What to expect?

[DebRMN]

I am not a DVC owner. I have been to Disney the last 2 years with my family of 5. We have stayed offsite both years.

I shop at the mall that has the 1st offsite 'preview center' (at least that I am aware of). I have an appointment next week.
They have a full scale 2 bedroom AKV in their center.
I am wondering what to expect. Are the guides a hard sell/pushy? I see some people here had their tour but didn't buy until years later. My dh will not be going with me.... I don't think.

I am trying to read here some of the pros & cons. It seems a disadvantage for us is the time of planning. We are definitely a 2-3 month (or less) out planning family.
I have been getting confused with the points & $$ & the 16,000(or so) cost....& then yearly dues(based on how many points you 'buy'

I am interested but, also have a hard time wraping my brain around the cost
when we spend SO much less for a 5 bedroom house than for a standard room at most of the resorts.
I don't want to waste Disney's Doorway to Dreams 'guide' time, but yet would like to hear about it, if I am not going to be pressured into something.

Thanks

 

[rinkwide]

...we spend SO much less for a 5 bedroom house than for a standard room at most of the resorts...

The simple rule is; If you can tolerate staying off-site, do it.

 

[tjkraz]

The simple rule is; If you can tolerate staying off-site, do it.

Yup, that pretty much says it all.

You won't be wasting anyone's time--they don't expect to close 100% of the time. And it will be valuable to you to get the overview. But the costs will be several times higher than staying off-site. Most of us know that going in, but to us it's worth the extra expense to be able to walk to Epcot in 10 minutes (from the Boardwalk) or Downtown Disney in 15 minutes (Saratoga Springs) or to have a real, live animal preserve just outside the balcony (Animal Kingdom Villas.) We like having immediate access to uniquely-themed pool and recreation areas, restaurants and even shopping complexes.

It's definitely a case where "different strokes" applies.

 

[castleri]

Also from your vacationing strategy of planning only a couple of months out it would most likely not be a good fit unless you travel at really slow(DVC) times. These are not always the slow Disney times. Always stayed offsite until 1997 and since then only do it to save weekend points during the high point seasons. The convenience of being on site is what keeps us DVC members - no dealing with the traffic at park closing is one of my big reasons for staying on site also.
When we did the tour in 1997 we actually told the guide we just wanted to ask a few questions and get some answers as we were convinced it probably wasn't for us. We had also done a couple of HARD sell presentations for other places here in NE and didn't want to sit through that. She answered all our questions explained the point system, the need for advance planning and how it wouldn't be a good fit for those who could or would not do that, and the costs and financing as well as how many points would be a good amount for our family size and vacationing needs. She then gave us the literature which we took outside to the boardwalk and looked at over a beer and some nachos. Later that afternoon the DVC member at the kiosk in the BW welcomed us home when he saw the canvas bag I was carrying with all my new DVC papers. By all means go and ask your questions, listen to what they have to say and then compare what you pay now, what you are willing to put up with staying offsite(there are also some good points) and compare everything before you make a final decision. It is a great program for thousands of us but it is also not for everyone. I was fortunate to not have to finance my first two contracts so that made a difference also. The third one I have been flipping from credit card to credit card with 0 percent offers and am still paying for it but less than if I have financed through Disney. The value of the contracts has stayed at least what I paid or more on the resale market so at present my only real costs have been the maintenance fees for each year. That of course will change when the resale starts to drop but I really never expected it to maintain the level it has after hearing what other timeshares go for on the resale market. I also hope to never have to sell.

 

[DebRMN]

thanks for the advice. *I* would love to stay onsite......it would be a matter of convincing my dh financially.
I am taking note of all that is said here & making a list of questions to see if it would be a good match for us. I don't mind making plans way in advance, we just have been lucky enough to be able to do short notice vacations.

I just was wondering what to expect because I didn't want to go in there COMPETELY clueless to the program, kwim?

 

[dismorgh]

We went to a presentation in July in the MK. There was no sales pressure to buy, buy, buy. They did ask that we make a decision within a week of getting home from our vacation, just so they would know if we were serious or not, and to take advantage of a few different offers going on. When I explained that our vacation was two prong, and we wouldn't be heading straight home after Disney, he said, no problem. He took down our actual get home date, and added a week to that on his paperwork. Very low key, and no bothersome phone calls all the time.

We are looking at a Disney vacation at least yearly, and maybe more often in the future, so it was a good fit for us. We only wish to stay on-site, since we fly in and do not want to rent a car each time. We also like locking in today's rates for tomorrows vacations, since the point totals for each resort can never go up over-all, the savings 20 years from now can be enormous.

It is true that planning is needed, but we think that planning is part of the fun of the vacation! For our trip in July, we have ressies for SSR, plane tickets reserved, annual pass vouchers purchased, and ADRs listed! We talk about the vacation almost every day!

