So, How does this Disney Vacation Club work?

[Tagrel]

ETA: Visit our DVC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (http://tagrel.com/wiki/index.php?title=Disney_Vacation_Club_%28DVC%29_FAQ ) for more info!

As a quick description, Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney's answer to a timeshare (gasp - but Disney would never call it that!) :lol:

It is open to those from the US as well as those from other countries. (There are many UK owners!)

To buy into DVC from Disney you have to purchase at least 150 points currently priced at $98 per point (this is subject to change - and has changed fairly often). There can be incentives as well.

Currently, Saratoga Springs Ressort (SSR) is selling on WDW property. Each year you will also pay maintenance fees on each point (example later).

To make reservations, you use your points to 'pay' for each night's stay. You can typically choose from a Studio (sleeps 4), a one bedroom (sleeps 4) or a two bedroom ( sleeps 8 ). Some DVC resorts have a Grand Villa that sleeps up to 12. I have point charts available right here on the site: DVC Point Charts (http://tagrel.com/Points/DVCPointCharts.shtml) or use the DVC Points Calculator (http://tagrel.com/dvcCompChart.shtml) to compare a stay at several resorts at the same time!

The number of points necessary depends on the room type, the time of year you stay and the day of the week (weekends cost many more points so that locals don't use up all the weekend reservations) Each year you will receive another set of points (the total you originally purchased)

An example helps:

Say you bought 150 SSR points at $98 per point. Up front cost: $14,700. This could be reduced by any incentive that DVC might be running at the time. You also are responsible for maintenance costs each year. This year, the rate is around: $3.83 per point or $574.50 for 150 points. This rate typically goes up with inflation each year. It is the actual costs of maintaining the resort, which of course, you as an owner have to pay.

Disney provides financing options for the upfront cost, and you may also spread the maintenance costs out over the entire year (a monthly payment done as a direct bank withdrawl with no added fees)

Sounds expensive, and it is. BUT, the DVC resorts are magnificent. Studios have a kitchenette with half fridge, wet bar and microwave. The 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms have a full kitchen, livingroom (w/ queen size pullout couch), washer and dryer in the room, jacuzzi tub in the master bath, King size bed in the master bedroom. Very beautiful.

DVC works best for those who visit WDW often (at least once every two years) and for those who want to help lock in today's rates for the life of the contract: DVC ownership at SSR lasts until 2054, all other DVC resorts end in 2042) Many say the break even point is around 6 or 7 years.

You may make reservations at your home resort (where you bought) 11 months in advance, or at any other DVC resort 7 months in advance. There are also MANY other hotels/cruises available for trade if don't want to visit WDW that year.

Some typical stays at SSR:

- a week in July:
- Studio for 123 pts
- 1 bdrm for 243 pts
- 2 bdrm for 316 pts
- 3 bdrm for 719 pts

- a week in January:
- Studio for 95 pts
- 1 bdrm for 182 pts
- 2 bdrm for 243 pts
- 3 bdrm for 505 pts

DVC is not something that is easily explained. It is not right for everyone, but after reading the discussion groups for a couple years now, I'm amazed how many owners LOVE DVC. Its seems that most are buying addons (more points) at each new resort!

We first owned at WLV and added on at BCV before our first trip home. After staying at DVC, our only regret is that we didn't buy in sooner!

Hope this helps!

[cshore]

Tagrel, thanks for the information. Everytime we go to WDW I wonder about this. If I should decide to look into this, how are the salespeople to work with. I would expect no high pressure tactics. Do you get any type of breaks on park tickets? I think I would be very interested. I hope to soon have some grandchildren, and this sounds like a great way to have a family vacation every year.

[Tagrel]

The Disney salespeople are VERY low pressure. DVC seems to sell itself, so they don't have to use the high pressure tactics.

I haven't heard of anyone getting free tickets, but I have heard of people getting a free lunch voucher. Just don't be afraid to ask for one, 'cause I don't think they volunteer them! :)

We love DVC and we have the typical regret of many DVCers - Why didn't we join SOONER!? :)

[cshore]

Oooooh!! I am feeling a need to really start doing my homework, and check this out. I can't think of a better gift for the kids and grandkids than to be able to say "Grandma's taking you all to Disney World every year!!"

[Tinkerbell]

:tink: I've been trying to figure out what DVC meant for a couple of years & just recently figured it out. Thanks for the explanatiion. I hope to someday in the near future be in a place where I could participate.

