DIS Dads The DIS Dad's Club V - Man's Room

[MichMickey]

No matter how you purchase, whether directly from Disney or via resale, you are purchasing an interest in that particular resort through xx date. (Each resort has a different lifespan. Ex: BWV, VWL, BCV, Vero Beach and Hilton Head all run through Jan 2042. SSR runs through Jan 2054. AKV runs through Jan 2057. OKW was originally running through 2042 but there are contracts that were extended through 2057. BLT and VGC both run through Jan 2060 and the new resort Aulani being built on Oahu in Hawaii will probably run through Jan 2061 based on a 2011 opening). So far none of the other 2042 resorts have been extended, and there's no guarantee that they will be in the future. If they aren't, then the ownership at the end of the contract reverts back to Disney. That's the primary difference between DVC and many other timeshares. The expiring contract aspect. Many other timeshares are true ownership where once you buy you own indefinitely until you are able to sell (if you are able to sell - as my FIL is NOT. The value simply isn't there. He tried to give a couple away recently, and nobody took him up on it). So even though things can change in the future, I'm happy that after 15 years in the timeshare industry, DVC's value continues to hold, and contracts remain in demand.

All DVC contracts are able to be left to your heirs if the contract outlasts you. The real question however, is will they want them or not. Sure our kids enjoy going to Disney destinations now... but will they when they are adults with families of their own? Hopefully, but you just never know. In regards to kids wanting their parent's timeshares can and does shift quickly like sands on the seashore. I can say that that my FIL's non-Disney timeshares are also transferrable upon death...but none of his 4 kids want them (he planned to leave 2 to each child). We've all enjoyed being treated to vacations, but honestly none of his "home resorts" are in desireable locations, and the maintenance on each of them is higher than DVC.

I was just curious, what are the average maintenence fee's?

 

[dadio]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2498296&highlight=dvc+annual+fees

michmickey...if you follow link above, about halfway down is a chart of your per/pt maintence fees at each resort.....some are more than others..for example Vero Beach is about a $1 more per pt....this is because of hurricane damage/insurance for.....after purchase, this would be your annual cost for your rooms.....easily half off rack rates..plus other perks..one is $100 off annual park pass

 

[stopher1]

I was just curious, what are the average maintenence fee's?

Each resort is different - based on a variety of factors. But basically, the maintenance fees or Annual Dues are used to fund the operating costs of the resort (salaries and benefits, theme park transportation, property taxes, etc). DVC owners also pay a portion of our dues into a "Reserve Fund" which is designed to pay for long-term projects or improvements that might be required (i.e. pool repair, roof replacement, room refurbishments, parking lot repair, etc). The traditional hotel guests also pay for all of these things - just via their room rental charge.

Everything about operating a resort increases annually (salaries, maintenance, transportation, etc), and so dues can be expected to rise about 3-4% each year. However, keep in mind the regular (non-DVC) resorts also increase their nightly rental costs annually too. Disney's rack rates have steadily increased between 3-6% each year.

Once the initial purchase price is paid, the only remaining costs* are the annual dues. That cost, when divided out over the year can be relatively small when compared against the lodging cost alone of a traditional hotel room stay. *of course you still have to "get there" and you'll probably want to eat too... so there are other vacation costs that DVC doesn't cover, of course... but the beauty of a villa with a full kitchen is that you don't have to pay premium Disney prices at the restaurants for every meal. You could eat in room and save that way. You also don't have to go to the theme parks as many DVC'ers find over time that their time in the parks diminishes. Many don't go into the parks at all. Many do. Your vacation "style" changes somewhat when you are looking at years and years of return visits. Going "commando" isn't really required anymore, since you know that you'll be back again "soon".

Here's a link to a chart that demonstrates what the dues have been historically at each of the DVC resorts. Some are higher than others based on their location (Vero Beach, Hilton Head Island, etc) or lack of transportation options, etc. On a per night basis, villas can indeed work out to be cheaper than the traditional rooms at rack rate, sometimes coming in at or less than the cost of a value for so much more room. The biggest hurdle for many of course, including us for many years before we took the plunge, is the upfront purchase cost to join.

 

[MichMickey]

Thanks Dadio and Christopher, for the explanation and the links! DW and I went to a DVC presentation 4 years ago. The only thing that I could remember was that after they took us through the numbers the yearly cost were close to what a nice vacation would run at a Deluxe resort for a week. I almost went for it but came back to reality when I realized I was basically going to be taking on a car payment for about 10 years.

If I would have known about this on our Honeymoon circa 1996 i would have snapped up a WLV spot in a heartbeat! The WL was where we took our Honeymoon and the place that we always want to go back to. Our budget for now puts us into the value's but better staying at the POP than not going down at all!

I do love the idea of "Owning a piece of the Magic" but for now I'll have to be content with enjoying Disney on the cheap!

