How long did YOU wait?

[janebanks]

Since my DH and I waited 9 years to the month to buy DVC, I thought it would be fun to ask: How long did you all wait (if you weren't one of those lucky people who walked into the sales model and walked out owners). Shall we give a prize to whomever waited the longest? ;)

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

Can't really say exactly when we first seriously thought about it. Probably in the late 1990s.
We took the tour in Oct 2001, but just couldn't pull the trigger on it at that time and finally bought in September 2003.

[VWL Mom]

We started talking about it in 1999 while we were staying at WL and were watching VWL being built. We didn't buy until 2006 and now regret not doing it sooner.

[Georgesgirl1]

We toured Old Key West when I was a preteen (maybe 91 or 92). My grandfather and dad tried to talk my grandmother and mom into buying way back then. They said no. My parents didn't actually buy DVC until 2005! We always give my mom a hard time about it because if we had joined way back then, we would have gotten free passes each year until 2000. I'm kind of glad that they waited though because they put me and my brother on the deed since we were adults:mickey:

[DVC2004]

We took the tour in May 2003 and joined in Jan 2004, 8 months. I would have bought on the spot. My husband was the hold out.

[Friend of Figment]

We waited until they built a place on the monorail.

[vizsla]

It took DW and I about 5 years for us to make the decision to buy.

[SBETigg]

Still waiting. If they turn some of the GF into DVC, I will buy. I was tempted with BLT, but we're still waiting.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We waited 3 years ... until we could pay cash for it. I didn't want a US mortgage. :mickey:

[disneymom15]

Well, we've been serious Disney nuts since our first visit with our daughter in 1995. 16 years later we took our first tour and bought on the spot.

[Ian]

I think we first thought about it in 2001 some time and we ended up buying in 2007, so we waited about six years.

That's my biggest regret ... I really wish we had bought back then. They were selling VWL and I think it was something like $70 per point before incentives. It cost us a ton of money to wait. :(

[janebanks]

My DH was the holdout in our situation. I've been Disney obsessed since my parents first took me when I was a tiny tot. Have been on too many trips to remember (both DLand and WDW).

When someone started to say, "You can own a piece of the mag..." I practically snatched the pen out of the agent's hand and begged for the opportunity to sign for my deed. But no... :( DH had to go and spoil it.:sob:

I'm glad my wait finally ended! :)

[kakn7294]

Still waiting too. Somedays I really want to buy in but then I'm just not sure it's for us. Maybe someday...

[PETE FROM NYC]

We have been visiting WDW since 1975, trying to do it every 2 yrs or so.
Back in the mid 80s, we did a time share tour for Orange Lake, but could not see ourselves being locked in to a specific week for the next 20 yrs. We like the DVC style of points much better.
In 2009, while staying at Pop, we did the DVC presentation. We liked what we saw. We sat and talked for 15 minutes and bought in at the spot.
We banked our first year points and did 9 nights at BLT in a 1 BR last September and had a ball.We plan to do a 9-10 day trip every 2 yrs for the duration.

[faline]

We first decided to buy about 4 years ago. We also decided that we did not want a loan so that's when we began saving to make a purchase. We made our initial purchase almost one year ago - so about 3 years after we made the decision to buy. We still want to buy some additional points so we're on the lookout for the "right" purchase to complete our ownership!

[Disdude]

We had never really considered it until around 2005. My father died on New Year's Day that year and he was a huge Disney fan. I was hit especially hard by it and I needed to go to WDW. We went in April of that year and I thought what better way to stay close to something he cared so much about. We took the tour and bought at SSR on the spot.

We have enjoyed it so much and love Hawai'i that we just added on at Aulani one the Dream in February.

[TheDuckRocks]

Too long................2005 to 2009.

[wildernesslady]

We actual bought it sight unseen. Our good friends bought into the VWL and told us about the current incentives. We felt that would be a good fit for our family and bought there before it sold out. We had never taken a tour or stayed at the WL. We LOVE it there. It feels like home to us. The best vacation decision we ever made.

[dlpmikki]

We went 3 times to look at it in the same trip and then bought. That was in 92. Best decision we ever made.

