Weighing the pros and cons of DVC...help please if I miss something!

[Cruelladeville]

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10. What if my kids get "bored" going to Disney every other year? I don't want to make them miserable...or what if WE get bored going there and feel this is a huge mistake?

Trust me, your kids won't get bored. My kids have been going to Disney since they were babies, and they haven't gotten bored yet, and they are now 28 and 31. If you end up buying a contract, and then feel like you have made a mistake you just sell your contract. You will make all your money back.

11. By the time my younger one is in college, it will be 17 years from now, and that means there would be 17 fewer years left on the contract. It would be very difficult to sell with fewer years left, if DH and I decide to sell at that point, and even more difficult if we enjoy it ourselves for a few years and then do not want it anymore

Actually, this isn't true. I bought 3 50 year contracts, and have sold a couple of them, and they sell for a profit. I bought at $56 pp and sold at $80, which is a profit. My vacations only cost the maintainence fees, which means the vacations were very inexpensive.

12. Even though you could rent your points to someone, it is a huge risk and a big gamble to trust the person

In fact, renting points is not a risk at all for the owner, since you always maintain control of the points. It's not a big gamble to trust most of the people who are renters, because most are very honest people. The person who is renting is taking a huge risk to trust YOU!

 

[lah3hh]

I have never been taken back my the Mousekeeping at the DVC resorts. I honestly think in some ways it makes me feel more like it is my home and my responsibility. I have to take the trash out, tidy up the room, and do laundry just like home...no big deal! It almost makes me take more pride in my DVC home and actually sort of like the fact housekeeping doesn't come in every day. I can't lie...initially when I first bought into DVC this seemed different to me not having someone come in everyday and clean up the room. However now after 10 years of vacationing with DVC, I actually like it and prefer it this way.

I have never had an issue with towels or other items in the room. I usually just throw them in the laundry every day (since I have the use of washers and dryers). Sometimes when I see Mousekeepers outside my room they have even asked me how I am doing on towels.

But as it has been said earlier in this thread....if you want daily cleaning it can be had but for a price. I prefer to save the $$ there and spend it at the big Disney store.....shopping, yeah!!!

 

[Camilo]

In fact, renting points is not a risk at all for the owner, since you always maintain control of the points. It's not a big gamble to trust most of the people who are renters, because most are very honest people. The person who is renting is taking a huge risk to trust YOU!

I think it is a risk to the person renting the room as well.
If your "guest" trashes the place/steals or breaks something, it is your responsibility to pay whatever needed, right?

Camilo

 

[bangzoom6877]

I think it is a risk to the person renting the room as well.
If your "guest" trashes the place/steals or breaks something, it is your responsibility to pay whatever needed, right?

Camilo

That's one of the reasons I looked at this as a gamble. Another is payment, making sure you have a secure contract with them that states they cannot cancel, etc. So I am going into this knowing not to COUNT ON renting points out at any point, but also knowing it is an option and researching it extensively if we ever get to that point.

I would prefer to enjoy the points myself, and have a wonderful long vacation in a nice big one-bedroom every other year! DH and I work very hard and I think we deserve nice vacations!

We also talked about another pro last night. We have 2 sons. Now, I grew up with one sister, but DH has experience with a brother. He said that give it about 5 more years or so (when they are 6 and 8), they will NOT want to share a small double bed, and we would HAVE to stay at a Deluxe at Disney. He said they would probably share a queen, so a one-bedroom would work. Or, he said, they would maybe take turns...bed & floor with a sleeping bag...he said boys actually prefer this as opposed to sharing a bed! I never thought of that and then it occurred to me...from the time I was in junior high school and went on an overnight school trip, the boys NEVER shared a bed (even if BROTHERS came on the trip and shared a room, NEVER a bed!). They always took turns who slept on the floor one night and who slept in the beds the other night. I observed this in j.h.s. and in h.s. So I am sure it is very true. We girls, however, had no problem sharing. Go figure!

Anyway the point DH was making was that even if we decided to settle for a value resort or a moderate the next 2 trips when they are still pretty little, after that we would have no choice but to book deluxe so we have the space and bigger beds. And he said with a one-bedroom there is more space in case one of them chooses to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag.

