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Disney Vacation Club
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leeocean
New Member
The DVC is very similar to a time share with one exception. Instead of getting a certain number of weeks you get a certain number of points depending on how much you buy. You pick a home resort such as the Villas at the Boardwalk, Old Key West, Beach Club, or the Wilderness Lodge but you can use your points anywhere. They start at around $11,000. Think you get 150 points per year for that. The dues are approximately $600/year. You can also finance your purchase too. The purchase is good for 42 years. You can use your points at WDW or a variety of places around the country and the world. Say if you wanted to stay at the Contemporary but your home resort is the wilderness lodge...you may use your points to get 10 nights at the Contemporary instead of the 14 nights you would have had had you stayed at your home resort - make sense? You can also bank points from year to year or purchase additional points if you need extra.
Here is the link for the DVC:
http://dvc.disney.go.com/disneyvacationclub/intro
Hope this helped.
Here is the link for the DVC:
http://dvc.disney.go.com/disneyvacationclub/intro
Hope this helped.
CAPTAIN HOOK
Well-Known Member
Simplified version :
1) You purchase a stake in DVC - there is a minimum $ amount and there are increments upwards.
2) Your purchase price will then have an annual fee - the bigger the purchase price the higher the annual fee.
3) Your annual fee gives you a points allocation.
4) You use your points to go on a vacation. The number of points you use depends on which part of the year you go in, the type of property you go in (number of rooms, facilities etc) and length of stay.
5) You don't need to use your points in a given year - if you join in '02 you can "bank" your points and add them to the allocation you receive in '03 thus giving a better holiday in '03.
6) If you bank in '02 you must travel in '03 otherwise the points from '02 are lost.
Sorry - could only supply costs in £ not $
Its a good idea - the cost of your holiday will not go up for 42 years - if it costs you $500 this year to get the points you need for your chosen destination and duration, it will still cost you that amount in 40 years - The only negative side that we found when we made enquiries with DVC is its a major committment for the next 40 odd years.
Next time your in WDW ask at one of the resorts or in the parks - they seem to have sales points everywhere.
1) You purchase a stake in DVC - there is a minimum $ amount and there are increments upwards.
2) Your purchase price will then have an annual fee - the bigger the purchase price the higher the annual fee.
3) Your annual fee gives you a points allocation.
4) You use your points to go on a vacation. The number of points you use depends on which part of the year you go in, the type of property you go in (number of rooms, facilities etc) and length of stay.
5) You don't need to use your points in a given year - if you join in '02 you can "bank" your points and add them to the allocation you receive in '03 thus giving a better holiday in '03.
6) If you bank in '02 you must travel in '03 otherwise the points from '02 are lost.
Sorry - could only supply costs in £ not $
Its a good idea - the cost of your holiday will not go up for 42 years - if it costs you $500 this year to get the points you need for your chosen destination and duration, it will still cost you that amount in 40 years - The only negative side that we found when we made enquiries with DVC is its a major committment for the next 40 odd years.
Next time your in WDW ask at one of the resorts or in the parks - they seem to have sales points everywhere.
kaos
Active Member
All I know is I LOVE IT and it makes so much sense for those that travel there every year. HOWEVER< don't forget that you can use your points at Hilton Head and Vero Beach as well, and you can book rooms at major hotels across the country and even overseas. It's a great deal. My family has 220 points a year, and we go for about 14 nites each year. Of course, with me being a cast member, I do have a tendancy to go a little more than I should.
Talsonic
Account Suspended
Today's dollars are tomorrow's dimes!
