What would YOU do if buying first-time into DVC today?

[Superman1011]

Just my 2 cents. I am 36 and have grown up on Disney. Living in NC it’s only an 8 hour drive. I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the many family trips to BCV, VGF, or BW. Disney is home. Wife and I go on our own as well and typically use Marriott (previously SPG points) to stay at Swan and Dolphin. Free trips, except for the fact that you can’t avoid $20 to park and $30 resort fee. Regardless these are the vacations we expect and enjoy. All deluxe all the time. And the deluxe resorts aren’t cheap. DVC beats the rack rate for these accommodations every time. All the math in the world, due increases included, still prove that DVC makes more sense if you are going to use them regularly and want certain accommodations.

We recently attempted to branch out and visited the Atlantis in the Bahamas. We could not have been more miserable and regretted not just going to Disney the entire time. While a “luxury” resort (Stayed at Cove), everything about it was not Disney. And that’s just the hotel and service!

Moral is there are always cheaper options to get a trip to WDW. But if it’s an expectation and lifestyle, DVC does make it easier in the long run to enjoy the deluxe resorts.