Reasons to Join DVC

[dlpmikki]

We have a lot of discussions about whether to join DVC and what is good and bad about it. The discussions have quite often overtaken topics with more specific questions so we are setting up three topics to deal just with these questions.

This topic is ONLY for positive comments on DVC - why should people join, what are the benefits etc. Please look at the 'Reasons NOT to join DVC' topic if you have any negative points to make.

[Smee]

We joined DVC over 10 years ago and it was the best thing we have ever done for our family. We've now enjoyed many family trips, as we are now able to go to DVC resorts multiple times each year with children, grandchildren and just the two of us.

We had long ago learned the joys of staying onsite at WDW. DVC provided for that continued benefit plus the additional benefit of wonderful accommodations and amenities in our room - far nicer than at even a Deluxe resort. Add in the nice dining discounts, the free passes we received for several years and now the great discount on AP/PAP and the value of the membership just gets even better.

We have also tried some of the non-DVC programs available with our membership and have found them to be an asset also. The best value for us will always be to use our DVC points at DVC resorts however.

We truly feel "at home" each time we step into our DVC accommodation- regardless which resort or room type we've reserved for the trip(we've also tried all resorts and all room types). DVC has always been top-notch with their maintenance, housekeeping, landscaping and resort programs. On the few occasions when something may have been overlooked, the resort has always responded quickly and appropriately to correct any concerns.

While we've had no trouble finding the financial benefit of DVC ownership, the emotional aspects of the program far exceed any concerns over "getting my money's worth". The great feeling of our family enjoying themselves together at the "Happiest Place on Earth" is the best benefit of the entire program. The fact that we've also spent less than we otherwise would have on those memories is just icing on the cake.

[DVC2004]

Smee has summed it up! We joined DVC in January 2004 and are going home for the first time in February 2005. We are going to be staying in a 2 bedroom villa at SSR (our home resort) and are bringing relatives with us. We would likely not be able to afford these accomodations paying cash.
The 2 bedroom villa sleeps 8, has a full kitchen, washer/dryer, 2 bathrooms including one with a whirlpool tub!

For us DVC made sense. We go to WDW every year, often more than once. We have been there six times since 2001. We always stay in Deluxe resorts (Poly, Beach Club, Contemporary Tower). Our SSR contract is up in 2054. I will be
78 and my kids will be 57 and 56.

DVC also offers other perks like the new annual pass discount, discounts at select restaraunts, and members only events like Member Homecoming.
We attended the last Member Homecoming in May 2004 and had a blast. We had the parks to ourselves each night and got the royal treatment.

As mentioned many times before, don't look to DVC as a monetary investment. I do believe over the years DVC membership is more cost effective as resort prices will increase, but that is the point of the number crunching thread. I do mortgages for a living, so I am knowledgeable about real property and values, etc. For us, DVC is time spent with our family in our special place. I am looking forward to many years of wonderful memories with my children, other relatives and friends, and hopefully someday grandchildren.

Hope this is helpful if you are considering joining! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ December 14, 2004, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: DVC2004 ]

[TheRustyScupper]

As a DVC owner, my thought are:

Join DVC if you ...
... want to prepay a vacation
... desire more space than a typical resort room
... will do WDW yearly
... have disposable income (not hurting family budget)
... can schedule vacations 11 months out *
... can afford an avg $1100 per week room cost **


* Last minute vacations are available, but during peak times, this could be difficult.

** Over the life of the contract, a DVC week will average over $1000, including maintenance fees, fees inflation, purchase price, and interest.


NOTE: I do not mention "staying in the magic" as this can be accomplished in a Value-Moderate-Deluxe resort.

[CantonMichigan]

Biggest positives for me since joining are:

1) having the extra room to take relatives with us

2) not having to constantly check for good deluxe accomodation rates (then re-checking for better rates)

[pixie1958]

We like our DVC because we liked to stay in deluxe rooms at Disney. We have kids that are over 18 that go with us and the $25.00 extra per person adult charge on the deluxe room rates was a killer.

Also, you can really squeeze a lot of trips out of a small amount of points in studios if you stay 5 nights a week Sunday through Thursday. We recently spent 90 points for two standard view studios at Boardwalk in low season. The best cash rate I could get through Disney with an annual pass discount was $209 (with tax it's probably about $231). That cash total would have been about $2,300 with the annual pass discount. I LOVE my DVC.

I note some people like to rent DVC points vs. buying. I like to have control over my vacation. I would be afraid that room I rented through a member might not be there when I showed up. What if they didn't pay their dues on time and the reservation got cancelled? Even if I depended on renting DVC points, I would still want a small DVC contract so I could be in control of my own vacations (that way if you rented points you could have them transferred to your small DVC contract each year and YOU would have control of your own vacation).

