DVC?'s...please help

[hhhmickey]

I have spent alot of time researching DVC on this forum, have also researched mousesavers and all ears, and attended a DVC presentation at SSR. It seems that each time I get an answer, it leads to more questions. There are obviously lots of knowledgeable people on this board, so I wanted to ask you all to weigh in.

It seems the consensus is if you are happy with the value resorts or vacation at Disney infrequently, then DVC is not for you. My family has typically stayed in a value resort, but our third child will soon be 4 years old and the value resorts will no longer accomodate us. From a financial point of view only, if you are having to reserve two value rooms or a deluxe to accomodate your family, does the DVC not make more sense??? It seems that all of the spreadsheets I see only factor in one room in a value resort.

On average, we go to Disney about once every 18 months and typically stay 4 - 5 days. I think this pattern will continue for quite some time, and maybe we could visit more frequently with DVC.

Assuming the costs of rooms rises at a greater percentage than the cost of annual dues, it seems like the DVC makes alot of sense. Is there something I am missing:veryconfu

A few other ?'s..it is obvious that the most bang for your buck comes when using the DVC resorts, but I would like to get feedback from anyone who has used other timeshares in the World collection. Were they nice? Did you have trouble booking.

Nothing beats a Disney vacation, but a change is nice. I can't see myself vacationing exclusively at Disney for the next 10 years, much less 50!

I know that's alot, but any feedback is sincerely appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

[wdwfan100]

I have been weighing these items also. It seems to me that if you are going to continue to go to Disney, then it is a good deal. We too have said that we were not sure that we would continue to go to Disney every year. We have gone to other places, but we still return to Disney at least once a year. So we vacation other places, but would still have benefited in some way from ownership. I wish I had balanced these issues years ago. I would have saved a ton of $$$. Currently I am leaning toward purchasing. I Just need to find the right deal, or win the lottery. Either way it is only a matter of time.:sohappy:

 

[DisneyJoe]

If your 3rd child is now 3 you can no longer be accommodated at the value resorts, the rule is 4 persons plus 1 child under the age of 3 in a crib.

That being said, most say that DVC makes sense when you are used to using Deluxe accommodations. 2 value rooms, in order to accommodate 5 people, will always cost less than a single Deluxe room that accommodates 5 people.

I can't see myself vacationing exclusively at Disney for the next 10 years, much less 50!

This quote alone tells me that DVC isn't right for you.

 

[dizMOM]

We have been DVC members for 10 years and have never regretted the decision. We visit Disney several times a year and have also vacationed at other locations using our points. The amount of $ we save is substantial and the options for other vacation choices are many! We have never been disappointed. Hope this helps.

 

[hhhmickey]

Disney Joe,

Thanks for your thoughts...I realized in re-reading my initial post that I failed to mention the sales rep at SSR told us that staying in a studio or 1 br at DVC resorts would not be a problem for a family of 5, even though they supposedly accomodate only 4. Hence, my comparison not necessarily to other deluxe resorts, but to a studio or 1 br in relation to the cost of buying in to DVC.

As for your final comment, I totally disagree and it seems a bit presumptuous that you would make a comment as to what is or isn't right for my family. We have vacationed at Disney 6 times since 2000, all on property, and have loved every minute of it. We do; however, enjoy other vacations as well. I simply wanted other DVC members take on how they have liked/disliked, advantages/disadvantages of the other aspects of the time share agreement.

 

[hhhmickey]

dizMom,
Thanks for your input! We feel that DVC is a great plan, we have just been hesitant to pull the trigger. One of the primary factors is other vacation options. And since you are paying already, why not use the options offered through DVC, right? Have you used any of the other vacation options? If so, what was your favorite? Thanks again!

 

[DisneyJoe]

My comment was based on visiting many DVC forums over a 3 year span, and hearing many people state that unless you plan on visiting Disney every year or every other year for the next 14 or more years, that it probably isn't the right thing for you to do.

You do get the most bang for your DVC dollar at Disney resorts, from what I am told.

I would also triple-check the maximum amount of persons allowed in a DVC studio or 1-bedroom unit before purchasing.

Sorry if I offended, it wasn't my intent.

