What is 1 thing that you wish you knew about the DVC before

[superminnie]

4. Whenever Disney begins an announcement with "In order to enhance the members' experience ..." reach down and grab for your wallet to assure it is still there.

 

[BigEeyore]

I wish we had bought 2 or 3 smaller contracts rather than one big one. We got a 200 pt resale contract at AKV - in hindsight we should have done 100 pts at AKV and 100 pts at another home resort (probably either HHI or BCV) because #1 we'd have another home resort for booking advantage purposes and #2 better resale value if we decide to scale back down the road.
Most of all - I wish we'd joined sooner!!!

 

[hakepb]

Well, my first item is somewhat of a joke, but the second one is serious:

1. I wish I knew the price would go down so much w/i 2 years after purchase. (Mostly a joke, my first contract 100 pts @ SSR @$82 ppt was rofr'd back in 2007. Now things are passing rofr at more than $10 per pt below). Of course, I have had one great vacation by purchasing when I did and I can't really blame the tanking economy on DVC.

Still, the "loss" (which may not bbe a loss if you figure in the value of vacations you used) is a much, much, much better return on SSR than my (and a lot of American's) 401k!

(Of course do not buy DVC as a cash investment, but I still think SSR has held it's value better than any or most other non-DVC timeshares that often sell for pennies on the dollar)

 

[Golden Rose]

I wish we had considered UY more when we bought. It isn't a huge problem for us, since we go at different times of the year fairly often. But we particularly love going in Oct for F & W, and it is a month we're likely to book most years. I wouldn't have chosen our Dec UY if I'd really taken our travel habits into account.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I wish we had considered UY more when we bought. It isn't a huge problem for us, since we go at different times of the year fairly often. But we particularly love going in Oct for F & W, and it is a month we're likely to book most years. I wouldn't have chosen our Dec UY if I'd really taken our travel habits into account.

Ditto. I hate our Aug UY because of our travel habits. With that said, the other changes Disney has made really hasn't impacted me. We are still able to make reservations at the 8 - 11 or 7 month window without issue. Also, we never traded out, so the change from Interval International to RCI really hasn't impacted us.

Overall, I'm very pleased with our purchase, and have loved staying at all of the DVC resorts. We only have a couple more to go!

 

[dcamdad]

Absolutely. The DVC I own today has changed considerably from what I bought five years ago...and not for the better.

That's not to say there haven't also been some positive changes, but there has been a tremendous shift from owner satisfaction to maximizing profit under the guise of "streamlining" and "enhancing the membership experience."

If I were considering DVC today - knowing what I know now - I think I would have chosen another timeshare.

No argument here, just to add that Jim Lewis would be DVC President and traet DVC like his private sandbox.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

I wish I knew how much my needs would change. Kids get older, families move, people's tastes in parks and recreation evolve. I'm taking very different vacations than I ever anticipated. Luckily, DVC is flexible enough to accommodate me. But I wasted so much time and effort trying to buy the exact right contract for my circumstance, not realizing those circumstances would change.

 

[Deb & Bill]

No argument here, just to add that Jim Lewis would be DVC President and traet DVC like his private sandbox.

 

[starbox]

I wish I had known how DVC would change my vacation habits. When we bought in, I was a commando tour-er and I thought I'd want the cheapest rooms possible. We never swam at Disney before DVC - now it takes up half of each day.

I also hypothetically ranked my preferred resorts based on the pictures in the Dream book and dining experiences - and was totally off base.

I now know that nice balconies, good views and attractive, landscaped, well-planned pools are really important to me. I still don't hang out in the room or turn on the TV on vacation - but I love to sit on the balcony with a book and a glass of wine and I love a pool with nice adult-friendly features.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I now know that nice balconies, good views and attractive, landscaped, well-planned pools are really important to me. I still don't hang out in the room or turn on the TV on vacation - but I love to sit on the balcony with a book and a glass of wine and I love a pool with nice adult-friendly features.

Absolutely!!!

 

[rpk1951]

I think the only think I would have considered is multiple smaller contracts.

 

[Amy5000]

I now know that nice balconies, good views and attractive, landscaped, well-planned pools are really important to me. I still don't hang out in the room or turn on the TV on vacation - but I love to sit on the balcony with a book and a glass of wine and I love a pool with nice adult-friendly features.

ok...so which is your favorite resort based on that. (I've only stayed at SSR so far).

Amy

 

[starbox]

ok...so which is your favorite resort based on that. (I've only stayed at SSR so far).

Amy

AKV has nice big balconies and we've gotten savanna and pool views - both of which were very nice (although nothing beats savanna-view IMHO). They also have a beautifully landscaped pool with a really nice pool bar area with lots of shady tables and areas around the pool that are more adult - around the zero entry you get lots of kids (plus the kiddie pool is on that side) but on the other side of the bar, there's a more adult feel.

