Why?

GoofGoof

Premium Member
I'm going by memory (and I'm old so grain of salt and all that), but I vaguely remember pamphlets or flyers (fliers? sp?) or other promotional materials hyping DVC membership as an affordable (or MORE affordable) way to regularly stay in "deluxe-style" Disney resorts. Words to that effect anyway. Which would make the perception that you're pre-paying for a stay in a deluxe hotel understandable.
I wasn't questioning his perception of the sales pitch. I actually think it's dishonest for the sales reps to sell it that way since it's factually inaccurate.
 

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
Our guide never pitched it that way. He only talked about staying in the DVC resorts. Yes, they do share some of the same amenities as the deluxe resorts, but other things are different, like mousekeeping. If people do not heavily research before plunking down thousands of dollars, then I have no pity for them whatsoever.
 

yedliW

Well-Known Member
Our guide never pitched it that way. He only talked about staying in the DVC resorts. Yes, they do share some of the same amenities as the deluxe resorts, but other things are different, like mousekeeping. If people do not heavily research before plunking down thousands of dollars, then I have no pity for them whatsoever.

Having not been through the process from the beginning, it seems to me that something like how often the sheets get changed is something that would be very easy to overlook among all the other aspects of ownership.. especially since they are in/part of hotels. Someone who has never owned a timeshare or even looked into them probably wouldn't be aware that it is a standard in the industry (as it was pointed out earlier in this thread).

All the arguments for the way it is that have been made in this thread make sense and have changed my perspective, but you have to admit, for a lot of people, if it isn't clearly called out in the sales pitch, it is probably not a question that most people are going to think to ask as part of their 'heavy research' before buying in.. (unless they have stayed on rented points in the past) but that just may be me..
 

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
Having not been through the process from the beginning, it seems to me that something like how often the sheets get changed is something that would be very easy to overlook among all the other aspects of ownership.. especially since they are in/part of hotels. Someone who has never owned a timeshare or even looked into them probably wouldn't be aware that it is a standard in the industry (as it was pointed out earlier in this thread).

All the arguments for the way it is that have been made in this thread make sense and have changed my perspective, but you have to admit, for a lot of people, if it isn't clearly called out in the sales pitch, it is probably not a question that most people are going to think to ask as part of their 'heavy research' before buying in.. (unless they have stayed on rented points in the past) but that just may be me..
Since you married into it, I can understand the confusion. We went to the sales pitch, and received a book (that we still have) from him that really explained everything well, and it did include the fact that mousekeeping is only on certain days, so we were well aware of that before purchasing. We knew and understood all the rules about banking/borrowing etc. We went into it with our eyes fully open with the complete understanding that we were NOT buying for the perks, but only to save money on our Disney vacations. While we have stayed in POR, POFQ, and the FW Cabins in the past, we are deluxe snobs, and won't stay anywhere else. Yes, I fully admit that we are deluxe snobs and would never even consider a value resort, even for one night. I have been going to WDW since 1978, and my wife and I love it there. We go multiple times every year (and yes, we go other places as well), so DVC was a no-brainer for us. It doesn't work for everyone - and I will tell people if it isn't a good fit - but it works for us.
 

EOD K9

Well-Known Member
@LuvtheGoof I enjoy my DVC ownership as well. We are staying at the Poly for the first time next month and that means I will have finally stayed in all of the WDW DVC resorts. That being said, my in-laws are doing a huge family reunion that they are paying for later in the year and are putting us up in Little Mermaid at AoA. I'm almost not looking forward to being in such a smaller room for the four of us. But if we think that a DCL stateroom is big enough, I guess we should be ok.
 

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
So I take it that you are asking why DVC? Here is one example. Disney is having a 25% of Deluxe resort sale for select properties and dates right now. Looking at staying a week - May 7 - May 13 - in AKL with a Savannah view would cost just over $2,800. Using our DVC points, which we pay $5.44 per point for our dues (we broke even years ago on our initial investment), it is 80 points for the exact same week. So we "pay" $435.38 in dues to stay in the exact same room that a cash guest is paying over $2,800 for.

So we could stay 6 weeks for the same price as one week paying cash.

