Thought really hard about DVC until......

[Jackatkc]

This might be a enlighted thread for people that are thinking about DVC.

We came to WDW last year for the first time and LOVED it. We stayed at the AKL. The only downside for us was transportation. I don't know if they have less busses in certain times of the year (Oct last year also) but sometimes it took us almost an hour to get the parks.

We are here right now, and are staying at Windsor Hills and rented a car. So far, travelling has been a snap. We made it to MGM this morning in less than 30 minutes. We left home at 8:20 and were at the gates going in at 8:45 when they opened the doors.

My reason for staying offsite was to see where we liked it better. If we liked staying onsite, than I would be getting very close to buying DVC. I was planning on going to SS while I was down here.

With that said, we rented a home with a pool. Man, my kids are having a blast. I thought the pool thing would be a cool extra thing, but it's by far the best thing we could have done. It's so nice to be outside on this covered patio being able to type this and watch my kids in the pool, not worrying about if they are being friendly with other kids...

We are still going to check out SS, but unless I see something I don't expect, it's going to be hard to beat what we have going on here.

 

[Chuck S]

Most people that purchase DVC enjoy and look forward to the onsite experience, package delivery, onsite charging, the whole works. If you are comfortable staying offsite, go for it. DVC isn't for everybody, just as staying offsite isn't for everybody. Personally I like being immersed in the entire Disney experience.

 

[Slakk]

Sounds like you are making a good choice for YOU. DVC is not for everyone and renting a house is cheaper than staying onsite. Congrats on making the choice that fits your family best!

 

[Sammie]

They definitely adjust buses to certain times of the year the longest wait we have ever had though was 30 minutes.

Timing is also essential with Disney transportation. If you get to the bus stop just as the bus leaves, you have about a 15 minute wait for the next one.

However to many of us that is ok, as we are not driving. As to the commute time, Oct is not a busy month for off site travelers, if you need to come during the summer months or holidays when every road leading into and out of WDW is bumper to bumper your commute will be longer than an hour.

There are definitely some great off site resorts, but I would never want to give up Extra Magic Hours and the Disney Dining Plan.

 

[LisaS]

DH and I prefer to be inside the Disney cocoon the entire time. We don't mind the Disney transportation at all. It's relaxing for DH not to have to drive and for me not to have to navigate! We can both have a glass of wine with our dinner knowing that neither of us is getting behind the wheel after dinner. And we love to walk so staying at BWV and walking to and from Epcot and MGM is such a treat! It comes at a price, of course, but for us, it's part of the whole Disney vacation experience.

 

[skibum]

We usually rent a car while we are there, so we do not use the buses very much. As owners, we get free parking at the various resorts, which adds up to a lot of money over the course of a week.
We also prefer the on-site experience and benefits, which is why we bought in.

 

[rigsby25]

Last week it took us an hour and a half to get from Wilderness Lodge to Animal Kingdom. Partly because we had to wait so long for a bus, and partly because the bus also stops at Blizzard Beach and Grand Floridian.

 

[browniemtb]

As others have said DVC is not for everyone. Sounds like your family is having a great time....
We, as other, enjoy being in Disney for all 24 hours in a day. We also enjoy the family walks to Epcot and MGM. Buses don't bother us.....we never waited longer than 20 minutes during spring break. Its also nice not worrying about a rental car especially the return to the airport because we are always running behind schedule.
Brownie

 

[rie'smom]

We stayed offsite last year( Emerald Island) and it took very little time to get to the Parks because of shortcuts. It was an inexpensive trip. That trip led to us becoming DVC members. Somehow,the offsite trip just wasn't the same. It really became less about money and more about "the Disney experience".
I'm very happy that your family is enjoying the trip!

 

[tmt martins]

I still say thats the best thing about WDW you have so many choices.

As they change there is always something new for you to try and fit your family needs.

We have DVC and also pay cash for some short trips .We like POP and upgraded due to a good AP rate to POFQ.

I have stayed off-sight in everything from a nice timeshare to the small place behind the big orange on 192 to one of the dumps next to Old-Town.

 

[Didney Daddy]

As someone else has said, it is about the Disney experience and Magic. SOunds like you are having some that family magic on your own at this house and that is great. With DVC, we just know we are going to experience that same joy each and every time we go. Good luck in your decision,

 

[Boston5602]

DH and I prefer to be inside the Disney cocoon the entire time. We don't mind the Disney transportation at all. It's relaxing for DH not to have to drive and for me not to have to navigate! We can both have a glass of wine with our dinner knowing that neither of us is getting behind the wheel after dinner. And we love to walk so staying at BWV and walking to and from Epcot and MGM is such a treat! It comes at a price, of course, but for us, it's part of the whole Disney vacation experience.

I feel the exact same way.

I drive into/out of Boston every day for work sometimes its 40 minutes sometimes its 1 hour 45 minutes add rain and you can add more time and this is EACH WAY. When I'm on VACA at WDW I won't even rent a car , haven't since 1996 .

I'll sit and relax and converse with my family while we wait for the bus/boat or whatever. I never feel like the time we are waiting is wasted.

I also prefer to be wrapped in Disney for the entirety.

 

[Jackatkc]

After reading my original post, I think maybe is sounded like I was trying to say it's better to stay offsite. I did not mean for it to sound like that.

I actually agree with all of you. If it came down to it, I would join DVC and rent a car. That takes care of the transportation part. There really is a different feeling being offsite than on.

The pool thing is the big difference.

