DVC Pro and Cons?

[correcaminos]

You are correct about housekeeping. As someone who wouldn't let housekeeping in daily anyway, is not a big deal for me. Even when they came in, I did not want new towels or linens. Heck even on day 4 I really don't need it. It's a personal thing if you want or need that much housekeeping during your stays.

 

[drp4video]

I looked into it after my third trip. I have now taken close to 30. For me, it was not worth it due to the annual fee. With discounts, I apply what I would have spent on the annual fee to my room reservation. I don't need deluxe, although I do like POFQ moderate, I am fine with POP. We are not in the room much at all, spending most time in the parks, so for me, the room is just a place to sleep. Rather than tie my money up in a time share, and pay the annual fee, I just pay as I go, which also frees me up to go elsewhere on vacation should I choose to do so. Although not for me, it may work for others. I have a friend who bought into DVC and was happy she did, so it all depends on each individual's personal choice.

 

[dreamfinder]

I don't need deluxe, although I do like POFQ moderate, I am fine with POP.

This statement right here really points to why DVC might/might not work for a given party. If a guest prefers to stay at values or mods, then the breakeven on a DVC investment really gets skewed. A guest who normally stays at a value might never hit their breakeven depending on their terms.

 

[lostpro9het]

This statement right here really points to why DVC might/might not work for a given party. If a guest prefers to stay at values or mods, then the breakeven on a DVC investment really gets skewed. A guest who normally stays at a value might never hit their breakeven depending on their terms.

We were those hardcore Value guests too but our primary time to travel was Christmas week where a week in PoP for just the room would set you back $1400+. A season of renting points had us realizing the cost benefit IF you go every year which we did/do. That same Christmas week would run you 123 points at AKL or 138 at SSR the yearly fee for those stays would be $810 and $773, respectively. We bought resale which increased our ROI over the years. We've been members only a short time but will break even on our first two contracts soon. So, yeah, it depends on your travel habits but even if you go regularly you can save, longterm, provided you go consistently.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Here is what I tell folks who want to purchase in DVC.

1) IT IS NOT AN INVESTMENT VEHICLE. Please do not consider any timeshare if you think "I can sell when we get tired of it and make a profit". A timeshare is primarily a prepaid vacation vehicle. disney is one of the few that maintain it's value but that can change at any time.

2) DO not purchase DVC under the guise that you can "trade" out to other places or Disney cruise. the value is at a Disney park

3) They are great for better accommodations. We always go Deluxe, we have tried the other levels and don't like them. heck last year we did a 2 bedroom villa and they had to drag me out of there kicking and screaming. lol I can never go back to a hotel room again.

4) although last minute trips are doable, DVC works best when you can plan ahead.
5) You must want to return at least every other year. Now a common misconception is that if you do a dvc you don't go anywhere else. We vacation plenty of other places.

 

[eliza61nyc]

NOW the biggest con imo is the upkeep. Disney imo takes a long time to renovate and upgrade the dvc spaces. the mousekeeping is also lax but I think that's the entire resort system

 

[Beaks]

I've been a DVC member twice. Originally bought direct into Boardwalk. After using for many years, we sold it for what we paid for it. All those trips we used it on were the cost of the maintenance fee, and we stayed at much nicer resorts than we would have paid cash for.

When I bought in a second time, I bought through resale which was much less expensive and I was able to choose my home resort. You can't use resale for 2 of the exchange groups (I never wanted to use them anyway) and you can't use it on property at a non DVC hotel.

Pros:
Cost per trip is WAY cheaper
If you travel off season, it's an even better deal
Discounts off passes, restaurants, and purchases
I was able to stay during Easter for a lot of points, but the hotel prices were so high I wouldn't have been able to go if I didn't have DVC
If you're the type of WDW visitor who will go about once a year or more - do it!

Cons:
Housekeeping every 4 days
Yearly maintenance fee (but compare that to what your trip would have cost without DVC)

 

[Phonedave]

Here is what I tell folks who want to purchase in DVC.

1) IT IS NOT AN INVESTMENT VEHICLE. Please do not consider any timeshare if you think "I can sell when we get tired of it and make a profit". A timeshare is primarily a prepaid vacation vehicle. disney is one of the few that maintain it's value but that can change at any time.

