the vacation club

[badger1518]

Hi all

This is new to me and myself and my wife are currently thinking about joining the vacation club in the 2004 season. Is there any advice (good or bad) that you can offer

Thanks steve gale

p.s either here or email at stevegale@blueyonder.co.uk

 

[Chuck S]

A good place to start is the DVC FAQ link
DVC FAQ

 

[badger1518]

Hi

Thanks for replying

I have read the FAQ and we recently visited the welcome meeting at the Boardwalk while we were in Orlando. I was kinda looking for personal experiances.

Thanks Steve Gale

 

[jaysue]

My first off would be - welcome to the DIS!

Now, DVC is a relatively expensive timeshare so you have to love Disney and be planning to come to Disneyworld at least once every 2 years for it to make financial sense

If you get past that hurdle then in my mind after am I able to afford the capital outlay and mtce fees is:

1) Which resort do I prefer the best since you should try and buy where you want to stay

2) How many nights would I be staying at WDW/DVC and in which seasons - this will allow you to estimate needed points and hence costs involved

3) What type of accomodations do I need - for example a Studio or 1BR is for up to 4 and a 2BR for up to 8 and a Grand Villa for up to 12 people

After that come use year questions, points, resale, end date of 2042 or 2054 preferred etc.

We love our vacation experiences at WDW/DVC and I suspect almost all on this board will agree with that point

thanks
jaysue

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

If you plan at staying at a WDW resort at least every other year than maybe DVC would be a wise choice for you. We have been members for 5 years and enjoy DVC very much.

If you can only go during peak times(x-mas,Easter,etc) than make sure you puchase enough pts because those are "Peak" times for DVC and require the most pts.

 

[badger1518]

Thanks for the info

We love disney and would go every year if poss but realistic it will be every 2 years. We were told the current resort to buy in was the new Sarrotenna? springs resort at Downtown Disney. We would be able to come out of season which helps as we would we be coming from the UK

 

[jaysue]

Saratoga Springs is the current DVC property being marketed - there are 4 others at Disneyworld - Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West, Wilderness Lodge

SS contract end date is 2054 (12 yrs more than other properties)

Current price is US$89 per point less $5 if you buy 100 points or more - as a first time buyer, you would need to commit to minimum 150 points unless you buy through resale

Mtce fees are about $4-4.25 per point but varies from resort to resort

The key to costs as noted above is type of accomodations you need - i.e. Studio, 1BR, 2BR, Grand Villa....

Points for Fri/Sat much higher than Sun-Thur nights

thanks
jaysue

 

[Disney Doll]

Welcome, future DVCer!!!!!

Some pointers:
1. Buy where you want to stay. Take a look at all the resorts, or at least read up on them, and decide which one appeals the most to what you like in a vacation location

2. DVC makes sense if you are going to be going to WDW at least every other year.

3. The new one they are currently selling is Saratoga Springs resort. It's located near Downtown Disney.

4. If you prefer another resort, you would probably have to buy resale. The Timeshare Store, which sponsors this board, is a good place to start. We bought our 2nd contract at OKW from Pat Spell at The Timeshare Store, and it was very effortless.

 

[tjkraz]

badger1518:

Look for a link below in my signature for a FAQ I compiled regarding Saratoga Springs.

 

[ceejay13]

We had debated this purchase for several years and I had several reservations at first. This board and it's members were absolutely invaluable in making our decision to buy back in early 2000. We have now added on 3 more times. Our only regret - we didn't do it sooner. It has brought us more joy and relaxing vacations that we could have even imagined. Yes, relaxing at WDW. Before we purchased we would save up and visit every other year, and stay in the moderates. Now we visit twice a year and stay in rooms better than the GF. It is truly like having a home away from home.

 

[jimmytammy]

DVC accomodations are awesome. We just got back from a 1 week stay at WLV in a 2 bed. WONDERFUL!!

Youve been give some great advice above, so my advice is this. Once you decide DVC is right for you and if you decide to purchase direct from DVC dont hesitate and say we'll do it later. The price typically rises around $3 a pt on a regular basis, probably in the spring. Our hesitation costs us $4 a pt.

Good luck in your decision!!

 

[mtdewhead]

We too watched the video, took the tour and pondered until we couldn't see straight on whether to buy or not. We were so glad we found this site! If I were to narrow it down to one word of advice, buy resale. We were able to save alot of money. You won't be able to get SS yet, but there are lots of resales listed with The Timeshare Store. We had a completely painless experience with them. I called them, let them know about how many points I wanted, where, and that we wanted something with some saved points. He was able to call me back the same day with a great package and we've been able to take the six of us to DVC twice a year since! Good Luck, you wont be sorry!