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DISFREAKS
12-07-2008, 12:00 PM
DW and I are considering becoming DVC members when we are finished putting DD through college. We were told by a former member that the only negative they encountered was the ever growing maintenance fees. What do they run now and do they seem to go up a great deal each year?

DVC Mike
12-07-2008, 12:42 PM
They go up an average of 3.5% a year.

TinkerbellT421
12-07-2008, 01:29 PM
i.e. Our SSR maintenance fee points went up $0.20 per point this year. I think I dont know the exact figure if thats not right. But I believe off the top of my head that it went up twenty cents per point.

DizneyRox
12-07-2008, 04:29 PM
If memory serves me correctly, they used to be in the low $3 (2001) range and are now approaching $5 range. It all depends on the resorts however. They are paid per point, so the more you own, the more you pay.

Jeffybob
12-07-2008, 05:38 PM
Annual dues for the 2008 use year = $4.95 per point.

There is a slight increase per year. However, given the fact that Disney properties are nearly perfect, it is a small price to pay given the rate of inflation.

Jeffybob :mickey:
BWV Owner since 1998

1998 - Swan & BWV
1999 - BWV, HH & VB
2000 - BWV
2001 - BWV & DLC - Bahamas
2002 - BWV & Disneyland Paris
2003 - BWV
2005 - HH & BWV (2)
2006 - Disneyland Resort, SS, DLC - Western Caribbean, BWV & Disneyland Resort
2007 - BWV
2008 - BWV (2)

Hammer
12-07-2008, 07:56 PM
Annual dues for the 2008 use year = $4.95 per point.


That is the rate for Boardwalk Villas. Every DVC resort has a different rate. For example, maintenance fees for 2009 @ Saratoga Springs will be $4.3353 ($4.34) per point.

Jeffybob
12-08-2008, 08:03 AM
That is correct, Hammer ... thank you!

From what I read on another thread it looks like the annual dues for the BWV will be increasing approx. .25 per point in '09, although I have not been officially notified.

Thanks for clarifying.

Jeffybob :mickey:

Ian
12-08-2008, 10:19 AM
Well you have to expect the maintenance fees will go up each year what with inflation and all.

Personally, I don't think a 3.5% increase per year is all that bad and you more than make up for it in other ways, IMO.

dlpmikki
12-08-2008, 10:10 PM
I think when we joinede way back in 92 it was $3 something and now 16 years later it is $4 something. Doesn't seem to bad after that length of time.

TinkerbellT421
12-09-2008, 09:51 AM
Well you have to expect the maintenance fees will go up each year what with inflation and all.

Personally, I don't think a 3.5% increase per year is all that bad and you more than make up for it in other ways, IMO.

I agree 100%, plus if you have a piad off DVC, now you are only spending that particular amount (maintenance fees/taxes) every year which is pennies compared to paying for the same service/room at the DVC locations if you were to pay OOP every year...IMHO:mickey:

Ian
12-09-2008, 09:55 AM
I agree 100%, plus if you have a piad off DVC, now you are only spending that particular amount (maintenance fees/taxes) every year which is pennies compared to paying for the same service/room at the DVC locations if you were to pay OOP every year...IMHO:mickey:Absolutely. Say you own 200 points at $4 per point maintenance fees. That's $800 a year.

How else would you be able to spend a week plus in a one bedroom suite for $800?

TinkerbellT421
12-09-2008, 10:04 AM
Absolutely. Say you own 200 points at $4 per point maintenance fees. That's $800 a year.

How else would you be able to spend a week plus in a one bedroom suite for $800?

Not in America, including disney :thedolls: lol!

Im having my very first DVC stay this year in January! I am soooo excited...I keep wondering what its going to be like. :thumbsup:

Ian
12-09-2008, 12:54 PM
What level of accomodations did you book? Studio? 1BR?

Let me tell you, once you've stayed in a 1BR or better you'll never want to stay in a regular room again.

I can't tell you how nice that extra space is, especially if you have a big family. Also, the ability to do laundry in your room is invaluable when it comes to packing. I never have to overpack now, because I can just wash some clothes real quick. It's great!

TinkerbellT421
12-09-2008, 01:41 PM
What level of accomodations did you book? Studio? 1BR?

Let me tell you, once you've stayed in a 1BR or better you'll never want to stay in a regular room again.

I can't tell you how nice that extra space is, especially if you have a big family. Also, the ability to do laundry in your room is invaluable when it comes to packing. I never have to overpack now, because I can just wash some clothes real quick. It's great!

We are staying in a 1BR at Boardwalk. We tried to get Boardwalk view but that was all sold out and we have been on a wait-list but that hasn't come through yet. We bought points basing our future stays in a studio (being just DBF and I), but we had a couple that was supposed to vacation with us this year, but they broke up yada yada lol....so we had incentive points to use up too so we said hey lets do a 1BR, we are packing light do to the washer/dryer, especially with me being female I can tend to "over-pack" lol, now I wont have to and have a reason! lol :thumbsup: Im sooooo excited!!!!