I also like the new Annual Pass discount for DVC members. It's a great perk.

[True Disney Fan]

[img]graemlins/clappy.gif[/img] Joining the DVC was one of the best moves we made. We became members, Oct.2001. As much as we travel to the DisneyWorld area, we save so much by having our home base. Our membership with the Wilderness Lodge/Villas is the best for arrangements with lodging. Discounts that are available and now with the discount that will be available on the annual pass is just another incentive to consider the DVC. [img]smile.gif[/img] Our children, grandchildren, other family members and friends are able to have sharing time with us, when we were not just the two of us. [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]

[G8RFAN]

Specific to staying in 1 br+ villas:

Kitchen - we really enjoy controling our time in the mornings with breakfast in the villa.

Washer/Dryer - While there is a really good argument for not doing laundry while on vacation, it really helps to keep the luggage on the light side when you know you can do a load midway.

Space - nuff said.


Studios:

Microwave/fridge - gives you breakfast options and the ability to take leftovers "home" with you in which you could actually heat and eat when you have the midnight munchies!

[TCLites]

For us....

1. Based on our habits (at least once a year during the past 13 years), it appeared that it made reasonable financial sense over a 20 year period. (Please note, I said for us, I didn't say we'd make money, or this was an investment, or make any claims to saving great amounts of money).
2. We wanted the flexibility of size of accommodation during the next years in order to take our grown children and thieir families, siblings, grandparents, etc, with us without getting hit with huge $'s on the years we did such a thing.
3. We wanted the kitchen/space so we could cook meals, do laundry, and have room for babies, making the trips a little more affordable for other family members that can't afford a straight trip in a resort with all the meals and etc.
4. We felt that we were pre-paying for vacation options now, while we could afford it, to have the many options availalbe to use in the future when we retire. At that point we'll only have maintenance fees.
5. 50 years is more then enough for us (we're in our 50's), and will give our children the ownership someday until they are of an age to afford what they want. When we looked at other time shares with 100 year leases, one has to consider what the maintenance costs are going to be on the property in years 70, 80, 90, etc...
6. Again, THIS IS NOT AN INVESTMENT, but it appears (based on past record) that if we should decide that we must get out for personal financial reasons, that we would be able to get at least part of our investment back.
7. Honestly, [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img] we like owning a piece of the magic.

We looked at time shares over several years, and DVC was comparable in price to other high reputation resorts (Hilton and Marriott specifically). So the prices didn't seem out of line for location, quality, and reputation. Not that there aren't other types of options from very reputable provideres for less - just not on property.

[Minnesota Dis]

A year and half ago we purchased two resales at the Boardwalk - 1 for 210 pts and the other for 60 pts. These contracts came with banked points which we were able to sell for $2,900. Also, we recently sold 70 more points for $600 because of a last minute trip cancellation. Basically, this has paid for 3+ years of maintenance fees.

We also took a trip last year for 2 nights in a studio and 6 nights in a 2 bdrm. Boardwalk view. We are taking another trip this year for 6 nights standard view Boardwalk. And, my sister is using points to stay 2 nights at the Beach Club in a studio.

We will probably not go next year and rent the points which will pay for another 2+ years of maintenance fees. (Actually, we'll probably just use the cash from the rental and go somewhere else!)

As of today, we could sell our contracts for more than we had paid (we'd even come out ahead with the brokers fee because of the sold banked points)... Basically, our last two trips would be free (well hardly free - Park Hoppers, airline tickets, dining out!!!!).

I think we have already received a pretty good value for our points. I know you can argue we could get a better return for our $ in the market.... but we probably wouldn't have put it the market anyway - we would have gone on vacation.

We're happy with our purchase and when we feel we're not using it - we can rent the points or sell one of the contracts fairly quickly.... A better deal than most Timeshares if you look around out there.

We also don't mind the limit of time on the resorts - I don't think many of the timeshares that are out there now will be around in 100 years - think of a house built 100 years ago - they need a lot of maintenance. I don't think I want to hand that burden down to our kids.

We see it as a way to spend time with our family (priceless as the commercial says) - our kids are teenagers and in a few years they sure won't want to share a room with us... we love having a 2 bedroom now but it will be even better in 10 years. Or if they don't want to join us, we can spend 2-3 weeks in a studio by ourselves.

We also are starting to see some great new DVC member perks which you wouldn't get if we rented a room.

Anyway, these were some of our reasons for joining and the biggest one was to escape Minnesota in the winter!

[ January 09, 2005, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: Minnesota Dis ]

[sleepydog25]

We live in a small town in southwestern Virginia, and what we wanted for our DD (and subsequent children) was the opportunity to see places outside of this wonderful, though admittedly rural, setting. We also needed flexibility given my wife's occupation as a physician, since it would be impossible year-to-year to take the same weeks off.

