Okay, DVC allies and foes:
What's the lowdown?
If I want to travel to Disney at least once each year, is it worth it?
And is there a DVC for Dummies post/site that I can go to that will help me understand it a very (did I say VERY) dummed-down fashion? Every time I go to read about it, my eyes start glazing over and I'm completely stupefied.
Help for the ignorant, please??
We are DVC members and we absolutely love it. We travel just the wife and I and we have more than enough points to stay in a studio (very ample for 2) for two weeks. The way it works you purchase points for a certain monetary fee and those points are yours to use whenever you want, ( pending availability) plus you have a monthly "condo fee" type of charge. For example I am using my points to go to the Grand Californian in DisneyLand for 12 days in Jan and when we leave on 14 Jan they say goodbye and there is NO CHARGE for the accomodations. Of course the only charge you have is for your meals etc. You can book at your home resort resort 11 months out and at any other DVC resort at 7 months out.the biggest thing is the initial investment but after that it's all downhill from there.I am sure others will chime in with their views to give you a well rounded outlook.
At the end of the game, pawns and kings go back into the same box.
More, more! I would love to have this de-mystified as well, and I know y'all know a ton! Thanks! (and Thanks, Vettelover. I soooo can't wait to hear ALL about that trip.)
i will try to simplify if i can , this is what i tell my friends when they ask. it is a point system that you purchase (price varies on how many points you have) for now lets say you have 160 pts. this is per use year. my use year for example is june to june so every june i get 160 new pts. my home resort is saratoga springs so this is the example i will use, here is a example vacation.
i want to stay at saratoga springs from 10/1/12 to 10/7/12 so that will cost me 104 pts. no money involved in this just the pts. you have already purchased. now you have 56 pts left for later this year for a shorter vaca or bank them til next year for a bigger vacation and you would have 216 pts. and you could do 2 weeks next year. dvc will do all of this for you no thinking required. the only $$ you spend is for your park tics and airfare and food. it is well worth it
i hope this makes sense
"Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantengense alejado de las puertas"
Becoming DVC Members changed our lives, it probably the best purchase that we have ever made. The system has flexibility, simplicity, and it's easy to use (once you get the hang of a new way to book).
All that being said, DVC is not for everyone, and every family won't save money using it. If you are a serious budget traveler, only booking discounted rooms at values and only going during free dining, you won't save money with DVC. The benefit to you then would be that you lock into the 2012 pricing of your rooms vs. it going up every year. However, if you travel that way now but WANT to upgrade to the deluxe resorts then you can look at it as DVC would give you a whole lot more hotel for your money.
Check out your private messages, I sent you some more information there.
If we didnt have DVC... I dont think we would be able to go to Disney every year. Let alone... we have these points for another 36 years. So we wont be affected by higher prices at the resorts. Just have to deal with the points. Id say more... but everything has been said for the most part, but if we didnt have it. We wouldnt be able to afford Disney every year.
Also never ever buy DVC for the perks!, There is no guarantee a perk will always be there. They come and go. There are discounts though and they can be significant.
Who's going to WDW or DL this year ? / Your most artistic Disney photo's /My Disney Fix /
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Also never ever buy DVC for the perks!, There is no guarantee a perk will always be there. They come and go. There are discounts though and they can be significant.
Very true.
Also never ever buy DVC for the perks!, There is no guarantee a perk will always be there. They come and go. There are discounts though and they can be significant.
OH come on... you bought in to it because they said you would get all the fame and fortune!
I've been a DVC member since 1999 - bought at BW then added on at BC and WL. I now have 450 points/year. My sister and I share the points and we bought them after she had her baby (now 15). Our plan was to go to Disney twice a year - April and September - each for 4 - 5 days. The 300 points was perfect initially. We could even do a cruise every other year.
As my nieces and nephews have grown, I've added points on as we need larger accommodations (typically a 2 bedroom). Plus once we had to work around school vacations, we ended up traveling during the more expensive seasons. I love the flexibility of the point system that allows me to book a 2 bedroom when the whole gang travels or just a studio when we go without kids.
I believe it makes sense to buy in to DVC if you plan to travel regularly (at least once/year) and don't want to stay at a budget hotel. I know I wouldn't have gone to Disney half as much as I have if it hadn't been for DVC membership.
Hope that helps!