[merlinmagic4]

We're still waiting and debating! I would love to but we have such a great deal right now that it just doesn't make sense. We bought resale at Sheraton Vistana Resort for 3800.00 back in 2005. We get any week of the year in a 2 bedroom condo for the 800-900 yearly maintenance fee. We are definitely home from the parks before the buses are back at the resorts and the resort is recently refurbished and gorgeous.

The other issue for DVC is that we travel school vacation weeks and with a 160 point purchase (for close to 15,000.00) we could only go every other year.

If I hit the lottery, the first thing I will do is buy but, for now, we wait :)

[gwfx1031]

We took a tour in the fall of 1995. We got a post card in the mail with an offer of 3 nights for $168 to stay in a studio. We also got a $50 giftcard. (try and get that deal now) We had no initial intention of buying but just loved it and started to draw up the paperwork and kept in contact with our sales guy after we came home. A few weeks later we found out we were expecting our first child. We opted to not buy in at that time. 14 years later, we bought a resale at, you guessed it, OKW.

[diz_girl]

For me, it was 4 years. I first heard about it during our 2005 trip and kept it in mind, although only SSR was available. We returned in WDW in 2007 and saw the CR North Wing being demolished and I was definitely interested in BLT and contacted DVC for information. In between those two trips I became an Intercotee. We went back in 2008 and saw BLT under construction and I really, really wanted in. Then I went to one of those DVC information sessions on Long Island in 2009 and signed my contract shortly after.

Funny thing is that I never told DH that I was buying into DVC (mortgage is in my name, but membership is in both our names). He knows now. I didn't tell him when I bought my new car either. He knew that I was looking, but he didn't find out about it until it showed up in the driveway two weeks ago.

[magicof2]

Dh and I have been going to disney about every other year b4 we had children. last year when ds was 8 months old we went for the day b4 going on a cruise.
We had ds2 9 months later and decided we would love to go to disney as a family of 4 but bc we have a double stroller and 2 under 2 we would like a resort close to the parks.

we priced out a deluxe resort close to mk and it wasnt even a thought to buy into dvc. the dvc membership would pay for itself after 2-3 times we stayed at one of the closer deluxe resorts.

with 2 little ones we know we are going to disney almost every year so and of course now theres planning bc we just cant pick up and go with 2 little ones.
When it was just dh and i, we were spur of the moment vacationeers. So it wasnt good for us then.

it took us about a week to make the decision (comparing numbers and deciding where we wanted to buy). we went resale which saved us alot of money - that took about 5-6 weeks from start to finish.

we just booked our first 2 trips (sept and dec) and we are so excited to go!

[MinnieMommie]

Gee..we really waited a long time. Had friends who bought in the 90's when they were giving free passes and considered it then but it didn't seem right for us. Then we talked with our DVC person on and off for a long time before we bought.

I was the hold out in our family. DH in his wisdom was ready to move on this before me. I think what finally made me decide to purchase was when my kids started to get to be 18 and older and there would be an additional charge for them to stay in the room.

We love DVC and are very happy with our decision to purchase. Wish we had done this sooner but happy we have been members since 2005. :mickey:

[iloveokw]

Saw DVC for the first time in 1992, a friend bought that year. We couldn't afford it at that time. We stayed in a one bedroom a couple of times and finally we did the math and made the best investment (paid cash) that we've ever made in 1996.....we own at OKW, Vero and HH.

:thumbsup:

[NH Disneyfan]

2000 looked at it....didn't have the money.
Bought in 2010....had the money.

No regrets.

[tinkman]

We started going to WDW in 1998. DW mentioned the DVC to me around 2005, but when I looked at the intial purchase price I got sticker shock. I thought, "no way I'm paying that, I can get a lot of trips with that money." Then, around 2007-08 I discovered the resale sites. Ok, now it started to look a lot more reasonable AND I could pick the contract size and resort that I wanted. We spent a day of our 2008 trip "DVC resort hopping" to check them all out. I was already leaning towards OKW because of it's low cost. We really liked OKW so thats the contract we started looking for. Took almost a year to find what we wanted, and only had 1 ROFR'd before we got the contract we wanted.