[rthaler]

I'm very leary about this vacation thing. The way I see it, if this is such a great thing, why isn't everyone doing this. I mean, I talk to people and work with people who are far more money saavy than me. They play the stock market and always know what the return on our 401K is. I could care less about that stuff. Yet none of these people that I have talked to do this vacation thing. Also, if it is the way to go, why are there so many time-share resalers? It kind of sends up some red flags for me. I love WDW. I would live inside one of the parks if I thought I could get away with it. But what gives? I ordered the DVC video for more info. Maybe it's different. We went for a weekend in Branson, MO and did the timeshare tour. Didn't like the timeshare part a bit. Didn't like Branson at all. The kicker is the property they were trying to sell me was deeded in Phoenix,Az. I just had to trust that it was really there. No way Jose. Is DVC like that???
Anybody?

Randy
:cry:

[BDavis932]

I cut and pasted this from another thread here on DC, you can find several discussions on the DVC topic from the home page of DC, go to the search and type in Disney Vacation Club or DVC:

I believe, IMHO, that DVC is the best thing since sliced bread!

In addition to getting to take a wonderful vacation every year, and being able to do these great trips until the year 2042, you can go to over 300 destinations. Some are Disney owned, some are thru Interval International, and some through the "concerige collection". We can stay at places we would never haved dreamed we'd be able to afford with out DVC! And DVC makes booking your trips SO EASY!! It is the BEST choice we have every made, and only regret we didn't do it sooner.

By the way, we purchased 150 points at Old Key West, sight unseen and were completely blown away when we got there!

We waited to buy while we were there, and at that time, they were applying some of the money we used on that trip, toward our down payment. I don't remember all the details (my hubby does) but we sold back 1/2 the first years points (which worked out great because we signed up in December and our use year started the prior June!) So in all reality, we got 75 points for our first year, and like $2000 off the cost! It was really great!

They run some really neat specials, I think it's a great idea to wait until you are there. Also, try to go to the "open house" around lunch time. They gave us coupons for a free lunch for 4 of us on the Boardwalk after our "tour".

[brumcg]

Randy,

I'll take a crack at it... :)

First, why doesn't everyone do it? It is a fair chunk of change upfront is certainly part of it. I think the bigger part, though, is that it basically means that you will be going to WDW at least every other year; that's too much WDW for most people. Some hardcore financial people think that you'd be better off investing the money, and taking vacations off the financial gains. Me? I like knowing that the Wilderness Lodge Villas will be waiting for me each year through 2042.

Among my friends, VACATION is a higher priority to me than it is to the rest of them. One particular friend makes more than me, spends WAY less than me, is always looking to do vacation on the cheap, and then normally complains that vacation wasn't that great. Huh. Just way different priorities... He hears about my trip and just keeps running the tab in his head.

I don't think there are that many DVC resellers, and the contract the original buyer signs with Disney gives Disney the right to match any purchase price - insuring that the value of DVC points will never be devalued. Now, compare that to the true Timeshare that I own, which I might be able to sell for 10% of what I paid. Maybe.

Last, the Disney attitude about DVC is no pressure. If you don't buy points, the person behind you probably will. Compare that to the desperate tactics of some timeshare resorts... Like people in Branson trying to sell Timeshares in Arizona...

Good luck!

Bruce

[joseph3947]

Pure and simple. Because life's to short and you can't take it with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D :) Joe

[iluvwdw]

DVC does sound great, but I own two weeks of timeshare in Orlando already. It's actually right next to the entrance of Disney so it takes us 3 minutes to get to Downtown Disney! My timeshare is unlike a lot of timeshares, too...we get a lot of amazing deals without having to pay extra fees to trade to a different resort! AND we have the option to go thru Interval International (they also pay the membership for that, too!). We are actually going to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas in 3 weeks...the villa we are staying in is renting for $800+ per night during our stay! PLUS 12% room tax..PLUS an additional resort fee per night, per person...and we didn't have to pay a single dime to trade one of our weeks! So I kinda feel I have a great deal with my timeshare, just like these people feel about their DVC membership. Don't get me wrong, I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to stay on Disney property every year in an amazing resort, but it is a lot more expensive than what I paid for mine, and my resort is amazing in every way...not to mention a hop, skip and a jump from the Pixie Dust!

