are all just some questions I have. Maybe someone can sell me on the idea.

 

[Richyams]

It doesn't cost more points to stay at other DVC resorts, OKW, VWL, BCV or BWV.

It costs way more to stay at the poly, GF or any other regular Disney resort.

If you are buying to stay in regular Disney resorts, Poly, GF, AKL etc, don't!! These are great options once in a while, but not an economical use of points. A two bedroom villa at OKW is less points that a standard hotel room at just about any, if not all, regular Disney resorts.

You certainly aren't limited to your home resort by any stretch of the imagination. I would say that for regular use, the stays you will use points on most of the time, will be in DVC resorts. Your home resort SHOULD DEFINITELY BE WHERE YOU INTEND TO STAY MOST.

If you visit WDW at least every two to three years and stay in moderates or above, and fully expect to do that for the foreseeable future, there is no doubt that DVC will save money.

We go every year, we have 430 points, we pay around $1400 annually in dues, we hit our "breakeven" a VERY long time ago. We stay 10-12 nights in the OKW Grand Villa every year(almost, we have cruised and done a couple other small things, two nights at the Plaza in New York City ), the OKW GV cash price is $800-1200 a night, we are paying slightly over $100 a night(dues) for an OKW Grand Villa.

we are paying slightly over $100 a night(dues) for an OKW Grand Villa

I just feel so smart every time I say that.

Dues are slightly over $3 per point at OKW, nearer $4 per point at the other resorts.

 

[brittsmum1998]

OH gosh Rich!! You are quoting YOURSELF now?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Well here goes:
It is a very complex mathematical formula to figure out costs. Many people don't figure lost interest income into the cost formula. This can be a substantial amount.
If you compare studio to hotel room (apples to apples) you will likely save money at DVC.
My problem is that I have gone completely over the deep end.
I do not want studios, I want to go 2 weeks a year + 3 at VB each trip (beach cottage or 1 BR), and also do a few nights at the Poly every year.
I need a ton of points, and when you couple that with the extra food and travel associated with extra trips, well it's a lot of money.
So in that respect DVC is much more expensive for me, but of course, I am doing much more.
I would not trade DVC for the world!

 

[Disney Doll]

I am sure there is probably some mathematical formula to work it out, but essentially the way we justified it is that once you are done paying off your loan, you essentially get a room at least equal to(if not better than) a deluxe for whatever the cost of your yearly fee is. In general, I think the yearly fees will always be cheaper than the cost of a deluxe room at WDW for a week. Make sure you compare apples to apples.Maybe the cost of the yearly fees will be more than a room at the All-Stars, but what you get for you yearly fee blows away the All-Stars. You don't have to come uppwith that big chunk of money to pay for the room...you pay a smaller amount monthly, which to me is always easier. You have the option of staying in several different places within the Disney system(VB,HH,OKW,WLV,BCV.BWV)in addition to trading out to other high-end timeshares. If you will be going to WDW at least every other year, it is worth it.

DH and I have been members since September 1997,and have never regretted our decision for one minute.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Forget about the math. Bottom line is you'll get addicted just like the rest of us. You won't be able to figure out why you didn't do this years ago. You'll start breaking the year down into 11 and 7 month blocks. The word "use" and "year" will actually have meaning. You'll memorize things like AP, PAP,DW,DD,DH,AKL,IMHO, LOL,etc... You'll learn how to clean an entire 2br with just one paper towel & jog for miles in air conditioned hallways. You'll start to begin your "posts" with such phrases as " I don't want this to start an argument..." or "This isn't intended to offend anyone but...."

DVC investment isn't about money. It's about this BOARD. Look at some of the members posting totals: 6000+ for some. Can you even imagine how many threads they must have read in order to respond 6000 times ?

Seriously, it's the best money I ever spent. After I developed what is now my yearly vacation pattern, I'm amazed at how little a week in WDW actually cost me per trip.

 

[DeeP]

I copied and pasted the list below from a previous post regarding dues, so that you can get the exact figures. As you can see the dues difference with the $.70 difference between OKW & BWV (the highest dues difference of the DVC resorts on WDW property)comes out to be only an additional $210.00 per year more in dues for a 300 pt contract, of course a smaller contract will be less.