MarkC
12-09-2008, 02:55 PM
Disfreaks, there are ways to "get around it". We use a Disney Visa and put absolutely everything on it (even monthly bills, etc.) Our reward dollars covers our maintenance fees as we only have 100 points. That way, we have no expenses other than our initial purchase expense. Our resort is Beach Club, which has a normal rate of $325 a night. Since this is where we like to stay, without DVC it would cost us $1800-$2000 per trip. We will no longer pay for any stay for the next 34 years. So to us, it is clearly worth it. That's a decision you will have to make for yourself, but count us among the people who wished we would have bought sooner. Best of luck to you. Mark

Fortgoofy97
12-09-2008, 03:54 PM
When you get into DVC you have to know and realize dues will increase. Plus there is the small tax benefit from the dues to help deray the cost a bit. Not much but hey i helps. We just consider the dues a mon.thly bill that we get a great return from. Not thinking that the dues will increase means you are really in a fantasy world

MidnTPK
12-09-2008, 05:22 PM
I've been thinking about the DVC too and have a few questions on this line of thinking:

Are there any contractual limits on how much maintenance can increase from year to year and over the lifetime of the vacation club lease?

Does the DVC contract allow for the DVC to make special assessments?

DVC Mike
12-10-2008, 11:07 AM
Are there any contractual limits on how much maintenance can increase from year to year and over the lifetime of the vacation club lease?


Yes, the max is 15% in one year. No limit over the life.

OKW (the oldest DVC resort) has averaged a 4% increase since inception. BWV has averaged just 2.7% since inception. I think Disney does a good job of managing costs.



Does the DVC contract allow for the DVC to make special assessments?


Yes, most condominium associations do this.

MidnTPK
12-10-2008, 01:01 PM
Yes, most condominium associations do this.
Yes, but in a condo you are an owner, not a long term lease-er.

Or am I misunderstanding the DVC? My understanding is that the DVC is a club, not a condo, and the club dissolves in 2042 (and later for certain resorts). At the date of dissolution, you get nothing because you've been leasing the land and facilities from Disney, not owning them.

My understanding is also that there is no member elected board of directors for the DVC, but is managed by a subsidiary of Disney. Is that understanding correct?

I don't mean to be hyper-technical, but this is an important detail because in a 'club', the club owner can just make an assessment because s/he feels like it (Google Club Land'or in the Bahamas). In a condo, the board can vote for a special assessment, but the money has to be put into the condo association (which the time share owners own), not the company that owns the club.

DVC Mike
12-10-2008, 04:25 PM
Yes, but in a condo you are an owner, not a long term lease-er.


As a DVC member, you are an owner. You have a deed for your ownership interest that is recorded with the County. DVC, however, is a "leasehold condominium". This means your ownership rights have an end-date.



Or am I misunderstanding the DVC? My understanding is that the DVC is a club, not a condo, and the club dissolves in 2042 (and later for certain resorts). At the date of dissolution, you get nothing because you've been leasing the land and facilities from Disney, not owning them.


DVC is a timeshare, plain and simple. It's different from the original timeshares of years ago in that it is points-based instead of using fixed-weeks and it's a Leasehold instead of Fee Simple, which means it is not in perpetuity and has a specified expiration date.

I prefer this because many timeshare owners want to offload their properties after 50 years because the property has gotten very old and expensive to maintain.



My understanding is also that there is no member elected board of directors for the DVC, but is managed by a subsidiary of Disney. Is that understanding correct?


Well, technically there is a board of directors. For most older resorts, three members of the board are elected by DVC members and two are elected by DVD (the developer). However, since the master cotenancy agreement makes DVD the elected voting representative for the members, DVD effectively controls the board.

MidnTPK
12-10-2008, 05:26 PM
Thanks, you've been very helpful.

As a DVC member, you are an owner. You have a deed for your ownership interest that is recorded with the County. DVC, however, is a "leasehold condominium". This means your ownership rights have an end-date.

Does that mean that any cash accumulated in you resort's accounts will be distributed to owners upon dissolution? And dues and assessments must be spent at that specific resort?

My concern: imagine if Comcast had actually been able to buy Disney...or if another hostile takeover takes control of Disney in the future. Without some say over the operation of the DVC, the corporate owners could max out dues and assessments every year, without having to put it back into the resorts...they could just build up the cash accounts of the DVC resorts until dissolution, then take it all into corporate profits...or put it into other resorts (which is what Club Land'or is doing)


I prefer this because many timeshare owners want to offload their properties after 50 years because the property has gotten very old and expensive to maintain.
FYI, Harborside at Atlantis is actually two legal structures. A vacation club that dissolves (for the reasons you mentioned) and a condominium . The condo owns the land, and the club owns the buildings and everything else. When the club dissolution comes, the condo is to be paid fair market value for the land by the developer. Meaning that I'll get some portion of my original purchase back, depending on the value of the land at that time....which might be more than I paid for the unit originally. But zero for the buildings.