FYI, I just spend 3 nights at SSR in a studio, I don't know where a 5th person would sleep.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Disney Joe,

Thanks for your thoughts...I realized in re-reading my initial post that I failed to mention the sales rep at SSR told us that staying in a studio or 1 br at DVC resorts would not be a problem for a family of 5, even though they supposedly accomodate only 4. Hence, my comparison not necessarily to other deluxe resorts, but to a studio or 1 br in relation to the cost of buying in to DVC.

As DisneyJoe said, you should definitely check on what you were told by the DVC rep. I believe the 1BR at AKL is the smallest DVC room that officially accomodates 5 people. It has a fold out chair along with the pullout sofa in the living area. All other studios and 1BR have a maximum occupancy of 4. They will only issue keys to the maximum number of people allowed in the room. Not a huge deal, but that may be an issue if you want to use Extra Magic hours where everyone in your party needs a valid room key. There may be an issue if you plan to use Magical Express too. Just some things to think about.

As for using DVC for other vacations, it is not the most cost effective use of your points plus there is a $95 fee for trading out. We've never used our points for anything other than DVC rooms.

We love DVC. It is very cost effective for staying at DVC resorts. In the 6 years we have owned, our out of pocket expenses are already below what we would have paid had we stayed in discounted deluxe accomodations.

 

[DVC Mike]

A few other ?'s..it is obvious that the most bang for your buck comes when using the DVC resorts, but I would like to get feedback from anyone who has used other timeshares in the World collection. Were they nice? Did you have trouble booking.

Nothing beats a Disney vacation, but a change is nice. I can't see myself vacationing exclusively at Disney for the next 10 years, much less 50!

The best "bang for your buck" is using your points for staying at the DVC resorts. However, taking advantage of the flexibility of the DVC program by occasionally booking outside of DVC is fine. Just don't buy DVC with the intent of mostly using your points for World Passport Collection, the Adventurer Collection, etc.

Regarding World Passpoint: It's actually a pretty good deal when you can get a week in Hawaii or Aruba or wherever for a maximum of 160 points. The only issue with World Passport is that DVC tends to place undesirable weeks into Interval International (such as SSR in September), which leads to a lower trading power. Thus, it may be very hard to get the top-tier resort you're looking for via World Passport Collection. You might end up with something that is not as nice as DVC, so you can end up trading a Lexus for a Yugo. To be effective, you need to start your search up to 24 months in advance.

 

[DVC Mike]

As DisneyJoe said, you should definitely check on what you were told by the DVC rep. I believe the 1BR at AKL is the smallest DVC room that officially accomodates 5 people. It has a fold out chair along with the pullout sofa in the living area. All other studios and 1BR have a maximum occupancy of 4. They will only issue keys to the maximum number of people allowed in the room.

While the studios are limited to 4 people, DVC has been allowing up to 5 people in a 1-BR at all DVC resorts.

 

[DVC Mike]

On average, we go to Disney about once every 18 months and typically stay 4 - 5 days. I think this pattern will continue for quite some time, and maybe we could visit more frequently with DVC.

Assuming the costs of rooms rises at a greater percentage than the cost of annual dues, it seems like the DVC makes alot of sense. Is there something I am missing:veryconfu

When people ask if DVC makes sense for them, I typically point them in the direction of this thread:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=266249

 

[hhhmickey]

My comment was based on visiting many DVC forums over a 3 year span, and hearing many people state that unless you plan on visiting Disney every year or every other year for the next 14 or more years, that it probably isn't the right thing for you to do.

You do get the most bang for your DVC dollar at Disney resorts, from what I am told.

I would also triple-check the maximum amount of persons allowed in a DVC studio or 1-bedroom unit before purchasing.

Sorry if I offended, it wasn't my intent.

FYI, I just spend 3 nights at SSR in a studio, I don't know where a 5th person would sleep.

Thanks Joe and no problem...I will definitely check again on the maximum number of guests, but the DVC rep at SSR told us that 5 would be fine, as long as it fit our needs. All of our kids are young now, so it may not work in the future.

 

[hhhmickey]

The best "bang for your buck" is using your points for staying at the DVC resorts. However, taking advantage of the flexibility of the DVC program by occasionally booking outside of DVC is fine. Just don't buy DVC with the intent of mostly using your points for World Passport Collection, the Adventurer Collection, etc.

