Why have you NOT bought DVC?

[nytimez]

I saw a calculation somewhere -- and I'm not a math whiz so I can't verify this -- but the calculation took the initial cost of the buy in, added the annual dues for each year with an estimated annual increase, and then divided that result by the number of points you would have for the life of the contract with the new resorts (AKV and SS)... and came up with a number I believe a little below $8 a point. So a studio that costs 12 points basically cost $96... and that's true today and it's true in 2050 near the end of the contract.

That's in line with the Values now, and will probably be much cheaper years down the road.

HOWEVER, I would agree with everyone who says people who enjoy staying at the Value resorts are NOT the best DVC candidates. I also think it's fairly safe to say that over the life of your contract your are getting deluxe-style accommodations for the price of a moderate or less. I know some people will disagree, but I have found that to be the case.

 

[kgc07]

I can tell you why DVC is a good value for us. Our upcoming trip would cost us $5600 plus tax if we booked through CRO. Last year we paid about $800 a night to stay at the GF Sugar Loaf. With DVC we get a two bedroom instead of a cramped room. It cost us a little over $699 in dues this year. To me, DVC is a great deal.

 

[Tinkerdreams]

15 years ago OKW went up for sale at approx. $48/point (if anyone knows for sure, please correct me if I’m mistaken). Don’t know what the MF’s were back then. We stayed at the Poly for $120/night – Garden View, Regular season - at that time (no discount).

Fast forward to 2008 and the Poly room is now $399/night - Garden view, Regular season – more than triple the price from 15 years ago. Resale for OKW is approx. $80/point. MF at around $4.50/point.

In another 15 years, will the Poly be $700/night – Garden view, Regular season? The DVC member’s points DO NOT go up. MF will increase but not at the rate that hotel prices will increase.

One of the biggest problems with answering the question on whether or not DVC is right for you is comparing DVC to a hotel. In order to do a fair comparison, an apples to apples comparison needs to be done. Consider square footage, a full or even partial kitchen, a washer and dryer (free of charge), a Jacuzzi tub, option to cook meals versus eating out all the time (this is the second biggest expense next to the hotel room.)

If you have a 7 night stay at a DVC, while there is NO daily housekeeping, there is a full cleaning on day 4. One other benefit is not feeling pressured in “getting out of the room” so that housekeeping can come to clean the hotel room. Done a couple of nighttime EMH and did not want to get out of the room until early afternoon the next day.

You can trade out for other destinations if you choose to. No one that owns DVC is “trapped” at Disney. One of the deciding factors for us to buy in was Disney’s announcement that they were expanding to other locations, which opens up our choices even more (i.e. Hawaii).

As far as financing, unless you can pay it off fairly quickly, I would not finance this. Good luck on your decision!!

 

[salmoneous]

I think the best reason to NOT buy DVC is that it forces you to take frequent trips to Disney and stay in nice accommodations.

Of course, for many of us DVC owners, that's also the best rest TO buy DVC.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think the question for me is why haven't I bought more DVC points yet!!! Is it a good deal? Is it a money-saver? Well, if you go to WDW and spend at least a week every single year in a deluxe resort then perhaps it's a money-saver and a good deal. I spend, each year, for my 200 DVC points about what I would spend for a week stay at a deluxe resort. Of course, if I didn't own DVC, I wouldn't be going to WDW every year, and I certainly wouldn't be staying in a deluxe resort....so, obviously not a money saver for me. But, my dh like to stay deluxe, he loved the BW area. He goes every other year. So, we bought DVC. I now go twice a year, once with my dd, once with friends.
I know that after about 10 years, my trips will be almost free....just whatever the dues are each month, and that's not a lot of money. But now, I get to go several times a year and stay in a very nice resort rather than a value. Of course, I am in the middle of a year of no points because I borrowed 'em all last year for a huge multi-family vacation!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

I know this thread is supposed to be for people who didn't buy DVC, but since I'm sure there are people reading who are simply using the thread for future information, I have another point to make.

I've seen several posters say they aren't sure their family will always want to go to WDW - and it's true, kids get older and their schedules become hectic. What I found out this year, though - is that sometimes they can vacation without you, and that's when DVC comes in very handy indeed.

My DD19 and her friend used my DVC points to stay for 5 nights at BCV over her Spring Break - which was different from my younger daughter's schedule. I really enjoyed being able to provide her with that trip - college kids can't always afford a nice vacation, and the places they are likely to want to go aren't always so Mom-frinedly!!!!

