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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
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If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
What are the pros and cons? Seems like a good deal but I want to hear the good and the bad. Thanks!
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Posted 2/21/14 9:01 AM  |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3073 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
We've owned for 9 years. We've been very happy with our purchase. You really have to do the math. It is expensive. However, if you plan on going to Disney often and stay in deluxe resorts, it will definitely be a less expensive option. Basically, you are prepaying your Disney vacations. There are annual fees (dues) associated with it. The dues is based on the number of points you own and your home resort.. Our dues runs about $1,200 a year.
Some of the good:
1. Being able to stay at deluxe resorts all the time for a fraction of what they would cost without DVC
2. The ability to tailor your vacation to your style. DH and I usually stay in studios since it's just the two of us. We don't need a full kitchen or separate bedroom. I've gone with my sisters and my mom and gotten the one and two bedroom units for more space (and two bathrooms!). We've also done a big family vacation staying in one of the grand villas (sleeps up to 12).
3. The way we vacation at Disney has changed. We don't go go go all day at the parks. We don't wait on any line longer than 1/2 an hour. We don't freak if it's raining, etc. We know we'll always be back.
4. If you plan your vacations right, you will definitely be able to go much more cheaply by utilizing the DVC annual passes, etc.
5. Being able to share the magic with friends and family. We've let our family use our points for trips. Last year, we had friends that were going down the same we were. They were staying at one of the All Stars and then had a financial setback and were thinking about canceling. They were struggling to find ways to make their trip cheaper (canceling the regular dining plan and just doing quick service, no park hopper passes, etc.). We had some extra points that we were going to bank into a future year, but instead we booked them into a room at Saratoga Springs. All they needed to do was pay for their park tickets, food and flights.
The Bad:
1. You have to plan your vacations in advance - especially if you go during peak travel times.
2. The annual dues
3. Some people say that loss of "free" dining is a con. I don't believe it. Free dining is never "free" since you have to pay rack rate for your rooms AND buy qualifying park tickets. As DVC owners, you don't have to do that. We can buy the dining plans (we can also buy Tables in Wonderland - which is usually just a passholder/FL resident perk), and we do not have to buy park tickets at all.
All in all, I think you have to remember that it's a timeshare. It's not an investment and you won't make money on it. What you will do is prepay your vacations, but that's only worth something if you actually USE it.
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| Posted 2/21/14 9:29 AM |
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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Thank you for all this information! Very helpful. DH and I have to really evaluate if this is best for us. Do you do other vacations or do you only do vacations through the vacation club?
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| Posted 2/21/14 7:23 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3073 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
We've only used our points outside of Disney a few times. We've been pleased each time we have though.
We take one or two non-Disney vacations every year too. Read up on it as much as you can. There's lots of info available.
My favorite part of DVC ownership: DH and I are going for a week in May. Six nights at Bay Lake Tower in a studio.we have annual passes that expire in November so we don't need passes. We will probably get the dining plan (just because DH likes to have everything prepaid). Flights cost us $420. The dining plan will cost us $703.92. Total cost of this trip = $1,123.92.
If we booked the same room, did the dining plan and got 6 day park hoppers, this trip prices out at $5815.
I know I am not factoring in my yearly dues ($1200) or the cost to buy the points originally ( $20k, ) but i still feel like we come out ahead by owning.
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| Posted 2/21/14 8:13 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Just curious. When you break down the buy in cost. How much does it come out to per year (cost to buy + annual dues). How much do you spend on tickets as well?
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| Posted 2/21/14 8:58 PM |
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KarenK122
The Journey is the Destination
Member since 5/05 4431 total posts
Name:
Karen
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If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
I agree with everything Mil188 said. As far as breaking out the costs....you get the timeshare for about 50 years so if you spend 20,000 it would be about 400 a year. Add in your dues and the cost would be around 1600 a year. Tickets are just the same as a non dvc member unless you plan on going a few times a year and get an annual pass, which right now is discounted for DVC members. So for room only for us to stay at a one bedroom deluxe resort it costs us about 1600 a year while if I paid out of pocket it would be well over 5000 to stay at a comparable resort. If you are more comfortable in moderates or values then the savings would be a lot less.
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| Posted 2/21/14 9:40 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3073 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
The savings on an annual pass (as of right now) is substantial. We always get at least 2 trips out of our passes. If we activate a pass on November 1 we will use it on that trip and then schedule a trip for say the last week of October - as long as the second trip is over before November 2, we're good.
We also have a bunch of tickets with one or two days left (from back when the non-expiring option wasn't extra). We will also buy tickets from either mousesavers of through tickets at work at a discount and not activate them right away. We're pretty good about buying tickets before the prices increase every year.
Lots of people also find it more economical to stay in the villas because of the kitchens. We never cook on vacation so that doesn't matter to us, but it is very nice to be able to make english muffins or toast with coffee in the morning.
