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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- There are those who say that “You can’t put a price on Disney magic.” But what happens when hundred-dollar price tags turn into THOUSAND-dollar price tags that follow you every. single. year.? Let’s take off those rose-colored glasses for a bit and learn the TRUTH of Disney’s most successful money making scheme, here on DFB Guide.
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If you can't afford to buy with cash up front, you can't afford it. DO NOT go into debt for a timeshare!
Agreed. I’m considering it and doing my research but only when I’m ready to pay cash. No financing for us!
Dont agree. We financed 2 contracts and can afford it. One was paid off in just under 3 years. We just don’t have $35,000 laying around. Do you buy a car with cash? I bet not.
@@RunTheWorld978 actually, yes I only buy cars with cash. Do what you will, but paying 10% interest on a vacation? Come on
@@charlafrederick1245 same I bought my first car in cash and then paid for my second car 75% upfront but that used car life
@@RunTheWorld978 we do and so do some of our friends. We just save a bit longer. That’s been our motto since day one and it worked well for us. I only finance things that will earn me money, such as investment property, and I don’t really view DVC as a viable investment. But to each their own for sure.
This was worth it to me. I bought in 2001 and as a single parent with two young daughters, I knew I could go on vacation and not really have to worry as much. Once I was dropped off at the airport and got off the plane in FL I was chaperoned by Disney. We had several Disney vacations, went to Aulani once and took several cruises to Western and Eastern Caribbean as well as to Alaska. I still enjoy my points because the options for destination are so varied as opposed to a regular timeshare where you have the same week every year at the same location.
I appreciate the variety of destinations as well!
that's so cool, so you make a one time payment of like 30k and get 50 years of free hotel stays at Disney for one week a year? that's about $600 a year over 50 years which is great especially with a family; but if that cleaning fee is $88 a month that's over 1k per year and more expensive than the 30k over 50 years itself.
@commonomics, once the timeshare is paid for I doubt that you would be able to find a family vacation spot for a week at the annualized upkeep fee. I look at it as a weekly vacation paid for in small monthly deposits. Hotels right now run anywhere from $200-300 per night for a basic room. My timeshare provides for a very nicely appointed room with a kitchen and sitting area.
@@allisonscribner811 $600 + the 1k cleaning fee is about $1600 for a hotel. A $200 per night hotel for 6 nights is $1200, but like you said the room is really nice comparable to a $600 a night room suite I assume. For a large family.
Do the points you’re given per year allow for more than one week of vacation? that would be amazing.
I am always astonished on the creativity of Disney on how to rip us off left and right with no shame whatsoever.
Genius idea on their end. Charge someone a large lump sum, crazy monthly fees, 10%+ interest rates. All to get that person to stay somewhere to spend more money to get into disney attractions!
@@andybulldog79 I think the idea is to pay upfront and drop those interest rates. fact is the resort stay is NOT the most expensive investment at Disney, its your activity inside the park. DVC works well if you invest in the Villa's otherwise, the studios are not worth it and you'll save more at their family suites at their value resorts.
DVC is basically giving Disney a loan, and Disney charging you the interest.
@@CAG83brilliant way to look at this. Makes sense really
It's not a rip-off at all. Imagine staying one week at the riviera, and checking out on owing $12,000. Which is absolutely what it would cost to stay in a one-bedroom Villa at the Riviera
Hey! My hubs built the bronze horse at 3:08! He’s the metal chaser not the artist. Very cool to see it in the wild! 🤣
Just buy a house within 20 mins of Disney if you love it that much.
We did. Best decision ever ✨
I really appreciate this topic and for me it's right on time. I have a 5 figure trip scheduled for March and now that we're moving toward being empty nesters we're looking to travel more. Right now I love the flexibility of just paying cash. I appreciate all the comments particularly of people who have DVC. Disney weakening and/or taking away benefits has made it easy for me to wait and see what happens.
For DVC to work for you financially. ..
1. Need to want deluxe resort accommodations
2. Need to be able to book 11 months in advance
3. Need to be going to Disney at least every year or two.
That being said, my husband and I have been DVC members since 2016. We love it and can't bring ourselves to give it up. My husband would never be happy doing anything that was a waste of money.
This is the point. If you want to stay in a nice 1-2 bedroom unit rather than a hotel room, then DVC slowly saves you money. If you wouldn't go if there was only a studio or hotel available, and you're not going to change your mind when you kid moves on from Disney and really gets into ballet, then you might want to do the math on DVC. If not, you really need to do the math in much more detail.
I agree with 1 and 3; however, I have never booked 11 months out. I have been able to piece together trips weeks out for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break.
How have the price increases worked out? Have your monthly payments increased over the years?
We only had an issue once with booking at 7 month mark and that was for a 10 day stay at Floridian arriving in the middle of the week. Other resorts were open. Got Poly instead of Floridian.
We almost got convinced to get a DVC membership years ago. We were on vacation and in the bubble. We went to one of Disney's promo events where we got extra Fast Passes (remember those??). We signed up with joy at the idea of 50 years of Disney vacations, though I was a bit apprehensive at having to finance the thing. After getting home, I did a lot of research and cost analysis. I couldn't justify keeping it. I cancelled within that grace period window and I'm so glad I did.
How much had you paid into it once you hit the grace period?
@@jessdelasouza I don't recall having paid anything at that time. It was just an a signed agreement to pay installments. I'm glad there was a grace period to allow me to make a more rational decision.
I have looked at DVC a couple of times. Each time I realize I can go to Disney every 3 years for the cost of the maintenance fees.
YES!
So... you are saying if you go every year it costs 1/3 as much as not having DVC?
@@zanekesey No, what I am saying is that if the maintenance fees are $1500 a year I have $4500 every 3rd year for a trip. That is without the cost of the membership.
