Want to purchase DVC but my family may be too big!!

[camtheriot]

My DH and I have been going to DW at least once a year (often times we go twice a year), and we have been thinking a lot about purchasing a DVC property. We absolutely LOOVE Disney... So, that's a no brainer... But, we are a family of 6. Our youngest will be turning 3 in June, so.. We would have to get 2 bedroom villas to accommodate us. That just doesn't seem cost efficient to me... Would do you guys think? Anyone else have this same problem??

 

[disfanforlife]

We have a family of five and that is one of the first reasons we considered DVC. Too many people to fit in most of the regular hotel rooms! We stay in a 2 bedroom DVC and love it!! Yes, it uses more points than a studio so I guess to answer your question it isn't the cheapest option but it is the best and most comfortable option for us!

 

[mikron]

IMO buy resale at resort like VB with cheap point cost. You would have a 7 month booking window. I would book OKW dedicated 2 bedroom which is 400 feet bigger then any other resort 2 bedroom. Six no problem we have had 10 people for dinner at any time with no problem.

 

[nd43]

My DH and I have been going to DW at least once a year (often times we go twice a year), and we have been thinking a lot about purchasing a DVC property. We absolutely LOOVE Disney... So, that's a no brainer... But, we are a family of 6. Our youngest will be turning 3 in June, so.. We would have to get 2 bedroom villas to accommodate us. That just doesn't seem cost efficient to me... Would do you guys think? Anyone else have this same problem??

I think with a bigger family you will find DVC might have even more value.

If you have not done so, I would book your next trip in a 2 bedroom unit at any of the DVC properties. If you are like our family, I think you might have a hard time going back to regular hotel rooms!

Because you need more points, check out the resale market for a DVC property you like that might have relatively lower point cost for a 2 bedroom unit (you can find the point charts for all the DVC properties online). That way you will get the biggest financial bang for the buck. With that financial setup, and a young family that could use it for a long time, I think it is a good DVC scenario assuming the original purchase price and maintenance fits comfortably in your budget.

 

[DVCmom4]

We have DVC get it from the timeshare store our hime is Bay Lake. We are also a family of 6 (my kids are 16, 13, 7, and 3) plus my dad has been coming with us too. Now that we have stayed in a 2 bedroom I wouldn't go any other way!

 

[gray52]

My DH and I have been going to DW at least once a year (often times we go twice a year), and we have been thinking a lot about purchasing a DVC property. We absolutely LOOVE Disney... So, that's a no brainer... But, we are a family of 6. Our youngest will be turning 3 in June, so.. We would have to get 2 bedroom villas to accommodate us. That just doesn't seem cost efficient to me... Would do you guys think? Anyone else have this same problem??

Not saying it will always be the case... But if I sold my two DVC contracts today, I would end up with about as much as I paid for them (I purchased resale).... So I'm basically getting a 2-BR every year for the cost of my maintenance fees (app $1,200). A 2BR at OKW is more than enough room for 6... Bigger than many apartments.

I would advise against purchasing at the cheapest resort just because it's the cheapest buy-in. Your initial buy-in is only a fraction of your eventual total cost. Your maintenance fees through the life of the contract will be your biggest expense, by far. I would suggest to keep reading the Dis... There are many threads on this subject.

I believe in purchasing only on-site properties if that's always (or mostly) going to be your destination. "Buy where you want to stay," as the saying goes around here. Although I've followed the other theory heard a lot on here... "Buy where you wouldn't mind staying while factoring in resort cost." Again... Many threads on this subject too.

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[TinkGirl]

We are a family of 5 and have been DVC since 2005 and never looked back. The 2br have been so great especially after the kids got big!

 

[quandrea]

Good advice so far. I would consider animal kingdom or Saratoga via resale. They have longer contracts and are competitively priced.

In terms of cost savings don't negate the savings to be had with a kitchen and laundry. You'll save luggage fees. The kitchen will save on water, snacks, breakfasts, quick meals, alcohol. As time goes by we enjoy eating in our villa more and more. Apps and wine on the balcony, coffee and breakfast, quick meals. With a family of six you will really notice the cost savings.

 

[Dean]

My DH and I have been going to DW at least once a year (often times we go twice a year), and we have been thinking a lot about purchasing a DVC property. We absolutely LOOVE Disney... So, that's a no brainer... But, we are a family of 6. Our youngest will be turning 3 in June, so.. We would have to get 2 bedroom villas to accommodate us. That just doesn't seem cost efficient to me... Would do you guys think? Anyone else have this same problem??

I assume you're getting 2 hotel rooms now. compared to moderates or above, DVC will likely be neutral or save you a little money compared to what you're spending now. For values it likely won't but the other options (kitchen) and upgrades are likely worth it. This assumes you can pay cash and plant at least 7 months out. i would never suggest anyone buy HH or VB simply to for WDW access, the 10 yr costs will be much more than say SSR.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

we are about to transition from needing 1brs to 2brs... and it makes us even happier to have joined DVC. As a family of four, we wanted to be able to vacation comfortably and have normal home like amenities like grocery, kitchen, dishwasher to stay sane, and on top of that have a wall between us and the kids at night so we can sleep. With another coming, it is even more important to us to have the space. I agree with the poster who recommended renting a 2 br next trip to see how it suits your vacationing. I also caution you against buying in at a low price point value with high Mf's like HHi or VB, unless you want that as your home resort. Your point purchase is only 15-20% of your total cost of DVC over the life of the contract if paid in cash

 

[Deb & Bill]

You might try renting points for your next trip to see if you like it or not.

