re: Disney Vacation Club - Need Some Help

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If the major value of the DVC ownership is the room; couldn't you just use your perks to get the room then do other things in the Orlando area like Universal, LegoLand trip, SeaWorld...? Or, would you not really "get the benefit" this way?

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This is kind of where me and the wife are having some discussions.

I'm fine with spending 7-10 days a year, over 1-2 trips a year, staying on property in a DVC resort.

I'm NOT fine with doing the same plan every time.

There is PLENTY to do in Orland outside Disney Parks.

As I see it, there are three things I'm working through.

1) There are benefits to staying at Universal hotels if you are going there, same for other parks, etc.

2) If the trip is more general / less Disney specific, you can probably find really good rates / nice resorts staying off property at another hotel

3) Some of the benefits of staying on Disney property are tied to disney parks... such as the early entry, late stay for deluxe / DVC resorts, and the ease of the bus. If you consistently spend most of your trip off site... those benefits are worth less.

One of the things that stands out about the DVC resorts is the amount of activities / programming that occurs at the resorts. That was impressive to me.

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You’re a CPA, do the math. Be realistic about it. As the kids get older your visits will decline. Don’t forget to add include yearly increases in the assessments.

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I'm assuming the yearly rate of assessment increase will be about the same as the yearly rate of hotel cost increases.

The math says if we use all our points each year, it is worth it, as the amortization of the cost plus annual assessments is less than the annual cost of hotel at Disney.

That math works even with an interest rate of up to about 10 percent.

There is a reason I didn't post this on the money board.

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As the kids get older your visits will decline

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Part of me thinks this is correct. Part of me does not.

We have been going yearly or atleast every other year for probably the last 25 years. My brother bought in pretty early because he had 4 kids and the 2 bedrooms were nice for that size. I missed a lot of trips while in college but have been going back since I got out. I started crunching the numbers while I was single with a disposable income and decided it would be worth it.

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1) If you bought resale, what company did you use, and how was the experience?

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I decided to buy my 1st contract direct from Disney so I would qualify as a direct owner (50 point minimum at the time)

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2) What were the biggest factors in determining what resort to buy? Initial price, location, deed expiration, amenities, annual fees, etc?

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I chose OKW as my 1st purchase because it was the cheapest direct from Disney at the time and also had the longest contract (expires 2057). It also had one of the lowest annual fees at the time. It basically came down to OKW and Bay Lake Towers as the 2 best options when I crunched the numbers.

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How many points did you start off with? Have you bought more along the way?

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Started off with 85 because I was planning on a 1 bedroom every other years. Ended up buying another 115 a year or two later once my dad was diagnosed with cancer and it was easier for them to stay with me in a 2 bedroom. Bought direct again (though I wanted to go resale) from Cooper Creek because we really love that resort.

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Did you finance the purchase

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Yes financed the 1st purchase direct through Disney 9%. Felt like it would be worth it if I could pay off within 1 year. Ended up paying off in 18 months. Paid the Copper Creek with cash.

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Prices seem to have been moving steady upwards... is there any chance of a crash in prices if the economy continues to sputter? And if that happens... will Disney just exercise right of refusal on all those dumped contracts anyways?

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When I bought OKW direct I think it was around $110 with resale around $75. Those prices are up to $180 and $110, respectively now. I had figured 10 trips was probably my breakeven in a 1 bedroom. I believe the number of trips was reduced a little when we started doing 2 bedrooms so I'm not overly concerned with any crash since I would have gotten my value already.

DVC has been awesome for my family. First, determine which hotel you like the best.... then buy resale (dvcresale.com) 100-150 points is a solid start. I used Monera to finance. They gave me a $200 a month payment for 60 months but I always sent extra and paid it off in 24 months. I can stay anywhere now. Kids arent bored with it because we go once a yr (and a yr feels like a long time between). Couldnt be happier with it. I know it feels like a life sentence but if we ever do get bored with it I will sell it (and make a profit)

How does the exchange program work for DVC, can you use your points to book through Interval or is it just Interval gives you access to some DVC resorts?