Not trying to offend anyone... but this vacation club thing sounds like a scam to me.

[Heatfan1444]

Absolutely go resale. And do not finance it. Pay cash. As with anything you finance, you pay too much. I realize that is not a reality for everyone, but if you are going to buy, do it that way.

As far as investment, I feel it is an investment in future vacations, which it is. I paid 5 years ago for the next 37 years of hotel rooms. I had the money then, bought 215 points and haven't looked back. We like to stay on property in deluxe rooms. If we paid for the room each time we go it would be in the $2500 range each year. Now, multiply that out each year and I will "get my money's worth" by prepaying so to speak.

Can I stay off-property cheaper? Of course. But you could say that about anything you "buy." House, car, clothing, food, etc.

DVC is not for everyone. Is it a "good" deal? Yeah, for me and my family. But not for everyone.

[Admtracy]

My wife and I went through their whole spread, I am a very rational sensible person heres what i took away from it: I grew up at Disney to the point that no maps are needed and would like my children to have the same experiences. If you sit and do the math and calculate rate changes and inflation it does pay off after you reach that break even date. However you have to want to pay for grossly over priced accommodations. I don't complain about the pricing of a villa at kidani for 700 a night but I know its over priced. i also know what a villa at cesars in Vegas costs and what you get for that money which is a lot more. It's a very nice room you are getting with dvc not worth a mortgage payment for one night stay. That being said if those are the rooms you wish to stay in it can be financially beneficial. I'm more practical than that to pay for enough points to stay where we wanted it was a 48000 proposition. When you add the cost of taxes and fees every year over a period of 30 years we would spend nearly 100,000.00 now granted we weren't buying in at the bottom with this rate it made me stop and think. The economy is in the crapper so we all know what real estate looks like. Well for 150k you can buy a house on the water in the keys. These houses are rentable with a site like vrbo for 1500 to 2000 depending on season. We decided to go that route. We are a little less than a year in and we have rented the house out 32 weeks and used it 4 ourselves. At the rate we are going the house will pay its self off in 3 more years. It will generate enough income to fund our vacationing and provide me with a place to fish whenever I want. Now I realize most people are not in a position to afford to purchase a house like this the way I have, however are they really in a position to afford the dvc then? Because over the long haul you are spending the same $. These are just my two cents.

[DVCDad]

Assuming a 3% annual inflation on annual dues, my personal cost for Bay lake Tower DVC is $11.94 per point. Tyhat's actual cost, in that it will still be $11.94 per point at any stage of the contract, even in 2060.

The theme view studio we are staying in at our next trip is 141 points for a week, or $1681.33. Considering the rack rate for that room is currently $500/night, we'r already saving about half the rack rate. In 2060, again assuming 3% raise in rack rates, my cost remains at arounfd $250/night, but the rack rate increases to around $2000.

Sorry for so much math, but in the end it works out, as long as your not financing your initial purchase.

[HauntedGabe]

But often there is room only discounts of 30% to 40%. That is always a good option without having the burden of a long term investment.

[tiggerguy]

there is to be no math in theses forums!!!!

[DVCDad]

there is to be no math in theses forums!!!!

By waiting for discounts, you're essentially letting Disney decide when you travel. If you're flexible in your travel dates, you may get a discount if Disney chooses, as a given discount can be altered or removed at any time. If you want a busy time, you'll be paying top dollar.

With us, our family loves going to the Top of the World lounge on New Years eve. By owning DVC at Bay lake Tower, we can ensure we have first chance at booking there 11 months out, year after year, every year until 2060. If we choose to change our plans, we can pick any date of our choosing, and are not limited to when Disney decides to give us a deal. And as mentioned in my previous post, the closer to the end of the contract, the cheaper the discount DVC provides guaranteed (approx 90% off rack rates).

It's not for everyone. If you know you are going frequently, and have the money up front, its by far the cheapest way to go. I could never by a house in Florida. id be forever worried about break-ins, maintenance costs, and worrying about how the people I'm renting the house to are treating my place. With DVC, I know that I'm getting a deluxe accommodation before anyone else can book at an extremely discounted rate, with no time restriction.

[HauntedGabe]

By waiting for discounts, you're essentially letting Disney decide when you travel. If you're flexible in your travel dates, you may get a discount if Disney chooses, as a given discount can be altered or removed at any time. If you want a busy time, you'll be paying top dollar.

