Why I Love My DVC Ownership?!

[DizBub]

I just keep digging a deeper hole. The only DVD/DVC CM's at the resorts are ASA's and maybe a Guide if the property is still actively being marketed. All of the resort CM's work for Disney Resorts, under contract to DVC, paid for by our dues.

I may seem like a small difference but when people post that they love or dislike the DVC CM's, they aren't DVC CM's.

Bill

I guess I knew this but was just trying to explain that all CMs were nice. Fact is that most all the DVC locations share the front desk with deluxe hotels. Does it really matter who they work for or who pays them? Really? I would expect to have a portion of our MFs pay someone to work the front desk.

Though a moderate would have the advantage of being able to get a configuration with a King Bed.

True and it's a nice option. We have probably gotten king beds 2 or 3 different times at a moderate. Frankly the room didn't feel any more spacious with the king bed to us although we did prefer it.

 

[newdeal]

We chose to buy because we can save 66% of the cost of our dues just based on annual pass savings. So we get a room for a week for a couple hundred bucks. We go two to three times a year so its worth it to me

 

[Minniesgal]

And Minniegal that is what we are wondering, when 95% of the time it is just two of us and we would probably just like a room studio size room is it worth it... can I get the same room size at a resort?! We like the deluxe resorts on the 20 to 30 percent discount that Disney Travel tends to offer, and we seem to be able to get in on that often. So if DVC accommodations are equivalent to a Moderate Hotel room at the WDW Resorts I am not sure if we will be happy with paying the same rate we get when we get discounted rates at a deluxe. I am going to do some major number crunching... I will share my results with everyone. I don't mind sharing what we are paying for our stay currently... heck, someone could pretend to book a room and figure it out... I really want to get a good account and see the numbers. I also wanna compare the floor plan footage and see if there is really more room in a DVC studio compared to a deluxe room. Minniesgal, Thank you for your opinion

No I am not saying DVC are the equivalent if a moderate. I am saying if I was happy with just a hotel room I'd be happy at a moderate. And that for me and me personally the point of DVC is 1 and 2 beds because I want resort time and don't want just a place to sleep

 

[Huey]

We bought ours to save money, bought resale, bought SSR for low dues, didn't finance, did the numbers taking into account inflation and comparison with investing the money etc etc. On paper it looked like I would come out well ahead of the curve vs. Port Orleans where we loved to stay.

It's gone horribly wrong. I now take my parents, the in laws, my brothers family, friends and they stay on my points at no cost. If I take into account their vacation time I am way ahead of break even at only three years in vs staying at, say OKW for cash (even with discounts). And have broken even vs moderate.

BUT...

I wouldn't have taken them for cash, so theoretically I am miles behind in cash terms.

Why do I love my DVC?

Because I get to go to Disney twice a year without feeling guilty the cash could have been spent on something "sensible".

Because I get to share that time with friends and family (they can do what they want when in the World but we always schedule some stuff together). I don't worry about the cost as in my mind it's paid for and they get to do things they could never afford without the points.

Because my kids love the quality time together.

Because if I see reward flights I can get on miles I can sneak in an extra trip for next to nothing (again psychologically).

So, in the end, nothing to do with saving cash, more sharing "points".

 

[disneynutz]

I guess I knew this but was just trying to explain that all CMs were nice. Fact is that most all the DVC locations share the front desk with deluxe hotels. Does it really matter who they work for or who pays them? Really? I would expect to have a portion of our MFs pay someone to work the front desk.

It matters to me because this thread is about why people love DVC.

My point is that many of the reasons listed in this thread aren't directly DVC related. Nice resort CM's shouldn't be listed as a reason for loving DVC. Spending quality time together, Mickey Mouse, the feeling that you get walking into the resort aren't because of DVC.

When The Sunrise Student comes here and asks if we love DVC and we post reasons not related to DVC it's misleading. DVC may save us money that allows us to experience these things more often but my answer would be that DVC saves me money.

When DVC does a survey and people respond that they love DVC is it really DVC that they love or is it Disney?

Bill

 

[DizBub]

that and we work in gruff environments so we like the NICE CMs at WDW when we are on vacation

6 of the DVC resorts are attached to deluxe resorts. BWV, BCV, VWL, AKV, BLT and VGF. Only 2, OKW and SSR are exclusively DVC. All of the DVC CMs we have ever encountered have gone above and beyond.

