how is this a value?

[runreb02]

200 points at most resorts are $80-$100 per pt. lets use the avg. of $90. That is $18,000 up front investment. annual maint. is approx $5 per point and has gone up every year since this started. that is another $1000 yearly bill, that will increase every year. family of 4 annual passes with the dvc discount is $1400. $2400 a year for maint and tickets. i have not even yet paid to get there or food aor anything. take just the initial investment and the yearly expense of maint and tickets over 45 years without increases. $18k + $106,000. $124,000 and i have not traveled nor eaten or done anything. this is even if i pay in full. forget if it is financed. if i wanted i could buy 4 annual passes for my family and stay for $59 a night. for 15 nights per year for the same price that dvc has to pay just for maint and tickets. and if i time it right i can get food for free. dvc cant get that ever. so how does this make any sense? someone please let me know. thanks

[wendy*darling]

First, Welcome to INTERCOT.

DVC is not for everyone.
I recommend you browse through the top "Sticky" threads about the Pros and Cons of owning DVC.

If it makes more sense for your family to stay in a Value resort- then that's the way for you to go.
My family (with 2 grown children) is more comfortable in a 2 bedroom villa once a year, and DH & I stay in a studio one other trip per year. We do not buy APs.
We are very happy DVCers.

But if it doesn't make sense to you- don't buy it.

[Maleficent's Dad]

First off:

Welcome to Intercot!
Hoping you're gonna like it here!

I'd be lying if I said that you don't have some valid points in your post. However, you miss a few important things.

For me, the thing that stands out the most is the fact that DVC accomodations are far superior to regular hotel rooms - including deluxe resorts. Most of the DVC resorts (not all) are deluxe resorts, so the amenities are far better than value or moderate resorts.

200 points at most resorts are $80-$100 per pt. lets use the avg. of $90.

Initial investment only calls for 160 points. Resales can be of any amount.

annual maint. is approx $5 per point and has gone up every year since this started.

I haven't paid $5 yet. In fact, one year, my annual dues actually went down.

family of 4 annual passes with the dvc discount is $1400.

AP's are a luxury, not a requirement. We can buy the same passes as anyone else. If we choose to purchase AP's, it's with the best discount available to the public.

if i wanted i could buy 4 annual passes for my family and stay for $59 a night.

You would certainly not be staying in DVC accomodations for $59 per night. You cannot compare DVC accomodations with value resorts; at least my family won't make that comparison. And not to be argumentative, but AP rates are harder and harder to come by each year.

if i time it right i can get food for free. dvc cant get that ever.

Yes you can get food for "free." But you'll be paying rack rates (no $59 rooms, even at the values for the "free" food). But I'll be in a much larger villa with a full kitchen. I'll also have numerous dining discounts not available to the general public.

so how does this make any sense? someone please let me know. thanks

To some, it makes perfect sense. To others, not so much.
We travel to Disney often. Our villa accomodations are pre-paid. In fact, we have better than deluxe accomodations at moderate prices.
We choose to get AP's since we're down there often. It's a savings for us, regardless of any packages available. (We often travel spur of the moment.)
We have the DDE and use the kitchen - very good savings on dining.

I fully understand that DVC makes no sense to some people. That's fine. It's your prerogative to not buy in, just as it's my choice (or right) to buy in.

One happy "owner" here!

[MsMin]

I looked at it the same why you are until I looked a little harder and realized (as mentioned) the accommodations are not the same and the # of ppl per stay or # of nights is not equal to a value stay.
My son was against the purchase of DVC but after our first stay, which I thought he would complain about, he was so impressed. He does feel that Disney benefits by locking you into a vacation there. I didn't think I would enjoy SSR as much as some of the other resorts but we had a great time. The same room we got for 7 ppl last Dec. we could have rec'd w/ the points we purchased. (actually could have stayed another night w/ the pts.) The room was over $500 a night when you rent the same room. You just can't compare apples and oranges. Look at the rent of the room you would be using and get a more comparable rate of exchange.

[HOLITRIN]

First off, Welcome to Intercot!!

We've just purchased into DVC and are looking forward to many years of fun at Disney and other destinations. We began going to WDW in 1971 when the park opened and stayed at the Contemporary. We paid approximately $25/night. Fast forward 36 years - the going rate for a tower room is over $400/night. So the question is, in another 25 years what will the rate be per night? I know that I can't justify paying that rate per night.

I also agree with the OP, the comparison with a villa to any of the resorts is an apples to oranges comparison. It does really come down to individual preferences.

I did a LOT of research before I purchased DVC but in the end it was the right decision for us.

