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

[sandieb]

In our 12 years with DVC we have always been treated with courtesy in all interactions at the DVC resorts. However, we had one terrible villa @ the BCV - it was in poor condition and not cleaned well. I had to fuss to get changed (no villas available they said). I was really upset and the finally gave us a new villa - Disney magic for sure. As a result of that experience I asked that it be in my record to have a supervisor inspect our villas prior to releasing them just to be sure they were well cleaned and in good repair. I guess they do it, because I have not had a repeat negative experience.

 

[Snurk71]

OP, based on what you shared about your husband DVC is not for him. It will be 40 years of comparing, what ifs, and second guessing. Not until he either wants more space than a regular room or gets more financial focused to where he sees how you might save thousands of dollars over the years - you'll be better off in cash rooms.

 

[tjkraz]

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.

To this point, I think it depends upon your perspective. And it varies from resort-to-resort.

At Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge, the DVC villa wings were built years after the hotel itself. So really it's a case of DVC not even being on the radar when the original resorts were designed.

BoardWalk was the first resort designed to accommodate both DVC and hotel rooms and many would argue that the DVC location is even better than the hotel (rooms overlooking BW face Epcot and have the best angle on the fireworks.)

Bay Lake Tower (Contemporary) is in an excellent location.

Grand Californian villas at Disneyland were also part of a later expansion and the villas have better location / views than the hotel rooms added at the same time.

There is no grand conspiracy to give DVC villas the substandard location...it just happened to work out that way at some resorts due to logistical hurdles that could not otherwise be overcome.

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

Daily housekeeping is certainly not cheap.

However, whenever I've run the numbers, owning DVC and paying out of pocket for daily housekeeping is still cheaper than paying OOP for a hotel room every time.

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.

Agree with every point here.

There are definitely compromises. DVC rooms do not get refurbished as often as the hotels. (Mainly because owners pay for such refurbishments.)

DVC rooms tend to not be quite as luxurious. If you look at photos of the BoardWalk Inn you'll see elaborate headboards and wall sconces which are not mirrored in the villas.

DVC resorts run at much greater occupancy so it can be challenging for staff to deal with unexpected housekeeping or maintenance issues.

DVC resorts do not offer complimentary upgrades.

DVC owners are not eligible for "free dining" or other cash promos.

That said, it's clear you will pay MUCH less in the long run as a DVC owner than as a cash guest for comparable accommodations. Economics vary greatly depending upon how you run the numbers but it's pretty easy to demonstrate 60-70% savings off of Disney's cash rates (even with some cash discounting factored-in.)

In my opinion, it all boils down to whether you are willing to pay so much more money for daily housekeeping, wall sconces and what you believe to be a better room location.

Good luck.

 

[AmyB2006]

DVC is right for some, not for others. Your DH sound like he falls into the "not for others" group. Which is totally fine. If that's the experience he wants and you guys can afford it, why not? Right?

Our situation was completely different so DVC works for us, and I love it. I've never felt like any of the magic wasn't there and I've never been treated any differently by a CM. I prefer not to have daily housekeeping.

Plus, it sounds like he would just be looking for an "excuse" or like he'd just waiting for one tiny thing to be wrong, and then he'd be all, "See!! I told you so" kind of thing.

 

[nunzia]

I've only stayed in recent years at DLR hotels..our one and only WDW visit was over 15 years ago and stayed at Beach Club hotel and loved it. However..was a big fan of the Grand Californian before DVC was built there and bought DVC because they added Villas there. I have never felt like we didn't matter and am treated the same way there as a DVC owner as I was a hotel guest. I've also had the same problem in the DVC wing as I had in the hotel section..tubs that don't hold water..this happens to me nearly every visit and it's gotten where the first thing I do on arrival is check the tub so I get maintenance there quick. I've also stayed at the DLH..which has no DVC...in pre and post renovation rooms..gorgeous and more Disneyfied that VGC..but I still prefer VGC. I had a non working refrigerator in a brand new DLH room and it was the same process to get it fixed as things in a DVC room. I think the furnishings and condtion are comparable and I really don't miss housekeeping at all. I would be furious at that manager who told a previous poster that is was DVC..what do you expect? Way off base on that. So I guess there is some real dissapointments in DVC at WDW but I haven't found it at DLR. That said, if your DH is really opposed to it, winning may not be 'winning'. I like the idea of renting points and trying out the experience and going from there.

