Is DVC worth the cost for us brits?

[mrtoffee]

Many thanks for all the info and advice guys, i think it's time for lots of research by me and a good think about how often we will take the girls. Our next trip is to AKL and when i ran the points calculator yesterday the points looked a very competitive cost alternative.

Once again many thanks for the help

 

[lovesdisney]

My hubby and I go bought enough points to allow us to go every other year as we like to holiday in other places so we bank and borrow as necessary.

Apart from the outlay initially for the cost of buying into DVC, you need to factor in the years you are paying dues but not visiting and with the exchange rate this year, there was a substantial increase in our dues due to the exchange rate over previous years.

Paying dues in the years you do not visit needs to be factored in the true cost of DVC.

 

[LORNA ANN]

Have to say we bought in 2005 and our only regret is we did not do it sooner.

 

[heatherbelle]

OP, if you google mousesavers DVC, there is a very good article there, on how you benefit and after how many years you save money.

I have been trying to pursuade my DH, but when I told him we'd need to pay around 800.00 per year in dues, he said we could stay keep the initial outlay in the bank and the 800.00 would buy us 4 weeks at Country Inn and Suites. I was looking at buying into the Beach Club, a bit different to Country Inn and Suites (we took our DS there on our first hol). Nothing wrong about it at all, but this year we are staying at the Beach Club and after that, I don't think he will want to back to CIS.

 

[katdralion]

We have been members since '98 and have had good value out of our membership over the years... BUT there have been so many great deals around over the last 4 years (42% discount on OKW and SSR and free dining) that it is no longer cost effective. I would not buy in today. When you factor in the initial outlay, cost of flights, dues and dining it is cheaper and more flexible to buy a package holiday.
Plus, if you decide to take some time out from Disney, the exchange options in Europe are very limited and costly.

 

[needtogomore]

We have been members since '98 and have had good value out of our membership over the years... BUT there have been so many great deals around over the last 4 years (42% discount on OKW and SSR and free dining) that it is no longer cost effective. I would not buy in today. When you factor in the initial outlay, cost of flights, dues and dining it is cheaper and more flexible to buy a package holiday.
Plus, if you decide to take some time out from Disney, the exchange options in Europe are very limited and costly.

thats how we feel to, we can get a package for less than our dues, and the flights just keep going higher and higher.

 

[McCrae]

If you are looking for a cheap package I dont think DVC is the best option.

Before DVC we used to stay at the Grand Floridian. We now own at BLT.

We can get a similar standard of room, but much bigger and cheaper by using our DVC points.

So far we have visted GVC 3 times and have loved every trip.

Flights are expensive, but if you are looking to go overseas on holiday its always goingto be an issue.

 

[doombuggy]

Plus, if you decide to take some time out from Disney, the exchange options in Europe are very limited and costly.

I have been spending time on your boards because I am planning a trip to the UK, and I have to agree here. My dad has a timeshare in RCI, and the only one located in London (Kensington) is The Allen House - DVC has it too, listed for weekly or nightly rentals. My dad put in for my October 23 - October 30, 2010 week in June 2009 and nothing has come thru yet. I am at the point where I have made a reservation at a B&B in knightsbridge as my "back-up" plan, but I assume that I will be spending $$$$ that I hadn't originally banked on. I booked my flight last week - $918 with one stop. direct flights on BA and VA were about $100 to 150 more and went to Gatwick, which doesn't fit in with my plans to go to DLP.

I have had DVC since 2006 and have used it without a problem at several resorts. I asctually stayed at my "home" - SSR last Friday night, just to use the remaining points I had banked from last year and must "use or lose" by Sept. 30. I am planning on banking this year's remaining points (which is most of my contract) and try to use them at DLP, as soon as I can book. While the required ticket purchase is a burden to me (I don't need the tickets, but you have to buy them), the cost difference versus the room cost I have booked at Sequoia is quite a bit less. I have also used my points to stay at Grand Californian Hotel at DL, something I would have never done on cash.

Bottom line, you need to think if you really want to come here to visit frequently. while you can swap out with RCI, that might not always work out for the best (unless you are flexible). Good luck!

 

[jonty007]

We did the tour at Saratoga Springs when we were in WDW in October. We liked the idea but the cost/benefit didn't add up for us.