DVC isn't for people who only go every 3 years. It's for people who go every year, sometimes multiple times a year. My daughter is 13. She's been to Disney World every year of her life but one, and we don't own a DVC membership, but we're considering one on the resale market. Had we bought a DVC membership when she was 3, we would've had it paid of this year, and would only be paying about $3500.00 (guesstimate) for flight, the resort, tix, park hopper, and meal plan, vs the almost $12,000.00 we paid last year to stay at the Poly, plus flight, resort tix, park hopper and meal plan. We just got back from a Disney cruise, where we paid over $12,000.00. Btw, no credit. All of it was paid for before we went, including souvenirs.
@@orion3706 For 150 points the cost on the resale market is $17,700. You will be able to get all or part of that back if you sell it before the year the contract expires. Annual dues for 2024 on 150 points are $1449 for Old Key West which increased over 5% from 2023. No matter how you look at it, it is $1500 a year for the room. For just a little more I can stay at a moderate. I have stayed at all levels of Disney resort. DVC is nice but in my opinion not worth it.
My husband and I are currently going through the process of buying on the resale market. Resale can save you a lot and you do not have to buy the minimum 150 points. As others have mentioned, if you plan to visit at least every other year, always stay deluxe, and do NOT finance (pay cash), it can absolutely be worth it.
I bought a year ago and am glad I did. Basically we are prepaying for our vacations as a hedge against inflation. Just in a year alone, resort rates have increased significantly making it more and more expensive to visit the resort. We will basically have the same rate (or better) every single year and trip.
Totally agree with your view. Years from now, the price you pay will be a whole lot cheaper than they are now
Completely agree. We bought in several years ago, 100 points for like 80/point resale before most of the resale restrictions. We know we hate the value resorts (too loud, not much of a break) and when we broke the cost down it just works for us. When I look at what the room would cost normally it’s a good value for us.
We bought in 2001. My kids were very young at the time; 9 and 3 years. So, yes, they are grown adults now and we have gone several times with THEIR children Absolutely no regrets buying into DVC. There used to be a lot of perks for DVC members, those are long gone, especially since Chapek took over. But getting to stay in an extra large room with a kitchen still make it worth the expense to us. We drive in a van packed with food that lasts the entire trip and we cook in the room. We have used our points at an other-than-Disney resort once. We went to Las Vegas with them. The kids were too young to enjoy it, so we never went back, but it worked. We have our points until I am 99 years old, but you can will them to your heirs, so my Will reflects that.
Now, this might piss you off. For our amount of points, we paid $16,000. Same number of points would cost almost $40,000 today. Ooof!
Member since 2014... 7 trips this year alone, best investment ever.
Buying DVC (or 'pre-paying for your vacations') makes our Disney vacations much more relaxing. We don't have to rush and be upset if we miss something, or some ride is down. We KNOW that we're coming back in a year or two. Before DVC, if we missed something, we didn't know if we'd go back. 'Bye Disney!' vs 'We'll see you again, soon, Disney!' are different feelings
Oh how things have changed since the start. I bought in 1992 when the only resort was Old Key West, and even that was only about half complete. The perks were super back then. The biggest perk was free tickets for you, or anybody using your points, and staying at your DVC Resort. When you crunched the numbers, the free tickets offset the purchase price. Also, at that time, my family and many of my friends were at that point where they wanted to visit WDW with their families. I was able to rent my points to them, and everybody was happy. I received rental money, and they got to say at a DVC resort at a considerable savings. The rooms at Old Key West are huge, and the one or two bedroom units include a fully functional kitchen and washer and dryer, along with two bathrooms. A quick trip to a nearby Winn-Dixie at the start of your stay, and you can save a bundle on bottled water, snacks and breakfast items for your stay. For those flying into Orlando, Disney´s Magical Express was available to all DVC guests free of charge. The resort also hosted member socials twice a week, as well as an ice cream shop all for no charge. The sales center on site at the resort also provided free juice, muffins, and bagels in the morning. And of course the bus stops at the theme parks were located at a point closest to the entrance of the park, and at Epcot, it was a lot closer than the other resorts.
As far as the resale goes, Disney offered to buy back the contracts of original investors at a price per point greater than what I paid in 1992. When have you ever heard of a timeshare company buying back your timeshare ? Let alone at a profit ? But alas, most of the perks are gone, but it´s nice to know that when I visit Disney, I will be staying in a top quality resort. I don´t even care if I go to the parks during my stay, I enjoy the amenities of the different resorts. I can sit and relax on the porch of my room and watch the zebras at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Enjoy the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Polynesian, Bay Lake Tower, or Grand Floridian Resorts. Watch and enjoy the crowds on the Boardwalk at night. And relax and watch the golfers playing the Lake Buena Vista course that runs through Old Key West. And I won´t forget the ocean front rooms at Disney´s Vero Beach Resort. I want to make it out to Hawaii, and Aulani, I have heard only fantastic things about it, and try to find time to go to Hilton Head. But lastly, my wife dearly wants to go on a Disney Cruise, that we can use our membership points on. Sorry for rambling on.
I was just coming down here to say many of the same things you posted about the original benefits - the membership paid for itself easily when park tickets were included. Had to laugh (& maybe there was a pang of jealousy) about "choosing" your resort. OKW was it back then & will be home sweet home for 19 more years. We're trying out Riviera in a few months but we'll still go by the Gurgling Suitcase for a Sultry Seahorse b/c it's the best cocktail on WDW property!
Excellent point! I feel most dvc owners could sell dvc! Retirement job!
Sounds like, as with most things, it was worth it if you got in early! Good for you!
I've been a DVC member since 2000N when we purchased the first contract. We added on 5 more times. We have enjoyed every minute of it and still do to this day and have never looked back.
