Advice on DVC

mom2redheadgirl

New Member
Original Poster
Hi,
Our family of 5 has been going to Disney 2 years in a row now and my husband is seriously considering becoming a DVC member because he feels it will save us money in the long run since we are talking about going for years to come. I know we can afford to go every other year for sure. Can anyone give us some advice? Should be do a resale or go through Disney? Do we get to pick our home resort? Where can we find the cheapest rates on points? Thanks so much for any help. Oh, also what special benifits are there for DVC members? Are you treat with extra TLC at Disney? We stayed at the WL villas in 2002 and had a great experience. Are all Villas just as nice? Sorry I am asking so many questions!
:animwink:
Steph
 
J

joviacdan

Here's my thoughts on it...

If you plan on only visiting Disney with the DVC, then no, it's not worth it.

I looked into it when I was there in January.

I figured, well, I like to go to Disney World at least once a year, so maybe it would work for me.

It doesn't. You need to keep these things in mind:

1.You still have to pay for airfare.
2.You still have to pay for Disney tickets.

So, let's say, you spend $13,000 on a timeshare. You may save yourself about $500 a trip (and that's being really generous.)

So, it would take you 26 Disney trips to make it worth your while. Plus, when it's all said and done, you don't even own the timeshare.
 

arkfantasmic

New Member
the benefits of dvc really kick if you go to wdw once a year and you enjoy staying in the best facilities,with lots of room and extras like kitchens , and washer and dryers. my wife and i have been members for 2 years and after our trip this december we will have saved in rooms what the vacation club cost minus the dues. we takeour family with us so its nice to say rooms are on us you just come and have fun,17 is the most we have taken with us so far. the ownership lasts 40-50 years so in that time you should be able to get your investment back. you also can get all kind of discounts.for us as our family grows(dd 7 months)it was worth the ivestment hope this helps. any other questions just ask.80,000 people have bought so far
your home resort is where you buy and ssr is the only one that is not sold out. you can buy resales the cost per point is lower than current rates.
 

DisneyPhD

Well-Known Member
We are DVC members at VWL 170 points since 2002. We love it.

We really researched it and if you go every other year it really can be worth it. We planned on going once a year, but latelty we have been going more often!

All you need to know can be found at www.disboards.com look on the DVC forem. I can answer any questions you have and let you know how much we love it and why if you want. Just pm me.

Don't be afaird of buyng resale if there is where you want to own, it can be a great deal cheaper then the current SSR resort price of 95$ per point.
 

Laura

22
Premium Member
I've been trying to decide whether or not to do this as well. I think it would save money after we paid off the initial FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS but however many years it would take us to pay that off would really be tough financially.

I think this is something I might consider more once my van is paid off since I'm guessing the payments would be about the same.

Or I might just buy my dad's time share in Kissimee that he'd sell me for 2k.
 

DisneyEspo

Member
Originally posted by joviacdan
Here's my thoughts on it...

If you plan on only visiting Disney with the DVC, then no, it's not worth it.

I disagree,

My family goes to Disney about twice a year. I've been a member since 1999 and if I were to pay out of pocket for the rooms we stayed in, I'd already pass the $14k it cost to join. I've stayed twice in grand villas for a week at a time. Those rooms are over $1200 per night to the general public.
Now, I'm not saying it's perfect. But, I think it's well worth it. For starters, the villas have kitchens, nice big bathrooms with jacuzzi and a large shower, and washer & dryers in the room. This is great for a family with young kids. My home resort is the Boardwalk. It's a walk away from Epcot, a boatride (or a small hike) to MGM, or a busride to MK or anywhere else in WDW. Plus there's lots to do on the Boardwalk itself, and it has a great pool too!!
On the downside, there are yearly maintenance fees. But that goes with any timeshare. And park passes are not included. But the timeshare is for a place to stay, not entrance to the parks. We just get length of stay passes, which are discounted for DVC members (I think). And as for airfare, show me any timeshare that pays for airfare.
Also, if we decide to go somewhere else, we could always use the exchange program.
So, that's my 2 cents worth...I think it's definately worth it if you plan on visiting WDW often!!
 

