I've been bit!

[AliciaG]

Gosh, just one 6 day stay, and a tour of the DVC and I'm hooked. We really loved staying at BCV, and the tour even impressed us more. We didn't think we could really afford it right now, but both of us have been thinking about it constantly since we got home. :shock:

We hadn't really pulled out our information or anything until today. It was awful...I bawled like a baby while I was watching that tape. :roll: WDW Marketing has my number, they get me everytime. Now to just sit down and figure out why this is a good deal for us, and how much it'll cost us.


Somebody, talk me out of it. :?

[Tagrel]

Stop. Don't. Wait.

Who am I kidding! DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!! :mickey:

LOL, its TERRIBLE, isn't it!! I always tell people NOT to take that tour unless you are serious about DVC. I spent YEARS trying to convince the DW, and within five minutes of touring a one-bedroom they were drawing up the paperwork! :D Worse than that, we added on at the BCV before we even took our first trip home to VWL!!! :shock:

When you get it, it gets you BAD!!!! We have zero regrets ourselves, and just love being in DVC. Work it through and do your own math. It has to be something that works for your family. Its a big expense and a large commitment, but when its right, boy it sure is great! :D

If you have any questions, just ask away. I forgot to mention before that Kelly Jo is our guide as well. We really like her and she was great without being pushy at all.

And don't forget resale. If you want to own at a DVC resort that is sold out or a bit cheaper, the resale market can be a great way to go!

[Joe]

What Tagrel said! I will re-iterate that you have to do the math yourself to be sure this is a good trade-oof for your family. That said, my opinion is; if you prefer staying in a premium resort, and go to the World at least every-other year, it will work for you.

We got bit so bad, we bought sight unseen! We were going strictly from inputs from Cathy's (DW) cousin and the video. It looked so great, and the information we got from our CM was so thorough, we took the plunge.

This certainly is not talking you out of buying in, but I can't see why we would want to talk you out of it... :lol:

Ask away, I love to answer questions about the DVC.
Joe

[AliciaG]

Thanks, guys...I think. :wink: I've contacted Kelly Jo to get some more information. Maybe in the meantime you guys could help. How do I find out how many points and what type of unit I'd get using the World Passport Collection? John really wants the kids to experience a variety of vacation locations (though his love of Disney is growing). :mrgreen: When I told him we could stay in Germany that really peaked his interest. I just wanna find out how much, how easy to get, and how nice are these properties. We still need to work on the math some more, but it would be a big selling point to suggest we do Disney every other year.

Thanks!

[Joe]

Having never traded outside the DVC locations, I can't tell you how that part works. But if you are working with Kelly Jo, she should be able to answer your question.

As to how many points to buy, we calculated the type of room we wanted to stay in and how long our typical visit to WDW was. Then it was just math, we purchased 240 points at OKW when we originally bought in. This is enough points for us to get a 1 Br for 2 weeks in the Oct - Nov timeframe. So far, it has worked for us.

HTH
Joe

[Tagrel]

So many great responses!

Computing points we did better with our add on. I figured out when we typically travel and got enough points for Sun - Thurs in a one bedroom (just can't pay those high weekend points, and we like to visit family or go to Universal on the weekends anyway) It all depends on how you like to travel. We don't mind moving, but some people can't stand bouncing around on vacation!

We have never traded out, and probably won't for quite a while. For 2003 be received the following info:

World Passport Collection, Interval International

One - Bedroom:
124 points for 7 nights in low season
144 points for 7 nights in mid season
160 points for 7 nights in high season

Two - Bedroom:
207 points for 7 nights in low season
252 points for 7 nights in mid season
270 points for 7 nights in high season

Kelli Jo will definitely be able to help you out with what else is available. And there are a bunch of people over on the DIS boards that seem very well versed in timeshares in general. I'll bet they could answer your questions as well.

And you could always rent points out to pay for another vacation as well. So many options!

[AliciaG]

Thanks guys! I'm not a "mathy" type person, so I have to take this logic slow, and work it out on my terms, lol.

You guys have given me some great information, and a good start on figuring it all out. I may ask some more questions on the DIS, but in the meantime...I keep reading that term "traded out". Does that mean you can't just call up and make a reservation like you do with MS for the Disney Collection? Do you have to hope for an opening, or be able to trade time to Disney? I wouldn't want it to be hard to get or a hassle.

