Thinking of buying DVC--HELP!

[sammysmom]

I just started thinking that it might be more cost effective for us to buy a DVC membership. We go every year in September and usually stay at POP. Last year we fell in love with the Beach Club and to stay there for 8 days with the dining plan is pricey. How would the DVC help us in that case? We can still purchase the dining plan right? Any help you can give would be appreciated!!

[PlutoPlanet]

We bought DVC 5 years ago and love it. Certainly you'll hear opinions pro and con.
We choose to add on the Dining Plan with our stays. We stay 5 days max with DVC. Last year we stayed 5 days at DVC with the Dining plan and 2 more days at POP without the dining plan (paying cash for the room at POP).
DVC could stop allowing members to add the Dining Plan, but they haven't so far. Perks do change. We found the Deluxe Dining Plan way too much food.
Good Luck with your decision. There is a lot of info on DVC here at Intercot.

[DizneyRox]

If you go every year and stay at a deluxe, chances are DVC is a good buy. If you are happy with values though, it might not be so good.

Figure out how many point you need (point charts are all over the net), don't forget to upgrade your accomodations and/or season of travel. Maybe not full "value" but make some allowances so that if a room category you NEED isn't available you have options.

We wish we bought earlier, as what we sepnt on trips could have bought DVC outright instead of financing it. We're still pretty satisfied with DVC, not so much with WDW...

[lovin'fl]

We wish we bought earlier, as what we sepnt on trips could have bought DVC outright instead of financing it. We're still pretty satisfied with DVC, not so much with WDW...

We feel the same. WDW should be offering really sweet deals, yet they seem to be increasing prices. For example, when we bought DVC (in 2006) they were selling SSR for like 85/point and now they are selling all their DVCs for 120/point. And the DDP used to be a really sweet deal with free appetizer and desert plus you didn't have to tip and it was only like $31/adult. Now it's like, what, $47/adult and you have to tip and no app. I also have recently come accross 2 issues: 1- we tried to book 2 studios for Jan at OKW and there were none. I went on WDW website and could do a cash booking for 2 studios at OKW. WTH!!! and 2- They offer free dining to cash folks, but they never give DVC folks a dining deal. It's like they have us by the you-know-whats. We paid thousands for membership and have to pay annual dues and they know we're locked in. :confused:
OP-I wish we would have bought at Beach Club as opposed to OKW. We love the boardwalk resort area and have never had trouble getting BWV, but have not gotten BCV yet. So, if you only want to stay at BCV, then buy at BCV. If you don't mind trying out various places, then go for a great deal like OKW or SSR or HH (though annual dues for HH are higher).

[Joannelet]

THere are definitely pros and cons and it is based on you and your family.
If you enjoy getting the special offers that are sometimes out there (like free dining etc) or you enjoy staying at values then I would say this way is not for you.
If you however enjoy the deluxe and moderate hotels and don't mind on paying for the dining plan then this is the way for you.
However, buy WHERE you like. I have found that it is not as easy to switch out as I had originally thought when we bought into it.
It is definitely a money saver if you go yearly. Our next trip we got lucky and will be staying in AKL concierge level. I have to say without DVC I would not be able to stay there as the room that we are getting is over $700 a night!
So DVC allows that to happen for people that wouldn't normally be able to afford that :)
My home resort is Saratoga which I also love. So when I do not get my wish at staying elsewhere I am not completely upset. So you have to buy where you like.....

[Ian]

We first bought back in 2007 and then added on at BLT in 2008 and we're pretty happy with our membership.

Here's what I would say to you ... if you go at least once or twice a year and prefer to stay in larger, deluxe accomodations then DVC is probably a good bet for you.

If not ... if you only go maybe once every other year or if you're perfectly happy staying in a normal size room at a value or moderate resort, then I wouldn't buy DVC.

For us, as a family of six, we really need the bigger accomodations DVC offers and it's much more cost effective to do it with points vs. cash. We just stayed six nights on points (three at Bay Lake Tower and three at Saratoga) in a one bedroom. If we paid cash, that would have cost us easily around $2,500 (probably more).

[diz_girl]

If you're recent stay at the Beach Club has convinced you that you only want to stay there (or at deluxes) from now on and you plan to go to WDW once a year, then buying into DVC is probably your best bet. The BCV are the closest rooms to the EPCOT International Gateway entrance. If you decide to buy BCV, then buy resale instead of going directly through Disney. Buying directly through Disney will cost you more per point, although you will be able to get exactly the number of points that you want. However, you should easily be able to find something to suit your needs just fine on the resale market. Also, if you only want to stay at BCV most of the time, then buy where you want to stay.

I'd recommend Intercot sponsor The Timeshare Store. I didn't use them myself when I bought into DVC, as I bought into BLT and there were no resales on the market at the time. But I hear that they're very good.

As for the Dining Plan, yes you can buy the Dining Plan, but it wasn't always the case and they theoretically can stop selling it to DVC members at any time. I only bought the DDP once, back when it still included the appetizer and tip. Now it's no longer a value for me, as I usually order the less expensive menu items or just eat at buffets or family-style restaurants. Also, if you stay at DVC in at least a 1br or larger unit, you get a full kitchen and decent-sized dining room, so you can eat some meals in your room. I don't normally cook on vacation, but it's nice to have the option of taking CS food back to your room, or even order out.