We also talked about the possibility of getting bored with Disney World every other year. Then we thought of all the wonderful things to do...and different things...as the boys get older. There is Universal and Islands of Adventure, which also have more of the crazy rides that you don't find at Disney so much, Busch Gardens Tampa I believe is an hour drive from Disney, and Sea World is right in Orlando. There is also Disney Quest as they get older, there's mini golf to play in the area, lots of great things to do on the Boardwalk too so we wouldn't have to even leave the resort area! The possibilities are really endless and I don't think we will ever get bored.

DH also pointed out to me...how many different vacations would we actually do, in reality, if not Disney every other year, where the kids would have so much fun? Yes, we love cruises, but DH feels like if we go every few years, it is great because he says he feels like that is the same thing over and over. Not sure I agree entirely with this (I have been on 13 cruises and never got bored!!), but I also do see his point. He said there are a few places he would like to cruise to, like Mexico and Puerto Rico, but those can be done in 2 cruises, a few years apart. And we can also do other road trips in between Disney to show the boys some other things, but how many places would we actually go? So, we both do feel that the DVC would allow us to do the trips to Disney we would prefer to do anyway, and spread out our other vacations in the meantime. So far it is making more and more sense to buy. Ideally in the early spring so we can go summer 2010. I would book in August 2009 for July 2010 so we would need time to find what we want, make an offer, pass ROFR, and close. From what people say it takes 6-8 weeks to do all that once you find what you would like to buy.

 

[Mississippian]

1. We would be committed to WDW every other year for a while so that this pays for itself. We LOVE Disney, but through several years people change their minds about things and this is a long-term.
...
7. Only being able to do a non-WDW vacation every other year, so that we could get the most out of our points and not waste them.

FWIW, some people buy a very small contract on the resale market and go every three years.

For example, buy a 50-point Vero Beach contract for $60 per point, or $3,000. You can use these points anywhere at the 7-month window. Dues will be just over $300 per year. First year, bank your points; second year, borrow the third-year points and you have 150-points to spend, which will get you 1-bedroom for five weeknights with points left over. Repeat every third year.

 

[simpilotswife]

For our family most of the pros for buying DVC were related to the kids in terms of having space to spread out, a washer/dryer, jacuzzi bubblebaths and also a kitchen to make breakfast in the mornings or to make dinner at the end of a long day (in case the kids were overtired and needed a quieter place to eat and relax).

 

[rashba9]

Dear BangZoom,

I rarely respond to messages but feel for some reason I must to your! Probably because you sound like me... at this point you are over thinking the whole thing. You have all of the important facts to make a decision that is important to you.

Based on your discussion, you want to save money; therefore deluxe hotels are out of the question, DVC a better choice (regardless of maid service).

As you have read, and I agree, I personally would not finance. Buy a smaller package outright and borrow points from the future year. A 50 point contract on the secondary market (such as from the timeshare store) is inexpensive, buy one at the Boardwalk… then it will be you home resort if you want to plan 11 months ahead. 50-point contracts at resorts on grounds sell like hot cakes (HH and Vero sell slower)! (Should you decide it is not for you)

You mentioned eating from your room, I have done this all my life… the difference is at DVC you can eat breakfast and easily get back to your room mid-day take a break and have lunch too!

One thing not mentioned is when your kids grow and take off or refuse to go with you. One of my greatest pleasures is going with my wife. There is nothing better than sitting on my deck with a cocktail in the afternoon. We even stay in a one bedroom without the kids for a nice stay!

There is no question you can save money doing other options than DVC. As you mentioned Pop Century is a nice alternative… until you stay at DVC, you won’t go back. Heck, I have even camped and had a good time but there is no comparison.

I have rented points to other persons no problem, when they are your points; you are basically in the “driver’s seat”.

To me the bottom line is this… if you want a deluxe experience, valet parking, maid service, and a few other small “advantages” don’t buy… stay at a deluxe resort and pay the price. But now we have just gone full circle, the decision is yours!

Randy

 

[bangzoom6877]

Dear BangZoom,

I rarely respond to messages but feel for some reason I must to your! Probably because you sound like me... at this point you are over thinking the whole thing. You have all of the important facts to make a decision that is important to you.

