What Caused you to make the decision to buy in?

[TSMIII]

We bought last year after our first trip. DD was 6. Split stay between POFQ & OKW(on a friend's soon to expire points).

After 9 days of pure, "forget about the outside world" joy and realizing we hadn't even begun to see it all, we realized we'd be coming back many times in the coming years.

We met several people while at OKW who related their experiences and talked with a couple of friends who were members - so we decided to take the tour while there.

The thing that probably clinched it for us, was talking with a family we met at OKW whose teenage son told us how much he loved going to WDW every year while growing up - to us, there could be no better testimonial than a kid with 12+ years of fond memories who still loved going every year!

 

[StormTigger]

Does getting to fill in another box on the "The Disney Addict" check sheet count as a reason?

 

[Chellymouse]

DH and I thought about it 4 years before we bought in and it just wasn't the right time for us. 3 trips, wanting to upgrade our accomodations and 4 years later, we bought in. However, we were in a better financial position when we bought in rather than 4 years ago as well. DH finally caved when he figured out what is has been costing us to go every year, every other year and the value, it was time. Also, our friends went with us on our last trip and they bought in (it was their first visit ever to WDW) and they called us "stupid" for not doing it sooner!

 

[Granny]

Soooo... What finally caused you to buy in?

They built a DVC at WL. That was all it took.

 

[wildernessDad]

Have been a huge Disney fan since I was a little kid. My first trip to WDW was in 1973. Had lived in Florida for 9 years and gone to WDW too many times to count. Moved out of FL and had gotten away from Disney for a bit. Wife suggested that we go to WDW for a much-needed vacation. This was in 2005. Saw the DVC person sitting at WL, where we were staying. Thought, "No time to do that." It turned out that we did have some time, so we took the tour. We bought 150 points at VWL and have since added on another 150 at VWL and 150 at AKV. I plan on giving my granddaughter AKV when she is older.

 

[AdamJ]

Hi all:

Boy it really is neat hearing everyone's different stories. Mine goes like this:

I didn't go to WDW until I was like 14 years old - and I loved it. My wife went dozens of times growing up. We met in high school, went a number of times during college at UF (go Gators!) and honeymooned at the Poly. We saw the DVC signs back then but didn't really look into it, being poor college kids and all. My wife and I both worked for The Disney Store back in the days when it was actually owned by the Disney Co.

Fast forward, we move to Denver. And went in 2003 (Grosvenor), 2005 w/ our son who was 16 mo (Pop Century) and then 2007 (AS Music). My brother and his wife are DVC members (SSR). They were telling us how much we liked it. We took the tour, were really intrigued but said, "No way we can justify the cost." Well after regretting that I put up my first post on the DisBoards and we just sprung for it (225 points at AKV).

We know that we'll be going once a year (boy would I like more). And after staying in a 2BR at SSR a few weeks ago (our initial DVC purchase budgeted on a 1BR) on incentive points. And we're doing a 2 BR at AKV in late Oct with the points we banked because of the incentive points. Something tells me that in a couple years I'll be adding on to make a 2 BR a regular occurrence (I think we're going to have family with us a lot more than previously thought.)

 

[bwvBound]

We joined DVC when our employer suggested we find "off-campus" housing for our annual work-related visit. While they had covered our hotel costs at the Dolphin, Swan, Yacht or Beach Club for years 1996-2003 ... the ride ended and we faced a decision: pay our own room costs "on campus" or accept free rooms away from the action? We chose DVC in order to remain w/in walking distance of the Dolphin, Swan and Yacht-Club conference facilities.

So like you, it wasn't a special bargain or developer points ... just the right time.

Mary Beth and I had been to WDW with our kids in 92 or 93, and we looked at OKW.... really liked it, but weren't ready yet (not something we could afford yet). We visited WDW a few more times over the next five years... Our guide (Rapheal) called us in 98 and we just decided that it was time..... so we bought into BWV sight unseen. Wasn't any special bargain or developer points... just the right time.

Soooo... What finally caused you to buy in?