The money we paid per point is a drop in the bucket compared today. Two of my children have also bought their own membership. Disney and or any vacation club or time share is not for everyone. However, we like it because of the flexibility and use of the world collection or the concierges collection. For us it's a
win-win.
Man, I wish they still gave free tickets. LOL
Good video. We purchased in 2009 and we could sell it or more then the purchase price and all the years of dues combined. We usually book our home resort 11 months out so we can be assured of a room for the dates we want and change to the hotel we want the morning of 7 months out. I would say the Beach Club is the hardest to get a room at. We also save a few hundred bucks on annual passes which offsets the annual dues expense too. No hotel parking fees either. I could write more but I'll just say it's been a good deal/experience for us.
We bought in 2019 and your situation is my dream
I already know you love that “welcome home” when you’re getting into the park
Something my parents love to flex on me😂
Our issue is the annual pass thing. We are out of state. It just seems nonexistent in value at this time. And NO spring break for us anymore. We went; our flight back got cancelled, we were there an extra 4 days. That last minute we could NOT get one reservation for any of the parks. It was frustrating.
From a pure financial standpoint, if you can't pay for your points upfront or can't pay the note off in under 5 years, I would recommend not doing it. You lose a lot of the savings benefit by getting killed with interest over the 10 years of payments. For example, the Riviera right now for 300 points would be approximately $55,000 with closing costs plus dues of 210 a month (which, I believe, can go up). Over 50 years, that cost (if the dues never go up), would be about $181,000 total, or $3,620 per year for your lodging. Considering where you can stay and the length, that is honestly a great price. If you do the 10 year note, your $55,000 becomes a smidge over $100k without dues, so about $226k with dues (50 years), you're at about $4,520 per year. Not horrible, but you can probably book a stay for close to that price in one of the hotels if you just book normally. Also - consider hotel room costs will go up over the next 50 years, it starts to look like a better deal, but again you have to have the money now and have to really love Disney.
My husband and I joined 8 years ago. We did the math, for us we definitely saved money versus paying cash each trip. I will say this, it’s not for everyone but we have found it to be valuable. Best advice I could give is to do lots of research and make sure it’s a good fit for you and your family.
YES... we say this all the time. It is not for every one. It works for us after LOT of research.
The one question I have though: did you take into account opportunity cost of if you had invested that money, and used the invested money for your vacations instead? I've just found most people don't take time value of money, nor inflation into account, when doing the math on these things....
@@CAG83if you're going every year or more , protection from inflation is the best reason for dvc.. 2 trips a year, 5 days a trip at a top resort $500 a night, = $5000 a year x 10 years = $50000. $16000 buy in plus $900 a year maintenance x10 years = $25000. And hotel prices keep going up ... My Dvc price is fixed.
I have been a DVC member for 4 years. We have a fairly large family. We stayed at a DVC resort for one trip and knew we could not go back to standard rooms. It has been a good choice for my family. We used out points for both stays at Disney and at DVC sister resources.
AJ is 100% correct on this. I have been a DVC member for 20 years and got all my money back including maintenance fees in 10 years. Best of luck on your decisions.
This was super helpful thanks AJ!!! Love the advice of going to Disney a bunch of times first before making the plunge to make sure the honeymoon about Disney vacations don't wear off. Thanks again!
You guys explained this very well! Love your videos. We've been non stop watching them in preparation for our trip.
AJ keeps saying the word, "investment." DVC is not an investment of financial returns, rather, an investment of happy memories over many years at a locked-in price no matter how much the rack rates go up every year. DVC should not be purchased as an investment vehicle. That's not what it's meant to be. Also, buying DVC on the resale market makes it a very attractive purchase if you do the math.
In September my wife and I are going on an Adventures by Disney (absolutely fantastic) tour of London, followed by a Trans-Atlantic cruise on the Disney cruise line- all on vacation club points. In the same month my 30 year old twin daughters are staying at the brand new Riviera DVC resort using our points for three days before their cruise on the Wish. My son and family (wife and two kids) are going to WDW and staying in a one bedroom suite at the Wilderness Lodge ($850 per night cash price) using our points. So, that is five members of my family along with a daughter in law and grandchildren enjoying our points. We have gradually increased our contracts over the years. It is fantastic because of the flexibility and broad range of potential vacation. Now they have added the National Geographic tours to the DVC point charts. The investment is still worth something, unlike other programs.
IT IS NOT A TIMESHARE!!
Sorry to break it to you but as someone who works in the resort and specifically timeshare business.
It is 100% a timeshare 😂
Not all timeshares are bad though. Does it work for you? Do you use it? Are you saving money on it? Then yeah, it's great! It's only bad if you buy into it and either let it sit or don't use it, or try to pass it off onto family members that can't afford to upkeep it or use it.
(I also wanted to mention that the one I work for is way more flexible, less predatory, and we still have access to Disney resorts through an exchange program. Only downside is you don't get first dibs and you don't get all of the same perks, but my coworker got 2 weeks at the Rivera for only about $1.6k Canadian... And that's if he had to pay user fees lol.)
FIRST THINGS FIRST, AJ. THE VERY FIRST TIME I ENTERED OLD KEY WEST (1996), WITH MY SISTER-IN-LAWs FAMILY WHO HAD THE MEMBERSHIP, I WAS MOVED TO TEARS WHEN THE SECURITY GUARD AT THE GATE SAID, "WELCOME HOME". I KNEW OUR VACATION WOULD BE INCREDIBLE.
When I look at the evolution of Walt Disney World, I can't help but taste that bitterness in my mouth. I understand that the pandemic has had an impact on everyone and everything. In my mind, everything "today" is shaded with the headlines of executive bonuses, after the massive layoffs of the actual people who make Disney magical. It doesn't bother me that I don't go, it bothers me that I refuse to go.