It matters to me because this thread is about why people love DVC.

My point is that many of the reasons listed in this thread aren't directly DVC related. Nice resort CM's shouldn't be listed as a reason for loving DVC. Spending quality time together, Mickey Mouse, the feeling that you get walking into the resort aren't because of DVC.

When The Sunrise Student comes here and asks if we love DVC and we post reasons not related to DVC it's misleading. DVC may save us money that allows us to experience these things more often but my answer would be that DVC saves me money.

When DVC does a survey and people respond that they love DVC is it really DVC that they love or is it Disney?

Bill

Okay, I'm being a bit of a "right fighter" today. As you will see in a post from Sunrise Student she expressed her wish for nice CMs at WDW.

I mentioned that most DVC resorts are connected to deluxe hotels where I assume she has had nice CMs in the past. My mistake is that I did put DVC and CM together in the same sentence. No one mentioned loving their DVC because of nice CMs.

Bill, this seems incredibly nit picky, even for you....are you just looking for reasons to be negative today?

 

[disneynutz]

Okay, I'm being a bit of a "right fighter" today. As you will see in a post from Sunrise Student she expressed her wish for nice CMs at WDW.

I mentioned that most DVC resorts are connected to deluxe hotels where I assume she has had nice CMs in the past. My mistake is that I did put DVC and CM together in the same sentence. No one mentioned loving their DVC because of nice CMs.

Bill, this seems incredibly nit picky, even for you....are you just looking for reasons to be negative today?

Not negative, just accurate. Yesterday I was told by a DVC manager how well DVC does in their surveys.

Bill

 

[jodifla]

We've owned for 18 years, and have found any downsides to be quite minimal. They've changed some of the perks we liked and some of the interiors furninshings, which was irksome, but we got over it.

We have a son and love going someplace we can get a one or two bedroom. We often invite friends to join us. We have a blast cooking dinners in our room and chatting over bottles of wine, all while the children are tucked into bed. We couldn't do this unless we owned DVC. It's a treat to treat your friends!

And we REALLY not like paying a huge room bill and taxes. Outside of places like Orlando, room rates are pretty danged high for anyplace nice. We're always a bit shell-shocked by hotel bills.

With DVC, we sometimes walk right out without paying an extra dime if we haven't eaten on property and charged to the room.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Parking is free. Magic Bands all the same.

On site stays are exactly the same with regards to parking, FP+, booking windows for dining, etc- whether they are with a cash reservation or DVC.

And one point- nothing at all is on a magic band. It emits a fixed numerical code that is assigned to your MDE account. You can use the same band for current and future trips. The band only tells the system who you are-and the system as a whole will open up your room door wherever you are a current guest, be that a cash resort or DVC.

KTTW cards and old FP system no longer exist in Orlando.

I just keep digging a deeper hole. The only DVD/DVC CM's at the resorts are ASA's and maybe a Guide if the property is still actively being marketed. All of the resort CM's work for Disney Resorts, under contract to DVC, paid for by our dues.

I may seem like a small difference but when people post that they love or dislike the DVC CM's, they aren't DVC CM's.

Bill

Roger that

Though a moderate would have the advantage of being able to get a configuration with a King Bed.

I'm also of the opinion that if I were going to book studios, I wouldn't buy DVC. I much prefer the Deluxe resorts over DVC studios. And when we stayed moderate, we stayed at the 340 square foot CBR with a king bed (I never realized how much smaller the other moderate rooms are). I like daily housekeeping and the ability to usually get a room on short notice. But most of all, I like the flexibility of cash - to be able to say "lets go somewhere else this year" and not have points that need to be rented out to do it - the idea that my capital isn't tied up in DVC.

Right now it is - and it was a good decision for us because it allowed us to book multi-room units. The washer and dryer in the room turned out to be worth the buy in by itself.

And I tend to agree with you whole heartedly here... I have been looking at the square footage as well as the furniture and decor of a DVC vs a Deluxe Room at a deluxe resort and it's no contest for room and feel. I am seeing how much smaller the DVC studios are too, and that bothers the heck out of me, I was looking for more room for gear, not less!

For me I essentially get my room for free every year.

How do I go for free? I sell half of my points and that covers my yearly maint fee. I have very low buy ins and I bought mostly loaded contracts in which the seller paid the maint fee.

