Change of Mind

[sailored]

Hi everyone! For years, my husband and I have always wanted to own DVC. We recently started to really look into it, and I'm not sure if it's for us anymore. My husband is active duty military, and has at least another 8 years left, potentially more if he decides to go over his 20 years. So, there will be times we can't go, or can't plan ahead. We don't have children, and don't plan on having children. I'm in my late 20s, him his early 30s. We have stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge before and LOVED it! But, we also love Port Orleans and that's where we prefer to stay now. If we purchased, it would be AKL resale. But, I'm just not sure it's worth the cost. We have been to Disney World three times so far, and I'm amazed that we were able to plan those trips without having to change anything due to his schedule. But, I know that won't always be the case. We favor Port Orleans, because we like to get a rental car and can usually get a room close to parking which is a huge perk for us. If we purchased, it would be financed. So, as much as I would like DVC, I truly don't believe it is the best option for our family. I'm just wondering if anyone had some feedback, or someone in a similar situation. I think we would just stick with staying at Port Orleans, and then maybe rent points if we ever want to stay DVC elsewhere. We have never done that, we just booked a normal club level savanna view room when we went in 2015. It breaks my heart to say this after dreaming about it for so long, but DVC might not be for us. Anyone else ever been in the same boat, or have some feedback I might not be thinking of/seeing? Thank you! <3

Also wanted to add, we are about 3 hours away from Disneyland. But those trips are completely last minute.

 

[stewart715]

I'm not sure I would do it. If you really like Port Orleans (beautiful place) consider that once you join DVC, you will never again make a cash reservation at WDW again. That means you will be forced to stay at DVC properties (not a horrible thing, but that does not include Port Orleans). Will you miss Port Orleans? Also, if you're financing it, I do think it can still be beneficial to a degree if paid off in a timely manner, but this is another reason to not do it. And finally, if you don't plan on going regularly and have an unpredictable schedule, DVC can be a determinant and not an asset as it is the least flexible option of vacationing at WDW.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Your thinking is sound. I think you might look at it again when your husband retires from service, and see if it makes sense then.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

I didn’t discover DVC (or really Disney unfortunately) until a few years after I got out of the military. Your thinking is right on target. The bottom line for him is that leave isn’t a right when you’re in the military, unlike in the civilian world. Up until he departs for leave his superiors can cancel it and order him to report. Last minute deployments, TDYs, exercises, etc. can throw off months of planning and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Add to the fact that Disney has a ton of discounts for active duty military, and I think you should just keep your money and reevaluate after he’s out. Good luck!

 

[ELMC]

Hi everyone! For years, my husband and I have always wanted to own DVC. We recently started to really look into it, and I'm not sure if it's for us anymore. My husband is active duty military, and has at least another 8 years left, potentially more if he decides to go over his 20 years. So, there will be times we can't go, or can't plan ahead. We don't have children, and don't plan on having children. I'm in my late 20s, him his early 30s. We have stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge before and LOVED it! But, we also love Port Orleans and that's where we prefer to stay now. If we purchased, it would be AKL resale. But, I'm just not sure it's worth the cost. We have been to Disney World three times so far, and I'm amazed that we were able to plan those trips without having to change anything due to his schedule. But, I know that won't always be the case. We favor Port Orleans, because we like to get a rental car and can usually get a room close to parking which is a huge perk for us. If we purchased, it would be financed. So, as much as I would like DVC, I truly don't believe it is the best option for our family. I'm just wondering if anyone had some feedback, or someone in a similar situation. I think we would just stick with staying at Port Orleans, and then maybe rent points if we ever want to stay DVC elsewhere. We have never done that, we just booked a normal club level savanna view room when we went in 2015. It breaks my heart to say this after dreaming about it for so long, but DVC might not be for us. Anyone else ever been in the same boat, or have some feedback I might not be thinking of/seeing? Thank you! <3

Also wanted to add, we are about 3 hours away from Disneyland. But those trips are completely last minute.

This is a great post because it highlights something that often gets lost on here. Owning DVC is not necessary for one to be able to visit WDW or even stay at DVC resorts. Sounds simple, but we miss it a lot. So here's the good news. You can go to WDW any time your schedule and finances allow, even if you don't own DVC. You can also stay in DVC resorts (either by booking direct or by renting points) anytime you want as your schedule and finances allow.

So don't feel bad that DVC is not a fit for your family. Because WDW still is!

 

[RamblinWreck]

If he’s active duty still, I’d be taking advantage of Shades of Green for as long as I could!

I regret not using that more often when I was still in.

You could take a family of 4 on a 4 night, 5 day Disney Trip... on site... with park hoppers.... for like $1,500.

