Looking at DVC---what can you experts tell me ?

macefamily

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm a big dummy. I've bee going to Disney with my family since my kids were toddlers; 32 trips since 1997. I've been staying offsite and even stayed onsite a few times. My wife and I have visited some resorts for dinner and have had the urge to get into the DVC the past few years...20 yrs too late. I could have been in a great situation if I acted back in the 90's.
We're looking at Copper Creek, and while in FL, we will take the tour. Points...do the prices fluctuate much ? Do yearly service fees inflate drastically ? Is it better to pay off upfront or finance ? What perks do you get as a DVC member ? We're from PA and we head down to FL in the off-season; early December.
Looking forward to your excellent feedback.
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
I am not an owner, but have looked into it numerous times.

  • always better to pay off upfront if you can
  • you should be the type of visitor that always stays in a deluxe resort every stay - if you would often go for value or moderates and use Disney promotions to save money, and you're going to be annoyed every time Disney has a promotion that you as a DVC member cannot participate in, then DVC isn't for you - DVC IS the promotion, just a long term one
  • perks? discount on annual passes. DVC member events? I wouldn't go into it for perks, and I would never call it an investment, but I would say it is a long term strategy for taking your Disney vacations over the next many years
 

MotherofaPrincessLover

Well-Known Member
The total overall points at a resort cannot change, but they can reallocate them. They were planning on doing a big reallocation for 2020 but pulled it at the last minute to reevaluate it. The yearly maintenance fees do increase each year but I guess it depends on what you consider to be drastic. Just a heads up-early December is probably the busiest time of the year for DVC. I'm going early December and I had to be on my computer the second bookings opened for Copper Creek to be able to get a room. Disney off-season and DVC off-season are basically opposite times of the year.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
I'm a big dummy. I've bee going to Disney with my family since my kids were toddlers; 32 trips since 1997. I've been staying offsite and even stayed onsite a few times. My wife and I have visited some resorts for dinner and have had the urge to get into the DVC the past few years...20 yrs too late. I could have been in a great situation if I acted back in the 90's.
We're looking at Copper Creek, and while in FL, we will take the tour. Points...do the prices fluctuate much ? Do yearly service fees inflate drastically ? Is it better to pay off upfront or finance ? What perks do you get as a DVC member ? We're from PA and we head down to FL in the off-season; early December.
Looking forward to your excellent feedback.

First I'll answer your specific questions, and then some general advice.

The points per room per night in a specific season at a specific resort do not change all that much - usually. This year there was a relativity significant reallocation between 1BR and Studios. But as was said before, the total number of points at a resort can not change. That number is fixed. If you are instead asking about the cost to buy a point, that number has gone up over the years. Time will tell what happens as we get closer to resort expiration dates, but for now, prices keep going up.

The dues will likely go up every year. Dues, by law, reflect the actual costs of running the resort, DVC does not make a profit off of them. Just like with maintaining your house, things keep getting more expensive. We will see what impact the recently announced wage increases has on dues.

In general, it is better off to pay things off than to finance. There are some cases where you have to look at opportunity cost. Such as would you be taking money out of a locked in high yield financial device to pay for DVC in full? But those are very specific cases that I suspect do not pertain here.

There are a bunch of perks - forget about them when making your decision. Perks are in no way, shape, or form, guaranteed. DVC can (and has) change them, or remove them entirely, at it's discretion. While they are nice to have, they should not be considered in your decision to buy.

Now, in general - DVC has recently enacted a number of changes to buying on the resale market. Do take a long hard look at resale. Even with the new constraints, the much lower price of a resale contract may be worth it to you.

You can also buy at any resort you want - even directly from DVC. If you push hard enough, DVC will get points for you and sell them to you. You may have to wait a few months. but it may be worth it to get the resort you want.

It has become harder recently (over the last year or so) to get rooms at the 7 month window. In December, you may only have the option of Copper Creek 11 months out. Think about where you want to buy into.

