Why haven't you joined DVC???

[dizzney]

This was one of the biggest factors making DVC not the best deal for us as well. I too have a party of 5 and our family would have had to use a 2br villa for every trip. The price on one of those compared to a standard room at PORS was insane. Sure we would have gotten quite a bit more but we did not need it.

We are a family of 5, and have used a one bedroom or two bedroom villa depending on the accomodations (some one bedrooms have the addiional chair bed in the living room) I dont feel that our family size made it a bad deal for us, in fact we think it was a great way for us to go. We did pay cash when we bought and for each add-on we did, so yearly its only the dues we pay, and by our fifth visit we had recouped our initial investment, and have since recouped our add-ons except the latest Bay Lake since we've only been there once. But we stayed prior to our purchase in Deluxe accomodations every time except once and preferred them.

We even ended up with extra points this past year, and we rented them and covered the yearly point cost easily.

As for the comments about daily housekeeping, we certainly dont get it messy enough to have that become an issue. We only cook breakfasts there, dinners are always out. (I dont cook dinner on vacation)

We love the atmosphere of the DVC resorts and end up relaxing at the resorts during the day at times instead of running around the parks.

As for ROFR, Disney is allowing some sales under $50 to go thru with regularity of late, especially at VB and OKW(on large point purchases)

Of course, DVC is not the way to go for everyone but we have found it to have been the best move for us. Also we benefit from purchasing our AP's with a $100 discount for being a DVC member (adds up when you purchase 5) and the other discounts we get being DVC.

 

[Master Yoda]

We are a family of 5, and have used a one bedroom or two bedroom villa depending on the accomodations (some one bedrooms have the addiional chair bed in the living room) I dont feel that our family size made it a bad deal for us, in fact we think it was a great way for us to go. We did pay cash when we bought and for each add-on we did, so yearly its only the dues we pay, and by our fifth visit we had recouped our initial investment, and have since recouped our add-ons except the latest Bay Lake since we've only been there once. But we stayed prior to our purchase in Deluxe accomodations every time except once and preferred them.

We even ended up with extra points this past year, and we rented them and covered the yearly point cost easily.

As for the comments about daily housekeeping, we certainly dont get it messy enough to have that become an issue. We only cook breakfasts there, dinners are always out. (I dont cook dinner on vacation)

We love the atmosphere of the DVC resorts and end up relaxing at the resorts during the day at times instead of running around the parks.

As for ROFR, Disney is allowing some sales under $50 to go thru with regularity of late, especially at VB and OKW(on large point purchases)

Of course, DVC is not the way to go for everyone but we have found it to have been the best move for us. Also we benefit from purchasing our AP's with a $100 discount for being a DVC member (adds up when you purchase 5) and the other discounts we get being DVC.

All of the DVC properties save for BLT and AKL, neither of which were even rumored when we took the tours, require a 2br for a party of 5.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

All of the DVC properties save for BLT and AKL, neither of which were even rumored when we took the tours, require a 2br for a party of 5.

Actually, from what I have heard you can actually put a 5th person in any one bedroom. Disney will not provide extra towels for this person however, but if you have smaller kids that can share a bed (or you bring an air mattress) it seems like it would be a good choice.

 

[Master Yoda]

Actually, from what I have heard you can actually put a 5th person in any one bedroom. Disney will not provide extra towels for this person however, but if you have smaller kids that can share a bed (or you bring an air mattress) it seems like it would be a good choice.

Their official capacity is listed as 4+ which translates to 4 plus one child under 3.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Their official capacity is listed as 4+ which translates to 4 plus one child under 3.

This is what I heard on other DVC oriented boards. It isn't advertised, but if you ask it can be done. They just won't provide extra ammenities for that person, so you would have to wash towels, bring plates, etc.

 

[Mukta]

I agree with a lot of captainkidd's points.



1. For the amount of nights we stay(9), we'd need an extreme amount of points. The total cost is one thing, but the dues on top would be something else.

3. Vacations are a luxury, not a necessity. We're very lucky that right now we can afford to take vacations. However, heaven forbid something happens that we lose any of our income, I don't want to be tied down to a payment.

4. I like daily housekeeping.

5. I don't like villa style accomadations.

6. DVC is a set price. No discounts ever. I haven't paid rack rate on a room at Disney in over 5 years.

7. The point system is more confusing than just regular room only booking.

 

[MKCP 1985]

I am not a member of DVC for several reasons. First, the Orlando market has some fine hotels and if you look back over the last 10 years, the new offerings just get better and better (for the most part). If I had bought Old Key West (which I've stayed in and thought was great), I'd be disappointed that my home resort was not one of several DVC properties that have come out since that time.

