Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[DisneyHead123]

I guess we were just lucky then. I didn’t think people made that type of investment on a whim.

Even if not made on a whim, I think it takes discipline over time to make sure you’re using it properly. I’m not entirely clear the ins and outs of DVC but from the little I’ve read I think you have to use it consistently and be a person who would have been staying at full price deluxe resorts, not bargain shopping with conference rates, value resorts, offsite, etc. If any of that changes over a span of a few decades the value proposition might not be in the consumer’s favor.

 

[JD80]

DVC is a win-win proposition in a lot scenarios. It's always a win for Disney assuming they can move inventory. It's a win for people who know that they will go to WDW and stay at deluxe accommodations on a regular basis.

It's a loss for people who have to pay on credit. Its a loss if you never really wanted to or could afford to stay at Deluxe.

Staying offsite/mods/values is always going to be less expensive.

 

[Chi84]

Even if not made on a whim, I think it takes discipline over time to make sure you’re using it properly. I’m not entirely clear the ins and outs of DVC but from the little I’ve read I think you have to use it consistently and be a person who would have been staying at full price deluxe resorts, not bargain shopping with conference rates, value resorts, offsite, etc. If any of that changes over a span of a few decades the value proposition might not be in the consumer’s favor.

All of that is true. That’s why I mentioned luck earlier. We love the trips, have used our points to maximum advantage over the years and have a party of 10 in a 2BR and studio at SSR in November. Great family vacation. The kids want our points when we’re too old to use them lol.

 

[BrianLo]

I’ve been to WDW tons of times in the last 41 years and have never “owned” DVC. So it’s entirely possible.

I also have been “free” to go elsewhere on vacations over that time.

I think the question is less one of freedom and more one of what was your opportunity cost to go with regularity without owning?

If it was deluxe level accommodations with frequency, you are out 2-3x. If it’s offsite, then yes you’re laughing.

There’s plenty of room for both. But I think I started it by saying it’s resale buy in that’s still a deal, for deluxe accommodations, on a fairly short timeframe. Not direct.

Going to Disney with regularity in either circumstance is a very poor investment. But that rather misses the point.

 

[Touchdown]

LOL Minimum wage in WI is $7.25.

No one is hiring for that. It’s all starting at $12-13 in most of the ads I see. Anyone who is thinking about buying DVC should be making more then minimum wage.

 

[wdisney9000]

The financially literate and less gullible among us have figured out how to make it work, while also growing our investments and exploring other places!

We bought a resale appx 7 years ago. We put an offer in that was 3k below the asking price and the owner accepted. Our home resort is Boardwalk Villas.

Our contract paid for itself in about 5 years if you price out the cost of trips we took if we had used our AP discount for deluxe resorts instead of DVC. Our contract expires in 2042. All we pay now is our annual dues.

We are currently looking at purchasing another resale with enough points to allow us to add 7-10 days per year to our trips and rent out the remaining points to friends or family which will cover the cost of annual dues on both of our contracts thus making our trips basically free.

And to be fully transparent, we did not finance our first contract. We paid it in full at time of purchase so we have not paid anything additional in finance charges. And my response is just an example of how DVC can absolutely be a good financial decision if done properly.

 

[MaximumEd]

Just got back from an 8 day trip. In the parks every day. Never waited more than 25-30 minutes for anything, and we did every ride in all 4 parks, most multiple times. Didn’t have a problem getting a VQ for Tron, Guardians, and Tiana (meh). We purchased LLMP for one MK day and one HS day, but could have done without it. Is attendance down compared to years past? I don’t know, but we had a great trip.

 

[Lilofan]

The financially literate and less gullible among us have figured out how to make it work, while also growing our investments and exploring other places!

Gotta love long term investing in index funds , compounding interest , cashing out on dividends annually , having monies working harder than I do. Blow that dough because life is too short! Live like no one else today so later one can live like no one else.

A number of folks are in that category of - Credit - " I love debt " score.

 

[Ayla]

No one is hiring for that. It’s all starting at $12-13 in most of the ads I see. Anyone who is thinking about buying DVC should be making more then minimum wage.

Doesn't change the fact of what our minimum wage is (as you should be aware).

 

[Tha Realest]

We bought a resale appx 7 years ago. We put an offer in that was 3k below the asking price and the owner accepted. Our home resort is Boardwalk Villas.

Our contract paid for itself in about 5 years if you price out the cost of trips we took if we had used our AP discount for deluxe resorts instead of DVC. Our contract expires in 2042. All we pay now is our annual dues.

We are currently looking at purchasing another resale with enough points to allow us to add 7-10 days per year to our trips and rent out the remaining points to friends or family which will cover the cost of annual dues on both of our contracts thus making our trips basically free.

And to be fully transparent, we did not finance our first contract. We paid it in full at time of purchase so we have not paid anything additional in finance charges. And my response is just an example of how DVC can absolutely be a good financial decision if done properly.

I’m glad it’s worked for you. If that’s how you choose to spend your money, great. Others view our family’s decision to fly vs drive, or stay at places on-site vs cheaper accommodations in Orlando, as extravagances.

But the notion advance by others (including implicitly even this post) suggests that multi-thousand dollar investment means prepaid vacations is not fully accurate. It gives you some comfort and certainty so long as you stay in your home resort, etc. But those “paid for” vacations also involve annual maintenance fees, the cost of tickets (which have gone up) and over the last few years, transport to/from your resorts to the airport.

