Why Dont you do DVC??

[Bradsdadg]

We have DVC. And I love it. I'm glad we can stay at deluxe resorts from now on. The others just aren't my style. A PP mentioned the perks, I actually think there are some good perks if you use them. 10-15% off alot of meals and some shopping. Also approx $100 off APs. We aren't locked into just going to Disney each year, because we are also lucky enough to go on two trips a year. One to Disney and one to another part of the country.

 

[livie1205]

I think those of you who responded as to why you won't buy DVC are listing all the exact reasons why DVC won't work for everyone.

We are DVC members and own at 2 resorts. My dues cost me $900 per year. both my contracts are paid in full so that is my only expense, the dues. for $900 a year I get two 6 day vacations, one in a 1 bedroom, the other in a studio. I have never got "stuck" with having to stay somewhere I didn't want. and we have gone at all different times of the year. Personally I like all the DVC resorts and have no problem staying at any of them. Of course I have some I like more than others!. You don't buy DVC as an investment, or to get Disney perks. You buy it to have pre paid vacations in deluxe accommodations and to not have to worry about getting discounts or worry about room prices going up. the biggest discount DVC gets is about $100 off annual passes. We do take advantage of that but that is not a reason to buy into DVC. someone mentioned pool hopping. There is only 3 pools we cannot hop over to, BLT, BCV, and AKV. We can hop to any other pool on property. For me, I love planning and can plan a trip 11 months in advance easily. But there have been times I have booked my DVC trip 3 weeks before I wanted to go and we got a room, and that trip was the last week in April! Maybe we have just nee lucky!

This is a great thread and I think anyone who is considering DVC should read this and ask themselves these questions that some of you have said.

Oh, one more thing, you can trade out and go all over the world with DVC and use your points for the Disney Cruise, California, and now the DVC resort in Hawaii!!

Does that 900.00 include food,tix and getting there? no so you are spending 900.00 a year for JUST the room..and then add food and tix for next week and you are spending more then I am and we stay deluxe also.I have never went without a pin or some other discount.If we stayed at a value (we do sometimes) I get 2 whole trips for what you are paying. I think that is the point of the people here saying why they DONT do DVC.PLUS you may have your paid for but you are not really just spending 900.00 (dues) for the 2 weeks but you spent upwards of 14,000 then the extra 900.00 a year from now until it expires...most people pay monthly for the DVC and also pay the dues...THAT is wayyyy to much for 2 weeks of room only.

 

[pickles]

if you are a value resort person then you are right DVC makes no sense for you

You can get resale pretty cheap right now depending upon the resort maybe around $70 a pt. most resorts the Maintain fees are $4 or so a point. so if you bought 100 pts you would owe around $400 yearly fees and the initial buy in on the above scenario is $7,000.
So, each year you pay the $400 you only pay the $7,000 once when you first buy the contract.

For that right now, I get discounted AP's and save $100 or so a year on those.
Personally, what my family saves on AP's covers our MFees

I get access to the dining plan whenever I want to stay, I dont have to buy tickets or jump any hoops to get it(stay a certain amount of time etc)
I get 10-20% discount in many stores they have.
There are several table service restaurants I can get 10% off, I dont have to do anything but show my DVC card

I also get the ability to hop to almost any pool I want no fear of being thrown out. I get deluxe accomdations which include a washer and dryer(or free use of one) so i save on washing clothes and dont have to bring so many when we go. I have access to at least a fridge and in our case a full kitchen and while we dont cook on vacation, it is nice to be able to put a gallon milk in the fridge, eat breakfast in the am. Unlike the value folks who pay extra for their fridge or do that "sign up here for the fridge" thing. I dont have to worry about it
If i can go for a couple years I can easily rent my points out.
I have bought and sold contracts and my vacations on the points I owned were essentially FREE by the time I got done.

DVC is not for everyone, but it certainly can make sense and be worth at least as much as a cheap vacation at a value resort

Oh and the 100pt scenario would give you the same size accomadation as a value for a whole week almost any week at AKV and you can do that every year for the next 50 years and just spend that original $7,000. that comes out to $140 a WEEK (over the 50 years) lets see you stay at a value for that!!