DisneyPhD

Well-Known Member
I agree with DisneyEspo, for all those good reasons, and many more. You can really make your points go father with studios too. (while not as wonderful as 1 bedrooms, still much better then a normal Deluxe WDW resort because of the kicthenette, we don't want to stay at any non DVC rooms now.) There really is a great deal of flexibilty with DVC. We don't feel we have enough points, but currenlty that is all we can afford. If I get more I will do it add on. I think the SSR current price is rather high. We paid 75 a point with a 10$ buy back per point when we bought VWL 2 years ago. You can get resale at some resorts for as low as 65$ a point. The average is 75 for BCV, VWL, and BWL. You can find a link to the timeshare store and current listings at the link I gave above.

It's funny becuse the only people who bash DVC are non members, who don't really understand it. I admit for many years we didn't understand how it could save us money, after 7 trips and many thousands on rooms we figured out if we had bought into DVC then it would of paid for itself and we would only be paying the 600 in dues a year. Getting over the buy in price is the hardest part, after that is all easy. We paid it off with savings instead of paying interest. (put it on the Disney Visa and get Disney Dollars for it, better yet.)

Yes, there are other expences, but you are going to ge those no mater what if you go to WDW. We sure love checking out and having a big zero for the room on your charge (of course there are all the charges to the room for dinner and such.)
 
J

joviacdan

Please understand - I'm in no way "bashing" it. I'm simply explaining it from the viewpoint of a vacationer who could stay at the All Star Resorts, Pop Century or Caribbean Beach, and be happy as can be. And believe me - I completely understand the way it works.

But see, the thing is this:

There are alot of people who go to Disney and are just fine and dandy staying at a Value Resort. The only reason they would be looking at the DVC is for the value of it and to save money. No doubt, if you plan on staying at the Boardwalk every visit, then it certainly could be worth it to you.

But look at it this way:

A 7 night stay at a Disney Value Resort with airfare and Ultimate Park Hopper Pass is about $800 per person. So, let's say, for 2 people, it would be $1,600.

If you were a member of the DVC, great - Your room is paid for. However, each person still needs to pay for airfare. So, let's say $250 x2. There's $500. Then, if you plan on buying 9 days worth of passes, that's another $400 (at least) per person x2. That's $800. So, altogether, being in the DVC would still cost you $650 per person. So, you're saving about $150 per person, per trip. That's a savings of a total of $300 per trip.

If a DVC timeshare costs you $13,000, it would take you approxamiately 43 trips to Disney to make it worth your while.

Now granted, if you're going other places, like a previous poster said, sure - It could definitely be worth your time and money.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVED the idea of DVC when I first heard about it, and was all set to join up. But when I figured that I'd only be buying it to take advantage of the savings at Disney, it just didn't seem worth it in the long run to me.

If Disney ever came out with some sort of vacation club where you could purchase a time share and it INCLUDED admission to the parks and such, I'd sign on in a heartbeat.
 

Yellowbird97

New Member
We have been DVC members since 1999 as well, and bought our first time share at Boardwalk. Since then we have purchased time share in Beach Club and most recently in Saratoga Springs. We have a large family and would not be able to afford going to WDW 3 times a year and staying at the best properties on Disney grounds. We have stayed in the larger villas when all our children and grandchildren go to Disney with us, and the studios when it is just us, and let me tell you, it is so nice. I have to say that we have also stayed at All Stars and Pop Century, but really, there is no comparison to staying at one of the villas, it is just top notch. Not only are the hotels fabulous, but to be "Welcomed Home" each time you visit from the staff at each of these fine resorts, but it is great just knowing you and your family are a part of Disney in some way. Also, you get free valet service with your vehicle (if you drive) every time you visit a DVC villa. In our opinion, we enjoy staying at Boardwalk and Beach Club the most because of the proximity of being so close to MGM and EPCOT, which is just a short walk or boat ride away. I have to say that we love all the DVC villas (WL is awesome too) and have stayed in all villas in WDW and every one is first rate. As you can tell, we thouroughly enjoy our timeshare and are very glad we joined. We used to visit WDW 1 time every year before joining in 1999 and have spent so much money on rooms in moderate and value resorts that it would have paid for itself if we had invested in DVC when they first opened with Old Key West. :brick: Good luck with your decision, to me it is a no brainer, but if you have kids and enjoy going to Disney alot, then I say go for it, you will LOVE it.:wave:
 
J

joviacdan

It's obvious there are a number of factors involved.