2) DO not purchase DVC under the guise that you can "trade" out to other places or Disney cruise. the value is at a Disney park

3) They are great for better accommodations. We always go Deluxe, we have tried the other levels and don't like them. heck last year we did a 2 bedroom villa and they had to drag me out of there kicking and screaming. lol I can never go back to a hotel room again.

4) although last minute trips are doable, DVC works best when you can plan ahead.
5) You must want to return at least every other year. Now a common misconception is that if you do a dvc you don't go anywhere else. We vacation plenty of other places.

Just some comments.

I would say the value is at a DVC resort, not just at the parks. DVC resorts are also at Vero Beach, Hilton Head, and Hawaii (as well as California - but that is at a park). When you use your points outside of DVC properties is when you take a hit on teh value - some things are a small hit, and others, such as cruises and ABD are so crazy with the point scale that it is better to rent out your points and use the cash to pay for the vacation

I would say you need to return every three years. But your contract needs to be sized corectly. You can go in 2018 banking 2016 points and borrowing 2019 points. You can then bank 2020 points, and go in 2021, borrowing from 2022. You go every three years, and use three years worth of points each time. Of course, if you bought a 250 point contract, then you are trying to use 750 points each time you go.You may then be getting a much bigger room than you want/need.

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

NOW the biggest con imo is the upkeep. Disney imo takes a long time to renovate and upgrade the dvc spaces. the mousekeeping is also lax but I think that's the entire resort system

When I bought in a second time, I bought through resale which was much less expensive and I was able to choose my home resort. You can't use resale for 2 of the exchange groups (I never wanted to use them anyway) and you can't use it on property at a non DVC hotel.


Cons:
Housekeeping every 4 days
Yearly maintenance fee (but compare that to what your trip would have cost without DVC)

Not that I would recommend buying direct, but you can buy direct at any resort you want as well. Your DVC rep will try and steer you to a new resort, and will tell you they dont have points at any other, but if you stick to your guns, and say "I want points at XXX resort, and if I cant get them there, then I am going to walk out" they will get you points at an other resort. They simply exercise their ROFR on a contract that is up for resale at that resort, and then sell it for full price to you. They would much rather sell off the stock of new points that they already own, but if push comes to shove, they will "flip" a contract and make a profit, rather than loose a sale entirely.

As for upkeep and housekeeping being cons. Here is the thing. You yearly dues aer not some number pulled out of the air. They are directly the operating costs of the resort. In fact, by law, they can ONLY be the operating cost. DVC cannot make a proft off of dues. They add up all of the costs of running the resort - housekeeping, refurbishments, money paide to WDW for bus service, life guards, the free family stuff at the pool, free movies, replacing sports equipment, the soap and shampoo, landscaping, etc - everythign. Add all of that up, and then divide it by the numebr of points out there, and that is the yearly dues per point.

So you DVC resort could have twice a day housekeeping, a new paint job every year, and brans new carpeting a furniture in all the rooms - but then your dues are going to go through the roof. I happen to think DVC strikes a very good balance between offering service and refurbishments, while at the same time keeping dues under control.

It's also why people get all up in arms when other people break things, steal things, and generally dont treat the DVC resorts as something that they (and multiple other people) are paying to keep up.

 

[dreamfinder]

Not that I would recommend buying direct, but you can buy direct at any resort you want as well. Your DVC rep will try and steer you to a new resort, and will tell you they dont have points at any other, but if you stick to your guns, and say "I want points at XXX resort, and if I cant get them there, then I am going to walk out" they will get you points at an other resort. They simply exercise their ROFR on a contract that is up for resale at that resort, and then sell it for full price to you. They would much rather sell off the stock of new points that they already own, but if push comes to shove, they will "flip" a contract and make a profit, rather than loose a sale entirely.

Very true. But apparently they have stopped (or at least have at times in the past) accepting waitlist requests at some resorts. Buying at a "sold out" property means they put you on the waitlist until a contract comes up they can exercise ROFR on to meet your needs, but demand was so high they didn't think they would be able to get enough points to fulfill requests for a while. So there may be times where the guide tells you we can't do that right now, and they really can't. If you really want to buy direct for some reason, you may need to try a few times before they can get you on the list for in demand resorts.