And don't forget that many folks end up having to "rent" points so they don't take a total loss. Remember that the DVC shifts with the economy just like any other commodity. From 1983 until the first quarter of 2000, the US economy had the biggest gains in its entire history! Time shares rode that bull market and did very well. Now that the economy is going downhill, timeshares have been among the first to suffer. The DVC has only been in business for 10 years. It has done great in that time but as stated before it got started during the biggest economic upsurge in US history. Since the first quarter of 2000, the DJIA (Dow stocks) have fallen about 20% and other economic indicators have done worse. Just be sure that when you buy into the DVC that you fully understand the contract and that you'll always be in a position to use the points. Otherwise, you will take a loss by having to rent your points or having to sell your contract back to DVC (they get first option). Also, your maintenance fee includes real estate taxes even though you don't really own any real property (although they attempt to make you think you do). In short it's a good deal, for the DVC. I say that because WDW just released the resort rates fees for 2003 and most moderates went down on the rack rates! The discount rates are even lower. We just cancelled our trip to WDW yesterday because we found a much lower rate is available later in the year on the deluxe resorts. Also, not to be picky, but the current starting price for DVC is $12,000. However, if you truly think that DVC properties will continue to go up in value from now until the year 2042, then buy, buy, buy. My children will be there to buy out your share for about $0.10 on the dollar. It makes more sense to properly invest the money and use the interest and some of the principle to visit WDW resorts (i.e. pay as you go). At least with my method you'll have money left in your pocket, rather than the DVC's pocket (or my children's pocket's). Good luck!:wave:
And don't forget that many folks end up having to "rent" points so they don't take a total loss. Remember that the DVC shifts with the economy just like any other commodity. From 1983 until the first quarter of 2000, the US economy had the biggest gains in its entire history! Time shares rode that bull market and did very well. Now that the economy is going downhill, timeshares have been among the first to suffer. The DVC has only been in business for 10 years. It has done great in that time but as stated before it got started during the biggest economic upsurge in US history. Since the first quarter of 2000, the DJIA (Dow stocks) have fallen about 20% and other economic indicators have done worse. Just be sure that when you buy into the DVC that you fully understand the contract and that you'll always be in a position to use the points. Otherwise, you will take a loss by having to rent your points or having to sell your contract back to DVC (they get first option). Also, your maintenance fee includes real estate taxes even though you don't really own any real property (although they attempt to make you think you do). In short it's a good deal, for the DVC. I say that because WDW just released the resort rates fees for 2003 and most moderates went down on the rack rates! The discount rates are even lower. We just cancelled our trip to WDW yesterday because we found a much lower rate is available later in the year on the deluxe resorts. Also, not to be picky, but the current starting price for DVC is $12,000. However, if you truly think that DVC properties will continue to go up in value from now until the year 2042, then buy, buy, buy. My children will be there to buy out your share for about $0.10 on the dollar. It makes more sense to properly invest the money and use the interest and some of the principle to visit WDW resorts (i.e. pay as you go). At least with my method you'll have money left in your pocket, rather than the DVC's pocket (or my children's pocket's). Good luck!:wave:
Dizknee_Phreek
Well-Known Member
I agree with Talsonic! my family and I have been members since May 2000. the DVC really dictates to you where you can and cannot stay, and if you really like the value and moderate resorts (like i do), then forget about it! the points don't cover the value resorts at all! they do cover the moderate resorts, but they cost more points than the deluxe resorts because they have maids that come in every day. in the deluxe resorts, maids don't come to your room unless you call for them, or untill you leave. this means that your beds won't be made, the trash won't be taken out, your linens won't be washed (unless you wash them yourself), the floor won't be vaccumed (unless you do it yourself. they supply you with a vaccum cleaner), and your dirty towels will not be taken out and replenished with clean towels. in fact, and i know this by experience, if you need clean towels, it will cost you $6 (this was in April 2001). which, i know, $6 doesn't sound like much...but my God! what the hell are we paying for with the DVC, ya know? we're not paying for maid service everyday, we're not paying for the washing of our linens everyday, and the only extra stuff that a basic studio room has compared to a 'regular', non-villa room is a sink, cabinets, dishes, dishwasher? (not sure about that), and fridge...and a balcony (if you're above the 1st floor)