[Ian]

I think you may have missed the point, to a degree.

First off, many of the costs you talk about outside of DVC are fixed. Food, admission, airfare, etc. .... They're there whether you use DVC or not, so throw them out of the mix for a minute. The only apples to apples comparison you can do is for accomodations, since that's all DVC really covers.

Secondly, you're not looking at the big picture. We bought 160 points. Had we financed them with a moderate amount down our payment (excluding dues) would have been somewhere around $150 a month. Multiply that by 12 and it comes to $1,800 a year. Our dues are about $4.25 a point, so add in about $680. That brings you to $2,480 we'd spend this year for our DVC membership (although we didn't finance, we paid cash, so these numbers are made up to a degree).

In 2007, using "bonus" points we got from our 2006 use year, we're staying at SSR 3 nights in October and 5 nights in December in a one BR suite. The cost if you booked these accomodations yourself would be about $3,125. And we banked points into next year ...

And, of course, even if you finance the points at some point they're paid for and guess what? You vacation for free then. Then you'll only be paying $700 or $800 a year for those accomodations, which will probably cost even more then due to inflation.

Look, DVC isn't for everyone. If you're the kind of person who would rather go and spend $59 a night on a hotel then yeah ... you're probably not someone who should be interested in DVC. But if you tend to stay at deluxe resorts or prefer those types of accomodations, and if you visit at least twice a year, it's well worth it.

The thing that really turned me is its use as an inflation hedge. 20 years from now, how much will that $59 a night room be costing you? I know how much my accomodations will cost me ... nothing outside of my minimal yearly dues.

And I haven't even touched on the discounts you get as a DVC member. All that food and admission you have to buy ... even tickets for special events ... they cost DVC members less than they do the general public. Factor that into your equation, too.

[ThanxForNoticin]

Lots of good replies here, and I agree. This is a personal decision that works for some and does not work for others. I didn't do DVC to save money over staying at the Pop Century. However, based on the high level of accomodations offered by DVC, we have found our membership to be a very good value. But the biggest selling factor for us, and it's turned out to be very true - as the years go by, the family structure changes. DVC has offered us the terrific opportunity to take family and friends with us, and share the experiences in 2BR villas and Grand Villas. We've been able to introduce our kids to Disney, then later nieces and nephews, and someday grandchildren. You cannot do that at Pop or All-Star. Good luck with your decision, whichever way you choose.

[DVC2004]

I doubt Disney will continue to give the free dining promotion for 15 years, so eventually you will pay for your food. Besides, you are still paying for it anyway. As an AP holder you cannot do the free dining and get the room only discount. Free dining, when offered, is part of a package deal. What that means to you is paying rack rates for your room which guess what? Means you are paying for your food.

In one way or another you are paying. Disney is a business. Jut like free transportation- the busses, boats, monorail. Everyone is paying for it in thier room cost.

DVC is not for everyone. But for us, we think it's a bargain. We take two to three trips per year on our points. Dues of about $700 a year, say 12 nights a year I'm staying. I'm
paying $59 dollars per night for my room ($700 divided by 12 nights), plus getting an AP discount, and my dues won't increase as much as your hotel rates will over the years. So it's a great bargain for me. And I can sell this or give it to my kids because I own it.

[disneycouple2004]

First, Welcome to INTERCOT.

DVC is not for everyone.


But if it doesn't make sense to you- don't buy it.

This pretty much wraps it up in a nutshell..if you start crunching numbers and what if this and that...its no fun...i ran the numbers many times..in the long run its well worth it ...we love our DVC..

[mttafire]

I think you may have missed the point, to a degree.

First off, many of the costs you talk about outside of DVC are fixed. Food, admission, airfare, etc. .... They're there whether you use DVC or not, so throw them out of the mix for a minute. The only apples to apples comparison you can do is for accomodations, since that's all DVC really covers.

Secondly, you're not looking at the big picture. We bought 160 points. Had we financed them with a moderate amount down our payment (excluding dues) would have been somewhere around $150 a month. Multiply that by 12 and it comes to $1,800 a year. Our dues are about $4.25 a point, so add in about $680. That brings you to $2,480 we'd spend this year for our DVC membership (although we didn't finance, we paid cash, so these numbers are made up to a degree).

In 2007, using "bonus" points we got from our 2006 use year, we're staying at SSR 3 nights in October and 5 nights in December in a one BR suite. The cost if you booked these accomodations yourself would be about $3,125. And we banked points into next year ...

And, of course, even if you finance the points at some point they're paid for and guess what? You vacation for free then. Then you'll only be paying $700 or $800 a year for those accomodations, which will probably cost even more then due to inflation.