 

[Phonedave]

Very true. But apparently they have stopped (or at least have at times in the past) accepting waitlist requests at some resorts. Buying at a "sold out" property means they put you on the waitlist until a contract comes up they can exercise ROFR on to meet your needs, but demand was so high they didn't think they would be able to get enough points to fulfill requests for a while. So there may be times where the guide tells you we can't do that right now, and they really can't. If you really want to buy direct for some reason, you may need to try a few times before they can get you on the list for in demand resorts.

Makes sense, if the market is hot, and contracts are selling for reletively close to what DVC charges, after they go through all the cost of transferring the contract, the overall profit may be only a few bucks. It may take some doing to get on the waitlist, and then a while after that before points come up.

I wonder if it is because of the "new" trend of people buying a large contract resale, and then adding on 25 points through DVC so they can be "members" and get all of the perks. That would do two things, drive the price of the resale market up, making points for DVC grab more expensive, and it would also increase the number of people looking to buy direct at "sold out" resorts

 

[correcaminos]

This statement right here really points to why DVC might/might not work for a given party. If a guest prefers to stay at values or mods, then the breakeven on a DVC investment really gets skewed. A guest who normally stays at a value might never hit their breakeven depending on their terms.

I so agree with this! Moderates maybe can find value after a longer time, but doing a value means virtually no savings at all for a family. I am personally not a fan of the values and preferred Swan or Dolphin even to moderates. Now we want our space and spend a lot of time in our room. We don't even do single hotel rooms anywhere anymore.

Very true. But apparently they have stopped (or at least have at times in the past) accepting waitlist requests at some resorts. Buying at a "sold out" property means they put you on the waitlist until a contract comes up they can exercise ROFR on to meet your needs, but demand was so high they didn't think they would be able to get enough points to fulfill requests for a while. So there may be times where the guide tells you we can't do that right now, and they really can't. If you really want to buy direct for some reason, you may need to try a few times before they can get you on the list for in demand resorts.

I find the wait list varies more from guide to guide than over all policy so yes, try and try again. I've known people to get VGF on a waitlist even in the last month.

The only reason to buy direct is if you are doing a smaller contract. 100 points and under run the math - particularly at the 50 point mark. The closing costs of resale really take a huge chunk out of savings.

 

[xdan0920]

Pro- you get to go to WDW all the time!

Con- you have to go to WDW all the time.

 

[nickys]

Pro- you get to go to WDW all the time!

Con- you have to go to WDW all the time.

You don't have to go to WDW all the time. Interested to know why you think you do - serious question.

We go every 3 years, actually it was 4 years I think between our last two. We calculated our points on that basis, so no issues there. We would rent points out if we couldn't use them. One time we did convert them to RCI and used them there, not great value for money but we were Ok with it.

 

[xdan0920]

You don't have to go to WDW all the time. Interested to know why you think you do - serious question.

We go every 3 years, actually it was 4 years I think between our last two. We calculated our points on that basis, so no issues there. We would rent points out if we couldn't use them. One time we did convert them to RCI and used them there, not great value for money but we were Ok with it.

Because you do. That’s where the value is. Why else buy a timeshare in a place if not to go all the time.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Because you do. That’s where the value is. Why else buy a timeshare in a place if not to go all the time.

The problem is that people claim that when you buy into DVC, you cannot vacation anywhere else, which is patently ridiculous. We go to Disney a few times a year on our points, but also vacation elsewhere as well.

 

[nickys]

Because you do. That’s where the value is. Why else buy a timeshare in a place if not to go all the time.

Well we're from the Uk, can't afford to spend $10K every year to go. But we love going there, and when we do we like having an apartment to stay in, in the bubble. With privacy, a kitchen, and the opportunity for everyone to enjoy Disney in their own way, without being tied to a schedule and without DH having to act as a taxi driver every day.

Plenty of other DVCers are well travelled, they don't spend every vacation there.

 

[Ralphlaw]

We go every other year, usually for more than a week when we do. We also vacation elsewhere nearly every year. I think it's a big mistake to think that DVC owners only vacation at Disney. I suppose some do, but you might be surprised of the abundant recent travel stories from the people sitting around the whirlpool in DVC resorts. They run the gamut from Europe to Asia, to cruises, to U.S., to just about anything you can name. I also know of DVC owners who own cottages, who have no children, and who stay at Disney Springs for the golf and the shopping as opposed to the parks. There's no primary demographic, and many of them enjoy far more than a week or two of vacation every year. We took about five weeks last year. It's good to be the boss/owner.