AJ… so not Disney related but I actually been going through a lot and the motivational messages in your emails REALLY mean so much to me. Thanks 😊
I bought my timeshare in 1993 at Old Key West and it's been totally worth it. No regrets. We always use the points at Disney or Disney Cruise.
We bought our first points in 2011, and at the time I was very skeptical-would we ever use all our allocation in a year? Given that we’ve added smaller resale points twice since then…well, yeah. :)
When our daughter was studying in Japan, we used points to allow her to stay at the TokyoDisney hotel twice. Now that she lives in Orlando, we go down once or twice a year to see her, hit the parks and check out retirement communities in the area. For some reason. Ahem.
One nice DVC perk? It makes getting to RunDisney races a helluva lot easier! I don’t have to drive myself to the location, and they bring us back afterwards!
I do wish the Mouse acted like DVC members are still wanted and loved, but *shrug* it is what it is.
And remember: there’s ALWAYS room at Saratoga!
So…just a question. If people can rent points for a lower cost then it would be to have a DVC membership, why would people just not do that instead? It seems more flexible, and cheaper.
It is not cheaper in the long term to rent points than to own the membership. In general, owners are going to charge you more than the points cost them unless the points are about to expire in which case they're just trying to get any return they can for the points. The problem with renting is you are at the mercy of an owner willing to sell the points to you and the dates you want to be available. Being an owner you're able to book exactly the dates you want and you're also able to change them later down the road if your plans change which is not always available if you don't have access to the membership website. You are also able to modify the room to maybe somewhere else you want to go to at the 7 month mark to maybe a more coveted resort like Boardwalk using cheaper points.
We have owned for many years, and we know it’s saving us money. It cut our annual costs in half just for the hotel stays. It saved us more than that because now we can save and cook up food.
Correction to selling your contract. You receive a signed contract from a resale buyer. That contract is sent to Disney for ROFR at the price agreed to with the resale buyer. Either way, you will get the value you agreed to on the contract with the buyer either through the buyer or Disney.
We bought resale in 2021 at Saratoga at 102 a point. Right now price per point is nearly 138 per point so we've made money our purchase already.
Yes! I’m glad you corrected that. Offering back to Disney directly would be a significantly lower payout for the seller as opposed to going resale and then ROFR. Evidenced most recently by the recent unsolicited $80 per point offers being sent by Disney to some members to buy back their points vs the $120+ per point they’d get with resale even if Disney exercised ROFR.
Good comment! You saved me from having to offer this correction.
Thanks Edward! She messed this one up. I bought resale in 2016 after direct in 2014 and I made my offer to the seller and waited with tension for Disney to pass on ROFRing my offer. Thankfully they did and the second contract was mine.
I own 4 contracts. 1 direct and 3 resale. Zero regrets! I will say it is a buyers markets on the resale market right now. The most common complaint from DVC members is why didn’t I buy sooner! It’s a huge hedge against inflation and you plan on going to Disney once a year or every other year for the rest of your life you will save sooooo much money
Sorry a little long. Here is something to consider. I bought in cash a resale 160 point at Saratoga in 2007. I did the math- based on closing costs and my current dues it is costing me $456 for a three night stay at Copper creek this August. Rack rates were $1323 before tax and resort fees.
Now for our Thanksgiving trip. We are staying at the Treehouse villas part of Saratoga Springs one of my home resorts. Six of us are going. Rack rates are $1,467 per night. Times that by 5 nights and it is $7,335 before tax and resort fees. Ok here is what it really costs me: 257 points from 2021 and part of 2022 UY. $418 (from the Initial buy in) plus last years dues and this years partial dues which is 1883.81 for a total of $2302.72. That’s for three bedrooms and two bathrooms. A full kitchen and living room. We all get our own beds. We saved $5,032.28.
This is why I bought it. I have gifted stays, rented points to out towards non Disney vacations and stayed over ten times at WDW plus Hilton Head.
DVC owner since 2008 at AKL. Single !!! No regrets.
Perfect timing for this video!Thank you for all you do!!
We joined DVC in 2009. So far we have enjoyed the entire experience. For us, it has been worth it.
We joined about that time as well and it has totally been worth it to us. I have done the math we have absolutely saved money.
I always stay at the Beach Club Villas, but either pay in cash or rent DVC points. I also, generally, only go every other year (though in 2023 I might start doing a solo trip every other year to scratch that mid-trip itch). I've contemplated whether or not buying into DVC was right for me, and this video was really helpful in me realizing... it's just not.
"That you are never going to own"...Patently untrue...and you know it. You can enjoy 30 years of vacations and still sell your points for more than you spent on them. I've done it twice.
You can sell the points easily if you want to.
My wife has DVC and we go to Disney every year, and the years we don't, her family does so we share our points with them
We owned a couple of DVC contracts for a few years and ended up selling them. It just really doesn't save money when you consider all the deals Disney offers the general public all the time. We raised 4 kids and did many MANY free dining trips. And without that option we can still use the military discount which is 30 to 40% off resort rooms and tickets about half the price what others pay. Also, over time, as the kids have gotten older, we have gone to Disney less and less. There are so many other things to see and and do in the big wide world. As far as investments go, we have real real estate for that. Good video though, thanks (from a fellow resident of the north Dallas burbs!)
Where did you get 30-40 % military discount ? Disney seems to be very exclusive right now to military. No veterans discounts when I spoke to a Disney rep. And the active duty discounts were a joke. Ie- only exclusive or some resorts and certain times of the year.
LOVE DVC! I would NEVER be able to stay at Deluxe resorts without it! It has more than paid for itself. We have been members since 2004. Points were $ 97 a point, we bought 160- added 50. And use them every year. Wish we had more points.
So true. We are staying at the Polynesian this December for 2 weeks. The rack-rate for a hotel at the Polynesian around Christmas is about $15,000. If we paid in cash, that's one-and-done. Our money is gone.