DVC is in the top 1percent of timeshares that have actually appreciated in value when purchased via resale. Will it continue to happen? That's no guarantee, but at bare minimum the fact I can stay in Deluxe resorts for free makes DVC a zero brainer.

That is really smart how much of a pain in the rear is it to do that... how on top of things do you need to be? Our work schedules are crazy and then you add our 501st activity and well... you get my meaning

I'll state that I haven't gotten to every post in this thread so I'm not certain where the remark that DVC is equivalent to a moderate came from but IMO that's not true at all. The only thing that is usually used to compare DVC to a moderate is that if you are comfortable in staying in a moderate and would be looking at a DVC studio then it may be virtually a wash cost wise although you would be getting slightly upgraded accommodations with DVC.

I still have stays in the Disney Deluxe hotels with conventions and to me, setting aside daily housekeeping, there's little difference between them and DVC rooms and with DVC you get a full kitchenette. Because the hotel sides were renovated more frequently so that some things were getting upgraded on the hotel side, or maybe just more modernized, there was a difference (although the deluxe of 10 years ago was what DVC was) but with DVC finally getting around to some resort renovations and with the newest resorts I could not say there's much of a difference - or DVC is better in a couple of cases. In the past 2 years the worst condition room I had was BC, not a DVC resort. Of course Disney deluxe isn't setting a very high level of deluxe anyway.

I was wondering about that... I know that the poly used to be the best of the best with honors long ago and it's been eclipsed. I am sure the DVCs are nice like the poly once was, but.....

We chose to buy because we can save 66% of the cost of our dues just based on annual pass savings. So we get a room for a week for a couple hundred bucks. We go two to three times a year so its worth it to me

That sounds sweet, if only I had that type of time off!

No I am not saying DVC are the equivalent if a moderate. I am saying if I was happy with just a hotel room I'd be happy at a moderate. And that for me and me personally the point of DVC is 1 and 2 beds because I want resort time and don't want just a place to sleep

Ahhh Gotchya

We bought ours to save money, bought resale, bought SSR for low dues, didn't finance, did the numbers taking into account inflation and comparison with investing the money etc etc. On paper it looked like I would come out well ahead of the curve vs. Port Orleans where we loved to stay.

It's gone horribly wrong. I now take my parents, the in laws, my brothers family, friends and they stay on my points at no cost. If I take into account their vacation time I am way ahead of break even at only three years in vs staying at, say OKW for cash (even with discounts). And have broken even vs moderate.

BUT...

I wouldn't have taken them for cash, so theoretically I am miles behind in cash terms.

Why do I love my DVC?

Because I get to go to Disney twice a year without feeling guilty the cash could have been spent on something "sensible".

Because I get to share that time with friends and family (they can do what they want when in the World but we always schedule some stuff together). I don't worry about the cost as in my mind it's paid for and they get to do things they could never afford without the points.

Because my kids love the quality time together.

Because if I see reward flights I can get on miles I can sneak in an extra trip for next to nothing (again psychologically).

So, in the end, nothing to do with saving cash, more sharing "points".

I would love to go more often and have it already budgeted out, that is very appealing to me... I like the pre-paid aspect to be certain!

We've owned for 18 years, and have found any downsides to be quite minimal. They've changed some of the perks we liked and some of the interiors furninshings, which was irksome, but we got over it.

We have a son and love going someplace we can get a one or two bedroom. We often invite friends to join us. We have a blast cooking dinners in our room and chatting over bottles of wine, all while the children are tucked into bed. We couldn't do this unless we owned DVC. It's a treat to treat your friends!

And we REALLY not like paying a huge room bill and taxes. Outside of places like Orlando, room rates are pretty danged high for anyplace nice. We're always a bit shell-shocked by hotel bills.

With DVC, we sometimes walk right out without paying an extra dime if we haven't eaten on property and charged to the room.

If I had children with me or other guest all the time I would totally like this aspect as well... And one of the reasons when we do a big group we rent a house so that those that want to do what they want (sleep, relax in quiet or giggle the night away can do so)!

EVERYONE this has been some wonderful feed back thank you so much!!!

 

[DeeCee735]

Reasons why I love my DVC (again, as this is my second post)

1) Flexibility with points usage, i.e. size of accommodations, length of stays

2) Washer/dryer in the one and two bedrooms

3) Being able to bring 5 adult cousins and not have to have separate accommodations!