DVC saves you money over staying at deluxe resorts on cash. It is not going to save you money over staying at moderates, values, or off site. If you want to start staying in deluxe resorts and are looking at DVC as a way to do so, then that is all good. If you are thinking it is going to be cheaper than your offsite stays - nope.

Using DVC points for anything other than staying at DVC properties is a big waste of money. Don't let them try to sell you on RCI, or DCL, or ABD, or the Disney Collection. If you want to do those, you are better off renting out our points and using the cash to pay for them. Don't let the ability to use your points for those 'features' enter into your decision.
 

Bostb71

Well-Known Member
I am not an owner, but have looked into it numerous times.

  • always better to pay off upfront if you can
  • you should be the type of visitor that always stays in a deluxe resort every stay - if you would often go for value or moderates and use Disney promotions to save money, and you're going to be annoyed every time Disney has a promotion that you as a DVC member cannot participate in, then DVC isn't for you - DVC IS the promotion, just a long term one
  • perks? discount on annual passes. DVC member events? I wouldn't go into it for perks, and I would never call it an investment, but I would say it is a long term strategy for taking your Disney vacations over the next many years
Agree 100% with everything @DisneyJoe said!

I would say it only makes sense if you vacation at WDW at least every other year and want to stay in the Deluxe resorts. That's really the only way I see that you're getting value for your money. Yes you can use your points on the cruise line and Adventures by Disney, but it's not a good use of your points. You'd be better off renting out your points and using the cash to pay for the cruise.

The way I look at it is I'm prepaying for all my WDW hotel stays, but I get to stay at much nicer properties than if I was paying cash for them. I'm staying in the cabins at CC in May - in my mind I don't have a problem using 108 points per night to stay there, but I would never shell out $2500 cash per night. I'd only need to stay in the cabins for 13 nights to equal the amount I paid for the points - that doesn't include the annual dues.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
I'm a big dummy. I've bee going to Disney with my family since my kids were toddlers; 32 trips since 1997. I've been staying offsite and even stayed onsite a few times. My wife and I have visited some resorts for dinner and have had the urge to get into the DVC the past few years...20 yrs too late. I could have been in a great situation if I acted back in the 90's.
We're looking at Copper Creek, and while in FL, we will take the tour. Points...do the prices fluctuate much ? Do yearly service fees inflate drastically ? Is it better to pay off upfront or finance ? What perks do you get as a DVC member ? We're from PA and we head down to FL in the off-season; early December.
Looking forward to your excellent feedback.
As said elsewhere, resale WILL save you money. Even with constraints we are talking thousands of dollars saved upfront. I just bought resale last year and on top of saving per point I inherited a bunch of points. Some say buy where you want to be others, say get the cheapest spot you can. Having done some bookings now, I think buy where you want to be is critical if you are planning to go during very busy times, like holidays, spring breaks etc. If you are flexible in your travel dates it is not as important. If you plan to rent the points out, having a more desirable DVC home resort will help as well. Finally look at the types of rooms you want. For instance, the Poly only has studios, BLT has studios but they are considered small....etc.
 

TongaToast21

Active Member
Everything thats been said above is spot-on. One thing I'd like to add is actually best put by Tom Bricker on his DisneyTouristBlog.com site (which i highly recommend)
" Will owning Disney Vacation Club increase my quality of life?” If the answer to this question is yes, all of the economic considerations in the world may very well be meaningless. It may be a good idea to purchase DVC anyway.

If things, such as the “Welcome Home” doormats, Disney Files Magazine showing up in your mailbox, going to bed at night knowing your vacations are partially paid in advance for the next 40-some years, the “forced vacation” aspect, owning a piece of the Magic, or being able to share trips with friends and family in awesome and unique accommodations are a big deal to you or will make you happier, then you might want to disregard everything I’ve written above.

As with everything in life, “happiness” is that ace-up-the-sleeve trump card that can render everything else meaningless. Quite simply, you can’t put a price tag on happiness and peace of mind."

That selection sums up why I purchased DVC... Knowing you have a "home" at Walt Disney is priceless. For me, there is no value to adequately sum up my happiness knowing I will always have a trip to Disney World. Being a part of something, and never having to think "Who knows the next time I'll be here" is well worth it. Don't get me wrong, it is a big financial commitment, but I haven't thought twice about it. In my opinion I've already gotten my money's worth with only two DVC trips because It's given me such a happy feeling.