we bought into Vero Beach because the points were cheaper there (they were having some sort of special at the time). so, we can book a room at WDW, i think it's 7 months in advance. here recently, we found out that people who bought into the WDW resorts can book up to 11 months in advance. and let me add that when they try to sell you on the membership, they tell you that you're pretty much garunteed a room, which couldn't be further from the truth. from my experiences, the first time we used the points (April 2001) we had to chop up our stay. we could book Boardwalk for only one night of our stay, so we decided to stay there for one night, and then go to Old Key West the rest of our stay, which was ok, but we were checking in when we COULD have been doing something in a park. and, just this year, we tried booking a vacation in May but all the Studio rooms were booked. Studio rooms are the cheapest you can get, and we don't have enough points to stay in a room any bigger, so there was absolutely nothing we could do. so mom decided to call the 'regular', non-DVC member reservation place, and found out that she could book just about any where she wanted to for the same week. go figure! and, right now we have reservations for this Thanksgiving for Beach Club Villas..but we couldn't book the whole week...so we'll be staying at BCV, then we'll have to go to Dixie Landings (aka Riverside) and then back to BCV. it's insane! we're on a waiting list for the days that we're needing for BCV...but who knows if we'll get them! hopefully we will, but we haven't heard anything yet, so...
anyway, sorry this turned out to be a rant, but i know how this DVC stuff can be...it seems really great at first, but then you start seeing the negative sides of it. and i'm not telling you not to buy into it. that's up to you to decide, and you may be lucky and wouldn't have any trouble at all with it. and it could partially be because i'm bias and really miss my moderate and value resorts, i dunno. but all i know is that if i could go back to May 2000, i would've done all i could to persuade my parents not to buy into it! i say you're better off with the 'pay-as-you-stay' system!
we bought into Vero Beach because the points were cheaper there (they were having some sort of special at the time). so, we can book a room at WDW, i think it's 7 months in advance. here recently, we found out that people who bought into the WDW resorts can book up to 11 months in advance. and let me add that when they try to sell you on the membership, they tell you that you're pretty much garunteed a room, which couldn't be further from the truth. from my experiences, the first time we used the points (April 2001) we had to chop up our stay. we could book Boardwalk for only one night of our stay, so we decided to stay there for one night, and then go to Old Key West the rest of our stay, which was ok, but we were checking in when we COULD have been doing something in a park. and, just this year, we tried booking a vacation in May but all the Studio rooms were booked. Studio rooms are the cheapest you can get, and we don't have enough points to stay in a room any bigger, so there was absolutely nothing we could do. so mom decided to call the 'regular', non-DVC member reservation place, and found out that she could book just about any where she wanted to for the same week. go figure! and, right now we have reservations for this Thanksgiving for Beach Club Villas..but we couldn't book the whole week...so we'll be staying at BCV, then we'll have to go to Dixie Landings (aka Riverside) and then back to BCV. it's insane! we're on a waiting list for the days that we're needing for BCV...but who knows if we'll get them! hopefully we will, but we haven't heard anything yet, so...
anyway, sorry this turned out to be a rant, but i know how this DVC stuff can be...it seems really great at first, but then you start seeing the negative sides of it. and i'm not telling you not to buy into it. that's up to you to decide, and you may be lucky and wouldn't have any trouble at all with it. and it could partially be because i'm bias and really miss my moderate and value resorts, i dunno. but all i know is that if i could go back to May 2000, i would've done all i could to persuade my parents not to buy into it! i say you're better off with the 'pay-as-you-stay' system!
DisneyPhD
Well-Known Member
Some valid points have been raised about DVC and you do need to do some research before buying in so that you do know what you're getting. We did quite a bit of research and still had some things that we would have done differently (mainly buying into BCV). Just to respond to some of the criticisms ...