That's why we joined. :D
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/AK-Points.htm#aklvillas2016

It looks like that "dream season week" is 123 point for a studio
 

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
The DVC website initially calculated it at 80, but I went back in, and the correct number of points is 104. Yes, it is 123 for a week, but only 104 for May 7-13. So my new total would be $565.76. I still save over $2,200. Anything else?
No doubt it is a good deal if you enjoy staying there(which I do). I just wanted to see for myself if those numbers are correct. Also based on your presumptions...if you bought in say 2006 into Saratoga Springs(which is currently at $5.44 per point) to purchase enough points to stay at this accomodation you would need 123 point per week(if staying a full week which 7-13 is 7 days). annualize your initial investment for 36 years(assuming no finance fees) and it comes out to $345 per year, plus the dues of $669/year that adds up to $1014.

Still a very good deal but you have to assume a lot of things. Like you wont need a larger room as your family grows, or you do not want to go during more peak seasons etc..

If that is where and when you want to stay for 36 years then you are savings quite a bit of money. But I think the numbers were not quite accurate when establishing full cost of the room
 

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
No doubt it is a good deal if you enjoy staying there(which I do). I just wanted to see for myself if those numbers are correct. Also based on your presumptions...if you bought in say 2006 into Saratoga Springs(which is currently at $5.44 per point) to purchase enough points to stay at this accomodation you would need 123 point per week(if staying a full week which 7-13 is 7 days). annualize your initial investment for 36 years(assuming no finance fees) and it comes out to $345 per year, plus the dues of $669/year that adds up to $1014.

Still a very good deal but you have to assume a lot of things. Like you wont need a larger room as your family grows, or you do not want to go during more peak seasons etc..

If that is where and when you want to stay for 36 years then you are savings quite a bit of money. But I think the numbers were not quite accurate when establishing full cost of the room
When the site says a week, they are looking at someone staying on both Fri. and Sat. nights. Since our stay starts on Sat., but we checkout on Friday, we don't need those extra 19 points. It's really only a 6 night stay, not seven.

As far as annualizing the investment, why? I already paid that cost up front, and by my calculations we have saved more money than our initial investment already, so why would I keep adding it in? At this time, we are paying dues only, so that is our only cost. People can run the numbers to make it look anyway they wish, but the bottom line is that we will save tens of thousands of dollars over anyone paying cash. Period.

We have stayed in every type of room, from a studio to a 3 bedroom grand villa to the treehouses at SSR. My wife and I prefer a 1 bedroom, even when it's just the 2 of us, as we love the extra space.
 

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
When the site says a week, they are looking at someone staying on both Fri. and Sat. nights. Since our stay starts on Sat., but we checkout on Friday, we don't need those extra 19 points. It's really only a 6 night stay, not seven.

As far as annualizing the investment, why? I already paid that cost up front, and by my calculations we have saved more money than our initial investment already, so why would I keep adding it in? At this time, we are paying dues only, so that is our only cost. People can run the numbers to make it look anyway they wish, but the bottom line is that we will save tens of thousands of dollars over anyone paying cash. Period.

We have stayed in every type of room, from a studio to a 3 bedroom grand villa to the treehouses at SSR. My wife and I prefer a 1 bedroom, even when it's just the 2 of us, as we love the extra space.
Well, judging by your statements you are enjoying your DVC ownership and have definately saved money.

But the initial investment is a cost and you have to factor it into the cost of the room. Unless you want to say it cost you 10-20K for your first visit or 5K for your first 4 visits. Depreciating that number by the contract term is an easy way to evaluate cost.

Another way to look at it is say you took your initial 12K investment and put in in a S & P ETF it would annualize at 7.5% based on reinvesting dividends(during the same 9 year terms we are assuming). That would give you about $980 per year to spend on whatever you want. How about a Sheraton Vistana 2 bedroom villa down the road for the same price. Or a 1 bedroom at the Marriot villas even adding in rental car fees and you can have vacations without any out of principal expenses.

Anyway love these DVC threads...I don't begrudge any DVC owners I have been on the fence for years
 

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
Well, judging by your statements you are enjoying your DVC ownership and have definately saved money.

