Thoughts on military and DVC

[CajunMomof3]

As we plan for our 5th trip, DH and I have been tossing around DVC. Since, DH is active duty, we cannot really plan vacations out 6 or 7 months in advance. Any thoughts from DVCers on how DVC would be for a military family who is probably a Moderate-type family. (I say probably because we have been happy at the moderates but are staying at BWV this time so that may change- LOL!)

Just a little background: We go to Disney once or twice a year as DH's schedule allows. We have 2 DS's (8 & 9) who love Disney. We don't do it all on the cheap when we go- we do DxDP and have moved up to the moderates, but we do try to be budget-conscious.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

BTW, Happy Monday!!

 

[robinb]

As we plan for our 5th trip, DH and I have been tossing around DVC. Since, DH is active duty, we cannot really plan vacations out 6 or 7 months in advance. Any thoughts from DVCers on how DVC would be for a military family who is probably a Moderate-type family. (I say probably because we have been happy at the moderates but are staying at BWV this time so that may change- LOL!)

Just a little background: We go to Disney once or twice a year as DH's schedule allows. We have 2 DS's (8 & 9) who love Disney. We don't do it all on the cheap when we go- we do DxDP and have moved up to the moderates, but we do try to be budget-conscious.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

BTW, Happy Monday!!

In general, I think that someone who goes once or twice a year is a good candidate for DVC. However, I think there are a lot of unknowns in military life. Right now it appears that you can make it to WDW from where your DH is stationed. What would happen if you are moved across the country? Or overseas? The other thing that is worrisome with DVC is the amount of time you have to plan your vacations.

The other thing that you will need to know is that with a 6-7 month lead time you are VERY unlikely to get any of the "hard to get" reservations: MK View at BLT, Standard View at BWV or Concierge at AKV. You may not even get the resort you really want. If you're OK staying at OKW or SSR (the places that have the most availability) then that's OK. If you have your heart set on staying at one of the other DVC resorts, depending on the time of year, 6 months may not be enough time. As your kids get older you will be more restricted in when you can take your vacation because of school. You will be stuck with Spring Break, Summer Break and Christmas Break, all times that fill up. For instance, I know that DVC studios are booked solid for 12/17 - 12/21 (even OKW and SSR!) because I called last week to change a reservation and there was nothing.

 

[Dizny Dad]

Thanks to you all for your service to our country!

Thanks to your DH who has put his life and family at the edge of uncertainty;

Thanks to your children for their role in missing Dad and telling his story;

And thanks to you for keeping it all going, and giving DH a wonderful reason to come home safely.

We all appreciate you making it such that we can enjoy the Disney Magic without the fears the world can bring.

Good luck in your DVC decision!

 

[5forDiz]

Agree with what Robinb stated, reservations made at less than 7 months could prove difficult & also what she mentioned about where you may be located, etc. but if you decide purchasing DVC is what you really want to do, I'd buy in with a small resale & get an idea how, in reality it actually works or doesn't for your family's situation. You can always add on additional points in couple of years if you find it is a good fit. I wouldn't want to be holding a contract with lots of points that I'm too often finding difficult to use.

And I second what Dizny Dad has posted

May your DH always be safe & many blessings to all of you

 

[Corwin]

As a former Army brat and active-duty service member myself (USN), I don't think that I would do it. I think that DVC requires you to plan too far in advance for a military family, and that their cancellation policies are too onerous. While DVC might make an exception for a military family (with respect to cancellation), I wouldn't count on it.

When I was in the service, I didn't always know where I was going to be stationed 11 months out, much less if I could get leave or not. Now that I'm out, I've got vacations scheduled out for the next three years!

 

[eeyoresbestfriend]

My husband is in the military, and we own DVC. About a year after we purchased, my husband received orders to Germany so we moved there. We were not able to get back during that first year, so we banked points and had a big vacation the following year. We were in Germany for 3 years and did not have a problem. While I try to plan as far ahead as possible, there are times when I have to plan last minute and so far it hasn't been a problem for us. I have gotten BCV in August at the 4 month mark, and for a last minute trip in November. We just moved to Georgia in August, and I called a few weeks ago and was able to get my first choice of AKV Kidani village for this coming weekend!

Of course, I am always willing to take what is available, and try to plan as far ahead as possible, we own at SSR and we love it there so are always happy to stay there as well! There have been times when plans have changed, but I have had no issues, we are extremely happy DVC members. My husband is scheduled to deploy soon, and we are planning a big trip with extended family before he goes, and DVC is great for that! Good luck on your decision!

 

[CajunMomof3]

Thank you all for your input and support! I will read this thread to DH next time he calls. The ins and outs of making it work were still a little hazy, so I really appreciate your responses.

 

[CajunMomof3]

robinb- Thanks for the specifics!

dizney dad- Thank you for recognizing the sacrifice that military kids make- that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle...

5fordis- Good idea about a smaller plan.

Corwin- Thanks for your service and have LOTS of fun on those vacations!

Eeyoresbestfriend- Glad to hear that it all worked out for you. We loved being stationed in Germany (Hanua)... Wish we could go back... Best wishes for a safe deployment for your DH.

 

[rparmfamily]

We are a Navy family stationed in Hawaii. We purchased while we were stationed in FL. When we were in FL, we had no problems using it because we could head down for 3 day weekends,etc. Now that we are here (been here nearly 4 yrs) we've only used our points twice...once for 10 days at SSR over Christmas one year, and this year at the Grand Wailea on Maui (to kill points, but it was a fab trip!!!) We have also sold points as well.

