Dvc

[CSei2011]

Someone posted somewhere else about going to Alunai but only because of the DVC they have... anyone else a DVC member? I'm not entirely sure how things like that work and I'm really interested in the program... I DONT like talking to CM's and other employees about it because they try to talk you into things you might not be able to afford... so can someone give me a break down of how it works? and how much you pay?

[1Disneylandfan]

Roughly a year ago, I talked to a CM about the DVC. It was within DCA so I just so happened to be walking by and I was curious. Number wise, he said roughly for the next 10 years of about $300 a month. Or if you have the $10,000 up front to pay that works too. Not sure about the rest of the details. I've always been interested in it but $10,000 is a lot of money to spend to only go to anything Disney.

[Asylim]

If you're interested I'd recommend you spend the time to actually go to the presentation put on by Disney.

I too was highly skeptical that there would be high pressure sales etc but they don't do that and I actually offended the CM (though she wouldn't admit it later) when I voiced my skepticism. Her response was essentially along the lines of "This is Disney and we don't operate like that."

And she was true to her word. There was no high pressure at all. They gave us the facts and let us decide for ourselves.

After doing the math I determined that it would save us a great deal of money in the future.

You do not have to use your points for just Disney, there are other options in trading your points for other hotels.

Having said that, it is indeed expensive. The monthly payment plan is only available to residents of the United States. Being from Canada we did not have that option but due to an inheritance we were able to afford paying it up front and after using it once since we signed up we are very happy (and I mean very happy) with the decision.

Disney does not want you to buy in if you cannot afford it. They even said that. Not only do you need to consider if you can afford up front or a monthly payment plan but you also have to consider the annual dues.

Long story short, it will not hurt or cost anything to at least attend a presentation if you have questions. So I encourage you or anyone else worried about high pressure sales tactics to give it a try. From my experience there was none of that. Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

[Dustysage]

I've moved your thread to our DVC section so you can also find other comments about the program.

About 5 years ago, I bought into the DVC program. Since then I've added on points from Aulani.

My thinking:

1) Almost all of my trips are Disney
2) I visit Disney World about twice a year
3) By locking in rates which would be considered moderate now, I'm ensuring much lower cost in the future (as rates for regular hotel rooms rise).
4) DVC rooms are an upgrade from the standard Moderate/Deluxe Disney hotel rooms (kitchens, laundry facilities, etc).
5) Disney financed me so I didn't have to worry about paying it all up front.

DVC has worked brilliantly for me. The key advantages:

1) You don't have to book just the week you purchased and then trade like you do in traditional time share arrangements. Disney gives you points to spend whenever you'd like.
2) You can use your points at any Disney DVC resort OR use them to stay at non-Disney hotels in the partner networks.
3) You don't have to travel every year. You can bank your points for next year, which means you can save up for a bigger or more expensive vacation (like a cruise or Adventure by Disney).
4) DVC members have traditionally gotten discounted annual passes to the parks.

I really do love my DVC membership. And, yes, it is already saving me money compared to what it would cost me to stay at a Moderate resort.

If you need any help, please let me know or send me a private message on MiceChat, I'll be happy to help.

-Dusty

[Michael808702]

Disney Aulani isn't selling anymore and are on hold at the moment because of maintenance fee problems. Other DVC home resorts are cheaper then others so i would try and find the best deal at your favorite home resort (P.s. even though i was 17 with my parents when we bought early this year i still attended the presentation which is what you should do because its very informational and will gladly answer any questions and concerns but be aware the presentation could take up to several hours, when we bought ours we went in at 4:00Pm and left around 8ish so beware of the time it takes and plan it out before)

Edit: forgot that usually the presentation does not cost anything except time

[All4dISNEY]

We bought in 2009 and could not be happier. The presentation was completely stress and pressure free. We were in/out in 3hrs and were presented with multiple anytime fast passes for our time spent away from the parks.

At the time of our purchase, Grand California Villas was being sold. Minimum buy in was 160pts at approximately $92/pt. I believe MSRP was $114/pt but with incentives it rolled back to $92. Disney offered competitive financing spread over 10yrs. We opted for that until we returned home and made other arrangements.

There were no pressure sales, no offering more than you could chew, hands down the easiest most comfortable major purchase of my life.

[SuzanneSLO]

To the OP: You are right to learn as much as possible before you buy. We bought DVC at WDW in 2005 and are very happy with our purchase. But jsut becuase it works well for us, doesn't mean it will work well for you.

Mousesavers has a good explanation of the program and I think Passporter even publishes an e-book.

The most important thing to remmeber is that it is a timeshare. Timeshares work well if you can and will plan in advance. We often book our trip to WDW 11 months prior and have even been shut out from our preferred arrival day in early december when we did not call at 6 am when member services began booking (we called at 10).

DVC works best if you prefer "Deluxe" accomodations or need room for more than 4 or 5.

Finally, while Disney sells membership directly, there can be signficant cost savings if you buy "resale." There are some downsides to buying resale, so make sure you understand the differences if you go that way.

The only DVC resort at DL is GCV and it is currenlty sold out. There is a waitlist to buy at $130 per point. The minimum initial purchase from Disney is 160 points. Again, most resales are lower priced and you may be able to find a contract to buy with less than 160 points. Best of luck in your decision -- Suzanne

[FREQDUDE]

My wife and I have just bought in to the DVC, and so far, couldn't be happier. We own another time share in Dana Point and dealt with the timeshare swapping companies and the headaches it causes, but since we own it, and the dues are minimal, we keep it. We are very excited about using our DVC points for a trip either to Aulani or banking them for a cruise. The sales presentation was a breeze and there are no high pressure tactics that you deal with in most time share presentations. It is definitely worth the time to attend one of their presentations.

[yoyoflamingo]

We went to a presentation on Long Island when they were opening their Doorway to Dreams store out here. We weren't seriously thinking of buying, but wound up buying in, and have since added to the Grand Californian. We figure since we're still fairly young, and with our new son we're going to be traveling to WDW and Disneyland a lot, we're definitely going to be making our investment back with our trips. While we did attend a sales presentation, we didn't feel it was high pressure at all, and actually decided it was the right thing for us, and neither of us regret that decision at all.

As for outside of the Disney Parks, we are hoping to get to Aulani one day, and hopefully a trip to Tokyo will also be on the agenda. We've looked at other places as well, but for new with the new kid, WDW and DL will be fine for now.

[Second Star]

I attended a couple of time-share presentations back in the early 80's. I was completely put off by the approach. I rather sit with a used car salesman.

So I was very skeptical of DVC and avoided the DVC CMs for quite some time. Big Mistake on my part. We finally sat through a presentation in 2008 when we heard of the DVC units going into the GCH, and bought without hesitation. One of the first things that put me at ease was our Guide Tony telling us, "this has to make sense to you, otherwise I'm not going to sell it to you." Never at any time during our conversation with Tony was there any pressure to buy. I pnly wish I'd have done this sooner.

Big from me.