But the initial investment is a cost and you have to factor it into the cost of the room. Unless you want to say it cost you 10-20K for your first visit or 5K for your first 4 visits. Depreciating that number by the contract term is an easy way to evaluate cost.

Another way to look at it is say you took your initial 12K investment and put in in a S & P ETF it would annualize at 7.5% based on reinvesting dividends(during the same 9 year terms we are assuming). That would give you about $980 per year to spend on whatever you want. How about a Sheraton Vistana 2 bedroom villa down the road for the same price. Or a 1 bedroom at the Marriot villas even adding in rental car fees and you can have vacations without any out of principal expenses.

Anyway love these DVC threads...I don't begrudge any DVC owners I have been on the fence for years
Sorry, but this is an old argument that holds absolutely no water. DVC is NOT a monetary investment like a S&P ETF. It is never pitched that way (or if it is, the guide needs to be reported). It is pitched as a way to save on future vacations - nothing else. No perks, no benefits, just save money on your Disney resort costs for the next 40-50 years. That's how it was pitched to us.

Actually, considering what we paid way back when, and the current resale market, we can sell all of our contracts for more than what we paid for them, and we've had over 30 DVC trips. So a profit can be had if your timing is right. But we'll never sell, and our kids will eventually get our points.

I will absolutely agree that you can get cheaper accommodations off-site. Absolutely agree. But we have NO desire to ever stay off-site. Ever. If you wish to stay off-site, then DVC is not for you at all, and you can get off the fence. If you are OK with staying in a value resort, then DVC is not for you. If you don't think that you will still be going to WDW in 20 years, then DVC is not for you. If you only want to visit every 5 years or so, then DVC is not for you. The list goes on. We only stay on-site, and we know that we will be going there for the next 40 years, as will our children, grandchildren, and with any luck, our great-grandchildren.

If you are still considering it, the best way to buy in nowadays is via the resale market. You save a ton over buying direct, and if you are only going to stay in a DVC resort, you are good to go. We also understand that our dues will go up every year, just like the price of every resort room will go up. But a 5% raise on my dues, comes out to less money than a 5% raise on the resort rooms, so every year, my savings are a little larger than the year before. I'm already saving over $2,200 just for a one week vacation in a studio, and we are there for at least 3 weeks every year, and usually in a 1 bedroom or larger. Imagine what we will be saving in 30 years.

And I also love these DVC threads! I will never try to talk anyone into buying, and I'm usually telling people that it isn't for them. Just like anything else, it has to fit in with your lifestyle, and what you want to do. It fits ours like a glove.
 

WWWD

Well-Known Member
Well, judging by your statements you are enjoying your DVC ownership and have definately saved money.

But the initial investment is a cost and you have to factor it into the cost of the room. Unless you want to say it cost you 10-20K for your first visit or 5K for your first 4 visits. Depreciating that number by the contract term is an easy way to evaluate cost.

Another way to look at it is say you took your initial 12K investment and put in in a S & P ETF it would annualize at 7.5% based on reinvesting dividends(during the same 9 year terms we are assuming). That would give you about $980 per year to spend on whatever you want. How about a Sheraton Vistana 2 bedroom villa down the road for the same price. Or a 1 bedroom at the Marriot villas even adding in rental car fees and you can have vacations without any out of principal expenses.

Anyway love these DVC threads...I don't begrudge any DVC owners I have been on the fence for years

When discussing DVC you must remember that it is a luxury purchase, that will save you money over time if you continue visiting WDW. I think for many of us who bought into DVC we were not running the numbers of purchasing DVC or investing the money. If it wasn't DVC, it would have been an upgraded truck, bigger boat, granite countertops, weekly nice restaurant visits, etc. DVC is fun and makes me happy. That $100 I spent last Saturday night at a new restaurant is long gone and so is the food. Now that money I should have invested.
 

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
Sorry, but this is an old argument that holds absolutely no water. DVC is NOT a monetary investment like a S&P ETF. It is never pitched that way (or if it is, the guide needs to be reported). It is pitched as a way to save on future vacations - nothing else. No perks, no benefits, just save money on your Disney resort costs for the next 40-50 years. That's how it was pitched to us.