Look, DVC isn't for everyone. If you're the kind of person who would rather go and spend $59 a night on a hotel then yeah ... you're probably not someone who should be interested in DVC. But if you tend to stay at deluxe resorts or prefer those types of accomodations, and if you visit at least twice a year, it's well worth it.

The thing that really turned me is its use as an inflation hedge. 20 years from now, how much will that $59 a night room be costing you? I know how much my accomodations will cost me ... nothing outside of my minimal yearly dues.

And I haven't even touched on the discounts you get as a DVC member. All that food and admission you have to buy ... even tickets for special events ... they cost DVC members less than they do the general public. Factor that into your equation, too.

I agree Ian. If we could afford to go two ot more times a year and would generally stay in a Deluxe resort most times then we would be VERY interested in the DVC.
Different strokes for different folks...For some DVC is a GREAT value. For some its not. Hopefully someday it wil be for us.

[Volksjager]

I would also like to chime in with one of the main reasons why we bought in, Disney's level of service. We KNOW what to expect everytime we go down, and 9.9times out of 10 our expectations are met. This takes the fear out of booking a resort I've never been to since I except a certain level of charm, cleanliness and professionalism wherever we go.

Take the new Hawaii resort announced recently as an example. As a DVC member I have great confidence that if/when we go the resort will be on-par with other Disney properties, that to me is of great comfort.


Cheers!

[Dsnygirl]

We are not DVC owners - yet - and I was nervous when I first started reading this post, b/c I thought, "This person has some of the same concerns we have had - what if it changes my mind??" But after reading all the responses (plus the ones in the "sticky" thread), you all have given us great food for thought and made it that much easier for me to agree that it will, one day, be for us. Thanks so much, everyone, for responding - you've helped more than one person out!

[lockedoutlogic]

DVC is an indiviual choice...but i think several things hold true:

1. You have to love going to WDW, or other locations where DVC is either currently or going to have a facility.....so it's really not for the once every 3 years kinda crowd. DVC is also good to trade out of the system and go other places...but if "value" is your goal...then you have to travel to DVC run resorts to achieve that....

2. It is expensive for what you get...you have to basically be at least moderately financially comfortable. It does save you on accomodations over time...and the savings will be quite significant as time goes on and prices go up....but DVC is not like a travel agent special....you are still paying alot for it and really can't miss the cash to be completely comfortable and happy with your purchase. Also...the value decreases if you borrow to spend or take a long period period to pay for the initial purchase. That is simple numbers..black and white...if you pay finance or interest on the principle..then your value decreases as you do it.

3. There are exceptions...but generally you have to be flexible with your travel and willing to go off peak times/ days to get a really good value out of it. If your desire is to go on christmas or easter every year for a week...sat-sat...then you are not going to yield a great deal of value out of the point bank...that is also just a simple matter of numbers as well.

4. You have to love the disney hotels and more specifically...the deluxes. IF you are indifferent to where you stay and spend from 7 am to midnight running from ride to ride while you're there...then I don't think this is the way to go. If you have a huge pile of cash to burn...then this one doesn't necessarily apply


There are many factors that alter the individual's experience with DVC....but I believe that you have to meet what I've said above to be both happy...and feel like you've gotten "Value" from the purchase.

[tinkerbell04]

4. You have to love the disney hotels and more specifically...the deluxes. IF you are indifferent to where you stay and spend from 7 am to midnight running from ride to ride while you're there...then I don't think this is the way to go. If you have a huge pile of cash to burn...then this one doesn't necessarily apply

Well said Many valid points throughout this entire thread. I agree with all the above stated reasons for joining. BUT, the bottom line is we LOVE the DVC resorts and the points vs. cash debate for a 2 or 3 bedroom villa is non-existent.
We are VERY happy DVCers for the past 4 years

[Cookie123]

With the pros and cons of buying or not buying into DVC, I will tell you about my decisions.

I truly am in love with the one bedroom villa.
I do love to spoil myself with the jacuzzi tub right in my room. And I love WDW so much that I never want to vacation anywhere else.

But buying into DVC doesn't make sense - FOR ME.

I am above the age of 50, with no hope of children or grandchildren. I don't have sisters to travel with. My brothers are not interested.
My DH is 24 years older than me, and does not like to travel much. DH would rather stay home to watch our two beloved cats.

BUT I ADORE THE ONE BEDROOM VILLA !!!

There's no way that I can afford a membership into DVC, so I make my annual plans year to year and rent DVC vacation points from a member. I'm happy about that - and the member is happy about that - so this works for me.