Secondly, the deluxe resorts often offer discounts. I have stayed in the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge in awesome rooms at ridiculously low rates.

Third, there are any number of wonderful hotels that are not DVC properties that provide a great vacation experience at a fraction of what DVC ownership would cost. Just to name a few - the Dolphin and Swan, the Grand Cypress Marriott, the Hard Rock Universal, and the Waldorf is coming online later this year or early next year. Who can imagine what might be built in the next 5 years?

Fourth, you never really stop paying for DVC. Yeah, you own your points and if you are wise, you paid cash for them and didn't finance them. But there's the tricky annual maintenance costs. Why the hell do I want to pay that for something I get to enjoy for 5 to 7 days per year? And those costs will only go up over the life of your contract, so you are always going to be paying hundreds of dollars per year for your DVC contract, even after your points are paid off.

Fifth, the DVC operator has the right (and has already used it) to re-allocate the number of points required for a week day stay versus a weekend stay, so that if I purchase less than a full week of points, I do not know with certainty whether I will have enough points to stay in a particular window of days if I go the same week every year.

There are the other reasons such as having the flexibility to spend those vacation dollars on cruises and vacations to non-Disney places without the restrictions that come with trying to use points and so forth, and the value of money that must be invested in a DVC contract: cash or credit, and other complicated issues.

At the end of the day, it is just easier to pick a hotel from what's available with a discount code and not worry about borrowing, banking, stacking, etc.

 

[Master Yoda]

This is what I heard on other DVC oriented boards. It isn't advertised, but if you ask it can be done. They just won't provide extra ammenities for that person, so you would have to wash towels, bring plates, etc.

If it is something they can do then they really do need to tell people about is as I am sure I am not the only person who has not purchased into DVC expressly due to the occupancy numbers. The difference in point values from a 1br to a 2br is around 30%-40%. That 30%-40% was without question the biggest reason we did not purchase DVC.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

If it is something they can do then they really do need to tell people about is as I am sure I am not the only person who has not purchased into DVC expressly due to the occupancy numbers. The difference in point values from a 1br to a 2br is around 30%-40%. That 30%-40% was without question the biggest reason we did not purchase DVC.

I 100% agree with you and was very surprised when I had heard about it. Here is one thread from elsewhere to show you what I mean. There are others out there....

http://www.passporterboards.com/for...on-club/216303-dvc-resorts-have-room-5-a.html

 

[Master Yoda]

I 100% agree with you and was very surprised when I had heard about it. Here is one thread from elsewhere to show you what I mean. There are others out there....

http://www.passporterboards.com/for...on-club/216303-dvc-resorts-have-room-5-a.html

Two comments on that thread....

1. It seems like it is a gradual conversion of the 1br models at the older DVC properties to a party of 5. I would assume that once it is done they will change the official numbers.

2. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster that WDWMagic does not allow pictures in signatures. My word is that cluttering and distracting!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Two comments on that thread....

1. It seems like it is a gradual conversion of the 1br models at the older DVC properties to a party of 5. I would assume that once it is done they will change the official numbers.

2. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster that WDWMagic does not allow pictures in signatures. My word is that cluttering and distracting!

I saw it on the disboards as well. I think you know I am one to not go around and try to prove what would be false information. I wouldn't be saying it if I hadn't seen it in a few other places. Unfortunately the disboards search feature is awful, and I couldn't find the threads I was looking for (and I don't have the time to search the pages). I know it sounds crazy, but it is in indeed the fact. The new ones have sleeping accomodations for 5, but all of them will allow 5.

 

[DisneyJoe]

While DVC member services may allow 5, I am not sure yet if the Walt Disney Travel Company will allow 5 in some of those rooms.

I suppose with the new reservation system rollout we will see?

 

[Pioneer Hall]

While DVC member services may allow 5, I am not sure yet if the Walt Disney Travel Company will allow 5 in some of those rooms.

I suppose with the new reservation system rollout we will see?

That is very possible.

 

[Yanks07]

I know the thread is why haven't you, but for us, the why have we is the opposite of what the others have said. We travel at all times with extended family of between 7-9 and only use 2 bedrooms. We like villas and like to tidy up ourselves, the 100 bucks off the ap's x 4 helps too.

 

[Pippa]

I took the tour in 2006 and purchased in 2007, back when the Adventurers Club was my biggest reason for going to WDW, I was happily married and I got $2 to £1. Sadly none of these things are now true. I seriously considered selling my membership but decided not to and now I am so glad I didnt. I get to take the new man in my life and while I do not have children, my closest friends do, so I am now cool Auntie Pippa who will take them on holiday to Disney in the next few years. I love having my DVC now and plan to share it with as many people as I can. None of my friends would ever be able to afford to stay in Deluxe properties and I can show them the top of the range WDW experience.