Buying DVC, we pay $30,000. Do we go twice? No. We get to go every year for the next 40 years for that $30,000. We pay dues of $1200 a year. So, basically, we're paying $1200 vs $15,000 after the first 2 years.
@@brooksfire9580 Do the annual dues increase or stay the same?
@@teresahastings4470 They have gone down and they've stayed the same. But, in general, they go up 1-2% a year.
@@teresahastings4470 increase- and the more points- the higher the dues. Dues per point vary depending on your home resort. Bay Lake is the cheapest, then Saratoga
I don’t think I’ve ever met or talked to a DVC member who had any regrets other than not buying sooner than they did. So, I don’t listen to the haters. And for those who say don’t finance, I’m sure you are avid Dave Ramsey listeners. And that’s ok. But, everyone knows their own situation and what they can afford and what makes the most sense for them. I advocate for extensive research on DVC before buying, and really have a good idea of what you want out of it. The resale market is a great way to get into DVC that can save you money. Without a doubt, DVC is a hedge against inflation if you plan to vacation at WDW for many years.
We just fell in love with Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2006 and we knew we would be coming back. When we learned in 2008 that the new DVC being built was a second AKL resort it was a no-brained for us. Honestly I don’t think we would have even considered buying into DVC if there wasn’t Kidani.
We go every other year and stay 11 nights in a one bedroom on 2 years worth of points-except that we recently added points so we can stay the same number of nights in a two bedroom. The off years we explore other parts of the country like California, Washington DC, Arizona/Grand Canyon, New England. It has been perfect for us no regrets!
Thank you AJ! Needed to hear this!
I honestly thought it was Genie+ or parking not DVC 😂😂😂
@@kates7277 or that lol
We were DVC members from 2007 until 2019. We left because we felt the pandemic would cause major problems and were getting older and traveling less. First we throughly enjoyed our years with DVC and felt it was worth it. The main reason I am commenting is you did not comment on how easy it is to sell your points. We basically got our money back from our initial investment.
Another informative video AJ..plus such interesting commnets. My sister & her husband became DVC memebers after traveling w my wife & I along w other family members for a family reunion in 2018-2019. Their experiences have ben mixed. I however having been to WDW, literaly hundreds of times when my wife worked as a supervisor for them & I was freelance weter covering Disney, have no desire to spend 30-60 grand for DVC. We have enjoyed a wide variety of Resort stays over the years & find the peace & quiet of Port Orleans our new go to spot. So both in regards to Pixie Dust fixes & finances we we do not wish to deal w the issues inherent in membership. We can afford it but simply enjoy our annual treks to The Mouse as currently experienced. Thanks & keep up ur good work!
Admittedly we dipped our toe into DVC with just a 50 point resale contract but I honestly feel like that’s the best way to know if this is something for you and your family. With our points we’re able to stay at Animal Kingdom and Aulani- two resorts that I would never have the $$ to spend as a single momma from the non profit industry 😂 😆. Unless your heart is set on the extra perks (which have been rolled back and restricted over time) there’s no reason to go for a 150 point contract at $200 a point.
We did the same. 50 point at the Poly. Still haven’t stayed yet but have two nights at Beach Club and waitlisting for one at Hilton Head.
We bought at Riviera in 2020 when DVC opened up and paid just under $25k for 150points. And now we are waiting for the ROFR for a 20 year contract at Vero Beach
One small detail I felt wasn't noted was what the normal cost is for a DVC style suite. If people want to stay at that level of accommodation, it changes the perception of the DVC costs. The ability to use points on a cruise was also glossed over.
I was one who researched DVC a ton, but ultimately bought a house in Davenport instead of DVC. WE LOVE IT! We don't have to sign up, call, get online or anything. We just show up to our little Disney house. we are already AP so the perks were not attractive for us.
You bought a house for 30K? If you were already at Disney AP member, you already live in Florida. They are no longer offered for non Florida Residents. Can't tell if you sold your home in Florida to move closer to Disney or you brought a second home in Florida closer to Disney? Probably the first I guess.
@@JLT3 lots of houses close to Disney have MIL suites, we bought one of these as our second home. we rent it out, use the suite.
congrats u didnt get scammed. u may even see an ROI.
so you DO NOT get discounts on the normal theme park entry, you do get a discount on one of the annual pass tiers if they open those back up again. you DO get a discount on special tickets like after hours parties ie mickeys not so scary and mickeys very merry and discounts on water park tickets as well as run disney events. a great perk is the Moonlight Magic parties which are at certain times during the year where a park or typhoon lagoon (typically august for this one) is open only to DVC member for a few hours you DO NOT have to pay for these events they are free plus you get snacks during the party as well
Just a few examples of the misinformation presented in this video.
and you can't measure the magic of being a DVC member
My wife bought DVC points in the early 90s. When we were dating, one step was a WDW visit. I didn’t know it, but it was a test. Fortunately I passed with an A+, and we are an ace WDW team. We go with other family members, but it’s frustrating relative to the two of us alone, so we need to schedule just the two of us as an antidote. This year we’re doing our 20th Disneyversary trip. We could sell our points for quite a lot more than she paid for them, which is a point worth making. We go too often to use points for every visit, so this time we’re using an off peak deal at an off park time share. That’s a whole other can of worms that I don’t know if you have opened, using RCI and Interval International time share exchanges to get deals on Orlando time shares especially off peak. We’re getting a 2 bedroom for a week for only a few hundred dollars. It works great for us. We use the DVC points to get monorail resort spots for young grandchildren visits. We can bail quickly when Disney magic overdose sets in.
When it’s just us two old veterans, we can anticipate the overdose and nap in Carousel of Progress, or nurse a drink in a quick serve or preschedule a dining reservation.
