Unusual DVC purchasing question - Reduction in level of "Disney" service?

[Nanabug02]

Hi everyone!

I am a long time lurker on the DVC boards and have been interested in buying into DVC for almost 5 years now. I have done tons of research. Here is my situation:

Its just me & DH... I'm 33 and he is 36. We don't have any kids, but do have family that loves Disney like we do. We were married at WDW back in 2002 and have been on a Disney trip every year since, even twice a year a couple of times. Just last year we spent 8 nights in Hawaii at Aulani We have plans to go back to Aulani in June 2014.

We always stay in deluxe resorts, usually the Wilderness Lodge or the Poly, and we always stay at least 7 nights.

To me, DVC is a no brainer. We plan to continue vacationing with Disney for many years to come and will always be staying deluxe. I know we would have broken even with DVC by now with what we have spent. We can definitely afford to buy DVC.

Sooooo... the problem is DH. He is CONVINCED that when you become a DVC owner that Disney "has you" and doesn't have to try anymore. What he thinks is that as DVC owners, we won't get the level of Disney service and magic that we experience now as cash guests. He sees the DVC resorts as being away from the main resorts (like how VWL is off to the side) and the forgotten red headed step-children. One of his MAIN arguments against DVC is that you don't get Mousekeeping. He considers the "no Mousekeeping included" issue to be a perfect example of DVC members not being taken care of.... obviously its important for him to have his bed made and towels changed on vacation.

Overall, he says he would rather always pay cash (and give up any savings) than buy DVC and give up the Disney magic, service & total flexibility.

Anyways, is this true? Please be brutally honest. Does anyone feel that as DVC members, you don't get the level of service and experience that you did before? Are there problems with rooms being dirty and Disney not caring because you already "bought in"? Is having to work around the 11 and 7 month windows such a hassle that its better to just always pay cash, since we can afford to?

I know this may seem silly, but my DH is a big perfectionist and the thought of not having the Disney high standard of service keeps him from seriously considering buying DVC.

I would REALLY appreciate any input my fellow DISers can provide. DH and I go back and forth about this issue every couple of months, and it is so frustrating.

Thank you!!!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Timeshares are not hotels, there is a difference. You don't have the levels of refresh that you do in a hotel, this includes remodeling of the rooms but also you lose daily housekeeping, unless you want to pay for it.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO it's the nature of business. Who are you going to give more attention to, the cash guest that you need to make magic for to keep them coming back or the DVC owner who will be back until they sell their contract?

More disturbing to me is the management at DVD/DVC. They don't seem to care. A website that doesn't work well, adding a $95 fee for exchanges, limiting the waitlists, MS CM's who aren't trained well, resale restrictions to boost sales, point reallocations, room reclassifications, lack of info on waitlists, delaying resale buyers with ROFR and account processing delays. They also have been through 3 presidents/vice presidents in the last 2 years and we really haven't heard anything from the new guys since their appointment a month and a half ago.

Bill

 

[nabi]

Call me simple, I like the place(s).

 

[Sandisw]

When you buy a timeshare, and DVC is certainly one, you are no longer paying for a room that is owned by Disney, but one you and all the other owners own. So, in a that sense, anything you want, like daily mousekeeping, is paid by you.

There are differences, no question about it and if your DH is concerned about what Disney is offering to cash guests and will always be expecting the same, then I would say don't buy. You can pay for additional mousekeeping if you want, but to be honest, we don't miss it. When we go with large groups, I pay an extra $12 to get more towels and just wash them. I love the flexibilty of DVC and not having to worry any longer about pin codes, deals, etc.

In the 4 years since we have been owners, I have yet to feel as though I am treated any different during my stays. I love the current discount on the AP as we go at least two times a year now and anticipate when DH and I are both retired, it will be at least 3 times. While that is a perk, and it could go away at anytime, it is definitely adding to the savings right now.

It's a different way of vacationing and looking at things, IMO. It sounds like your DH is not ready to trade reserving rooms though Disney for DVC quite yet.

Good luck!