2002 Dues vs. 2001 Dues
OKW = $3.22 vs. $3.13 = +3%
BWV = $3.92 vs. $3.83 = +2%
VWL = $3.80 vs. $3.63 = +5%
HH = $3.49 vs. $3.32 = +5%
Vero= $4.17 vs. $3.97 = +5%

 

[WDWguru]

Here's how DH and I decided it was for us. We go at least twice a year and always stay in deluxe resorts on property. Putting that money toward our DVC investment - it's just the two of us, staying in one bedroom units and we own 550 points - it will pay for itself in less than 10 years, and that's including taxes, dues, etc. After that we will still have 30 years to enjoy our DVC membership for "free"! The best part is, we'll be paying exactly the same number of points for our BWV one bedroom in 20 years as we are today. I can BET you that you won't pay the same rate at ANY Disney hotel in 20 years that you are paying today.

Bottom line is, if you go at least every other year and stay in moderate or deluxe rooms, it is absolutely worth every penny. I'll join in and say what everyone else on this board has said - my only regret is that I didn't buy sooner!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
Forget about the math. Bottom line is you'll get addicted just like the rest of us...

VERY TRUE!!!

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
DVC investment isn't about money. It's about this BOARD...

HA HA!!! ROTFL!!!

 

[alsipd]

For me it is an escape from the reality that encircles me every day.

I own 150 points and I am able to get two to three trips to Disney World Old Key West at 6 days each (arrive Sun AM leave Fri PM) with a little planning and some luck with airfares.

I find that I am planning my "vacations" a year plus ahead of time. I am constantly talking about my next "trips" and all of my friends won't get involved with a "Timeshare". I have tried to explain to them it isn't like that, but they all have that timeshare mentality.

They want an investment, but what they cannot see is that an investment in money is just money; but an investment in life is an investment in yourself. I want to live as much as possible while I am here and I see the DVC as an investment in "MY LIFE", not just a property investment. I'm not a money rich man by any means or measurement, but I am rich beyond your wildest dreams in "life".

That is why I am a proud member of the Disney Vacation Club.

Sorry for the long ramblings, I think I need a "vacation".

Dennis Alsip, DVC member since September of 2000

 

[joepoe]

Originally posted by alsipd
For me it is an escape from the reality that encircles me every day.

investment in "MY LIFE", not just a property investment. I'm not a money rich man by any means or measurement, but I am rich beyond your wildest dreams in "life".

Dennis Alsip, DVC member since September of 2000

Dennis, I could not say it better myself. We have made a "lifestyle" decision to enjoy our home away from home with our children as much as possible. We enjoy planning, counting down to the trips, and GOING! We always have a fun trip to look forward to. It's what we do. We have never regretted buying in.

 

[DISNEYDEVOTEE]

To me it is all about the Quality of the accomodations. Our 220 pt contract will reach break even in year #4. During the 25th anniversary we stayed at Beach Club 2x, each time accomodations etc cost in excess of $6000, our DVC cost $13,200.

I hate it when outsiders say, "How much time do you spend in your room anyway". Well, plenty if your child is sick, or it's raining, or it's 115 out!! And my room (1 or 2 bedroom) is extremely inviting, allows a level of privacy not seen in any other Disney property (non DVC)

Going into our 4th year and we still have not seen everything. Rumor has it that there are 2 more parks planned in the next 10 years, and 15 more hotels.

Knowing that we will be visiting at least once a year there is a much more relaxed attitude.

Bob

 

[caverill]

Well, there are several ways to look at DVC...

- Will it save money...Depends on where you stay now and were you expect to stay in the future. If you are happy staying off-site or in the value resorts then DVC might not work for you. If you always stay on-site and either in a moderate or deluxe, then it should be a "good deal".

- How often do you expect to go...This has been stated before, but DVC really only is a "good deal" if you intend to use it at least every other year and stay in a DVC resort. DVC has a lot of flexiablity, but it really is intended to be used at DVC resort (which are some of the best on-site IMHO).

When my DW and I made the decision there were several factors that made it appeal to us...

- Vacation time - Having DVC almost ensures that we take vacations on a regular basis (this is a good thing!).