Family size, trips you plan to make, where you like to stay.

Like the previous poster said, they like to stay at Boardwalk and Yacht and Beach, so for them, it would be worth it.

If you're on a tighter budget (such as myself) it just might not be as feesable.

Everyone's budgets and tastes differ.
 

PhilharMagician

Well-Known Member
Thanks to DVC we will be looking at going twice per year.

Airfare's are at there lowest I have seen and just purchasing a AP which is only a few bucks more than a 7 day hopper. Where can you go wrong.
$220.00 round trip from Albany, NY to Orlando (currently)
AP's $379.00 adult & $322.00 child
$500.00 per year maintenance

For three of us it works out to be $1450 per trip for the three of us(figuring 2 trips per year and not including original purchase price). Since you also have a kitchenette in the studio's and a full Kitchen in the single bedroom & up you can save a good amount of money preparing meals in your room. You also have a washer & dryer in the single bedrooms and up or complimentary usage of resort washer and dryers for studios.

We purchased 200 points of SSR late last year and financed it and it runs around 212.00 per month. We will push to pay this off ASAP.


So you know, with SSR you will have a 50 year ownership. Just watch out when purchasing resale points. Alot of people use all of their points and borrow as much as they can and then sell. You need to watch the resale market every day to get a good bargin. Then with OKW I believe you have a 40 year ownership. If someone has owned it for 10 years you will be down to 30 years. This may not make a difference to you.

Current starting price is $14250 which I beleive is for 180 points which is the minimum offer for SSR. This works out to $80.00 per point. I thought it was higher than this , but that is what the DVC site is telling me.

Call DVC and talk to them. Have them send you info if you do not already have it.

Good luck on your descision.
 
J

joviacdan

OK, maybe I'm wrong about this, but I thought you only got so many nights a year when staying at a DVC....
 
I personally do not know too much about it, since it's my parents who are the members (I just get all the benefits..haha :lol: ). All I know is that my parents love it, they think it's well worth it, and it allows us to go on a month long Disney trip every two years. :sohappy:

24 Days :)
 

PhilharMagician

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by joviacdan
OK, maybe I'm wrong about this, but I thought you only got so many nights a year when staying at a DVC....

No. It works on a point system.

Each resort has it's own points chart. The amount of points needed for each nights stay depends on time of year, resort and type of room. You can buy as many or as few points as would work for your vacationing style. Also the maintenance fees are per point, so the more points you have the more the fees.

Next time you are at WDW go for the tour and get all the info. They d give you a free lunch and treat you like you are a KING.
 

BeachClubVillas

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by joviacdan
OK, maybe I'm wrong about this, but I thought you only got so many nights a year when staying at a DVC....

That's where Disney PhD is absolutely correct about the people who spend their time bashing DVC are nonmembers who do not understand the system. When you buy into the system, you do not buy nights, you buy points. You can buy as many points as you want. Each night at a resort costs a certain number of points, depending on the time of year, the type of villa you choose, and even the day of the week. There is absolutely no limit on the number of nights you can spend in your villa. If you have enough points to spend a month, then you can spend a month. You can also borrow points from the next year and even pay for extra nights in cash if you really want to.

My family wanted to join ten years ago when we first started going to WDW every year. We didn't end up joining until 2002. In that time, we had already spent enough on hotels alone to more than make up for the price of DVC, and that was while we were staying at Port Orleans. Besides the money, there are innumerable other benefits that I can't even mention here!
 
J

joviacdan

OK - I sort of see a little more now.

I don't know. It's probably a lot easier than it sounds, but I just get wary when there's no set price for a timeshare member.
 

BeachClubVillas

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by joviacdan
OK - I sort of see a little more now.

I don't know. It's probably a lot easier than it sounds, but I just get wary when there's no set price for a timeshare member.

It is a lot easier than it sounds. Bottom line is, you will always be able to go to Disney whenever you want and for as long as you want, which is something you don't get with a lot of timeshare programs. They explain everything to you when you join, and they really do treat you like a VIP with drinks and cookies and everything!
 

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