 

[disbound09]

If money is not an issue than staying onsite with mousekeeping would be nice. Staying inside the main area would be nice as well. So if it were not an issue I would side with DH. For us money factored into going more often and I want to be able to pass it down to our kids.

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

We have not been owners for long - 2 years. Prior to buying DVC we stayed off site, All Star Movies and finally BLT as cash guests. We did the BLT route two years in a row because we absolutely love the place. To ensure that we could always get the type of room and view at a specific time of year we purchased DVC BLT. For that reason alone, I am very happy we bought. It seems almost impossible now to get BLT MKV as a cash guest between Christmas and New Years.

Like I said before, we stayed as a cash paying guest twice at BLT and now twice as owners and as of right now I see absolutely no difference in service. Yes, we do not get housekeeping but I know I could pay for it if I so choose (and it would still be cheaper than paying as a cash guest). The building is still fairly new and altough some say it is showing wear and tear, I do not see any difference than any other hotel. We stayed at the Grand Floridian one year after BLT and the GF room was much more worn than the BLT room.

 

[chalee94]

Sooooo... the problem is DH. He is CONVINCED that when you become a DVC owner that Disney "has you" and doesn't have to try anymore. What he thinks is that as DVC owners, we won't get the level of Disney service and magic that we experience now as cash guests.

i have gotten terrific service as a DVC owner. i don't feel in the least passed over.

some of it depends on what you expect...i want quality rooms and friendly check-in and service when issues arise. but some expect to be offered discounts and "free" dining and that's just not realistic.

One of his MAIN arguments against DVC is that you don't get Mousekeeping. He considers the "no Mousekeeping included" issue to be a perfect example of DVC members not being taken care of.... obviously its important for him to have his bed made and towels changed on vacation.

this has nothing to do with "service" IMO. it's more that you get what you pay for. DVC is a "home-away-from-home"-type timeshare. if DVC offered daily mousekeeping, we'd pay MUCH more in annual dues than we currently do. i don't mind taking out my own trash, making my own beds and i actually prefer not having housekeeping in the room.

if you want housekeeping, the costs are steep and it's up to you to decide to pay for it.

Overall, he says he would rather always pay cash (and give up any savings) than buy DVC and give up the Disney magic, service & total flexibility.

some people are timeshare people and some people are hotel people. he sounds like he wants a hotel-experience and DVC is just not that (although again, if you want to pay extra for housekeeping every day, that is an option.)

Is having to work around the 11 and 7 month windows such a hassle that its better to just always pay cash, since we can afford to?

i like planning in advance - and i bought where i am happy to stay. if you want to pay cash and have the option of booking on short notice on a regular basis...that depends on your personal preference.

I know this may seem silly, but my DH is a big perfectionist and the thought of not having the Disney high standard of service keeps him from seriously considering buying DVC.

if he really values a high standard of service, he should be staying at the walldorf or four seasons IMO. even cash guests at the GF have reported some problems with dirty, poorly maintained rooms.

it's true that DVC doesn't refurb its resorts as often as disney refurbs their hotels - again refurbishment costs are paid for by DVC owners and i like keeping annual dues down as a rule - but "in general" (a few poor decisions at BLT aside), i don't think DVC rooms have more issues than on the hotel side. i have had nothing but great experiences so far.

 

[LocaRoja]

If he is concerned, it's simple to test his concerns by renting points from another DVC member and staying as a DVC member guest. I've stayed at BC as a cash guest. I've also rented DVC points privately and stayed at BCV. So I can directly compare the resort in the 2 roles as DVC vs cash guest. Hands down, the BC cash rooms (in the blue buildings) are more nicely decorated and didn't seem as worn down as the BCV. (I think the bedding in the BC is beautiful whereas the comforters in the BCV are far less luxurious). I don't like that the BCV building (green one) is so far from SAB, the primary reason we book that hotel. The infrequent housekeeping didn't bother me one way or the other. I guess if you really like towel animals, you better learn some towel origami!

Check in at the front desk has been equivalent for me in both "roles". I'm not quite sure what other service he is worried about as most of the CMs you see will not know if you are cash or DVC guest (at the bell hops, pool, in restaurants, at park, etc).