DVC is not meant to be an investment. I was told that the "value" of the purchase would decrease to zero in 2042 when all "property" reverts back to Disney. That goes for anyone who buys into it whether you bought 10 years ago or buy 10 years from now. What you're paying for is staying at a deluxe resort for the next 40 years. You do give up some of the services that you get at the non-DVC resorts such as maid service. They bill this as a home-away-from-home. Do you get fresh towels every day at home, do you vacuum your carpets every day, do you change your bed linens every day, do you use a new piece of soap or bottle of shampoo everyday? Even the value resorts are cutting out some of these services now. If I need fresh towels, I can get some from the pool (preferrably before I need them). You can also save money by eating in since many units have kitchens (or at least microwaves). I think one key is that you need to have flexiblity. Of course it's going to be hard to find a room over Thanksgiving. Christmas is worse. But the week before, the place is probably deserted. Another thing that we found out in our research is to buy where you want to stay that way you are much more likely to get in because you get first crack at reservations. If you don't go to WDW every year then don't join DVC it won't be worth it. If you think paying $800-$1000 for a week at a deluxe hotel is a good thing then go for it! Ok enough rambling...
DVC is not meant to be an investment. I was told that the "value" of the purchase would decrease to zero in 2042 when all "property" reverts back to Disney. That goes for anyone who buys into it whether you bought 10 years ago or buy 10 years from now. What you're paying for is staying at a deluxe resort for the next 40 years. You do give up some of the services that you get at the non-DVC resorts such as maid service. They bill this as a home-away-from-home. Do you get fresh towels every day at home, do you vacuum your carpets every day, do you change your bed linens every day, do you use a new piece of soap or bottle of shampoo everyday? Even the value resorts are cutting out some of these services now. If I need fresh towels, I can get some from the pool (preferrably before I need them). You can also save money by eating in since many units have kitchens (or at least microwaves). I think one key is that you need to have flexiblity. Of course it's going to be hard to find a room over Thanksgiving. Christmas is worse. But the week before, the place is probably deserted. Another thing that we found out in our research is to buy where you want to stay that way you are much more likely to get in because you get first crack at reservations. If you don't go to WDW every year then don't join DVC it won't be worth it. If you think paying $800-$1000 for a week at a deluxe hotel is a good thing then go for it! Ok enough rambling...
kaos
Active Member
Just to put in my two cents, I LOVE the DVC. I was spending roughly $2,000 a year just in hotels at WDW. My trip for New Years 99-2000 cost me $3600 just for the hotel room. It was during this trip that we took the plunge and spent $11000 on the DVC. It's already save me well over $5000 in just a little over 3 years. And, if you book right at the start of your time, which is 12 months out, there is generally every room available. I stayed 3 nights at the Boardwalk and 3 nights at the Polynesian DURING THANKSGIVING. Also remember that when you use your DVC points as reservation points, you get the best rooms at the resorts.. i.e. Tower at the Contemporary, Lagoon view at the Poly and Floridian. It's in the contract. The rooms that you get are the rooms that run ya about $500 a night. Just for the heck of it, I asked the front desk at the Poly how much the rooms were that we had (we had 2 rooms) and they were $475/night. On the beach with a view of the castle. We watched the fireworks from our patio, then the water pagent went right by our window. So, be careful when you bash something that is the best value in hotels. Oh yeah, there is also a washer/dryer in the DVC rooms, except for the studios, so if it's clean towels ya want, take the extra 3 minutes and toss them in the washer when you go to the parks, then toss them in the dryer when you get back. It's honestly not a big deal. And, there is maid service, depending on how many days you stay. If you stay a week, you get full maid service in the middle of the week. You have to remember, these are billed as vacation homes, and the loss of the value as well as the maintenance is TAX DEDUCTIBLE as a second home mortgage.
Mufasa_AC
New Member
I agree that the DVC is not for everyone but I can see no almost no negative points at all for the frequent quests. I bought into the DVC when I had to actually wear a hard hat to tour the property because of all the construction back in 1991. I bought in at the minimum number of points, which I believe was 230 for $11,000. We had an incentive then because we got free admission to the 3 parks until the year 2000.
