Help Pete with the not-so-obvious reasons to buy DVC for an episode of The DVC Show

[Mickey of the Villages]

My wife and I love watching Pete, John, Kevin, Craig, Corey, Ryno, Teresa (the whole gang) and we especially love The DVC Show with Pete, Jackie, and Jerry. That may have something to do with the fact that we bought DVC this spring: CCV (150 pts) from Disney and OKW (300 pts) resale with Jerry. One of the biggest reasons we bought is slightly mentioned by Pete but IMO he doesn't give it the financial due it deserves. That reason is as a hedge against inflation. I'm 48 and hope to go annually with my boys (10 and 13) and hopefully their young families one day. There is a lot to love about DVC but the hedge is the biggest reason that made us buy. The points for a 2Br at OKW won't go up (not really because the points are fixed at the resort). Are there other not-so-obvious reasons that motivated you to buy? Folks may benefit from understanding these factors.

 

[Travel60]

We bought when kids were younger and we were going to WDW every year or so. As they got older and into sports and jobs the DVC points became a way of forcing us to vacation....use them or lose them. We gave daughter a year's worth of points for honeymoon (and will do same for son). We took whole family on Alaska Cruise and have traded out for locations when traveling to see our favorite college football team etc. Our granddaughter thinks we have many homes. I don't see it as an investment or hedge against inflation....dues eat that up...but as a family amenity.

 

[stewart715]

Peace of mind was a lot of the reason we bought. I just pay my dues which I don't even notice every month. And I can go to WDW every year without really even budgeting for it.

 

[Chuck S]

I grew up near Disneyland, so Mom and I were Disney fans. When we moved to Texas, after a few years we started going to Florida. We decided to take a tour after hearing a young couple talk about the condos on the monorail one morning on the way to Epcot. The word "timeshare" of course, made us wary, but we went on the tour anyway. I was still wanting to wait, but Mom said she was ready to buy, so we bought. Mom would have one of those big spur of the moment purchases every 5 to 10 years, and they always worked out well, so we signed up, with the minimum 230 points. Of course, the free park passes until 2000 helped with that decision. Over the next four years we added on another 115 points with 3 add on contracts. She was able to enjoy the parks with me for nearly 20 years, twice a year, before she passed. Those memories are priceless. I'm so glad they're preserving the Leave a Legacy plaques and relocating them. I visit a moment with her every trip.

 

[Jack_Sparrow_NJ]

We bought DVC later in life. The kids are now out of private school / college and the mortgage is basically paid off. My wife and I work hard as do our adult kids. Having DVC is something we all enjoy together as a family. It also means that we will make the time to use the points and travel together to WDW to relax and enjoy ourselves.

 

[bwvBound]

Our less obvious reason: To support attending annual conference held between Dolphin, Swan, Yacht Club and, sometimes, Boardwalk facilities.

We were perfectly happy staying at Yacht Club until our employers quit paying for the travel expenses! At that point, DVC suddenly became attractive.

 

[Mickey of the Villages]

I grew up near Disneyland, so Mom and I were Disney fans. When we moved to Texas, after a few years we started going to Florida. We decided to take a tour after hearing a young couple talk about the condos on the monorail one morning on the way to Epcot. The word "timeshare" of course, made us wary, but we went on the tour anyway. I was still wanting to wait, but Mom said she was ready to buy, so we bought. Mom would have one of those big spur of the moment purchases every 5 to 10 years, and they always worked out well, so we signed up, with the minimum 230 points. Of course, the free park passes until 2000 helped with that decision. Over the next four years we added on another 115 points with 3 add on contracts. She was able to enjoy the parks with me for nearly 20 years, twice a year, before she passed. Those memories are priceless. I'm so glad they're preserving the Leave a Legacy plaques and relocating them. I visit a moment with her every trip.

When my oldest son was 5 (the other was 2) we stayed at the Poly in the Hawaii building. We faced the quiet pool and had a first floor room on the end furthest from the main entrance. One of the most important memories I have is watching my sons walk around in the grass and play with each other quietly (though they were so young and rarely quiet). If Disney could monetize looking forward to Disney trips and the memories from Disney trips they could stop charging for admission to the parks. I'm glad you shared these memories with your Mom.

 

[freediverdude]

One of the big intangibles for me after I purchased was the feeling of "really? really? I actually own a piece of that building inside Disney world?" It's an actual real estate interest, and it took a while to sink in that I actually owned a piece of that building I would go by on the ferry into Magic Kingdom. Also the fact that the units don't feel as much like hotel rooms.

 

[Chuck S]

One of the big intangibles for me after I purchased was the feeling of "really? really? I actually own a piece of that building inside Disney world?" It's an actual real estate interest, and it took a while to sink in that I actually owned a piece of that building I would go by on the ferry into Magic Kingdom. Also the fact that the units don't feel as much like hotel rooms.

I agree, they feel like home. If it's bad weather, I don't mind staying in and relaxing, or getting a late start in the morning. That would drive me nuts in a regular hotel.

 

[Kaufeegurl]

We own at SSR but with the birth of our new grandchild last year we realized that we wanted to purchase another DVC contract so that we have enough points for large family vacations. That contract will pay for itself pretty quickly with the amount of rooms we need for our family. Owning DVC is the perfect venue to pull a 3 generation family together for an awesome vacation! We considered many resorts but ultimately purchased BCV because of Stormalong Bay for the kids and its walkability to Epcot and HS for all of us but particularly during F&W. MK and AK is an easy Minnie Van ride. We also have some runners in the family who like to go for runs early in the morning and the runs you can do from BCV are pretty awesome! We are keeping SSR for member privileges and those extra points actually come in handy for quick trips without eating up BCV points.