 

[HolidayRoad]

What I mean is I sit here and watch my kids grow up so fast. It seems like you blink and and there a year older. This all hit me when my DD was about two and my DS, four and I realized that the there were places to go with a child who was two but my four year old was outgrowing it. Even TV shows that my DD was watching my son now had no interest in and that's when it really hit me, you can never go back, you can't do it later, I'm not Peter Pan and there is no stopping this. So as I was watch the little mile stones go by and realized what was happening I said well, I may not be able to stop it but I sure as heck can try to get the most out of it. I don't have tons of money and it wasn't easy to be able to get to the point where we could buy but you can always make more money, I have the rest of my life to do that but the precious few years I have with my children while they are still my babies, those are numbered, my DD is now nine and my DS is about to turn eleven. So I decided to buy DVC and have the greatest time possible every time I take the family down there. Because for those short time periods your at WDW you don't age and I am Peter Pan even if it's just for a little while. That's why I bought DVC.

 

[RLRDA]

After visiting WDW in '98, '02 and '04 we finally got wise to the fact that we were Disney People! We took the tour during our '04 trip and were hooked....I'm embarassed to say for such a large $$ purchase we did little (actually "No") research other than knowing we could finally afford it without financing it. At the time we were also expecting the arrival of our third child which pretty much tipped the scales due to the need for larger accomodations.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We first stayed on-site in '92 and saw the DVC info on the TV. We thought it looked like a good idea, but didn't explore it further until a couple years later. By then we were ready to take the tour and loved what we saw, but we had NO experience with timeshares, so we decided to wait and do some research. Our research showed us that DVC was significantly different than a lot of other timeshares around at the time, so we decided DVC made total sense to us. You see, we were staying in deluxes and spending upwards of $5000 a trip, so we knew it was going to make financial sense too. Then we decided for it to make the most financial sense, we needed to wait until we could pay in full, so we continued to wait for 3 more years! We finally purchased in 1997 and started with a 230 point contract. We found out very quickly that wouldn't be enough, so we added on another 150 point contract teh next year. We had the option to buy BWV, but didn't care for those units at all, so both our contracts were at OKW. We consider DVC to be the single best purchase we have made with the exception of our houses.

 

[mygirl]

What I mean is I sit here and watch my kids grow up so fast. It seems like you blink and and there a year older. This all hit me when my DD was about two and my DS, four and I realized that the there were places to go with a child who was two but my four year old was outgrowing it. Even TV shows that my DD was watching my son now had no interest in and that's when it really hit me, you can never go back, you can't do it later, I'm not Peter Pan and there is no stopping this. So as I was watch the little mile stones go by and realized what was happening I said well, I may not be able to stop it but I sure as heck can try to get the most out of it. I don't have tons of money and it wasn't easy to be able to get to the point where we could buy but you can always make more money, I have the rest of my life to do that but the precious few years I have with my children while they are still my babies, those are numbered, my DD is now nine and my DS is about to turn eleven. So I decided to buy DVC and have the greatest time possible every time I take the family down there. Because for those short time periods your at WDW you don't age and I am Peter Pan even if it's just for a little while. That's why I bought DVC.

we are looking into our first DVC purchase. you post brought me to tears! i just want to hang onto these years as long as humanly possible...

 

[WendyinNC]

For us it was a combo of two four things:

1. me going back to work after staying home to raise babies and buying a house - meaning we had a reliable sense of what our income would be for the next 10-15 years.

2. realizing we were sold on staying on property and not in values.

3. a situation at work that caused me to earn an extra 7,000 - but only for one year. I wanted to do something significant with the money.

4. realizing that I really, really needed a spring break trip, and that I likely would have to travel alone with the kids to make it happen, and that staying DVC was a vacation I was comfortable enough doing alone.

Count me in for #4. My DH cannot always go on vacation with us or sometimes he can only come for part of the time. There are only two places I feel comfortable taking 4 kids by myself: Disney World and Blowing Rock, NC. (The beach stresses me out since I can't chase a toddler and keep an eye on the other kids.) Anyway, after child #4 came along we could no longer fit in a hotel room. I was already spoiled with Deluxe Resorts, but two rooms would be way too much money to spend. After #4 was born I purchased DVC and 2 weeks at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, NC. Now I take 3-4 vacations per year with or without my beloved DH.

Now I better get packing. I leave on Sunday for BWV!

 

[HolidayRoad]

we are looking into our first DVC purchase. you post brought me to tears! i just want to hang onto these years as long as humanly possible...

I agree hang on as long as possible!