I loved the idea that she and her friend were enjoying a week at WDW - I gave them the Dining Plan as a Christmas gift - and that my points were being put to good use. I have 430 points, so it left enough for other family trips - we are going ot HH for a week this summer (paying cash for the weekend nights) and borrowing points from next year to add a few WDW days on before our APs expire in July.

Just thought others might like to know that there are lots of different ways to use DVC points, even if the original nuclear family no longer makes many trips together....

 

[Esmerelda]

(this was posted by me about 5 months ago...it might help with the math part)

Here is why DVC WAS for us (maybe this will shed some other light on it)

We normally go to Disney and stay in a deluxe room for at least 6 days per year. (WL is my favorite resort) We have two sons, teens that enjoy going but we all like our space. Normally, we were staying at the WL for 6 nites so my post reflects these prices for 2008 and DVC points for 2008.

6 nites @WL in a courtyard room for June of 2008 $2,229

if we stayed at the 08 prices @WL for the next 50 years (length of our current SSR contract) we would spend over those years a grand total of
$111,450.- (yikes!)

Our current contract with DVC cost us around $13,200 for 180 points and was purchased in summer of 2004. Our annual dues run @ about $725.00 per year.

this works out too: $13,200 total contract
$36,250 total for dues at 08 prices for 50 yrs of dues
total $49,450.-

If we paid cash at SSR for our 1 bedroom each year at 08 prices we would spend a total of $145,150 for the next 50 years. (yikes again)

As I stated, I based my math on the 08 prices but that is as far as I can go at this point. As we all know, the room rates will rise as well as the dues but the dues have only minimally risen (or at least for us)

The other advantages it the tax write off and the fact that its a deeded property we can will it to our boys if anything happens to us. We will have years and years to enjoy it. Plus the options for exchanges are endless. We have plans for Hawaii in 2 years. Also, we have never had ANY trouble staying whereever we want. We plan ahead at 11 months or 7 months and sometimes 2 months.

As you can see DVC DOES work out to be money saving. If you plan to do Disney each year at least once or do what we do. We do Disney E/O year and take a cruise E/O year. We absolutely love it.

It is a lot to think about and only you know your family and your finance and what you want in the future. For us, it was a no brainer for the money we were giving to Disney each stay in the years past. Our contract will be paid off in the next 2 years and then we will pay just our dues. If it comes to paying $2229 for 6 nites in a resort room or $725 for annual dues and having a beautiful condo with tons of space/kitchen/washer/dryer....I'll take the dues anyday.

best of luck to the OP on ALL their future vacations,
Esmerelda[/quote]

 

[VAgal76]

All the positives that have been mentioned and the fact that I'm a repeat deluxe guest is the reason I'm digging into DVC. We go at least once (if not twice) a year. I had my first stay last year in DVC accommodations and LOVED it. I was a nervous willy, but I'm so thankful I gave it a try. Can I also add that I truly adored the 2 bdrm villa just as much the Presidential Suites we've stayed in? Yep! I've not been drinking or smoking anything illegal either. The room was beautiful and had terrific amenities. I loved having the full kitchen and the washer/dryer. Breakfast was cooked once...though not by me. Beers and cheers on the balcony. Movies for the kiddos. It was awe-some!

 

[byoung]

I have my chart with the costs. Then I subtrack cost of staying there with the rack rates. add the MF etc. Bought in 2005 and now only $2000 more and I will be in the plus. I own 200 BWV points. Only reget is that I didn't buy in sooner.

 

[Promomx2]

Sorry to all you DVC owners, but the reason we haven't bought DVC is simple, we haven't won the lottery yet.

 

[toesmom]

It's a lot of money up front. Simple. Most people can't afford it. We only bought it in once our mortgage was almost paid off. Otherwise, we wouldn't have considered it at this time.

 

[Kay7979]

The main thing DVC has going for it is that you get cute Disney theming and you're on property, so get the extra-Magic hours and other perks. I LOVE Disney theming. It's great being on-site where the action is. That said, Disney units are smaller than virtually any other timeshare I have ever stayed at in 12 years of taking three weeks vacations per year. The Orlando area is over-flowing with timeshare and non-timeshare resort condo units that are typically large two bedroom units, or at least one bedroom units, that are much less expensive to own or to rent. Many have a range of amenities such as small water parks, miniature golf, tennis, volley ball, paddle boats, planned activites, etc. The drive time takes no longer, and is often shorter, than taking on-site Disney transportation depending on where exactly you are going.