DVC offers the ability for both travel and flexibility. Sure, the II and Concierge exchange may not offer the best bang for your DVC points, but the ability to actually use them in a fairly convenient method all over the world has been a real factor for us.

Others have said that the DVC plan works best if you can set up the vacatiion every year and really plan ahead. We've found it works the opposite, too. If my DW works the schedule where she can take a week off just three months out, we have lots of options available to us, and such a system has worked well for us. For example, we decided to take a week in April at WDW and wanted a 2BR at either VWL or our home site of SSR. Got VWL. We then decided to use some points for an adult only weekend at HHI, and bingo, we're there in early June for four days.

We don't look at DVC as an investment, but we do look at it as a means of pushing us to take vacations when otherwise we might not, and it will pay dividends beyond mere dollars and cents. That return on investment--the joyous times, the family gatherings, the experiences of a lifetime--are what drew us to the club.

[Amoladora]

I think that if you want to join the DVC, now is a good time. We just sold our interest in OKW (took a loss of course) but my husband was interested in buying into the new Saratoga Springs DVC. Well, we just got back from our recent trip to WDW and found that the DVC is offering some no interest loan incentives to buy! Unfortunately, my husband decided that the DVC timeshare market had run its course and he refused to buy again! I hope he's wrong but he knows the finance game too well for me to argue with him. Darn!

[Disneym8]

We bought 150 points in 1999 at the Boardwalk, being from New Jersey, you know we love Boardwalks. We have used it every year since, given a standard view studio at the Boardwalk away twice and rented it once. In basically 5 years of ownership we have gotten 8 uses out of minimum ownership all 7 day 6 night trips. Hopefully in the future we can afford to use it twice a year. And now that the monthly dues can be paid for with Disney Visa points, it's like the dues have been eliminated.

[Fortgoofy97]

We originally purchased in 1998 after paying for a trip the year before and in 98. We figured what it cost us for those two trips would have covered a little less than 1/2 the DVC cost. We also knew that we would be coming back again and saw DVC as a way to have something available and to look forward to. Since then we have added on twice. Instead of paying for the DCL trip we added on and then with Saratga we added on again. My DW and I now plan trips for just us, no kids, at least once a year. We have rented points to friends who later bought and have brought her parents we us on several trips. We mostly like the comfortability that we know have with the different resorts. It's to the point noe that we usually need a DVC fix every 3-4 months!

[TCLites]

I have posted above, but here are some real facts for our upcoming vacation.

We have five people going and are booked in a two-bedroom villa at OKW for six nights (Sat-Friday). When we are done, we will have enough points left for a studio for 5 week nights sometime next fall or winter.

If we had rented the same studio with 7 day hoppers/plus tickets for 3 and two annual passes without DVC

$4,705.89

Now we expect that because we'll have a kitchen we will save some money on meals, but lets leave that aside. We did purchase the same tickets above (wife and I with annual passes) for $1,300.00.

However, if we weren't DVC members, we wouldn't stay in such accommodattions. So, two rooms a PC with same passes - $3,051.31

For this example, if I take the $1000.00 maintenance fees for the year the tickets $1300.00 off, we have made back about $700.00 of our DVC investment. So with the up-front investment of about $16,000.00 it is going to take us 23 years to "break even". I figured 20 before we bought.

However, DW and I now have annual passes, I have many frequent flier miles for free tickets, and we have points for five "low" season nights left for the use year. So, we can go again for the cost of meals! So, another 5 nights at a value resort and we add another $500.00 to our gain. Suddenly, it is only 14-15 years to break even.

This is all based on staying in Value Resorts. If we were actually staying in similar accommodations our gain would be about $2400.00 or a 6-7 year payback.

As I have stated earlier in this strand, we didn't buy to make money. However, it still looks like it isn't a bad financial deal. I know that others argue that we could have invested the $16,000.00 instead of spending it. At current rates, we certainly wouldn't have earned enough to pay for our vacation! (maybe could have bought one park ticket), however, there are other small savings with DVC, like tax deduction for the property taxes, meal savings because you have a kitchen, etc...

All in all, it still looks like a fair deal for us, expecially when we couple it with other non-cash reasons in my earlier post.

[Amoladora]

My husband says that DVC membership is not even worth considering unless you pay the entire amount upfront. He says that if you have to borrow any money to swing the deal, you're just another victim of the DVC. As he has pointed out to me, if you add up the original cost and the annual dues and then add in the interest costs, you've wasted a lot of money.