4) Having a full living room for those "in-room" nights to hang out and entertain

5) The fact that we won't ever have a bill for our accommodations to be paid before we get there

6) Using points to send my daughter and my future son-in-law on their honeymoon

7) Being able to go a few times a year using points as opposed to the once a year trip in a standard hotel room using cash! (goes back to flexibility)

8) The perks offered, although they come and go, we usually can find at least a few that we'll use and enjoy using....

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Reasons why I love my DVC (again, as this is my second post)

1) Flexibility with points usage, i.e. size of accommodations, length of stays

2) Washer/dryer in the one and two bedrooms

3) Being able to bring 5 adult cousins and not have to have separate accommodations!

4) Having a full living room for those "in-room" nights to hang out and entertain

5) The fact that we won't ever have a bill for our accommodations to be paid before we get there

6) Using points to send my daughter and my future son-in-law on their honeymoon

7) Being able to go a few times a year using points as opposed to the once a year trip in a standard hotel room using cash! (goes back to flexibility)

8) The perks offered, although they come and go, we usually can find at least a few that we'll use and enjoy using....

DeeCee, all really awesome reason to get in on a DVC. May I ask if you don't mind, how many points do you own and what are your home resorts?

If my boyfriend and I did a one bedroom that had all the bells and whistles that probably would be the only way I would do a DVC since it seems the studios are smaller than most Deluxe Resort rooms.

Thanks

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

DeeCee, all really awesome reason to get in on a DVC. May I ask if you don't mind, how many points do you own and what are your home resorts?

If my boyfriend and I did a one bedroom that had all the bells and whistles that probably would be the only way I would do a DVC since it seems the studios are smaller than most Deluxe Resort rooms.

Thanks

Other than BLT and the AKV value studios the DVC studios tend to fall right in the midst of the size of the Deluxe. They're a bit larger than WL and AKL, similar to BW and a bit smaller than the Epcot and MK resorts (the original resorts have the room size - before Disney decided they could go smaller and people still would come. )

But with the studio layout of a bed and sleeper they still can feel larger. I see on the list that BC is almost 25 sq feet larger but I'd never have guessed it since the BC rooms I've been in have 2 beds that take up all that space. Actually, I still kind of doubt that chart.

Anyway, if you're comfortable in the Disney Deluxe rooms (keeping Poly and CR and maybe GF in their own categories) I doubt you'd feel much or any difference at AKV, SSR, BCV, BWV, VWL or even VGF. OKW you'd feel right at home. BLT - well, it's but DH and I have kind of gotten to like it - and they have consistent, large balconies which doesn't always happen at the WDW resorts.

Still - 1BR's are awfully nice!

 

[skier_pete]

If my boyfriend and I did a one bedroom that had all the bells and whistles that probably would be the only way I would do a DVC since it seems the studios are smaller than most Deluxe Resort rooms.

Thanks

I'm not sure why you keep saying this. Other than the Contemporary, they are either on par (within 20 square feet +/-) or larger than the deluxe rooms. And as others have said, they only have one bed, so they actually FEEL larger as well.

Not to discourage you from a 1-bedroom, but the 1-bedrooms are about twice the cost of the studios, so be prepared to spend a lot more money and need a lot more points.

 

[DeeCee735]

Hi! We own 400 points total. 150 at AKV and 250 at BWV. We bank, borrow but not always. And we have no problem going often in different size accommodations.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Hi! We own 400 points total. 150 at AKV and 250 at BWV. We bank, borrow but not always. And we have no problem going often in different size accommodations.

Thanks DeeCee

 

[DougEMG]

DVC gives you a room, nothing more. While there are additional perks available, none of them are worth while enough to make them a reason for buying DVC.

I love owning DVC because it saves me money over the long term. The key here is that it is over the long term and what that term is depends on what your buyin and ongoing costs are compared to what you would pay otherwise.

If it didn't save me money and I wanted to stay onsite I could rent DVC points from an owner, book a DVC room on cash from Disney or stay in a Disney hotel paying cash.

As for the level of the room, I'd say they are definitely better than a moderate room, but not as good as a deluxe hotel room.

 

[JimMIA]

If it didn't save me money and I wanted to stay onsite I could rent DVC points from an owner, book a DVC room on cash from Disney or stay in a Disney hotel paying cash.

Or better yet, buy another timeshare for $1 on eBay and exchange in via RCI -- with the obvious caveat that you can't depend on being able to exchange in, despite folks' current good results.