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DVC or not
- Thread starter Colin
- Start date
Married@WDW
Member
My in-laws became members in 1994 and when my husband and I got married in 1998, we decided to join too! We LOVE it! We joined at Old Key West because the annual dues are so much lower and we can still use all the other resorts as long as rooms are available
We're staying at Disneyland Paris in June with my in-laws points (the best part we just found out about: the point values for DL Paris include length of stay park passes -- saves us another $200!) then using our own points to stay in a one-bedroom at the Wilderness Lodge Villas for a week in August -- can't wait!
We certainly couldn't afford any of this without having become members. A one-bedroom at WL Villas has a cash price of $460/night! Our stay would have cost over $3000 -- that's around 1/3 of the total we paid for the DVC. Granted we have to pay dues, but they're the equivalent of one night's stay -- around $450. And with airfare being so cheap, we can afford several vacations each year.
And the Beach Club Villas looks amazing -- we checked it out on a short trip in December for our anniversary and couldn't believe how beautiful it is. We'd be staying there in August, but we're paying cash for an extra few nights with a cast member rate and the CM rates aren't available at the Beach Club Villas yet!
Now if they'd just add Tokyo Disneyland to the vacation selections!
We're staying at Disneyland Paris in June with my in-laws points (the best part we just found out about: the point values for DL Paris include length of stay park passes -- saves us another $200!) then using our own points to stay in a one-bedroom at the Wilderness Lodge Villas for a week in August -- can't wait!
We certainly couldn't afford any of this without having become members. A one-bedroom at WL Villas has a cash price of $460/night! Our stay would have cost over $3000 -- that's around 1/3 of the total we paid for the DVC. Granted we have to pay dues, but they're the equivalent of one night's stay -- around $450. And with airfare being so cheap, we can afford several vacations each year.
And the Beach Club Villas looks amazing -- we checked it out on a short trip in December for our anniversary and couldn't believe how beautiful it is. We'd be staying there in August, but we're paying cash for an extra few nights with a cast member rate and the CM rates aren't available at the Beach Club Villas yet!
Now if they'd just add Tokyo Disneyland to the vacation selections!
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RogueHabit
Well-Known Member
My wife keeps bugging me to agree to join, but as this will be our first uear actually staying on property I want to wait a while.
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disneydentist
New Member
Different Spin
Ok, here's a different spin on the cost. Current by-in cost is $11,000 (give or take) and dues run roughly $3.13 to $3.92 per point. Let's say that dues work out to $525/year. This sounds cheap in and of itself. But you have to take into account the value of your money. If you get 10% (doable) on your money that's $1100. So you real cost for the 150 points is $1625/year. Depending on where you would stay this may or may not be a good deal. You can get seven nights at WL for around $1150 with the right discount. Depending on what you want in a room you would be better in this scenario to pay for the room with your interest and have the dues (and principal) left over. Just MHO.
Ok, here's a different spin on the cost. Current by-in cost is $11,000 (give or take) and dues run roughly $3.13 to $3.92 per point. Let's say that dues work out to $525/year. This sounds cheap in and of itself. But you have to take into account the value of your money. If you get 10% (doable) on your money that's $1100. So you real cost for the 150 points is $1625/year. Depending on where you would stay this may or may not be a good deal. You can get seven nights at WL for around $1150 with the right discount. Depending on what you want in a room you would be better in this scenario to pay for the room with your interest and have the dues (and principal) left over. Just MHO.
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DVC-LandBaron
New Member
I love it!! It reminds my of old time Disney. They 'do it right'!!
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Well, you can this year anyway.
My point is, historically rates have increased every year at WDW resorts. My dues have gone down every year except this year. The value of DVC will increase as the price of rooms goes up (until about 2030 or so...)
You're also basing your theory on the premise that one would be able to earn 10% on their principle over the next 40 years. That's quite a far-reaching projection.
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The rise in annual dues, the first year of our purchase was 2%. I am not sure what the last year was. Room rates went up by an average of 25% that same year. The problem is that when we go at Christmas it is the peak period and difficult to get cheaper rates, especially from Australia. Also according to my figures it was much cheaper to buy DVC than staying off property, and it worked out we could stay in a deluxe resort over a period of 5 stays of 3 weeks each for the same cost as staying in Allstars for the same time. After this the only cost is the annual dues for the next 40 years. I think it was the best descision we ever made. It also makes you commit to the best holiday you could ever imagine every year or two.