We don't regret buying, but we love Disney longterm LOL, longer than DH's military commitment LOL. (he retires soon-ish)

 

[Dizny Dad]

We are a Navy family stationed in Hawaii. . . . . . . . . . .

Aulani is on the way just for YOU!

 

[Robin"D"]

1st off, thank your family for their service, even though your Husband in active, your family is as well…I am a retired after 25 yrs of Service, and we bought into DVC with no regrets….remember, if you are stationed overseas, you can still exchange for a great trip where ever you are stationed, or even Adventures By Disney, heck, the most expensive part will be taken care of, the air fare…
Will not regret your decision; And have life long memories …try looking to buy points to try DVC out to get a feel of it…
Hope this helps…
Robin & Angel

 

[Deesknee]

Thanks to you all for your service to our country!

Thanks to your DH who has put his life and family at the edge of uncertainty;

Thanks to your children for their role in missing Dad and telling his story;

And thanks to you for keeping it all going, and giving DH a wonderful reason to come home safely.

We all appreciate you making it such that we can enjoy the Disney Magic without the fears the world can bring.

Good luck in your DVC decision!

Well said. Ditto.

BTW, I my family loves OKW & SSR. And, yes, I think staying BWV will ruin moderates for you. But, in a good way.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We are an active duty Army family and have been members for 8 years.

Yes, we have to be flexible at times with regard to changing dates or taking what resort is available. But military families are used to being flexible.

We have had to postpone planned trips, and have rented out points because of this. I am thankful DVC allows us to rent out those points and hope that doesn't change.

DVC has been good for us. DH is a workaholic and for years we didn't take vacations, just the occasional weekend camping trip. You know how it goes, leave keeps building up until you have a slate of use or lose days.
DVC has "forced" DH to take some time and enjoy vacations. Though he does bring the laptop and cell phone to stay connected to his Brigade.

One of the reasons we initially bought was so we could use DVC as a kind of family reunion destination. We bought enough points so we can host family, and have taken up to eight on various trips. It has been nice, since we are often stationed far, far away from family.

We won't always have to work with the military way of life, but we will get to enjoy DVC for many years to come.

I think 5fordiz had a nice suggestion, to start with a smaller amount of points. With banking and borrowing, you could still have a nice dvc stay with a 50 point contract every three years.

 

[CajunMomof3]

We don't regret buying, but we love Disney longterm LOL, longer than DH's military commitment LOL. (he retires soon-ish)

I love the way you think! We are about 6 years from retirement, but I see us going to Disney longer than that!

BTW, I am sooo jealous that you are posted in Hawaii!

 

[CajunMomof3]

1st off, thank your family for their service, even though your Husband in active, your family is as well…I am a retired after 25 yrs of Service, and we bought into DVC with no regrets….remember, if you are stationed overseas, you can still exchange for a great trip where ever you are stationed, or even Adventures By Disney, heck, the most expensive part will be taken care of, the air fare…
Will not regret your decision; And have life long memories …try looking to buy points to try DVC out to get a feel of it…
Hope this helps…
Robin & Angel

I have always been nervous abput renting points, but that may be just the way to ease into it...

 

[CajunMomof3]

Well said. Ditto.

BTW, I my family loves OKW & SSR. And, yes, I think staying BWV will ruin moderates for you. But, in a good way.

I am afraid of that - or should I say the budget-side of my brain is!

 

[CajunMomof3]

We are an active duty Army family and have been members for 8 years.

But military families are used to being flexible.

I am thankful DVC allows us to rent out those points and hope that doesn't change.

DVC has been good for us. DH is a workaholic and for years we didn't take vacations, just the occasional weekend camping trip.


We won't always have to work with the military way of life, but we will get to enjoy DVC for many years to come.

I think 5fordiz had a nice suggestion, to start with a smaller amount of points. With banking and borrowing, you could still have a nice dvc stay with a 50 point contract every three years.

Thanks for your post! I laughed when I read it b/c DH's Blackberry was such a pain on our last trip!

I don't know about the family thing, though... We are back at Campbell and 2 hours away from the whole family, and want to get away on vacation- LOL!!

Is there a site for military DVCer's where we could look at renting points?

 

[robinb]

Is there a site for military DVCer's where we could look at renting points?

You can look right here on the DIS: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29 It's not for military people specifically but I don't see where that matters.

 

[carolinagirl121]

We are a dual military family (both the hubs and I are active duty USN LTs) that owns DVC. We can never plan 7 months out. Just doesn't happen with our schedules. With that said, we haven't had any issues scheduling last minute trips to WDW. Member services has been more than flexible with us. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago (about 2 weeks before the actual trip), we had to change our 5 day trip around because the hubs deployed early and my son and I ended up leaving after he left. We moved from a BWV studio to an AKL safari studio.

If you are set on a location everytime, DVC may not be for you. If you don't really mind where you stay (we don't), then it's a really great option. With the deals that are sometimes offered on military tickets, DVC can help you save a bundle. I don't think you should be shied away from purchasing just because your schedule is a little less firm.

 

[CajunMomof3]

You can look right here on the DIS: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29 It's not for military people specifically but I don't see where that matters.

Thanks! It doesn't matter at all!