If a person MUST stay at Disney resorts, a timeshare elsewhere if it's a very good one with high trade power will trade into DVC as long as you are not too particular about what week you're going. If you can request a range of several weeks you are willing to go, you'll probably be able to confirm a week. Back when there was only Old Key West, it was hard to get an exchange into DVC. Now, with all the newer resorts, especially Saratoga Springs, there are quite a lot of units. Most of the units that are available as exchanges are OKW and SSR, so again, if you want to be sure of getting BCV or BWV etc. it's best to own there.

I've stayed at OKW and have a week coming up at BCV in November that are through timeshare trades. I am looking forward to this vacation, and enjoy my DVC stays even more when I think about how much money I am saving from not paying rack rates to the resort or paying DVC prices and maintenance fees.

 

[Bunnies]

We were ready to sign on the dotted line more than once, but it seemed like an awful lot of money, and maintenance fees for more years than I have been alive is kind of scary, lol.

We did just buy a small contract resale though. We figured it's a way to test it out on a small scale basis, we have enough points to go once a year on points (we'll pay oop for the other trips) and if things get tight, the low maintenance fees won't be a burden.

I guess we're just easing in to it

 

[labattblue]

I'm amazed at the number of posters who chose to ignore the thread question..."Why have you NOT bought DVC?". The OP clearly doesn't want to know about why you did buy DVC.

 

[bookwormde]

Labattblue

I think a lot of the posters, which in the process or are now members are referencing why they did not buy in the past and what was the reason. They also seem to include what “finally convinced them”. While this does not follow the “letter” of the question it certainly meets it’s intent.

bookwormde

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I'm amazed at the number of posters who chose to ignore the thread question..."Why have you NOT bought DVC?". The OP clearly doesn't want to know about why you did buy DVC.

Thank you.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Okay here is the thing...

If we had $15-20K sitting around in a bank or some other kind of liquidish investment... I would be all over DVC... but we don't.

I cannot rationalize taking out a loan and increasing our debt so we can take vacations for the next 50 years. I LOVE Disney and we will be going back as much as we can afford to, I just can't increase our debt to do so. We don't put our vacations on our credit cards and I can't rationalize taking out a loan to own DVC.

If for some reason we inherit a ton of money (not sure who would give us anything though!) or win the lottery... I'm all over it!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Don't forget some of us who have medical conditions that make long-term plans useless.

We travel as much as possible - right now ....see as much as possible - right now -and have no DVC restrictions. We can stay wherever we want for as long - or as little as we want and actually spend less $$$ than through DVC.

I don't have 50 years.......or even 20 years.....why waste my time with DVC?

Sorry for the touch of reality on a beautiful Tuesday morning....but there are other considerations for some of us.

 

[disneyfreak33]

I wish we had the money to buy into that right now but we don't

Being a military family we move around a lot. For the past 4 years we have moved every year. It's starting to wear on all of us.

Finally, we can settle down and buy a house instead of rent since this year will be our last move for at least the next 5 years. Once that is all said and done we can look into DVC, which we are looking forward to, but until then DVC is out of the question for us.

 

[kldmom2000]

I'm kicking myself for not having bought when I was a TDS CM 14 yrs ago... it was still new and they were offering it with a discount to us but DH and I just got married and were saving for a house back then....

Now the prices are quite high and even once you pay the "mortgage" on your real estate venture, you still have the monthly maintenance fees DH is self-employed in the construction industry and I'd hate to commit to something when we have no debt other than our home mortgage. Also, due to the self employment, we have to pay $1400 a month for family health insurance and we have yet to start a retirement fund (we're in our mid-30's). We have 2 kids who will hopefully go to college in 10 and 13 yrs respectively...Priorities first. (Even though Disney is waaaaaaaaaaaaay up at the top of the priority list )

Yes, we go ALMOST every year and we stay deluxe... BUT DH is not one for change and trying new things. He will ONLY stay at the YC/BC. I always book during value season and with discounts in order to stay there. BC DVC is sold-out unless you buy through a resale but it would have been more economical to buy years ago to give us more time since they'll be one of the first to expire.

Maybe we'll be lucky and win one from the YOAMD