I have several nap spots as well 😂
We bought in 2011. We paid about $6000 in cash for just 60 points at Saratoga. (They’ll tell you 160 is the minimum. It’s not.) if we compared our next stays to rack rates, we ‘broke even’ on our third stay (5nt at Aulani, 4nt at Grand Cal, then a week at the Grand Floridian), but paying cash was the BIG factor in our break even rate. That 2017 Grand Floridian stay convinced my wife and I to add 100 point at the Grand, which we bought resale. I hear all the time how timeshares are a terrible investment, but even though we’ve used a decade on the SSR contract and five years of the VGF contract, both have actually gone up in value on the resale market.
Now, in terms of value, what I always tell people is that if you prefer to stay at Deluxe resorts, DVC will save you quite a bit of money, as we were paying about $160-180 a night (factoring in point costs and dues) compared to a $400+ a night rate at most deluxe resorts. Now if you prefer Moderate resorts, you won’t be saving any money … but you do get a notable upgrade in accommodations. (If you prefer Value resorts, you’re probably not in the market for DVC.)
I did get hit with the borrowing restriction, throwing off a big family reunion trip I was planning for the 50th. Now that the restriction has been rescinded, we’re having to replan everything, but kids are a couple years older and have school schedules to manage now. An inconvenience, but at least we didn’t have that big trip cancelled.
My family was a member for over 10 years. The one thing that was very frustrating for my parents was the fact you do have to still pay I think it’s like housekeeping fees or maintenance fees or something like that. They will continue to go up on that all the time. Disney always finds a way to make everybody pay something more.
If you go to Disney every single year it’s not a bad thing. However, honestly you really need to pay cash, pay in full, and not finance it. If you can pay for it upfront it’s a much better thing because you’re not paying interest. When you are financing it and paying interest on top of everything else it takes a lot longer time before you start getting your value back for the money you spent.
Since 2009 when I bought in my dues have only gone up like $10 a month. Totally doable and not bad at all.
Also. I financed. But still paid for itself in about 5 trips.
Very solid points all the way around. I stopped considering DVC as my kids were getting older and I had to admit that we might not actually be in the mood to go to Disney 50 more times.
We joined DVC last year! So fare we're very happy with our vacation investment and with the soaring price of resort rooms - it's a great deal! Plus when you're done - sell your contract on the resale market and recoup a Large Portion of your investment! No Brainer if you love WDW! If you don't love Disney World Resorts or you only go once every few years - Then DVC is a Hard No for you as it isn't worth your money.
I'm not sure what math you did, the upfront cost looked OK to me when I got the pitch but the on going fees add up to way more...
@@skirchmar The yearly fees for maintenance are still much lower than what Deluxe Resort room rack rate would cost. As for the upfront cost, we plan on recouping a large portion of that when we sell our contract. We're upper middle age, so probably will keep our contracts for 10-20 years. Also, buying resale saves you about 40% off direct. It's not for everyone, but if you spend a few weeks every year there it will save you big. Our break even point is at about the 7 year mark. Thank you for commenting!
Weird flex to have multiple. DVC is not a financial investment, it’s a timeshare. Yes you can in theory make a profit upon selling….hopefully. Not guaranteed though and given how the Mouse has been acting…eh
@@ninabeena83 Agree - don't buy for a profit, but buy for the savings and the investment in vacations! That said, people that purchased 10-20 years ago have sold their contracts for more than they paid (not including fees). You want to have multiple contracts in order to have multiple Home Resort booking advantage. With DVC you can book your home resort at 11 months out, well all other resorts at 7 months out. This is a big advantage at the Poly, GF, BC or Copper Creek! Typically, OKW and SSR are pretty easy to book at 7 months - so have your contract at a resort that's more difficult to book!
💯 agree we bought in 1998 at $94 per point, at today prices at around $200+/- and only have to pay maintenance dues around $2000 per year,this make a cheaper price to pay for a deluxe resort stay👍🥰 DVC isn't for everyone but for our family it is. Thanks for sharing 😊
One thing you left out: no parking fees at resorts. That can stack up: $27+tax every night for, let’s say a week and you’re looking at hundreds of dollars. But since you’re an _owner_ and not a guest, parking is free if you drive.
It was mentioned :)
Great video idea.
Everyone is different, but I think DVC has many factors that are separate of the math/$$ calculations. DUES - are not a scam, they run the resort, update the rooms, and more. If you owned a second home you would still be paying for upkeep, new furniture, utilities, house keeping and more. 1- Having DVC helps those that struggle to take time off to prioritize vacations. 2- If you are money conscious it is hard to justify the nicer hotel cost trip by trip, with DVC its already decided (although I admit to shopping points/night on some of our spontaneous trips) 3- theoretically your value should keep up with inflation, at least the first 25 years. Just to name a few
You answered a lot of my questions. Thank-you!
THANK YOU!! Always wondered on this worked.
We are a family of four in the state of Rhode Island we are heading to Disney we should be there this Sunday exciting
Have a great trip!
Thank you
Have a magical trip! We'll be there soon as well!
Details changed last week and DVC members can now borrow (up to 1 year) or bank (up to 2 years) ALL points.
This was a great video! Could you possibly create a companion video that gives real-world scenarios. So for example, if I am a DVC member booking one trip for 2023- what I spend in points, what I spent in monthly DVC payments, and what extra money I had to spend on my Disney trip (fees, tickets, food). Then compare that price to a non-DVC family making the same trip. And compare what that could get a family going elsewhere (I.e. What type of experience can I get in Hawaii or Mexico for the same price?)
