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zoodoyle
10-21-2007, 02:01 PM
We just got back from our surprise anniversary trip(more about the trip later :p ). While there we did the open house for the DVC. We were soooo close to doing it. The guy was great at answering our questions and convincing us that we really should do it. We had dinner reservations so we had to leave prematurely, but made a plan to meet up again the next day to finalize. The rest of that night I had anxiety attacks. I was sooo nervous about the whole thing and felt really pressured to sign before we left - they had a signing bonus of sorts that was hard to say no to - but I did. I said no. My husband would have said yes. Now of course, I'm wondering if I did the right thing. It really sounds like a great plan, though we're the first to admit we know virtually nothing about timeshares. Financially we aren't in the best spot to add another bill every month, which was my main concern. But at the same time, it seems the sooner you buy, the better....... Can anyone give me your perspectives - both pro and con!! Guess I'm particularly interested in if anyone has any cons. ugh.

ligrumpygirl
10-21-2007, 03:04 PM
The only CON you are going to find from most owners is that they didn't buy sooner or enough points!

I have had DVc SINCE 2005 and LOVE it! It is a forced vacation for us for over 40 yrs...at today's prices.

It gives you more time to relax and smell the roses because you know you will be back again. We did a 10 day trip that we only went to the parks twice.

Where are you considering buying? I own SSR and would be happy to answer anything I can...and push you over the line to buy!!

zoodoyle
10-21-2007, 03:58 PM
The only CON you are going to find from most owners is that they didn't buy sooner or enough points!

I have had DVc SINCE 2005 and LOVE it! It is a forced vacation for us for over 40 yrs...at today's prices.

It gives you more time to relax and smell the roses because you know you will be back again. We did a 10 day trip that we only went to the parks twice.

Where are you considering buying? I own SSR and would be happy to answer anything I can...and push you over the line to buy!!

I think I'm going to find it hard to find anyone who has any cons :p If we do it relatively soon, we would probably buy SSR. Would you mind telling me how many points you bought? That will be the next conversation we have to have......

bs4free
10-21-2007, 04:03 PM
Since your going to start thinking about points if you are looking for less then the 160 Disney now makes you buy their are several DVC resale companys that you can buy fewer points and usually at better prices then disney has to offer... Just an idea...

I can not wait until i can save enough to buy a DVC!!!! The biggest con i could think of is the upfront cost, but its a great deal over all the year you will have it and the yearly dues do add up as well..... But its Disney.... Its an investment in future vacations... Have fun It is a big decision!

I also don't know if they are selling AK DVC yet but they do have a longer life span then the current SSR.... Just another thing to look at..

Hedy
10-21-2007, 04:13 PM
Since your going to start thinking about points if you are looking for less then the 160 Disney now makes you buy their are several DVC resale companys that you can buy fewer points and usually at better prices then disney has to offer... Just an idea...

I can not wait until i can save enough to buy a DVC!!!! The biggest con i could think of is the upfront cost, but its a great deal over all the year you will have it and the yearly dues do add up as well..... But its Disney.... Its an investment in future vacations... Have fun It is a big decision!

I also don't know if they are selling AK DVC yet but they do have a longer life span then the current SSR.... Just another thing to look at..

They started selling AKV in...April? My brother and SIL just got back from their first trip home. :)

PSL1013
10-22-2007, 11:27 AM
We bought BCV back in 2003 and got in just before they sold out. We consider it a prepaid vacation. Think of it this way...what is a room going to cost 10 years from now? How about 30 years from now...DVC will never go up like room rates will, granted the annual fees will but you will be staying in a Deluxe resort from now on. Now if you are satisfied staying in a value or intermediate resort, than DVC might not be right for you. Also, if you have to finance a loan to purchase, you would have to figure that in the cost too. Good Luck...we absolutely LOVE our vacation club and wouldn't want to give it up for anything!! :love:

sunshinecindy
10-22-2007, 01:07 PM
We just got back from our surprise anniversary trip(more about the trip later :p ). While there we did the open house for the DVC. We were soooo close to doing it. The guy was great at answering our questions and convincing us that we really should do it. We had dinner reservations so we had to leave prematurely, but made a plan to meet up again the next day to finalize. The rest of that night I had anxiety attacks. I was sooo nervous about the whole thing and felt really pressured to sign before we left - they had a signing bonus of sorts that was hard to say no to - but I did. I said no. My husband would have said yes. Now of course, I'm wondering if I did the right thing. It really sounds like a great plan, though we're the first to admit we know virtually nothing about timeshares. Financially we aren't in the best spot to add another bill every month, which was my main concern. But at the same time, it seems the sooner you buy, the better....... Can anyone give me your perspectives - both pro and con!! Guess I'm particularly interested in if anyone has any cons. ugh.

