Reasons to Purchase

[JohnNJ]

I have a friend that's interested in DVC but is still at that stage we were all in early on in the process. I need some information for him about the DVC perks.

Forget the points, the resorts, the booking periods. Forget the restaurant discounts - he has a DDE card. Merchandise/tour discounts are available with AP's, Disney Visa, etc. Pool hopping is not a big deal for him because it excludes Stormalong Bay. He knows about the AP discounts but feels the annual fees offset that perk.

Things he likes so far:

1) Golf membership with cheap fees and bag storage.
2) More than the free valet parking - having a good excuse to park at any resort without being hassled by the gate guard. He likes to visit them all.
3) Monthly and quarterly newsletters.

What else can I throw at him? Not necessarily money related but something he can only get my being a member.

Thanks, John

[JamJarJo]

It seems like he's looking at each "perk" individually. The annual pass discount may not seem like such a deal in the face of annual dues but what if you consider the AP discount, savings on the parking and the Golf savings all together? It looks a little more attractive that way. And have you mentioned the Spa discounts?
Still in my opinion the real value of DVC membership is the ability to stay at Disney resorts for a big savings off of regular prices. The other "perks" are nice but I wouldn't join just for them.

[tjkraz]

How about the 25% rack rate discount on DVC accommodations?

Yes, there is some fine print with this discount, but at least it's a guarantee (for slower periods) rather than sitting and waiting on AP discounts and not knowing what they might be.

We also have the dining plan with no ticket or room purchase requirement.

[idratherbeinwdw]

2) More than the free valet parking - having a good excuse to park at any resort without being hassled by the gate guard. He likes to visit them all.


Can you elaborate, I don't think I know about this. Are you saying DVC members can park at any resort without a hassle? Is there a time limit?

[cruise-o-matic]

I think free valet parking only applies to resorts with DVC Villas attached - BoardWalk, Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge.

[granny]

Forget the points, the resorts, the booking periods. Forget the restaurant discounts - he has a DDE card. Merchandise/tour discounts are available with AP's, Disney Visa, etc. Pool hopping is not a big deal for him because it excludes Stormalong Bay. He knows about the AP discounts but feels the annual fees offset that perk.
First of all, cruise-o-matic is correct about the free valet parking...it's only good for DVC resorts as noted.

John....in my opinion, if your friend is looking at DVC for anything other than high quality accommodations at a very good price, then he may end up being disappointed.

All of our perks are just that....perks. They are not guaranteed, and in truth we have seen them move around quite a bit. The AP discount is a big perk, but it wasn't around 5 years ago when we made our decision. Other perks can come and go.

DVC is a 36 - 48 year commitment, and the only way it works is if someone wants to go to WDW at least every other year, loves to stay on-site in premium accommodations and is viewed as an investment in quality vacations for many years to come.

Otherwise, there will always be less expensive ways to go to WDW, and to get a lot of perks.

We enjoy our DVC ownership completely, and have no regrets about it whatsoever. But if someone is joining primarily based on the perks, it might be a good idea to dissuade them in order to avoid inevitable disappointments down the road.

Just my two cents...YMMV. :)

[SueOKW]

Hey Granny - nice to see you!

How about the times that DVC members get to ride rides early? Oh yeah - AP holders can do that too....

Ah - I went to a Reds/Braves game - and it was super - we were up in the suites and had a blast with lots of other DVCers. There are DVC only events.

Spa Discount.

Disney Photog discount.

Refrigerator in room for Yeungling. :ale:

[granny]

Hi Sue....great to see you too! :howudoin:

Refrigerator in room for Yeungling. :ale:
I think that many of the regular WDW resort rooms are now adding small dorm-room size refrigerators too.

Don't get me wrong....we love our DVC perks! We just know that if they take them away, we'll still have made the right choice for us. :)

[PoohsPal]

How about pool hopping?

[lllovell]

I agree with everyone else. Perks are a bad way to determine if DVC is good for you. We LOVE the perks offered and I hate filling out that online questionaire when I get home because it often asks me about perks we don't use, but I know others do use (like the golf perks). I am in favor of ANY perks we can get however I wasn't even aware of them when we purchased and I wouldn't have included them in my equasion if I had been.

[JohnNJ]

Thanks for the responses. It doesn't make sense for him at this time.