2021 Disney Vacation Club Annual Dues

[FinnFogg]

Wow! I own at Aulani and OKW. I can’t believe that OKW has exceeded Aulani non-subsidized. I’m a west-coaster who mostly uses my OKW points at the 7 month mark for Aulani and VGC. May be time to dump those and buy more Aulani!

 

[ChipNdale8887]

If dues keep going up by these amounts (compound growth) as we have seen for 5 years, they will be getting unaffordable for many soon.
Exponential growth- we have all heard the term with Covid, well apply it to your dues too!

A lot of factors to take in to account. If you are someone who bought a lot of points at a resort with very low dues, a sharp increase could be very costly. But if your someone who owns 150-200 points at a moderately priced annual due resort then it wont be as big of a hit.

Those who own a lot of points at say SSR and stay at 1 or 2 bedrooms might in the hot seat which I know is used a lot as Sleep Around Points.

 

[Philsfan77]

I was really wanting to add some HHI points soon. Not sure now!

We were thinking about it as well, to try and get Grand Villa access at the 11 month mark for Thanksgiving, since they don't usually make it to 7-months. Those dues are getting insane though...going to be a hard pass at this point. The initial savings will be gone in 5 years at the rate dues are increasing on resale vs one of the other sleep around resorts.

 

[skippytx]

When you consider what Disney has done to the cost of food, merch, hotel rooms, and tickets in the last couple of years, I can't even think about complaining about the dues increase.

 

[NoTime42]

When you consider what Disney has done to the cost of food, merch, hotel rooms, and tickets in the last couple of years, I can't even think about complaining about the dues increase.

Those are priced to increase and maximize Disney’s profits.
Dues only cover costs, and should not be contributing to Disney’s profit.

Yes, my DVC purchase looks attractive in comparison to room rates, but we should never allow Disney to make a profit from our dues.

 

[Sandisw]

Those are priced to increase and maximize Disney’s profits.
Dues only cover costs, and should not be contributing to Disney’s profit.

Yes, my DVC purchase looks attractive in comparison to room rates, but we should never allow Disney to make a profit from our dues.

They don’t, but I took that post to mean that in comparison to what it costs DVC owners to go to Disney every year, the increase in dues is the least expensive part!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

We were thinking about it as well, to try and get Grand Villa access at the 11 month mark for Thanksgiving, since they don't usually make it to 7-months. Those dues are getting insane though...going to be a hard pass at this point. The initial savings will be gone in 5 years at the rate dues are increasing on resale vs one of the other sleep around resorts.

We have enough right now to do a GV every 3 years. DH and I were wanting some extra points to do either a studio or a 1-BR the other two years. We are both retired and are very flexible in our dates. I know people say buy where you want to stay, but I'm starting to wonder if we would be better off buying a WDW resort to use at HHI, especially since we are wanting to stay in the spring during low season.

 

[lovin'fl]

Our dues will be $2523 for 325 points which gets us about two 6 night stays in a 1BR. Seems like the dues now cover what we could rent via VRBO elsewhere. So the buy in cost is overkill. Think they've nearly outpriced themselves. We had 650 points and boy am I glad we downsized. May want to clean house a bit more though.

Oh, and in case I haven't mentioned this in this thread (I have to go back to check)...we sold 125 HHI points this year. We had a trip booked for June (moved from May and hoped it would re-open by then). Well, it didn't re-open until the day after our planned check out so we were cancelled. We booked a week in the same Shelter Cove area as the Disney resort. Paid $1400 for a week in a 2BR...the same week in 2BR at Disney DVC resort would cost $3100 in dues (2020 dues times number of points the stay cost). More than double and we got the very same thing...gated resort with pool and hot tub in the broad creek with free shuttle over to beach. Only difference was the Disney beach house has a pool whereas the Palmetto Dunes/Shelter Cove beach house has just a bar and grille and bathrooms (no pool over there). Sold the points after that.

 

[fitnessmouse]

Wow. In 10 years my dues have doubled. Partly due to the exchange rate. From approx 800€ to 1600€ I own 230 OKW and back then it used to be one of the resorts with low dues

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Our dues will be $2523 for 325 points which gets us about two 6 night stays in a 1BR. Seems like the dues now cover what we could rent via VRBO elsewhere. So the buy in cost is overkill. Think they've nearly outpriced themselves. We had 650 points and boy am I glad we downsized. May want to clean house a bit more though.