Then last month we looked into resales, and through "The Timeshare Store" have bought (and have just closed) a 250pt contract at OKW.

We found buying a resale actually made more financial sense as we got more for our money. We reckon we will get our money back after 4 two week holidays.

Although a worry at first, dealing over the phone and via email with the US, the people at TTS & at Magic Vacation Title (The closing company) were great. Another top tip is the Post Office overseas money transfer service!

I know this sounds like an advert, but its just a recommendation and another option to consider.

As for the cheap package holidays - remember, inflation will increase the price of these year on year, and perks such as 'free dining' won't last for ever. Once the recession lifts you could see a big rise in prices. Also the room sizes and facilities in a standard Disney hotel are not as good as in the DVC resorts.

 

[UKDEB]

Welcome to the forums, jonty007.

 

[mrtoffee]

Thank you for all the replys guys, were in the process of planning our next Disney trip and the cost seems to have rocketed in the past twelve months which has me considering wether to invest in DVC again

 

[orangetiggs]

We just flew back yesterday and bought bay lake, we got it for our daughters and we know the deals are good but they wont last once the economy picks up

 

[mrtoffee]

We just flew back yesterday and bought bay lake, we got it for our daughters and we know the deals are good but they wont last once the economy picks up

I know what you mean, all these park ticket, free food and gift card offers will definately finish once things pick up economy wise. Plus resales are available at the moment for rock bottom price's. Weve book to go to AKL next year so I thin kwe will take the tour and see if DVC is for us

 

[loadsapixiedust]

If you do take the tour, be sure to have the name, home town and guides name of a DVC owner...if you decided to buy, you'd get a substantial discount for being "referred" by a current owner (and that owner would get a little something too!)

Due to the timeshare legislation in the UK, this perk isn't available to us.

As a UK based buyer you would still be able to get the referral discount (it might be another couple of $ per point so it's worth having) but the referrer won't get anything if they are from the UK except the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from helping out a fellow Diser

 

[mrtoffee]

As a UK based buyer you would still be able to get the referral discount (it might be another couple of $ per point so it's worth having) but the referrer won't get anything if they are from the UK except the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from helping out a fellow Diser

Thanks for the tip loadsapixiedust, any discount is a good discount in my book

 

[brightspark]

Thats cheeky and would most likely mean we wouldn't be able to do DVC. We love disney but also like travelling to lots of other places, so won't be going every year.

The other thing i am having problems getting my head around is the whole home resort idea, does this mean that this is the resort we would always be staying at?

We always bank and borrow points as we seem to being going every 2 years at the moment.

A big thing to take into consideration is when you buy your points... we have a november use year and it seems to make going in the middle of the summer more tricky... this year we wanted to go in september but had to wait for our use year to come around so that we could borrow the points from the next year...

You don't always have to stay at your home resort, but if you want to travel during low points time it is likely that you will have difficulty getting a reservation for a different resort... We thought being slow season would mean it was easier to get a reservation, but of course that's when DVC is most used - most time for the least points! If you want to stay elsewhere you may need to go during busier times and therefore need more points!

 

[Elise79]

A big thing to take into consideration is when you buy your points... we have a november use year and it seems to make going in the middle of the summer more tricky... this year we wanted to go in september but had to wait for our use year to come around so that we could borrow the points from the next year...

You can book at the 11 month window and borrow points then regardless of use year. As long as the points would be valid in your account at the date of travel. in your case you could have booked in October and borrow the following years points at that point.

There are 8 use years February, March, April, June, August, September, October & December. You want to choose a month just before you usually travel.

 

[brightspark]

You can book at the 11 month window and borrow points then regardless of use year. As long as the points would be valid in your account at the date of travel. in your case you could have booked in October and borrow the following years points at that point.

There are 8 use years February, March, April, June, August, September, October & December. You want to choose a month just before you usually travel.

It wasn't anything to do with the 11 month window, it was needing to borrow points from the following year... so that we could use points from all 3 years... we had a few left from the year before, wanted to use all of this years and borrow some from the following year! Choosing the month prior to your normal travel time was the point I tried (unsuccessfully to make) LOL I know what I meant, so glad you were here to put it into English everyone else could understand!