Have you Downsized DVC?

[cvjw]

We downsized from 850 points to 440 points last year. Have not regretted the decision one bit. My family is just over all the advance planning that now goes into a Disney vacation. We much prefer Disney cruises - you just pretty much show up.

We still own points at BWV and BCV, but will probably sell the BCV in a year or so.

[Pjferry]

I'm trying to convince the DW to upsize..

[Lamima]

We did. We had bought 750 points over the years, since 2006. Sold 100 AKV way back, even before adding on our BWV and CCV and only after owning for like 2 years. Sold for a profit. While we liked AKV we just realized we could book there at 7 months out so no need to own those.

We had wanted to get to 1000-1500 points in order to snow bird for several weeks in the winter each year. But then....

1) all the pre planning took some of the fun out of WDW trips

2) all the various snafus with said pre-planning and supposed technology also took some fun out of WDW trips and added extra work

3) cost kept going up, up, up while what you'd get for that cost kept going down, down, down

4) service also went down

So after COVID hit and the chaos that ensued with DVC trips... cancelling and trying to get points back and refund for tickets and other things....trying to rebook another trip....just all the wonkiness. Not knowing when things would open and what things would be cancelled. All that made us really really rethink planning any trips so far out. Decided it best to now plan 1-5 months out. Or have full refund-ability (just booked a cruise for 2/2022 but it is fully refundable until 11/2021 which is final payment).

And we felt we had to always use DVC points as they were paid for, so to speak. ANd we had annual passes. So trying to pay thousands for some other trip was hard to stomach. And we had 3 kids so airfare for 5 to, say, Europe, was a bit much. But now it's just us two we really want to go and see other places. Could have kept all those points and rented them out but we all have seen how that can go as of late. Plus our kids aren't super duper WDW lovers. Not sure 650 points would even get used down the line when we're grandparents.

So we began selling. Started with the 200 OKW which is our very least fave east coast DVC resort. And when we sold, last year, we sold for a profit again. After COVID hit, we listed our HHI (3 contracts for 125 points total) and our 70 CCV. Sold the 3 HHI, which was kind of better since dues are climbing so high there (and we can rent condos or Marriott for cheaper than our DVC HHI dues). Sold those for a profit as well. Pulled the CCV off the market. If we had sold that, we likely would have pulled 75 of the HHI off the market. ANd the CCV would have sold for a loss so it worked out.

So now we are down to 325 at 2 resorts, 70 CCV and 255 BWV. That works for us. Will do 1 trip a year, most likely. And then a cruise and some other destination each year as well.

[helenabear]

I find reading these interesting. I am in a low point and considered selling even with trips planned. It's just becoming work. This whole forum will be interesting to read I think. We've owned since 2004 and as I said I consider it even though I'm the fan because of the work that goes into trips now. If that doesn't change I likely will sell. So while I am a not now, I fear it comes so this new set of sub forums might be relevant in a few years.

[AlwaysDreamingDisney]

In 2010 we bought our first direct at VGC, 250 points broken evenly into 125 pt contracts. Our first DVC stay was August/September 2010 at BLT and we were hooked! And sadly out of points ! The kids were 12, 10 and 5 and it was a perfect fit. Within months, I was scouring the resales for a VWL contract as this is our favorite place to stay on property!!! Had originally wanted to buy here but “it wasn’t available” when we bought and we were clueless about the reals market. Found a VWL several months later that’s not too large (170) that we could use for a “one time only” Christmas trip and banked and borrowed points to use. Long story short, Christmas trips became an every other year trip after the one time.

Around 2013, we asked my father and step mother to join us for a trip and “needed” to add on more points. Again resales at SSR 200 points. And then a few months later found an awesome deal at OKW for 270 points that we couldn’t “pass up”. At no time did we ever rent out points but did lose an occasional (1-5) points due to booking, banking or cancellation errors. But we were able to spend an immense amount of time as a family at WDW.

Somewhere along the way and multiple trips a year, sometimes as many as 5 (times 5 people ) for airfare from NJ. Thank goodness for Frontier! We decided that since we like going to Florida so much perhaps we should live there.

2018 we started the process of building down here! Late 2018 and early 2019 we decided to start selling some of the DVC property. VGC, SSR and OKW were all sold at a profit! Only 1 of them were taken via ROFR.

We had a great run with all of the DVC trips. Had 10 years of family time that the kids really loved. We will still enjoy the Disney Magic - especially when it returns in full force. We’ve been to the parks a few times since reopening, been to Disney Springs quite a few times and even got to VWL to celebrate DD’s 15th birthday.

DH told me today he was looking at the resale value for VWL and what he had seen listed. Sure we could sell that but NO WAY!

