another ? in our decision making process

[gray]

It seems as though everyone is in agreement that DVC is a good deal if you travel to WDW often. I was wondering if you DVCers felt that the program would still be beneficial to us if we wanted to go somewhere else every other year using the CC Collection or Member Getaways, etc.

Would it still be a cost effective program for us if we utilized it in this way?

Thanks for the help!

 

[prplcrzy]

To be quite honest this is not a good way to use the points. I have been told that trading out for the Interval International is worth it but have no personal experience with it. DVC is great if you plan on going to a DVC resort and staying at the World in some really spiffy rooms for not too much money. It's the upfront cost that can be a killer. The dues are kidna expensive for a timeshare, but since Disney keeps the property in such good shape, I feel they are worth it.

 

[Ricola]

I agree that buying DVC with the intention of "trading out" every other year is probably not a great value.

We are considering buying the minimum number of points and just using them every other year, for longer stays, or larger accomodations.

 

[raidermatt]

The issue with trading out points is that DVC is generally more expensive than other timeshares, so you could theoretically stay cheaper on your own. Of course, the convenience of being able to make your reservations through DVC may be worth it to you.

The Disney Collection can raise point costs, as it did for 2002, so planning to use this could be risky as well.

If you project your trips to your home resort to cost 300 points or more, you could purchase 1/2 of what you will use, then bank/borrow and use twice your purchased amount every other year. In other words, purchase 150, and use 300 every other year. Of course that depends on your length of stays, size of accomodations, and season...

 

[DownNeckBoy]

Gray:

Your question is not really clear to me. If you are using DVC solely for access to non-DVC options, then the answer is "no" as those options provide diminishing returns as far as the investment value of your points. If you are looking at them as a "fall-back" option, then the answer may still be "no", depending on the cost for the resort you want to go to in any particular year, as they are not limited by contract. Just take a look at the brouhaha on the thread started by Covman for an example of that situation. However, if you view those options as third or fourth or fifth alternatives that are more costly, but may be worth the point cost to you every three to four years, then the answer is "yes."

 

[penguincruiser]

Gray,

It depends on how you look at it.

Personally I look at DVC as pre-paid vacations. I had a windfall and bought DVC (220 points resale) , there is no way I would have invested that money for 42 years!! Now I have accommodations at WDW and all over the world for the cost of my dues per year. Or if I'm being really concientious:
(Purchase price:no of points): 42 + dues per point = price per point.

There's no way I would pay $200 for a hotel room, but my points are paid anyway!! I'm sure if you want to you can get anything and everything cheaper.

We're definitely planning to do trades through II, for the points I'd use at WDW + $75 I can get premium accomodations in wonderful locations. I've done one trade and got a studio in Marbella, Spain for 98 points (upgraded to a 1 bed on arrival).

Probably this is partly because I am in Europe, there are also a lot of other places I still want to see, and although I love WDW I can't see myself going every year - DH wouldn't let me

For me it's also the peace of mind, I know I'm going to get great accommodations with one phone call. No looking for the right price, location etc. just one call and I'm set.

JJ Penguin

 

[dianeschlicht]

Great, Penguincruiser. We have only done the one exchange to Hawaii, but I think an occational exchange is worth it. I agree it is not a good use of points if you plan to do it all the time, but I can't give up my WDW vacations so easily, so once every 3-4 years is the most I would do an exchange.

 

[loribell]

That is basically what we did although we went a little more than half. We have gone to either WDW or DL every other year so my thought was to have what we needed plus a little extra every other year. Maybe that way we can take a smaller trip with the extra's. I have not made my first visit home yet on points and I'm hoping I can resist a trip home before next January. Also hope I don't decide I need to go more often and buy more points.

I know that using points to stay elsewhere is not the best use of points but will probably do so occasionally at the DL hotes. I have never been able to get a quote of less then $200/night and have to have 2 rooms. Would never be able to stay there this way and feel I can waste a few points occasionally since a stay there is so much shorter.

 

[Dean]

That's an easy one, NO. Just buy fewer points and use other options for the out of DVC choices. That way you'll have the best of both worlds.

 

[BobH]

The most efficient use of points is obviously to use them to stay at DVC properties. On the other hand I don't think it is a terrible waste to use points occassionally for Concierge Colection properties. For example - I have two kids in college. No matter where I use my points it will still allow me vacations that I might ootherwise not take.