And the Shades of Green Resort is in a very convenient location too!

 

[smadath]

I didn’t discover DVC (or really Disney unfortunately) until a few years after I got out of the military. Your thinking is right on target. The bottom line for him is that leave isn’t a right when you’re in the military, unlike in the civilian world. Up until he departs for leave his superiors can cancel it and order him to report. Last minute deployments, TDYs, exercises, etc. can throw off months of planning and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Add to the fact that Disney has a ton of discounts for active duty military, and I think you should just keep your money and reevaluate after he’s out. Good luck!

Leave isn't a right in the civilian world, either. Employers can also cancel your vacation right up until the day you leave.

 

[kniquy]

We favor Port Orleans, because we like to get a rental car and can usually get a room close to parking which is a huge perk for us. If we purchased, it would be financed.

I think with having to finance passing on purchasing right now is a smart move. I say this because if you financed, then in 2-3 years you needed to sell there is a possibility that you could owe more than what you could sell your contract for. Just a note on your preference for PO - SSR might be a better fit for you, it is in a similar location as PO - close to DS. The set up of the resort is that you can park outside your building, so easy quick access. And the bonus of SSR is that it is the best bargain for DVC - lowest buy in and lowest MF.

It breaks my heart to say this after dreaming about it for so long, but DVC might not be for us.

DVC will always be there. If in 8 years you still like the idea of owning and your future is a little more certain then i would look into. If you are serious with owning some day then the money you would pay to finance (say a few hundred a month) I would put into a separate savings account. Don't touch it. in 8 years when you have saved close to $20K you can then decide then if you want to purchase or just use it for a really nice vacation. Owning does save you money compared to renting or going direct through disney but it does require the ability to plan at least 8 months out (more if you wan the high demand DVC season).

It sounds like you are making the right choice for you at this point in your life, just book PO or rent and try other DVC resorts -- you might find one you love better and then in a few years decide to buy in then.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

Leave isn't a right in the civilian world, either. Employers can also cancel your vacation right up until the day you leave.

Yeah right was probably too strong of a word. In the civilian world most supervisors are much more hesitant (if not actively discouraged by HR departments) to cancel approved vacation because in most jobs outside of first responder, medical, critical infrastructure, etc. careers it can be hard to show need to do so. Military supervisors don’t have that problem, despite how dubious the actual need may be.

 

[sailored]

Thank you all for your feedback! Maybe when he gets out, we will revisit the topic of DVC. I truly do appreciate all of your feedback, it helped me be more confident in our decision.

 

[johnsgrl]

I think you are spot on, I'm a DOD civilian and when asked by AD colleagues about DVC, I recommend against it until they are at least close to their end of service. With the current military discounts they are paying about the same for an identical room as I pay with points/fees but have no long term commitment. I just had a conversation with one of them who had plans for a week in September that they are likely going to need to cancel due to his wife's training commitment (dual military couple) but they won't know for certain until August, so that would have put them into holding points if they were DVC. Paying cash means they have no issues cancelling without worry.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I think you are spot on, I'm a DOD civilian and when asked by AD colleagues about DVC, I recommend against it until they are at least close to their end of service. With the current military discounts they are paying about the same for an identical room as I pay with points/fees but have no long term commitment. I just had a conversation with one of them who had plans for a week in September that they are likely going to need to cancel due to his wife's training commitment (dual military couple) but they won't know for certain until August, so that would have put them into holding points if they were DVC. Paying cash means they have no issues cancelling without worry.

And unless they really have their heart set on a specific resort, it's pretty much impossible to beat staying at the Shades of Green for essentially $100 per night, and buying the Disney military park tickets. I've stayed at the Shades of Green before. You'll never stay at a nicer hotel in your life for that kind of price. Plus it is one of the most conveniently located resorts to the Magic Kingdom that isn't on the monorail.

Shades of Green: https://www.shadesofgreen.org/

Park tickets: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/military-multi-day-tickets-2019/

 

[bumbershoot]

While I won’t disagree with the OP’s thinking, I will disagree with this:

consider that once you join DVC, you will never again make a cash reservation at WDW again.

Not true for me and many others.

Since owning I’ve stayed at all star music family suite, pop, POR twice (three times?), and AOA.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

You're thinking clearly! For years, we really "wanted" to buy DVC, but it didn't make sense because our schedules were so chaotic, we couldn't plan more than 2-3 months in advance. If you add on to that that you really like a moderate resort, the savings might not be as great as if you were usually choosing deluxe resorts (also see post above about Shades of Green). Only this year have we gotten to a point where we can plan far enough in advance for DVC to consistently work for us, plus we really want more space than one hotel room to enjoy our vacations.