Why DVC?

bcvillastwo said:
The one thing that I will say is that while I know I am saving on accomodations the number of trips to WDW has increased so there is little doubt that we are spending more money each year. But since WDW is our favorite place to vacation, we view that as a plus. Fortunately, we are blessed to have the flexibility and the resources to go more than once a year.
I think this may be the most important evaluation any of us can make, and it is one that you will hear over and over from people who have owned DVC for a number of years.

"No -- It locks in lodging costs, but it doesn't save us money overalll necessarily. We go more often, and probably spend more that we did before...but the family memories are priceless."

In my mind, DVC is not about cost...it's about value for my family. If you just browse through the threads on the DVC Planning Board, I think you'll find a lot more threads about the intangibles of DVC ownership than the pennies or dollars saved.
 
mom2lilandem said:
My husband and I have been tossing around the idea of DVC. He's not 100% sold on a timeshare and since I'm completely unfamiliar with them I'm not sure if his concerns are legitimate.

So my question is WHY did you buy into DVC instead of just booking your vacation through CRO? What's the actual benefit of DVC over just booking my regular trip twice a year? :confused3

I feel like in the long run it's going to save money, but my husband says that between maintenance and the yearly cost of the points it's not that great of a deal.

So what do YOU think?
I think that MOST poster on this board own DVC, so you're asking a group that is very skewed towards buying in.

That being said, it makes good sense, is a good buy and my family loves our DVC.....

My first experience with a guide was him telling me that I don't take enough time off of work for it to make sense.

Financially, I can resell my points and get back close to what I paid for them. SO if I wanted out, I could. There is a strong resale market.

Figuring Saratoga Springs: if you don't mind a little math, take your initial investment (without the discount) of $98 per point, divide it by 49 years (2054 - 2005), you are buying each use year point for $2.00 (the total number of points over the life of the contract) If you add the annual fee (last year at SS was $3.80, so for convenience I will say $4.00) the points cat you $6.00 for each point you spend. If you are looking to whether or not you are saving money, figure the points, multiply by $6, and compare to the rate you would get. I have found that DVC resorts (on points) are much better of a value than most of the on-property rooms. Even renting points at $10.00 a point usually works out well. If you are using points to stay at another WDW resort , The points usually work out to a good (not necessairily the best) discount rate. Renting points for non-DVC properties does not usually make sense.

I have also found that if you go to WDW every 2 years (or more often) the points pay for themselves quickly... If you don't, then it isn't a good deal for you.

BTW, It has encouraged me to take my vacation every year.....

:jumping2:

OK, now that I have finished yting to stay impartial.....
YES, IT IS A GREAT DEAL!!!
 
For us, I think JimMIA had the best word-"intangibles". No, it wasn't that it was a great financial investment (still not sure about that). But I knew I'd want to go to WDW as often as possible, at least once a year. And the idea of "owning" a part of Disney? Can't beat that! In the past, we've always stayed at moderate resorts when visiting WDW, and DVC would give us much nicer accomodations without paying more, Glenn did a good job convincing me of that. For DH, well, he didn't even go on the tour. He was probably home working. Yes, he was a workaholic, but at least he knew he needed to change. For him, it was all about a way to force him to take his vacation time, and with the family ("It's already paid for, might as well go"). And in that, DVC has done everything we'd hoped-given us the family vacations we'd dreamed of. It's done one more thing-introduced us to a new, much loved, vacation spot-HHI. Before DVC, we never would have gone. Now we can't wait to go again-WDW or HH? Now we have 2 choices! And that ownership of some of Disney, wonderful.
 
I don't mean to butt in, but my husband and I are in the same boat as the original post. We just got back from WDW an hour ago and went through the DVC sales pitch (for the 2nd time) and pd a deposit. But now we're having second thoughts. I can definitely see how it is a huge value to those with large families, or those who come from far off, or those who are accustomed to staying at deluxe. But we are a small family of 3, who drives only 8 hours, and have only recently begun trying out some of the deluxe resorts. I guess what I want to know is: are there any DISadvantages to DVC? Are there any "hidden" costs or issues or things I need to know that my salesman may not have gone over with us?
I know the decision is very personal, but I need all the facts - good and bad. Any feedback?
 

