# RANT: Using DVC Resorts as a place to sleep and shower



## icydog (Jul 27, 2016)

I love my Disney Vacation Club Resorts. I pay a ton of $$ to own them.  I kind of Shake my head at posts saying they're going to stuff one bedrooms with as many people as they can.  

And then their idea of a deluxe vacation is to only use the resorts as a place to shower and sleep.  These one bedrooms would cost me $3000 in point value.  Why are these posters NOT grateful for the chance to stay in a deluxe resort and why don't they use the incredible pools and grounds. 

Why go to a Deluxe Disney resort if all you want to do is use it as a motel. 

Because RCI makes these trades so inexpensive the inventory at Disney Vacation Club Resorts is being devalued.  People don't realize or respect that they're staying in one of the best resorts in the world.

Maybe I should be grateful because the pools will be less crowded but it bewilders me why people, who trade in, are not blown away by their incredible good fortune!


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## gmarine (Jul 27, 2016)

Maybe the people are using the proximity to the parks as a way to spend as much time as possible in the parks. Thats the real advantage of staying at a DVC resort. 

I wouldnt worry about what others do during their stay, everyone has different ideas of a vacation.


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## icydog (Jul 27, 2016)

*I hear you! I get it!*



gmarine said:


> Maybe the people are using the proximity to the parks as a way to spend as much time as possible in the parks. Thats the real advantage of staying at a DVC resort.
> 
> I wouldnt worry about what others do during their stay, everyone has different ideas of a vacation.



I knew I'd get this answer. That's why my OP is titled RANT.  I'm giving my opinion, that's all.  To me the real advantage of a Disney "Deluxe Home Away From Home Resort" is all the amenities there at the Resort. 

 I remember when I first purchased in 1992 it was all about the parks, parades, attractions Etc. Now 25 years later it's all about the Deluxe resorts I'm visiting and the theme parks come in a distant second.  Many times I never venture into a park.  I use my Disney Vacation Club Resorts as a Home Away From Home, as a respite from NJ.. 

I know young families see the resorts as a stopping off point before heading to the parks.  I just think it's a shame. I never got into a Disney's Old Key West Resort pool until, maybe, 3 years into our ownership.  What a shame. I also didn't play tennis or take a leisurely boat ride either.  That's a shame too.  I just wish everyone who is lucky enough to get into a DVC Resort would appreciate where they are and enjoy the resorts as well as the theme parks


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## Shelbyd95 (Jul 27, 2016)

My next trip will be the 3rd time that we've traded into DVC.  The last two times we were able to trade for a 2 bedroom which was wonderful and I would gladly use the extra points for that luxury again but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  This trip, my family of 4, will be in a 1 bedroom...not what we are use to but it will work.  I love staying at a DVC because my kids (in their 20s) can choose to go to a park without us.  Love hanging out and taking pictures at the resort and of course love the EMH...That's why we choose to trade into a DVC.


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## icydog (Jul 27, 2016)

Shelbyd95 said:


> My next trip will be the 3rd time that we've traded into DVC.  The last two times we were able to trade for a 2 bedroom which was wonderful and I would gladly use the extra points for that luxury again but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  This trip, my family of 4, will be in a 1 bedroom...not what we are use to but it will work.  I love staying at a DVC because my kids (in their 20s) can choose to go to a park without us.  Love hanging out and taking pictures at the resort and of course love the EMH...That's why we choose to trade into a DVC.



Cool response.  Dual purpose usage! 

You sometimes stay at the Deluxe DVC resort and enjoy it-- and then other days you use all the perks afforded to guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort.  PERFECT!


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## davidvel (Jul 27, 2016)

icydog said:


> Because RCI makes these trades so inexpensive the inventory at Disney Vacation Club Resorts is being devalued.


What do you mean by this? How does RCI makes trades inexpensive?


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## Weimaraner (Jul 27, 2016)

Icydog - I know what you are talking about. this is a common theme in Disney FB books, not just for RCI exchanges. People will spend a small fortune to stay at AKL and share their itinerary which is packed with park activity from open to close every day. When they ask for advice, I always say "don't forget a resort/pool day." People spend a fortune for the room and miss all the amazing activities, pools, resort experiences, etc. I could spend a week at AKL and never leave the resort.I do understand because some people say this is their one and only DW trip. But I've learned my lesson after treating my then 5yo to every magical, expensive, highly sought after experience...and you know what she says her favorite one was- the pool.