 

[pluvc1993]

In terms of value I have to say that the bang for the buck is your DVC resort. That is the main reason we purchased. We knew we could go to Disney every other year. But I do have to say that their concierge collection is outstanding. These are prime resorts that would most cost a fortune to go to. Having the Disney points and using them occasionally to go to these great resorts and experiencing a great establishment that I may have otherwise overlooked is a great experience to us. Variety is the spice of life and it is definitely great to take that splurge once in a while.

 

[gray]

Thanks for all of these different perspectives! It sounds like we should plan to primarily utilize DVC resorts with perhaps an occasional side trip.

I guess that if we didn't want to do WDW every year, we could go most alternating years to HH or VB. That doesn't sound too bad!

Does anyone know if Disney has any future plans to build another DVC resort outside of WDW?

 

[dianeschlicht]

None that we know of at the moment. They have historically had trouble selling the off site ones, so I would assume they will stay on site. The 2 new DVCs going up will be quite different from each other. Eagle Pines will give you a resort that is a vacation in itself like HH or VB, but will be on site for that vacation as well. Just as many OKW DVCers use their membership for none WDW vacations, I am sure EP DVCers, will do the same. These can both be just golf or relax vacations.

Also, don't forget about banking and borrowing options. You could bank one year into the next and take a bigger vacation that second year.

 

[KLR-wlv]

Hi

Everyone always says the value is in the on-site resorts and its a waste of points to stay elsewhere - and dollar wise - that's right. But - would I have bought if the ONLY place to stay for the next 41 years was the Disney properties? Absolutely not. And if you figure on that $10 a point, it's not that much of a waste. Take Grove Park Inn at 25 points a night ($250 a night on points plus $75 fee). Their rates are listed at about $300 per night on their website, so that to me is not a rediculous waste of points at all. THe fact is you've paid - or will have paid off the points - and to be constantly thinking about the cost in terms of what you could have used the money for investment wise and yadda yadda yadda - seems pointless to me.

 

[Synonymous]

It's become gospel around here that it's not a good use of points to stay away from DVC- but I don't believe it. I'm with PenguinCruiser- there is no way I could ever afford to stay at some of these CC hotels, but with DVC points I can do it. I stayed in a room at the Plaza in NYC that cost way more in $ than a DVC room would. And we're staying at Charleston Place in November, which I also couldn't afford otherwise.

It depends on how you define value. To me, staying in a small room at a beautiful hotel in a great city sometimes has more value than staying in a 2BR at WDW.

The way I look at it is that I've paid for my next 40 years or so of vacations. I plan to spend the majority of them at WDW ( at least while my daughter's young), but I need to go elsewhere sometimes.

 

[prplcrzy]

I don't think that the CC is a non efficient way to use points, Just the DC.

 

[baileybrad]

I would say that however one chooses to use their points is their call. I do think that complaining about the points required to do certain things is kind a waste of time. For those that are bothered by the increase in point usage for things such as DC...don't do it. With the economy, sagging I would look for deals at other locations before I ever thought about doing an exchange or the like. I have no interest in exchanging and can't speak to the actual value of doing so. I defer to folks such as Dean who have experience with multiple timeshare companies and various resorts worldwide.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by prplcrzy
I don't think that the CC is a non efficient way to use points, Just the DC.

I disagree but that's ok. I'm sure there are relative values within the system. I know that everytime I've looked at it, I could get the same resort for a value of about $5 pp. It's been a while but we're talking at least 4 or 5 different resorts at different times including Charleston and Keystone.

I'd agree that any individual should make their own decisions.

 

[gray]

Again, I appreciate your insights.

I think that the key for us is that we would probably never experience some of the luxury hotels, such as the ones in the CC, if we weren't going thru DVC. So once in awhile, it might be a luxurious experience for us that wouldn't have otherwise had!

Still, the primary reason that we are considering DVC is that we want to stay onsite when visiting WDW, and we plan to visit multiple times.

I think that we have come pretty darn close to a decision to buy a resale at BWV. It's kind of scary for us to committ, but it's reassuring to see so many people on this board saying that their only regret was not buying sooner!

 

[prplcrzy]

Dean,

All I am trying to say is that compared to the DVC the DC is not worth it. If I wanted to use my points to stay at a place in the CC I don't think it is inefficient because I want to stay there. I am not making a points to cash comparison, just a points to points comparison on the Disney properties.

I hope I explained it so you understand what I meant.