- Disney - Our past history told us we enjoyed visiting WDW very frequently and we both decided that we would continue to do so. Since we live in Minnesota and usually schedule our vacations in February, it didn't seem like we would get tired of going to Florida.

Value - DVC is not an investment that you will make money with, but is very much an investment in yourself. Dennis made a great point...life is short, live it now! With DVC, I feel we are getting deluxe rooms for moderate prices. I calculated it out once and I figured we would be averaging $ 119 per night for the next 40 years.

Everyone has a different reason for joining, but I think it says alot about DVC that almost all members are happy with their purchase. The biggest debate isn't whether to join or not, it tends to be which home resort is the "best".

 

[OKWKirt]

We bought 220 points in May 1997. At that time we were going to WDW everyother year, but starting to go more often, and staying in the moderate resorts. The way I justified this was preparing a cost over a few years to see how it would pay off using two methods. The first was taking the purchase price and yearly maintenance dues and using the room rates at OKW. This gave me a break even in 5 years. I then said what if I just use the moderate rates, where we had been staying, and the break even was in 8 years. Both looked good to me. Now after 7 trips to OKW I wouldn't want to stay in anything less.

As for how did my break even turn out - well we bought 100 more points in 1999 and with my two trips this year and one more trip next year I will reach my break even point, using OKW rates. If we hadn't bought the extra points I would have broken even in 2001 - 4 years.

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by DISNEYDEVOTEE
I hate it when outsiders say, "How much time do you spend in your room anyway". Well, plenty if your child is sick, or it's raining, or it's 115 out!! And my room (1 or 2 bedroom) is extremely inviting, allows a level of privacy not seen in any other Disney property (non DVC)
Bob

Add to this the fact that those of us who go to Disney all the time know better than to do Disney Commando style. It's nice having a great room(s) to go back to during the middle of the day to relax and nap before the evening's adventures. It's also great to have nice rooms on your day(s) off from the parks in Orlando.

This 'relaxed' attitude toward doing the parks sometimes means not doing everything on a particular trip. That's OK, we'll all be back again...we own part of the magic.

Joe,
Who finally rode the train around the MK after 8 days in the MK over the last 5 years.

 

[erikthewise]

Guapy,

I very recently decided to join and would be glad to share my thoughts.
While I agree that there are many intangible benefits, most of them are also available when staying in other on-site resorts. And those of us for whom $12K is a major investment *do* need to justify it to ourselves on a financial basis as well.

I have no interest in financial models which take into account the full 40 year term of the investment. Such models are extremely sensitive to predicted interest rates, and IMO for this reason are not to be taken too seriously.

The analysis I did for myself indicates that it is reasonably likely to be a good investment over a 10-15 year span. My model was based on comparing annual dues to what you would ordinarily spend on lodging, and included historical rates of increase for annual dues and resort rates.

In brief, if you save enough on lodging each year to pay off the interest on your $12K debt, you're coming out even (actually a little better -- see below). If you save even more, you will eventually pay off the debt. If you save less than the interest, then DVC is not going to save you money in the long run.

My model showed that if you use your points wisely, you will typically pay off the debt within 10-15 years. This was based on an interest rate of 6% (my equity line is currently at 4.75% even without tax benefit) and a current lodging allowance of $200/night, a very modest amount to pay at a deluxe resort. Very likely you would end up paying more in reality, but then also you will probably not always use your points so wisely, either!

Actually even if you only break even, i.e. just pay off your interest, you would still likely come out somewhat ahead, because
-- inflation will likely diminish the value of the $12K loan over time
-- the value of your points is very likely to increase over time as the price of DVC membership increases

As to using your points wisely,
-- staying weekdays in a DVC resort is very good.
-- staying a full week in a DVC resort is good.
-- staying weekends only in a DVC resort or weekdays in a non-DVC Deluxe resort is very roughly breaking even, but you should not be using most of your points in these ways.
-- staying weekends in non-DVC Deluxe resort or any day in a Moderate resort are Death -- you are being eaten alive if you use points in this way.

Best wishes whatever you decide!