Actually, considering what we paid way back when, and the current resale market, we can sell all of our contracts for more than what we paid for them, and we've had over 30 DVC trips. So a profit can be had if your timing is right. But we'll never sell, and our kids will eventually get our points.

I will absolutely agree that you can get cheaper accommodations off-site. Absolutely agree. But we have NO desire to ever stay off-site. Ever. If you wish to stay off-site, then DVC is not for you at all, and you can get off the fence. If you are OK with staying in a value resort, then DVC is not for you. If you don't think that you will still be going to WDW in 20 years, then DVC is not for you. If you only want to visit every 5 years or so, then DVC is not for you. The list goes on. We only stay on-site, and we know that we will be going there for the next 40 years, as will our children, grandchildren, and with any luck, our great-grandchildren.

If you are still considering it, the best way to buy in nowadays is via the resale market. You save a ton over buying direct, and if you are only going to stay in a DVC resort, you are good to go. We also understand that our dues will go up every year, just like the price of every resort room will go up. But a 5% raise on my dues, comes out to less money than a 5% raise on the resort rooms, so every year, my savings are a little larger than the year before. I'm already saving over $2,200 just for a one week vacation in a studio, and we are there for at least 3 weeks every year, and usually in a 1 bedroom or larger. Imagine what we will be saving in 30 years.

And I also love these DVC threads! I will never try to talk anyone into buying, and I'm usually telling people that it isn't for them. Just like anything else, it has to fit in with your lifestyle, and what you want to do. It fits ours like a glove.
I agree, I also love the idea of prepaying your vacation, that is what life is all about. Having that done and ready to go for the next few decades is not something that can be quantified.

I'm a non DVC timeshare owner and I still enjoy using it yearly even knowing that in some ways if you tweek the numbers it may not be the absolute best investment.

When I book that next vacation and I know the accomodations are paid for it's a great feeling. If it gives you peace of mind and you can be farily certain that your vacation style will not drastically change timeshares can be a great tool.

The bonus of DVC is the resale value which is non-existent in other timeshare offers
 

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
When I book that next vacation and I know the accomodations are paid for it's a great feeling. If it gives you peace of mind and you can be farily certain that your vacation style will not drastically change timeshares can be a great tool.

The bonus of DVC is the resale value which is non-existent in other timeshare offers
We also get to vacation there more often as well. We buy APs every year, and the TiW to save on dining. We don't commando the parks anymore, and spend more relaxing vacations because of it. We never feel like we have to do it all (even though that is impossible anyway), because we know we will be back soon, and can visit that attraction then.
 

Whippet Mom

Active Member
Love having the choice of so many deluxe resorts & knowing i would be putting out a ton of money for our stay. We own nothing on our contract so it feels like free lodging. It leaves us with more cash for a nice dinner (with our DVC discount) some fun souvenirs (with our DVC discount) & all the other perks that come with membership..
If we ever decide to never go again (not likely) we can resell our contract..
 

Whippet Mom

Active Member
It's got nothing to do with WDW or Disney at that point. Once the points have been sold to the owners, they are the ones who can vote on making changes to how the property is run (albeit through their proxies by voting for the board). Daily mousekeeping will drive up dues. To keep dues low, you only get the reduced cleaning schedule. Same reason why they got rid of free valet for owners, the added costs were raising dues, which reflects poorly on the program and how it is run. You want daily mousekeeping, you can pay for it directly via the posted rates in room. I however don't need daily mousekeeping, so would rather not pay another few dollars per point in dues if I don't need to.
We actually like not having mousekeeping in our room everyday.. Who needs a new towel every day? They give us enough for a few days from the start. I can toss the bed together in the morning all by myself..
 

Tom

Beta Return
We actually like not having mousekeeping in our room everyday.. Who needs a new towel every day? They give us enough for a few days from the start. I can toss the bed together in the morning all by myself..

Ditto. We like to sleep in on occasion. And we come back to the room often with our son, for naps, etc. When staying in a moderate, it was very inconvenient to work around housekeeping.

I DO like clean towels on vacation, since I'm paying for them. But the villas always have more than enough to practically use a clean one every day, without service.

Knowing we can just sit around and veg, and not worry about housekeeping knocking or barging in, is nice. That's a PERK for us.
 

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