I"m not sure your disney vacation style, but we do light breakfast in room, back in simple lunch, eat out dinner. Staying deluxe gets us the fridge we need regardless, so the full kitchen in DVC is not a huge appeal to me. I do like the washer and dryer in the unit a LOT!

Again, just rent points for your next trip; you'll both see if you can "tolerate" Disney as a DVCer!

 

[Dean]

Hi everyone!

I am a long time lurker on the DVC boards and have been interested in buying into DVC for almost 5 years now. I have done tons of research. Here is my situation:

Its just me & DH... I'm 33 and he is 36. We don't have any kids, but do have family that loves Disney like we do. We were married at WDW back in 2002 and have been on a Disney trip every year since, even twice a year a couple of times. Just last year we spent 8 nights in Hawaii at Aulani We have plans to go back to Aulani in June 2014.

We always stay in deluxe resorts, usually the Wilderness Lodge or the Poly, and we always stay at least 7 nights.

To me, DVC is a no brainer. We plan to continue vacationing with Disney for many years to come and will always be staying deluxe. I know we would have broken even with DVC by now with what we have spent. We can definitely afford to buy DVC.

Sooooo... the problem is DH. He is CONVINCED that when you become a DVC owner that Disney "has you" and doesn't have to try anymore. What he thinks is that as DVC owners, we won't get the level of Disney service and magic that we experience now as cash guests. He sees the DVC resorts as being away from the main resorts (like how VWL is off to the side) and the forgotten red headed step-children. One of his MAIN arguments against DVC is that you don't get Mousekeeping. He considers the "no Mousekeeping included" issue to be a perfect example of DVC members not being taken care of.... obviously its important for him to have his bed made and towels changed on vacation.

Overall, he says he would rather always pay cash (and give up any savings) than buy DVC and give up the Disney magic, service & total flexibility.

Anyways, is this true? Please be brutally honest. Does anyone feel that as DVC members, you don't get the level of service and experience that you did before? Are there problems with rooms being dirty and Disney not caring because you already "bought in"? Is having to work around the 11 and 7 month windows such a hassle that its better to just always pay cash, since we can afford to?

I know this may seem silly, but my DH is a big perfectionist and the thought of not having the Disney high standard of service keeps him from seriously considering buying DVC.

I would REALLY appreciate any input my fellow DISers can provide. DH and I go back and forth about this issue every couple of months, and it is so frustrating.

Thank you!!!

I think your husband is correct, there are compromises and if he can't stomach those compromises, he may indeed be unhappy with DVC. However, I personally see the upside far more than the downside and I see the compromises of DVC minimal compared to the potential savings in your situation. Assuming you plan to continue as you have, DVC resale is a great choice overall. If money is no object certainly paying OOP is a good option but the balance of DVC far outweighs the disadvantages in your situation in my book.

 

[disneynutz]

Maybe it's just me but I don't get the "terrific service" feeling when staying at a DVC resort. I get a friendly feeling, and rooms that sometimes have more issues than they should. I expect the room to be clean and without any maintenance issues. Yes it's a timeshare but I shouldn't have to spend my vacation time waiting for something to be fixed. The Mousekeepers should have inspected the room and reported any problems.

We have been told by the front desk that they would move us due to a problem but they can't because we are DVC.

We stayed at YC last year and the room was fresh, immaculate, with no maintenance issues. The CM's seemed overly friendly and we felt catered to. A week after we checked out the door greeter at the YC recognized us from the week prior and asked us if we needed anything. I told him that we had moved to BWV and his reply was it didn't matter, he would take care of us anyway.

In 60 plus stays at DVC resorts I can't say that a greeter has made us feel this special.

Bill

 

[DebbieB]

Housekeeping is the most expensive item on a resort dues budget. If there was daily housekeeping, it would be double or triple the amount. I like it the way it is, I don't want to pay higher dues for more housekeeping. If you want more housekeeping, there is an option to pay for it individually.