Also Congratulations Dadio on buying in I am happy for you and Jealous all at the same time.

 

[afwdwfan]

Stopher, thank you for sharing some basic information about DVC... I've really never taken the time to understand how it all works. I've read some things about it, but never got any good basic explanation like the information you've been providing. I've thought about how realistic it may/may not be to buy DVC at some point, but I've never really understood it enough to really look into it. I've learned more reading a few of your posts this morning than I've learned reading other threads and info. Thanks for dumbing it down to my level.

 

[stopher1]

Stopher, thank you for sharing some basic information about DVC... I've really never taken the time to understand how it all works. I've read some things about it, but never got any good basic explanation like the information you've been providing. I've thought about how realistic it may/may not be to buy DVC at some point, but I've never really understood it enough to really look into it. I've learned more reading a few of your posts this morning than I've learned reading other threads and info. Thanks for dumbing it down to my level.

Happy to help when I can.

 

[middlepat]

CRUD

OK Dads, totally unartistic me could use some help. We're renting a car for the week at Disney, and I'm thinking that the best chance of me being able to keep track of a rental car in Disney parking are some unique car decal/magnets. I'm just at the initial stages of this, but I could use some suggestions for materials and where to get them.

Once I've got that figured out, I can move on to design, but if folks have suggestions on the design front I'd love this as well.

Not sure if you have an iPhone in the family, but DW has an app for her phone that registers where you parked. Basically its a GPS point of interest tag that you save.

Of course the hot pink spray paint would work too.

PS. CRUD.

Still working on getting the laptop at home back up and running. Tried a few things last night, we'll see how successful we were tonight.

 

[dadio]

topher covered pretty good...after a few yrs, I will be as suave...
but yeah, the $$ upfront/payment thing sucks a$$, some folks that were buying direct, more $$$, quicker acess to pts, were doing so on their disney cards...thus getting reward $$ or something(you may know, me...no CC ) and then using rewards to pay part of annual fees, or getting dis-gift cards for spending $$ while @ parks...
we are getting a little $$ from my MiL so are just using that...otherwise, i'm not sure I could swing it to be honest.....BUT if you do go a bit, or are planning on it w\kids..def make sense, barring you can afford it/maintenence fees...
Ahh well, gonna enjoy my sat! maybe a nice cpl hr scooter ride for the after/eve time

Enjoy the day fellas!

 

[dvczerfs]

that is our plan.....to will them(the pts) to our kids.....and hopefully they wil enjoy them...or sell them!

kids???? look, when you get old, there just gonna take your money and dump you in the nursing home anyway. you should consider your fellow dis dads!!! i only have 400 pts per year, i could use a few more!!!

 

[Emma's Dad]

kids???? look, when you get old, there just gonna take your money and dump you in the nursing home anyway. you should consider your fellow dis dads!!! i only have 400 pts per year, i could use a few more!!!

Only 400! Sheesh.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

No matter how you purchase, whether directly from Disney or via resale, you are purchasing an interest in that particular resort through xx date. (Each resort has a different lifespan. Ex: BWV, VWL, BCV, Vero Beach and Hilton Head all run through Jan 2042. SSR runs through Jan 2054. AKV runs through Jan 2057. OKW was originally running through 2042 but there are contracts that were extended through 2057. BLT and VGC both run through Jan 2060 and the new resort Aulani being built on Oahu in Hawaii will probably run through Jan 2061 based on a 2011 opening). So far none of the other 2042 resorts have been extended, and there's no guarantee that they will be in the future. If they aren't, then the ownership at the end of the contract reverts back to Disney. That's the primary difference between DVC and many other timeshares. The expiring contract aspect. Many other timeshares are true ownership where once you buy you own indefinitely, like your home, until you are able to sell (if you are able to sell - as my FIL is NOT. The value simply isn't there. He tried to give a couple away recently, and nobody took him up on it). So even though things can change in the future, I'm happy that after 18 years in the timeshare industry, DVC's value continues to hold, and contracts remain in demand.

All DVC contracts are able to be left to your heirs if the contract outlasts you. The real question however, is will they want them or not. Sure our kids enjoy going to Disney destinations now... but will they when they are adults with families of their own? Hopefully, but you just never know. In regards to kids wanting their parent's timeshares, the interest in them can and does shift quickly like sands on the seashore. I can say that that my FIL's non-Disney timeshares are also transferrable upon death...but none of his 4 kids want them (he planned to leave 2 to each child). We've all enjoyed being treated to vacations, but honestly none of his "home resorts" are in desireable locations, and the maintenance on each of them is higher than DVC.

Thanks Christopher, She's going to be a hard sell. She also likes POP and says why buy into DVC when we can stay at POP cheaper.

 

[stopher1]

Thanks Christopher, She's going to be a hard sell. She also likes POP and says why buy into DVC when we can stay at POP cheaper.