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## buckor (Jul 27, 2016)

icydog said:


> I love my Disney Vacation Club Resorts. I pay a ton of $$ to own them.  I kind of Shake my head at posts saying they're going to stuff one bedrooms with as many people as they can.
> 
> And then their idea of a deluxe vacation is to only use the resorts as a place to shower and sleep.  These one bedrooms would cost me $3000 in point value.  Why are these posters NOT grateful for the chance to stay in a deluxe resort and why don't they use the incredible pools and grounds.
> 
> ...


Good day!

First let me say that I am not a DVC  owner,  rather I own Wyndham. I have also not traded into DVC resorts. My first resort visit was Wyndham Bonnet Creek back in May.

This was the first time in 13 years my family had been to Disney. We planned and looked at charts and calendars trying to figure out how to get the most of our time in the Parks. So, every day was planned out, FastPasses were utilized...this was going to be a dream!

Until we got to WBC...as stated we had never stayef in a resort setting so we were surprised by what the resort offered! My 5 children, ranging in age from 8 to 17, did not want to leave the resort to go to the Parks! But what about my plans??!!

So, we learned quickly to flex. We realized we weren't going to see all of each park any way,  so why not enjoy some of this beautiful resort and 3 bedroom villa we had. And we're glad we did. We are going back in March for another week, but are only planning on a park 1 day. The rest will be enjoying the resort and other offerings. We realize we had just planned too well and crammed too much into our week.

I wonder if some of these folks you're talking about are in similar situations? First, or first in a long time, Disney vacation, so cram and go. Some maybe...i dunno. 

Anyway, we learned our lesson and are looking forward to enjoying more next time.

As an fyi, we are interested in looking at DVC...we plan on going through a tour in March.  But if we buy we'll probably buy resale unless the deal is just that good because I realize that the disparity between retail and resale with DVC is not anything like Wyndham...already been doing our homework. 

Blessings!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320AZ using Tapatalk


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## vacationhopeful (Jul 27, 2016)

I have stay at a DVC resort several times. My 2 trips with my sister (a recent widow earlier that year) was to do the parks, Downtown Disney and to drink wine on the balconies.
Trip #1: VWL was our first stay ... that little balcony saw us drinking a bottle of red wine each afternoon after first doing a park and then the pool ... then our late afternoon wine. And I was sick with surgery planned.
Trip #2:5 months later, we did AKV. Coffee in the AM on the balcony, wine in the later afternoon on the balcony ... and I am not sure, she wasn't on the balcony late in the evening. But she had learned there was much more to Disney than a bunch of rides. 

When I took my 12yo nephew for a week in January to AKV... he enjoyed the attack mode for doing the parks ... but he liked the afternoon pool visits and regularly found him watching the savanna for the animals at ALL HOURS. He did NOT 2 months later want to go to the parks with his mother for the day ... he told his mom, he only goes to WDW with Aunt Linda. (And yes, my sister, was terribly crushed ... she saw the GREAT photos from his time he had in the parks with me ... she just wanted to share in his joy & happiness...most of which was from the resort & activities).


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## DeniseM (Jul 27, 2016)

If I just wanted to stay at a nice resort - I wouldn't choose DVC.  I'd go somewhere else for a fraction of the cost.  And I wouldn't go to Orlando...


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## presley (Jul 27, 2016)

I guess it all depends on how you like to vacation and how much other people's vacation styles upsets you and why it would upset you.

My first timeshare purchase was VGC. After I realized it wasn't worth the expense because we only used the room to sleep and shower, I sold my contracts. We still go to California Grand and drink in the lobby bar and get food at white Water Snacks, but normally stay elsewhere. I will sometimes pay to stay on the hotel side, but I've never used the pools.

