Why is the DVC such a "secret"? some newbie Q's

[Disney Mama 2 Two]

Is there a way to get more detailed info before buying? It seems everything I can find is either from people who already know all there is to know about the program or not detailed info.

Has anyone bought through Disney and used their financing programs?

So you are buying your room basically, right? You would still pay for admission to WDW parks and food.

Could you please explain to me how this is a great deal, I heard on the DVC video people saying they'd make money in 4-5 years? How is that possible if you are paying $15,000 + upfront? You'd only be saving $1500. maybe a year???

Like I said, I'm a newbie and very confused...would love some more detailed info or a direction where to look.

thanks
Dawn

 

[DVC-Don]

For us, we used to drop $6000 per stay in the Deluxe resorts per vacation before we got into DVC.

 

[PamOKW]

One way to get info is to keep asking questions. I'll also try and find the links to some basic "primer" info -- I know there's some on this site somewhere.

How much you save depends on what type of vacation you are taking now. If you are staying offsite at Econolodge, you probably won't be "saving". If you are staying at one of the moderate resorts on-site, you can vacation for roughly the same cost and bump yourself up to some truly luxurious accomodations.

You are correct that what you are buying is resort only -- admission, food, travel, etc. are all additional costs. The initial cost $15,000 or whatever amount of points you purchase, is "one time only". However, you do pay yearly dues -- they are assessed "per point" and vary by resort. Figure roughly $4 per point. (These fluctuate year to year).

Well, there's a start....I'll see if I can find the links.

 

[stacy6552]

Its a secret, because we dont want the riff raff joining up.

 

[PamOKW]

Here are some links to basic info

DVC Info from the DIS

All Ears Primer

and I assume you've already checked out www.disneyvacationclub.com

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

We used the financing. Everything went really smooth. I've contacted accounting several times via e-mail (June Johannsen is great) and requested payoff amounts every six months or so until I could pay off a contract. (We have three contracts.) I have one contract left and we are finished with the payments. Went for the 10 year loan on two contracts and a one year loan on the SSR add on to get the great APR.

Yes, you still buy your tickets and food, but if you buy annual passes, you get a hefty discount right now. This is not guaranteed to last forever, but for now, the discount is great.

And for the food, if you get the annual pass you can get the Disney Dining Experience for $50 a year which gets you 20% off sit down meals at most restaurants. We use the kitchen in our room to fix a lot of our meals though.

We were spending a good amount each year on our room and we always stayed at Dixie Landings . I don't know that we are saving a ton, but by doing the DVC it is easier for us to take the vacations as a big hunk of the vacation is paid for already, and the dues aren't bad at all. We also get at least a one bedroom (putting the kids in the den on the sofa bed), and a two bedroom if its value season which makes it nice to put the kids in a different room .

Also, we have grown to love the washer dryer in the room, which allows us to only pack maybe three outfits each and just wash each night. I throw a load in when we get in for the night, move it to the dryer in the morning, and its ready to wear the next day. Leaves more room to bring home Mickey stuff!

Have you gone to the www.disneyvacationclub.com website? There's a lot of info there, and there's also a DVD you can order for more info. And if you do a lot of looking on this board, you'll find a wealth of info.

We first bought into DVC in 2000. Wish we would have bought in back in 1995 when we first looked at it, but we thought it was run just like the other timeshares out there.

Any help we can provide, we'll be happy to do so.

 

[wisbucky]

Disney Mama: I think the DVC video portion where they talk about the 4-5 years it referring to those who feel that DVC has paid for itself in 4-5 years. One thing to keep in mind is that you are prepaying for future vacations. When you buy into DVC you are also getting luxory accomodations, a home away from home instead of a hotel room. We purchased into DVC in 2003. We wished we would of purchased it earlier. Since then we have added on 3 times. Because we bought into DVC we vacation more at Diseny. And WE LOVE IT. If you dont think you want to vacation at Disney a lot then DVC may not be for you. DVC does offer other resorts besides WDW to stay at. Have you ever taken a tour of DVC with a guide. You may want to try that and see what you think?

 

[vascubaguy]

If you are looking for specifics about the financing and haven't gotten the packet from a guide at DVC... here's a post I did a few weeks ago listing the financing terms.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=9282510&postcount=8

One reason it is a "secret" is that most people assume that is it way out of their price range. If you typically visit once a year, a DVC purchase could pay for itself in 5-7 years. It just depends on your vacationing habits, and your desire to increase your vacationing to DVC resorts.

You'll be able to get lots of answers and help here... just ask away.