Here's the full write up by the way
 

nickys

Premium Member
I won’t restate what everyone else has said.

But if you really want CCV and will usually go in early December, you could consider a fixed week. There is a premium of, I think, 10% over the no. of points you would need to book the week. But it will be reserved for you each year. And if you decide you don't want to go that week, you can cancel it and use your points like anyone else.

Fixed weeks have only been offered at the latest resorts - Poly, CCV and Aulani. Maybe GFV, not sure. The people I know of who have bought have all bought weeks in December or over New Year.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
ONE very important thing that I stress to people.

A timeshare is NOT an investment vehicle. It is a prepaid room on a vacation destination, a hedge against inflation. If you are purchasing with the thought that you'll use it for a while and then you can always sell at a later date and make money on it, do not purchase. while dvc do tend to hold a better value than other timeshares, the world is full of folks who are trying to dump their timeshares for pennies on the dollar.

my vote is also buy where you want to stay. while I've never had any real problems booking at the 7 month window, that does not mean that won't change and there are times when DVC gets crazy busy, like food and wine festivals. having that 11 month window during busy times can make it so you at least know you'll like where you're at.
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
I won’t restate what everyone else has said.

But if you really want CCV and will usually go in early December, you could consider a fixed week. There is a premium of, I think, 10% over the no. of points you would need to book the week. But it will be reserved for you each year. And if you decide you don't want to go that week, you can cancel it and use your points like anyone else.

Fixed weeks have only been offered at the latest resorts - Poly, CCV and Aulani. Maybe GFV, not sure. The people I know of who have bought have all bought weeks in December or over New Year.
Good thought on fixed weeks... some are sold out in later Dec IIRC. It can be very difficult to book especially studios that time of year.

I'm on my way home tomorrow from a WDW/FL stay. Will give more thoughts tomorrow.
 

TheGuyThatMakesSwords

Well-Known Member
But gotta add?

A traditional timeshare provides one with a specific designated PROPERTY interest. This is why a bank will allow one to finance most classic Timeshares : there is specific collateral.

DVC doesn't exactly do that :). Which is why a Bank will NOT get involved in DVC financing. And why DVC "financing Rates" are nosebleed (over 10% per year) :).

So please - do NOT Finance a DVC contract? It's a trap :).
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
Yes, do NOT finance DVC. It's not worth it at all.

Keep in mind CCV is expected to do a pretty big jump in price coming soon. So if that is where you want to stay, then go for it.

That said if you are happy with other resorts at 11 months, I might consider OKW or SSR direct. If you want to go direct. I love CCV though and it is a family favorite (WL as a whole that is).

The AP discount for us is the biggest saver, but we haven't always used it.

The MFs for us are still under 4% increase a year for both resorts. I say on average they are fine, though the pay increase got us all pretty bad this year.
 

Andrew M

Well-Known Member
I have also been looking into DVC, and put a spreadsheet together with cost to buy and dues over the life of membership, so general question for those giving advice to OP:

Is there anything to keep the dues from escalating completely out of control? I know it's based on operating costs, but it looks to be increasing on average about twice the amount of inflation. With about a 4% annual increase, even the cheapest dues will be in double digits per point in a few years.
 

nickys

Premium Member
I have also been looking into DVC, and put a spreadsheet together with cost to buy and dues over the life of membership, so general question for those giving advice to OP:

Is there anything to keep the dues from escalating completely out of control? I know it's based on operating costs, but it looks to be increasing on average about twice the amount of inflation. With about a 4% annual increase, even the cheapest dues will be in double digits per point in a few years.

I think the limit is 10% a year. But the resort taxes are on top of that. This year we were hit by big increases, because of the pay increase. The next couple of years will also see increases but not as big. They vary from resort to resort too.
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
I have also been looking into DVC, and put a spreadsheet together with cost to buy and dues over the life of membership, so general question for those giving advice to OP:

Is there anything to keep the dues from escalating completely out of control? I know it's based on operating costs, but it looks to be increasing on average about twice the amount of inflation. With about a 4% annual increase, even the cheapest dues will be in double digits per point in a few years.