[Princess Mom]

We sold a 100 point contract in Feb, leaving us with just 110 at Bay Lake. Our contracts were different use years, which made planning complicated with such small contracts. I originally thought i would buy back in a couple years at a different resort but same use year. However, when Covid hit, I was so thankful to own so few points. Now i have no plans to buy any points any time soon. We will keep this contract to retain all the blue card benefits. However, our kids are getting older and I want to start traveling more with them.
We may purchase Grand Floridian years down the road just for the two of us. I just don't want to pay maintenance fees on it right now. Thus, we are perfectly content with just 110 ponts. We will bank and borrow for trips every few years.

[mditkof]

Our high point was 1230 in 3 OKW and 1 SSR contract, back when my then wife wanted to spend most of the winter at WDW as our "retirement" spot for 3 or so months. Most of the OKW were secondary market at about $56 per point while SSR was direct on the family and friends plan.

Then the divorce.

She only wanted the 230 OKW contract as she moved to Celebration and took a job at Disney. That left me in Wisconsin with 800 points, 700 being OKW in 2 contracts and 100 being SSR. Our 4 adult kids are not WDW freaks.

I sold a 400 OKW extended in 2019. I will likely put the 300 OKW up for sale in mid to late 2021 after some of my obligations to David's ends and my oldest takes his family for a Disney vacation in March.

My 100 SSR is locked at a $78 price with Disney as we bought it for that amount on the family and friends discount when our daughter was in the College Program. As such, I would like to keep these 100 points long term and just play around with them.

My wife (new wife) has a time share in the Holiday Inn Vacation Club which happens to have its largest resort at Orange Lake just behind the Animal Kingdom. We have stayed there twice and it is very nice as an alternative to being on grounds.

Marty

[MMC1]

Hi Marty...This is first time I have ever heard of the Locked price on F&F at w/ College Program. My first contract for. 200 at WL must be “locked too . I guess this means they can’t be Sold thru a resale , only given back to Disney?
Learn something new everyday . That should come as no surprise, I guess.
Nothing is ever Free from Disney ultimately.

[carolina_yankee]

Originally Posted by Lamima

3) cost kept going up, up, up while what you'd get for that cost kept going down, down, down

This one is hard for me. We've had great service on recent trips, but when I compare to what it was like back in 2006 (and earlier, before DVC), it's like being a frog in a pot slowly reaching to a boil. No big changes year to year, but looking back, very different.

That said, it's the money side of the equation for us. The cost of being at WDW keeps going up (even if ownership costs are relatively stable) and have reached a point where I look at the annual money spent and the cost of what I would consider "dream trips" and realize that WDW has gone from a great getaway for a Disney fan to a "dream-priced" trip without offering a "dream trip experience."

Some of this is due to frequency of visits, no doubt, but if I need more time between visits in order to experiences "Disney Magic" then I don't need to own DVC.

IMO, DVC works if you go frequently and regularly. It doesn't work if you go infrequently or irregularly. There are always exceptions, and smaller contracts certainly make up for the less frequent visits, but if you hit a spot where you might not need to go for 2-3 years, ownership really becomes a question mark.

When we bought in, it was different. I wasn't sure we could do Disney as frequently as I wanted and DVC made it possible. It was great. But over the 15 years since, we've basically done it all, and some of it really isn't repeatable, so time to look at other things and put Disney in the rotation for a return in a few years.

Dirk

[Lamima]

Originally Posted by carolina_yankee

This one is hard for me. We've had great service on recent trips, but when I compare to what it was like back in 2006 (and earlier, before DVC), it's like being a frog in a pot slowly reaching to a boil. No big changes year to year, but looking back, very different.

That said, it's the money side of the equation for us. The cost of being at WDW keeps going up (even if ownership costs are relatively stable) and have reached a point where I look at the annual money spent and the cost of what I would consider "dream trips" and realize that WDW has gone from a great getaway for a Disney fan to a "dream-priced" trip without offering a "dream trip experience."

Some of this is due to frequency of visits, no doubt, but if I need more time between visits in order to experiences "Disney Magic" then I don't need to own DVC.

IMO, DVC works if you go frequently and regularly. It doesn't work if you go infrequently or irregularly. There are always exceptions, and smaller contracts certainly make up for the less frequent visits, but if you hit a spot where you might not need to go for 2-3 years, ownership really becomes a question mark.

When we bought in, it was different. I wasn't sure we could do Disney as frequently as I wanted and DVC made it possible. It was great. But over the 15 years since, we've basically done it all, and some of it really isn't repeatable, so time to look at other things and put Disney in the rotation for a return in a few years.

Dirk

Yes, exactly our feelings as well.