Thinking of becoming a member

[Minnie Priest]

Hi DisBoard folks! I was thinking of becoming a member of the DVC and was wondering if there are any current members I might be able to e-mail or talk with to get some unbiased, unfiltered thoughts on joining.

Hope we can connect more soon!

 

[vicki_c]

You would do better just to let people answer here in the open forums if you have particular questions. You will get a set of more balanced opinions that way, positive and negative.

Have you already researched DVC - know what the program is, how it works, general costs, etc.? If not, you need to definitely start there. I usually recommend dvcnews.com - they have a DVC for Beginners article that is very good.

 

[mgroshans]

You would do better just to let people answer here in the open forums if you have particular questions. You will get a set of more balanced opinions that way, positive and negative.

Have you already researched DVC - know what the program is, how it works, general costs, etc.? If not, you need to definitely start there. I usually recommend dvcnews.com - they have a DVC for Beginners article that is very good.

Agree 100% with you.

 

[chalee94]

definitely ask any questions you like, but here is some research material to get you started if you are considering buying:

here is a link to a basic DVC FAQ.

here is the dvcnews FAQ

here are some general information you might find interesting:

is DVC for me?

here is a thread for more info about choosing a home resort.

here is a link to historical annual dues per point for the different DVC resorts.

and if you are ready for slightly more advanced information:

here is a thread for understanding use year.

for pricing/buying information:

here is a thread for understanding the general differences between buying resale and direct.

here is (usually accurate) current pricing for contracts purchased directly.

there is a link above for resale listings.

 

[Minnie Priest]

Okay--here are my questions:

1. Is it really as easy to get the dates you want as people say it is?

2. Is it hard to get dates at other locations that aren't at the Disney resorts?

3. Does anyone know if there is a plan for what happens when the timeshares expire?

4. Are you happy with the DVC? Why or why not?

5. Is there any reason not to get resale properties?

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[chalee94]

1. Is it really as easy to get the dates you want as people say it is?

if you book at 11 months out at your home resort it's really easy (barring extreme cases like new year's eve or concierge villas at AKV, as there are only a handful of those).

if you book at 7 months out, you can usually get what you want (again, there are a few cases where it's tougher - like BCV during food and wine at epcot - and you might have to ride the waitlist a few months to get what you want).

if you book 2-3 months out, DVC can still work out but i wouldn't recommend it personally. too likely that you'll run into headaches IMO. things have probably been a little easier the last couple of years due to the economy but i don't expect that to continue...JMO.

scan through some old threads - you'll find some where people are panicked that they can't find anything available at 5-6 months out...and others where people say they book 1-2 months out and rarely have trouble.

2. Is it hard to get dates at other locations that aren't at the Disney resorts?

do you mean disney resorts like the GF? i don't know that it's hard to do, but it is MUCH more expensive to use DVC pts for non-DVC options. trading out for other locations through RCI can require some advance planning (8 months to a year).

3. Does anyone know if there is a plan for what happens when the timeshares expire?

in 2042, i will no longer owe any maintenance fees for DVC. lots of timeshare owners would consider that a benefit.

but right now, there is no real plan for what happens when the contracts expire - in 2041, you own the last year of a prepaid timeshare contract and in 2042, you own nothing.

DVC offered OKW owners an extension till 2057 which was largely a disaster: too expensive for something we couldn't use for 35 more years and something of a legal mess as well. not well received and things get more complicated when you move from a resort like OKW - which is all DVC so DVC can choose for themselves what they want to do in the future - to a resort like BWI/BWV - which is half-DVC and half-hotel and limits what DVC can do to some degree.

4. Are you happy with the DVC? Why or why not?

yes. it's a good deal for staying onsite on a yearly or every-other-year basis. it works basically like i expected it to work when i signed up...some perks have changed - i didn't use valet parking anyway - and the point charts have been reallocated, but the value is still there for me (at resale prices anyway).

but i would encourage you not to think in terms of "membership" but in terms of "ownership." you are paying thousands of dollars for a long-term real estate transaction - and you are undertaking responsibility for annual dues going forward. take the time to do the research...look through old threads on the DIS to see if what bothers DVC owners would bother you and consider the fine-print of what can be taken away from you - and whether that might be a dealbreaker - rather than just assuming that mickey will always treat you right.

5. Is there any reason not to get resale properties?

not unless you want BLT, IMO.

it can be much harder to finance a resale, but IMO, financing a luxury like DVC is asking for trouble.

 

[JimMIA]

Okay--here are my questions:

1. Is it really as easy to get the dates you want as people say it is?

Typical MBA answer...it depends. There are some periods at some resorts where booking at 11 months is necessary. There are some accommodations or views where booking at 11 months is necessary. In particular, ANY WDW resort from Thanksgiving through New Years is going to be very difficult to get unless you call right at 11 months. Also, the two Epcot resorts are difficult to get during Food & Wine Festival.

On the other hand, our extended family has made 30 trips in the last 5 years (3 families sharing a DVC account in a family trust) and only one of those was booked during the 11 month window. That one was an early December trip, and you definitely have to call right at 11 months for those.

Most of my daughters' trips were booked 3-5 months out, some absolutely last minute -- but for last minute you have to be willing to be disappointed, and you have to be flexible about accommodations, resorts, dates, etc. We all live in Miami, so that's no problem for us. If you're flying your family in, that's a different situation.

2. Is it hard to get dates at other locations that aren't at the Disney resorts?

Depends on what you mean. If you are talking about RCI exchanges, yes, that's difficult and uncertain, but doable. Keep in mind that using DVC points outside of DVC is a) not usually a very cost/value-effective use and b) the ability to use points outside of DVC is not guaranteed and could go away with a stroke of the Mouse's pen.

For timeshare exchanges outside DVC, there are several other timeshare programs that offer the full spectrum of options, cost far less than DVC, and trade better than DVC. Some can literally be purchased on eBay for $1, sometimes with free closing.

3. Does anyone know if there is a plan for what happens when the timeshares expire?

There is no current plan that anyone knows about.

4. Are you happy with the DVC? Why or why not?

Like any timeshare system owned over time, there are going to be things you like and things you wish were different. We are very happy with our DVC ownership, despite occasional frustrations with DVC management on individual issues.

5. Is there any reason not to get resale properties?

Only three legitimate reasons that I can think of:

1. You absolutely NEED to finance your purchase and have no more attractive alternative than paying 10.75% or 14.25% interest to Disney.
2. You would feel deprived by missing the prestige of having paid 25-40% too much for your DVC.
3. You just absolutely, positively HAVE TO HAVE ownership at a DVC resort where there are currently no resales -- Aulani, for example. Personally, if I were in that boat, I'd use some other method of going to Hawaii and wait a year or so for a resale...but that's just me.

ETA: We've bought both ways. We bought our first contract resale and saved $4,000+. We bought our second contract direct on a great promotion for what was actually a little better price than we could get resale. (Those days are GONE.)