The only other 2 DVC properties I stayed at were AKL (I did one activity on site there) and Aulani. AKL, we ate on the balcony and watched the animals a few times. Aulani was a one nighter to enjoy the resort. We were actually quite bored at Aulani and didn't use the pools/lazy river because of the massive crowds. I am easily grossed out by lots of bodies in same body of water close together because I know what comes out of all of those bodies. The beach was closed during our stay.


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## paxsarah (Jul 27, 2016)

icydog said:


> Because RCI makes these trades so inexpensive the inventory at Disney Vacation Club Resorts is being devalued.  People don't realize or respect that they're staying in one of the best resorts in the world.



If I were going rant, then, I would rant at my fellow owners who trade their usage at one of the best resorts in the world to go somewhere else through RCI and make those trades available in the first place. At least, that's what I'd rant about if I were a DVC owner inclined to make judgments on other people's vacation choices.


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## gmarine (Jul 27, 2016)

icydog said:


> I knew I'd get this answer. That's why my OP is titled RANT.  I'm giving my opinion, that's all.  To me the real advantage of a Disney "Deluxe Home Away From Home Resort" is all the amenities there at the Resort.
> 
> I remember when I first purchased in 1992 it was all about the parks, parades, attractions Etc. Now 25 years later it's all about the Deluxe resorts I'm visiting and the theme parks come in a distant second.  Many times I never venture into a park.  I use my Disney Vacation Club Resorts as a Home Away From Home, as a respite from NJ..
> 
> I know young families see the resorts as a stopping off point before heading to the parks.  I just think it's a shame. I never got into a Disney's Old Key West Resort pool until, maybe, 3 years into our ownership.  What a shame. I also didn't play tennis or take a leisurely boat ride either.  That's a shame too.  I just wish everyone who is lucky enough to get into a DVC Resort would appreciate where they are and enjoy the resorts as well as the theme parks



As you were giving your opinion in your rant, I posted my opinion to your rant. You were obviously looking for responses so I gave one. 

I would never visit a DVC resort other than using it as a base to visit the parks even though I trade in for much less than what it costs an owner.


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## VegasBella (Jul 27, 2016)

Have you considered that maybe they use the pools at different times than you do?

Or maybe they're extra picky about pools and there's something about the pools they don't like (temperature, depth, chlorine vs salt vs O2 etc)?

Or maybe they use different amenities than you use? 

Staying so close to the parks is a huge bonus and is reason enough to stay at Disney. 

---
My take: *When we go on vacation it's usually to experience something we can't experience at home. * I have a membership at a luxury health club that has a fantastic pool with water slides for the kids. I also have a season pass to a water park. We live in a part of the world that has some of the best pools. My family gets plenty of pool time at resort style pools. So if we use the pool at a resort while on vacation it's only because I've cajoled them into it.


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## SueDonJ (Jul 27, 2016)

I love Disney, think they're among the leaders of hospitality companies when it comes to customer service, and Walt Disney World is definitely a Happy Place for me.  If Don were as much a Disney freak as me then we'd buy DVC but instead we pay cash rates or do owner rentals for DVC properties during our infrequent trips.

I like staying on property for all the extras - park transportation, package delivery, immersing myself in the ambience, etc - and I like the DVC resorts because of all the lodging on property they come the closest to the unit size and standards of our owned non-Disney timeshares.  But I've never felt that DVC resorts in and of themselves are the cream of the crop among all timeshare systems.  Other than OKW (which I love) they're small, crowded in their footprints, not re-furbed often enough, and they don't give you enough tv channels for when you do want to take a much-needed mindless break from the cacophony.

They cost as much as they do because they appeal to a captive audience and can offer extras related to the theme park experience that others can't, not because they measure that much higher standards-wise than other timeshares in the area.  I actually much prefer a couple of the Marriott timeshares in the area to any of the DVC resorts, and if the resort experience was the only thing on my list I wouldn't look to DVC for it.

Ranting about how other people choose to use or exchange into DVC properties doesn't make much sense to me.  If not for cash guests and RCI exchangers who take up the slack (and pay!) when your fellow DVC owners don't use their ownerships on property, your ownership costs would be much higher.  Why not just thank them and continue to go about using your ownership the way you want?


