Thoughts about DVC from members....

[debbiebones]

Well, we just returned from the Disney Magic 7-day Eastern cruise and we talked extensively with a rep about the Disney Vacation Club. We have a 3 and 4 year old and we're weighing everything in regards to joining. I'm sure in the coming years, we'll be going on a good deal of Disney vacations.

Can anyone offer any advice, tips, pros and cons for us? We're certainly looking at getting a great deal for our money and we're wondering if this investment is really worth it or is it better to look for a rental through someone who might already be a member.

Any help from members would be greatly appreciated!

Deb

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Maybe a rental for your first trip to the resort where you are considering purchasing to see if it is what you might want to do. The most often-made comment on this board is "we sure wish we had bought when we first started thinking about it".

You will find mostly positive responses on this board, as most here are members and are very pleased with their purchase. You are the only one that can determine if it is right for you or not.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Pa@okw95]

The first thing I would consider is WDW really the place you want to go to on your vacations every year? WDW is changing many of the attractions have changed, take a look at EPCOT. Let me say this , the reason I am still happy about my purchase is not WDW but the weather, getting out of the cold in the winter is just great, plus the accomodations are wonderful. We have reached a point where WDW is not the reason for going to DVC anymore. The second thing is this savings idea! It is the kind of savings that my wife says she made when she just purchased an outfit that once costs $350 but she bought for $225. She would say she saved $125, I would say she could have saved $225 if she did not buy anything. It still costs a lot of money to go to WDW even with the DVC purchase. DVC forces you to go to WDW where you may not, sort of like forcing my wife to buy that outfit. Think about it. You will get a lot of people telling you how wonderful it is to buy DVC, just think, you are not buying anything just leasing points per year, at the end of the lease you have nothing, for me that is ok, but for you it may not be.

 

[sparkspeak]

I agree with RweTHEREyet that you're not going to get an objective view from this Board, but you'll see few regrets. Suggest you start with minimum contract while kids are small. If the thrill of the "World" wears off, they are still great resorts and very flexible for trading.

 

[anniet]

I have one regret....that I didn't buy sooner! It is perfect for us, but I will agree it is NOT perfect for everyone. If you are planning on using the Disney Cruise Line often, you should know that the cruises are not the best ways to spend points.

We have a relative who likes to make plans at the last minute, yet still travel during peak season, so consequently he gets shut out of most resorts except OKW. He doesn't plan his banking very well either and has consequently lost points. Also, he's 80 years old and complains that DVC was NOT a good investment and for HIM I agree.

You really should have an idea of what you would like your vacation plans to be approximately a year in advance, and be able to have an alternate plan if what you want is not available, but these boards are GREAT for helping you to figure things out.

Take the tour and talk to the guide. Then come home and crunch numbers and see if it's right for you.

Also, after I signed on the dotted line, Disney gave us 2 weeks to back out of the deal. I took the paperwork home to my financially savvy Brother in law and knowing how I vacation he gave it the thumbs up and said it would be worth it for me. He and my sister go to Disney every three to five years, but he is reluctant to purchase for himself and his family.

Keep in mind that the bottom line with DVC is that you will most likely be upgrading your accomodations in an economical way (assuming you would otherwise stay at a moderate resort). There are a lot of other ways to do Disney cheaper, but you'll get what you pay for.

Good luck!

 

[Cruelladeville]

I agree that you need to take the tour in order to make the decision that is right for you. Personally, joining has been the best decision for our family. We have been going to Florida since 1976, so we put a lot of money into accommodations before joining DVC. We joined for that reason, but have found it to be a great investment--DO NOT join for that reason, though, since things may change. We joined at $54, and if we sold tomorrow we could get $72 per point, so for now my vacations are just the maintenance fees I pay. I love the fact that DVC gives me three vacations per year in luxury rooms, in luxurious surroundings, for an economical rate. Now that my kids are grown we don't do the parks much, but we golf, go to the clubs, etc.--all the stuff that we never did before

 

[crisi]

Our kids are about the same age.

Something to keep in mind is that if you aren't done with your family yet, five people require a two bedroom (at least officially).

We have a minimum contract - enough points to go every other year. We figure with that, we will be able to enjoy Disney with our kids at each age. Eventually, it will turn into Mom and Dads fall golf vacation, and I doubt we'll set foot in the parks. Should the kids get tired of Disney, we will give our points away to friends and relatives (who, the moment they discovered, we had to start a list of "if you ever don't use your points...").

Don't do it for the discounts - they may not be there in the future (and they aren't great, anyway). Don't do it if it means putting yourself in a precarious financial position. Don't do it to trade out or cruise or stay at the Poly. Don't do it if you are just as happy at the Value resorts. But if you are planning on going every 2 or 3 years until your kids are in college, you'll have saved yourself some cash.

 

[natt]

We have not yet made our first "official" trip home yet, so I may not have the best in-sight. I DO know that we regret all those years we walked by the DVC desks and thought "why would you only want to go to Disney on vacation" To us the selling point was the flexibility to go when and as long as it suits you and to have the option to trade for other places. I have been discouraged by some comments to NEVER use points for a cruise, etc., but have taken heart in others that say "use them for what works for YOU"!

I think we have many years to enjoy WDW with our DD's and are looking forward to seeing parts of the"world" that we couldn't even consider "getting to" on previous vacations!

Best wishes on your final decision!

 

[Verandah Man]

My family has been going to WDW and one trip to Dland since 1983. Many times we too would walk past the DVC booths thinking it was not for us, that we could do better planning for our trips on our own.

This past March, we arrived in Florida two days earlier than we had first planned. We called WDW to see if we could get in sooner than our ressie's called for. This was the week leading up to Easter, and luckily for us, there was one room available. My DW and DD 11(at the time) were both feeling a bit under the weather, so on the first day, instead of hitting the parks, we took a tour of the DVC. Our DVC guide(Glen Wilson), was so kind and pleasant. He showed us all around, showed us the sales presenation, then left the room, so my DW and I could discuss what we would like to do. The rest, as they say, is Disney history. We joined that morning with 170 pts., within six months, we added on another 50pts.

This past November, we were able to take my Dmom, Dsis, and Dneice, along with us for 5 nights at VB, and 1 night at OKW. We had very nice 2 BR villas at both resorts. This coming August we are taking my Dmom with us on the 7 day Eastern cruise. Without our DVC points we would not have been able to do this with my family members, and they truly enjoyed themselves. We didn't eat out much at all during this trip. After arriving in VB, we went to Publix(about 5-10 min drive), and got our groceries for the week. We slpit the cost and it came to about $30.00 per person, a great deal cheaper than eating out all week. Besides my Dmom loves to cook, and I love to eat, what she cooks. If you look at the pictures that I have posted on my webpage(address below), you will see the photos don't lie, LOL!

It is so much easier paying out monthly for the points, then trying to come up with the monies needed for a nice vacation all at once. Without the DVC points, we couldn't be taking this cruise, and this is something my DW and I have wanted to do for a very long time.

Of course, you have to weigh everything out for yourself, but for us, this was the best decision we could have made.