If staying on Disney property is something that interests you and you think you would probably go once a year (or every other year), you should DEFINITELY check out the DVC...I have never heard of ANYONE who was unhappy with it!

GOOD LUCK!

[rthaler]

Hi iluvwdw,

I'm checking all my options right now. I am interested in who provides your timeshare plus info. I too love WDW but money talks and BS walks.

Thanks for your reply!
Randy

[iluvwdw]

Hi! I have my timeshare through Sheraton...the resort I own at is called SHERATON VISTANA RESORT. It is affiliated with STARWOOD, and ever since that merger, the benefits are UNBELIEVABLE. I have owned since 1997 and I have never once regretted it. We have a huge villa which includes: 2 bedrooms, jacuzzi, balcony/patio, full kitchen, dining area with seating for 6, full living room with queen size sleeper sofa, 2 bathrooms, washer/dryer...anything you can think of! Go to http://www.starwoodvo.com/ and click on RESORT COLLECTION. Then click on SHERATON VISTANA RESORT (not SHERATON VISTANA VILLAGES), and you can get more info about the resort. It is beautifully maintained, they have amazing amenities including 7 pools, mini golf courts, restaurants, general store, pizza hut, haagen dazs ice cream parlor, pool side bars, game rooms, gyms, the list goes on and on. They also offer shuttles to take you to all of the parks for a small fee (they are free if you are NOT an owner and you are paying to rent a room there). We have never traded our time to go anywhere else, because we love disney so much. We love the fact that while we are still close enough to the magic of Disney, we can also go to Universal and Sea World. I often talk to my husband about the DVC and how I wish I could stay on Disney property every year, and he thinks I am nuts...we have an amazing place and we can go ANY WEEK DURING THE YEAR...I know with DVC, you need a specific # of points to go at specific times..and that could cost you a lot of money, to get the accomodations you want! I know that what I paid is SOOO MUCH LESS than what DVC charges...AND IT IS DEEDED AND I OWN IT UNTIL THE DAY I DIE...and even then, I can pass it on to my kids and they can pass it on, etc. DVC only allows usage through 2042.

If you need any further info, do not hesitate to ask. We are actually going to the Atlantis in 3 weeks through our timeshare...no added fees, nothing additional! And if you check out the Atlantis website, you will see HARBORSIDE RESORT VILLAS there and you will see that the 2 bedroom lock off goes for $850+++ a night in May! AND WE GOT IT ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY FREE...which to me, is so incredible...PLUS we are going back to our resort in August for 7 days! It doesn't get any better than this!

I hope this helped you a bit...PLEASE let me know if you have any further questions.

[brumcg]

Randy said:

I too love WDW but money talks and BS walks.

Um, er, okay... If your goal is to get really close to WDW, you can save a ton of money by buying at alot of great resorts right outside the park. You could save several tons of money by buying at a resort that is part of RCI or Interval or Fairfield and attempting to exchange into an Orlando resort each year.

Once you cross the boundary into WDW, the price just shot WAY up.

We've stayed at Vistana, Silver Lake, and, um, Bay something or other. All were very nice resorts, Vistana would get the edge for me due to it's location. I own at Wilderness Lodge Villas; to me, it's worth the $$$$ difference - but everyone is different.

While you are in the area, check out DVC and several of the resorts in the area. Then come back and check out the prices through resellers online. Then you'll be able to decide for yourself what the money and BS factors are... :p

Bruce

[rthaler]

Sorry Bruce,

I did not mean to offend anyone. I thought that was a pretty much accepted saying. Apparently not. Like I said, I'm just trying to find out whats out there and what my options are. Um, er okay, it's my money and it will go where I want it to go. I really do love WDW. My best vacation ever was spent there. It was awesome. Had it not been for that fact I probably would have ran myself through with something sharp out of the guilt about how overpriced every little detail about it was. $10 a day for parking? $800 for 4, 4 day park hopper passes that did not include parking. $50 every time we had to eat inside WDW and that was counter service only with sticky nasty dirty tables at each place? $3 bucks per person for ice cream? $2 for bottled water? You may want to write a letter of thanks to WDW for allowing you experience hyper-inflation, I'll pass. :p

[rthaler]

Thanks iluvwdw,

I check out the link, sounds interesting.

