How much longer will you stay on-site?

[mickeyluv'r]

I don't know how many people are in your family/group/party, but I've kept receipts from all my non-DP dining at WDW in the past, and it never would've been cheaper to have gotten the DP. A room discount (even 30% off) has always worked out better. This was for two adults (no kids), not huge eaters, often sharing main courses or ordering appetizers only at a TS meal, eating breakfast in the room, CS lunch, and not going to character meals. A delivery from gardengrocer was very helpful in keeping the food budget down.

Also, I noticed that, without the DP, it was a much more relaxed food experience. I never make ADRs, except maybe a day or sometimes a couple of hours ahead of time, and I'm not constantly counting up points and vouchers to see what's there, what's left, figuring out how to use it, etc. If something's not available, that's fine, I go somewhere else. Not a big deal.

I've run the numbers many times. I think you are talking about a % off room rate vs. free DDP - not just getting the DDP in general.

Simply put, free DDP during value season, at a value resort is about as inexpensive as you can get to WDW.

If youa re staying at a mod- it's sort of a toss up.

If youa re staying deluxe, % discounts are nearly always better.

I've also run the math on paying for the dining plan many times. In my extended family, most of us prefer water with meals, and skipping dessert - or sharing one between several of us. Before DDP, we might get one dessert for the entire table - of seven of us!

Often enough we are also happy to share lunches, and we don't need dessert with lunch.

Sometimes we end up with snacks left as well.

All that said, paying for the dining plan still comes out a better deal than paying oop - even paying oop with Tables in Wonderland.

it's a great deal for kids 3-9, and a good deal for adults - especially if you include a mix of buffets or fixed price meals (Like 'Ohana) in your week long visit.

Theonly group where DDP is not a great deal is if you have a junior (ages 9+) who likes small meals. Evnethen, one Junior might not make DDP a bad deal.


The nice thing about DDP is that you can get any item on the menu, with minimal concern (those tips still add up!)

With a big group - it's MUCH easier having everything pre-paid. The last trip we took before DDP, one family member kept complaining about how much every meal was costing. It's so much better to get all that nonsense done before we go. If they don't want to go, they don't. If they do, they pay. Done. Now let's have fun.

Though I admit...I DO have to help certain familiy members navigate the use of points, and once in the middle ofthe vacation I verify that we have the correct amount of dining credits left. Still, for me, it has been easier than going without DDP.

However, the upcoming policy changes are going to shift the balance back. Likely inthe future I'll go back to minimal ADR's and TiW.

 

[eliza61]

Once again I will point out that the QUESTION was asked "why disney is pushing dvc". She said and I quote: "I don't get it"

no chip here, I've got no horse in the race. I get no kickback from disney unless some I know is purchasing a dvc but you can't compare apples to oranges.

You stated they were not worth your investment. I pointed out that you mainly stay in a value hotel ( from the information, from you tag). dvc's are not worth it if you stay at values. fact.

 

[autismgoesdisney]

Oh my! I am truly sorry for asking the question since it started such a debate.

I guess that's it for me. I don't stay value since its more expensive than POR for our family of five. I would LOVE to stay deluxe, but to me, I don't need a kitchen or laundry in my room. I am on vacation and don't cook or clean or do laundry.

I don't have 25K to put down. I want my free dining. I visit the park everyday during our trips down. I want my mousecleaning.

I just want the "normal" rooms at a deluxe to be cheaper.

but I totally get that this is ME, and obviously not the rest of the visiters of WDW since obviously Disney wouldn't add more BVC to Poly if they weren't selling more than the normal rooms!

 

[autismgoesdisney]

If youa re staying deluxe, % discounts are nearly always better.

Is this so even with "larger" families? I have a family of five and recently have run numbers for the 35% off deluxe. It seemed to have made more sense to use the ddp instead.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I also dont get where folks are comparing DVC resorts to deluxe resorts.

They are not the same at all.

I know WDW markets them as teh same, but they are two totally different experiences.

In DVC you have a kitchen, and a totally different room set up. Many of the DVC rooms have fold out beds.

Next is the pools. Some are the same as the deluxe resorts, most are not. For the size of the resort, many are on the small side.

Next is proximity. In most cases, DVC resorts lose something in conveniece at the DVC resorts: Wilderness Lodge, Bay Lake Tower for example. In both caes, you are quite a bit further to the dining than you are in the main deluxe resort. (excluding garden wing rooms at CR.)