Regarding World Passpoint: It's actually a pretty good deal when you can get a week in Hawaii or Aruba or wherever for a maximum of 160 points. The only issue with World Passport is that DVC tends to place undesirable weeks into Interval International (such as SSR in September), which leads to a lower trading power. Thus, it may be very hard to get the top-tier resort you're looking for via World Passport Collection. You might end up with something that is not as nice as DVC, so you can end up trading a Lexus for a Yugo. To be effective, you need to start your search up to 24 months in advance.

Mike,
Thanks so much for your advice and input. Your first paragraph sums up how my wife and I feel about the DVC, at least certainly on the "pros" side of things. While the primary intent is to vacation at Disney resorts, the world passport collection looked and sounded like a great secondary benefit. At least on the surface, it appears that there are a great number of resorts in highly desirable locales. When you mention lower trading power, how exactly does that work. Do you contact member services to book a stay via World Passport, or is that done through II? Thanks again for your help.

 

[jakeman]

If your primary concern is the cost difference between two rooms at a value and a 1 bedroom at a DVC resort you may want to try and dig up the current points per dollar figure that is floating around.

I think when we bought ours 2 years ago it was about 1 point for $4. Therefore (just a random example with no real figures) if a room is 50 points per night, you are basically paying $200 a night for that room.

The points per dollar does make a few assumptions, such as the increase in dues and taxes, and is only a rough estimate.

I'm sure you can also dig up the increase in resort room prices over the past few years to see if the money you may save over the corse of the DVC purchase would be comparable to what you may spend on a room.

Just a thought since the points per dollar explanition is what finally got it to make sense for my wife.

 

[hhhmickey]

Thanks Jakeman...any idea where I could find any of these comparisons? Is there a chart? Thanks again.

 

[DVC Mike]

Do you contact member services to book a stay via World Passport, or is that done through II?

Members do not have individual memberships with II. DVC has a corporate membership. You must call DVC MS to book your 1-week stays.

There is a new short-stay II program where members may book their own short stays via an II web site.

 

[jakeman]

Thanks Jakeman...any idea where I could find any of these comparisons? Is there a chart? Thanks again.

For the actual conversions I'm not so sure about a chart available. I'm sure there are online charts somewhere for the points per room that is accessible to folks that are not DVC members.

Someone please feel free to correct me, but I think if you use $4.50 per point that would be a slight overestimate of their current value and would give you a skewed value in favor of the non-DVC. So when comparing them if DVC still comes out ahead then you know that the value is definately there.

This might be on the DVD. I know the formula was shown to us during our presentation at SSR before we purchased.

I hope this makes sense!

 

[slappy magoo]

haven't been members long, but we did use points one year for 5 nights in a "concierge-level" b&b in San Francisco around xmas tie, which was lovely. very cozy room w/ fireplace, and tea & wine tasting every afternoon. I've yet to try for a full-week in an actual ginormous resort outside of WDW.

If you want to consider a way to be dvc members, but save a little coin, consider this: Instead of taking one trip every 18 months, would you willing to consider 2 trips in 2 years then taking 1 year "off?" Here's why I ask. Since you have the ability to bank and/or borrow a years' worth of points, you could perhaps buy a smaller amount of points, use banking or borrowing when necessary, buy annual passes and then arrange your second trip to slip in just within the 1 year period (like, first trip the last week in October, 2nd trip the 3rd week in October). By not buying those extra points, you could potentially afford the option of going wherever you want, unencumbered by any trade-in limitations through DVC. 160 points - which I believe is the current minimum for buying into DVC through Disney - means 480 points in three years. Elect to use them over TWO years instead of THREE, that means you've got 240 points each year for 2 years, and one year to go anywhere else on your own dime. That'll ether get you longer trips when you do go, or the ability to try to get lodging during peak periods if you're limited to peak times.

Just an option...

 

[disbest]

Also if you feel you don't want to use your DVC for a period of time you can always rent it or sell it. Some of the more popular DVC's hold their value on the resale market.

 

[hansel1]

I think you should look at the point charts for the property you are thinking about buying into.

Your price comparisons will vary depending on what season you are going to visit and what resort.

You wrote that you typically stay 4-5 days. If you stay during the sun-thursday period, that would be a larger savings than staying with a friday and saturday.

Once you get an idea of how you would use your points, the other problems sort of solve themselves. i.e., how many points i need to buy and how much in dues I will have to pay each year.