Based on your discussion, you want to save money; therefore deluxe hotels are out of the question, DVC a better choice (regardless of maid service).

As you have read, and I agree, I personally would not finance. Buy a smaller package outright and borrow points from the future year. A 50 point contract on the secondary market (such as from the timeshare store) is inexpensive, buy one at the Boardwalk… then it will be you home resort if you want to plan 11 months ahead. 50-point contracts at resorts on grounds sell like hot cakes (HH and Vero sell slower)! (Should you decide it is not for you)

You mentioned eating from your room, I have done this all my life… the difference is at DVC you can eat breakfast and easily get back to your room mid-day take a break and have lunch too!

One thing not mentioned is when your kids grow and take off or refuse to go with you. One of my greatest pleasures is going with my wife. There is nothing better than sitting on my deck with a cocktail in the afternoon. We even stay in a one bedroom without the kids for a nice stay!

There is no question you can save money doing other options than DVC. As you mentioned Pop Century is a nice alternative… until you stay at DVC, you won’t go back. Heck, I have even camped and had a good time but there is no comparison.

I have rented points to other persons no problem, when they are your points; you are basically in the “driver’s seat”.

To me the bottom line is this… if you want a deluxe experience, valet parking, maid service, and a few other small “advantages” don’t buy… stay at a deluxe resort and pay the price. But now we have just gone full circle, the decision is yours!

Randy

Thank you Randy!! I do tend to over-think EVERYTHING!!

Yes, Pop Century is an alternative, but you are definitely right, if I get to stay DVC I will NEVER want to go back! Heck, when we did dinner in a couple of deluxe resorts I did not want to go back to Pop afterwards!!

DH and I were talking, and we decided that DVC is a great value for those who plan to go to WDW a lot anyway, not go there a lot BECAUSE they have it. That was one key factor we were talking about. We did say when we were down there that we will go back in a couple of years, and every other year thereafter until the kids grow up and don't want to go anymore! Or maybe they will want to go, that all depends on the person. I have 2 sons, and I do know quite a few grown men who love going to Disney still, and would go every year if they could! DH and I think Orlando is the perfect spot for a family vacation and also that it makes for the perfect road trip from here in NYC because we could see lots of things along the way, different every time if we so choose, and we have the ultimate vacation waiting for us every other year.

Boardwalk seems PERFECT for us, exactly what we are looking for. There are lots of things to do there, a beautiful pool area, walking distance to two of the theme parks (Epcot being one of them...tied as my favorite with the Magic Kingdom!!), several restaurants to choose from among the BW, BC and YC, a character breakfast right at the BC (for now, who knows how Disney will change things up in the future!) which is great because we decided on our last trip that we would end every trip with a character breakfast on the final morning just before we leave. We did this last month at Chef Mickey's and it was wonderful! We went to bed the last night of our trip upset that we had to leave, but also had something really nice to look forward to in the morning, so it wasn't as depressing! Boardwalk is also fewer points when staying in a standard room and would allow us to have a one-bedroom for 10 nights every other year. I know these rooms are harder to get, but with that as our home resort, I would be able to book 11 months out, and trust me, I will be on the phone exactly 11 months out!!!

Thanks again for responding to my thread! DH and I are now 99.9% sure we are buying some time in the spring!!! (Notice how close this is to 100%...I never say 100% until something is DONE!!!!)

 

[Kmango]

One of the great things about DVC (especially post addonitis) is that what you choose to do can grow and change as your family does. I'm one of the original DVC kids -- my parents joined in 1991, when I was 8 and my brother was 2ish. When my brother and I were young, we took vacations with other families, brought along the grandparents, went to the parks, etc. Once we got older, we went to the parks less and enjoyed things like golf and dining and shopping more. When I was living in Orlando one summer, my parents came down and surprised me for my birthday. When I moved to New York City, they traded in points for NYC hotels so I could stay some where while I apartment-hunted, and came to visit me that way. Now that I live in Florida, we meet up at WDW again. Not only that, when my friends come visit me from other states, we get to stay on-property as well. My brother's in college now and is a traveling athlete. My parents will probably be trading in points to go see him compete around the country as well. It's been a great way for everyone in my family to do what we love most, but also to spend time with the people we love most.