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## elaine (Jul 27, 2016)

For some, going to WDW is a huge expense and a one time (or one time in 5 years) big trip. With kids who might have never been to WDW, of course they are going to want to spend lots of time in the parks. Plus, the tickets are set up to cost only a bit more after 4 days for extra parks days. So, why not stay at DVC and get ME, free parking, and bus transport to WDW parks vs. staying offsite? If the cost is not hugely different, I think most would pick DVC even if they are only in the room to sleep/shower. 
And, if someone is within the legal occupancy of a room, that's their option. We have 3 teens. We prefer to travel with lots of space, and frequently stay at 2BR HGVC and Marriotts. But I would NEVER get a 2BR DVC instead of a 1BR DVC if I had to use my DVC points. We are fine with 5 in OKW or AKV. In fact, our big "splurge" was at Christmas with a 1BR @ AKV with our DVC points for 4 of us vs. getting a studio (which does feel like was cramming us all in).


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## bnoble (Jul 27, 2016)

As long as a party is within legal occupancy of a room, why on God's green earth would I care who sleeps where and how they spend their time?

I'm on record as advising plenty of people that most DVC rooms are too small for their stated occupancy to be comfortable when "full," but I certainly don't care if they take that advice or not. It's their vacation, not mine.


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## am1 (Jul 27, 2016)

A lot of my guests at Bonnet Creek just use the 4 bedroom presidential units just to sleep in and maybe breakfast and a meal of two here or there.  Disney does not offer anything like the 4 bedroom presidential units that Bonnet Creek has.  Other guests may visit Disney, Universal or any other park only once or twice during the week or not at all.  Most of the time is spent at the resort. Regardless of how a group uses the unit and resort they are happy and do what they want.  That makes me happy as well.


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## Shelbyd95 (Jul 27, 2016)

am1 said:


> A lot of my guests at Bonnet Creek just use the 4 bedroom presidential units just to sleep in and maybe breakfast and a meal of two here or there.  Disney does not offer anything like the 4 bedroom presidential units that Bonnet Creek has.  Other guests may visit Disney, Universal or any other park only once or twice during the week or not at all.  Most of the time is spent at the resort. Regardless of how a group uses the unit and resort they are happy and do what they want.  That makes me happy as well.



I contemplated staying 2 weeks in a 1 bedroom DVC but then I thought how much I would miss not being at BC at all this trip so I booked a 1 bedroom and hoped for an upgrade...happy to say, I will be in a 3 bedroom presidential


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## vacationhopeful (Jul 27, 2016)

My brother has a conference to go to in the Orlando area ... he had to pay for everything himself. Got him a discounted 1bdr points unit upgraded to a 3bdr during the Sun-Wed. His wife stayed in the unit while he went to the conference each day .. loved trying the different pools and totally enjoyed herself. 

PS With my brother, having 2 bathrooms is necessary. Wife loved that, too.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 27, 2016)

So why are you bothered, M?  I am trying to figure this out because, of course, I use all of the resorts in Disney and near Disney (love the Marriott resorts more, personally) as a place to sleep and shower.    I endorse sleeping and showering, as a matter of fact.  

You and I usually agree on most topics, but this leaves me scratching my head.  

I cannot go to Disney parks as much anymore because I cannot walk more than a few miles in one day.  I don't go to the parks like some do, and my kids will do multiple parks in one day!  Rick and I go for a few hours in the morning and then leave, go somewhere to eat (not Disney food), and we go back to our unit to relax and rest for the next day.  The kids stay in the parks until the fireworks are over.  

We usually stay in Disney when the parks are slow, so around 180 points per week for a one bedroom X $5.40 per point. so I don't pay $3,000 to stay a week in a 1 bedroom as a Disney owner.  That's about 1/3 of the cost you are quoting.

But I do agree with you on one thing--exchangers take it all a bit for granted, when owners pay $80 per point resale to stay in their own accommodations.


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## am1 (Jul 27, 2016)

Enjoy tower 6 and your welcome.