Thanks again for helping a novice. :D

[Tagrel]

Problem is, I'm a novice in this area for sure! Little to no working knowledge! :)

With that obvious disclaimer, here is what I think I understand.

For you to 'trade out' to another resort, an owner there must also wish to 'trade out'. People seem to do this all the time, and I've even heard hints that you can see what is currently available and where - problem is I just don't know how or where to look.

These are really good questions for the DVC board. I just can't answer them myself. Its all very complex with lots of rules, etc. And there is a cost involved to make a reservations (I think $75 - 95 depending). Your guide will probably make it all sound easy and painless, but you'll get more direct answers on the DVC board.

For us we just love WDW, but also look forward to vacations in HH and Vero Beach. Someday we want to try Disneyland and might try to trade out eventually, but I think it will be quite a while before we are willing to give up WDW all together. We are cruising next year, but the point costs seemed high to me. I can rent the points myself, and use MANY less to pay for the cruise. So, it all depends on the individual and personal preference. Some people like the convenience of trading out, while others find it more 'cost effective' to sell the points and then pay for anywhere you choose outside the program and its rules. Some of the trades might be a great deal! It all depends...

I know - way too confusing. I think this is why you typically hear that the best use of DVC is at a DVC resort. Its something to definitely be aware of and accept before buying. There are MUCH cheaper timeshares for those that wish to do a lot of trading around.

Ask on DIS, I'd love to follow the thread and learn some new info! :)

[AliciaG]

Thanks, Tagrel! Once I form a coherent question...I'll post it on the DIS. :lol:

[RhinoDad]

Well, Alicia... I'm not one to rock the boat, and go against the tide... so, sorry, I won't be trying to talk you out of DVC either!!

Being the owner of another timeshare besides just DVC, I'll try and give you my perspective on 'trading out'.

DVC is currently 'partnered' with II, or Interval International. They are like a large clearing house for timeshares all over the world. RCI is another one of those, but DVC doesn't currently have access to them.

With most timeshares, you have to 'deposit' a week, as most are sold in week blocks. That is changing, as more and more of them are going to points systems like DVC (which we prefer, and so do many others evidently).

What all this means is, is that if you want to go to a resort outside of DVC, you will have to make reservations for a week at a time, and depending on the time of year that you want go and the size of unit that you need, that will determine how many DVC points it will cost you.

BTW, I have heard that it is virtually impossible for any II members outside of DVC to get time at the DVC resorts, especially within WDW, mostly because DVC members rarely ever trade out.

The plain truth is, the trade out option is a 'nice to have' with DVC, but not very economical. Especially if you pay full price for points as they are today. If trading out is a big factor, and you expect to do a lot of it, then you may want to look at buying resale (and that's important... that it be resale) of a different resort chain, like Fairfield, or something similar. The reason for buying a chain is that they have many more destinations internally, and make them more attractive when companies like II or RCI are doing exchanges. The reason for resale is that unlike DVC, the price difference between 'retail' and 'resale' of other resort systems is HUGE! I would recommend going to a Fairfield sales pitch, and getting all their prices... then go home, and check the internet. I don't have any specific sites to check at the moment, but I'll go and look around to see what's out there. You will find that the prices quoted to you in the office, are vastly higher in most cases than what you can find for resale. And no, in 99.9% of the cases, there is NO DIFFERENCE between a resale, and a direct resort sale.

So... with all that said... we still think DVC was an outstanding purchase. But, we also have our other timeshare (paid off now), to use in other locations, or for other purposes... like for example we're doing Orlando over the 4th of July weekend for Kerrigan's (my DD) medical conference, and instead of using our DVC points, we're using our other timeshare, and staying not at Disney, but at a resort near the conference.

I hope some of this helps....

The short story is, is that DVC is really most economical when used at a DVC resort, although yes, you do have options. Just make sure that you're making the right fiscal decision, and know that there are some options out there.

RhinoDad

[AliciaG]

Wow! Thanks, Rhino Dad. :D That is good information to have. I've never even looked at a timeshare before, so this was all new to me. I understood the basics of how the DVC worked, but need an education in the rest.

I didn't at all understand about trading out during our DVC tour. Of course we had our toddler with us in the presentation, and that probably hindered my ability to think of questions. :lol:

It looks like "trading" is an option, but probably not the way DVC should be used for the most part. This is all very helpful in deciding whether or not DVC is the best option for our family.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. :D