As stated they do limit it outside of taxes. Disney is very good about fighting over estimating for taxes though, so that's not a concern to me.

In 15 years our OKW went from $3.68 to $7.23. PVB has gone from $6.02 to $6.76 (2015 to 2019) to put it all in perspective. The 4% is an average and I believe we're still under that for OKW. PVB is actually lower. So looking at it, we still have a while before we hit double digits. Like all things though, prices go up. This is the one part of Disney I think is okay with the increases though.
 

TheGuyThatMakesSwords

Well-Known Member
I have also been looking into DVC, and put a spreadsheet together with cost to buy and dues over the life of membership, so general question for those giving advice to OP:

Is there anything to keep the dues from escalating completely out of control? I know it's based on operating costs, but it looks to be increasing on average about twice the amount of inflation. With about a 4% annual increase, even the cheapest dues will be in double digits per point in a few years.

An excellent question. Yes, dues for us, over 6 years, have tended to escalate at about 3.5% per year. But you see, that's not a problem.

Huh?

Compare Dues Escalation rate to Main Hotel Escalation Rate. Main Hotels tend to climb at 5.5% per year plus. With a higher basis.

Now, one can avoid ALL of this - in one way. Don't stay on site, or don't go. But the whole idea of DVC is that you ARE GOING TO GO ANYWAY. If this is not the case? Wait.

Frame of reference data: We hit Break even this year, at BRV. Our nightly room cost (Studio) is apx $125/night. Main WL equivalent is pushing $450 +/night. NONE OF THIS WOULD MATTER if we were not going to GO ANYWAY. We are :). Our nightly room costs, AFTER BREAK EVEN, are roughly at the 75% discount level, vs DISCOUNTED Rack Rate (historic RACK less 30%).
 
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Phonedave

Well-Known Member
I have also been looking into DVC, and put a spreadsheet together with cost to buy and dues over the life of membership, so general question for those giving advice to OP:

Is there anything to keep the dues from escalating completely out of control? I know it's based on operating costs, but it looks to be increasing on average about twice the amount of inflation. With about a 4% annual increase, even the cheapest dues will be in double digits per point in a few years.

There is a cap on "regular" dues increases. As was said, property taxes are an exception, as are unplanned capital expenditures. Let's say something happens - a natural disaster, or maybe a truck drives into a building. The costs to fix that could be added into a one times dues increase. (Of course you would think insurance would cover a lot of the expense).

Here is how things actually work. DVC makes money by selling points, and then reselling points. In order to do so they need to walk a fine line between keeping dues low, and providing services that keep members happy. They could, for example, cut out the poolside entertainment (dues pay for that), but is the "juice worth the squeeze"? Dues would go down very little, but you would have a lot of upset members. There are also yearly member meetings where members are free to voice their opinions. You can also voice your opinion anytime through the year. DVC does pay attention to what members are saying. Lastly, there is an independent auditor. They make sure and of the components of the dues that are not arms length transactions (Such as when the pest control department of WDW bills the DVC for mosquito control services) are at fair market pricing.

So, in theory, DVC could decide to provide daily housekeeping, not charge people for missing kitchen utensils, and provide pool butlers, thus making the due go way up, they are not likely to do so, as it would not be in the best interest of the DVC to do so.

Keep in mind that perks - things like reduced AP prices, Moonlight Magic, the EPCOT lounge, etc are not pay for by members dues. Those are paid for by DVC as promotional devices and come out of their bottom line.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Not sure I agree. The rack rates at WDW have risen pretty inexorably since then too. As long as you’re buying for the right reasons, and would otherwise stay in the deluxe resorts, you do still save once you’ve broken even.

But they can no longer sell those rooms at higher rate...which means rack is hitting the ceiling as DVC continues to escalate...

You may “save” now...academically...but it’s not nearly what it was.
 

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