Trying to decide about DVC...my head is spinning with info...

[Blue Line]

I've been reading so much information about DVC and reading the posts. I have 3 kids, ages 1, 4 and 6. I've never been to Disney before. DVC sounds like a great idea. We would like to travel other places as well though. Live near Toronto.
Is there a way to sample DVC? It looks like you can 'rent' or 'borrow' a current members points. Is this risky or legitimate? Does Disney actually recognize that so that you could confirm you have the booking?
Would like to travel first week in May 2011. Probably leaning toward AKK. The other option would be to book a Value or Moderate hotel package then take the tour when there...

 

[RescueRanger]

The tour is a good idea, or you can book a DVC resort directly through Disney. The cash price is pretty expensive, but with the discounts that Disney has been throwing around you can possibly get a pretty good deal. If you decide to rent points for a DVC stay, there is a gentleman who has a service that is advertised here on the DIS. I have not used him but have heard alot of good about him here on the DIS. Most importantly, ask plenty of questions here on the DVC forums. The information here really helped me out when we were making our decision. Also, try www.dvcnews.com . They have alot of good information as well.

 

[TAKitty]

We love DVC but if you get the min number of points it is difficult to go to WDW and use the points at other places. There just isn't enough points to go around.

 

[Sandisw]

You can rent a points reservation from a DVC member but it is a private transaction between you and the owner.

Disney does not get involved and you would not be able to call and confirm your reservation. It remains in control of the owner until you check in.

You will be given a confirmation number and there is website that you can check but it really is a transaction that requires a lot of trust. We are now DVC owners, but prior to owning, just did not feel comfortable enough to do it as I didn't like the lack of control.

Of course, renting can give you a great deal so there are benefits to doing it.

You can try out DVC via a cash reservation and right now, Disney is offering some great deals (like 40% off) so it may allow you to try out the villas this way with the comfort of booking direct through Disney.

But, DVC is a great program for stays at WDW. While trading out is currently an option, and something that would be okay if you plan to do it every so often, it is not the best program if you want to do it instead of WDW on a regular basis.

You are better off buying in only the number of points to cover your WDW trips and doing something else for the other travel.

Good luck!

 

[Deb & Bill]

DVC is best for DVC stays. It's pretty expensive and there are a lot cheaper timeshares out there for trading out to other places.

You really need to plan to go to WDW at least every other year, annually is better, if you want to buy DVC.

 

[Corwin]

I've been reading so much information about DVC and reading the posts. I have 3 kids, ages 1, 4 and 6. I've never been to Disney before. DVC sounds like a great idea. We would like to travel other places as well though. Live near Toronto.
Is there a way to sample DVC? It looks like you can 'rent' or 'borrow' a current members points. Is this risky or legitimate? Does Disney actually recognize that so that you could confirm you have the booking?
Would like to travel first week in May 2011. Probably leaning toward AKK. The other option would be to book a Value or Moderate hotel package then take the tour when there...

If you've never been to WDW before, I would hold off on DVC until you are sure that you want to keep coming back again and again.

We bought into DVC after our third family visit, and after we found ourselves back at WDW less than 6 months after our previous visit.

We didn't try to rent points until our third visit, when I was booking a few nights after our Disney cruise. Renting points is not difficult, but I would be hesitant to advise someone to go this route on their first visit. I think it's a better idea to book through the WDW website or a travel agent who specializes in WDW trips for one's first visit.

Also, just my opinion, but I would also be hesitant to bring a 1-year old to WDW. Even 4 years old is young, I think. It can be exhausting ferrying very young children around for a whole WDW vacation. The Disney cruises, believe it or not, are fantastic for very young children, though. They have a nursery for infants, and kid's clubs for different age groups. If you combined a cruise with a few days at WDW, it might be easier than pushing a carriage and stroller(s) around the parks for a week.

Good luck!

 

[vicki_c]

Also, just my opinion, but I would also be hesitant to bring a 1-year old to WDW. Even 4 years old is young, I think. It can be exhausting ferrying very young children around for a whole WDW vacation.

Good luck!

Entirely off topic - but I 100% disagree with this. You will find many varying opinions on this, but we've been taking our kids since they were very small and think it was awesome!

... back to the topic at hand ...

I agree with most of what everyone else said - if you want to try DVC, book on cash (hopefully with a discount) through Disney and take the tour while you are there. I don't think 1st time visitors to Disney are the best candidates for renting points from an owner.

 

[bookwormde]

I would suggest a split stay, the first couple of days in a hotel room and the rest in a villa (same resort of another one) then you will have a good feel if the expense of a DVC villa (1 or 2 BR) is worth the $.