 

[PFlamingo]

We visit Disney twice a year and usually make two other trips to Orlando just to visit my family there. I ran the numbers, and we would probably break even or do slightly better with DVC, if and only if we bought on the resale market. But... we don't like the idea of financing it, so we will wait until we can buy it outright.

 

[mamaLori05]

reasons why DVC isn't for us:
-we like the value resorts
-The upfront cost is INSANE, let alone the yearly fee's on top of that
-we don't go to Disney every year, we tend to go every other year and other places the alternating year.
-You pay a ton and they don't even clean your room, take out your garbage, make your bed, or give you fresh towels daily. I like mouskeeping when on vacation. I don't want to do all that stuff when I'm on vacation, let alone have time when at Disney. Plus I would never get any towel animals then, and my kids like to come back to the room and find their stuffed animals doing funny things (like holding the remote, or peeking out the window).
-there's just that little extra magic from mouskeeping when staying at the resorts, vs DVC units.

 

[Colleen27]

For us, right now it is just a question of timing. Disney is running such great discounts that we don't really feel there's much advantage in it at the moment.

We do plan to buy in to AKV or BLT in a couple years, because once our youngest turns three our non-DVC options become more limited, more expensive, and less desirable - we want at least moderate-level amenities and didn't like POR's location, so we'll be looking at the ($$$) deluxes that sleep 5 or the DVC properties that sleep 5 in a one bedroom. At that point, DVC will probably be the best option. Right now, we're enjoying all the discounts and trying out the other mods while we still can!

 

[mamaLori05]

if you are a value resort person then you are right DVC makes no sense for you

You can get resale pretty cheap right now depending upon the resort maybe around $70 a pt. most resorts the Maintain fees are $4 or so a point. so if you bought 100 pts you would owe around $400 yearly fees and the initial buy in on the above scenario is $7,000.
So, each year you pay the $400 you only pay the $7,000 once when you first buy the contract.

For that right now, I get discounted AP's and save $100 or so a year on those.
Personally, what my family saves on AP's covers our MFees

I get access to the dining plan whenever I want to stay, I dont have to buy tickets or jump any hoops to get it(stay a certain amount of time etc)
I get 10-20% discount in many stores they have.
There are several table service restaurants I can get 10% off, I dont have to do anything but show my DVC card

I also get the ability to hop to almost any pool I want no fear of being thrown out. I get deluxe accomdations which include a washer and dryer(or free use of one) so i save on washing clothes and dont have to bring so many when we go. I have access to at least a fridge and in our case a full kitchen and while we dont cook on vacation, it is nice to be able to put a gallon milk in the fridge, eat breakfast in the am. Unlike the value folks who pay extra for their fridge or do that "sign up here for the fridge" thing. I dont have to worry about it
If i can go for a couple years I can easily rent my points out.
I have bought and sold contracts and my vacations on the points I owned were essentially FREE by the time I got done.

DVC is not for everyone, but it certainly can make sense and be worth at least as much as a cheap vacation at a value resort

Oh and the 100pt scenario would give you the same size accomadation as a value for a whole week almost any week at AKV and you can do that every year for the next 50 years and just spend that original $7,000. that comes out to $140 a WEEK (over the 50 years) lets see you stay at a value for that!!

I can take my family of 4 to the values for a week (7 nights 8 days) almost 4 times with that initial $7,000 alone. Plus I could never see going to Disney every year for 50 years. I'd be Disney'd out for sure!!! Once every other year is pleanty for us. We go to Disney every other year now because the kids are young and that is what they are interested in. As they get older and into middle and high school I could see us taking more cruises, going only to Universal, or other vacations that are geared more towards older kids. I would hate to feel like we HAD to go to Disney just because we already spent the money on it.

As for people at the value's needing to find or pay for a fridge, we have never used a fridge when we stay. We still have cereal in the room, or poptarts, or muffins that we brought from home. They sell small milk's in the cafeteria that work perfect for cereal. One of those small bottles is enough for our 4 bowls of cereal. It's really not that bad in price either. Don't have to worry about finding a grocery store, or getting to one since we don't have a vehicle.

 

[havoc315]

I have crunched the numbers, and DVC only makes sense if you are going VERY often, for many many years. The break-even point is easily around 8-10 trips over 5-10 years.

 

[njchris]

For me, I'm turned off by the maintenance fees.