Shelbyd95 said:


> I contemplated staying 2 weeks in a 1 bedroom DVC but then I thought how much I would miss not being at BC at all this trip so I booked a 1 bedroom and hoped for an upgrade...happy to say, I will be in a 3 bedroom presidential


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## icydog (Jul 27, 2016)

rickandcindy23 said:


> So why are you bothered, M?  I am trying to figure this out because, of course, I use all of the resorts in Disney and near Disney (love the Marriott resorts more, personally) as a place to sleep and shower.    I endorse sleeping and showering, as a matter of fact.
> 
> You and I usually agree on most topics, but this leaves me scratching my head.
> 
> ...



My good friend Cindy, 

Here's why I wrote my rant:

I was perplexed by an exchanger who was trading into an OKW one bedroom with 4 adults and two little kids. All he wanted was a place to shower and sleep and almost everyone in his party was a first time guest.  I just thought it was a waste. I love OKW and I guess I got carried away when I saw that they'd be missing out on all the cool things offered there.  Our best vacations were spent on the balcony at OKW watching golfers in the daytime and fireworks at night.  I miss those days very much!


The $3,000 was meant at an approximate $12 per point value. That's the going rate for Disney Vacation Club point rentals.  I meant it like this--Had they spent $3000 would they stop and smell the roses, take a leisurely boat ride, ride a bike, play tennis or golf, play volleyball, hang out at the Gurgling Suitcase, have a nice homey dinner at Olivia's, or enjoy one of the resorts five pools.  There's so much to do at Disney's Old Key West Resort but if people don't know it, or don't care to know it, I'm at a loss.


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## DeniseM (Jul 27, 2016)

I think this is a stage of life thing.

When we had children in school, a trip to Disneyland was go-go-go.  We wanted to spend every second in the park and stayed until closing every night.  We had a pool at home, so the pool was no big deal to us.

But now that the children are grown, we enjoy leisurely vacations, and love the time sitting on the balcony and the beach, walks, and just relaxing.

But I would not expect young families to see it that way.


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## elaine (Jul 27, 2016)

I hope that if the poster who is legally putting 4 adults and 2 kids in a DVC is reading this that she has a magical time at DVC. I wouldn't want any of our personal views of what one should (not) do infringe on their happiness about their upcoming DVC exchange. 
I have no desire to commando the parks every day, but can be happy for fellow tuggers that snag DVC, for however they want to use it.


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## Shelbyd95 (Jul 27, 2016)

am1 said:


> Enjoy tower 6 and your welcome.


 
Haha...usually get a 2 bedroom presidential in Tower 6 with the exception of last year when IMO something strange was going on with reservations...I ranted about that last year...lol...BTW...if you threw that unit back in...Thanks!


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 28, 2016)

> I was perplexed by an exchanger who was trading into an OKW one bedroom with 4 adults and two little kids.



One shower, too!  That sounds nuts! That would be a cozy trip, too cozy for me.  

Our kids always have their own units.  We don't get along THAT well.  As a matter of fact, we are going to Disneyland next Saturday for a week, and we all have our very own units at Dolphin's Cove: two 2 bedrooms, one 3 bedroom and one 1 bedroom.  There are only 11 of us.  We need our space.


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## famy27 (Jul 28, 2016)

As someone who spent seven nights in a 180-square-foot cruise cabin earlier this summer, I don't see any issue with putting 4 adults and two small children into OKW. The OKW units are like 900 square feet, so 6 people can spend time there in comfort. Sure, it wasn't ideal to have four people in a cruise cabin, but I wasn't spending $3000 for a second cabin, so we made it work. The kids ended up loving their bunk beds.  The bathroom at OKW is probably about the same size as our whole cabin was. 

What makes perfect sense for one family won't make any sense for another. Sure, we could have spent $3000 for the second cabin. But then we wouldn't have been able to do our WDW trip for 4th of July or Labor Day. For us, we'd rather take more trips. Another family might choose two cabins instead. There is nothing wrong with that.

There is no obligation to enjoy any particular feature of a DVC resort. Many here recommend renting a car. I'd rather slice off my arm than rent a car at WDW. The number one thing I love about staying at WDW is using their transportation. I don't have to lug my car seat around with me, and I don't have to worry about navigating through traffic at 1:00 am when I am super-tired. But I don't judge anyone who'd rather have a car. Some people prefer to have control and to go at their own schedule. I don't accuse them of not properly utilizing DVC features because they don't appreciate the same ones. EMH are the same way. Some swear by them and others wouldn't go near them if you paid them to. 