No need to be in a hurry.

bookwormde

 

[Sammie]

I would book something else and take the tour. Also know that there are differences in booking cash and staying at a DVC resort and being a member and staying there on points. Point stays do not get daily housekeeping. To most it does not matter but to some it does. You can purchase daily housekeeping but that can get expensive.

I also would not recommend DVC for anything other than stays at DVC resorts. Trading out to other locations can be done, but there are limitations and it is not the least expensive way to travel.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I would suggest a split stay, the first couple of days in a hotel room and the rest in a villa (same resort of another one) then you will have a good feel if the expense of a DVC villa (1 or 2 BR) is worth the $.

No need to be in a hurry.

bookwormde

I wouldn't recommend a split stay, especially for your first trip. I would recommend one resort and plan on visiting the others if you have the time. A split stay means you are homeless for the day you are changing resorts. You have to move out by 11AM and you probably won't get into another room until after 3 or 4PM.

With three small children, you don't want to be homeless.

Make your first visit as easy as possible.

 

[ToddyLu]

DVC was an instant hit with me when I first heard about it around 2003. It was our second trip but we did not purchase until last year after our eigth trip and doing WDW every year since 2002. First experience Disney a couple of times. When you decide that you are addicted like we did..start researching DVC...then research some more.....then do the tour. DVC wil be around for a long time. It will save you money after about 7 consecutive trips. But using deluxe accomodations. If you and the wife are happy taking the kids to a value resort, it will not save you money.

DH and I did values until last year. We could not afford a 9 night stay at a deluxe resort...rather we WOULD not pay cash to have a savannah view studio at AKV. DVC allows us to have those accomodations with a mortgage, which for us is easier. But remember if you purchase DVC, you are only getting the room...no free dining, no tackets, no transportation and ownership has you returning to an expensive vacation destination maybe more than you thought or budgeted for...best of luck to you and ask away...this is a fabulous wedsite for DVC info.

 

[TiaMaria]

Holy Cow! I'm with the others who have said to find out if you even like Disney before jumping into DVC ownership!

Slow down a little - it's not going anywhere. Take your trip. Find out what your family likes/dislikes. See if you want to plan on going AT LEAST every other year.

Take the DVC tour if you like.

THEN go home, talk about it some more and decide.

It's too much money to just jump in feet first. Resales are low right now - you don't want to decide it's not your best bet after just a year or two of ownership and then try to sell - you'll be throwing away money if you sell that soon.

Take your time. And enjoy!

 

[RescueRanger]

Holy Cow! I'm with the others who have said to find out if you even like Disney before jumping into DVC ownership!

Slow down a little - it's not going anywhere. Take your trip. Find out what your family likes/dislikes. See if you want to plan on going AT LEAST every other year.

Take the DVC tour if you like.

THEN go home, talk about it some more and decide.

It's too much money to just jump in feet first. Resales are low right now - you don't want to decide it's not your best bet after just a year or two of ownership and then try to sell - you'll be throwing away money if you sell that soon.


Take your time. And enjoy!

There was someone who came on the boards not too long ago, saying she was so excited that she had just bought into DVC. Then she went on to state that she was planning her FIRST trip to WDW. Not first DVC trip, but first trip to WDW period. I was just floored that anyone would make such a large purchase without even knowing what they are buying. DVC is very expensive and a very long term commitment.

 

[TiaMaria]

There was someone who came on the boards not too long ago, saying she was so excited that she had just bought into DVC. Then she went on to state that she was planning her FIRST trip to WDW. Not first DVC trip, but first trip to WDW period. I was just floored that anyone would make such a large purchase without even knowing what they are buying. DVC is very expensive and a very long term commitment.

Very true. And across these boards I read stories all the time from people who go to WDW even though "...it's not DH's thing" or "...I have to drag DW as she is not a Disney person".

To make up your mind to buy into DVC without EVER having gone to Disney is quite a gamble. What if the OP gets there and it's not what they thought? Sure the advertising makes it look like one big, joyful, personal-character-interaction ball of fun - which it can be - but it is so much more.

My advice still stands - go, enjoy being at WDW with all it's fun - and flaws - take the DVC tour if you like - or wait until next trip - and then go home and have a serious discussion about all you did, heard, saw and felt. Then make the best educated decision.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Plus when you start entering all the other expenses you have with this purchase, you may change your mind. You still have to get there. You still have to buy admission. You still have to eat. And then there is the problem with Annual Member Fees - they continue to go up each year because salaries and cost always go up.

