[softychik]

My husband and I are thinking about buying into the disney vacation club! Will all you members tell me some pro's and con's???????

Thanks,
Softychik

[mickey]

Originally Posted by softychik

My husband and I are thinking about buying into the disney vacation club! Will all you members tell me some pro's and con's???????

Thanks,
Softychik

PROS:

Prepaid Disney trips, not subject to cost increases of standard Disney resorts
Nice resorts, cheap compared to comparable resorts
You can sell your membership easily if needed
Discounts on Annual Passes
Pool Hopping

Cons:

Well, none really, other than you are kind of locked into going to Disney for the next 50 years. While you trade out and go elsewhere, it isn't easy, and isn't a great use of points.

If you plan on going to Disney at least every 2 years, it is a great program, especially if you normally stay in moderate or deluxe resorts.

[WishUponAStar]

We've been members for exactly a year....

PROs:

* trips to Disney more often (when we moved to NJ we were only able to go for one week per year; now that we are members we go one full week, and two short 3-night trips per year)
* significant discount on annual passes
* having a kitchenette in your room (washer/dryer, depending on which kind of room)
* special member parties/events (we went to the "Summer Block Party" and had a BLAST)
* using your points to exchange & go nearly anywhere in the world.
* DVC member newsletters rock
* recreational discounts
* restaurant and merch. discounts at both WDW & DL
* 50 years of guaranteed Disney happiness & magic


Cons:

* It's not free.

[iluvwdw]

I don't own, but wish I did. Here are the PROS and CONS from MY perspective:

PROS:

1 - Guaranteed WDW vacations for the next 50 years in Deluxe Home Away From Home Accomodations
2 - Full Kitchens and Kitchenettes in all Villas...makes eating and snacking in the villa a snap!
3 - AWESOME Annual Pass discounts for everyone in your immediate family
4 - Ability to go other places, although I heard it's not easy
5 - Access to ALL WDW perks...Disney Transportation, Extra Magic Hours, Disney Dining Plan, etc.
6 - Special discounts and promotions
7 - Special Parties and Events
8 - You can rent it out to make some/all of your MFs back if you won't use it that year
9 - Pretty much holding its value as of now...

CONS:

1 - Pricey considering you give up ownership after 50 years
2 - You can't pass on to your heirs
3 - Need lots of points to stay in a larger villa
4 - If you have a DH who doesn't want to go to WDW and only does it for you and he doesn't really enjoy it, IT'S NOT FOR YOU!!!! LOL..... (oh wait...maybe that's just MY DH... )

With that said, even though I listed CONS, I would still L VE to join! It just isn't in the cards for me now...I hope one day I will be able to join! At least for a minimum comittment.

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by iluvwdw

2 - You can't pass on to your heirs

My DVC rep. told me otherwise, that you COULD in fact do so.

[iluvwdw]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

My DVC rep. told me otherwise, that you COULD in fact do so.

I heard you CAN, if you pass away before the contract is up. After the 50 years, it's gone.

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by iluvwdw

I heard you CAN, if you pass away before the contract is up. After the 50 years, it's gone.

oh, ok.. right. I thought you meant you couldn't heir it period.

[snow'sfriend]

PROS-

*The Resorts are much more secluded then other resorts. (especially OKW)
* You can eat in the rooms, so it saves money on food.
* DVC members recieve many discounts.
* Also what everyone else said above

CONS-

*The only con that I can think of is the buses. If you're planning on taking the bus over every day, it will be a bit longer wait than at POP Century or other resorts. I usually take the bus at night and the longest I had to wait was about 5-7 minutes. While at POP Century there was always a bus waiting for guests to board.

[llama]

And the guards at the gate always say "Welcome Home!"

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by llama

And the guards at the gate always say "Welcome Home!"

yeah, that's a nice feeling. Also when you check-in.

[iluvwdw]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

yeah, that's a nice feeling. Also when you check-in.

I actually LOVE the "Welcome Home!!!!"

Even though I don't own, I feel like I do when I hear that.

I L VE DVC!

[BDavis932]

Originally Posted by iluvwdw

I don't own, but wish I did. Here are the PROS and CONS from MY perspective:

PROS:

1 - Guaranteed WDW vacations for the next 50 years in Deluxe Home Away From Home Accomodations
2 - Full Kitchens and Kitchenettes in all Villas...makes eating and snacking in the villa a snap!
3 - AWESOME Annual Pass discounts for everyone in your immediate family
4 - Ability to go other places, although I heard it's not easy
5 - Access to ALL WDW perks...Disney Transportation, Extra Magic Hours, Disney Dining Plan, etc.
6 - Special discounts and promotions
7 - Special Parties and Events
8 - You can rent it out to make some/all of your MFs back if you won't use it that year
9 - Pretty much holding its value as of now...