Are you also locked into a certain week(s) or can you vary that around?

[Tagrel]

Hi Tinkerbell -

You are NOT locked into any particular weeks. You may make reservations at a DVC resort where you own points 11 months in advance of your trip. You may also make reservations at any of the DVC resorts at 7 months prior to your trip. The period from 11 months to the 7 month mark is known as the 'owners advantage' - allowing owners priority in getting the units they desire before reservations are opened to all DVC members.

I LOVE the flexibility, and find we now travel whatever times best fit our needs. Your points may be used for any number of nights, not just a full week. This is great for events like MouseFest where I'm only staying a few days. And you can pick the size unit you need as well: Studio, One, Two or Three (where available) bedrooms.

Hope that helps! :)

[Tinkerbell]

:tink: Thanks Dave. It helps alot. I've been so out of that loop, never quite understood it until I came across this. Thanks. Oh! Love the emoticons! :dance: :tink:

[krdisneybound]

VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD - descriptions that you gave above, Dave.

We are sad that we didn't buy into DVC sooner that we did also.

I LOVE IT and explaining all to my children and hope they understand, because in the future, it will be theirs and THEY WILL "THANK ME" every time they use it.

[Tagrel]

Thanks Kay! I haven't read this is a while... I should update my description! :)

[krdisneybound]

ALSO - after you buy into DVC - and you refer people that buy into DVC - you get say $100 (I think, if not more) for the first person and then the more people you refer, you can get up to $1,000 for referrals. Very good incentive.

Also, being a DVC member, you can pool hop at the other DVC hotels and pools. There is one that routinely does not allow it, and I forget that one right now.

We will be going to Hawaii in September and looking forward to using our points over there, if enough are left for that use year. We will have to pay $75.00 for making those reservations.

To book a cruise using your points, you have to pay $75.00 - which is called making reservations outside the resorts. But it is well worth it.

The people at MS when you call are ALWAYS EXTREMELY nice and courteous and always helpful in ever way. They DO NOT SELLING AT ALL.

There is so much involved with it, it is hard to remember everything unless you keep thinking about it.

[Joe]

There are two resorts that you cannot pool hop to: Stormalong Bay at the Y/BC and AKL. All of the others are open provided the crowds allow it. You are supposed to check before you hop, but we never have and have not had any problems at th distant end.
Referral rewards vary from state to state, here in Colorado we cannot do that.
Good thread to look at again
Thanks Dave and KR for bumping it up.
Joe

[Tagrel]

Wow, was that example outdated. :shock:

I've updated my example and info, and added a pointer to our DVC FAQ

[BaciBecky]

Started rethinking the DVC possibility lately and one question kind of haunts me:

Looking at the maintenance cost each year, doesn't the yearly maintenace cost come to about the same as one value or moderate resort stay with an AP discount?

Based on Dave's example of SSR This year:


$3.83 per point or $574.50 for 150 points. This rate typically goes up with inflation each year. It is the actual costs of maintaining the resort, which of course, you as an owner have to pay.


Are other resorts much higher? And it looks like one would have to buy more points almost immediately to be able to reserve something larger than a studio, yes?

Maybe I've just realized the answer to the annual cost question: could not stay in a deluxe for the same cost as the maintenance fee, right? :confused:

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but it's all rather confusing for me...but..thinking of the future and (fingers crossed :wink:) grandbabies, I bet I'd be very happy I did this come 5 years in the future :)

Thanks much!!

[SuzyQ]

Started rethinking the DVC possibility lately and one question kind of haunts me:

Looking at the maintenance cost each year, doesn't the yearly maintenace cost come to about the same as one value or moderate resort stay with an AP discount?

Based on Dave's example of SSR This year:



Are other resorts much higher? And it looks like one would have to buy more points almost immediately to be able to reserve something larger than a studio, yes?

Maybe I've just realized the answer to the annual cost question: could not stay in a deluxe for the same cost as the maintenance fee, right? :confused:

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but it's all rather confusing for me...but..thinking of the future and (fingers crossed :wink:) grandbabies, I bet I'd be very happy I did this come 5 years in the future :)

Thanks much!!

Not dumb questions at all! :)

You are correct. We own 250 points (which is quite enough for us right now) and our annual dues are somewhere in the high $900s. That being said, I will send you a need little excell spreadsheet that I made up that helps me realize what a savings DVC is in the long run. Basically, you are on the right path - regardless of the maintenance fees, the cost to stay in a deluxe would be much higher if you purchased nights on an annual pass (not to mention how high it would be a few years from now).