He says it's better to invest that same money (that you would have spent on the DVC) and you'll be able to stay in any Disney deluxe resort every year (for any length of time and not have to dodge weekends) and still have money left over. He also says that DVC members are "Christmas Club Members" because they have to "force" themselves to take a yearly WDW vacation.

I have tried to get him to join the DVC. We can afford to pay the full amount upfront. Then, he points out to me that it is far less expensive to rent points at the DVC than to buy a DVC. I have seen this to be very true and I can't dispute his logic.

[T.E. Yeary]

Maybe your husband needs a "deal". Have him look at the resales and see if he shows any interest.

www.dvc-resales.com

Click on the banner at the top of the page.

If this doesn't do it, there's not much hope!

Happy vacationing,
Tom

[briguy]

Wow! After reading a lot of these discussions I feel like I am wading into heavy traffic, but here goes...

First a disclaimer. I am a DVC member. I bought resale at OKW 4 years ago. This post is not geared towards pro-DVC or anti-DVC folks, you guys/girls have already made up your minds and so have I. Trying to get me to see your point or vice-versa is just wasted typing. If you want to join, you'll number crunch it to look like it's a great deal. If you don't want to join, well you'll number crunch it to look like only a fool would join. This is geared for those on the fence. If you are truly objective, the numbers probably won't tip you one way or another. I made my choice based on emotional capital, as I'm sure many fellow DVC members made theirs.

Here were my reasons. Feel free to put your own sense of value against each one then decide.

1) Feeling like you are "part" of Disney. While that feeling is worth $0 on the open market..if it means something to you, DVC ownership will appeal to that. If it means nothing, it won't. Then again, if it means nothing, why are you looking at Intercot when you should be working

2) Making it easier every year to 'justify' a trip to Disney. This November we are planning a trip. If we did not have points, there are a lot of reasons why it's not a good year for us to go. But since we have points we will go...and you know what...I'm thrilled.

3a) Not having a bill appear under your door on your last day. I let out a big 'Yoohoo!' every time.

3b) Not having a hotel bill on your visa statement. OK, so I paid the dues, but when I get home from the trip and the bill arrives and it is only for the items I chose to spend, it feels great.

4) Timeshare ownership in general. Last year we stayed a week in Marco Island at a GREAT resort for 120 points. (posted rates were >$400/night, I'm sure we could have gotten a better deal than that). Sure we could have paid for it, and yes we could have a different time share, but it still felt GREAT to be there with $0 resort bill.

5) Better accomodations. Since we've joined we've stayed at better rooms than trips previously. Of course we could have stayed at them before, but the point was we didn't and now we do.

6) Lack of need to feel like I got the absolute best deal. If you have to satisfy your ego by walking around the resort feeling like you are smarter than everyone else because you got the super secret best rate...don't join. Truthfully, I never worried that we got the best deal or made the smartest 'investment'...only that I was at my happy place. If I was worried about getting the best deal possible I'd bag my lunch at the park everyday rather than spend on lunch a lot more than what I'd pay anywhere else.

Bottom line - if you consider yourself a Disney geek, which I do, it may be worth it emotionally, and you can make the numbers work to that end. If you are more detached and analytical, probably not.

But maybe we can stop trying to force our opinions on someone else who may be in a completely different place emotionally, financially or otherwise.

[SgtTigger]

Ok now it is time for me to chime in......

We became owners in July of last year.

On our trip June 5th till 11th we stayed at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge........ On Friday June 10th we decided that Tropical Storm Arlene was going to stop our drive to Gulf Shores Alabama. We decided to stay an extra night.... We first went to the front desk and asked about getting a room at the Lodge.... We were told the Lodge was booked full. We were also told to go to our room and call member services. We did and were told we could stay in the same room we had been staying in. They took care of all our points and got everything in order..... All we had to do was go to the front desk on the morning that we were supposed to check out so they could give us new room cards.

This was so easy and so fast.... We did not have to shop around and find a room. We did not have to pack up and move.... It did not even cost us anything more......
So that is my reason to Join........ I hope this has helped.......


[img]graemlins/doubleeek.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]

[Natazu]

There are a lot of positives in this thread but I didn't see the most important one to me. I'll try to post it without getting too much into market speculation.

In 15 years, how much will it cost to stay at, say, a regular room for a week in a deluxe resort? how about in 20 years? 30? Is it safe to say it will go up dramatically?

In 15 years, how many points will it cost to stay in a 1 bedroom DVC room? 20 years? 30 years? The same as it does now! You can stay at OKW for a week in value season for 80 points now, and in the year 2055, you'll be able to do the same.

DVC is an investment in the future. Even if you finance, the amount that room rates will go up over time will be higher than the interest you pay in during your term.

So, I say if you have the income to buy, DVC is a great program.