Then, should you like it and decide to buy, buy somewhere at WDW if that is your focus. Buy HHI or VB if you really want to stay there. Make your home resort the place you wouldn't mind staying if you couldn't get anywhere else at seven months out when all points are equal. DVC busy times are not always the same as WDW hotel busy times.

But if WDW is only an occasional vacation destination (especially with rising park admission costs), you might even consider an offsite timeshare, like Bonnet Creek. You'd be close, yet not on the property, but still able to trade your timeshare out to other places in the world (more easily than with DVC). Dean, Brian Noble and JimMIA are a little more versed in other timeshares than me.

Currently Wyndham points can trade into DVC via RCI (as long as they are for an Orlando timeshare).

 

[maburke]

IMO buy resale at resort like VB with cheap point cost. You would have a 7 month booking window. I would book OKW dedicated 2 bedroom which is 400 feet bigger then any other resort 2 bedroom. Six no problem we have had 10 people for dinner at any time with no problem.

No way would I do this to stay at WDW. As others have said, the annual fees at VB are much higher, and will eat up the savings fast. Then you have points that don't guarantee you the accomodations you want.

I'm a "buy where you want to stay" type. We are a family of 5, and often take an uncle with us. We can sometimes manage in the bigger 1BRs, but we love the 2BRs, and can't imagine going back to hotel rooms. (We also logistically cannot split the group.)

 

[crisi]

The question is "what are you doing now" and "what will you do instead of DVC in the future"

There are lots of less expensive options for a family of six, but many of them are offsite - if you NEED to be on site, than DVC might make sense. But a two bedroom isn't necessarily going to save you money over connecting rooms at Pop or cabins at Ft. Wilderness. It may,however, as was said above, add sufficient value that spending more makes sense.

 

[staceymay00]

My DH and I have been going to DW at least once a year (often times we go twice a year), and we have been thinking a lot about purchasing a DVC property. We absolutely LOOVE Disney... So, that's a no brainer... But, we are a family of 6. Our youngest will be turning 3 in June, so.. We would have to get 2 bedroom villas to accommodate us. That just doesn't seem cost efficient to me... Would do you guys think? Anyone else have this same problem??

It is cost effective if staying on site is very important to your family, at least it is cost effective for us - we bought our points resale rather than direct, did not finance and bought at OKW where 2BRs are not as many points as at other resorts. We happen to really like OKW, so owning there works well for us, although if I had to do it again I may have bought BWV because it is easier to get OKW at 7 months. AKV and BWV standard view require about the same number of points as OKW. You likely need to own at BWV to book standard view, but not always at AKV. OKW 2BRs can usually be booked at 7 months no problem.

We are a family of five and can book 1BRs, but always choose to use more points for a 2BR. We love the extra space and beds for everyone. Now if you are looking at buying direct and financing, especially at VGF, then yes, I can see how the cost for a two bedroom seems too much. In our case, our cost for a 2BR at OKW is close to what we were spending staying in deluxe resort hotel rooms that sleep five (with a discounted rate, not rack rate).

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[MickeyBobby]

We have a family of five and that is one of the first reasons we considered DVC. Too many people to fit in most of the regular hotel rooms! We stay in a 2 bedroom DVC and love it!! Yes, it uses more points than a studio so I guess to answer your question it isn't the cheapest option but it is the best and most comfortable option for us!

This is the prime reason we bought in to DVC. We are now a family of 5 so unless my wife and I want to go to bed at the same time as our toddlers, we need more than a standard hotel room. It's only going to get worse as they get older. Last time we went to Disney I called to make a reservation and I told them I wanted to book a one bedroom. Everything was sold out except Garden Wing of the Contemporary and the price was astronomical! I mean, really, I am not a "cheap" person at all, and I wouldn't have even considered paying close to the price they were charging. We ended up having to stay at Art of Animation in a Cars Family Suite. While it was memorable for our three year old, it was an experience I decided I didn't want again. We returned home and promptly bought at VGF and have since added on at BLT.

 

[Nabas]

We are family of six, with 4 older children.

When they were young, it was OK squeezing in to 2 connected rooms at a Value Resort or staying offsite. However, as the kids got older, everyone wanted more space and wanted to always stay on property. We've since purchased resales at 3 DVC resorts.

If you are really sure DVC is for you, consider a resale at AKV or SSR. Available inventories at both these resorts are way up right now. With a little persistence, you might be able to negotiate a good price.

For reference, assuming you go during the summer, you'd need the following number of points for a one-week stay in a 2-bedroom:

- AKV Value: 243
- AKV Standard View: 287
- AKV Savannah View: 372
- SSR: 315

SSR has both a low resale purchase price and a low annual Maintenance Fee (MF). Still, that's a lot of points to be starting with.

Alternatively, consider renting points. The major DVC point renters charge $14/point.

What's the most cost-efficient really depends on your individual budget and needs. IMHO, the most cost efficient option is getting a 2-bedroom suite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek on eBay. Often, you can get one for $100/night. It's located next to Caribbean Beach Resort, so you are in easy driving distance to all WDW theme parks. If you were willing to stay offsite, I think that's your best option.

If you have to stay onsite, then the next most cost-efficient option is two connecting rooms at Pop Century or one of the All Stars. This will always be less expensive than DVC.