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adr315
Member
My parents own at Hilton Head (cheapest one, hehe....we stayed there once tho, and its great) and we've stayed at Old Key West, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk, Vero Beach and Hilton Head with them, and its fantastic. Very convenient, since we're from Miami, we can pretty much go up to WDW whenever we want. We havent had any problems with it yet, and i go to WDW about 3-6 times a year (give or take), and we have the cheapest plan. We never stay more than 4 nights at a time, but its good to have for little weekend trips......
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Before our last trip to WDW over the Christmas period for 3 weeks, I checked the cost of room rates on the Disney web site, the cost to stay at the Boardwalk Villas or Inn, was US$10,300.00 this included length of day pass, This was based on a 1 bedroom unit, and then a studio for the final 18 nights, both standard view. The idea was to check the value of DVC, we used 362 vacation points, 2 years of points for our actual trip. The purchase cost of 170 points per year was approx $11,000.00 plus annual dues of $1,200.00 for the 2 years. The total being approx $12,200.00 The cost of an annual pass is say $370.00 per person. According to my figures the difference is only $2,640.00 extra for 2 people, we then get to go back for the cost of the annual dues each year in a deluxe resort. This means we nearly pay for the initial DVC cost in the first visit.
I understand that there are discounts available at the present time, this has not always been the case and may not be in the future once people start flying again.
I understand that there are discounts available at the present time, this has not always been the case and may not be in the future once people start flying again.
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DisneyPhD
Well-Known Member
We just joined at VWL in February. The way we figured it, it comes to between 5 and 6 dollars per point per year. This doesn't take inflation into account but the rate at which rack rates inflate seems much greater than that for annual dues.
So when you can stay at OKW for 8 points a night for a studio with microwave refrigerator and access to laundry facilities, $40 per night sounds pretty darn good.
So when you can stay at OKW for 8 points a night for a studio with microwave refrigerator and access to laundry facilities, $40 per night sounds pretty darn good.
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Married@WDW
Member
Last year, we stayed for 13 nights in January at Old Key West in a Studio. The cash price would have been almost $3000. This year, we'll be staying at WL Villas for 7 nights -- the price would be similar as we're staying in a one bedroom. We only paid $7500 for our points to begin with. It was $63 per point when we bought -- between the cast member discount we got and a deal they offer where they'll buy back half of you first year's points for $10 per point (i.e. we got an extra $750 off our 150 points) made it a no brainer.
As the price to buy points goes up the value may come down (and they're going way up -- did I read $82/point come September?), but as far as I see it, I've owned for three years, and the rooms we used totalled almost $7500 for a cash price. That's already what we paid up front. No matter what the interest on my money was (and I don't believe 10% can be counted on, especially since I tend to be very safe with my money and economic times are not always good) and no matter what dues are, I think it's a great deal.
As the price to buy points goes up the value may come down (and they're going way up -- did I read $82/point come September?), but as far as I see it, I've owned for three years, and the rooms we used totalled almost $7500 for a cash price. That's already what we paid up front. No matter what the interest on my money was (and I don't believe 10% can be counted on, especially since I tend to be very safe with my money and economic times are not always good) and no matter what dues are, I think it's a great deal.
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DisneyPhD
Well-Known Member
I learned something new over at that other board (don't hate me because I wondered. They have a whole section on DVC and I have been reading over there to learn about our new purchase.) If you are interested in DVC look it over, it is very informative.
It all ends 2042. The people who bought 10 years ago and those who buy in 10 years. I thought it was a 40 year thing, but that just turns out to how many years are left. So if you are going to buy, do it now. You will get more out of your purchace and the price is going up. Right now you can get BCV which are great. We have VWL and part of me wishes we waited until March to get BC. Oh well. Now I am wishing we bought a few years ago, but we were still in grad school and it wasn't in the books.
I learned one more thing. It is a very good idea to buy at where you want to stay the most. I here it can be difficult to book at other resorts at busy times.
It all ends 2042. The people who bought 10 years ago and those who buy in 10 years. I thought it was a 40 year thing, but that just turns out to how many years are left. So if you are going to buy, do it now. You will get more out of your purchace and the price is going up. Right now you can get BCV which are great. We have VWL and part of me wishes we waited until March to get BC. Oh well. Now I am wishing we bought a few years ago, but we were still in grad school and it wasn't in the books.