As a former realtor and big time negotiator, anytime you are going to get involved in a timeshare, ask for a repoed one. They always have a ton of them. I'm not sure if the ones on the point system would work the same way, but they probably do. Years ago in college my professor was really into the timeshares, they were just coming out (oh how I date myself) but we learned a lot about them. I've bought three of them and think its a good way to go, overall.

cglaura
10-22-2007, 01:18 PM
I think my biggest thing would be that you said you weren't in the postition to add another bill every month. If anything, I would take whatever that monthly payment would have been, and stick it in a high yield account, then you can do as Cindy suggested, and buy a "used" DVC, but you can pay for it outright. It is all a personal decision though, how much will you use all of the aspects of the timeshare.

I had DVC membership when married, we lived in AL and it made sense for us b/c we could drive down for alot of weekends. But I sold after the divorce. My main reason being it was only myself and DD going, we are park commandos, so only sleep and shower at the resort, and I could get 2 weeks at a value for what I was paying in annual dues, we now had flights from NJ to consider, not to mention being able to stick the money from the sale into a college fund. It made sense for me to sell. Do I miss staying at OKW? Heck yeah! Did I need all that space just to sleep and shower, nope.

m 'n c
10-22-2007, 01:53 PM
Ok I'll give you the cons that I've picked up from reading others posts which you can rationalize if you want since I do not know much about DVC

I would not buy DVC because they expire. They are not deedable (ie can pass down to your kiddos after death like other timeshares). I also do not know much about DVC - ie can they be exchanged for other non-disney locations- but I"m not sure if I want to be forced to go to Disney every year. Sometimes it is nice to go to Cali or NY or some other place besides WDW.

bbangel
10-22-2007, 02:00 PM
This is a tough call. You have to decide if you can afford the upfront payment and then the annual dues each year. Only you know what your budget and comfort level are.
My best advice is to buy a smaller contract on the resale market. Lower upfront cost and lower dues. You can always add on more later once you can afford to increase your costs.
Having fewer points also means that you can space out your trips a bit so that the other expenses (food, tickets, travelling etc.) are also spaced out.

coastalgirl
10-22-2007, 02:03 PM
From what I learned it can be used just about all over the world. You can use your points to go on an African Safari if you want. You can use it at hotels in New York, London all over. My CM told us they had used theirs to go on Safari.
Did you get the BOOK and DVD?? It is blue and shows all the points systems and locations?? IF you did not get one call and ask for one. It really answered a lot of the questions we came home with! In our book it shows all the places you can go and how many points for such things.
We were going to buy but with a child fixing to start college, it just was not reasonable at the moment for us. But we still talk about it all the time especially since we could use our points to travel overseas!

zoodoyle
10-22-2007, 02:13 PM
I had DVC membership when married, we lived in AL and it made sense for us b/c we could drive down for alot of weekends. But I sold after the divorce. My main reason being it was only myself and DD going, we are park commandos, so only sleep and shower at the resort, and I could get 2 weeks at a value for what I was paying in annual dues, we now had flights from NJ to consider, not to mention being able to stick the money from the sale into a college fund. It made sense for me to sell. Do I miss staying at OKW? Heck yeah! Did I need all that space just to sleep and shower, nope.


I think this is my problem with it - when we go as a family, we stay in the value resorts, which are fine for our purposes, as yours, just sleeping and prepping for the next day. We're in NY so feasibly we would make 1 trip every 12-18 months or so. While I would love to always stay in larger/nicer rooms, I don't know if I can use that to justify buying in to the dvc, as much as I'd like to. I've just started looking at the dis board about the dvc - that could take me years to absorb :p I really appreciate hearing people's experiences!! Since my husband knew I was on the fence about it, as soon as the tour was over, he told me to go ask the "sunshine friends", since he knew I'd trust your opinions!! :sunshine:

