jobro912
Disney Vacation Club message forum modEARator
Group: ModEARator
Posts: 8
Joined: Mar. 2002 |
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Posted: Feb. 16, 2003 10:28 am/pm |
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Hey There, Hi There, Ho There,
DVC member John here. Mickey contacted me to perhaps help a bit. I bought into DVC at Old Key West in 1994. My point purchase of 270 points was based on the number of points required to reserve a 2 bedroom in early June. We used the points to take at least 2 trips a year. I also used them for a trip to Disneyland Paris, and a trip to Vienna, Austria. After about 4 years, I sold my membership. BAD MOVE!! You see, I thought I had tired of WDW. Anyway, we made cash reservations, and very quickly went and bought DVC again. I am now at 330 points at BWV, but have not stayed at Boardwalk. I have used OKW, and Beach Club.
Joining DVC requires commitment to at least an annual trip to the world, or several if points allow. You can have up to 3 years of your points available at a time...How? Bank one year, and borrow from the third year. So, If I kept a year with no useage, banked to the next year, and borrowed from the next year, I would have 990 points available. That's alot. OK, I have DVC friends with 1000 points, but I don't get it. They use them though. Your best point useage is at the DVC resorts. You can book up to 11 months in advance at your home resort, 7 months in advance for the other DVC resorts. Point useage at the other Disney resorts is extremely high. Friday and Saturday nights at DVC resorts are also high. Alot of DVC members will start their trips at All Stars, or off site if coming in Friday or Saturday, then move to DVC on Sunday. If you are looking at staying at the Deluxe resorts, you can use the points there, but it eats up alot. The exchanges bring about a variety of opinions. A one bedroom, High season through Interval International is 160 points. That is a 7 night stay. DVC limits the resorts through Interval to only their nicest properties, and there is a $75 exchange fee. Example...we are going to spend 7 days in a Interval 5 Star resort in Branson, MO in June.
All in all, it depends on you. Resales are way, way cheaper than buying through DVC, though we bought through DVC because they pay closing costs and offer 10 year financing...In most resale situations, you pay closing, and only have a 5 year finance period...again, depends on you. Disney also requires a 150 point purchase, and currently sells at $85 a point. I have seen some resales in the low $60's.
If you love Disney, then DVC may be for you. It is high dollar by Timeshare Standards. If you are looking at Timeshares in general, you can get one for alot less, and exchange to Orlando. If you are looking for one with all of the Disney magic attached...ie, Disney Cruise Line, great resorts, etc. then DVC is the way to go. We have loved it. We went to WDW 4 times last year. Making the trip to Branson this year.
I suggest visiting the DVC section at Disney.com, as well as the Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dvctalk/. The folks at the Yahoo group will offer you tons of info, both pro and con.
Good Luck, and hope to have you in the DVC family soon if it's right for you.
John
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John
DVC 94
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