Randy:D

[mickey]

To add to this, we own both at Disney and at Marriott. We have stayed at the Marriott's right outside the entrance that are at the Marriott World Center. While the rooms are nice, and the location is as good as it gets without being in the World, they just don't compare to the DVC resorts. For 270 points, we paid about the same as we did for one Marriott week at the Summit Watch resort in Park City, Utah, and the maintenance fees are about the same. While with the Marriott's, it works well for us elsewhere, it just doesn't at WDW. For the same price as the one Marriott week, we can stay almost four weeks in a deluxe resort in a studio. Even with locking off rooms, we can only get two weeks at a Marriott.

I guess you have to look at it this way. If you go to WDW once a year or so, and you usually pay to stay on property, then it is the best deal you will ever make. If you go to WDW every once and a while and stay off property, I would suggest another option. For me, my points are now worth about $5,000 more than I paid for them, I get a great vacation in the best place in the world and I know that my room will be as nice as any place I have ever stayed.

[iluvwdw]

If it is truly important for you to stay onsite at Disney World, I DEFINITELY think you should check out DVC. As you can see here, everyone who owns absolutely loves it...and I'm sure I would too! Unfortunately, I bought at Vistana before I knew anything about DVC and my husband will not budge on buying another week...oh well! If he ever comes around, DVC here I come!!! LOL...

For me, I would need a lot of points to stay in a 2 bedroom for one week on Disney property in high season, so it really isn't worth it for me right now. I could also convert my 2 bedroom at Vistana into a small one bedroom and have 4 weeks there instead of 2! So there are a lot of factors that play out when looking for timeshare. You should definitely take a look at your options, and make a list as to what is the most important for you:

For Example:
1 - Price
2 - Location, Location, Location!
3 - Convenience
4 - Room/Villa types
5 - Resort Amenities

There are TONS of timeshares in the Disney area...we saw a bunch. Vistana just did it for us. It's right next to the Marriott that Mickey is talking about, at the entrance to WDW. When we bought, the location was a huge selling point to us.

Keep your options open and go see a few timeshares, including DVC, when you go to Orlando...see what they all have to offer. No matter what you choose to do and where you choose to buy (if you do), you will have awesome vacations for a lifetime.

ENJOY!

[brumcg]

Randy,

No offense taken. ;)

To do a really quick $$$$ comparison, I found a Vistana reseller listing for 2 weeks (one in late August and one in November) for $1500 negotiatiable. It looked like the size of the rooms was equivalent to a Disney studio.

There was a 150 points at Old Key West that just sold that was listed for $10,500 (might have been negotiated down). That'd let you go for a week+ at a Studio every year.

That sizeable difference in $$$$ is what it costs to cross the line into WDW property. No doubt, that's worth it to some, and not to others.

Bruce

[deah]

It really helps if you have a big family. My mom has 6 kids so we all get to go when we want. She can ussually book three trips a year!!! The trip we are taking would have been $2800 but it is free!!! And I know my other sister is going this year!

I am not a membber myself but it looks like you get your money all back within 3 to 5 years!! And then the real saving begin.


A lot of ppl do not do it b/c if I am not mistaken you have to pay a big chunk upfront.

[sandanv1]

We were given a time share vacation honeymoon as a wedding present. We spent our honeymoon touring various facilities in the WDW area, including DVC. We didn't choose DVC because of the limited deed, and inability to "will" it. We chose Vistana (where we were staying) because the villas were new, beautiful and we honestly thought we would save money in the long run.

After 9-11 we took a financial beating and had to make cuts. We realized that for 1 week of vacation we were making monthly payments that totaled almost $3,000 a year. That didnt include taxes and maintence fees, which had increased from $260.00 our first year to almost $600.00 in our 3rd year. We did the math and even considering we would "own" in 2 years and not have the monthly payments, we deceided to dump the property.

We take advantage of discount codes at WDW and have gotten some great vacations for our $$$.

My advice... Take your time before you make a comittment. The deal will still be there tomorrow, despite what the salesman says.