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| Posted 2/21/14 10:09 PM |
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ChristinaM128
LIF Adult
Member since 8/12 4043 total posts
Name:
Christina
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
My parents have it, and they will bank and borrow points to do the cruise every few years. And they go for a week to Aruba with the exchange once every few years too, which uses like hardly any points at all. We've stayed at the mandarin oriental in Washington DC with points. It's incredibly flexible and you can decide to do one huge vacation every year or two, or several over the course of a year.
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| Posted 2/21/14 10:56 PM |
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GoingToBoyle
LIF Zygote
Member since 11/13 16 total posts
Name:
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If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
But RESALE! You lose some perks but it is sooo much cheaper than buying direct. I suggest The Timeshare Store.
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| Posted 2/22/14 8:28 PM |
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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by GoingToBoyle
But RESALE! You lose some perks but it is sooo much cheaper than buying direct. I suggest The Timeshare Store.
Do you mean buying from someone that is selling their own membership?
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| Posted 2/23/14 8:20 PM |
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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by ChristinaM128
My parents have it, and they will bank and borrow points to do the cruise every few years. And they go for a week to Aruba with the exchange once every few years too, which uses like hardly any points at all. We've stayed at the mandarin oriental in Washington DC with points. It's incredibly flexible and you can decide to do one huge vacation every year or two, or several over the course of a year.
How does this work? They are able to stay at a hotel that is not Disney property? I thought the vacation club was only for Disney properties/resorts around the world and the US?
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| Posted 2/23/14 8:21 PM |
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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by KarenK122
I agree with everything Mil188 said. As far as breaking out the costs....you get the timeshare for about 50 years so if you spend 20,000 it would be about 400 a year. Add in your dues and the cost would be around 1600 a year. Tickets are just the same as a non dvc member unless you plan on going a few times a year and get an annual pass, which right now is discounted for DVC members. So for room only for us to stay at a one bedroom deluxe resort it costs us about 1600 a year while if I paid out of pocket it would be well over 5000 to stay at a comparable resort. If you are more comfortable in moderates or values then the savings would be a lot less.
You pick which hotel you want to stay at? I assume the higher end hotels are more points? Or are you designated a specific hotel and that is where you always stay?
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| Posted 2/23/14 8:22 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3073 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
You buy a certain number of points. Those points are replenished every year in your use year month. My use year is march. We own 270 points. Each March 1, we get 270 points to use any way we want. I wont get into banking or borrowing now.
You can stay at any DVC property you want. Points needed for the stay vary by DVC property, room type (studio, one bedroom, etc.), view, time of year, and day of the week (weekends are more points). Google DVC point charts to see.
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| Posted 2/23/14 10:20 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Make sure if you go with a resale that you are aware of the limitations (I.e. Cannot book adventures by disney, etc). I understand they can be a good deal but you have to be ok with what you can and cannot use it for. There are companies that deal with resales.
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| Posted 2/23/14 10:52 PM |
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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by Mill188
You buy a certain number of points. Those points are replenished every year in your use year month. My use year is march. We own 270 points. Each March 1, we get 270 points to use any way we want. I wont get into banking or borrowing now.
You can stay at any DVC property you want. Points needed for the stay vary by DVC property, room type (studio, one bedroom, etc.), view, time of year, and day of the week (weekends are more points). Google DVC point charts to see.
I never thought to google the points chart. That will make a clearer picture for me. I think I get the big idea of banking and borrowing. Someone briefly explained it to me. I debated going to the tour with the vacation club while I was at Disney this week but I knew that I would dive in. I'm not sure if I really want to jump into another monthly payment just yet. I think DH and I are really considering this. I am a teacher so I know when my vacations will be ahead of time, so planning in advance is not a problem for me. This is becoming more and more tempting.
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| Posted 2/23/14 11:32 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3073 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
My suggestion would be to look at all the DVC resorts and make see what one us your favorite. I think they are only actively marketing animal kingdom aulani and the grand Floridian now but you can find other home resorts on the resale market or by being out on a waiting list through DVC directly.
If you buy resale you do lose some of the member benefits. You also may not be able to finance the purchase if you weren't paying in full. We purchased direct. At the time DVC was offering great incentives for doing so.
Also make sure you understand your home resort priority. Since you are a teacher and would likely be going at peak times it will be important.
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| Posted 2/24/14 6:45 AM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
They are also building DVC at the Polynesian. They are not selling it yet but if you wait a year or two you might be able to get in there if you are interested.
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| Posted 2/24/14 6:58 AM |
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
You can always rent dvc points from someone if youre not sure about making a purchase. Thats what we did and its been great!
Message edited 2/24/2014 9:13:04 PM.
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| Posted 2/24/14 9:12 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3073 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by Lillykat
They are also building DVC at the Polynesian. They are not selling it yet but if you wait a year or two you might be able to get in there if you are interested.
