Just a pipe dream

[Aliceacc]

We're heading to WDW in August 2012, for the 3rd time in 6 years.

Just out of curiosity-- any reasons I should consider investing (money we really probably don't have) into DVC?

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

If it's money you don't have, then no. DVC is a luxury purchase and should be treated as such.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

We're heading to WDW in August 2012, for the 3rd time in 6 years.

Just out of curiosity-- any reasons I should consider investing (money we really probably don't have) into DVC?

If you are visiting Disney for the 3rd time in 6 years I would recommend that you at least look into DVC. That way you would know if it is for you or not for you.

It is so easy to look into DVC these days. You could call Disney and get your questions answered over the phone or if you wanted to buy resale you could call The Timeshare Store, Inc.® and we would be happy to answer any questions for you.

That way when you visit Disney and you see "Disney Vacation Club" everywhere you can say to yourself either --We looked into it and it wasn't for us or glad we looked into DVC in 2011 as great program for us.

Jason

 

[Deb & Bill]

If Disney is all you do, you might want to consider a small contract. But if you do lots of other vacations, skip it. Especially if you don't really have the money. DVC is expensive.

If a moderate or value resort is fine, if you book a Disney trip using a PIN Code or go for free dining, kids stay free, skip DVC. You don't get anything free with DVC.

 

[DizGirl20]

We were going to Disney every year, staying in Deluxe accommodations, spending several thousand dollars on lodging. For us, it was worth it to invest in DVC. We plan to vacation at Disney every year for the long term. We have always paid cash for our contracts (we have 3). Definitely look into resale - you will save a lot of money if that is a concern. Good Luck!

 

[DisDad07]

Is Disney something you really like to do? You have gone 3 times in 6 years, it seems like you intend to keep going back every couple of years. My youngest is now 23 and still wants to go with the wife and me when we go. That make 5 of us over the age of 23and we need the deluxe rooms to keep us from being cramped in the reg. sized rooms. it gets costly renting 2 rooms. If you find you want to buy, look at resale. take your time and get what you want. There are lots to choose from.

 

[Kidanifan08]

You have set an every other year pattern, so look at the points chart, decide what time of year you like to travel, decide how many days and what room type that you would want based on the size of your party. If you plan is every two years, you would need half the points.

Resale is your best deal, but if you really don't have the money, or a reasonable way to finance a resale purchase, you could buy direct from DVC and finance The DVC interest rate is crazy high, so in addition to paying too much for the points, you would blow a ton of $$ on interest.

Its hard to resist, and DVC is a nice way to travel to Disney, but there are alot of people who have gotten in over their heads. Spend some time researching these boards and at least take a tour of DVC when you are there to see if it is for you. Then, dig down deep in your heart to see if you want to take on the almost 50 year commitment of yearly maintenance fees, cost of travel, tickets, food, etc.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[disneynutz]

Do you intend to keep the same vacation pattern for the next 10 years plus? Can you afford the purchase plus the dues, travel, food, and extra expenses every year?

Bill

 

[Aliceacc]

Just for clarifation:

When I said we "really don't have the money" I guess I should have been more specific. (It's so easy to forget that people here don't know me and of course will take my words at face value.) We both have solid full time jobs. We could find the money if we wanted to-- we could easily qualify for a loan and pay it off without any issues. But we could also put that same money to other things.

Thanks for the input-- feel free to keep it coming. Thanks for all the information.

 

[DVCconvert]

Just for clarifation:

When I said we "really don't have the money" I guess I should have been more specific. (It's so easy to forget that people here don't know me and of course will take my words at face value.) We both have solid full time jobs. We could find the money if we wanted to-- we could easily qualify for a loan and pay it off without any issues. But we could also put that same money to other things.

Thanks for the input-- feel free to keep it coming. Thanks for all the information.

That's all helpful in offering advise, other things to consider:

Do you have an emergency fund set up?
Are you saving for retirement and would you be able to continue to with additional debt load?
Do you have life insurances in place? Disability insurance in case the unthinkable happened you wouldn't want the remaining spouse to be burdened by this.

 

[Crystal_27]

If it's money you don't have, then no. DVC is a luxury purchase and should be treated as such.

I completely agree with this statement. DVC (both the buy-in and the annual dues) is expensive in itself, but when you add in transportation to the parks, tickets, dining, and other incidentals, it really adds up. With that said, you can buy in at a relatively small cost, so it is definitely worth running the numbers to see whether it makes sense or not. Good luck!

 

[Chic]

Just for clarifation:

When I said we "really don't have the money" I guess I should have been more specific. (It's so easy to forget that people here don't know me and of course will take my words at face value.) We both have solid full time jobs. We could find the money if we wanted to-- we could easily qualify for a loan and pay it off without any issues. But we could also put that same money to other things.

Thanks for the input-- feel free to keep it coming. Thanks for all the information.

It sounds to me like DVC is a definite "option" to consider for your family. We bought into DVC back in July 2007 when our 1st child was just a few months old. We now have two children who absolutley love visiting the Disney Parks and seeing Mickey Mouse in person. Everytime we visit, my daughter wants to know, "Why can't we just live in Disney World"? We now visit Disney about 6 times a year and enjoy every vacation. DVC has been a smart choice for us which allows us to create family memories time and time again. We have no regrets and recommend DVC for any family who can afford the purchase. If you're going to use your DVC contract only to visit the DVC resorts, I highly recommend a resale purchase. It will cost you half as much as opposed to a direct purchase through Disney.