We certainly agree it is not for everyone. We had looked at possibly doing exchanges in the future, but have since seen that DVC value really resides in the DVC resorts. Of course, Disney has announced DVC in California and Hawaii now, so they are expanding to areas that would have required an exchange before. This will make it more valuable in the future as more resorts elsewhere in the world open up.

The other thing to be careful of is addonitis! We already have it, and we haven't even gone on a DVC vacation yet!

Good luck!

 

[TiggerMan2007]

You have to think of it as a real estate investment as well as future vacations. You can always sell your DVC in 5-10 years down the road and get all if not more than your initial investment back, because it is real estate.

The initial cost = House value
Anual Dues = Utilities to own your house

With a family of 5, you will most likely need about 300 pts a year depending what time of year you would like to go, so you can enjoy a 2 bedroom villa for your family to stay a week most anytime of year. 243 - 316 points for a 2 bedroom @ Saratoga Springs on average except spring break and Christmas week. Only 218 - 296 to stay at Old Key West. A lot of people will just stay Sun - Thursday and save on points.

Try starting with 200 pts @ $94.00 a point plus around $200 closing costs. (You can always add points later on, they offer great incentives for add ons.)

Initial investment is $19,000
Anual Dues $830

$850 average anual dues x 50 years = $42,500

$42,500
$19,000
---------------
$61,500 estimated total investment for 50 years.

$61,000 divided by 50 years = and average of $1230.00 a year for a gauranteed room ON SITE in a Disney Property every year.

$1230.00 a year is what it works out to be roughly to have a room each year for a vacation anywhere. So you have to compare that to what you usually spend on a hotel for your vacations. You can also sign your DVC ownership over to your kids later on in life. Also you don't have to stay at Disney, there are hotels and vacations all of the USA and the World you can try as well.

 

[TiggerMan2007]

It appears that rumors have already begun that the end date of this promotion is soon to be announced....hearing early Feb.

Summary:
New Member WITH Referral

225 pt minimum purchase (to obtain Developer's Points)
$96 per point net ($104 - $8 incentive) at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas
$94 per point net ($104 - $10 incentive) at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
One-time bonus of 160 Developer's Points

This is an attractive bonus for those considering DVC ownership at this time. Those who do not have a referral on file will receive the cash discount but will NOT be eligible to receive the Developer's Points.

This offer is open to any new member looking to purchase directly from DVC. You do not need to have a referral currently on-file in order to qualify for this offer. The name/address of a referring member must simply be provided at the time of purchase.

Remember....prices will only rise and if you've done the homework and it seems right for your family...now might be the time to take the plunge.

Above shows the current promotions. I f you need a referral please PM me and I can help.

 

[Granny]

I am trying to read here some of the pros & cons. It seems a disadvantage for us is the time of planning. We are definitely a 2-3 month (or less) out planning family.

Unless you will habitually travel at the lowest demand times of the year, DVC isn't a great option for short lead time planners.

There is definitely a premium to stay on-site at a Disney resort, including DVC. For many, it just isn't worth it. For others, they feel it's an important part of the vacation.

No right or wrong here...but if staying on-site isn't that big of a deal for you (as a family), I'd suggest taking a pass on DVC.

What DVC does do is make the on-site premium more affordable for frequent visitors...while upgrading from regular resort rooms.

Good luck with your decision process.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Right, And what they say was it was with a Referral so why would you jump in and say if they needed one to PM you.
That is definetely stepping on someone elses toes.That was not right and down right rude
I think that if someone has already offered it should not be said by anyone else how is that even right?

Above shows the current promotions. I f you need a referral please PM me and I can help.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Right, And what they say was it was with a Referral so why would you jump in and say if they needed one to PM you.
That is definetely stepping on someone elses toes.That was not right and down right rude
I think that if someone has already offered it should not be said by anyone else how is that even right?

Above shows the current promotions. I f you need a referral please PM me and I can help.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Right, And what they say was it was with a Referral so why would you jump in and say if they needed one to PM you.
That is definetely stepping on someone elses toes.That was not right and down right rude
I think that if someone has already offered it should not be said by anyone else how is that even right?

Above shows the current promotions. I f you need a referral please PM me and I can help.

 

[rinkwide]

Right, And what they say was it was with a Referral so why would you jump in and say if they needed one to PM you.
That is definetely stepping on someone elses toes.That was not right and down right rude
I think that if someone has already offered it should not be said by anyone else how is that even right?