 

[Dean]

Is there a way to get more detailed info before buying? It seems everything I can find is either from people who already know all there is to know about the program or not detailed info.

Has anyone bought through Disney and used their financing programs?

So you are buying your room basically, right? You would still pay for admission to WDW parks and food.

Could you please explain to me how this is a great deal, I heard on the DVC video people saying they'd make money in 4-5 years? How is that possible if you are paying $15,000 + upfront? You'd only be saving $1500. maybe a year???

Like I said, I'm a newbie and very confused...would love some more detailed info or a direction where to look.

thanks
Dawn

There are a number of reasons a good overview isn't available. These include, IMO:

• Timeshare sales limitations.
• The fact that DVC wants to give you the info directly so you are more likely to buy.
• It's a pretty complicated system and thus more complicated than one could easily undertstand in 2-3 written pages.

I doubt anyone can "pay" for DVC in even 5-7 years with the current set up. Maybe back when you got free passes, but not anymore. And in some cases, it'll never pay for itself. But it does depend on how you use it and what you are comparing it to. Now if you are like one of the members here and were staying in Disney suites prior to buying DVC, it's a no brainer. If you can do with a moderate or value resort for a single room, you may never be able to justify the purchase on numbers alone. In general DVC only makes sense for someone who plans to visit WDW most years, stay on property and go neutral or light on the weekend stays. There is no way to reasonably justify the numbers for long weekends or any exchange options other than a high demand subset of Interval International.

 

[Cruelladeville]

Often, when we say DVC pays for itself in 5-7 years, we are making the assumption based on what you paid for lodging before you bought DVC. In my case, staying at Poly is $395 per night, so it wouldn't take long to pay for DVC. If you are staying at EconoLodge...well, you probably wouldn't even think about DVC. I think of it this way...I paid $54 per point for my first contract, and I can sell it for about $80 per point now, so I haven't lost any money. Therefore, my only cost is dues of $4 per point. If a room can be rented for 15 points, I paid $60 per night(15 X$4=$60).

I have used Disney financing. They will accept just about anyone, which is nice. You can finance it for up to 10 years, and they push for automatic withdrawl from your bank account.

 

[MStepelton]

Is there a way to get more detailed info before buying? It seems everything I can find is either from people who already know all there is to know about the program or not detailed info.

Has anyone bought through Disney and used their financing programs?

So you are buying your room basically, right? You would still pay for admission to WDW parks and food.

Could you please explain to me how this is a great deal, I heard on the DVC video people saying they'd make money in 4-5 years? How is that possible if you are paying $15,000 + upfront? You'd only be saving $1500. maybe a year???

Like I said, I'm a newbie and very confused...would love some more detailed info or a direction where to look.

thanks
Dawn

Dawn

First , I'm a owner and like yourself before we bought we wanted some details about the program. You'll find calling DVC and requesting a info package ( there is no charge for it ) will answer every question you may have about the program and financing it.
You'll find that this will save a lot of time ( and reading )

 

[Blue&Gold]

Don't forget the real estate mantra... Location, location, location. We own at BWV and it is really hard to put a "value" on the ability for us to take our two (6 & 3 yr old) boys to Epcot or the Studios in the AM, walk (or take quick boat) back to the Villas for a nap and a dip in the pool, then return to one of the parks that night. That said, I looked very closely and asked a bunch of questions on these boards before buying. Two things to consider that some neglect when doing price comparisons is to include both the 11.5% tax on rooms and to factor in a reasonable rate of inflation for out year costs.

 

[Shawn]

Is there a way to get more detailed info before buying?
Dawn

I requested the free DVD from the official Disney DVC site.

http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/index

I just filled out the form and it came in the mail in a week or so. It was followed up by a direct phone call from a DVC Guide. I hadn't even watched the DVD yet, but she was so helpful and there was no attempt at a hard sell. In fact, she said something like "I'll be your guide whether you want to buy now or 6 years from now". She then offered to send me a book with a lot more information than is in the DVD. That was very helpful. The book is a large, hardbound, blue book, with info on all the resorts, floor plan layouts, the 2005/2006 point calendars, info on the concierge and international stuff, etc.

It also included a sheet that covered financing through Disney and the interest rates and monthly breakdowns of your payments depending on how much and how long you want to finance.

That was a big start. I then supplemented that knowledge, with daily hanging out on these boards, and after a few weeks, I feel that I have a real good grasp of what I'm going to be getting into. These boards cover a lot of the angles that you would not think of on your own (such as the use of two smaller contracts rather than one larger one, and alternating the use of the contracts and banking points so that you can have the home resort advantage at two resorts (alternating years)).