We love the poly, but the Grand Floridian was going at a pre-sale rate (for DVC members) of $150 a point. I can't imagine what the Poly will be listed at.
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| Posted 2/25/14 9:12 AM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by waiting4ablessing
You can always rent dvc points from someone if youre not sure about making a purchase. Thats what we did and its been great!
I have done this also and it's great. I don't think owning is economical at all. Also, banking points for years to take the Disney Cruise just doesn't even make sense to me. The maintenance fees on the points plus the initial purchase price makes it astronomical IMO.
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| Posted 2/25/14 9:46 AM |
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JennP
LIF Adult
Member since 10/06 3986 total posts
Name:
Jenn
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by BargainMama
Posted by waiting4ablessing
You can always rent dvc points from someone if youre not sure about making a purchase. Thats what we did and its been great!
I have done this also and it's great. I don't think owning is economical at all. Also, banking points for years to take the Disney Cruise just doesn't even make sense to me. The maintenance fees on the points plus the initial purchase price makes it astronomical IMO.
Same here and ITA. For it to be economical, you are basically committing to taking a deluxe Disney vacation every year for the next 50 years. How many people can/will/want to do that? And, actually, it might not even be economical then because last year we rented points for a stay in a Deluxe for less than the previous poster's dues costs alone!
We rented points for a studio and it seemed that renting points brings you down to the cost of a moderate or even a little bit less. That's with no other fees, and you go when you want to go, you don't have to feel obligated to go every year because you have this huge sunk cost.
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| Posted 2/26/14 11:33 AM |
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DancinBarefoot
06ers Rock!!
Member since 1/07 9534 total posts
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The One My Mother Gave Me ;-)
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by Lillykat
Make sure if you go with a resale that you are aware of the limitations (I.e. Cannot book adventures by disney, etc). I understand they can be a good deal but you have to be ok with what you can and cannot use it for. There are companies that deal with resales.
Most DVC owners will tell you that trading in points for Adventures by Disney or a cruise is a waste of points, and that you are better off renting them out and using the cash to fund a non-Disney vacation.
Buying on the resale market is a HUGE savings. For example, to buy DVC at Animal Kingdom from Disney is $150 per point. To buy on the resale market is going for $76-$96 per point on one resellers website - and those prices are negotiable.
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| Posted 3/1/14 8:31 PM |
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saraH
happy birthday sweet kate!
Member since 5/05 16555 total posts
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
One of the pros for us, is staying at the deluxe resorts. Once youm stay in one, you never want to stay anywhere else.
After 10 years, we own it and never pay for the resort stay again. We only have 100 points now, we may buy more in the future, but the 100 works for us now.
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| Posted 3/1/14 8:46 PM |
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lazybug
LIF Adult
Member since 3/12 1013 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by DancinBarefoot
Posted by Lillykat
Make sure if you go with a resale that you are aware of the limitations (I.e. Cannot book adventures by disney, etc). I understand they can be a good deal but you have to be ok with what you can and cannot use it for. There are companies that deal with resales.
Most DVC owners will tell you that trading in points for Adventures by Disney or a cruise is a waste of points, and that you are better off renting them out and using the cash to fund a non-Disney vacation.
Buying on the resale market is a HUGE savings. For example, to buy DVC at Animal Kingdom from Disney is $150 per point. To buy on the resale market is going for $76-$96 per point on one resellers website - and those prices are negotiable.
What are some reliable websites that I could check? Do they also rent out for cruises or would I rent out as much as I need for a cruise?
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| Posted 3/2/14 8:34 AM |
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GoingToBoyle
LIF Zygote
Member since 11/13 16 total posts
Name:
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Re: If you have Disney Vacation Club please come in...
Posted by lazybug
Posted by DancinBarefoot
Posted by Lillykat
Make sure if you go with a resale that you are aware of the limitations (I.e. Cannot book adventures by disney, etc). I understand they can be a good deal but you have to be ok with what you can and cannot use it for. There are companies that deal with resales.
Most DVC owners will tell you that trading in points for Adventures by Disney or a cruise is a waste of points, and that you are better off renting them out and using the cash to fund a non-Disney vacation.
Buying on the resale market is a HUGE savings. For example, to buy DVC at Animal Kingdom from Disney is $150 per point. To buy on the resale market is going for $76-$96 per point on one resellers website - and those prices are negotiable.
What are some reliable websites that I could check? Do they also rent out for cruises or would I rent out as much as I need for a cruise?
I couldn't agree more. Using your points other than to book a Disney Villa is a waste of points. If you are looking to buy resale I suggest The Timeshare Store. If you are wanting to go on a cruise definitely rent out your points and use the cash to pay for the cruise. There are companies such as David's Vacation Club Rentals and The DVC Rental Store that will rent out your points for you.
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| Posted 3/2/14 9:41 AM |
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