CONS:

1 - Pricey considering you give up ownership after 50 years
2 - You can't pass on to your heirs
3 - Need lots of points to stay in a larger villa
4 - If you have a DH who doesn't want to go to WDW and only does it for you and he doesn't really enjoy it, IT'S NOT FOR YOU!!!!

1) when we bought back in 2000 we paid about $10,800 for 150 points. I think they are paying about $13,000 right now, but $13000 for paid accomidations for the next 50 years is quite a good deal in my opinion. Just an average Holiday Inn type hotel with tax runs about $100 per night. If you vacation just 7 days per year that would be approximatley $700 per year times 50 years that would be $35000. Not to mention that the accomidations that you get are MUCH nicer than a Holiday Inn and depending on your situation, you could stretch those points out to almost two weeks per year.

For example, we plan our trips to arrive on a Saturday and pay cash for that night at a Value or Moderate, then stay at a DVC for 7 nights after that. If we are taking a short trip, we plan a trip to arrive on a Sunday and depart on a Friday since Friday and Saturday nights are MUCH more expensive. And we always stay in a studio because I for one don't want/need the full kitchen because I prefer not to cook/do dishes on vacation.

Also, DVC is not JUST Disney World or Land. We have stayed at Keystone Colorado twice and going to Disney's Hilton Head in a few months. When we were at Keystone we checked on prices of their timeshares and it cost almost $400,000!!!!!!!!!! We stayed both times in a 2 bedroom (HUGE) condo for 7 nights in the summer (gorgeous time to go there!!) for 147 points. A one bedroom is a lot less and a studio substantially less. I think you could easily use DVC without ever going to Disney World (gasp!) For when we do go to Disney World, I feel like the 98 points for 7 nights for a studio in May/June at OKW is an excellent price and leaves us enough points to go for another 5 nights in March or early December, so we could easily go twice a year for our 150 points per year and we save even more with our DVC annual pass discount!

[A Goofy Family]

Originally Posted by BDavis932

1) when we bought back in 2000 we paid about $10,800 for 150 points. I think they are paying about $13,000 right now, but $13000 for paid accomidations for the next 50 years is quite a good deal in my opinion. Just an average Holiday Inn type hotel with tax runs about $100 per night. If you vacation just 7 days per year that would be approximatley $700 per year times 50 years that would be $35000. Not to mention that the accomidations that you get are MUCH nicer than a Holiday Inn and depending on your situation, you could stretch those points out to almost two weeks per year.

For example, we plan our trips to arrive on a Saturday and pay cash for that night at a Value or Moderate, then stay at a DVC for 7 nights after that. If we are taking a short trip, we plan a trip to arrive on a Sunday and depart on a Friday since Friday and Saturday nights are MUCH more expensive. And we always stay in a studio because I for one don't want/need the full kitchen because I prefer not to cook/do dishes on vacation.

Also, DVC is not JUST Disney World or Land. We have stayed at Keystone Colorado twice and going to Disney's Hilton Head in a few months. When we were at Keystone we checked on prices of their timeshares and it cost almost $400,000!!!!!!!!!! We stayed both times in a 2 bedroom (HUGE) condo for 7 nights in the summer (gorgeous time to go there!!) for 147 points. A one bedroom is a lot less and a studio substantially less. I think you could easily use DVC without ever going to Disney World (gasp!) For when we do go to Disney World, I feel like the 98 points for 7 nights for a studio in May/June at OKW is an excellent price and leaves us enough points to go for another 5 nights in March or early December, so we could easily go twice a year for our 150 points per year and we save even more with our DVC annual pass discount!

Ditto, Sis!

Plus we're off on another DVC vacation soon to Hilton Head....5 nights for 40 points...not to shabby, huh?!?!

[llama]

Yes - it all sounds confusing - but you learn quickly how to use your points to your best advantage.

I think the very first question you have to ask yourself is: Do we love WDW enough to commit to a vacation there almost yearly (or at least every second year). If your answer is "yes" - then start doing your research.

What finally hooked my dh was when he sat down and calculated what we had spent at WDW for five years without the DVC. (There were no Value Resorts then). We started with 150 points- soon came to realize it wasn't enough for us - so last year purchased 60 more. This enables us to have two trips to WDW a year. As our children are now grown (but total Disneyaholics - I raised them well ) this enables them to choose when they'll come down, as they now have to work around work schedules, boyfriends etc. And I get the best - I go BOTH times.

[woohoo]

My big con was for the size we would need for the family of 6 we would be spending as much on the yearly fees as we would for a stay in the value resorts... and that is in addition to the amounts we would be paying monthly just to pay off the membership- we also love the cruise and the amount of points needed for that was just not worth doing- There is also no lock on how many points will be needed in the future so it may not be enough in the end - and then you end up spending even more. This was why we chose not to do it-
Well that and although our kids are small and love it now- we dont know how much they will love it later. We have friends with a timeshare in Orlando and their kids are sick of Orlando so they are trying to do the other places and are having a tough time getting it to work with their vacations and schedules.