Who SHOULDN’T buy DVC?

[goofy kc]

Studio options are great. We have use exclusively studios for all kinds of trips over the past 3 years. Never had an issue with getting a room so long as we planned the trips ahead of time.

We bought 'just enough' points for an every other year stay at Poly - then they revised the point chart. Our plan for that one fell apart...

 

[Matty B13]

We bought 'just enough' points for an every other year stay at Poly - then they revised the point chart. Our plan for that one fell apart...

Welcome Home..... to the new improved INDUSTRIAL STANDARD DVC!

 

[CraigInPA]

Great show, although the unqualified "don't buy if you want studios" should be clarified. There are MANY resorts with more than sufficient studios to meet demand, as long as you aren't trying to book a studio category that is small (AKV concierge and value, for example). Studios at CCV, on the other hand, are scarce during peak periods because of high demand/low inventory/many small contracts sold.

 

[petrola]

Here's who I think should not buy DVC:

1. Families who only stay club level.
2. Folks who like to stay in different resorts every visit
3. Familes who only want to stay where they want to stay (versus what may be available at 7 month booking window)
4. People who take last minute trips (by last minute I mean 2-3 months out)
5. people who prefer having two queens beds rather than one queen and the pull out couch that comes with most DVC studios.
6. folks who want daily housekeeping
7. people who don't want a kitchen / kitchenette in their room.


When my DD and DS were babies we always rented DVC one bedrooms. I needed it for the baby's laundry, preparing baby food, separate room for naptime so DH and I could still have a conversation while baby napped, room for pack and play etc. Those rooms were a godsend! Now that my kids are older (9 and 6) we don't need the kitchen so much (we always get the Disney Dining plan) and really no one likes to sleep on the pullout. (although give me enough time in the parks during the day and I will sleep standing up in a corner, let's face it!) . So I also think it can depend on what stage you are in that can dictate whether or not DVC is good option!

 

[luckygirl0100]

Haha. Well, yes. Taking the kids' college fund doesn't count!

College fund?!?!?
Every year trip to Disney is an education in itself! Lol!!!!!

No seriously, I pay Catholic school tuition for 5 kids.... I'm NOT paying for college, you value what you earn!

 

[chainkid]

Here's who I think should not buy DVC:

1. Families who only stay club level.
2. Folks who like to stay in different resorts every visit
3. Famiiles who only want to stay where they want to stay (versus what may be available at 7 month booking window)
4. People who take last minute trips (by last minute I mean 2-3 months out)
5. people who prefer having two queens beds rather than one queen and the pull out couch that comes with most DVC studios.
6. folks who want daily housekeeping
7. people who don't want a kitchen / kitchenette in their room.


When my DD and DS were babies we always rented DVC one bedrooms. I needed it for the baby's laundry, preparing baby food, separate room for naptime so DH and I could still have a conversation while baby napped, room for pack and play etc. Those rooms were a godsend! Now that my kids are older (9 and 6) we don't need the kitchen so much (we always get the Disney Dining plan) and really no one likes to sleep on the pullout. (although give me enough time in the parks during the day and I will sleep standing up in a corner, let's face it!) . So I also think it can depend on what stage you are in that can dictate whether or not DVC is good option!

I always stay club level #1 in a grandvilla,
I want to stay where I want to stay
I often stay at different resorts other than my home resort so not sure why I shouldn't be a good fit for DVC. I have owned since 1999 and love it .

 

[crisi]

People who don't have a financial plan and priorities. Its Carol's point about retirement savings, and college savings and having an emergency fund formalized....have a plan for the next five years, the next ten years, the next twenty years, the next thirty years - it will change, but have a plan. Then see if DVC fits inside your plan - or even Disney vacations fit inside your plan. If your priority is to put three children through college with minimal student loan debt and be able to retire at 62 and pay off your mortgage before those kids start college - and you don't have a huge household income - annual or biannual Disney vacations might have to become "every three to five years, offsite" and then DVC doesn't make sense.

Anyone who needs to "save money" in order to make the numbers work. DVC might save you money if you are disciplined about it. But chances are, you'll end up spending more than you did before. So ignore every ROI thread and how much do I save thread when making a purchase decision. (And there is a good chance this year some of us are just going to lose points and vacations and those dues payments are dust - and that is going to change an ROI calculation). Likewise, anyone who needs to be able to rent points occasionally to make it work. Most of the time, you'll have no problem renting points.....and then...........Assume that there will be times you can't use your points, and you will lose them. It may never happen. But ......

 

[Deb & Bill]

I always stay club level #1 in a grandvilla,
I want to stay where I want to stay
I often stay at different resorts other than my home resort so not sure why I shouldn't be a good fit for DVC. I have owned since 1999 and love it .

You can't stay club level in a Grand Villa. There are no Grand Villas that offer Club Level. Unless you make your own club level environment.

 

[chainkid]

You can't stay club level in a Grand Villa. There are no Grand Villas that offer Club Level. Unless you make your own club level environment.
[/QUOTE

You get concierge services if you stay in a grand villa. this allows you to buy extra fast passes in advance of everyone else . This is considered club level services without the lounge and food.

 

[limace]

I think that’s a stretch to call club level. Most people stay club level for the food and lounge, and if all it was was a chance to spend more money most would pass.