Hey there's nothing wrong with POP...I don't mind staying there - they just have rooms large enough for my family anymore. By myself? Sure. But DVC isn't for everyone. I just personally love the size of the rooms and the amenities of those resorts. Having multiple bathrooms, tv's and the full kitchen. We love to eat in-room, and to be able spread out in the king sized bed in the 1 & 2 br units, while kids have their own space in the living room, or in the 2nd bedroom. And we are becoming one of those families who'll enjoy being there without necessarily hitting the theme parks, so it really is more of a destinaton resort for us than just a place to sleep & shower. To each his own thoug, and that really is part of the beauty of WDW - options!

 

[tutter99]

Every morning when you park, take a picture of the car, the row number, any nearby landmarks (trees, poles, etc). That way, when you get back to the parking lot, just flip through the pictures on your camera (or cell phone) to find where you parked.
Fed had a good idea with the GPS, and if you have a smartphone, there should be free GPS software for it that you can set a waypoint with.
Or, if you just wait until everyone else leaves, your car will the only one in the parking lot!

We tried to do the whole take a picture thing but we still couldn't find the car. In the picture it was parked someplace sunny.

Thanks Christopher, She's going to be a hard sell. She also likes POP and says why buy into DVC when we can stay at POP cheaper.

We bought DVC after our third trip to a value resort, we loved the theming and the room size wasn't an issue but the attitude of other guests started to get to me. I don't know if it was a timing thing or just the area we got put in but kids were running wild everywhere and the parents could have cared less what was going on.

There isn't a good way to say it without sounding snobish but it was 180 degrees different at SSR and AKV. I think it is the difference between owning and committing to something, and being there because your kids "forced" you to go to WDW and you booked the cheapest place you could find on site. It just seems to be a different vibe at the DVC resorts.

 

[oXar]

figured I should pop my head in here and say 'hi'. I've been avoiding these boards like a plague since I lost my job back in June. Too depressing to think of all the Disney fun we won't be having for a while. Still haven't found a new job and decided to start my own firm, so far I have two clients but neither are providing any actual work yet. Anyhow, thanks to our HGVC membership that we coincidentally paid off a few months before getting laid off, we're heading to Orlando tomorrow for 5 days of not going to Disney. Actually, when we where up there in May, we bought a fun card at SeaWorld (allowing us admission until the end of the year), thinking we might go around the holidays or something, that card will get a lot of mileage now. Mostly our plan is simple this time out, a couple visits to SeaWorld, some DTD (a meal at T-Rex has become a tradition), hopefully get to check out the Boardwalk, a visit to Old Town (which will probably be a total let down), and some quality 5 star resort pampering. Trying to do this on the cheap but still hoping to squeeze in some magic for the kids.

Hopefully this trip will take care of that dark cloud hovering overhead and figured that this was the best place to start.

 

[trennr]

Far to many post to sift through...but did anyone see where WDW has open ended and extention for the Main Street Electrical Parade????

 

[chillcoupons]

figured I should pop my head in here and say 'hi'. I've been avoiding these boards like a plague since I lost my job back in June. Too depressing to think of all the Disney fun we won't be having for a while. Still haven't found a new job and decided to start my own firm, so far I have two clients but neither are providing any actual work yet. Anyhow, thanks to our HGVC membership that we coincidentally paid off a few months before getting laid off, we're heading to Orlando tomorrow for 5 days of not going to Disney. Actually, when we where up there in May, we bought a fun card at SeaWorld (allowing us admission until the end of the year), thinking we might go around the holidays or something, that card will get a lot of mileage now. Mostly our plan is simple this time out, a couple visits to SeaWorld, some DTD (a meal at T-Rex has become a tradition), hopefully get to check out the Boardwalk, a visit to Old Town (which will probably be a total let down), and some quality 5 star resort pampering. Trying to do this on the cheap but still hoping to squeeze in some magic for the kids.



Hopefully this trip will take care of that dark cloud hovering overhead and figured that this was the best place to start.

Sorry to hear about the job but glad to hear you started your own firm. There are a lot of things to do in the Orlando area that are not Disney. It sounds like you may have a car so a trip over to Cocoa Beach is always fun.
Don't be afraid to stop by more often we are always here to give you a hard time.

 

[AirGoofy]

All DVC contracts are able to be left to your heirs if the contract outlasts you. The real question however, is will they want them or not.

You've earned all the referral gifts with these explanations. Love SSR, but we just bought another contract through Disney at BLT because I really wanted to be at the MK resorts. What I think is great about the future, even if my children did not want to go to WDW, they could still use points to stay at Hawaii, Vero Beach, and Hilton Head. Of course, I'll be in my 80s before the contract runs out.

figured I should pop my head in here and say 'hi'. I've been avoiding these boards like a plague since I lost my job back in June.

