DVC Reality

We bought into AKL is 2008 - 100 points for $100 a point. At that time, I had one daughter who was 2 and I had it all planned out - where we would stay and how long. This was right before they changed the points charts and right before the economy tanked and we could have saved quite a bit resale, but no one can predict the future......I was torn between AKL (selling at the time) and BCV (my favorite resort with a shorter contract). My DH wanted AKV so that's what we bought. I will say we LOVE it there. We've been able to snag a value room more times than not, and (every year from 2014-2019 and that's all I have in my current email...) and those are a huge points savings. However, that has gotten MUCH harder in the last couple of years and requires either walking your reservation or stalking the RAT, and booking days one by one as they get dropped. We stay in a mix of studios and 1 bedrooms.

We've only been able to book BCV twice and only have been able to stay there once, and that does hurt a little. I've also not been able to book the Poly either since it opened. Once when we were traveling during spring break there was availability there, but I couldn't bring myself to pay the much inflated points compared to my sweet AKV value room. Over the years we've stayed at AKV, BCV, BWV, BRV, GFV, and OKW and our travel times/seasons/dates have varied wildly from my original plans. I'm glad we bought when we did, I LOVE my DVC and would never sell (and can't even bring myself to rent, I use every single point) but I don't know if I would buy in nowadays at the price point they are charging and since they built the Poly bungalows and CCV cabins since those have changed the availability so much.
 
OK, you asked for reality. Trying to provide some?

1) DO NOT FINANCE. Have a good $30K in cash to buy in. RIGHT out of savings.
2) You will likely require about 6-10 years, depending on how often you visit, to hit "Break Even" - that point where you have won, over real DISCOUNTED room rates. "Rack Rate" is a myth.

If this did not make you think a bit? There is more...

3) BUY WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY. NO DVC is actually "sold out" Every location recovers points DAILY from ROFR & foreclosure. DW & I bought 300 points at BRV - DIRECT, in 2012, LONG after "sold out". We just had to wait a while :). About 3 months. Yes, we have BLUE CARDS.


4) SEE 3.... You WANT that 11 Month Home Resort window. Sorry - "you can book any DVC at 7 months" is pretty much crap. You will try - and everything will be gone. Try the Grand Californian at DL.... let us know how that works out for you :).

Us? DVC Owners, BRV, 2012 to present. We have already hit breakeven. We go 18 days per year. We LOVE our DVC. But really: This is generally a $30,000 (or plus) upfront CASH investment, out of your savings, in order to make it work. FINANCING will kill you, at greater than 10% per year interest. This deal is a MAJOR cash expense, and should be weighed against everything else :(.

Please be sure that everything ELSE (home, children's education, CC bills, retirement) is in place first?

And right out - VERY sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear. We have no Financial Interest in anything Disney - no stock, no bonds.... nothing.

Great summation!
 

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