m4travels
10-22-2007, 07:50 PM
We have only been DVC members since Aug 2005, but we've added on 4 times already. We purchased sight unseen (SSR) during a visit one Saturday to D'land. We had a great guide, Tommy, who knew we had other timeshares. There was absolutely no pressure whatsoever. We knew that we wanted to be able to trade out to other places at some point and we knew that we would need 160 points to do so. We did it right there. Our guide never expected that. A month or so later there was a great Friends and Family and we added on. Then we thought about staying at the Epcot resorts and knew that we had to have the 11-month window for booking especially during Food and Wine so we added on again. Then Wilderness Lodge reared its head. And somehow Old Key West made it's way into the portfolio. Now we've got the Grand California coming and while it's very close to home, it will make a VERY easy spot to put one's head down after a night of carousing in the parks!

It's really all about how one really wants to vacation. If you're happy in the value resorts then, no, I don't think you're going to want to shell out the cash, and it's a big chunk of cash!

There was mention above that you couldn't pass it on to heirs, but you actually can. While Disney does have first right of refusal on any subsequent
selling of your points, they are extremely lenient when it comes to passing it to family members.

You might want to rent points from a DVC member for your next stay. Be aware that to REALLY get the thrill of DVC you do need to stay in a one- or two-bedroom unit. The studios, while a bit larger than a regular hotel room, really don't cut it, IMO. We're only 2 and I'm not staying in a studio (unless, of course, it's for those nights at the GCV when they open. Then it really will be a place to put my head). A rental will go about $10 - $14 per point and you will save some money.

All in all, you need to be comfy with what you can do financially. NEVER feel forced to do it. You'll never be happy with that.

Have fun!
Michael

zoodoyle
11-04-2007, 01:29 AM
We did it!!! :cooldance: We finally did enough number crunching to make it happen. It will definitely take some sacrifices (no more recreational shopping for me :( ) but it'll be worth it! We bought into AKV - took us a long time to decide where, but with both of our backgrounds being in animal care, we have more of an emotional attraction to AKV. Now we wait for all of the paperwork to arrive!!! Thanks for all the advice everybody!! :sunshine:

Hedy
11-04-2007, 08:25 AM
We did it!!! :cooldance: We finally did enough number crunching to make it happen. It will definitely take some sacrifices (no more recreational shopping for me :( ) but it'll be worth it! We bought into AKV - took us a long time to decide where, but with both of our backgrounds being in animal care, we have more of an emotional attraction to AKV. Now we wait for all of the paperwork to arrive!!! Thanks for all the advice everybody!! :sunshine:

Congrats! :sunshine2:

ligrumpygirl
11-04-2007, 08:43 AM
:cooldance: It will be the best thing!!!!:cooldance: DVC is one of my favorite purchases ever...now if I could have only gotten SR credit for it!!!

zoodoyle
11-04-2007, 09:28 AM
:cooldance: It will be the best thing!!!!:cooldance: DVC is one of my favorite purchases ever...now if I could have only gotten SR credit for it!!!

Oooooohhhh - that would have been fantastic!!!! I'm just happy to hear I can use gift cards to pay for it :p

coastalgirl
11-05-2007, 03:36 AM
We did it!!! :cooldance: We finally did enough number crunching to make it happen. It will definitely take some sacrifices (no more recreational shopping for me :( ) but it'll be worth it! We bought into AKV - took us a long time to decide where, but with both of our backgrounds being in animal care, we have more of an emotional attraction to AKV. Now we wait for all of the paperwork to arrive!!! Thanks for all the advice everybody!! :sunshine:


Congratulations!!! Just think of all the fun you are going to have!! May I be the first to say "Welcome Home!!"

zoodoyle
11-05-2007, 09:51 AM
Congratulations!!! Just think of all the fun you are going to have!! May I be the first to say "Welcome Home!!"