In any case, if you want to talk directly to a guide, I can give you my guide's number, as could man other folks on this forum, I'm sure. The guide will provide you with info, even if you want to buy resale.

-Shawn

 

[AlaskaMOM]

We as a family of 5 have always had to stay in moderates or above. I started looking at DVC after we did the tour of SSR in Oct '04. I of course wanted to go for it, but hubby said sure- but I'm not paying for it. Now almost a year later I am about to purchase my own piece (albeit small) of the magic.
I really love the 1 or 2 (or even ocassionally maybe 3) BR choices. The kitchen to stash the drinks and b'fast stuff and the laundry room (or closet) which means I won't be schlepping to the laundry rooms carrying little bags of everyone elses dirty laundry. But one of the biggest deciding factors was just perusing these boards, the people on here really LOVE their 2nd home - DVC.

We did finally decide OKW because it has a feel similar to POR that DH really liked, plus had smaller point costs per night (compared to other dvc resorts)DH really liked that!, and if we ever wanted to book a GV we would need the 11 month booking window that you would get with your "home resort"

So look around and see what others are saying. Remember Disney at their minimum of 150 points is not your only option, there is resale from 25 points and up. Being informed before you make a large purchase will hopefully keep you from having any regrets (other than "why didn't I do it sooner, or why didn't I get MORE")
I will always (and that's a word I tell my kids they're not allowed to use) want to stay on property, I will always Love to go to WDW, and I will always kick myself if I don't get me my piece!
And if that's the way you feel about it too; DVC just might be right for you!

Now all I have to do is wait for my small OKW contract to come along.

Actually now I'll "shut up" I've gotten a little long winded!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you are only spending $1500 a year in WDW trips, then DVC probably isn't going to look like a "deal" to you, but for those of us who stayed in deluxe resorts prior to buying into DVC, it is a BIG savings after a couple of trips. We paid off our 380 points without financing, and now we stay up to 30 days in Disney for maintenance fees of around $1200.

 

[JeanJoe]

Regarding the "secrecy", after going on the tour and receiving the hardbound blue book, I still found the details sorely lacking, for things like banking windows, reservation status, etc.

I really wish that there was an option to get the DVC New Member's Guide prior to becoming a member -- it answers so many of the questions that are frequently asked here (which is how I learned the "details" before joining).

I understand that the New Member's Guide might be so detailed it might scare people off, but perhaps AFTER you've done the tour and gotten your blue bound book...

And even now, as a member, it'd be great to get the New Member's Guide as a PDF on my computer.

 

[vascubaguy]

...
And even now, as a member, it'd be great to get the New Member's Guide as a PDF on my computer.

I wonder if they would be opposed to someone creating a pdf and allowing people to access it.

 

[OnMedic]

Hi Gang,

If someone wants to create a PDF, I will post it on my server for all to access. A webpage is also coming soon with details of all the major programs... DVC, Marriott, HGVC, Hyatt, CI etc. So the PDF would be GREAT!

it is also about lifestyle and not all about the $$$. We own HGVC and soon either CI or DVC. Yes HGVC does have resorts in Orlando (including our home resort), but with 2 young children, it would be great to walk to DTD or simply jump on a shuttle or boat and be at the gates! We wouldn't even have to rent a car or van at $300 for the week. There is savings in itself!

Cheers,

Steven Bate
My Website

 

[JeanJoe]

I wonder if they would be opposed to someone creating a pdf and allowing people to access it.

Somehow, my random thought is that Disney seems really good at protecting their copyrights...

Still, that New Member Guidebook is so completely a DVC FAQ and Answer list!

 

[Disney Doll]

Is there a way to get more detailed info before buying? It seems everything I can find is either from people who already know all there is to know about the program or not detailed info.

Has anyone bought through Disney and used their financing programs?

So you are buying your room basically, right? You would still pay for admission to WDW parks and food.

Could you please explain to me how this is a great deal, I heard on the DVC video people saying they'd make money in 4-5 years? How is that possible if you are paying $15,000 + upfront? You'd only be saving $1500. maybe a year???

Like I said, I'm a newbie and very confused...would love some more detailed info or a direction where to look.

thanks
Dawn

The best way to get info is to talk to DVC directly. I think they have an info packet they send out, then they have a guide follow-up. If you are going to be in WDW, it would behoove you to set aside some time to go to their presentation and take the tour...that's where we got most of our info, our guide, a gentleman named Mark Webb, was excellent. The tour was very low key, there was no hard sell. As a matter-of-fact, our guide actually told us that Disney wanted people to be pleased with their purchase, so if we thought it wasn't the right thing for us, there would be no continued "pushing".