 

[pickles]

We do plan to buy in to AKV or BLT in a couple years, because once our youngest turns three our non-DVC options become more limited, more expensive, and less desirable - we want at least moderate-level amenities and didn't like POR's location, so we'll be looking at the ($$$) deluxes that sleep 5 or the DVC properties that sleep 5 in a one bedroom. At that point, DVC will probably be the best option. Right now, we're enjoying all the discounts and trying out the other mods while we still can!

That 5 in a room thing is the biggest reason we bought DVC..we get 1 bedrooms and that works out pretty good
Tho now we have gotten spoiled with 2 bedrooms, but our kids are getting older/bigger. It was much cheaper to buy DVC and use the 5 in a room option, than rent 2 moderate rooms and have the kids not in the same room as us

 

[poohj80]

Just wondering, I know alot of people on here go Every year or even twice and stay at Deluxe Resorts. Why do you just continue to go without buying dvc?

dont get me wrong i am one of those people

I had a co-worker who is a DVC member asking me the same question for years since we averaged 3-4 visits per year. At the time we were both still in school and could not afford the cost up front. What tipped the scale for us was the first time we stayed at BWV. WDW was offering a deal at the time on studios so we booked to try it out and were then upgraded to a 1BR...SOLD! We loved the extra room and amenities over just a regular hotel room. Even when it was only 2 of us, we booked 1BRs to be more comfortable and for the whirlpool tub! We love the conveinence of calling up Disney, picking a room and saying just take my points. Everything is already budgeted for with the monthly dues ($3-4 per point depending on resort). No more constantly chasing deals which never seem to be available when we want to go.

If one is looking for enough perks to justify DVC, then it's probabaly not for you. DVC isn't about perks it is about pre-paid family vacations in deluxe accommodations.

We also have APs which means whenever we take a trip the room and passes are already paid for so all we need to do is get there and eat basically. Friends wonder how we can afford to go so often and it is all because of DVC! Now that we do have a DD, the 1BRs are SO much more convenient for afternoon naps while allowing us to have some down time without worrying about waking the baby. Of course, now that BLT is open, we don't want to stay anywhere else for awhile as MK access is a huge perk!

Of course, we still stay outside DVC resorts occasionally too (that's where the AP discounts come into play!). We decided on a last miute trip in August to see the Main Street Electrical Parade (before it was extended) and the Summernightastic fireworks and got a great rate at the Polynesian with the AP discount.

What's nice about WDW is that there are many options to fit most every situation. Just pick what works best for your family and have a great time!

Does that 900.00 include food,tix and getting there? no so you are spending 900.00 a year for JUST the room..and then add food and tix for next week and you are spending more then I am and we stay deluxe also.I have never went without a pin or some other discount.If we stayed at a value (we do sometimes) I get 2 whole trips for what you are paying. I think that is the point of the people here saying why they DONT do DVC.PLUS you may have your paid for but you are not really just spending 900.00 (dues) for the 2 weeks but you spent upwards of 14,000 then the extra 900.00 a year from now until it expires...most people pay monthly for the DVC and also pay the dues...THAT is wayyyy to much for 2 weeks of room only.

It's not really fair to say someone is paying $14000 a year to stay at Disney. Divide that by the 50 years the membership is good = $280 per year so now the original poster is paying $1180 for 2 weeks of deluxe accommodations at WDW. The cost of DVC rooms range from $150 (studios with pins) to over $600 per night (non-DVC deluxe rooms start higher). Still looks like a pretty good savings to me especially when you look at how much room prices have gone up in the 15 years since the OP joined. I remember the days of staying at GF for $150/night...not any more! Most DVCers are also AP holders due to the large DVC discount which adds even more perks and decreases the ticket cost per day. This year alone we will have gotten almost 30 days use on our APs. Getting there should be about the same price whether a family is DVC or not so that shouldn't even come into the equation IMHO.

 

[smcabee]

DVC is totally not for everyone. We like to travel with our extended family and the costs associated with booking 2 or 3 rooms was well offset by buying into DVC. We have taken 10-12 people and stayed in a grand villa 4 times over the past 8 years and the cost for that grand villa in cash was higher than our initial points cost. For us its well worth it to make memories with our extended family while we are all fortunate and healthy enough to do so. There really is no wrong or right answer as to if DVC is right to you. You just need to run the numbers and see which way benefits you the most.

