When do you start to save money?

[Dean]

And who among us (I know SOME would) would be splurging for a hotel room for our husband's sister and her good for nothing husband because their children have never been to Disney? Yet DVCers do this all the time

There is at least one member of DIS that routinely stayed in suite's at Disney prior to being involved with DVC. Obviously with this as a comparison, DVC is a no brainer.

 

[JimMIA]

It seems like there are a number of DVC owners on here who have been owners for a lot longer than me and don't feel like it was a good decision.

I have not read that into very many of the posts on this thread, or others like it. What I see is some critical thinking, usually triggered by prospective buyers focusing on the minutiae of DVC or sales points which responding posters believe to be of dubious value. The two biggest mistakes I see prospective buyers make are using non-DVC points uses and fuzzy "math" to manipulate a justification for what they want to do in the first place.

I think most of the "negative" posts you see are attempts to redirect folks back to the REAL benefits of DVC rather than the noise.

...what in your opinion is the best alternative to buying DVC and why:

I don't think there is ONE best alternative. Everybody's different and there is no "one size fits all" solution.

1) renting points

I personally think this is a vastly UNDER-utilized alternative. Yes there is a small amount of risk on both sides, but most rentals go through without a hitch. Renting a DVC reservation gives you the same lodging at a very attractive price, and with zero long-term committment.

2) paying cash with discounts/free dining

Cash is king, but my personal opinion is that "free" dining (and the DDP generally) is a ripoff.

3) buying offsite timeshare

First -- with DVC or any other timeshare -- you have to determine that it's in your best interest to get involved with any timeshare. Again, it's the long-term committment thing -- 30-50 years with DVC, eternal with many other systems.

Once you answer that basic question "yes," I personally think it is wise to explore the whole timeshare universe, rather than just DVC. There are a number of good systems out there, and one or more of them may offer better features for a particular family than DVC.

However, probably the worst decision you could ever make is to sell yourself on DVC and then buy a different timeshare without thoroughly investigating it. If you do that, you're almost guaranteed to make a very bad decision. TUG is probably the best resource for general timeshare industry research.

If you are considering another timeshare system, two things you should know.

1. Do NOT buy an Orlando area timeshare. The area is grossly overbuilt, you'll have reduced trading power, and in most systems you will not have the option of trading INTO DVC.
2. Carefully investigate resale. With DVC resale, you can save 10% - 50%. With many other systems, the savings approach 100%. You can buy many fine timeshare system contracts literally for $1.00 on eBay.

 

[JimMIA]

One additional comment on OFFSITE timeshares. Renting an offsite timeshare is an even better deal than renting DVC. You can typically rent a 2 BR at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for WAY less than $1,000 (like $700-$800) for an entire week.

There are also a lot of other options offsite, including townhouses, vacation homes, etc, etc, etc. The variety is almost limitless.