 

[labsrus1]

My wife and I have gone down to Disney for the last 3 trips without kids, and you can have a lot more fun than you think. You can come and go as you please, don't have to really be anywhere at a certian time. no crying or complaining just relax and do what you feel like. When we've gone there are times that we don't get to the parks until well afret they have opened.After taking kids trust me, going without won't be that hard to adjust to.
Chuck

 

[njmeisje]

My 2 cents in comparing DVC to the deluxes, FWIW.... We used to be dedicated POLY customers. Now we own BCVs. We realized that for 2 or 2 1/2 POLY stays, we could have bought DVC. So we finally bought in. I wish I had done it sooner. We debated like you are, because our girls are pre-teens, and we thought they would be growing out of Disney. Not so much.... What I learned is that what our family enjoys about WDW changes as the kids get older. We refocus our attention to different parks and different activites. but when we ask them where they'd like to go on vacation...WDW was always at the top.

In terms of views...I think the deluxes have better views than DVC, IMO. Nothing can replace the castle view from POLY concierge, or watching fireworks on the Poly beach in the hammocks or on a blanket with tired little ones cuddled up. These are still some of our favorite memories.

But now, we are off making new memories at BCVs. All Good.

Best of luck deciding.
Diane

 

[bangzoom6877]

My 2 cents in comparing DVC to the deluxes, FWIW.... We used to be dedicated POLY customers. Now we own BCVs. We realized that for 2 or 2 1/2 POLY stays, we could have bought DVC. So we finally bought in. I wish I had done it sooner. We debated like you are, because our girls are pre-teens, and we thought they would be growing out of Disney. Not so much.... What I learned is that what our family enjoys about WDW changes as the kids get older. We refocus our attention to different parks and different activites. but when we ask them where they'd like to go on vacation...WDW was always at the top.

In terms of views...I think the deluxes have better views than DVC, IMO. Nothing can replace the castle view from POLY concierge, or watching fireworks on the Poly beach in the hammocks or on a blanket with tired little ones cuddled up. These are still some of our favorite memories.

But now, we are off making new memories at BCVs. All Good.

Best of luck deciding.
Diane

You see, a lot of what you said sounds like some of the conversations DH and I have been having lately! One, we want to stay deluxe from now on for the bigger beds and better locations. Two, we would like to stay at either BC or BW for deluxe resorts because of the location. Three, I never heard of anyone I personally know getting bored of Disney, even if they go one or more times per year, so how could we get bored going every other year as the kids grow up? Four, a 10-night trip (the length we would go every time) at BW or BC would be so expensive that DVC would pay for itself in 3 to 4 vacations, IF we were to get the cheapest room every time we went. If we were to go for a bigger room, it would be paid for in 2 trips or less. Five, even if we were to get the family suite at the All Star Music resort just for the bigger bed and more space, it would still be around $3,000 for 10 nights, which means a resale would pay for itself in rougly 4 vacations. By the time wo go 4 times, my older son will be 11. Then what? Then, it would end up costing MORE than a DVC resale! And we would be kicking ourselves for not purchasing, as hotel prices will also go up (my older one is only 3 right now and I am basing prices on the 2009 rates...in 8 years they are also sure to go up!).

We figure we will get at least 8 uses out of DVC by the time our boys are in college. If at that point we really don't want it anymore, we could try selling, although with a 2042 expiration I don't know how much we would get on a re-sale in 15 years from now. But, we are definitely NOT buying this thinking we will make money on it, not at all. Any money we would get from selling later on would only be viewed as "it paid for part of our past vacations", something like that. But I doubt we will want to sell! Knowing DH and I we will want to go as we age, even if the kids don't want to go with us anymore! As someone above mentioned, going as a couple without kids is also a lot of fun, and is also experiencing Disney in a whole different way!

I think the only thing left for us to do is wait a few more months and then start actively looking for exactly what we want! Thank you everyone for helping us!!