 

[rusafee1183]

We recently purchased also and I do agree that the DVC rooms aren't quite as luxurious as the cash rooms, but I haven't noticed them being horrible by comparison. I understand that in DVC and cash rooms the opportunity for something to be broken or missed by mousekeeping is always a possibility.

For us, it worked out perfectly because I would only let housekeeping in our rooms 2x a week when we were cash guests anyway. I just don't like people around my things I guess.

I do agree that for a trip before you buy in, rent points and stay in a villa to test it out. Where were you thinking you would like your home resort to be? And typically how far in advance do you book your trips?

That would be the one thing that your DH may be the most annoyed with.... if you want to book a trip within the 7 month booking window, the availaility can be limited. If he has his heart set on a specific resort, and then can't get it with DVC, that may be another issue he will have with the club.

Good luck! We love ours, and even with the changes - still feel the magic and love Disney as much as ever!

 

[dbs1228]

For us we stayed at the Ft Wilderness cabins for years at 300.00+ per night and after the a few years (once they went from trailers to cabins so to speak) I noticed the wear and tear on the rooms every year it got worse. Service went down also. Maid service would show up at 2:00 - 3:00 in the afternoon after we had been gone since 8:00AM and already back (we would leave please make up our room magnet on door) In the earlier years when we got back at noon for lunch our room would be done - I am sure it was cut backs.

We ended up buying DVC because of BLT, location, location. We are so happy we did and I do NOT miss mouse keeping at all. I like not having someone come in while I am there or when I am gone. I like the larger accommodations and would never have booked the GV at BLT for NYE if I was not a member. My family has always enjoyed the resorts (down days) as much as park days so DVC works for us!

 

[k3chantal]

Hi everyone!

I am a long time lurker on the DVC boards and have been interested in buying into DVC for almost 5 years now. I have done tons of research. Here is my situation:

Its just me & DH... I'm 33 and he is 36. We don't have any kids, but do have family that loves Disney like we do. We were married at WDW back in 2002 and have been on a Disney trip every year since, even twice a year a couple of times. Just last year we spent 8 nights in Hawaii at Aulani We have plans to go back to Aulani in June 2014.

We always stay in deluxe resorts, usually the Wilderness Lodge or the Poly, and we always stay at least 7 nights.

To me, DVC is a no brainer. We plan to continue vacationing with Disney for many years to come and will always be staying deluxe. I know we would have broken even with DVC by now with what we have spent. We can definitely afford to buy DVC.

Sooooo... the problem is DH. He is CONVINCED that when you become a DVC owner that Disney "has you" and doesn't have to try anymore. What he thinks is that as DVC owners, we won't get the level of Disney service and magic that we experience now as cash guests. He sees the DVC resorts as being away from the main resorts (like how VWL is off to the side) and the forgotten red headed step-children. One of his MAIN arguments against DVC is that you don't get Mousekeeping. He considers the "no Mousekeeping included" issue to be a perfect example of DVC members not being taken care of.... obviously its important for him to have his bed made and towels changed on vacation.

Overall, he says he would rather always pay cash (and give up any savings) than buy DVC and give up the Disney magic, service & total flexibility.

Anyways, is this true? Please be brutally honest. Does anyone feel that as DVC members, you don't get the level of service and experience that you did before? Are there problems with rooms being dirty and Disney not caring because you already "bought in"? Is having to work around the 11 and 7 month windows such a hassle that its better to just always pay cash, since we can afford to?

I know this may seem silly, but my DH is a big perfectionist and the thought of not having the Disney high standard of service keeps him from seriously considering buying DVC.

I would REALLY appreciate any input my fellow DISers can provide. DH and I go back and forth about this issue every couple of months, and it is so frustrating.

Thank you!!!

We love not having mouse keeping every day. In fact, I often forget that they don't come. (My husband makes the bed). I love having a washer and dryer in the larger villas (I do have kids). I love the dorky things like being told 'Welcome Home'. I love that my 3 year old daughter prefers to stay on the balcony of her villa watching the animals on the savanna than going to the parks. But most of all I love knowing that I can go on a trip to Disney at that level of resort no matter what the current or future hotel prices are or become. I don't have to look for discounts.