Thank you!! I'm sooo excited we get to make our reservation today!! We were planning on staying in ASMo next August, but now we'll be in the AKV!! Of course, it hurt a bit when I checked my credit card online and saw the down payment/closing costs on there :eek: Just cashed out on here to put it towards dvc - better get my butt in gear and make some more money!! :sunshine:

PSL1013
11-05-2007, 11:24 AM
We did it!!! :cooldance: We finally did enough number crunching to make it happen. It will definitely take some sacrifices (no more recreational shopping for me :( ) but it'll be worth it! We bought into AKV - took us a long time to decide where, but with both of our backgrounds being in animal care, we have more of an emotional attraction to AKV. Now we wait for all of the paperwork to arrive!!! Thanks for all the advice everybody!! :sunshine:

WELCOME HOME! :love:

disney_girl
11-05-2007, 11:35 AM
Another WELCOME HOME! We own at SSR, but are thinking of an add-on. You'll love it! And don't forget to check out the discounts and perks for members!

wilsonfamily4
11-05-2007, 11:35 AM
I am so jealous. Since we rented points in January we have been off and on about buying, how to buy, when to buy, how much to buy. At this point we are thinking we will buy a 100-125 point resale for SSR in February. Tax refund. :) But we will see. We just know we will be renting points for a 2 bedroom for a week when we take his parents on 2009 and I figure might as well use that money for our own DVC.

I am so glad you decided too. I loved DVC just from our one visit. You are living some people dream. :)

m4travels
11-05-2007, 11:37 AM
and let me add my: WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!:sunshine2: :cooldance:

Michael

Alice28
11-05-2007, 11:39 AM
Ok I'll give you the cons that I've picked up from reading others posts which you can rationalize if you want since I do not know much about DVC

I would not buy DVC because they expire. They are not deedable (ie can pass down to your kiddos after death like other timeshares). I also do not know much about DVC - ie can they be exchanged for other non-disney locations- but I"m not sure if I want to be forced to go to Disney every year. Sometimes it is nice to go to Cali or NY or some other place besides WDW.

This is not true. You can add the DVC to your living trust and make a child an 'associate.' I know this because my parents bought this year, a gazillion points at BWV, and they were reassured time and again that the DVC CAN be passed down to relatives if worded correctly in a trust. It's right there in black and white in my parents investment paperwork, etc., and I guess someday it will be mine. However, I'd rather have my parents around for another 20 years....

And you can exchange the points for vacations just about anywhere around the world. Hawaii, Vegas, the coast, Alaska, Europe, etc.

And to the OP- WELCOME HOME! I am sure you will LOVE every visit with your points.

zoodoyle
11-05-2007, 11:56 AM
I am so jealous. Since we rented points in January we have been off and on about buying, how to buy, when to buy, how much to buy. At this point we are thinking we will buy a 100-125 point resale for SSR in February. Tax refund. :) But we will see. We just know we will be renting points for a 2 bedroom for a week when we take his parents on 2009 and I figure might as well use that money for our own DVC.

I am so glad you decided too. I loved DVC just from our one visit. You are living some people dream. :)


this was part of our thought process as well - we are taking a trip next August with our family (me, DH, DD7, DD5, DS1) and my parents and my brother and sister. We had reserved 3 rooms at ASMo. The more we thought about it, the more sense it made to just do it now so we could enjoy it with the whole family next year!! And for many years to come..... :love:

Thanks for all the welcomes everybody - hubby just got off the phone, and we are officially staying in a 2 bedroom savannah view villa for 6 nights next August!!! :cooldance:

Magical JenK
11-05-2007, 02:19 PM
We did it!!! :cooldance: We finally did enough number crunching to make it happen. It will definitely take some sacrifices (no more recreational shopping for me :( ) but it'll be worth it! We bought into AKV - took us a long time to decide where, but with both of our backgrounds being in animal care, we have more of an emotional attraction to AKV. Now we wait for all of the paperwork to arrive!!! Thanks for all the advice everybody!! :sunshine:

Congrats! I've been watching your thread & so excited to see you did it! What a great thing! Enjoy your new home in the most magical place on earth! :cooldance:

bs4free
11-05-2007, 09:31 PM
WOOT! Congrats!

bbangel
11-05-2007, 11:40 PM
Welcome Home!

You will find that playing with your points can become a new obsession. No more need for shopping!

I'm planning my first trip home in May and just added an extra day for less points by splitting my stay between AKV and OKW. I was dancing with joy the whole day!

luvdisney00
01-06-2008, 10:25 AM
You guys are really lucky! I wish my husband loved Disney as much as I do. I want to buy DVC, but he doesn't think it's worth it. We might rent points this year or next year though, so maybe he'll change his mind!

linanglab
01-06-2008, 04:11 PM
DH says when we come into money we will buy...where is my long lost relative????? Unfortunately, no lost relative here.....:rotfl:

m 'n c
01-06-2008, 04:24 PM
DH says when we come into money we will buy...where is my long lost relative????? Unfortunately, no lost relative here.....:rotfl:

If Mike and I ever win the lotto and can retire I'll send a few points your way then we can go together. :mickey: :minnie:

linanglab
01-06-2008, 04:29 PM
If Mike and I ever win the lotto and can retire I'll send a few points your way then we can go together. :mickey: :minnie:

Sounds great! I will do the same for you!