We used to be very much park open to close, but now that we have APs and are going more frequently, we take a much more relaxed pace. I see advantages and disadvantages of both methods. I can relax as much as I choose at home, but I can only ride Tower of Terror when I'm at Disney. If people want to pack their days with park activities, then I think they should. If they never set foot in a park for the whole week, that's fine too. The beauty of DVC is that you can do either, and I don't think I can call one of those strategies "right." They're different but equally valid.


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## vacationhopeful (Jul 28, 2016)

famy27 said:


> ...<snip> But I don't judge anyone who'd rather have a car. Some people prefer to have control and to go at their own schedule....<snip>.



My sister's first DVC stay with me (she was a recent widow) .. she insisted SHE HAD TO HAVE A CAR.

6 months later, for her second DVC stay with me ... she did NOT rent a car.

Might have been the 45 minute HUNT for the rental car when leaving Magic Kingdom park the first day .... we could NOT find it. And in late May, it was HOT and SUNNY and we were tired.


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## elaine (Jul 28, 2016)

also prefer WDw buses. I commute to work. Not using a car is a luxury for me.


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## paxsarah (Jul 28, 2016)

vacationhopeful said:


> Might have been the 45 minute HUNT for the rental car when leaving Magic Kingdom park the first day .... we could NOT find it. And in late May, it was HOT and SUNNY and we were tired.



:rofl:

We usually use WDW transportation but sometimes drive to the parks when we're on site. It helps that we're driving our own, familiar vehicle, but another thing I do is use my phone to snap a picture at the end of our row. For future reference.


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## silentg (Jul 28, 2016)

DeniseM said:


> If I just wanted to stay at a nice resort - I wouldn't choose DVC.  I'd go somewhere else for a fraction of the cost.  And I wouldn't go to Orlando...



There is a very nice DVC in Vero Beach, you might enjoy it there Denise.
Silentg


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## AnnaS (Jul 29, 2016)

I understand what you are saying but the majority of people who go to Orlando/Disney/Universal are going for the purpose of spending time in the parks/rides/shows, etc.  If that was not their intention, they would go to an island, beach destination, etc.

Wether or not they are DVC owners, it's takes many, many trips before one is not park commando and takes the time to relax.

There are many people I know who do not stop to relax by the pool, resort hop, etc.  We always threw in a day after three days of park to do a non-park day.  Now we spend very little time in the parks.  We know we will be back.  

Non-Disney trips - I know people/hear stories who like to share accommodations with other families and sometimes squeeze people in (sometimes sneaking them in) - to me, that is not a vacation   I love family/friends but don't need to spend 24/7 with them....to each their own.


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## Finntastic (Jul 29, 2016)

i have only been to disney once 7 yrs ago. we stayed at port orleans in a regular room. we pretty much divided our day into equal parts park/resort.  i loved the resort but also wanted to see each park.  I loved that vacation and havalways wanted to go back but have limited time for vacations!


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## stanleyu (Jul 29, 2016)

davidvel said:


> What do you mean by this? How does RCI makes trades inexpensive?



because you can buy a cheap RCI unit on the resale market and use it to trade into DVC.


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## littlestar (Jul 30, 2016)

DeniseM said:


> I think this is a stage of life thing.
> 
> When we had children in school, a trip to Disneyland was go-go-go.  We wanted to spend every second in the park and stayed until closing every night.  We had a pool at home, so the pool was no big deal to us.
> 
> ...



This is so true!  We used to stay in the parks until closing and then drive back to the gulf beaches.  Whew, what a long day that was.  I have a five month old granddaughter and I have a feeling I am going to need to take some vitamins for long park days in the future.


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## Miss Marty (Jul 30, 2016)

*25th Anniversary of Disney Vacation Club*

*
2016*

You become a Member by purchasing a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort, which is represented by an annual allotment of Vacation Points. The number of Vacation Points you need depends on the Resort, type of accommodations, time of year and length of stay.

DVC is a vacation ownership program that offers its MEMBERS 
magical Disney vacation memories that last a liftetime.