Are there negatives? It is an expensive buy in whether you choose direct or resale. There is a commitment to your yearly maintenance fees and it can be frustrating if you really want a resort at a specific time and it is not your home resort. (My budget doesn't allow me to purchase enough points at each resort I would prefer to stay in but then I have had success since I like to stay during 'less busy' times.)

So, I love being the red headed step child but perhaps I am partial to red heads since my daughter is a red head (think Merida). and when the time is right intend to buy more points.

 

[tgropp]

I can see where your husband may feel that way and to a point it may be true. It is a time share and yes, you are away from the main building, but.....Years ago, I used to see people going to the VWL while we stayed in the main building and I always thought how lucky they must be. Since purchasing DVC, I have never regretted it. I can always walk from the villas over to the main lodge and enjoy the Disney atmosphere, and I can then go back to my 1 bedroom villa for a fraction of what cash renters pay. Now that is DISNEY MAGIC!!!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I do not need special treatment so maybe I don't notice that I don't get treated the same as a cash paying resort guest.. Most people wouldn't know you are staying in a DVC room unless they checked you in. People who greet you, CM's in the park, CM's in the restaurants.....I have not been treated any differently. We bought DVC in 2010 and have not been disappointed since. We just want to keep buying more points!!!!!!

 

[lilpooh108]

No sure if you realize but the hotel side rooms are nicer/different than the DVC side, at least in terms of soft goods.

You are also stuck if there are room issues since they may or may not be able to move you based on DVC availability. I haven't been treated differently by the CMs, only rude servers who have had problems with our dining plan which wasn't working on our card.

You'll likely never get upgraded again at check in since DVC books what is available.

 

[Sammie]

Yes I agree with your husband. It is different. Now is it bad, of course not but it is different.

DVC resorts are not rehabbed as often and toward the end of that time period it shows. Toiletries and bedding are different.

Complaints are handled different due to the point situation. If you check in on points in a studio that has no air, you will get another studio if they have one.

Check in at Disney deluxe and have a major problem and you likely will get an upgrade. DVC can not do that. Our last stay at BCV, we had several problems with our room including a toilet running nonstop and broken sofa bed to the point you could not sleep on it. When I went to the front desk to talk to the on duty manager about it, he said, what did I expect with DVC.

I would never ever buy DVC if staying in studios. What is best about DVC is larger rooms than what a deluxe resort offers. Having your own washer and dryer makes up for lack of housekeeping.

Booking DVC at anything less than 7 months is getting harder and harder and impossible for certain resorts at certain time periods.

There is definitely a difference in how a repeat deluxe resort guest is treated for special occasions such as anniversaries than DVC. DVC simply does not have the budget for that.

So yes based on what you have shared about how your husband likes to vacation, I don't think he will enjoy DVC.

 

[Shellandscott]

First we love DVC, glad we bought just wish we could buy where we wanted and not want they had, but that is another story. So buy where you want and the points you will need for your stay at that resort. We also book early as we own other time shares, so we are use to having to book 15-20 months in advance to get what you want. 11 or 7 is no big deal. But you have to see how this fits into your vacation patterns.

Now, as a couple w/o kids I can tell you the thing that annoys me the most, the bedding. It makes the most sense for us to stay in a studio but we sleep in a king bed at home. Studios only have queen beds. In order to get a king you need to book a 1 bedroom. 1 Bedroom is a lot more points but that may not be an obstacle for you. Once you move up to a 1 bedroom you really can not compare it to a deluxe room as it is completely different. Full kitchen, living room, washer and dryer, and in some places even a second bath (AKV, BLT & VGC).

It just depends on what is important to both of you. Everyone has their own priority. I have stayed onsite at Port Orleans and Grand Floridian as a cash guest and I have found no difference in service. The few times I have had a problem with the room, maintenance has been up to fix it with in a hour. But I do see how your husband may get the impression of the red headed step child as they do have us already so they do not need to woo us. But there are things that we get that cash guests do not, the kick butt PAP offer, preview of rides for DVC members only and other items I have seen over the years, again nothing to buy into over as they come and go but still some little bone thrown our way.