 

[goofylarry46]

My wife mentioned DVC to me several times and talked about the resale market. When we were there in February 2004, I talked her into taking a tour. We got a great guide. Before he took us on the tour, he sat in the lobby and talked to us about our trip, how we were enjoying ourselves and why we had chosen to take time out of our day to do the DVC tour. He wanted to know what we wanted DVC to do for us. Then we took the tour and we really liked it. My wife thought it would be too expensive and that we wouldn't be able to afford it. When our guide explained everything to us, we realized it really wasn't that expensive. We told him we'd have to think about it, even though we knew we wanted it. We went back to our room at AKL and we talked about it for about 5 minutes - really! We called him back about an hour after we took the tour. We've added on three times since then! Over the years, we have become good friends with our guide and we meet him and his wife for lunch or dinner each time we are at WDW when he is in town.

 

[Anal Annie]

We were being priced out of being able to afford to stay in the deluxe resorts! Our first trip on site with DS was to AKL and we LOVED that trip. The next time we cut back & stayed in a Mod. (Coronado Springs) and it was OK, but we could see the diff. and DS missed AKL. Next trip was on DCL and to DL...then when we went to plan a trip back to WDW and I couldn't believe that it was going to cost almost as much to go to a value resort as what that first trip cost to AKL!! The year that we stayed at Corondao they were still doing like pre-construction pricing at SSR...we were SO kicking ourselves at how much we could've saved if we'd have bought THEN. So we just decided it was time. It was an investment in our future vacations and in DS's future and probably in our grandkids vacations. If we could hardly afford it how would they ever go?! That thought pretty much sealed it for us!

 

[zalansky]

What I mean is I sit here and watch my kids grow up so fast. It seems like you blink and and there a year older. This all hit me when my DD was about two and my DS, four and I realized that the there were places to go with a child who was two but my four year old was outgrowing it. Even TV shows that my DD was watching my son now had no interest in and that's when it really hit me, you can never go back, you can't do it later, I'm not Peter Pan and there is no stopping this. So as I was watch the little mile stones go by and realized what was happening I said well, I may not be able to stop it but I sure as heck can try to get the most out of it. I don't have tons of money and it wasn't easy to be able to get to the point where we could buy but you can always make more money, I have the rest of my life to do that but the precious few years I have with my children while they are still my babies, those are numbered, my DD is now nine and my DS is about to turn eleven. So I decided to buy DVC and have the greatest time possible every time I take the family down there. Because for those short time periods your at WDW you don't age and I am Peter Pan even if it's just for a little while. That's why I bought DVC.

Ok, I am about to cry reading this! This was also one of the reasons we finally bought in. My DD was 5 months old and our DS had just turned 3. This was one of the best decisions we have ever made. Vacationing at DVC is creating the most wonderful memories for our family. Also, I had lost my mom years earlier and then my Dad too after our initial purchase - which prompted me to do our add-on at AKV. Life certainly IS too short.

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

We stayed at the All Stars!

4 People in that little room

We decided we deserved the best but didn't want to pay rack rates

so we bought into DVC at the BW in 2005

 

[SanDeeKath]

Announcement of GCV! It's a no brainer for a West Coast family!

 

[deej696]

We are in a little bit different scenerio than a lot of DVC members here. I am in the process of starting my family. My DF and I will be married at Disney in December. Luckily, I found someone who is perhaps an even bigger Disney nut than I am. When I was a kid, my family visited Disney several times a year, with one trip being for 10 days, so I grew up on Disney. We decided about a year ago that DVC made sense for us, because we visited about once a month, and usually stayed at the BW or BC. We also knew that we wanted to have children, and with two Disney nuts like us for parents, we knew we would be spending a lot of our vacations there. So we decided to buy DVC now, so that when kids did come into the picture, we would have that paid for except dues, which would take a lot of pressure off of us. My logic was if we had DVC, we would never have to decide between new school clothes, or taking an overnight trip to Mickey at the end of summer. My hope is that having DVC will help allow me to provide my children with the same fond memories I have from childhood.....

 

[lisareniff]

My DH not wanting to go to WDW lead us to buy DVC!! Strange logic huh?

I really wanted to go to WDW and DH did not. He agreed IF we could make it more agreeable to him. Golf clubs helped. I was starting to look at suites and connecting rooms (that are not guaranteed) at deluxes of course. After realizing how much money that would cost and spending a few days (OK weeks) on the DISboards calls were made and we purchased with out even steping foot inside WDW in 20 years! So far it was the right decision for us
...and I've gotten DH to go to WDW a few more times!