 

[ckg]

I have have never been in a value for comparison but biggies for our family of 4 are the extra room in a 1 br, the washer/dryer for lighter packing and especially for bathing suits and such, the full real kitchen with everything you could realistically use (pots, pans, spatula you name it and real dishes). Essential this is a mini condo in it's entirety. I would like "services" like a Westin or Ritz Carlton or other full service place especially room service but this is not typical of this or I think most timeshares (though I could be wrong). All in all makes for a significantly better family option. If it was just me and the Mrs. I would opt for being spoiled in a full service hotel.

I will say one other thing that is really sweet is the option to bring others with you and stay together. It is especially nice to take along our good friends with us on vacation and have another family at the same speed to enjoy with.

 

[04sue06]

If you don't just love going to Disney every year or multiple times a year, I don't see the value in DVC. We have been going twice a year since 1999 and finally bought in December 2007. It really wasn't a financial decision, but something we wanted. We bought DVC instead of a boat or RV. Also, we were going to spend money on accommodations at WDW, we might as well put it into DVC. We would never stay in a value or moderate resort. Deluxe is the only way for us. DVC was perfect for us, but you may want to put your money into something else.

Your post sounds like you really don't want to spend a lot of money on vacations at WDW. That's okay. Everyone has there own priorities. Some people spend their extra money on houses or cars or gadgets or clothes (or nothing). We like to spend money on vacations. It gives us all a life time of memories.

sounds like a family who knows what they want!

 

[crisi]

In terms of views...I think the deluxes have better views than DVC, IMO. Nothing can replace the castle view from POLY concierge, or watching fireworks on the Poly beach in the hammocks or on a blanket with tired little ones cuddled up. These are still some of our favorite memories.

Views and locations are a big one for some people when comparing DVC and Deluxe - owning at Boardwalk or VAKL negates that. We've had a few DISers over the year be disappointed with DVC when they realized they couldn't overlook the lake at BCVs and SSR owners have spent some time lobbying for locations - in part for view (but I think more commonly to be close to the main pool).

 

[Coach81]

If you can financially afford it, and you love Disney, you will find over the years that this will be one of the best investments you can make FOR YOUR FAMILY IMHO.

We just bought in last year, and we have gone 2 times using our membership, and we plan to go two times for the next several years. We have the most fun at Disney, and we already have such fantastic memories with MANY MORE TO COME!!!

This coming February we will be bringing my mom and stepdad with us, everyone is so excited!!!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Views and locations are a big one for some people when comparing DVC and Deluxe - owning at Boardwalk or VAKL negates that. We've had a few DISers over the year be disappointed with DVC when they realized they couldn't overlook the lake at BCVs and SSR owners have spent some time lobbying for locations - in part for view (but I think more commonly to be close to the main pool).

Views from the room were never all that important to us, and we have never chosen accommodations on any vacation based on the view. Heck, we are the family who will stay in an inside cabin on a cruise because having a window is not important to us (and we can spend the money on other things, like shopping on the trip!). However, when we stayed at Pop Century and could see some of the Epcot higher fireworks from our window, I will admit this was a very nice thing. Mainly the reaction my 3-year-old son had to that! And I got it all on video to enjoy for years to come! But, from what I understand about BWV, you could see some of the higher fireworks from some of the standard view rooms, which would be an added bonus as well. And if not, oh well, no big deal! Like I said, we don't choose accommodations based on the view. Being in a large accommodation with all those amenities, and being able to walk to 2 of the theme parks, are the 2 things that sell us on BWV. The place really is perfect and exactly what we are looking for.

What we had originally planned on doing on future trips was staying at either the BW or BC resort because they are walking distance to Epcot and DHS. Then we saw how much it would be per night, and compared that to the price of a DVC resale at BWV, and the DVC works out much better for us financially. Still get the great location, plus a much bigger one-bedroom instead of a regular hotel room. And a KING bed and whirlpool!

 

[crisi]

Yep, everyone is different in what is important to them. I'm not a huge "view" person either - although I'd prefer not to look at a road or a dumpster or someone else's window. But for some people, view is VERY important.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Yep, everyone is different in what is important to them. I'm not a huge "view" person either - although I'd prefer not to look at a road or a dumpster or someone else's window. But for some people, view is VERY important.

I guess that's why the MK views at Contemporary are so expensive...people are willing to pay for them!! Not important to us...not at restaurants either.