How to know if DVC is right for me?

[DVCwantabee]

Last year was our first family trip to WDW. 8 days at CBR. Two months after our trip DH says he wants to go again this year. I'm floored!!!! We had a great time but I wasn't expecting him to want to go back so soon.

So this year we're going back for 10 days ASmo, kids are 2 and 4 thought they'd like it here.

I would go every year in a heartbeat, or every other and take extended family.

I've read some about DVC and I'm interested, I got the Purple Book today, had a friend refer me to her guide, now how to decide if it's right for us???

We can afford it, but I guess I'm looking for some thoughts on justifying it.

Sorry first post so long, just a lot to think about, we're going in Oct and I'd like to be very knowledgeable by then, so we can take a tour and see for sure

[JohnNJ]

I wish I could give you an easy answer or a quick formula.

Some people take the tour and sign the papers the same day. It took me six years to "justify" the purchase.:(

Good luck with your decision.

John

[tjkraz]

The simplest financial analysis I can give you is that over the long haul you're getting a Deluxe resort for Moderate cost.

If you sit down with someone with a financial background and really detailed comparison, I think you'll find that staying the next 40+ years in a Moderate resort (assuming annual rate increases of 3-5%) will cost about the same as the initial DVC investment plus annual dues (again with 3-5% annual increase).

Seeing as though your two stays will have been in a Moderate and a Value resort, one of the hurdles you need to overcome is deciding how much you value better accommodations.

Make sure you only buy into DVC with the intention of using your points at one of the 7 DVC resorts at least 90% of the time. DVC allows us to use points for cruises other Disney and non-Disney resorts. But if you really look at the numbers, these types of exchanges are pretty poor deals. If you really want to have vacation options across the country or around the world, there are several other reputable point-based timeshare programs which will accomplish that goal and cost you a LOT less.

There are some nice fringe benefits like discount programs and special gatherings exclusive to DVC members, but those will change over time so it's hard to really factor them into your decision.

All of that said, we found that DVC works great for our family of 4. We usually get a One Bedroom villa so that me and my wife have some privacy while the kids sleep on the sofbed or their portable airbeds. As they get older we'll probably have to move up to a Two Bedroom, but we can always buy those extra points later.

Sure, we could be making yearly stays in Moderate or Value resorts, but they wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable, IMO. I love being able to stay up late watching TV while the kids are sacked-out in the next room. I love having the whirlpool spa in the room to soak the sore tootsies. And with a washer & dryer in the room, we don't have to pack a dozen different outfits to make it through the week.

No complaints about the investment here. :D

[carolina_yankee]

The simplest financial analysis I can give you is that over the long haul you're getting a Deluxe resort for Moderate cost.
If your DH is already agitating to go back, it sounds like you've caught the Disney bug. It doesn't go away. It only gets worse.! That's why we bought. We just kept planning trips. While we were getting good AP rates at AKL, we saw them disappearing or becoming less attractive. We enjoyed our stay at PO-R, but didn't want to be limited to that, which we would be if we kept to visiting 1-2 times a year. DVC allows us to have deluxe quality vacations, more frequent and longer visits, and all for the cost of 8 nights at a moderate each year. We ran the numbers and discovered that, even with financing, we'd come out ahead.

Although we're DINKs, I think a family would really appreciate the flexibility DVC offers, particularly if you can get enough points to stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom.

Dirk

[DVCByResale]

Hi DVCwanttobe!

Great question.

In my humble opinion, if you think you will travel to Disney at least once every three years and want deluxe accomodations when you are there....then the DVC is for you.

I say once every three years as a minimum because you may bank and borrow for a total of 3 x (times) your annual allocation and still benefit. In other words, you could purchase 100 points, bank this year, be in next year and borrow from the following year to take a trip with 300 points.

If you plan on traveling to Disney more often, DVC almost becomes a definite must. The only alternative would be staying in a resort similar to the All-Star resorts, which might allow you to pay less. If your family prefers the other properties, the DVC is a decision you will likely never regret!

Let us know if we can help further and keep us posted on your decision!

Best regards,
Shontell

[lisaviolet]

Hi!

I just wanted to add that we always stayed at the Values before purchasing and we loved them too!

But DVC is so fantastic at this point.....ummmm...I don't miss them that much!

We waited ten years but it was mostly financial for us. So if you can afford it I would just say educate yourself about all the options (home resorts, resale and Disney) first and go from there. I mean really if you disliked it you can always sell. Although I seriously doubt that, not loving it, would ever happen.

It's only been a year for us and we have been so thrillled.

Good luck with your decisions.

All the best,

Lisa

[granny]

The simplest financial analysis I can give you is that over the long haul you're getting a Deluxe resort for Moderate cost. [snip]

[snip]Seeing as though your two stays will have been in a Moderate and a Value resort, one of the hurdles you need to overcome is deciding how much you value better accommodations.

Of all the great advice you've received here, I think this sums things up the best, at least for us. We bought DVC as an investment in upgrading our WDW trips, not as a money saver. We also are a family of four and usually stay in a 2BR, though we've stayed in 1BR and studios too.

I've priced out 1BR and 2BR reservations for cash....and there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY we would ever stay in them if paying cash even if we got the discount. We simply couldn't afford it.

Think about it....all the thousands of people staying on-site at WDW every day from Value Resorts to Deluxe Resorts....and none of them have better accommodations than the DVC resorts, especially once you get into the 1BR or larger villas.

DVC is a luxury purchase...no way around that. Like other luxury purchases, you will have other options that you could use your money for. The bottom line is whether upgrading your WDW vacations is worth it to you or not. For us it was. For others, it might be a more expensive car or a boat that they'd prefer.