Disney Vacation Club

[MichBiv]

Hi All....
I just returned from Disney on Saturday I have been reading the boards but this is pretty much my first post. This past trip was my 9th trip.. and having gone to visit so many times (coming from CT) I have never stayed on a Disney Resort. The closest I have come to that was staying at the Hotel Royal Plaza?? in Downtown Disney. Anyway... during this past trip (I stayed on I Drive) I learned about and was almost talked into the Disney Vacation Club. Actually after going to the Open House on the Boardwalk and viewing what parts of Disney I have never seen before on my 9 trips, I was sick to go back to my hotel on I Drive.
So if any members of DVC can tell me a little about their experiences, and if its believed to be worth it financially ( I tell you, when they say you get what you pay for, they tell the truth.. I paid $660 total for 2 people 7 nights on I Drive with roundtrip direct flights from CT...thought I got a bargain ):brick:
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

God Bless!

 

[OldKeyWest24]

OMG I cant tell you how much the Disney Vacation Club is worth it. Its truley amazing. Soo many advatages. And you can stay at Old Key West (or any others) which is simply the best! you shoul really join. It makes you feel like you own a peice of disney. Its really magical I could go on and on about the pros on the DVC. coz there are no con!

w/b

Susan

 

[MichBiv]

Thanks for the reply Susan!
I went to the hour Open House and was really impressed! Its clear to see the value 10+ years from now, but in the first couple of years of ownership I was not sure. Like I mentioned, I barely spent $1000 on air and hotel, and these hotels (True the difference is amazing) are about $300 a night. I only saw the Boardwalk.. and walked the boardwalk over to Y&BC. Simply amazing. How long have you been a member? I have heard of other "perks" that come along with it, but the descriptions were vague as in "discounted tickets" and so forth. Right now, they are offering to buy back this years points so your total price is lower, however that offer was only valid if purchased during our actual stay... and with the way things are right now (my company is doing massive layoffs) I want to make sure the extra money I would be putting towards future vacations are to my advantage.
Thanks again for any information!

 

[OldKeyWest24]

we have ben members fo 5 fu filled yrs. And its been the best!


Susan

 

[1000th_Guest]

My wife and I have been members for several years. We live in Massachusetts; our son has been to WDW more times than he has years.

From a *purely* financial viewpoint, DVC is a mixed bag. I find that, all other things being equal, I could almost certainly find very good accomodations for the same money, or less. That being said, the accomodations would not be on-property; nor even particularly close to on-property.

I don't look at it as saving money on the room, I look at it as paying for the room throughout the year.

Booking rooms has become a royal pain in the kiester. I couldn't book a room I wanted seven months in advance. (Had I been more familiar with the rooms, I would have booked 11 months in advance at Boardwalk - my home resort - without problem).

As to other discounts, here's what I can quickly find or remember:

10% off park passes (except Annual Passes - no discount)
15% off Keys To The Kingdom Tour
10-20% off food at many locations throughout the world
15% off miniature golf
10% off merchandise purchased at Disney Stores (at malls)

the list goes on. The discounts tip the scales in favor of DVC.

It's late. I hope that I'm not rambling on here. If you have specific questions, let me know. I'll be more than happy to answer.

PS Oh, yeah, we saved a bundle on our Disney wedding because I'm a DVC member.

 

[MichBiv]

Thanks Guest!
I am slowly being talked into it!!! I went over all the information with my bf again last night, seems as though thats all we talk about lately! I am trying really hard to find a downside to DVC, but having a hard time!

 

[Cindylou]

Hi, we have been DVC members for about 4 years. I am really glad we are, because I love WDW and do not want to stay anywhere off property. You do feel like you are part of the magic, especially when you check in at OKW and they say "Welcome Home"... But, both of my sisters bought time shares in Florida after we bought at Disney and I think they got much better deals financially. They get there timeshares for life, we only get ours until 2042. They did not pay nearly as much as we did for theirs. And as far as exchanges, that is about equal.

But my love is Disney, so I am not unhappy about our choice. If you don't mind being off property, you can get better deals. So there is a choice to be made. In the long run, I would probably choose Disney again.

 

[markymark]

I am interested to know about DVC too. Particularly the initial costs involved. I really want to be purchasing enough points for a 2 week holiday, not really bothered about where. Can anyone give me any info on how much it might cost?

Thanks

 

[MichBiv]

Mark,
From what I learned at the Open House last week, the least amount of points you can purchase is 150 for $11250, plus annual dues which are around $450 a year. They will finance the purchase for up to 10 years, with 20% down. A basic studio in slow season runs about 100 +/- points a week. A bigger room, longer stay, or different season can alter your points. You can purchase up to 2000 points (My my!) for a nice amount of $150,000 ( not with my salary!! ) which will pretty much let you vacation anywhere for a long time I would imagine!!
Check out this site:
www.dvc.disney.go.com

 

[DvcMember23]

>>10% off park passes (except Annual Passes - no discount)

Not true. DVC Members get discounts only on length-of-stay passes (which are a rip-off IMHO). The discount is, however, 10% -- which is better than the MKC and DC discounts, for what it's worth.

Discounts are one of my pet peeves regarding DVC. I paid Disney $10K and anybody with $40 gets better discounts than I do?!?!

 

[markymark]

Originally posted by MichBiv
Mark,
From what I learned at the Open House last week, the least amount of points you can purchase is 150 for $11250, plus annual dues which are around $450 a year. They will finance the purchase for up to 10 years, with 20% down. A basic studio in slow season runs about 100 +/- points a week. A bigger room, longer stay, or different season can alter your points. You can purchase up to 2000 points (My my!) for a nice amount of $150,000 ( not with my salary!! ) which will pretty much let you vacation anywhere for a long time I would imagine!!
Check out this site:
www.dvc.disney.go.com

Thanks MichBiv!

Does anyone know if Disney will do the finance for not USA residents?

Then I can go get my 2000 points :animwink:

 

[Flower]

We joined DVC in 1996 and our home resort is OKW. I think too many people discount this property and I don't understand why. We normally go in the "Value" season and get a two bedroom unit for just over 160 pts. for the week.

Keep in mind, that the 2 bdrm unit is the equivalent of an apartment. The smaller bedroom ( the room is huge) has two closests, two queen beds and it's own large bathroom. The master has entry to the balcony, a huge jucuzzi tub and then another room with ahuge shower and sink. There is also a laundry room and full kitchen in the unit. Oh yeah, and the family room. Notice I said HUGE alot. When I'm on vacation, I don't want a regular size hotel room. The kids can go to bed while my husband and I can stay up.

OKW has a large balcony on all homes, large enough to enjoy a meal there. All rooms have a natural view (trees, ponds) or that of LBV golf course.

It is not done up anything like a hotel. It is like entering your home. Finally, it's quiet. You can't hear the neighbors or the crowds.

You think we like it there? You bet. We have gone five times now and the investment has already paid for itself.