 

[csharpwv]

If you are thinking about DVC - and you have already given some thought as to how you could use it - and you have read enough about it to know how it works - you have the bug!

HAHA!!!

The bug first bit my wife and I when we were on our honeymoon and after seeing SO many of the DVC info stations around WDW we stopped at one at Downtown Disney to find out exactly what "Disney Vacation Club" was. Upon hearing more about it - and the price - we immediately dismissed it as out of out price range.

Well, when we got home - we ran into someone at the grocery store that we go to church with who just happened to be at Disney the week we were - after talking to her a little while we mentioned that we asked about DVC and she mentioned they bought into DVC when they were there.

After about 6 months we found ourselves really wanting to go back to WDW - and put it off and put it off - well finally we booked a trip to take my parents - and in the time that we booked the vacation and saw how much we spent on one vacation - and started looking at DVC again.

We took a tour while we were at WDW in Sept. of 2008 and after taking the tour - hearing about it - seeing it for ourselves - WE BOUGHT! And we haven't looked back! Our "First" home resort was Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village - but since AKL wasn't finished we received a 'matching' set of points for Saratoga Spring that we used in January 2009. After that trip we really started to think that we would likely 'need' more points

About a year later we bought more points soon after BLT went on sale (not soon enough to be founding members ) LOL But - then the treehouse villas opened and we found out what a GREAT deal they were for larger parties - so we decided to buy a small contract at SSR to have 11 month access to them. (plus the Maint. Fees are very low!)

SO - we own at three resorts - and are totally happy.

We've been a little upset by some of the recent perk changes - but they are minor things in comparison to the value that DVC presents.

Make no mistake - DVC makes money - and it is a commercial venture that sets out to do just that. Has DVC changed the way Disney Fans vacation? YES - has it saved members THOUSANDS of dollars over the years? YES

Will DVC always be as good of a value today - as it is in 2057? No - the price per point will go up as things change - and the economy rises and fall.

Will DVC save you money? YES - if you know how it works - know how to get the most out of it - and make decisions that get the best - most valuable use out of your points - DVC will save you money - and do it for YEARS to come!

You are in the right place to ask questions about DVC!!!

Ask away!!!

 

[nolanboys]

Plus when you start entering all the other expenses you have with this purchase, you may change your mind. You still have to get there. You still have to buy admission. You still have to eat. And then there is the problem with Annual Member Fees - they continue to go up each year because salaries and cost always go up.

Absolutely! We joined, but are fully aware of all the costs that go along with DW trips. We stayed at OKW, with a stay at POFQ in between. We bought in because the two stays at OKW felt like more of a vacation. We had more room to spread out and loved the extras at the resort. We waited quite a while and researched it. It took us 5 years to take the plunge, but I feel we made an informed choice and are very happy.

 

[JimMIA]

Since you have NEVER been to Walt Disney World, I recommend the following:

Take three trips before you take a tour or even consider buying DVC:

• stay at a Disney onsite value resort (Pop, All-Stars) for your first trip
• stay offsite at a reasonably priced, but nice, resort for you second trip.
• Book a DVC resort through Disney (NOT renting) for your third trip.

IF -- after those trips you think your family will be vacationing for 4-7 days every year at WDW, or a week or more every other year, investigate the resale market and buy a resale.

IF -- for whatever reason -- you go through all of that and absolutely CANNOT buy resale, take the tour and purchase from DVC directly.

If you are not going to take 3 trips over a 3-4 year period to see how you like it, you are not going to get sufficient value from DVC to even consider a purchase.

 

[msp2mco]

So many opinions here...we purchased DVC on our first trip to WDW when we were living near Toronto too. We had spent a lot of time early in our marriage at DL and knew we loved Disney. It just made sense for our family at the time, and we haven't regretted it. Once you are there, you can talk with your family about it and see the reaction of your kids to all things Disney. For us, it didn't take 3 trips at different resorts to figure it out. We knew we didn't want to stay in a value resort and we liked vacationing in a villa. So...it made sense to us.

Good luck an welcome to the DIS.

 

[TiaMaria]

So many opinions here...we purchased DVC on our first trip to WDW when we were living near Toronto too. We had spent a lot of time early in our marriage at DL and knew we loved Disney. It just made sense for our family at the time, and we haven't regretted it. Once you are there, you can talk with your family about it and see the reaction of your kids to all things Disney. For us, it didn't take 3 trips at different resorts to figure it out. We knew we didn't want to stay in a value resort and we liked vacationing in a villa. So...it made sense to us.

Good luck an welcome to the DIS.

The OP needs to go to Disney and find out that they love it too - just like you.

They've never been there before. How do they know it's "for them"?