The only way that you can make a true comparison is to compare apples to apples (the cost of a deluxe stay vs. the DVC costs). We also felt that we enjoy staying in moderates and would be better off not buying DVC until we really did some number crunching and realized that we would be saving lots of money in the long run (based on our travel). I'll email ya! :)

[Joe]

Becky, as Suzy brought out, we usually compare DVC with staying in Delux resorts to keep them on the same level. We purchased 240 points at OKW (unlike Suzy though, I would love to have more :lol:), and find that is enough for us to typically get the room we want when we want to go.
HTH
Ask away, we love answering questions about DVC.
Joe

[BaciBecky]

Few more questions, please :)

1.Read through the explanations on Shontell's site about use year (which even helped me to understand a bit better!) - so when you buy, either thru Disney or Resale, is the use year assigned or can you set it up at the time you buy?

2. Always reading about banking or borrowing points. Does it mean within a 6 mo time frame you can add one year's points to the next and/or borrow points from the following year? How or does this effect the yearly maintenance fee?

3. Is it worth it and if so, how does one use points for a resort stay..i.e. Poly. Is it a waste of points, does it use more points than staying in DVC?

4. Think I've read check-in is 4 p.m. for DVC, never or rarely earlier and it's difficult to request a room location. For the most part, are the room location as good as a resort room?

5. Oh! What about housekeeping?

Thanks so much!!

[nicholaspaige]

Ok...hopefully I can answer some of your questions...

1.Use is determined at when you buy in. So if you bought a resale the use year is when the original owner bought in.

2.You yearly maintance fee is determined by how many points you "own" not by how many you use. So if you bank/borrow them the monthly fee is still the same. And you can borrow from next year anytime after the current use year has begun. Ours is Feb so anytime after 2/1 we can borrow next year. And you can bank pretty much anytime during the year, although the percentage of points you can bank goes down as the use year gets closer to the end.

3.It's is def much "cheaper" points wise to stay at DVC on points than it is to stay outside. For example, 1 night studio at BWV prefered view on Aug 16th(dream season) is 13 points(11 standard view) while a Garden view at the Poly is 35!!! And the studios have a kitchenette in them.

4.While check-in is at 4pm our experience has been good. We almost always have been able to get into our room when we check-in(sometimes as early as 10 am) and while I have never requested a specific room #, I have been able to specific bldg or area and have been pretty happy. Our last stay(jan 06) we stayed at OKW and checked in around 11 am and the CM showed me a list of the rooms available for me to pick from.

5. Housekeeping is one of the biggest gripes of DVC members. You don't get daily housekeeping(unless you pasy extra..I think $35 a day). They do give you trash/towel service on day 4 and if you are staying longer full cleaning in day 7.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you even more!!!

[Joe]

Great answers Nicholaspaige! I would like to add that when we make a reservation, we request a room type (non-smoking, golf course view, close to Hospitality House, etc) not a specific building. Doing this gives the staff the most flexability and us the best chance of getting our requests met. We have always been very satisfied with our room selections. And, and Nicholaspaige pointed out, we typically are given a choice of available rooms when we check in.
Housekeeping costs will vary depending on the size of room you have, I will look up the numbers and add them here. I have heard folks comment about the lack of daily housekeeping, but we kind of enjoy it. It is nice not to have to worry about having to straighten up the room for housekeeping to come in every day, and I really don't mind pulling up a bed in the morning before we leave. Typically, we will ask for trash and towels (mainly for the towels) every other day.
Great questions!
Joe

[BaciBecky]

Nicholaspaige and Joe, you are a fountain of great info! Thank you!

Definitely makes sense to stay at DCV rather than use so many points for a resort.

And just like other resorts, sounds like less busy season is generally easier to get the resort of first choice, check-in time, location etc.

I like that requesting non-smoking and i.e. a view works well. What I'd probablly find most difficult is the lack of housekeeping as that's something I enjoy as part of a vacation. On the other hand, other than the GF, (not sure about Poly) housekeeping is not what it used to be anyway. Beds are made,(not changed), trash emptied but no more than that - and I can get fresh towels and ask for trash to be emptied, if necessary. Leave a room totally neat and clean anyway, so pulling up the bed I could probably get used to...maybe. :lol:

Reading your experiences is very helpful in making this decision. Thanks again!