Hopefully this trip will take care of that dark cloud hovering overhead and figured that this was the best place to start.

Sorry to hear it and wish you luck. Have a great trip!

 

[stopher1]

figured I should pop my head in here and say 'hi'. I've been avoiding these boards like a plague since I lost my job back in June. Too depressing to think of all the Disney fun we won't be having for a while. Still haven't found a new job and decided to start my own firm, so far I have two clients but neither are providing any actual work yet. Anyhow, thanks to our HGVC membership that we coincidentally paid off a few months before getting laid off, we're heading to Orlando tomorrow for 5 days of not going to Disney. Actually, when we where up there in May, we bought a fun card at SeaWorld (allowing us admission until the end of the year), thinking we might go around the holidays or something, that card will get a lot of mileage now. Mostly our plan is simple this time out, a couple visits to SeaWorld, some DTD (a meal at T-Rex has become a tradition), hopefully get to check out the Boardwalk, a visit to Old Town (which will probably be a total let down), and some quality 5 star resort pampering. Trying to do this on the cheap but still hoping to squeeze in some magic for the kids.

Hopefully this trip will take care of that dark cloud hovering overhead and figured that this was the best place to start.

So sorry to hear about your job loss. I pray your new business will start producing what you need. Hang in there, and yeah, don't hesitate to come back by - even if just to say hey!

Far to many post to sift through...but did anyone see where WDW has open ended and extention for the Main Street Electrical Parade????

Yes, I did. (Now there's a big surprise, I'm sure!) It's an open-ended run now. Originally it was supposed to be shipped back to DCA at the DLR for the Christmas season, only to be re-shipped back to FL for next Spring and Summer... to ultimately go permanently back to DCA or DL for Summertime 2012... but DCA isn't ready for it back yet so the suits have all decided to just keep it in FL indefinitely. Rumors are that DCA won't even need it back since the new World of Color has been such a huge draw for nighttime entertainment since it opened in June. I'm hoping it does go back to DL where it belongs and once again head up and down Main Street - but at the same time, it's very possible that it will be shipped off to Shanghai for that new park's opening (scheduled for 2012). But for now it remains in the Magic Kingdom.

You've earned all the referral gifts with these explanations. Love SSR, but we just bought another contract through Disney at BLT because I really wanted to be at the MK resorts. What I think is great about the future, even if my children did not want to go to WDW, they could still use points to stay at Hawaii, Vero Beach, and Hilton Head. Of course, I'll be in my 80s before the contract runs out.

If I live that long, so will I. But we didn't join DVC for our kids' sake - but rather for ours. We've certainly enjoyed going to Disney destinations for years now, and definitely foresee the same thing happening for many, many years to come. We put off joining for years because we just didn't have the cash to spend. (I first started looking at DVC back in 1991). We looked at it on our honeymoon in 1994. but weren't able to actually join until 2007. We certainly enjoyed being there at all levels of resorts in the meantime too. WDW and DL both hold special places in my heart - and each and every trip has been special for one reason or another - and every single resort - both on and off-site has something special about it to me. Just call me a sentimentalist, I guess.

I sure wish we had joined sooner, but that's okay. We go regularly, and anticipate continuing to do so - so it made sense for us. It's not quite the same story for everyone, and that's okay too. I get that. And ultimately, if our kids when they're grown want to continue going with us from time to time - that's great - but in the long run, what they do for their vacations is ultimately up to them. If they want to lead their own lives and do their own thing for vacation, I'll be cool with that. If they want however, we'll certainly share - can't wait to be one of those grandparents to treat the kids and grandkids...but when push comes to shove, if they're left with a contract or two that they don't ultimately want... I'll be dead - that'll be their business to figure out what to do with it. Until then, I'm going to enjoy it as much as we can.

 

[dvczerfs]

Hey there's nothing wrong with POP...I don't mind staying there - they just have rooms large enough for my family anymore. By myself? Sure. But DVC isn't for everyone. I just personally love the size of the rooms and the amenities of those resorts. Having multiple bathrooms, tv's and the full kitchen. We love to eat in-room, and to be able spread out in the king sized bed in the 1 & 2 br units, while kids have their own space in the living room, or in the 2nd bedroom. And we are becoming one of those families who'll enjoy being there without necessarily hitting the theme parks, so it really is more of a destinaton resort for us than just a place to sleep & shower. To each his own thoug, and that really is part of the beauty of WDW - options!

stopher, i should copy your post about dvc, you do a great job at explaining it!!

 

[dvczerfs]

Only 400! Sheesh.

got to remember, we joined 11 years ago, it was $58.00 per point than. theres no way i could buy 400 points now at todays prices. i feel i doubled my money. i get the same quanity and quality as i did in 1999 as i do today for the same points. i wish i was as good in the stock market!