Great job AJ - great info
AJ --Such a great and very balanced video full of very helpful insights! Thank you. I am lucky to get to experience DVC 4 times a year as my partner owns lots of contracts. He has a great career so this makes sense for him. I am in the arts, and would never be able to afford this currently. I honestly think there is nothing like staying on property at one of these magical resorts, however, I would say most average American families with incomes of less than 200K per household, would be better served staying at one of the alternate accommodations near property or even on property such as the Swan and Dolphin or near Disney Springs..when they want to visit each year.This isn't a solid investment for those who have to stress about the purchase....sort of the old saying, "if you have to ask the price, then you can't afford it." It is also very hard to get the rooms you want if you don't have extra points to prebook with way ahead of time.....to place hold different properties.
Nothing balanced at all in this hit piece…half her info is untrue or misleading
@@shawnokeefe1580 What did she say that was wrong or misleading?
@@shawnokeefe1580 Hi. I'm at the point of just now learning about DVC. Could you please state what is missing or wrong? I definitely be visiting several sites and taking my time learning about it. If there is something wrong with the info on this episode, please share. Thank you!
@@virvin911 The explanation on Disney’s right of first refusal was backwards. You get on offer from someone first, then Disney has a chance to buy the points at that price. Her information on annual passes was wrong. Right now only Florida residents can buy passes. Those of us who live out of state cannot get them. While I’m currently very unhappy with that situation, I have zero regrets about buying DVC.
Heading to WDW in a few weeks with 6 adults and 1 3-year old! Having high anxieties about Genie+ and whether or not we will get on any rides without waiting in line for hours. Will be checking your vlogs for any Genie+ tips and tricks. wish us luck!
Good luck on your trip guys! Don't stress too much about Genie+, as we tend to not use it on most visits and still have a great time!
go knowing you won't get on the rides you want and be pleasantly surprised if by some miracle you do.
DVC made sense for us. We want to say at the Polynesian, lake side view for 7 nights in December every year or every other year bringing family with a second room. Rack rate without DVC was 7k plus for our first year and didn't include tickets. Without DVC that is not a sustainable vacation habit, and we've been able to bring family who would never have the opportunity for deluxe resorts without us. With prices increasing we look to break even on costs soon and will have 41 years of trips for us or our family to use.
I also think its much easier to buy or sell resale DVC contracts than this video makes it seem, but perhaps they didn't want to prop up the several 3rd party companies that will white glove that experience for you.
We have been to WDW dozens of times and never pay rack rate.
I literally got off the phone with DVC. Not ready yet but i will hear what they have to say. This video helped a lot.
We are members since 2017 and we were just told on this past trip that you don’t get 50 years from the time you purchase, you get 50 years from the opening of the resort. Polynesian was built in the 1970’s, I believe, so 50 years from 1970.
No. Polynesian dvc is good into the 2060’s.
As many have said, you really have to want to vacation at Disney on a regular basis for this to make any financial sense.
I bought my first points in 2000, at $65/point at the Boardwalk. We also bought into the Grand Californian later on. We have gotten an enormous benefit from annual vacations since then. We've used them primarily for DVC properties in Orlando, Anaheim, and Hawaii. But, we've also used them for timeshare exchanges and hotel stays. So, the flexibility has been a big plus. We made the mistake of buying in at Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian, which we then sold via a timeshare reseller. (We sold at a price that covered our cost, not losing anything other than maintenance fees we paid while we had them.) For us, Wilderness Lodge was not good location. And, Grand Floridian room point cost was ridiculously high.
Reservations have gotten much harder to book as the DVC sales exploded. This means you should use your home resort booking window of 11 months or you may not get what you want elsewhere at the 7 month window.
Given the increase in point cost (now over $200/point) the break even point is much longer than it was when we bought in. And, the newer resorts require more points per night than older ones. They can't change the overall points charged on an annual balance, once they start selling the memberships. Though they can adjust points up and down in different parts of the year. So, it seems they are locking in higher point cost on new resorts. So, that makes you need more points up front. Double whammy, since maintenance is charged per point, as well.
Bottom line: Be absolutely positive you will vacation at Disney for 10+ years, at least. Pay cash (don't finance a timeshare.) Pick a home resort that you will actually use. Buy enough points to cover your vacation at that home resort.
Thanks for breaking it down! Some fascinating comments below, too. This definitely seems like it's for people who want to stay Deluxe, too. If I'm happy paying $150/night for a value resort on my trips, it doesn't sound like I'd ever break even!
I agree in part, however, when we bought at 97 a point- a value resort was 50 a night. What is a value resort now? So if you base you budget on a 150 a night hotel, you need to consider that the rooms will continue to increase where dvc is locked in. But I understand your point completely!
@@Piperirishdancer That is a good point! But I think part of mine was, I spend as little as I can, and I only go every 2-5 years anyway LOL DVC is not intended for "spend as little as you can get away with" guests
@@Mockingdragon you might think dvc is a spend to the max. But if you go every year, sometimes 2 times (we drive from Ga) it actually gets ‘cheaper’ as time goes by. We used to buy 10 day no expire hoppers (miss those days) and use them for 3 years- so all we really had to budget for was food. And we stay in a 1 bedroom at Kidani Village, GF, etc. now that tickets expire we have to budget more. Hope that makes sense. If you go 1 time every 3-4 years- don’t do it! But we have stayed at Vero for a cheaper Disney experience- no parks!
we used our points to say at the Asia parks (except Shanghai they are not in the dvc program yet) and for our Paris trip as well, worth it for us.
We purchased back in 2005 after staying at Al star sports and coming back to the room at midnight and having to walk by the pool that was packed with hundreds of kids staying there and when that happened I turned to my wife and said we are going to look at purchasing dvc tomorrow and we haven’t regretted it once since.
Love this!
Yup! I have 2 direct and 3 resale, I had SO much fun in my 5 trips during the Pandemic! I also LOVE cooking, so I do meal planning and spend less than $300 a week on park drinks and food, and $200 of groceries (and drinks) in my villa. I have had dinner parties in even 1 bedroom villas... LOVE DVC
My parents bought in 2015 & they say the only thing they regret is not buying it sooner!