 

[Dorisk3]

I agree with the poster that said if you are going to buy into DVC, definetly do it in the resale market. That actually is something that baffles me, why someone would spend $20 more a point just to buy from Disney. If people buy impulsively onsite I guess they might not realize there is a resale market.

We haven't bought DVC because of the yearly maintenance fees, plus I'm just not willing to commit going to Disney every year for the next 40 years.
Again, as another poster stated, yes, your fees might be only 900 dollars once the initial point cost is covered, but you still need tickets and food(plus don't forget Disney raises those fees every year and are allowed to raise them up to 15% in a year). The other thing that doesn't thrill me is that even with a one bedroom my kids would still have to sleep on a sleeper sofa. That is a bit much for something that takes 15 years to break even on.

 

[poohj80]

I agree with the poster that said if you are going to buy into DVC, definetly do it in the resale market. That actually is something that baffles me, why someone would spend $20 more a point just to buy from Disney. If people buy impulsively onsite I guess they might not realize there is a resale market.

I agree! We added on points via resale. If someone needs to finance, that is a perk Disney offers. On resale market, you have to be able to pay in full.

We haven't bought DVC because of the yearly maintenance fees, plus I'm just not willing to commit going to Disney every year for the next 40 years.

This is really a misconception. We have used our points for stays in Vegas and NYC at some wonderful locations - resorts we probabaly wouldn't have stayed at if we were paying cash.

Again, as another poster stated, yes, your fees might be only 900 dollars once the initial point cost is covered, but you still need tickets and food(plus don't forget Disney raises those fees every year and are allowed to raise them up to 15% in a year). The other thing that doesn't thrill me is that even with a one bedroom my kids would still have to sleep on a sleeper sofa. That is a bit much for something that takes 15 years to break even on.

I have actually had some fees go down from year to year, there is no way to tell how the market will go but have never had a 15% increase even though it is technically possible.

We actually prefer having a sleeper sofa to a second bed which takes up half the room all the time. DVC is correcting the issue of kids having to share the sleeper sofa by adding the single chair flip beds to 1BR units like at BLT. Our DD actually prefers that to the sofa for comfort.

Like I said, it's nice that WDW offers so many choices to fit most family situations.

 

[pickles]

I agree with the poster that said if you are going to buy into DVC, definetly do it in the resale market. That actually is something that baffles me, why someone would spend $20 more a point just to buy from Disney. If people buy impulsively onsite I guess they might not realize there is a resale market.

.

Buying direct at times can make sense..there are no closing costs when buying direct
there is no risk of ROFR (disney buying the resale contract you had your heart on)
Instant ability to plan a vacation
sometimes a small perk..maybe they give you an ice cream or some fast passes while you are there
ability to finance if you want

each person has things which are most important to them and what fits their needs so while resale can be cheaper, it isnt alwayd cheaper nor is it always better

 

[samoyed]

I have looked many times.... We are a family of Three.. I do not like the room configuration of the Studios for 3... And I do not need a two bedroom in order for my DD to get a real bed and not a pull out.

 

[mistyt]

For me, I'm turned off by the maintenance fees.

But you are willing to pay Hotel Tax everytime you go on vacation?

Think of those maintenance fees as your hotel tax...you are paying the maintenance fee now, they just call it a hotel tax.

 

[poohj80]

I have looked many times.... We are a family of Three.. I do not like the room configuration of the Studios for 3... And I do not need a two bedroom in order for my DD to get a real bed and not a pull out.

The pullouts are actually more comfortable than some regular hotel beds I have slept on. OKW actually has two full beds in their studios (which I believe are the biggest).

 

[poohj80]

But you are willing to pay Hotel Tax everytime you go on vacation?

Think of those maintenance fees as your hotel tax...you are paying the maintenance fee now, they just call it a hotel tax.

Good point! I never thought of it like that!

 

[Marblies]

No mousekeeping?! Well, that is reason enough for me. (Really, for us it's about staying in over the top, colourful values with FD perks and having flexible travel days to find cheap flights.) Frankly, the only DVC I would consider would be AK(whatevers) for the theming, the others are BORING.