[Joe]

I'm glad we are getting your questions answered Becky, and if you have more - ask away!
Joe

[nicholaspaige]

Glad to help!!:)

If you have any other questions I'll try to answer them.

[TracyMB]

When we stayed at OKW in February, we asked for more towels since there were 3 of us staying there. They charged us $6.00 for an extra "towel pack" which consisted of 2 bath towels, a hand towel and 2 face clothes. As for trash service, if you don't use the kitchen for much other than snacks or a quick breakfast, then you can easily get by on trash pick-up once every 4 days. If you do a lot of cooking and eating at the condo, then it could become a problem.

[Joe]

Tracy, when we do a bit of cooking in the room, we take the trash out to the dumpster. They are usually right there by the central stair. That makes it work well and you don't have a lot of trash piling up. For towels, another option is to just dump them in the washer when you go out in the morning, and then into the dryer when you get back at night; clean towels every day!
JMHO - your mileage may vary.
Joe

[BaciBecky]

Does every unit have a washer/dryer?? Now that would be something!!!

[nicholaspaige]

Nope...the studios don't have a washer/dryer. The 1,2 bedrooms do as well as the grand villas. they do have washers on-site though but that would mean bringing them to/from.

[Tagrel]

At BCV, VWL and BWV there are rooms where you can drop off your trash if it gets too full. We've actually never had to do that ourselves. We just don't generate enough trash on vacation to need to.

We also throw the towels in the washer/dryer every couple days. Studios don't have the W/D in the room, but there are ones available to use, and at no cost. You do have to supply your own soap/fabric softener though.

I thought we would miss daily housekeeping too, but we REALLY don't. In fact I like this better. I like not having someone in our room every day. We don't feel we have to get everything 'ready' before we leave. And the towels didn't turn out to be a problem at all. We don't use new towels every day at home, so its not real stretch to use them a couple times on vacation.

Housekeeping is a HUGE part of the dues. I like that we have the option of paying for extra housekeeping when/if we want it. But paying for it for everyone all year long would increase dues quite a bit. This way you 'pay to play'. Seems fair to me.

[BaciBecky]

Does make sense and I like that there is a w/d available without cost to those staying in a studio.

Anything up would you have done differently when you first bought and any advice to offer when making this decision?

Thanks again!! :flower:

[nicholaspaige]

I would say make sure you think about how many points you would use/need a year based on the time you go as well as how often. We bought into SSR for 200 points. At the time(only 2 years ago) we thought that would be plenty. Of course now that we have it and AP's we are going too many times and end up borrowing points. It hasn't been a problem yet but we are now looking to buy more points:D .

Also one think to think about is where you like to stay. You may be better off buying resale if you have your heart set on staying at someplace other than SSR(which they are currently selling). Especially if you are looking to stay at a particular resort in peak season. The resort you buy into will be your "home resort" which will give you an 11 month booking window. Otherwise you can book 7 months out.

Just something to think about if you have your heart set on a particular resort at a particular time.

One of the drawbacks however is that SSR ends in 2054 and the rest in 2042...something else to think about.

[SusanL]

I will be 81 in 2042, I may be tired or WDW by then. LOL

[Joe]

nicholaspaige has given some good pointers. That is really what we did when we bought in; make a determination of how long and how often we wanted to visit and figure the points out from there. We bought 240 points at OKW and have been pretty comfortable with that. We have borrowed some years, but all in all it has balanced out for us. Do take into consideration where you want your home resort to be, if it's not SS, then take a long look at the resale market or ask the CMs if that resort may come up on the open market list soon. That is how we got into OKW in 2000.
Good luck
Joe

[Tagrel]

Speaking of the resale market, our next DVC chat (March 14th) will be all about Resales with guest host Shontell Crawford - owner of DVCbyResale.com (http://dvcbyresale.com)

There will never be a better chance to ask all your DVC Resale related questions! :yes:

[BaciBecky]

Will have to try to make that chat...if I can stay awake!

Next visit to Disney it will be time to have a tour of SSR :yes: Years ago visited Old Key West when it was new, so it's been awhile.!