Thank you for this video! We’ve wondered about DVC and whether it’s worth it. Can you do a video on annual passes?
Oh boy. I can barely justify the tickets, let alone DVC.
We did resale and purchased close to 100 a point. There are some restrictions like if Disney builds a new resort you can’t use your points there. But all the resorts but Riveria apply. For us it is an incredible buy. Its deluxe hotels compared to moderates. I would never pay 1000 a night.
I've thought about it but honestly, not for me. I'd rather take multiple trips a year at a value/moderate than one big fancy trip.
Honestly i am better of booking Hilton off property and using Uber.
Because i am only in orlando every sixth year
My fam and I just stay at the hotel my tia works at lol…
FREE OF CHARGE 🙏
That's what I said. So I have 100 points and I pay $700 in annual dues. I might as well just use that $700 to pay for a regular hotel. If I bank my points now I'm at 200 points and $1400. Doesn't make sense 🤷
20 years ago my husband and I seriously considered buying into DVC, but instead we invested the money $60k into a small camp at a lake. We still loved Disney and visited when we could. Last week our camp sold for $300K. It was a much wiser decision.
I love Disney but I don't plan to visit that often. Maybe 1-5 visits to the parks in my lifetime so probably not something I'll be investing in
We rent some of our points to help with AP renewals
I was told that when you buy in to a DVC resort the 50 years starts from when the resort opened. So if you buy into an original resort you would only have 29 years left. Traditional time shares can be passed to your heirs. I would assume WDW felt the buildings would only be kept for 50 years.
DVC can also be bequeathed to anyone.
Wow the priceses have gone upppp. My parents got a DVC membership around 2008 I think. Animal Kingdom Lodge is our home resort and I dont think it was a lot more affordable back then. Im very blessed and thankful thst my parents were able to buy a DVC membership bevause I am able to go to Disney at least once a year without paying for a hotel room!
Love your video. Thanks
I have been a DVC member since 2009. I love it. Home resort is bay lake. But I brought my points cheaper than they are now, a whole lot cheaper. It is so worth it for my family. We love the rooms. Is it worth it now ? Really hard to say. Prices are so high.
Me too! 2009 BLT! Best decision I ever made!
Joined in 2007, added a guaranteed week 49 Copper Creek contract and couldn't be happier. Not a big fan of the direction of Disney corp. lately with the nickel and diming, no annual pass, politics, etc. So, we don't do parks near as much as we used to, but we still love the resorts and many times just hang out at resorts or do non park dining. We bought in for $78 per pt, and have been able to use to stay at Polynesian regularly as well as Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom, Boardwalk, Beach Club, etc. We would never spend rack rate, or even discounted rack rates. Plus, our contract is worth a lot more than we paid, and if we needed cash we could sell, likely within 30 days depending on what we would ask. Many people even rent their points for far more than their annual costs. Our annual costs are about $8 per point and they currently rent for about $19-$23 per.
Also, the 20% discount on food and purchases is super nice!
I’m a DVC member and I have been one since 2007. I have a Deed to the air space. With this said, you can take the taxes and interest off on you income tax. So since 2007 I have been taking it off on my taxes. The
AJ, are there any perks on Disney Cruises for DVC members? Also, if a DVC member organizes a personal event, such as a wedding or an anniversary celebration. Are there discounts or perks in these situations?
You can book a cruise with points, but the math says this is a bad usage. There is a DVC desk on each ship and they will have some items for you, but other than that, currently no major perks.
No perks on the cruise really. And no discounts for weddings etc. I got married at WDW also.
I was close to buying DVC but I found that I can rent a condo off property for much cheaper. and there is no contract, dues, etc. I suppose DVC is worth it if you have to stay on property, but there are much less expensive options off property.
I’ve been a DVC member since 2014 and my contract has been paid off over and over again since we go 2-3 times a year. My only problem with DVC resorts is locals who just want a break from the parks always loitering in the hotel lobbies. I was recently in Disneyland Paris and love their policy of having security screenings at the hotels and only allowing paying guests to enter. There are far too many WDW locals who use the hotels as if they’re an extension of the parks.
I’ve always wanted from the club 33 members plus food and all the feet about five years ago I became a DVC member I bought Saratoga Springs 60 points and I am loving it we go every year
We bought resale and we go every 1-2 years, as we have a small contract (85 points). We bought ours years ago and the resale value has gone up by $40 per point. So while it is a big investment, you CAN sell it and recoup most of the cost. As many others have said, DVC is not going to be a good value if: you have to finance your purchase, you don't care about staying on property at a Deluxe resort, or you don't want to go to Disney World or Hawaii every 2-3 years.
Hidden bonus: when you visit the parks as a DVC member, the turnstile will light up purple instead of green 💜
Be sure to check the resale market before jumping in. We bought all of our points resale in 2008. Never paid more than $90 per point.
AJ seems pretty down on DVC. Yes, it is expensive, but we have loved it for ~25 years
Same here.
If you have the cash to drop on this, you have the cash to go to Disney often enough.
For 50k invested properly, you could go to Disney yearly just on dividends paid on a 50k investment.
I get the price tag for this and I feel that you will feel the savings is worth it after 10 years especially if you have at least stayed at the resort 1 week every year . From then on, it feels like you're vacationing for free every year with little expenses to drop since you still pay for maintenance fees. The 1st 10 years will definitely feel like you have a dent in your bank account though.
DVC is hands down the best decision I ever made. But I totally agree with the comments of not getting it on finance. No one wants a mortgage on their vacations! But given how expensive deluxe resorts are… in 3 trips (we only signed up in 2019) our buy in of 150 points has basically paid for itself.
Owner since 2019, bought two more contracts since then. Well worth it if you plan on staying on property any time more than once in a lifetime.