 

[LSchrow]

we stayed at all the mods & deluxes (except CR) both before and after buying DVC - 2-3x a year.
a few years back, we stayed at the poly. we were assigned a severely moldy room (black patches on the ceiling and walls), with a dumpster on the patio.
DH called repeatedly (responses ranged from indifferent to annoyed), then went to the FD, pleading and begging as i was going into the throes of a full-blown asthma attack. he finally got a manager who reluctantly agreed to move us. as we were moving, we overheard a passing "suit" angrily asking why guests were in an "uninhabitable room".
after over 8 hours wasted (excluding the treatment time with
"uncle neb" ), we received some extra coffee packets for our trouble (we didn't ask for anything but a different room), but not a word of apology or iota of concern.

when a toilet overflowed (water only, thankfully) at a BWV studio 2 years ago, maintenance was there within minutes of our call, and we were surprised with a large fruit basket in our room.

while i do realize the BWVs share FD, maint, etc with the BWI, the bottom line is we were treated significantly better while staying DVC.

with 2 ppl, DVC studios are perfect with a couch and kitchenette (we're not fans of relaxing, watching TV and eating on a bed for over a week - yuk). less housekeeping is preferable, as we are like our privacy, and make our own bed even when HK comes.
another (big) consideration for us: our favorite rooms, BW view BW Villas, cannot be booked with cash.

they can keep the sconces. we get so much more from DVC; paying so much less is just a bonus

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I don't feel less taken care of as a DVC member; I feel more taken care of. They offer special discounts to certain restuarants, $100 savings on APs (or more if you took advantage of last year's special PAP promo.) You can get DDP without a package and a TIW card without an AP. You get a DVC magazine occasionally too.

When we go on a Disney cruise, there are special gifts in our cabins and a special reception with free gifts and cocktails.

Also the rooms you get with DVC are MUCH better than standard rooms. So much more space and if you take advantage of the kitchen and washer and dryer, you can't even compare the convenience. Often the DVC area will have it's own pool and you can still take advantage of the main resort pool too. In fact, you can even choose to "pool hop" to other resort's pools too (some restrictions apply.)

We will be staying in a grand villa at our third resort this fall. There is nothing at all comparable to that!

If lack of mousekeeping is really a concern (probably won't be when you experience it) then you can certainly pay to add it. We make our own beds too and throw in a load of towels occasionally (but we use a lot of towels.) You can also just pay to get fresh towels.

I've been extremely happy since our first DVC resale purchase (BWV) and have since added on many more points (BLT direct) and (AKV resale.) 660 points so far and I still want more points!!!

 

[GBPackers]

How much would Mousekeeping cost if you stayed at a DVC resort?

 

[stink]

Overall the positives of DVC outweigh the negatives for me.

My biggest negative at times, not all the time, has been the booking window. Having to plan at 11 mos out has been challenging in recent years. I have had difficulty using points for short notice trips. There have been two occasions where I could have travelled on short notice trips but there has been no available at any WDW DVC using my points, so I had to pay cash.

I feel the higher tiers of management at DVC are not that great and do not hold the best interest of the member as one of their primary core values. I do not care for the waitlist changes and some of the other changes mentioned by Disneynutz. The DVC executives seem to wrap the changes in slick marketing language and the changes only serve to maximize their profit margin at the cost of existing owners.

The front line staff CMs at DVC have always been wonderful. Never had a bad DVC CM experience.

All being said I feel DVC was a great decision for me. I have 300 points and I would consider adding more points but have decided not at this time due to aforementioned changes and recent difficulty with availability.

 

[disneynutz]

Overall the positives of DVC outweigh the negatives for me.

My biggest negative at times, not all the time, has been the booking window. Having to plan at 11 mos out has been challenging in recent years. I have had difficulty using points for short notice trips. There have been two occasions where I could have travelled on short notice trips but there has been no available at any WDW DVC using my points, so I had to pay cash.

I feel the higher tiers of management at DVC are not that great and do not hold the best interest of the member as one of their primary core values. I do not care for the waitlist changes and some of the other changes mentioned by Disneynutz. The DVC executives seem to wrap the changes in slick marketing language and the changes only serve to maximize their profit margin at the cost of existing owners.

The front line staff CMs at DVC have always been wonderful. Never had a bad DVC CM experience.

All being said I feel DVC was a great decision for me. I have 300 points and I would consider adding more points but have decided not at this time due to aforementioned changes and recent difficulty with availability.

The really confusing and sad thing is that they could fix most of these issues if they wanted to. They hired a new person in charge of member experience several months ago but we haven't heard a thing.

Unfortunately booking will only get tougher as owners are added especially at 7 months. Owners are tuned in now to buying a smaller number of home resort points and banking or borrowing for every other year vacations. Many bought at SSR due to the cheaper cost never intending to stay there.

Bill

 

[Minniesgal]

We bought DVC so we could stay in 2 bedrooms, have laundry facilities and cook at least some meals ourselves. I'd rather have that than daily mouse keeping anyway. Especially since we have had on more than one occasion things taken from rooms that shouldn't have been ( I don't mean theft more things being mistaken for rubbish). I quite like not having daily mouse keeping but will pay for it once myself during longer stays.