 

[Carl]

Take this into consideration. I didn't. Are you willing to plan your vacations a year ahead? From my initial experience after recently purchasing a resale, it appears that if you are not willing and able to plan and then actively pursue getting a booking 11 months in advance, you will find yourself out in the cold. I mean you will have paid for the initial investment plus the yearly dues and find yourself holding a fist full of points which you can not use, because there is nothing available at the time you choose to book.
Evidently there are a lot of people who are finding DVC to be valuable to them. The points they make about getting a well located and luxury resort at a reasonable price are indeed valid. However, availability is a completely different matter. If things don't work out better for me in the future, you will see MY membership for sale within a year.

 

[betterlatethannever]

However, availability is a completely different matter.

That's what has stopped me from buying DVC (among other things). Reading these posts where you need to call every day for each day of a vacation hoping that you can get it, link them together, and if not, get wait listed worrying about a backup plan if it falls through.

Yes, we go during the wine and food festival (very high demand time for DVC members), and also, due to work schedules, need to do weekeneds - so not the best use of points.

We made our reservations for this year's W&F festival last November.No problem. I guess I put a value on my time and mental health.

I worry about everything anyway. I know if a was a DVC member, I would be a basket case worrying about 11 month, banking, borrowing, etc. etc. etc.

One last very small thing. I don't think I would like being welcomed "Home". I'm going on vacation. Home is the last place I wnat to be reminded of.

Ed

 

[WDWguru]

We had the same concern re: planning. With just DH and I, we tend to do a lot of spur-of-the-moment trips. Even though we always go at off-peak times, we were worried about availability as well.

Our first trip was booked just 2 1/2 months out - for the last week in April - and we got a two bedroom and a studio at OKW with no problem at all. We also booked late October at BWV at about 8 months out - one bedroom preferred - no problem.

However, we are finding that we're having so much fun managing our points, we've got our trips planned out through the next several use years! It started out as just a way to manage the points, figure out when we needed to bank, etc. Now it's become a hobby - any time we're sitting around just chatting, we'll fire up the planning program and the points spreadsheet and start planning or re-planning trips! It's insane!

So I guess our experience has been that if you are flexible, you should have no problem getting in somewhere at some size unit when you'd like to go - with the possible exception of Easter, Christmas/NYE and July 4th. We've also found that BECAUSE of DVC, we've become planners and really enjoy dreaming about our trips and deciding when/where, etc far in advance. We NEVER thought that would happen!

 

[mle]

I, like most of the posters here, of course, find DVC "worth" it. However, "worth" is defined as different things by different people. Considering a "financial" analysis of DVC, IMO, is not really a reasonable way to look at it, given the reality that any factors of the analysis that are not set in stone (i.e. future WDW rack room rates, room discounts, return on investments, etc.) can be manipulated to work for or against any argument. I look at my DVC purchase as any other major ticket item "luxury" purchase. When I bought my premium grade leather sofa and recliner after years of hand-me-down furniture, I didn't do a cost analysis against other furniture offerings! I work hard for the money that I earn. My DVC purchase was an investment in myself and my family. I look forward the the enjoyment and precious memories that our DVC membership will provide us. I know that the money I spend on DVC now (equivalent to the two cruises and three "real" vacations that we have taken in the past two and a half years) will not only guarantee me quality Disney accomodations for the next 39 years, but will guarantee that I take a vacation (as, formerly, one of the many who never seem to have the "time" to use their vacation time!).

In response to Carl's post about being willing to plan your vacation a year in advance. I have first hand experience in booking a two bedroom for mid-August just about three months in advance and getting Thanksgiving weekend and NYE accomodations (high demand) just this week. I think the flexibility of DVC (as compared to other timeshares) requires some flexibility and planing on your part, as well as being aware vacancy patterns of DVC. I generally do not plan too far in advance, but I love going to WDW (I would assume that is a MUST for anyone who buys DVC!) and let me tell you, DVC/Disney gets you hooked and thinking up ways you could squeeze in another trip! I think if I were ever faced with not having all my ducks in a row, then I would be flexible to consider my other options -- change my dates, get a WDW resort room, stay in a larger/smaller room, stay at USF for the night, etc.

Obviously, I'm sold! I, like everyone else with positive feedback, am just trying to share the magic.

HTH

-emily