With us, our family loves going to the Top of the World lounge on New Years eve. By owning DVC at Bay lake Tower, we can ensure we have first chance at booking there 11 months out, year after year, every year until 2060. If we choose to change our plans, we can pick any date of our choosing, and are not limited to when Disney decides to give us a deal. And as mentioned in my previous post, the closer to the end of the contract, the cheaper the discount DVC provides guaranteed (approx 90% off rack rates).

It's not for everyone. If you know you are going frequently, and have the money up front, its by far the cheapest way to go. I could never by a house in Florida. id be forever worried about break-ins, maintenance costs, and worrying about how the people I'm renting the house to are treating my place. With DVC, I know that I'm getting a deluxe accommodation before anyone else can book at an extremely discounted rate, with no time restriction.

Disney manipulates us all, it is a given. That is why they are so successful. If I am not mistaken, don't DVC owners get Dinged a higher amount of points for Prime Dates? So if a DVC owner vacations during a Prime time they get less days for their points than off season? They have us either way. And if a DVC'r wants to stay at a coveted DVC, not their home resort wouldn't it take more points than lets say Key West where you would get more days for your points? We looked at it years ago when park tickets came with the investment. It wasn't our type of long term investment.

My long term plan is to buy a condo in a high end community near Disney, without intentions of renting, my kids are almost through with college, amen. I can't worry about break-ins, what will be will be and that is what insurance and burglar alarms are for. If all goes according to plan I will have a summer and winter home for dramatically less than the long term investment of a DVC and hopefully visit the World far more often than I could with a DVC. We are past the point of our kids wanting to spend NYE with us, that ended in their teens, expected, the circle of life. Meanwhile with the perk of a CM status, my kid is not letting go of, I've been able to tap into, my last trip was 60% off the resort, 50% off dining plan, 20% off what I want purchased and free entry with hopping. Not a bad option to a DVC for us for now. It is just what works out better for each family.

[DVCDad]

There are different points for different times and resorts yes, but these charts are known before you invest, so determining how many points you need for a given vacation should be worked out before you purchase any points.

As stated earlier, it's not "a scam", as the initial poster referred, but a choice. For our family DVC was the best choice. It's not for everyone, but it definitely works for us. I'm the type that doesn't want to worry about break-ins and other expenses that a real estate property would entail, which would naturally be far greater annually than the DVC maintenance fees, but that's again an individual choice.

Getting $300 off per annual pass this year helped my budget a lot, but next year that perk may not come back. In the end, DVC perks and room discounts come and go, but I made my investment based on the bare minimum, that I'm guaranteed a deluxe hotel on property at an extremely discounted price. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely the best choice for us.

[supernova]

I'm reading through all of these posts, especially the earlier ones. All I can say as a DVC member whose home resort is Wilderness Lodge is, don't hate because I'm rich and you're not.

[Mo Noyz]

I ain't all that rich, but feel free to hate me.

[ohiodisneydad]

I just got a call from DVC and the price is $14000 for DVC ownership! I can commend them for telling you right away what the initial cost is right up front without any long winded speech.

[DVCDad]

I just got a call from DVC and the price is $14000 for DVC ownership! I can commend them for telling you right away what the initial cost is right up front without any long winded speech.

Yea, it's not the typical high pressure 12 hour timeshare meeting. It's a good chunk of change, but if you enjoy staying in deluxe resorts annualy, it saves you in the long run.

[Mo Noyz]

How long of a run?

[ohiodisneydad]

The lady I talked to said it's an investment that gets you and your family fifty years of vacation memories

[doconeill]

I vaguely recall the numbers from someone on another site, that even factoring in dues/taxes (which a lot of people forget about) and predicted inflation, for a family that typically stayed in a moderate room one week a year, it was something like between 7-15 years for breakeven (I forget why it seems like such a large range, I'm probably missing something). And since the contract runs for far more years than that, it could be a great deal.

Right now, IIRC contracts for all resorts except SSR, AKV, BLT, GCV and Aulani expire end of 2042, so just under 30 years left (although OKW owners I believe were offered extensions to 2057). SSR is 2054 and AKV are 2057 - not sure about the others exactly but I believe its 50 years from when they first became available.