Oh, and in case I haven't mentioned this in this thread (I have to go back to check)...we sold 125 HHI points this year. We had a trip booked for June (moved from May and hoped it would re-open by then). Well, it didn't re-open until the day after our planned check out so we were cancelled. We booked a week in the same Shelter Cove area as the Disney resort. Paid $1400 for a week in a 2BR...the same week in 2BR at Disney DVC resort would cost $3100 in dues (2020 dues times number of points the stay cost). More than double and we got the very same thing...gated resort with pool and hot tub in the broad creek with free shuttle over to beach. Only difference was the Disney beach house has a pool whereas the Palmetto Dunes/Shelter Cove beach house has just a bar and grille and bathrooms (no pool over there). Sold the points after that.

I'd be interested to know where you stayed. We want to stay in that area, and since we aren't sure now if we can add on anymore HHI points, we may need to look elsewhere.

 

[drusba]

Yes, my DVC purchase looks attractive in comparison to room rates, but we should never allow Disney to make a profit from our dues.

There is actually Disney profit items built into your dues. Breakage income is one. Disney gets to rent rooms still open at 60 days or fewer out. The net income from that goes first to set off up tp 2.5% of the annual budget (not including property taxes the calculation). Anything over that goes first to BVTC to cover all its costs plus a profit of 5% of those costs, and anything above that goes to DVCM as money it gets to keep. Until this year, the amount of breakage income for the resorts has annually exceeded both the set-off amount and the amount that goes to BVTC.

Besides having all of its costs potentially covered by breakage income and then a 5% profit, BVTC also gets the fees charged for trade outs to non-DVC resorts and gets a $1 per member annual dues amount called the DVC Reservation Component, which applies to the reservation system and becomes just profit if the breakage income is enough to cover all of BVTC's costs.

Then there is the 12% (of the budget excluding in the calculation the management fee, property taxes and some other minor items) annual management fee paid to DVCM for its overall management of the resorts . That is an amount over and above the actual costs of operating the particular resorts, all of which are covered in other items in the budget.

Not all of the above is profit because there is a major cost not actually covered by specific items in the annual budget -- home office member services and the reservation systems. The cost of those come out of the combination of the management fee, the DVC Reservation Component, and breakage income. It is perhaps no accident that the online reservation system, though it is changed or improved somewhat from time to time, always seems to have significant problems and inadequacies, and that getting a phone answered can often take a very long time. The less DVC spends annually on the online reservation system and phone systems, the more it gets to keep as profit from the management fee and breakage income. Moreover, if DVC chose to spend millions on the reservation system annually or nothing, your actual annual dues would not vary -- you would still pay the same $1 fee for the DVC Reservation Component, the 12% management fee, and get a credit only for the amount of breakage income that equals 2.5% of the budget.

There are also potential profit items that for the most part are an unknown. DVC's annual budget is required to limit itself to a reasonable estimate of the actual total costs for the year and is not supposed to have a profit built in -- except for the possible profit resulting from the items noted above which are still theoretically just set costs. But DVC gets many of its services, e.g., transportation, under contracts with other WDW Disney entities, such as the Parks and Resorts entity. The amounts charged for such services by the other Disney entities could have profit built in and that would not necessarily violate the rule that DVC has to limit itself to creating a budget that covers its costs absent a profit.

 

[lovin'fl]

I'd be interested to know where you stayed. We want to stay in that area, and since we aren't sure now if we can add on anymore HHI points, we may need to look elsewhere.

Harbourside III which is a type of timeshare called quarter share, meaning each condo is owned by 4 owners who each get 12 weeks a year on rotating basis. They can then rent out their weeks and many do. I rented twice. They have a website if you search for Harbourside III Shelter Cove. There is a link (says BOOK NOW) on the site to rent but it is full weeks. If you call or message the property management you can rent less than a week. And once you stay they tend to send e-mails with deals upon occasion (like rent 5 nights get 2 free).

just looked and site is Harboursideiii.com

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Harbourside III which is a type of timeshare called quarter share, meaning each condo is owned by 4 owners who each get 12 weeks a year on rotating basis. They can then rent out their weeks and many do. I rented twice. They have a website if you search for Harbourside III Shelter Cove. There is a link (says BOOK NOW) on the site to rent but it is full weeks. If you call or message the property management you can rent less than a week. And once you stay they tend to send e-mails with deals upon occasion (like rent 5 nights get 2 free).

Thanks for the information. I know I've read some negative things about Harbourside I. I'm assuming Harbourside III is newer. Also I'm wondering if when Covid isn't happening if you can walk over to the Disney resort. I can't imagine not getting to walk around that awesome little island when I'm there!

 

[lovin'fl]

Thanks for the information. I know I've read some negative things about Harbourside I. I'm assuming Harbourside III is newer. Also I'm wondering if when Covid isn't happening if you can walk over to the Disney resort. I can't imagine not getting to walk around that awesome little island when I'm there!