Further, you lose daily room service. That is a HUGE difference.

Disney makes more money off DVC. Plain and simple. They don't have to pay for daily cleaning staff, and they get guaranteed future customers.

If you like it, then that's fine, but DVC is not the same as staying at a deluxe resort.

 

[robinb]

I will continue to stay onsite because of DVC.

FWIW, I originally bought 230 points at OKW and then sold that contact 10 years later before DVC nosedived along with the rest of the economy. We paid cash for OKW and sold it at a profit. My total cost of ownership, (OKW purchase price + maintenance fees - OKW sales price), came out to about $5520 over 10 years. We stayed a total of 156 room nights (all levels ... studios, 1 BR, 2BR GVs) and ended up paying an average of $35.39 per night. No, it wasn't an "investment" for us, but it came out to be a darn good discount!

Honestly, with DVC prices still in the toilet it's not a bad time to buy DVC on the resale market. Especially if you are used to staying at Moderates and Deluxe resorts. FTR, you can get into DVC for less than $25,000. Even if you need enough points for a 2BR every year.

 

[damien]

As usual, another DVCer chip-on-their shoulder response because someone has the audacity to suggest that DVC is not worth the money for what it is.

And, yes, I agree, TIMESHARES ARE NOT AN INVESTMENT, but maybe the next time you are at one of your annual DVC general meetings you can suggest that they not indicate that DVC timeshares ARE an investment in their sales spiel.

I prefer to stay at the Deluxe Resorts because of the room size and the location, but I'm with you - I think the overall cost of DVC (right now) is ridiculous. See, here's the thing:

1.When DVC first started, the price wasn't too bad per point, and it was an affordable option for many people.

2.To that extent, Disney's Deluxe Resorts also used to be an affordable option for many more people.

3.What's happened is Disney has raised rack rates at the Deluxe Resorts to an absurd level. They then try and talk you into DVC, but as it is, DVC isn't all that great of a deal anymore either.

There are 2 ways to do DVC math. One is the way Disney and many DVCers do it:

A.They calculate what the price of membership is if you pay for it up front, without dues, versus what that same room would cost if you paid rack rate out of pocket without DVC.

B.The other way, is how I did it and how anyone without unlimited income should do it. They look at the cost of membership, add in finance charges, add in dues, add in the rise of the cost of dues, and compare it to a Deluxe Resort (not a DVC Resort Room), with the average discount they have received over the past 10 years or so.

When done that way, DVC doesn't look quite so tempting.

 

[damien]

I also dont get where folks are comparing DVC resorts to deluxe resorts.

They are not the same at all.

I know WDW markets them as teh same, but they are two totally different experiences.

In DVC you have a kitchen, and a totally different room set up. Many of the DVC rooms have fold out beds.

Next is the pools. Some are the same as the deluxe resorts, most are not. For the size of the resort, many are on the small side.

Next is proximity. In most cases, DVC resorts lose something in conveniece at the DVC resorts: Wilderness Lodge, Bay Lake Tower for example. In both caes, you are quite a bit further to the dining than you are in the main deluxe resort. (excluding garden wing rooms at CR.)

Further, you lose daily room service. That is a HUGE difference.

Disney makes more money off DVC. Plain and simple. They don't have to pay for daily cleaning staff, and they get guaranteed future customers.

If you like it, then that's fine, but DVC is not the same as staying at a deluxe resort.

I've been saying this for years.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Sorry, double post.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Is this so even with "larger" families? I have a family of five and recently have run numbers for the 35% off deluxe. It seemed to have made more sense to use the ddp instead.

For a Family of 5, a 35% off room discount is about the same as, or slightly less than a free dining discount - basically it's a wash. Usually it takes a 40% room only discount on a Deluxe for a family of 5 to come out ahead of a free dining discount.

 

[Figment1983]

We will stay onsite as long as we can afford it. Nothing beats being able to walk, take a boat, or take the monorail to a park.

 

[sndral]

1) most dvc'ers tend to have disposable income. studies have shown many dvc'ers are not budget travellers. They can be counted on to spend an extra 400 bucks to do a segway tour or behind the scenes tour. so not only do you have a group of people who come back regularly, you have a group of regulars who will drop a wad of cash.