I also think that a look at resale sites can be instructive. The purchase price is not money down the drain, as it is for so many timeshares. Plus, Disney could easily buy back tons of points and simply rent out the rooms/villas if buyers weren't already on hand. You can rent out your points as well if resale isn't your thing. In that respect, there will always be a buyer somewhere.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Regarding the lack of daily housekeeping, please don't let that be a detriment to you. One reason we dragged our feet so long on buying was we just couldn't envision going without the daily housekeeping. Finally we bought despite the fact and confident that we could order additional housekeeping. But then we just didn't get around to ordering it on our first trip. And you know what? We liked it. It was something that made us feel "at home" at WDW. No stranger was coming into "Our home" while we were at the parks.

 

[lightguy]

We bought our first points resale a couple years ago- paid around 2/3rds of the direct price. We just missed getting in before they cut the rest of the add on benefits for resales. We then bought 25 points direct- same home resort and use year. That gave us the magic blue card and all the benefits (the only thing we can't do is trade in the 200 resale points for the crusieline and other hotels- but we could do RCI).

Having DVC has changed our thinking and plans for how we are going to vacation at Disney. Tickets have gotten ridiculously expensive, so we've decided to save up our DVC points and buy an annual pass every 3rd or 4th year and try to go 3 or 4 times- including once in the summer on each end of the pass (Aug and June). When we bought our passes this past summer DVC members got a $100 discount (there are also some pass option not available to the general public), but I think now they have a promotion for 25% off the platinum plus. We're good at planning ahead and booking at the beginning of the window, and so far haven't had any trouble getting exactly what we want. We took my whole family- 9 of us plus a baby- this summer and had a 2 BR at Bay lake Tower. Tight with that many people, but worked great. Having a living room and kitchen makes it sooooo much nicer than a hotel room. And being able to walk to the MK in 5 min. isn't bad either. We wouldn't have been staying at the Contemporary/BLT if we didn't have DVC. We're taking my wife's brother and his family right before Christmas and we were able to get a 2BR at Copper Creek. And we've got a studio at Poly in the spring (that was probably the hardest to get). The trip this past summer was booked before we had the annual pass idea, so the timing doesn't work out for a trip next summer- but in the future we'll do July or Aug. and then the next June so we are basically getting 2 years out of the pass.

I do think people who can't plan ahead (jobs, etc.) or aren't good about calling the day reservations open would have a much harder time getting what they want. So I do agree with the thought that you should buy at a resort that you'd be happy staying at all the time.

There's a lot of discussion on DVC member boards about the pros and cons of having the blue card (buying direct or resale). We couldn't afford or justify the cost of buying all the points direct. But after getting them we decided that we were willing to pay a little extra for a few add on points (25 points is the minimum they will sell add on) direct so we would have the DVC card. So we got it the cheapest way we could (we could have saved more by getting the add on points at a cheaper resort, but we didn't want to deal with the different reservation windows).

So do I think it's worth having the DVC card??? I wouldn't pay an extra 10 grand for it, but for the extra thousand or so we paid (over the cost of resale points), yea, I think it is. However, YMMV. It all depends if you're going to use what it provides- and keep in mind that Disney can eliminate any or all of the extras at any time. So far, on the one trip we've made with it, we used it to get discounted AP's (saved around $400), which then saved us from having to buy PhotoPass ($179), we used the food and merchandise discounts alot (I don't know what it saved but in was in the hundreds easily), we used the card to get into the member lounge in Epcot with our whole group of 10 (free drinks, air conditioning and outlets to charge phones), we bought some DVC member only Merch, and the timing worked out that they were having a Moonlight Magic member event while we were there so we took our whole group of 10 to Typhoon Lagoon for a free late night (I think it was 7PM -midnight) swim party complete with free cookies and ice cream (super crowded- but still worth it).

Everyone has to do what works for them. And I agree that you shouldn't look at this as any kind of investment. For us, we assume it won't save us any money (if it does- and it probably will- thats great), but it will let us stay in much nicer hotels than we would have and in much bigger rooms, which will totally change the vacation experience for a family of 5. Hope this helps some of you out there.