BCV has a gorgeously landscaped pool - and there are lots of spaces around the pool that are "older" since the shallow sandbar area attracts the toddler crowd. The balcony/view I had there reminded me of an SSR view - very quiet w/lots of greenery and a walking path.

SSR has my next favorite pool area - again, the whole area is nicely landscaped and the toddler-area is distinguished from the rest of the pool. I like the bigger balconies and golf-course, water, or DTD views.

VB - well, you can get an ocean view. The pool is more of a regular pool, but you can always walk down to the beach for space and quiet.

BWV has one of the best views at Disney - but it's my least favorite pool.

I do like it that food and nice outside shady tables are convenient to the pools at AKV, SSR, and VB

 

[Pluto1976]

I think the only think I would have considered is multiple smaller contracts.

My DW and I have been kicking around the idea of DVC for a few years now and had not thought of what benefits multiple smaller contracts would be. Could someone please explain?

If what I am thinking is true, it might be just what I need to convince her that DVC is for us.

 

[rkwier]

I wish that I had known more about the re-sale market, as well as the possibility of multiple contracts. That being said, I would have still made the decision to purchase at BLT , but just divided the 225 point contract into two smaller ones. We are very happy with our decision overall.

 

[starbox]

My DW and I have been kicking around the idea of DVC for a few years now and had not thought of what benefits multiple smaller contracts would be. Could someone please explain?

If what I am thinking is true, it might be just what I need to convince her that DVC is for us.

Smaller contracts give you flexability, options and are MUCH easier to sell if, down the road, your point/vacation-needs change.

Let's say you buy 260 points while your kids are young. The kids grow up, your needs change - with smaller contracts, you could sell 100 of your points to pay for college tuition, or a wedding, or some unforeseen emergency - and still retain your membership.

If you look at resale sites - 100 point contracts and smaller seller much more easily.

 

[Brownie54]

Is there any downside to breaking a contract down? It seems like a no brainer to me. If I were to buy 225 points, I would break it down to three 75 point contracts. Are there additional costs(higher closing costs)?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Is there any downside to breaking a contract down? It seems like a no brainer to me. If I were to buy 225 points, I would break it down to three 75 point contracts. Are there additional costs(higher closing costs)?

Actually, closing costs go up by the number of points you are trying to sell. On the other hand, if you sell "3" 75 pt. contracts in the future, you would pay more in closing than if you sold "1" 225 pt. contract. Of course, this assumes you the "seller" are going to pay closing...this is negotiable. All of this has no bearing on the "commission" you, the seller, must pay per contract. Lots to think about!

 

[starbox]

Actually, closing costs go up by the number of points you are trying to sell. On the other hand, if you sell "3" 75 pt. contracts in the future, you would pay more in closing than if you sold "1" 225 pt. contract. Of course, this assumes you the "seller" are going to pay closing...this is negotiable. All of this has no bearing on the "commission" you, the seller, must pay per contract. Lots to think about!

I'd add that 1)you will want to make sure your contracts share the same use year in order to simplify your reservations and 2) if purchasing directly through Disney, there is a minimum buy in amount (currently 160 I think?)

It's because of that minimum buy-in directly from Disney that smaller contracts are much more competitive on the resale market. If someone wants 200 points, they may be tempted by Disney's incentives and financing. If they are looking at 100 points or less - resale contracts have the upper hand. They tend to sell at higher per.point premiums than big contracts do.

We have a 175 pt contract and a 100 pt contract. Had I known about small contracts when I bought in, I'd have probably bought in at 200 points and done a 150 and a 50 point contract, then added 100 later.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Is there any downside to breaking a contract down? It seems like a no brainer to me. If I were to buy 225 points, I would break it down to three 75 point contracts. Are there additional costs(higher closing costs)?

If you don't already have a DVC contract and will be buying directly from Disney for your first contract, you won't be able to break 225 points up into three 75 points contracts. You have to have one contract with at least 160 points unless Disney is offering something less than 160. But if you buy a resale first, you can buy any number of points for your first contract.

There are many smaller contracts that never even make it to the resellers' websites because they get sold so quickly.

Actually, closing costs go up by the number of points you are trying to sell. On the other hand, if you sell "3" 75 pt. contracts in the future, you would pay more in closing than if you sold "1" 225 pt. contract. Of course, this assumes you the "seller" are going to pay closing...this is negotiable. All of this has no bearing on the "commission" you, the seller, must pay per contract. Lots to think about!

I've sold two of my five contracts and never paid the closing costs. In both cases the buyer paid the closing costs. All I paid was the commission to the agent which would be the same no matter if it was one contract or five, as long as the number of points was the same.