I have to say, if we only had 2 kids, particularly of the same gender, we probably would not have considered DVC. We have 4 kids and love staying on-site at WDW. We would always have to get 2 rooms, and that still would not give us the space a 2 bedroom DVC unit has. Plus, we use the kitchen and washer/dryer enough to make up for several others families that refuse to cook and clean on vacation. We can only stand soooo many meals out, plus just the hassle of it with 4 kids. And, if we did not do laundry on a trip I would not be thrilled about coming home with 6 suitcases of laundry to wash. YUK! We own other T/Ss too, and once you stay in one it is hard to go back to hotel rooms. Every once and awhile we do and it is awful, especially when we only have one bathroom (doesn't work at all with 3 girls!)
 
ZippyDooDah said:
I don't mean to butt in, but my husband and I are in the same boat as the original post. We just got back from WDW an hour ago and went through the DVC sales pitch (for the 2nd time) and pd a deposit. But now we're having second thoughts. I can definitely see how it is a huge value to those with large families, or those who come from far off, or those who are accustomed to staying at deluxe. But we are a small family of 3, who drives only 8 hours, and have only recently begun trying out some of the deluxe resorts. I guess what I want to know is: are there any DISadvantages to DVC? Are there any "hidden" costs or issues or things I need to know that my salesman may not have gone over with us?
I know the decision is very personal, but I need all the facts - good and bad. Any feedback?
Welcome to our little community on the DIS! It is an important decision. We toured in 1992, bought in 2002. Wished we had bought in when we first toured. When we bought our children were in college and it is basically just the two of us. We figured we will stay in one bedroom villas for the long term price of a moderate resort room. We don't use the studios.

Here is a nice analysis to help you along:
http://www.mousesavers.com/dvc.html#dvc

Good luck and keep asking questions!
 
crisi said:
My husband in particular likes two room - increases his chances of getting lucky if the kids are sleeping in a different room by 100%


This is the main reason I bought DVC. My wife thinks I am a Mouse fanatic, but I just like my odds of getting lucky on vacation in a 2bdrm! :rotfl2: :rotfl2:
 
ZippyDooDah said:
I don't mean to butt in, but my husband and I are in the same boat as the original post. We just got back from WDW an hour ago and went through the DVC sales pitch (for the 2nd time) and pd a deposit. But now we're having second thoughts. I can definitely see how it is a huge value to those with large families, or those who come from far off, or those who are accustomed to staying at deluxe. But we are a small family of 3, who drives only 8 hours, and have only recently begun trying out some of the deluxe resorts. I guess what I want to know is: are there any DISadvantages to DVC? Are there any "hidden" costs or issues or things I need to know that my salesman may not have gone over with us?
I know the decision is very personal, but I need all the facts - good and bad. Any feedback?

One of the things the salespeople make sound good is the options outside DVC...they aren't bad, but your best use of points is inside the DVC system. Not the Disney Cruise Line, not the Broadmoor hotel, not some resort in Europe. Buy DVC to stay in DVC resorts at WDW - and maybe occationally trade out. Don't buy DVC as a flexible travel the world type timeshare.

If you currently stay in a Deluxe in one room, you will find a studio at DVC saves you money - especially if you can avoid weekend nights. However, with a child, you may discover the wonder of the one bedroom - which lets you sleep your soon to be five year old on the hideabed while you and your husband watch TV in the Master Bedroom (and will give you space from your soon to be pre-teen). It allows you to pack less and get laundry done easily - throwing in a load as you leave for the parks, drying it overnight, and throwing in a new one the next morning. It allows you to whip up eggs in the morning, or microwave some popcorn or cook a frozen pizza in the evening.

DVC will give you an "allotment" of points each year. With banking and borrowing you can have three years of points at once and move them around a bit. But it means you need to do some planning so you don't drive yourself into such a hole you run out of points - or (the unlikely alternative) you don't take trips and miss out on using your points. Points management isn't a huge deal once you get used to it.

Likewise, DVC works best for planners. Currently rooms are already booked for much of October/November and December. It can be hard to find a room anyplace on certain nights and stringing a week together without moving could be really difficult. There are times of year where its possible to take short notice trips, but you probably won't have a lot of choice on resort and may need to be flexible on room size and dates.