I learned one more thing. It is a very good idea to buy at where you want to stay the most. I here it can be difficult to book at other resorts at busy times.
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Originally posted by DisneyPhD
I learned something new over at that other board (don't hate me because I wondered. They have a whole section on DVC and I have been reading over there to learn about our new purchase.) If you are interested in DVC look it over, it is very informative.
It all ends 2042. The people who bought 10 years ago and those who buy in 10 years. I thought it was a 40 year thing, but that just turns out to how many years are left. So if you are going to buy, do it now. You will get more out of your purchace and the price is going up. Right now you can get BCV which are great. We have VWL and part of me wishes we waited until March to get BC. Oh well. Now I am wishing we bought a few years ago, but we were still in grad school and it wasn't in the books.
I learned one more thing. It is a very good idea to buy at where you want to stay the most. I here it can be difficult to book at other resorts at busy times.
What is the other message board, send me email or PM if you can.
We are buying the Beach Club, later this year. Too good to miss.
I know it runs out in 40 years, I will be 83 by the and too old to travel.
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DisneyPhD
Well-Known Member
Colin, the "other board" is the Dis Board (www.disboards.com) They have a section just on DVC and lots of people there to answer your questions. They've got lots of information there but wdwmagic is much friendlier and not as much to keep track of. I do recommend taking a look there before you buy.
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Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Colin
What is the other message board, send me email or PM if you can.
We are buying the Beach Club, later this year. Too good to miss.
I know it runs out in 40 years, I will be 83 by the and too old to travel.
83 is not too old for WDW. You can never be too old for WDW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Colin:
We have Boardwalk points and just bought 100 more Beach Club points.
I think it is worth it.
We had 210 points for Boardwalk and felt we needed more, so we have just been hanging on until the Beach Club was available.
When we got the offer in the mail we bought right away.
Now we have a more comfortable amount of points and preference at Beach Club and Boardwalk.
The ability to book 11 months in advance at two locations is also a plus.
We have Boardwalk points and just bought 100 more Beach Club points.
I think it is worth it.
We had 210 points for Boardwalk and felt we needed more, so we have just been hanging on until the Beach Club was available.
When we got the offer in the mail we bought right away.
Now we have a more comfortable amount of points and preference at Beach Club and Boardwalk.
The ability to book 11 months in advance at two locations is also a plus.
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Married@WDW
Member
Right, but you can only book that 11 months in advance for the total of your points at that location. So you can only book 100 points worth of nights at Beach Club 11 months in advance. You must wait to book the rest of your stay until, is it 9 months or 7 months -- I don't remember.
My parents purchased an extra 125 points on our membership in January (they want to be able to use them, but don't want the work of keeping up with things, so I volunteered to take care of that for them and they'll just pay me their part of the dues at the beginning of every year) -- my mother and I decided to keep all our points at one location because that way we're guaranteed to be able to use them all at 11 months out to stay for Christmas or New Year's and for big family vacations it won't be a problem to get a larger room.
Also, we chose to buy into Old Key West because the dues are lower and we can still use those other resorts when we're in Florida at off-peak times. Since we mostly go in January and August, we don't really have a problem getting the reservations we want wherever we want to stay. So this all depends on the kind of vacations you take. If you go every year for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc., you definitely want to buy into the resort you want to stay in. I also want to note that while Old Key West may be available to add points to your current membership, it's no longer available for purchase of a new membership.
My parents purchased an extra 125 points on our membership in January (they want to be able to use them, but don't want the work of keeping up with things, so I volunteered to take care of that for them and they'll just pay me their part of the dues at the beginning of every year) -- my mother and I decided to keep all our points at one location because that way we're guaranteed to be able to use them all at 11 months out to stay for Christmas or New Year's and for big family vacations it won't be a problem to get a larger room.
Also, we chose to buy into Old Key West because the dues are lower and we can still use those other resorts when we're in Florida at off-peak times. Since we mostly go in January and August, we don't really have a problem getting the reservations we want wherever we want to stay. So this all depends on the kind of vacations you take. If you go every year for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc., you definitely want to buy into the resort you want to stay in. I also want to note that while Old Key West may be available to add points to your current membership, it's no longer available for purchase of a new membership.
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GalacticGobbler
New Member
We just joined and will be having our first DVC stay in december at the Beach Club Villas, we looked at it long term and for the value, it was an easy choice. DVC all the way
How many points do most have?
How many points do most have?
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