 

[LionKingCPA]

We bought resale in 2015 with the idea that we'd go every 18-24 months. Our kids were 3 and 1 at the time. Addonitis hit quickly so now we own at a couple resorts and could probably go every year if we wanted. To us, knowing that we'll likely be going again is the biggest not-so-obvious reason to buy DVC. On our first DVC trip it was amazing to not feel like we had to do everything. I loved Disney when I was younger as well, but I felt like my parents thought of it as a "to do" list more than a vacation - they wanted to pack so much into a small time period for maximum fun. It's nice not to have to think about it that way. If FoP line is too long and we don't have a fastpass, we'll just ride it next time. BTM closed for renovations . . .we'll just ride it next time. Youngest kid kid has a meltdown from the heat. . .cut the day short and head for the pool. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people who wonder how we can go to Disney so often is that they "would need a vacation after the vacation". With DVC, we really don't have that anxiety (for lack of a better word).

 

[goofy kc]

We stayed at POFQ one spring and thought it was so pretty and relaxing we wanted to come back every year. Until then we rented houses and/or stayed at one of the values. Bought AKL sight unseen and it has been the best decision we have ever made (aside from getting married!). We now have mandatory downtime and the ability to share the magic with family and friends. Six contracts later we visit 3-5 times a year and even if there is work to do, we do it with a boardwalk, savanna, or park view. It IS a financial commitment that never really ends (tickets, dues, food) but hell, what are we working for if not to enjoy life??

We have turned the nieces and nephews into Disney fans too. Nephew is in DCP right now and will be applying to be FT in the fall.

 

[katandmouse]

Our not-so-obvious and unusual reason is for the full kitchen. I have dietary restrictions that make eating out all the time stressful and difficult, so it’s actually easier for us to cook on vacation than not. With DVC we can get a nice villa with kitchen and still have the on-property advantage of FP+, proximity to the parks, DME, etc. As a bonus, we’ll save money on dining too!

 

[SleeplessInTO]

The layout of the 1 bedroom villas convinced us. It’s similar to what we have at home which makes the sleeping pattern of our 3 year old a lot easier to manage. We hesitate to go on trips where we don’t have a separate bedroom because it isn’t worth a “vacation” to come home sleep deprived.

I personally also like the fact the liability ends in ~22 years (based on resort we chose). What I want to do as a 33 year old with a 3 year old child vs what I’ll want to do as a 55 year old will probably change. I’ll buy DVC again when my current contract expires if it makes sense. Otherwise I get peace of mind knowing there’s an end to the annual dues (even if the resale market tanks).

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

A big driver for us is the full kitchen. Our kids get sick A LOT and having the full kitchen with a dishwasher helps us properly wash medical equipment and store medications. Not to mention in-room laundry means we can pack freezer clothes to make room for the nebulizer and any other things we need.

 

[katandmouse]

I personally also like the fact the liability ends in ~22 years (based on resort we chose). What I want to do as a 33 year old with a 3 year old child vs what I’ll want to do as a 55 year old will probably change. I’ll buy DVC again when my current contract expires if it makes sense. Otherwise I get peace of mind knowing there’s an end to the annual dues (even if the resale market tanks).

Actually, that's a good point. It's not really what most people think, but that end date was a plus for us too!

 

[Marionnette]

Our kids turning 18 was the incentive to purchase. No “extra adult” charge in DVC vs the hotel rooms.

 

[kboo]

We bought when kids were younger and we were going to WDW every year or so. As they got older and into sports and jobs the DVC points became a way of forcing us to vacation....use them or lose them. We gave daughter a year's worth of points for honeymoon (and will do same for son). We took whole family on Alaska Cruise and have traded out for locations when traveling to see our favorite college football team etc. Our granddaughter thinks we have many homes. I don't see it as an investment or hedge against inflation....dues eat that up...but as a family amenity.

Us too. DH and I both travel(ed) a lot for work, and had slipped into the habit of taking the kids and spouse along on many of our work trips. On the one hand, it saved us some money because the hotel and 1 airfare was paid for, but it never really felt like a vacation because 1 parent was always splitting their time for "work." Now that we have gone on a DVC buying spree, not only are we "forced" to plan at least one Disney vacation every year but since we like to book our home resort early, we usually have almost a year to look forward to it. And our vacations are REAL vacations - even if we have to deal with the occasional work call or email, we are On Vacation as soon as we get on the plane. We have built so many magical moments.

 

[Woody412]

We bought for 2 reasons. An impending 4th child meant we were going to need larger accommodations, and I needed to lock myself into taking a vacation every year or two. I was becoming tighter than a duck’s what have ya and had trouble justifying the costs of Disney trips to myself. I played with the numbers and figured even if maintenance fees started to outpace the rising hotel costs we wouldn’t really be losing anything and even if we did, at least we’re having fun. We decided to rip the bandaid off all at once and go for it.

 

[Donna M]

We bought in because we didn't have to sit on the end of the beds after a long day in the parks. There is a living room and kitchen with a real full sized table to enjoy a meal.