DVC?

[pinderella]

I am trying to figure out if DVC is worth the cost. I really would like to buy in, but the cost does not quite fit in the budget yet. Does anyone have any statistics regarding how often and by how much the Disney hotel prices increase in relation to the maintainence fees and point costs. I just can't quite figure how the prices compare.
Karen

[JustJan]

Boy Karen,

Thanks for asking as I had similar questions. I know that when I figure it out monthly it seems more do-able but I also had other questions.

There are times when my son would like to go to somewhere other than Disney (gasp!) and I know that there are other options to use points for other trips and resorts and this possible could sell me on this.

Has anyone used their DVC points for other trips and accommodations and how does that work - is it easy, comparable rooms etc?

Thanks for any help!

[Joe]

Jan and Karen,
This is the $64,000 question. And the real answer is: it depends. The traditional rule of thumb is: if you visit WDW at least every other year, and like to stay in deluxe accommodations, then DVC would probably work for you. Tagrel has a great overview at the top of the page. There is also a great FAQ list on the DIS board from Doe. I would encourage you to take a look at those and see if they answer your questions. If not, ask away! I love answering DVC questions. I will even be more than happy to share my very own CM who did a really fabulous job with us when we bought in. There really is no pressure from them at all. It is a very pleasant experience from start to finish.
HTH
Joe

[Brer]

I can make the decision easy for you. If you decide not to go, you can always rent the points out. I say the question is, are you going to the beach or Disney at least every other year, remember Disney has VB and HHI :):)

[imagineerwannabe]

DVC also allows you to stay at fine resorts in central Florida, and got to Universal, Sea World, Kennedy Space Center, and possibly Busch Gardens Tampa. We bought with the idea of going to other places, and may go to the Outer Banks, Virginia Beach, or Williamsburg next year. Heck, we might just go to WDW again. Just remember, going outside of the program costs an extra fee (I think $75).

[Tagrel]

Lots of good answers here already. I've been keeping a spreadsheet of our DVC stays and it looks like we are on track to have DVC pay for the initial investment within the first 5 - 7 years. I have not done any trading yet, so I have no real insight there. For the most part it seems better to rent your DVC points and then use the cash for other vacation options. But many, many people trade directly and are very happy.

Contacting Disney to get the DVC promotional materials is a great starting point. I also have a great guide who we have been very pleased with. She keeps us informed through mailings and emails, and never calls or bothers us.

After watching the DVC DVD and reading the material DVC provides, reading the DIS DVC FAQ and asking specific questions is the way to go. The program is extremely variable with lots and lots of options that may or may not be of interest to everyone.

I've long been thinking about putting together our own DVC FAQ here on the site. I just haven't had the time to do it alone. But if our many DVC members would be interested in helping me pull together various information we could work to get it online for everyone! :yes:

So - any interest in building a nice DVC informational section here on the site? Anyone want to help? :)

[imagineerwannabe]

Tag, I would be glad to help you build a DVC informational section with my limited experience so far. Let me know how you might think I can contribute, and I will spend the time. I have some of the information from our recent trip to HHI, and took some notes during the "Behind the Ears" tour.

[SuzyQ]

Me too! :)

[TwirlerGirl]

I'll help. I read everything I could get my hands on before we bought in '97.
I know how important it is to have the right information inorder to make the right decision. Just let me know what you need me to do.

Sandy

[Tagrel]

Great guys! :)

How about if I start a DVC FAQ gathering thread? We'll start out by listing ALL the most frequently asked questions, and then start supplying answers to each one.

We can rework the answers using everyone's input, and I'll ultimately put everything into its own area on the site. I'm very busy right now, so I won't be able to do a lot on this right away, but we'll have the info here until I can get it reformatted.

Last - please don't just copy questions/answers from any other site. I'm sure we'll have lots of the same questions/answers other sites have, but at least they will be in our own words.

Then, after we have an FAQ, we can start some specific info about each resort. Or more details info like a history of maintenance fees, etc...

Thanks!

[ripleysmom]

We have already recovered the cost of our initial buy-in. That being said we bought in several years ago when prices were much lower.

As someone mentioned earlier, DVC is worth it if you like to stay annually in deluxe accommodations. It can also pay if you want to go every other year or want the bigger size rooms.

We haven't used our points yet to trade outside into II but we have used the points for the cruise and to stay at the Hilton Head resort (awesome place).