 

[petrola]

I always stay club level #1 in a grandvilla,
I want to stay where I want to stay
I often stay at different resorts other than my home resort so not sure why I shouldn't be a good fit for DVC. I have owned since 1999 and love it .

I've never stayed in a Grandvilla before, so no idea if they have a club lounge. As far as staying where you want to stay, that's great that you always get to stay at your first choice of resort- but we've found that our first choice is not always available two or three months out with DVC. Certain resorts (I'm looking at you Beach Club - one of our top choices) aren't usually available last minute, where as with cash rooms, you can usually find something at GF, BC, YC in the 2-3 month range. If you are a planner and can book 11 months out that's great! We always travel in peak times as well, (ie: Easter week) so booking through DVC can be a challenge for those weeks at specific resorts unless you book at the 11 month mark. For my family specifically, I"m not always up for booking 11 months in advance to get a room Easter week at the GF or BC. And even if I did that, it would mean buying points at each resort that we prefer to stay at -just to have the 11 month window because I don't want to stay at the same resort every year. I totally get why people buy into DVC - it just works better for some families than others.

 

[chainkid]

I think that’s a stretch to call club level. Most people stay club level for the food and lounge, and if all it was was a chance to spend more money most would pass.

I don't need the lounge as we eat out for dinners but I was surprised t olearn on my last trip that we qualified for concierge service. I was contacted before my trip and they set up dining reservations and I had choice to pay extra for fast passes in advance of 60 days. It was an unexpected option as I normally do all planning myself. DVC is not for everyone but it works for me

 

[Minniesgal]

Why makes you say this? We are considering purchasing DVC and were thinking of just getting enough points to book studios.

Studios are largely oversold thus difficult to book.

 

[BeachNut]

I hear this a lot. I disagree with the second part about liking Deluxe accommodations and assuming you will be happy with DVC. In my experience, the DVC villas lean more towards moderate level accommodations, excluding the size factor. The furnishings and bedding are not as nice as you get in the Deluxe resort rooms proper. A sofa bed or chair bed is inferior to a mattress, every time. Lack of daily housekeeping included doesn't scream "deluxe" to me. Lack of club level, for the most part, is also decidedly not deluxe. As a family who prefers Deluxe Disney accommodations, it is actually one of the reasons we know DVC is NOT for us. I will choose a smaller room at a deluxe with club level over even a 2 bedroom villa, every time. Space doesn't factor in that heavily for us, and we are a family of 4. I can see the benefit for larger families though.

I am looking into DVC but I agree with everything you’ve said. DVC rooms are not deluxe - they are attached to deluxe resorts. Even with a resort that does seem to have deluxe furnishings - such as Copper Creek - there’s no guarantee that level of luxe will be maintained during the next refurb - and probably won’t be. In order to get 3 non sofa beds, we could get a regular room at the Beach Club or Poly but would need a dedicated 2BR at DVC - and get a kitchen we don’t need. For 4 regular beds, we could book 2 rooms anywhere, but would need a Grand Villa at DVC - definitely not saving money there!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I've never stayed in a Grandvilla before, so no idea if they have a club lounge.

GV's don't have club lounges.

The poster is incorrect in calling it club level. What Disney decided to do is to allow GV's to participate in their paid FP program that goes thru the concierge services and is also available to club level rooms. Earns Disney some $$$$'s and there aren't that many GV's.

 

[crisi]

GV's don't have club lounges.

The poster is incorrect in calling it club level. What Disney decided to do is to allow GV's to participate in their paid FP program that goes thru the concierge services and is also available to club level rooms. Earns Disney some $$$$'s and there aren't that many GV's.

And that's fairly new - last we stayed in a GV - and it WAS five years ago already - it wasn't available. And there is no guarantee it would continue to be available. GVs are nice, but honestly, suites are way nicer and have real concierge access.

 

[McCrae]

I am looking into DVC but I agree with everything you’ve said. DVC rooms are not deluxe - they are attached to deluxe resorts. Even with a resort that does seem to have deluxe furnishings - such as Copper Creek - there’s no guarantee that level of luxe will be maintained during the next refurb - and probably won’t be. In order to get 3 non sofa beds, we could get a regular room at the Beach Club or Poly but would need a dedicated 2BR at DVC - and get a kitchen we don’t need. For 4 regular beds, we could book 2 rooms anywhere, but would need a Grand Villa at DVC - definitely not saving money there!

Have you looked at the GV at the Grand Floridian or Grand Californian? If not, work a look, it may change your opinion.

 

[jimmytammy]

2 things strike me as reasons not to purchase
1. If you are strapped for cash. Not a good idea to set yourself up for even more debt. Its a no brainer, I know, but its surprising how many folks will do this without a clue how to pay for it.

2. If you cant be flexible with your vacation timing, its not for you. I see so many people complaining they cant find anywhere available with their needs, but they are looking 2 months out! It doesn't work that way. We started out at VWL with Dec stays, always booked at 11 mos., went on for several years, before we branched out, tried other resorts at different times of the year. Our lives changed, therefore, our vacation patterns changed. We discovered Spring Training in March with the Braves, Flower and Garden Fest in May, and the hard to get but not completely elusive Food and Wine Fest in Oct.(The whole reason we bought resale later at BWV). Flexibility, not rigidity, is the key to beginning as a happy owner, and remaining one for many years to come.