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Any DVC members here?

Me

OKW BCV SSR

Hey! I am a Disney Vacation Club Member.

YEPPERS - OKW initial purchase, then another OKW add on secondary market 3 years later! WE LOVE OUR DVC (and all things Disney, of course!)

lovesdisney44 wrote:YEPPERS - OKW initial purchase, then another OKW add on secondary market 3 years later! WE LOVE OUR DVC (and all things Disney, of course!)

So, for you DVC owners, do you have a favorite or least favorite DVC resort?

jkm8113 wrote:

lovesdisney44 wrote:YEPPERS - OKW initial purchase, then another OKW add on secondary market 3 years later! WE LOVE OUR DVC (and all things Disney, of course!)

So, for you DVC owners, do you have a favorite or least favorite DVC resort?

So, far, we've stayed at Old Key West (OKW) and the Boardwalk Villas. (In the past, we've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and that's right next to the Villas of the Wilderness Lodge). This summer we're trying Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR) and Beach Club Villas. They are all GREAT! Where we stay is based on our needs of that trip. For example - if we want to be laid back and have a TON OF ROOM, we stay at OKW. If we want to go to MGM or EPCOT a few times, we'll stay at the Beach Club Villas, or the Boardwalk Villas. But Beach Club Villas has that sand bottomed pool . . . Ya know, Disney cornered the market with excellent themed resorts. Once you start staying at them, you can't stop and have to try as many as possible!

if we want to be laid back and have a TON OF ROOM, we stay at OKW

Isn't that the truth? We love OKW, and a lot of people think that because it is the oldest, that it is not nice at all. I prefer OKW for 1 and 2 bedrooms and all the others for studios.

My least favorite is WLV, only because it is dark. I love the lobby of both the hotel and the Villas, but the rooms are dark to me. Feel like I need my winter coat and boots and gloves on. We are just more tropical people, I guess.

My wife and I keep kicking around the idea of getting into the DVC.

Do you guys have any thoughts on the matter?????

Rich

rdeacon wrote:My wife and I keep kicking around the idea of getting into the DVC.

Do you guys have any thoughts on the matter?????

Rich

First, how much do you LOVE Disney? Second, how often do you go. There's a huge thread about this very subject at wdwinfo.com - under DVC/Timeshare and then the Discussions Forum.

Good Luck, and I'd be happy to answer any ?'s you have.

rdeacon wrote:My wife and I keep kicking around the idea of getting into the DVC.

Do you guys have any thoughts on the matter?????

Rich

We love owning DVC. The smallest DVC accomodations will spoil you from staying in any regular Disney resort, unless you typically stay in suites. Having a microwave and mini-fridge as a bare minimum really helps you save on snacks and breakfast if nothing else. There is also a toaster in the studio. And you get queen-sized beds, which you don't get at regular resorts until you pay for the Deluxe rooms.

Even though you pay for your stay one way or the other. There is nothing like going down for a wekk-long stay and checking out with no hotel bill, unless you charged purchases and meals to the room. That zero balance is great.

And you get a substantial discount on Annual Pass rates.

There are no disadvantages in my opinion, but I know not everyone feels that way.

Does the cost of buying into DVC go up each year? I have always been curious because on one hand, you have less supply as more people buy in, and inflation always seems to make things more expensive as the years go on. However, on the other hand, you end up with less value as the amount of time on the lease is less each year since they all expire at the same time. I have thought about doing something like DVC, but I want to wait until the kids are a little older.

Club33Hopeful wrote:Does the cost of buying into DVC go up each year? I have always been curious because on one hand, you have less supply as more people buy in, and inflation always seems to make things more expensive as the years go on. However, on the other hand, you end up with less value as the amount of time on the lease is less each year since they all expire at the same time. I have thought about doing something like DVC, but I want to wait until the kids are a little older.

Yes, Clubb33Hopeful, the "initial" cost of joining DVC does seem to go up every year. It has to do with supply and demand. People still want and are purchasing into DVC. Once you join, your per point cost does not go up, unless you decide to purchase more down the road, then it might (proably will) have gone up. The annual dues do go up slightly every year, though. If you love Disney and like to go to WDW every year or every other year, than it may be worth your while to look into it. The only thing I've ever heard people say that they regretted when they joined, was not joining sooner! (Some people, down the line, end up selling their DVC timeshare, and they do not lose money.) We own at Old Key West, and our contract ends 2042. The new Saratoga Springs ends in 2054 - or something like that. Hope this helps.

During Christmass time, I liked the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge the best. We stay at Old Key West mostly, because it uses the least amount of points. Not cause I like it the most. The Board Walk was the most convienet. To be able to walk to Epcot, or take the boat. Bus is an option at all resorts. I wish we would have joined sooner, when joining was cheeper. When we re-financed the house, we paid off our DVC membership. We still have to pay dues, which keep going up acouple of dollars each year. But we can go acouple times a year, if we stay in a "studio" at Old Key West. If we borrow a year and use the current year's points, we can get a room with a kitchen. Cooking one or two meals saves alot of money. Also there is a washer and dryer in the "one bedroom". It is great to go home without haveing to do all that laundry.