Actually according to Morgan Stanley's analysis of DVC purchases 75% are financed, so most (75%) DVC owners have sufficent disposal income to finance a $20,000-30,000 (average purchase price per Morgan Stanley's analysis) purchase but insufficient cash reserves or other disposable assets to purchase a luxery item at that price point.
I'd be curious to see the studies about the spending habits of DVC owners - Disney certainly does not separate their per guest spending numbers into DVC v. other resort room guest spending in their 10k financial filings. I've read that at annual DVC meetings they state that DVC owners spend more, however, I'd love to see the numbers - and whether they are comparing DVC owner spending to all guest spending (including off site and day visitors) or to guests staying onsite (eg value, moderate, deluxe) or to guests staying in deluxe accomodations.

I will agree with the premise that owners of DVC will stay onsite - they are a captive audience, so to speak. As to why Disney may be pushing DVC - they realize a huge profit upfront from these sales - which looks good on the financials, plus they are off the hook for ongoing maintenance and running of the resort as these costs are passed on to the owners through maintenance fees.

Which is not to say that I may not buy DVC some day - I may, but right now my disposable income is being hoarded to build enough cash reserves to buy that coastal 2nd home I covet.

 

[dzorn]

Inspired by another thread, I'm curious what the thoughts of the members here are. With rack rates at the Grand Floridian now eclipsing over $500 per night with taxes, close to $500 per night at the Polynesian, and around $450 at the other Deluxe Resorts, I know Disney has just about priced me out. As a family of 5, our options are limited. I never thought I would take a Disney trip and stay off site, but after next year, we're going to. Is anyone else going to start staying off site, or will you continue to pay Disney's prices?

Well my DVC was a 50 year contract so quite a few more.

Denise in MI

 

[damien]

Not to be rude to DVCers, but did it really need to be pointed out that this thread wasn't aimed at them? Yes, we all know DVCers will be staying onsite for the next 40 years.

 

[marivaid]

As long as we don't have a car (or the license that comes with) there really is no choice for us but to stay onsite. Well, we could use taxis or hotel shuttles, but shuttles aren't reliable and using taxis 2-4 times a day from a moderately priced hotel on LBV would end up costing us more than staying onsite at a value and it would be a huge headache.

I admit though that I'm a bit envious of families staying in 2-bedroom suites for $99/night when I have to share a bed at a mod for $200/night And I would LOVE to try renting a house once, and have a pool of our very own.

Maybe when one of us finally learns how to drive, we'll give it a try. Until then, it's onsite for us.

 

[roydavid7771]

No worries damien, I just recently bought into DVC, but I see where you're coming from. Regardless of our purchase, I would continue to stay onsite, even if it meant either staying at a value if I wanted to go every year, or saving up and staying at a deluxe every 2-3 years. The mods are fine too, but I admit, I tend to be a bit spoiled and would only want to stay at a deluxe.

 

[book_junkie]

I'll continue staying on-site until I can't find discounts or I sour on the resorts... My personal preferences have me in moderates or deluxes, and I've lucked out in getting room only discounts which work better for the few of us that are going. However, I rent a car so we're able to get groceries and are not restricted to eating on property, either. Balances things out, at least for us.

If it ever works that off-site would be a better deal, then we'll have to reconsider.

 

[ppony]

Not to be rude to DVCers, but did it really need to be pointed out that this thread wasn't aimed at them? Yes, we all know DVCers will be staying onsite for the next 40 years.

It was a natural, parallel and related tangent.
I know the thread wasn't "about" DVCers but it does answer the OP's question about rising prices on deluxes and staying on property in the future. Some of us that like to stay at that level of Disney resorts have found the rising cost to eventually be an inhibitor and to be able to still stay on site at accommodations that are, in OUR option, better than deluxes (which is why IMO it's a valid comparison because you can't compare them to mods or values so you have one category left, where they reside), our buying in gave us peace of mind that we will have Disney vacations at a level we have come to love for decades to come. Our purchase only came a few years ago after staying at the Poly a few nights rack rate because we couldn't get any discounts.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I will still stay on site- just have to work more to pay for it, lol. I even pay rack rate- horror of horrors. My vacations are where I splurge in life.

 

[Sammie]

well I will put it this way, if we didn't have DVC we would not be staying onsite.

Way too expensive as I am not interested in values and moderates gotta have a balcony.