 

[Chi84]

I’m glad it’s worked for you. If that’s how you choose to spend your money, great. Others view our family’s decision to fly vs drive, or stay at places on-site vs cheaper accommodations in Orlando, as extravagances.

But the notion advance by others (including implicitly even this post) suggests that multi-thousand dollar investment means prepaid vacations is not fully accurate. It gives you some comfort and certainty so long as you stay in your home resort, etc. But those “paid for” vacations also involve annual maintenance fees, the cost of tickets (which have gone up) and over the last few years, transport to/from your resorts to the airport.

We didn't stay in our home resort for the first several years we owned DVC. We preferred Kidani until the kids became adults and wanted to be able to walk to Disney Springs for drinks, entertainment, etc. SSR is perfect for us now, although we recently stayed at Riviera.

I would like to think most people who buy DVC know about and have factored in the maintenance fees and such. The other things you mention have gone up everywhere, although Disney does leave them in the dust when it comes to price increases.

We never added onto our original contract, in large part because we were unsure of how long we would enjoy WDW. So far, everyone still loves our vacations. I don't think we're too financially inept or we wouldn't be taking the entire family of 10 to WDW every couple of years lol.

 

[wdisney9000]

But the notion advance by others (including implicitly even this post) suggests that multi-thousand dollar investment means prepaid vacations is not fully accurate. It gives you some comfort and certainty so long as you stay in your home resort, etc. But those “paid for” vacations also involve annual maintenance fees, the cost of tickets (which have gone up) and over the last few years, transport to/from your resorts to the airport

We looked at DVC as more of an extremely cost effective way to visit, not prepaid vacations or investment. Anyone who buys in thinking it's either of those is wrong.

Our contract paid for itself a few years ago and we've visited many times since then and the only cost was our maintenance fees which totals to about a 60-70% discount off our room depending on when we visit. When we buy a second contract and rent out a few points from it, that will cover the cost of annual dues for both of our DVC contracts and that will eliminate our cost of annual dues and the cost of our resort stay will then be pretty much 100% discount.

And we've used DVC to stay at BW, WL, AKL, SSR, BLT and BC. You don't have to only stay at your home resort.

Another benefit of DVC is being able to purchase the Sorcerer AP which is a good discount and if we decide not to visit, I could easily rent our points and make appx $3k after annual dues expenses were paid.

The person who attends a DVC sales pitch and is persuaded to finance a 400 point contract at Riviera would fall on the gullible side IMO.

 

[Laketravis]

Just got back from an 8 day trip. In the parks every day. Never waited more than 25-30 minutes for anything, and we did every ride in all 4 parks, most multiple times. Didn’t have a problem getting a VQ for Tron, Guardians, and Tiana (meh). We purchased LLMP for one MK day and one HS day, but could have done without it. Is attendance down compared to years past? I don’t know, but we had a great trip.

Good to hear! I actually would have been there right now for a week but cancelled and am going to the Riveria Maya next week instead. Still have a couple of weeks at WDW scheduled for early November so I hope the crowd levels stay low.

 

[JoeCamel]

Good to hear! I actually would have been there right now for a week but cancelled and am going to the Riveria Maya next week instead. Still have a couple of weeks at WDW scheduled for early November so I hope the crowd levels stay low.

Make it to Tulum?

 

[Laketravis]

Make it to Tulum?

An all inclusive in Puerto Aventuras but definitely plan on exploring the area. Roundtrip non-stop air for two was $850 but when I booked thru Hyatt it was $2480 for the same flights AND seven nights club level ocean view king at the all inclusive.

Way cheaper than WDW.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

Thousands of vacations are cheaper than Disney. Always has been.

 

[Lilofan]

An all inclusive in Puerto Aventuras but definitely plan on exploring the area. Roundtrip non-stop air for two was $850 but when I booked thru Hyatt it was $2480 for the same flights AND seven nights club level ocean view king at the all inclusive.

Way cheaper than WDW.

You picked a decent place to vacation in Mexico. The Puerto Aventuras all inclusive resorts are armed fortresses with Mexican law enforcement patrolling the area 24/7 where you need IDs to get in and out.

 

[FigmentFan82]

Curious if anyone can answer this. Are the non MK parks getting slammed on party night days? My upcoming trip I've penciled out Epcot and DHS on party days and just hoping they won't be a mob scene of people avoiding MK for lack of a full day expereince.

 

[Touchdown]

Curious if anyone can answer this. Are the non MK parks getting slammed on party night days? My upcoming trip I've penciled out Epcot and DHS on party days and just hoping they won't be a mob scene of people avoiding MK for lack of a full day expereince.

Hop, MK mornings on party days are fantastic, DHS and Epcot are a little more crowded but not too bad, and worth dealing with so I can watch HEA on a non party night. However, MK mornings of parties can be wonderful with short waits through about 12-1pm.

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

Just got back from an 8 day trip. In the parks every day. Never waited more than 25-30 minutes for anything, and we did every ride in all 4 parks, most multiple times. Didn’t have a problem getting a VQ for Tron, Guardians, and Tiana (meh). We purchased LLMP for one MK day and one HS day, but could have done without it. Is attendance down compared to years past? I don’t know, but we had a great trip.

This time of year is typically slow. The fam and I make a weekend trip every year for my birthday and we stay at the higher-end hotels because they're much more affordable. AK Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary, etc.