Before joining we had a 10 day vacation every year, all but the last two at the Poly. The last two were at the Grand Floridian at what was then an incredible $200/night!
We saw the ad on the TV for the DVC and out of curiosity took a drive over there. It was an absolutely no pressure presentation at the Commodore House (which is no longer there). We didn’t buy on the spot but went home and thought about it first.
We have not only never regretted our decision but have continued to buy more and more points so that we now stay at WDW 32-50 days a year!
We enjoyed our stays at the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian but the fact is, no matter how beautiful the hotel, you still stay in a room. A DVC one bedroom is a full apartment complete with all the comforts of home. My wife just loves the idea of not having 2 weeks worth of laundry to do when we return home. She just throws in a load a night before going to bed. Also before going to bed there’s nothing like relaxing in your own private hot tub (that leads to other stories not suitable for this board). And if you have a car and are staying at my home and personal favorite, Old Key West, you drive right up to your room!
The point system is far and away the best and most versatile method of time-sharing. You can stay for a night, a week, or a month if you like. You don’t have to take my word for the advantages of the DVC, just look at our growth! After OKW came Vero Beach, Hilton Head, The Boardwalk Villas, Wilderness Lodge, the Beach Club and the Disney Institute. Except for Vero Beach, all of these have had exceptional sales.
It’s true that unlike most time sharing we do not have a permanent deed to the property. To me that’s just an incentive for frequent guests to get on board as soon as possible. But beware, most members get hooked and continue to buy more and more points for either longer stays or larger rooms. I know I did.
Before joining we had a 10 day vacation every year, all but the last two at the Poly. The last two were at the Grand Floridian at what was then an incredible $200/night!
We saw the ad on the TV for the DVC and out of curiosity took a drive over there. It was an absolutely no pressure presentation at the Commodore House (which is no longer there). We didn’t buy on the spot but went home and thought about it first.
We have not only never regretted our decision but have continued to buy more and more points so that we now stay at WDW 32-50 days a year!
We enjoyed our stays at the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian but the fact is, no matter how beautiful the hotel, you still stay in a room. A DVC one bedroom is a full apartment complete with all the comforts of home. My wife just loves the idea of not having 2 weeks worth of laundry to do when we return home. She just throws in a load a night before going to bed. Also before going to bed there’s nothing like relaxing in your own private hot tub (that leads to other stories not suitable for this board). And if you have a car and are staying at my home and personal favorite, Old Key West, you drive right up to your room!
The point system is far and away the best and most versatile method of time-sharing. You can stay for a night, a week, or a month if you like. You don’t have to take my word for the advantages of the DVC, just look at our growth! After OKW came Vero Beach, Hilton Head, The Boardwalk Villas, Wilderness Lodge, the Beach Club and the Disney Institute. Except for Vero Beach, all of these have had exceptional sales.
It’s true that unlike most time sharing we do not have a permanent deed to the property. To me that’s just an incentive for frequent guests to get on board as soon as possible. But beware, most members get hooked and continue to buy more and more points for either longer stays or larger rooms. I know I did.
FanofDinsey1981
Active Member
my parents bought into DVC about 9 years ago, and they love it. My sister and I are at the point where a themed hotel stay isnt necessary, nor is any themed pool, so Old Key West is just perfect. (though, other hotels are amazing to us still!) It all depends on what you want out of your stay. My parents like the fact that we are more secluded than most resorts, and we still have the option to stay at other resorts on our points. I like that we have a kitchen and a whirl pool tub, with our own balcony.
There is a tour that you can take if you call up to Old Key West, they show you around and tell you all about it. it never hurts to check it out!!
and if you ever want pictures of the inside of OKW, I can scan some and post them.
There is a tour that you can take if you call up to Old Key West, they show you around and tell you all about it. it never hurts to check it out!!
and if you ever want pictures of the inside of OKW, I can scan some and post them.