[B]~Buying through Disney & their financing[/B]--DH & I bought our first contract at OKW through Disney. It was a 200 point contract, and I believe we paid $64.50/point at the time (1997). They had the option of a 1 3, 5 & 10 year loan. We took a 10 year loan, because it had the cheapest per month payment. Our reasoning was that we could always pay more per month and pay it off more quickly, but if we had a month where money was a little "tight", all we had to pay was the fairly small monthly payment. That worked well for us. Most months we paid more than the required payment, and we had it paid off in about 3-4 years. When you buy through Disney, you buy what they have available. Right now, they are pushing Saratoga Springs Resort(SSR). They probably have some other contracts at the other resorts due to them exercising their Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on resale contracts, but they won't tell you that unless you really "push" a bit. One poster recently said that he called Disney about a contract at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge (VWL), and basically told them that he wanted to buy there, and would go to the resale market if necessary and then they came up with a few contracts that they had bought back, one of which he was able to buy directly from DVC, even though they are technically "selling" SSR now.

~What are you buying??--[/B]You are buying a timeshare real estate interest. You are buying lodging. Basically, you are buying the ability to pre-pay your lodging for a specific # of years. As I said above, we bought out points at $64.50/point in 1997. Points are now about $95/point I think, or close to that. That same resort that folks are paying $95/point for now, we have the ability to stay in using our points that we purchased for $64.50/point. Don't take that as a slam against folks buying now, because it's not meant to be. It's meant to illustrate exactly what benefit it is to be a DVC member. Ten years from now, if they build more DVC resorts, and they are charging $125/point, you will be able to stay in those same resorts using points you paid $95/point for. If you are the type of person that likes to vacation with a little "flair", then DVC is probably a good choice for you. If you are the type of person who is happy with a bed and a shower, then rethink it a bit. DH & I always stayed in at least a moderate when we went to WDW, and, when possible, we stayed in a Deluxe. It's the way we like to travel. We like to go out of our "norm" a bit...we are very middle-class, and therefore staying "deluxe" on vacation is a treat for us. We worked very hard, as do a lot of folks, to be able to do that. The thing I love about the DVC is that I no longer have to be prepared for that big "chunk of change" needed to pay for the accomodations. For us, that was usually our biggest expense. There are only 2 of us, so food was not a huge expense, park tickets are a pretty predictable expense...the hotel was the thing. Having DVC points has allowed us to vacation in a unit that is at least comparable, and in many ways better, than a deluxe hotel room at a very affordable price. And once you pay off your initial loan, and only have the dues payment to think about, it becomes even more affordable!!!! Let me give you an example. In 2004, we went to WDW 4 times, for a total of 22 days. We no longer owe $$ on our loan, so our only expense for our 2 contracts (we bought a 2nd contract in 2002) is our dues payment which equals about $135/month, rounded up to the nearest dollar. Multiply that by 12 months and it comes to $1620 per year. Divide that $1620 by 22 days that we spent in WDW last year, and we paid $74/night (again, rounded up to the nearest dollar). Some of those 22 nights were spent in a one bedroom unit, with a master BR with a jacuzzi tub, a full size kitchen/livingroom area combined for a "great room" effect, a full size washer/dryer in the unit, a nice deck overlooking beautiful scenery (golf course, pool, wooded views). Some of those nights were spent in a 2BR unit which had all the same amenities of the 1BR with the addition of a 2nd BR with its own bathroom, another balcony & 2 queen size beds. Some of those nights were spent in a 3BR Grand Villa, which had all of the amenities of a 2BR, plus a 3rd bedroom with its own bath and an addtional 4th bathroom...2200 square feet of living space. All for basically what it would cost me to stay in a Value Resort hotel room per night. The people who say they are actually saving money are probably folks who have stayed in deluxes or at concierge level consistently, and they are probably saving money. The way I look at it is that I get to stay in a heck of a lot nicer unit than a Value Resort room for about the same money.

DH looked at the DVC program every which way from Sunday when we were considering buying it. He is a realtor, now the Sales Manager of a real estate office, so you know he went over everything with a fine tooth comb. Basically, he came to the conclusion that if you are a person who knows you are going to be travelling to WDW at least every other year, the DVC would be a worthwhile investment to consider.

Feel free to PM me with any questions that come up based upon what I have written.

I can unequivocally say that purchasing DVC is one of the best things we ever did. We have never regretted it for a moment.