Also, as a DVC member, you can purchase annual passes, which you can use to your advantage by making your trip late in a month (say September) one year and then early in that month the following year and you've used your annual pass for two trips. I thought that Disney recently made their annual passes effective for 15 months, but I'm not sure if that is still in effect, but someone can come along to correct me. Also, buying an annual pass allows you to purchase the Tables in Wonderland card. The TIW card gets you good discounts in most WDW restaurants. I haven't used it myself, but I've read many Intercot posts that basically state that they don't even buy the DDP because the TIW is the better deal.

[Horizon93]

everyone has given great advice. We joined DVC in 2007 and now own at AKV and BWV. It is just the 2 of us. And we love it. We go twice a year. Heed the advice of what others have said here. If you go at least once a year and like to stay in deluxe accommodations, then go for it.

We never use DDP.We always have annual passes and buy the TIW card. That makes sense for us since we go twice a year.

[PETE FROM NYC]

On our 14th trip in 2009, we bought into DVC, with BLT our home base.
Its just two of us, DW and me.
Sometimes we travel alone, sometimes with others. We had never stayed deluxe, we were satisfied with the values.
We did our first DVC stay in September with a 1 BR at BLT. We loved the place. Using the in room laundry, we packed less than half what we usually bring, made breakfast each morning, and packed lunches to eat in the parks. Then we could afford to splurge on a decent TS dinner each night.
With our minimum amount of points, we can do a vacation every other year.
For us , I think it was a good deal.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

I came within inches of slapping down a DVC deposit right before my June trip, and after the 4 months that followed, I am so glad I passed on DVC. I encourage you to follow your instincts on what you think is right for you, but since nobody here has posted any cons, I will add my two cents.

By far the biggest reason for me to say no was the opportunity costs of the contract money. I have a mortgage, two car payments, some student loans, and needed an outbuilding to store the lawn mower in, all things that for me outrank DVC. Even if you have the cash saved to pay straight up for your contract, you still have the opportunity costs of what that money could have done for your other debt, if you have any. I just cannot bring myself to finance a vacation (or future vacations) so that was the deciding factor for me. Lots of other people think differently about their finances and their use of (and happiness with) debt, and that’s great for them, but for me it was just too much to swallow.

My 8 nights at the Contemporary left me with no appetite for Deluxe resorts. It just wasn't worth the extra money, and I actually hated the lack of a REAL food court, and the sharing of buses with other Deluxe resorts, enough to help reinforce my decision. You say you have fell in love with Beach Club, and if you see value in it, then go for it. I am curious though, did you stay at Beach Club or just visit?

I really wanted to stay at BLT in June. But after thinking it over, having separate bedrooms and a washing machine wasn't worth the upfront 20+ grand in addition to the perpetual dues that would never be paid off. I drive, so over-packing is not a problem for me, but you could still pay a lot of airline baggage fees for 20 grand and still be ahead.

We returned to Disney in October and December, and I enjoyed my one night at AKL in October, but wouldn’t want to be there all week. We stayed at Pop 5 nights each trip, and I just cannot find a single fault with Pop Century. It’s cheap, has a lively atmosphere, doesn’t share buses, has a great food court, and is cheap! But the best part is that if I want to try another Deluxe, I can! I am not locked into going Deluxe every year, I can do a split stay if I want to spend a few days somewhere new. I looked forward to trips with stays at Wilderness Lodge and Beach Club, but I would rather pay $300+ a night for a few days twice a decade than commit myself to the money DVC will cost. I enjoy the idea that I am free to try a variety of resorts in my lifetime, as well as having the freedom to visit Disney when I want, instead of when my points are about to expire (vacations are hard to plan in my family).

My observation is that DVC is, at best, break even, but only if you want to stay Deluxe every time. You probably are not going to save much money, you just get larger rooms (but no maid service). Don't buy DVC thinking you will always get the option to buy the Dining Plan, or discounted Annual Pass tickets, or any other current DVC perk, as they are all at the mercy of Disney executives.

I guess I have groaned enough for now :beat:

[Donald A]

The DVC pretty much only gets you your room. I took a trip in November and stayed 6 nights on points. We bought the dining plan for 5 of those nights while staying at a 2 bedroom with my parents. That 2 bedroom at the AKV would have cost $800 a night. It was a nice but we still spent $1000 on tickets and the dining plan for 2 people + transportation there. So, you need to decide if you want the nice place to stay. I get about a 1 week vacation a year and like to stay somewhere nice + take family. DVC saves me money in doing this for years to come. However, if you don't plan to go to Disney every 1-2 years (or Hawaii too now) and want nice places to stay DVC is likely not for you.

[mdhiggin]

DVC made sense for us, because we love the larger, homier accomodations. We spend more and more time in our room since we go frequently and don't have the go go go agenda. Like Ian said, if you're perfectly happy with a value or maybe a moderate, it's not worth it. However, for us, it's one of the best decisions we've ever made.