 

[dianeschlicht]

To me daily housekeeping is something I'd rather NOT have anyway. HATE having people in our unit when I'm not there. I love having the full kitchen, in room Jacuzzi tub, full laundry in the unit, and the space to stretch out and feel like I'm at home. If that's lack of service, then I love it! A couple years ago we had to spend a couple of nights on either end of our trip in a regular hotel room on site. Wilderness Lodge was one...can't even recall where the other was, but I hated it! Sure, we got mousekeeping, but the beds were small, the bathroom was small, there was no laundry, and I had to walk quite a ways to get to my car. Nope....I'll take the DVC "lack" of service over that any day.

 

[anna08]

During our last trip in March, we hosted our friends in a 3BR villa at BLT with a magic kingdom view - they were speechless when we entered that night and saw the villa and that awesome view. They asked how they could get that same villa as a cash reservation, and I told them I didn't even know how often that would be available, but I could tell them that for the these two nights, had we paid cash, would have cost over $3000! They loved the Top of the World Lounge too, which they only had access to because we were DVC.

We then went on the Fantasy together and got free gifts daily, and lots of things that make you feel special as a DVC member.

What we can do besides the niceness of a kitchen with each reservation, is have friends and family stay with us and not cost anything extra! We get to make memories with my sisters family and both sets of grandparents and close friends with every trip if we want. Those experiences are priceless.

You can always make your bed everyday

 

[tjkraz]

Also the rooms you get with DVC are MUCH better than standard rooms.

Depends upon your basis for comparison.

Here is a BoardWalk Inn hotel room:

Here is a BoardWalk Villas Studio room:

I suspect most would agree the Inn room is superior to the DVC Studio. Look up Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge comparison photos and you'll see similar trends.

The question is whether the Inn room is enough of an upgrade to justify the price.

The amenities offered by larger DVC villas are nice (kitchen, w/d, jacuzzi tub, etc.) but the design and decor is still not as impressive as comparable hotel rooms. But unless you're willing to pay for a suite--which is VERY expensive--there's no practical on-site alternative to a 1B or larger DVC villa. You either take it or leave it.

 

[gojoe]

Not sure about all the resorts but before becoming a member we stayed a quite a few different Disney and non-Disney resort. Unless they have had a recent update most have a need of minor repairs. I heard the Dis-Unplugged review of 7 resorts in seven days. Not all had the same service or quality of rooms.
Sometimes (I might get heat for this comment) I feel DVC owner feel entitled. Perks come and go, mostly go but they are perks not entitlements. Service is excellent, most cast members don't know if I'm a DVC member or paying guest.

Mousekeeping is another issue. If that's what you want pay for it. We've never been disappointed with choice to become members. It took me a year to convince my wife. After our first night as DVC members my wife told me we need to get more points. You've gotten a lot of good advice. Good Luck

 

[DebbieB]

If I had just planned to just stay in studios, I would not have bought DVC, I would have just kept staying in WDW rooms. I love the 1 bedroom with the separate sleeping/living areas, huge bathrooms, full kitchen (although I don't actually "cook"). Could not have afforded $500+ a night in cash.

I just don't get the attitude that DVC members are not getting enough. Over the lifetime of the contract, you are getting about a 60% discount. Far better than "free" dining. Just reading the discounts board where people are on pins & needles waiting for promos makes me appreciate being a member.

 

[crisi]

We probably wouldn't own DVC if it were just the two of us without the kids. We really prefer the hotels. We think that they are much nicer and much more flexible. We own DVC because its an affordable way for us to stretch out as a family and have laundry in the room.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW and I love NOT having mousekeeping coming around every day. If we make up the beds or don't that is up to us. If I leave the laptop on the table, that is up to us. We choose to vacation differently than we live our daily lives; so this question is up to you and DH what is more important?

 

[Nanabug02]

Hi! OP here.

I just wanted to thank everyone for your responses! It really helped me to look at this from a different angle. I also understand DH's stance better now. I think we have just been locked in this battle of me wanting DVC and him saying no. I suppose I just wanted to "be an owner", which isn't a good reason to fight my DH over this and make such a big financial commitment. DH has always said we can go to Disney any time I want..... he just won't do it through a timeshare.

I guess the bottom line is that DH is a hotel kind of guy, not a timeshare kind of guy. That is the experience he is looking for on vacation. And since we don't need any more space (it will always just be the 2 of us), there isn't a push to buy DVC for more space. We can well afford to just stay in hotel rooms and take advantage of the deals, frequent refurbs & ability to go last minute.

Again, thank you to everyone for your opinions. I feel better about letting go of the DVC dream now. Hey, I still get to feed my Disney obsession any time!

 

[chalee94]

DH has always said we can go to Disney any time I want..... he just won't do it through a timeshare.

sounds like a fair deal.

I guess the bottom line is that DH is a hotel kind of guy, not a timeshare kind of guy.

it's a good idea to find this out before you commit to buying a timeshare.

have fun at the hotel resorts!