They keep them up at Harbourside III. Master baths were just renovated (between our 2 stays there...last stay was June this year). They have a few 1BR units and many 2BR and a few 3BR. We stayed in 2 different 2BR units and they were perfectly nice to us. No issues. We just got back from staying in the Shipyard area for the first time. We rented a 1BR condo at a place called the Greens on VRBO. It was a nightmare with roaches (not Palmetto but the little German roaches all through the kitchen) and stained carpet and nasty marked up (and cracking) walls and black mold on the AC vents. My allergies went haywire. We had to ditch out early. So I am pretty picky. DH had booked it without my input (he went cheapest that allowed a dog, Harbourside III doesn't allow pets at all, not even owners, and we needed to bring our guy this trip). I can post pics from our June trip at Harbourside III. Will pop on my Imgur and post in a minute.

 

[lovin'fl]

Master bath:



Dining area:



Me on balcony:



Pool (has 2 gas grills there):



Hot tub:



Top floor units have fireplace (this was from our 1st stay):



view (some units have straight on marina view but we like this side:

 

[CP3uhoh]

It is sort of funny how the difference on the dues from BWV to RIV is now about .50. so $50 a year for 100 points or less than one Starbucks drink per month. Not sure that's going to deter anyone from buying there anymore at this point.

 

[sethschroeder]

It is sort of funny how the difference on the dues from BWV to RIV is now about .50. so $50 a year for 100 points or less than one Starbucks drink per month. Not sure that's going to deter anyone from buying there anymore at this point.

For us when we ran the numbers even last year it didn't mean much. I expected a 3% increase at BWV vs 1% at RIV for the first 3 increases though as an estimate.

We own BWV (sold 2 of our contracts) and bought 300 RIV for the $155 price.

There isnt that much of a difference and I saved enough plus got all direct points that I have prebuilt savings.

I had looked at going BLT or CCV but math didn't really come out saving anything for 20+ years and my points would be spread across resorts and direct/resale.

 

[tjkraz]

Our dues will be $2523 for 325 points which gets us about two 6 night stays in a 1BR. Seems like the dues now cover what we could rent via VRBO elsewhere.

I assume you're referring to non-Disney accommodations, which have always been cheaper. DVC owners do not consistently rent accommodations for little more than the cost of their annual dues.

We booked a week in the same Shelter Cove area as the Disney resort. Paid $1400 for a week in a 2BR...the same week in 2BR at Disney DVC resort would cost $3100 in dues (2020 dues times number of points the stay cost). More than double and we got the very same thing...gated resort with pool and hot tub in the broad creek with free shuttle over to beach. Only difference was the Disney beach house has a pool whereas the Palmetto Dunes/Shelter Cove beach house has just a bar and grille and bathrooms (no pool over there). Sold the points after that.

Hilton Head frequently has more economical options. Still, there's good reason to question how post-pandemic pricing will hold up in the long run.

DVC dues are billing us what it costs to operate the property. Hotels must cover their operating costs, along with turning a profit. Flexible pricing models allow hotels to slash rates when occupancy is low. But empty rooms are an aberration at prime vacation destinations during summer months and holidays.

 

[5th gate dreamers]

i dont think anyone ever accused disney of being cheaper than the competition. you are missing the point of dvc if you are complaining that "i can stay at place x for cheaper than disney"...dvc is about getting disney deluxe accomodations for disney moderate prices. there are myriad ways to save money over owning dvc.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

They keep them up at Harbourside III. Master baths were just renovated (between our 2 stays there...last stay was June this year). They have a few 1BR units and many 2BR and a few 3BR. We stayed in 2 different 2BR units and they were perfectly nice to us. No issues. We just got back from staying in the Shipyard area for the first time. We rented a 1BR condo at a place called the Greens on VRBO. It was a nightmare with roaches (not Palmetto but the little German roaches all through the kitchen) and stained carpet and nasty marked up (and cracking) walls and black mold on the AC vents. My allergies went haywire. We had to ditch out early. So I am pretty picky. I can post pics from our June trip at Harbourside III. Will pop on my Imgur and post in a minute.

Thank you. This is good to know. Did you book directly through Harbourside? I notice they are also on vrbo. Just wanting to see what the best deal is.

Master bath:



Dining area:



Me on balcony:



Pool (has 2 gas grills there):



Hot tub:



Top floor units have fireplace (this was from our 1st stay):



view (some units have straight on marina view but we like this side:

Thanks for the pictures. I know we are getting a little off topic, but it's good to know there are other options besides adding on at HHI due to the outrageous dues! I am all about the view. That last picture shows a really nice view. It looks like you are on a higher floor. I'm sure that helps with privacy. Another question: Did the noise from the music that plays each night bother you while you were in the room?