 

[Yanks07]

I took the tour in 2006 and purchased in 2007, back when the Adventurers Club was my biggest reason for going to WDW, I was happily married and I got $2 to £1. Sadly none of these things are now true. I seriously considered selling my membership but decided not to and now I am so glad I didnt. I get to take the new man in my life and while I do not have children, my closest friends do, so I am now cool Auntie Pippa who will take them on holiday to Disney in the next few years. I love having my DVC now and plan to share it with as many people as I can. None of my friends would ever be able to afford to stay in Deluxe properties and I can show them the top of the range WDW experience.

Thats awesome pippa! We do the same, I take all my nephews and some family members always, we love to share the Magic.

 

[mrerk]

We are a family of 5, and have used a one bedroom or two bedroom villa depending on the accomodations (some one bedrooms have the addiional chair bed in the living room) I dont feel that our family size made it a bad deal for us, in fact we think it was a great way for us to go. We did pay cash when we bought and for each add-on we did, so yearly its only the dues we pay, and by our fifth visit we had recouped our initial investment, and have since recouped our add-ons except the latest Bay Lake since we've only been there once. But we stayed prior to our purchase in Deluxe accomodations every time except once and preferred them.

We even ended up with extra points this past year, and we rented them and covered the yearly point cost easily.

As for the comments about daily housekeeping, we certainly dont get it messy enough to have that become an issue. We only cook breakfasts there, dinners are always out. (I dont cook dinner on vacation)

We love the atmosphere of the DVC resorts and end up relaxing at the resorts during the day at times instead of running around the parks.

As for ROFR, Disney is allowing some sales under $50 to go thru with regularity of late, especially at VB and OKW(on large point purchases)

Of course, DVC is not the way to go for everyone but we have found it to have been the best move for us. Also we benefit from purchasing our AP's with a $100 discount for being a DVC member (adds up when you purchase 5) and the other discounts we get being DVC.

It should be interesting to see if DVC is going to let that 2000 point OKW package go through for $80K ($40 per point)

 

[Pioneer Hall]

It should be interesting to see if DVC is going to let that 2000 point OKW package go through for $80K ($40 per point)

If someone is actually willing to buy it, I think they would. That is a ton of points, and I am pretty sure Disney has a pretty good inventory of OWK. The problem is finding someone to purchase that. I don't know why that person wouldn't have gotten 10 or even 20 contracts for those points so they could sell them or give them away easier.

 

[Mammymouse]

We bought 150 points at Boardwalk in 1995 (we were ages 47 and 52) and there was a special going on that we were credited our entire hotel stay bill toward the purchase price. Luckily for us we stayed at the Grand Floridian so we did get almost half off. That made us do the deal. Then we added on another 150 points at Saratoga in 2004 and there was some type of discount like $15.00 (?) off per point, so that made sense also.
As a previous poster said, it does force us to vacation, which we tended to always put off before - we are from New England and the whole thing of feeling guilty if not working and that vacations are luxuries. This had to change a little because life was passing us by, so the DVC made us think differently and that relaxing once in a while is okay. We are not much for traveling and Disneyworld is where we prefer to go anyway so DVC works great for us.
We generally stay at the Boardwalk, although we have stayed at others, with our daughter, husband and their 6 year old daughter together in a one bedroom. We have not had any problems with 5 people staying in the unit. We also rather have the one bedroom than a studio because of the full kitchen and washer. Up until last year we could go anytime of year, so the Fall being the lowest point value time was a great time for us. The weather was still warm and the crowds weren't too bad. We just had to dodge the hurricanes. But then my granddaughter last year started kindergarten and is now in first grade, so we will have to work around school vacations. But we all moved to Florida in 2006, so Disneyworld is only a 1 1/2 hour drive now instead of a 3 hour airplane ride. Now we can plan 3 day weekends without any problem and even at the last minute (the week before) we can get accommodations.
I have never had any other time share, but the flexibility of time with DVC is very attractive to us. I can't imagine being locked into the same one or two weeks of the year to take my vacation.

 

[mrerk]

If someone is actually willing to buy it, I think they would. That is a ton of points, and I am pretty sure Disney has a pretty good inventory of OWK. The problem is finding someone to purchase that. I don't know why that person wouldn't have gotten 10 or even 20 contracts for those points so they could sell them or give them away easier.

It is listed as "sale pending" on one of the resale sites, so I guess we will have to wait and see if they ROFL it. The one advantage Disney has over everyone else is that they can take those 2000 points and break them up for resale. They can't change the use year but they can break it up.

I don't know how much inventory Disney has at OKW. We looked into an add-on, but Disney didn't have anything in our use year.