Thanks again everyone! You're the best!! :clap:

[SuzyQ]

You'll enjoy the tour! Especially the free ice cream sundaes at the end!! :eat:

[BaciBecky]

You'll enjoy the tour! Especially the free ice cream sundaes at the end!! :eat:

Wow, they were giving those out when we toured the brand new OKW too! Yup, worth the tour!! :yes:

[Joe]

They give out ice cream sundaes at the end of the tour? I wonder if we can take on retroactively, we never took the tour.
Joe

[Lady]

One of you typed in a post above the following:

1 night studio at BWV prefered view on Aug 16th(dream season) is 13 points

If you use the post from Dave where he states that points are $98.00 (maybe more now) and you times it by 13 - it comes out to 1,274.00

$1,274.00 for one night?

Am I doing the math right?

Thanks - Shell

[Tagrel]

Just a little confused there Shell! ;)

A studio at that time of year/day of the week is 13 points yes.

But those 13 points are reusable for the next 36 years until 2042 (or 2054 for Saratoga Springs) So that brings the cost back in line over the life of the contract. If you buy a 150 point contract. You will get 150 per year to use as you like.

[Lady]

Thanks Dave

But if I'm buying/renting points from someone - I need to give them $1,274.00 for the one night (as they're not my points to reuse)

I know I'm doing something wrong :(

Hugs Shell

Here's what I want to do though - buy points for VWL for four nights - buy BWV for four nights from someone when we go next.

[kathleena]

Thanks Dave

But if I'm buying/renting points from someone - I need to give them $1,274.00 for the one night (as they're not my points to reuse)

I know I'm doing something wrong :(

Hugs Shell

Here's what I want to do though - buy points for VWL for four nights - buy BWV for four nights from someone when we go next.

Hi Lady!

People usually rent points for about $10 per point. So if you need 9 points, you would pay $90. Some people are charging higher than that, but I would encourage you to keep trying for the lower amount.

Some other tidbits:

The Fri/Sat nights are the most expensive. Some folks try to stay just Sun-Thu nights to save on points and then stay hotel cash for the other two.

BWV Standard View rooms are cheaper than the preferred View.

The BWV BoardWalk view rooms have the best view of all!!!!!

Depending on where and when - you may have to make sure you get your ressie 11 months out on the nose. Some times book out really fast.

Hope this helps.

[Lady]

Thanks bunches to you both for helping me understand : )

When we're about a year out of going - I need to find someone to rent from - okay - thanks : )

Hugs Shell

[Joe]

Give a yell when you are ready to start looking Shell, I think we can point you in the direction of some folks that are willing to rent points.
Beware, once you stay DVC you will want DVC!!!!! :hypno:
Joe

[pinderella]

Suzy,

Can I please get a copy of your "little excell spreadsheet that I made up that helps me realize what a savings DVC is in the long run"? I would love to buy into DVC eventually but DH says NO! He listened to my Dad who says "time shares are always a waste of money". Anything that might help convince him we NEED DVC is great.

Thanks,
Karen

[bullseye759]

its all great info--thank you all.
But...I still am not sure I totally understand it but thats okay since I'm not in a position to buy right away. I do have one question and excuse me in advance if its a really stupid one...
none of these DVC costs include any sort of park passes correct?

Thank you
Dean

[Tagrel]

its all great info--thank you all.
But...I still am not sure I totally understand it but thats okay since I'm not in a position to buy right away. I do have one question and excuse me in advance if its a really stupid one...
none of these DVC costs include any sort of park passes correct?

Thank you
Dean

No, park passes are not included with DVC. Currently, DVC provides a $100 discount on annual passes, but that is a perk, and could be (heaven forbid!) taken away in the future!

DVC is mainly a way to prepay for your lodging in today's dollars. While you still will need to pay maintenance fees, those are (by law) only raised as required to maintain the resorts where you own. Point costs to stay in the units remain constant (although they can be adjusted if necessary, any increases need to be balanced by decreases elsewhere. I believe this has only occured once at OKW...)

[akdisney]

its all great info--thank you all.
But...I still am not sure I totally understand it but thats okay since I'm not in a position to buy right away. I do have one question and excuse me in advance if its a really stupid one...
none of these DVC costs include any sort of park passes correct?

Thank you
Dean

When DVC start there back 1991 I thnk there was only two parks maybe three.
you would get Two park pass for a studio and one bedroom, four for two bedroom, 6 for three bedroom. Stop in year 2000.

Now days you only get a Discount Only on AP (Annual Passholder)

[bullseye759]

Okay-thank you both. I kind of figured passes were excluded--almost makes it too good to be true.
I'll keep buying lottery tickets for now and when I hit a decent jackpot maybe I'll take the DVC plunge.

Thanks again
Dean