MamaO
01-06-2008, 05:20 PM
Just stumbled across this thread - Welcome Home, Christina!

We bought at BWV in the late 90's and have added on once. Our kids were actually older when we bought, and I truly wondered if we'd continue going often enough to really use all our points. I can honestly say I don't have to think too hard about how to 'spend' those points, and we've had some wonderful times that just wouldn't have happened without DVC. Stayed in a 2-bedroom with DSis and her hubby, got a studio for DH's brother so that he could join us for a couple of days on another trip. My first ever December trip was 3 years ago with 3 co-workers - never would have happened if we'd all had to pay for accommodations. Now when we take DS and his wife and other DS and his girlfriend, we all stay in a 2 bedroom. We wouldn't be going all together if we had to pay for rooms for each of us, even at a Value resort - and we're all together at the end of the day rather than retiring to totally separate rooms. We've never regretted it for a minute!

zoodoyle
01-06-2008, 06:16 PM
Thanks Jeanne :sunshine:

We are so happy we did it! Though I'll admit that extra payment every month was a large part of why I went back to work part-time last week :p We can't wait to use it for the first time in august - we are going with my parents and my brother and sister, so 9 of us all together. As of now we have a 2-bedroom at AKV, but we are thinking of switching to WLV at the 7-month mark..... we'll have to see what's available! I'm sure we'll never have a problem using our points, and we'd love to add-on more when we get a chance!! :sunshine2:

LauraLea
01-06-2008, 08:53 PM
Welcome home Christina!

You will not regret your decision or current sacrifices since your family is still so young. You have 50 years of vacations!!!

Did you know DVC will be building a resort in Hawaii? you can use points to take a Disney cruise? of use points for Adventures by Disney?

Now the cruises and adventures are not the best use of your points. But we are toying with the idea of selling our 2009 points and use the cash to pay for the adventure to Germany. There are adventures to Italy, Ireland, China, and many other places. Just think, when the kids are raised and gone there will still be your points for DH and you to use for some exciting vacations.

Honestly, the sooner you buy into DVC the better. The little things you are giving up now will not be missed compared to all the memories you are about to make with you family.

Laura

zoodoyle
01-06-2008, 10:13 PM
Thank you, Laura! Our only regret is that we didn't do it 10 years ago :p But that's what everybody says!! :sunshine:

LCS3
02-11-2008, 11:05 AM
Just to clarify on some previous post:
You CAN will your ownership to anyone you like.
There are resort choices and vacation packages all over the world.
You can also use your points for Disney Cruises.

We've been DVC members since 2005 and we LOVE it! However we live in Florida and go to the Disney World several times a year for all the special events, plus our regular vacations. Our only regret is that we didn't buy more points!

However, if you have to finance the buy then I wouldn't do it. Save up the money first, invest into savings, etc. A DVC ownership is much more worth it when you can buy out right. Then the only bill you ever have to worry about for vacations is a once a year tax/maintaince fee! Makes vacationing a whole lot more relaxing!

Good luck with your decision!

JOLAROCHE
02-11-2008, 06:51 PM
I have to agree I have owed timeshare not at Disney but since 1986. I love it. I would suggest to buy resale. I literally stole my 4trh of July week on Cape Code Mass by resale I also perfer to have a deeded timeshare that I can pass down to my children not something that expires. The maintainance fees can be expensive some places and cheaper others. This is also something else to think about. You probable could buy in Orlando but near Disney and save quite a bit of money. The reason that I bought in Cape Cod is that it is only and 1/2 hour drive from my home. So if there is a year that I cannot afford airfare I can always drive. On several occasion we have exchanged to Kissimmee and spent 4 nights there and three in the park. This worked nicely for us and saves us quite a bit of money. We have traveled to 11 different states using our timeshare. It is a nice way to see the country and still feel like you are in a home. Hope this helps