Although as a DVCer I could have booked a September trip at CBR on cash and taken advantage of free dining, DVCers often have a hard time justifying that since they don't use their points. Promotions like free dining don't come to DVCers.

Currently we have some nice perks, particularly if you go often enough for an Annual Pass. The AP discount is nice, and combined with the DDE available to AP holders, it can be a great deal. But it doesn't work for all DVCers and perks are subject to change. Don't buy because you'll get perks and bonuses.

DVC gets maidservice on a reduced schedule. On a weeklong trip, the mousekeeper will stop by to empty trash and switch towels on day four. Stay eight or more days and you'll get a full cleaning. You can pay extra to have your room cleaned more often, but it reduces the "bargain" you are getting. Most DVCers think the maidservice level is fine, and actually prefer not having to worry about a maid in their room every day. But it does mean if you want beds made, dishes done, clean towels, etc, you'll do it yourself or pay.

DVC guides won't tell you that if you are happy offsite, there are plenty of timeshares in the Orlando area to be had for a song on the resale market. Though if you were happy offsite, you wouldn't be staying onsite in Deluxes now.

DVCers sometimes feel we lack power after we buy...there is currently no guarenteed non-smoking. Checkin policies can be frustrating and often you don't get into your room until 4pm. In the past, we've felt we get the short end on transportation. DVC resorts usually operate at pretty close to capacity, showing up at 10pm and you may be looking at the last room unoccupied in the resort - which may be a smoking handicapped room far away from the elevators looking at a dumpster without a balcony. (I don't think that exact room exists, its the combination of the worst rooms at several resorts - well, maybe smokers who keep the drapes shut, never go outside, and don't mind handicapped rooms would mind it).
 
We're "new" dvc'rs and let me tell you......the accommodations outpass the deluxe hotels, the money spent is well worth it! First tripwas to okw, and in 19 days going "home" to Beach Club Villas, January trip planned to our other "home" Wilderness Lodge with my 83 year old mother in law, and then May to Boardwalk (hopefully) and then in October 2006 with my two sisters, one nephew, one niece and her husband and their two children......two bedroom hopefully in okw....points used, but well spent....where else could you do this? I have always be a little obsessed with Disney, and since my daughter did a college internship there(3 years ago), and has gone down every year since to work, now she's a college graduate with a degree in Elementary Education / minor in musical theatre, she's moved down to FL, working with Disney in entertainment, and is having the time of her life! I still think this is the best deal ever! Py the points once, every year maintenance, but you still make out better than paying for the deluxe hotels, and have a better room with more ammenities! And when you get there......someone always says WELCOME HOME!

Hope you change your dh's thought process......it's well worth it!
HOPE YOU HAVE A MAGICAL DISNEY VACATION IN YOUR FUTURE!
:earboy2:
 
I'm not sure I saw it in previous posts, I'd recommend the Timeshare users groups at:
www.tug2.net

There are many great timeshares, if DVC isn't the best option for you, there may be others that better meet your needs. Good luck with your decisions.
There is always the option of renting points and trying out a DVC resort.
 
mom2lilandem said:
When we go we stay at a Deluxe. It's my DH, myself my DD (2 1/2) and my DD (13 months.) We went down in March this year and stayed in a studio a VWL and we are going back down in three weeks staying at WL (standard room.)

Last year we went in May and then again in November. (each stay is between 7 and 10 days)

We take at least one trip a year and always stay Deluxe.

After discussing it with my husband he was under the impression that every year on top of maintenance fees we had to repay for our points. But it sounds like from what you guys are saying I pay my buy in and then am only responsible for maintenance every year NOT rebuying my points every year.
It sounds like you go routinely and you already have a feel for the DVC resorts with you recent stay at VWL. I would suggest that if your goal is to stay 7-10 days skirting two weekends, it will be very hard for you to justify DVC financially. There certainly are some other MINOR benefits including the current AP discount, but none of these add enough value to justify a full purchase for you needs for most families though there are exceptions.

