Still trying to wrap my brain around the math... About This Page:

[chezp]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a question for you, do you normally travel to DW every year?
Our family doesn't, so i am not sure it is worth it for us to invest in all the points and then only use them once every 3 years or so. we just can't save up money fast enough for all the other expenses to make a trip happen very often. But we do LOVE the deluxes.
I don't think i helped much.
If you go every year even every other year and your only expense is $875 per year, that sounds like a good deal to me.
another thing to consider, are your points transferrable?
noreen

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When we first bought in, our DVC rep told us that if we were considering travelling to Disney World every other year, then it would make sense for us, as you can bank or borrow points, meaning you don't have to go every year.

Your points can be used for a range of other things, like Disney cruises, at every Disney resort around the world (they've finally added Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland into the mix! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/thewave.gif[/img] ) and they can be used for some of the best hotels in the world in the Concierge Collection. THey can also be exchanged through Interval International and the Buena Vista Trading Company, opening up opportunities in 25 countries and finally there's the Adventurer Collection, where you can take an African Safari, Biking Trips, Alaskan Cruises or Multisport trips, so from that point of view, your DVC points are transferable to lots of other places.

Of course, if you can't use them, you can always rent your points out or you could even treat family members. My husband always talks about doing that - booking a one bedroom or two bedroom villa and inviting a couple of family members along, but we never have enough points left to do that. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Wendyismyname]

[ QUOTE ]
Of course, if you can't use them, you can always rent your points out or you could even treat family members. My husband always talks about doing that - booking a one bedroom or two bedroom villa and inviting a couple of family members along, but we never have enough points left to do that. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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This is exactly what we did last year!! For our 10th anniversary, I had banked and borrowed a few points to allow us to stay for 10 nights. After the first 5 nights, I had a studio booked for my sister and her family. That room only took 88 points, but spending my anniversary at WDW with a bunch of my family :PRICELESS!!! It was great!

Good luck Dawn!!

[DogLady]

i love the idea of folks renting out points, cause that would work perfectly for our family. Can't afford to invest in DVC but by renting from someone it benefits both of us.
Rent out those points folks, there are plenty of us waiting to rent from you.
noreen

[Happymommy]

Sounds good to me!!!!!! Joe recently told me that he wants to go to Disney twice a year (now that I'm getting ready to go back to work)-- I've been trying to talk him into DVC (he was ready to do it a year ago, then we decided to wait, and now he's going on about not understanding the math). I'm gonna let him read this thread! Thank you!!!!

[disneymom9092]

I do look at it as in investment as such also. We have already told Andrew (and Matt as well-but Andrew is older) that they can take up to 3 friends and go to WDW for graduation (on points) Andrew has already chosen the Beach Club. After all-they have been raised on Disney and know the parks like the backs of their hands). Also-we have decided that when the boys get married-their honeymoon will be our gift to them (anywhere points can be used-Europe, Hawaii, cruise-you name it). Also-2 trips to WDW a year for us for years!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Joy J]

Over and above the fact that I love knowing that I can go to WDW every year should I so choose without having to cough up the money to stay in the sort of accommodations that I like, there are other definite more tangible financial perks to be had by being DVC members. firstly, although dues can rise sometimes from year to year, the number of points it costs to stay at an individual resort does not change. You get a significant discount on annual passes. And now you can even purchase the Disney Dining Plan or, if you prefer, you're also eligible to buy the Disney Dining Experience card. There are also regular discounts for DVC members at a lot of the restaurants and also for the Disney behind the scenes tours and recreational activities like miniature golf. We even got discounts on our Cirque du Soleil tickets and MVMCP tickets. When we added up all the savings, it came to a considerable amount.

From a non-financial angle, as DVC members, you're entitled to pool hop to any of the other WDW swimming pools with the exception of Stormalong Bay and the pool at AKL.

Joy

[ljjri]

My exhusband and I bought the DVC on our honeymoon. I always wanted to but my ex wasn't so sure. We did the presentation and I told my ex he had to figure it out for himself if it was worth it, hey I already knew it was. Well he stayed up all night,literally, and by the morning he realized it was a good investment, not only for our family but for us knowing it assured us that we could go WDW whenever we wanter and if we chose too, we could go anyplace that we wanted, (New York, Michigan, California, Europe).

When we going through our divorce this was the one area that caused us problems. He knew I really wanted it and even though he didn't I in the end was awared our DVC. I am so glad that I got it. It has come in handy many many times. When there was a point of my thinking about me selling it, my parents are the ones who talked me of it, (I have one more year and it is all paid off!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] )

In the end I think of it as an investment in the fact that I can go to the one place I love going, even if some don't understand. It is mine and if I feel like going for a long weekend I can and if I wnat to stay of GF, AK, Poly or at BWV then I can.

My suggestion is to really think about how often you will be going and to talk to someone at DVC adn explain your hesitation.

Good Luck.

Jennifer [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Goofy'sGal]

I also agree that it's not a financial investment but an emotional one filled with memories that you'll make over a lifetime with your family and friends. We had not been taking regular family vacations until we had our first family trip to WDW. My DH decided right then and there, it would be worth the cost to regularly see those smiles on our kids' faces and for us to spend great family vacations together.

However, he's very analytical too. So he created a whole spreadsheet and figured out what the rack rate for a 1br villa was (easy to do since we paid rack for a 1br that first trip! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] ) and how that cost would increase over the next 40 yrs and compared it to our initial investment plus the annual dues while applying increases to the dues too. He figured that in 5 DVC trips, we'll have broken even with our initial investment. Thereafter, we'll be paying the price of a Value Resort to receive what we call Super-Deluxe accommodations. Being DVC members we've saved a nice chunk of change on our APs, on our MVMCP tix, and at some restaurants. PLUS we've visited the World much more often than we ever would have dreamed if we hadn't joined.

We wanted to stay at AKL this Fall but part of the drawbacks is staying in a "standard-size" deluxe room as compared to a 1 bedroom villa WITH full kitchen WITH washer/dryer WITH whirlpool tub, etc. We're just spoiled!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I would say, though, that if buying into DVC will add a financial strain to your bank account, you shouldn't do it. That would seem to suck the magic right out!

Good luck deciding!

[DopeyGirl]

Thanks for explaining all of this guys!!!

I have been mulling over DVC membership for a couple of years and would really like to do it eventually as we'd like to eventually start staying in more deluxe-ish accomodations and it seems like it'd be the best move . . . I have just never been positive about the ins and outs of it. I am also afraid of even talking to a rep about it, knowing that it may be quite a while until we could even think about buying in (the buy-in cost is a bit daunting for us [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ) I don't want to give a rep the wrong idea or feel suckered into something I KNOW I can't afford yet! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

DH is not so much into the DVC idea yet, but then, he would like for us to be able to own our own house first! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]