 

[a742246]

If you both have solid FT jobs I would say buy a small contract (100 points or so). If you are like I was when we had small children, money just disappeared with nothing to show for it. If you can sacrifice other expenses for a DVC purchase then do it, at least you will have something concrete.

 

[chalee94]

plan to spend 3-4 months researching on the DIS. the great thing about DVC is that you can easily run the numbers that are easily found on the internet.

you can get direct pricing info at dvcnews.com. you can get resale prices at the link in the above right-hand corner of the screen. you can get annual dues (current and historical) in the DVC Resource Center stickied above. you can look at pictures of the DVC resorts and scan threads to find out what people like and don't like about the different resorts.

DVC works best for people that can plan 8-11 months in advance - is that you? DVC has begun to be more adversarial when owners decide to sell - if you need to sell, will it bother you if DVC has taken away more resale perks that cause the prices to drop further?

DVC is a good financial value for staying at DVC resorts (and then, mostly relative to staying deluxe onsite). is that how you plan to use it, or do you want to trade out a lot - find some threads on trading out through RCI and keep researching.

it's a big commitment - a long term real estate lease costing many thousands of dollars. take your time and don't make a decision purely based on the glossy pictures and optimistic words of a disney salesperson/guide...

 

[dzorn]

Another thing to consider is what type of accomidations do you usually stay at on your current trips. If you enjoy the values DVC may not be the best value, but if you often stay deluxe then it might.

Also a big consideration is how early can you plan your trips? DVC works best for trips planned 7-11 months in advance.

Denise in MI

 

[jodifla]

Another thing to consider is what type of accomidations do you usually stay at on your current trips. If you enjoy the values DVC may not be the best value, but if you often stay deluxe then it might.

Also a big consideration is how early can you plan your trips? DVC works best for trips planned 7-11 months in advance.

Denise in MI

But the other thing is, if you stay in values now because of the cost, but would RATHER stay in nicer surroundings, then DVC may be for you.

 

[P-elmo]

We're heading to WDW in August 2012, for the 3rd time in 6 years.

Just out of curiosity-- any reasons I should consider investing (money we really probably don't have) into DVC?

We bought an SSR resale for only 120 points. We take trips elsewhere (including Europe next year ), so we were hoping for a contract that would allow our family trips to WDW every 1.5-2 years.

If you think you will keep going to WDW, DVC may be worth considering. You seemed to imply money was tight. I think anyone who buys a timeshare should listen to the general rules most financial advisors would say:

1. Only buy a timeshare if you can pay cash for it.
2. Make sure you have taken care of your "emergency" savings fund. Most financial advisors think people should have money to pay for 6 months of expenses in cash (not stocks or retirement funds - cash in a savings account).

Good luck with your decision.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

From your signature, it looks like you typically stay at deluxe resorts...look back on what you spent for accommodations on those vacations and compare it to how many points you could have purchased. Use that info to determine if you would have been better off with being a DVC member and proceed accordingly.

 

[5forDiz]

Rent DVC points for your next trip, then you will have a better picture as you think over a possible future purchase. Your post indicates stays at Polynesian and planning for Beach Club next, so if your plan is to stay at a deluxe resort every other year it may suggest that purchasing DVC can possibly be worthwhile for your family. But even given that, run the numbers carefully because if you take advantage of room discounts, free dining promos etc. those may be better values overall than purchasing a membership.

And keep in mind the following : no free dining when you stay on DVC points, no daily maid service - for stays of less than 8 nights fresh towels & trash emptied on Day4, on stays of 8 nights or longer full cleaning is provided on Day 4 then towels & trash on Day8, if you want additional full cleaning or towels you pay extra for that, reservations at your Home Resort can be booked as early as 11 months in advance during your owner's priority booking window & for popular travel times it is important to book then because at 7 months out members can then book at any other DVC resort they don't own at. Also, AKV is only onsite DVC resort that offers concierge level & there are only 10 villas max that could be available for that so if concierge is what you like purchasing points with AKV as your Home Resort is good idea to have priority booking there.

Best wishes on your planning

 

[Disneypubgal]

Rent DVC points for your next trip, then you will have a better picture as you think over a possible future purchase. Your post indicates stays at Polynesian and planning for Beach Club next, so if your plan is to stay at a deluxe resort every other year it may suggest that purchasing DVC can possibly be worthwhile for your family. But even given that, run the numbers carefully because if you take advantage of room discounts, free dining promos etc. those may be better values overall than purchasing a membership.

And keep in mind the following : no free dining when you stay on DVC points, no daily maid service - for stays of less than 8 nights fresh towels & trash emptied on Day4, on stays of 8 nights or longer full cleaning is provided on Day 4 then towels & trash on Day8, if you want additional full cleaning or towels you pay extra for that, reservations at your Home Resort can be booked as early as 11 months in advance during your owner's priority booking window & for popular travel times it is important to book then because at 7 months out members can then book at any other DVC resort they don't own at. Also, AKV is only onsite DVC resort that offers concierge level & there are only 10 villas max that could be available for that so if concierge is what you like purchasing points with AKV as your Home Resort is good idea to have priority booking there.

Best wishes on your planning

I couldn't agree with the above more!! Renting points before buying will really give you a sense of what a dvc stay is all about and you will save lots on your accomodations!