You should consider how you normally travel and vacation. If you normally would NOT go at least every other year, you may have difficulty. If you would take advantage of the kitchen for meals savings, that can be quite a benefit. I would agree that timeshares other places are a different and viable option for many, I would not rule them out for many people.

Finally, I think buying DVC should save you money. If it will not save you money OR allow you better options for about the same money, it likely makes no sense to buy DVC. You are making a long term commitment and things could change over time thus getting into a break even or worse situation is a large risk for little return, no matter how it makes you feel. Plus buying DVC for the current exchange options makes no sense. The best situation to be in to buy DVC is for those that can avoid weekends, uses points only at DVC and can pay cash. I know a number of people who own DVC points and other timeshares. Some use them for 5 days (no weekends) on property and then stay off for a week to check out non Disney options.
 
We bought for financial resaons. We were going every year, staying at a Deluxe each time with 3 kids for 9 days. When we looked at the cost of DVC vs. paying for all of those trips, it seemed silly not to do it. We bought a resale because we wanted an Epcot resort (BWV or BCV). We bought BWV through the Timeshare Store and had a great experience with them.

We like the idea of the villas because of the big fridge for soda, water, beer, juice. We LOVE the washer and dryer thing. We always dreaded doing laundry and wasting half a day on it.

the only 2 things that made us hesitate in buying were the lack of daily housekeeping and the inability to purchase the meal plans with DVC. These things may not even matter to you- :) . I have just accepted the housekeeping thing-several people on this board have told me that I may come to like not having it every day-we'll see. LOL, our first DVC trip is Dec 1-9. Both DH and I were bummed about the meal plan thing. We were in love with the old gold/silver plans. We did buy PAP's with our DVC discount that we also plan to use Oct 2006, and we bought the DDE card. I have read many good thing about this card, so I hope it works well for us. I really can't think of any more negatives. The maint fees are not a lot at all-we have them deducted monthly from our checking account-I don't even notice them (we own 230 pts). We plan to buy another 150 points in about 2 years. Good luck!
 
ZippyDooDah, Welcome Home, and Welcome to the DIS.
(crisi, you might find this interesting as well)
One person's advantage is another persons problem. i will give you 2 things I have learned when making reservations...

1. Request Medical Non-Smoking. I have Asthma and we were stuck once in a room that was "non-smoking" only part of the time. I am not sure what was worse... the smoke smell, or the air freshener that they used to clear the air...

2. Make requests for what you want when you make your reservations. Contrary to what some may think, the room assignments are made a week in advance...subject to change. If you have no specific requests in your ressie, you might just get that room someone else found unacceptable. We always have a late check in, so I have to be aware of these tricks.

3. Schedule your trips so that they overlap a 1 year period; For Example, this year we are going 10/22-10/30 fora week. We are buying AP's, and Next year we are planning on doing the Member Cruise (leaving 10/22. This means we will be able to use our AP's the week before the cruise (so we have our Land-Sea Trip.

4. Member events are fun. They usually make it well worth the extra time and money.

5. My DW loves having a washer and dryer in the rooms (1BR+). She really likes being able to start a load in the morning, and drying it later. You don't need to worry about leaving your stuff in a laundromat...

6. Maid Service- Realistically, most people don't have maid service at home everyday, and it isn't super difficult to make your bed (or not, you are on vacation ;)) and clean off the table. My DW actually appreciates "Not having to clean for the maid" (this is a concept most guys do not understand, but she has a thing about letting a maid pick up after her.

Just a few thoughts...

:jumping2:
 
We bought DVC when we realized that it meant that we could have spacious accommodations onsite at WDW for about the price of staying at a mod.
 
Well, we decided to buy DVC after we had gone there at least once (and sometimes twice) per year for the first 6 years after we got married. We figured that what we had already spent in hotel would have paid for the points if we had bought them in 1991.

DVC is not a financial investment. It could be a wise finacial decision, but it is not an investment. It is not designed to make you any money.