Fourth time's the charm.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Right, And what they say was it was with a Referral so why would you jump in and say if they needed one to PM you.
That is definetely stepping on someone elses toes.That was not right and down right rude
I think that if someone has already offered it should not be said by anyone else how is that even right?

ummm the post was from another thread simply discussing the current incentives, it was copied for a refernce. no one here previously offered a referral

 

[sjdisneywedding]

You have to think of it as a real estate investment as well as future vacations. You can always sell your DVC in 5-10 years down the road and get all if not more than your initial investment back, because it is real estate.

The initial cost = House value
Anual Dues = Utilities to own your house

With a family of 5, you will most likely need about 300 pts a year depending what time of year you would like to go, so you can enjoy a 2 bedroom villa for your family to stay a week most anytime of year. 243 - 316 points for a 2 bedroom @ Saratoga Springs on average except spring break and Christmas week. Only 218 - 296 to stay at Old Key West. A lot of people will just stay Sun - Thursday and save on points.

Try starting with 200 pts @ $94.00 a point plus around $200 closing costs. (You can always add points later on, they offer great incentives for add ons.)

Initial investment is $19,000
Anual Dues $830

$850 average anual dues x 50 years = $42,500

$42,500
$19,000
---------------
$61,500 estimated total investment for 50 years.

$61,000 divided by 50 years = and average of $1230.00 a year for a gauranteed room ON SITE in a Disney Property every year.

$1230.00 a year is what it works out to be roughly to have a room each year for a vacation anywhere. So you have to compare that to what you usually spend on a hotel for your vacations. You can also sign your DVC ownership over to your kids later on in life. Also you don't have to stay at Disney, there are hotels and vacations all of the USA and the World you can try as well.

Its not real estate, its real estate with an expiration date attached to it.

also the annual dues numbers are WAY off. over 50 years you better plan on at least doubling or actually probably closer to tripling that number

 

[TiggerMan2007]

Its not real estate, its real estate with an expiration date attached to it.

also the annual dues numbers are WAY off. over 50 years you better plan on at least doubling or actually probably closer to tripling that number

Dues will rise over the 50 years, yes! I would hope it would not get to the doubling facter, but this is Disney.

On the other hand, so will off-site hotel rates rise over that same 50 yrs as well.

These are all good things to keep in mind when joining. It;s a matter person preference and a family choice. Good thing is that you do not always have to go to Disney, there are many other resorts you can take advanatge of all over the place.

 

[tjkraz]

You have to think of it as a real estate investment as well as future vacations. You can always sell your DVC in 5-10 years down the road and get all if not more than your initial investment back, because it is real estate.

I think you're running a little loose with the term "investment" when it comes to DVC. There aren't many true investments that one knows will be valueless in another 45 years.

The high resale value of DVC points is something to consider, but I wouldn't put it very high on my list. It may be the final factor that convinces someone to take the plunge (since it does help mitigate some risk), but I wouldn't suggest anyone buy on the assumption that they can make a profit selling in a few years.

I've looked at off-site villa rentals before and if that's what OP is comparing against, there's little chance of DVC looking better financially. In many cases you can rent a private 3 or 4 bedroom villa for a week for less than the cost of the dues alone on the same number of nights in a DVC two bedroom.

There are many people who don't feel the pull to stay on-site...or even if they would LIKE to stay on-site, they don't view the premium prices as justification for feeding that desire.

 

[DebRMN]

tjkraz~ Yes, off site villas are what I was referring to. Our first year we rented a 4 bdrm, last year was a 5 bedroom with pool heat included for 9 nights at $1100.

I can see how DVC wouldn't compare financially, to THAT......but I am trying to see other benefits, that might make up for it.

I would like to stay on site from time to time, possibly even all the time.....for the 'magic', & I do forsee us taking a lot of Disney vacations, considering our kids are still very young.

The last time I stayed on site was in Jan 2000....just me & dh, & we stayed a value resort (with friends who had dd)

 

[crisi]

Dues will rise over the 50 years, yes! I would hope it would not get to the doubling facter, but this is Disney.

On the other hand, so will off-site hotel rates rise over that same 50 yrs as well.

These are all good things to keep in mind when joining. It;s a matter person preference and a family choice. Good thing is that you do not always have to go to Disney, there are many other resorts you can take advanatge of all over the place.

Of course it will double. At a 3% annual increase starting 2008 at $4.25 a point:

You'll double in 2032
You'll triple in 2045

And that assumes only a 3% increase in dues - I'd expect it to be somewhat higher for planning purposes.

 

[RosiePosie35]

We had gone to DWTD store in august just to see what it looked like. They asked if we wanted to see a guide, no pressure though. We said sure. The rooms was beuitful, and an hour later we were owners. We had seen the tour at WDW a few years ago. AKV is what sold us. It was able to accomidate a family of five in a 1 bedroom. The other resorts couldn't. That is what really made it work for us.

Go and see, there is no pressure to buy. It is a little piece of disney magic outside outside of WDW.