The only reason I started this post was just to give someone who is thinking about joining a different opinion. All the post on here have helped me a great deal, so I'm trying to do the same.

 

[DVCLiz]

After reading my original post, I think maybe is sounded like I was trying to say it's better to stay offsite. I did not mean for it to sound like that.

I actually agree with all of you. If it came down to it, I would join DVC and rent a car. That takes care of the transportation part. There really is a different feeling being offsite than on.

The pool thing is the big difference.

The only reason I started this post was just to give someone who is thinking about joining a different opinion. All the post on here have helped me a great deal, so I'm trying to do the same.

I think what you're trying to say is that, like many of us, you have found that your kids really like the pool part of a vacation the best!!!!!

I do know that if we stayed off-site in a pool home, my children would thoroughly enjoy the swimming part of the vacation, and would probably want to spend a lot of time at the villa swimming. For them, that would be a treat because we don't have a pool at home in our yard, and it's different than going to a swimming pool in the neighborhood.

I think for my family we would enjoy a pool villa vacation, but we probably wouldn't choose Orlando as the destination. We love Disney and would always want to stay onsite, so DVC works well for us. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind renting a house with a private pool at the beach, in the mountains, or at any other vacation destination, for that matter!

 

[Chuck S]

After reading my original post, I think maybe is sounded like I was trying to say it's better to stay offsite. I did not mean for it to sound like that.

I actually agree with all of you. If it came down to it, I would join DVC and rent a car. That takes care of the transportation part. There really is a different feeling being offsite than on.

The pool thing is the big difference.

The only reason I started this post was just to give someone who is thinking about joining a different opinion. All the post on here have helped me a great deal, so I'm trying to do the same.

I don't think you were particulary harsh. Everyone here acknowledges that for some people offsite really is better for them. DVC really is designed for folks, like myself, that truly enjoy the entire Disney treatment. I personally just wouldn't be as happy offsite...I think that is true of most people that purchase DVC. My former employer, however, was the type of person that was just as happy staying offsite, and got just as many "warm fuzzies" staying offsite...and he did stay both onsite and offsite on different trips. I would never recommend DVC to him, it simply isn't his style of vacation...and that is OK. Whatever works for you and your family.

 

[Granny]

I agree that the comments made by the OP were not harsh. Just an opinion, and not done in any way that "trashes" DVC or its owners.

I also agree that it appears that the OP has done some due diligence and has decided that staying on-site doesn't provide the best experience for his family.

I think the "defensiveness" you might see here is natural considering this is a board primarily made up of DVC owners. It would be like me posting on the WDW Theme Parks board and politely saying that Universal Studios is the better park choice for my family.

 

[mikesmom]

We never stayed onsite (not once!) until our first trip in a DVC 1 bedroom. We had some wonderful, magical vacations. We got hooked to onsite the very first time.

- we are very much NOT commando types. The ability to wander in and out of parks at will was so much better for us than going offsite.

- Sometimes the drive in from offsite was quick, sometimes it was a traffic filled nightmare. The routine of taking Disney transportation to the car, getting the car out of the lot, and then getting through the traffic back to "home" base took a lot longer than internal busses for us.

- because of the drill required to get in and out of the parks we rarely came back to the park if we left for a break - just too much hassle. Now we leave for a break, wander back in at will. DS (who was 16 when we bought in) can come and go easily, also

- unlike some others, we aren't needing to be "immersed" in the Mouse. It is for us (like you) about the whole vacation. We spend a lot of time at the resort, but it doesn't have to be a production to slip into a park for a meal.

- DS was already a teenager when we purchased. The vacation definitley gives us family time, BUT, for those times when a teen's sleeping patterns don't fit ours, or he wanted to keep going when we needed a break, having home base in the "World" made coordination much easier. He could have a little more freedom. When the kids are little that's not an issue as they don't go about by themselves, but when they are older it's a big plus.

As others have said, it's truly what makes a vacation magic for your family.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

OP, I appreciate your candor. I've been lurking on the DVC forum for a while, as we consider how best to spend our vacation time and $$. Buying DVC is definitely on the table, but right now we're leaning towards renting points on a vacation where we also stay off-site for a few days. Since we have 4 kids, a standard hotel room is no longer in the cards. So, we're thinkng of trying a couple things, see how easy it is to travel from off-site, how much we like the accomodations (kids are begging for the Nick hotel), versus the fun of being on-site. It's a tough decision. Frankly, the only conclusion I've reached so far is, it ain't cheap to have 4 kids!

Anyway, I'm glad you found something that works for your family. There sure are a lot of people who LOVE their DVC, though, and that has an impact on me as well. Enjoy your vacation (and stop hanging out here! Geez! Have some fun!)

 

[rinkwide]

...It's so nice to be outside on this covered patio being able to type this and watch my kids in the pool...

Ditto - but instead of a pool full of kids, right now I'm looking at this:

To see the full-size panorama taken 12 minutes ago click here: Boardwalk View

 

[Parkhopper13]

I, for one, am very glad to see dissenting opinions about DVC on this board. I am a DVC member and love it, but I think it is important for people deciding how best to spend their $13,000-$20,000 to have as much information as possible. We looked at staying offsite and I will say that financially it makes a lot of sense, but it is much more difficult on our family and we missed the Disney magic. Buying DVC helped swing the finances more in line with staying off site and gives us the best of both worlds. Although I love DVC and would recommend it to most WDW fans, I am glad your family found the right vacation "fit" for you.