Some of the reasons we like the DVC are:
~Size of the units
~Laundry in the 1BR & larger units
~Themeing of all the resorts
~Being on property...there is just something about the "magic" and I don;t what it is, but being off property just doesn't cut it for us
~Flexibility of the program
~The fact that you are not tied into a week, but spend points
~Kitchens/kitchenettes in the units, for snacks & breakfast

 
i used to spend 7 or 8 night in all stars or off property, now im staying 12 nights in a studio at the dvc resorts. next year im only spending 11 nights but its in a 1 bedroom, i had to borrow some points from 2007. i would of never paid to stay in a nice hotel but with dvc its easy.
 
So, mom2lilandem, after all the advice and information offered, did you decide? Please let us know.
 
Beach_Bound9 said:
So, mom2lilandem, after all the advice and information offered, did you decide? Please let us know.

I don't know if you have convince mom2lilandem, but you have almost convinced me! I need to go work on the math! I love the thought of "forcing" DH to take a vacation once a year or at least every other year. He is such a workaholic! I must say the only thing that worries me are the annual dues. How steady are those? And besides the upfront cost of the points, the closing costs, and the annual dues am I missing any other costs?

Much thanks! ::MinnieMo
 
For us it was pretty simple – we love WDW, go every year and felt that it would make our trips more pleasant and somewhat less expensive. Except for one trip, we have always flown (the one trip was by Amtrak). Airfares from our area are fairly competitive (especially with the arrival of SWA last year). Driving is not an option for us now - not enough vacation time - but we will surely do that at some point. From our early trips in the 80’s we stayed at the Contemporary, Poly, BC and GF, but as their pricing became prohibitive for our budget, we began staying at the moderates. It was during one of our “moderate” trips in 1992 that we took the DVC tour and really began to speculate that it might work for us. It was not an quick decision by any means, but we did fall in love with the models at OKW. The fact they were offering free park tickets as an incentive did not hurt.

We travel to WDW at least once a year, but this year we will have been there three times. In February we stayed at OKW, in June we stayed at both OKW/BWV and in November we are staying at SSR. The convenience is unbeatable. We love having the extra space and being able to cook simple meals. The resorts are uniformly lovely and customer service is generally excellent. We purchased 230 points, which was the minimum at the time we purchased. We have not yet felt the need to add to our points. We use them judiciously, banking them as needed.

It has been the best decision for us. Sharing it with friends and family is wonderful. We so enjoy everything Disney has to offer and are very thankful we were able to take advantage of this opportunity. We’ve met lots of great folks. And hearing Welcome Home never fails to lift my spirits because we do feel we are at home while there.
 
mom22boys said:
I don't know if you have convince mom2lilandem, but you have almost convinced me! I need to go work on the math! I love the thought of "forcing" DH to take a vacation once a year or at least every other year. He is such a workaholic! I must say the only thing that worries me are the annual dues. How steady are those? And besides the upfront cost of the points, the closing costs, and the annual dues am I missing any other costs?

Much thanks! ::MinnieMo

Contractually, Dues are capped at 5% a year (I think). Disney is NOT allowed to profit from the dues (although they take a very modest amount for administration). Basically, they pass the expenses on to us, whatever they are. As such, there have been some years where there have been DECREASES in the dues!

Overall, I would say that dues are going to go up at the same rate as inflation. The more things cost, the more they cost us in dues.

I, too, am a workaholic. Actually, for about 5 years, not only did I not take any vacations, but I worked 7 days a week, 8-10 hours a day (many times more) - 364 days a year (INCLUDING holidays - except for Christmas, the ONLY day I took off). After I changed my vocation, I learned to vacation. I still put in about 60 hours a week, but we take 3 or 4 vacations (4-5 days each) a year. It does WONDERS for my sanity. I joke that my DVC points should be covered under my medical insurance, because it's cheaper and more effective then a psychologist!

The best part is, once the points are paid for, the ONLY costs you have are annual dues. The cost of annual dues brings my per-night room cost to under $40 (for a studio) with NO sales/occupancy taxes for a studio at OKW (value season). In 10 years from now, it's going to cost me the same $40 a night (not counting inflation on the dues). In 30 years, the same $40 a night. Rack rates now are about $250 a night. Can you imagine what they're going to be 10, 20, or 30 years from now?

I know many people say that DVC should not be, and in many instances, a sound FINANCIAL decision. For us, however, it turned out to be a PHENOMINAL financial decision.
 















New Posts





DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top