As a former Disney Vacation Club member/owner
I don`t feel DVC should be apart of RCI or II. 
It should be exclusively for its members only!


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## buckor (Jul 31, 2016)

Miss Marty said:


> *
> 2016*
> 
> You become a Member by purchasing a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort, which is represented by an annual allotment of Vacation Points. The number of Vacation Points you need depends on the Resort, type of accommodations, time of year and length of stay.
> ...


DVC members are doing with their membership what they choose to do...many of them choose to use their memberships at resorts other than DVC which give the opportunity for others to use DVC resorts.

So, yes, DVC members have an exclusive choice to only stay at DVC properties...some just choose another option.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320AZ using Tapatalk


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## Lrf317 (Jul 31, 2016)

icydog said:


> My good friend Cindy,
> 
> Here's why I wrote my rant:
> 
> ...



I am actually surprised that a decision to put 4 adults and two small children in an OKW one bedroom has you so unnerved to post.  I do think that several responders were accurate in that you do not know the situation of any family and their travel plans or even needs.  I'm not going to use this forum to explain all the potential variables that could make this the best choice because ultimately it is noone's business but the family who chooses to travel this way, but I do think that what you interpret from a few sentences in a public forum post may not encompass the entire picture and you never know what other factors or circumstances are at play.  I believe that individuals are too quick to judge, ridicule or even just make assumptions and to what end?


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## VegasBella (Jul 31, 2016)

icydog said:


> Why go to a Deluxe Disney resort if all you want to do is use it as a motel.



Staying at a Disney resort gives you other benefits:
- book fast passes 30 days earlier than everyone else
- early admission to the parks (Extra Magic Hours)
- free MagicBands 
- closer to theme parks
- don't have to pay extra for theme park parking

Also, let me remind you that it's NOT a motel room. It has a kitchen, doesn't it? So there's that too. They're saving money and time by preparing and eating in their room a lot.

Another thing to consider: 
Perhaps the family plans to spend every day at the theme parks and "use the resort as a motel" BUT... 
- they're factoring in the possibility that there might be a change in plans and they want the ability to use a nice resort rather than be stuck in a dinky motel
- they demand 5 star quality and know they'll get that from Disney
- maybe one or two family members are going to make use of the fitness or other amenities but they chose not to talk about that

---

FWIW My family is going to WDW for the first time soon. When I was making plans I strongly considered staying at a Disney resort for the reasons I mention above. WDW is huge and I'm not looking forward to driving. If my husband weren't coming we would stay on site for that reason alone. 

But since he's coming we are going to save a bit of money and stay at Bluegreen Fountains in Orlando instead. We will drive to the parks for our park days. And we will drive other places for our other days. We don't plan to do a whole lot at our resort even though it has many great amenities because we've never been to Orlando and we want to experience more than just a resort style vacation. 

For example, we've never seen manatees. So we've planned part of a day for that. We're also hoping to get to some museums and maybe a basketball game. We chose a resort rather than a hotel for the kitchen, larger room to spread out in (there's only the three of us but we got a 2 bedroom unit), and because if there's an issue with traffic or weather or one of us gets sick etc then we have some back-up plans to use the resort amenities. 

*Complaining that people who choose to stay in a resort but don't use the amenities is like me complaining about all the people who visit Vegas but never leave The Strip.* Sure, they're going to miss out on a lot. But it's their vacation and if they want to do it like that then that's their choice. They probably didn't come to Las Vegas to experience the magic of our natural landscape so missing out on Red Rock or Springs Preserve or Wetlands Park or Lake Mead or Valley of Fire or Mt Charleston is no real loss to them. And honestly, I don't really want those spaces filled up with tourists anyway... which is probably also how you should feel about the resort pools.


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## dansyr2514 (Jul 31, 2016)

icydog said:


> My good friend Cindy,
> 
> Here's why I wrote my rant:
> 
> ...




I was part of this thread and I think you are taking this the wrong way.  First of all an OKW one bedroom is huge and definitely large enough for 4 adults and 2 small children.  I think the only challenge was the bathroom situation.   
When they say it is only to sleep and shower, I don't think this specific to Dvc.  Some people are all day park goers.  I used to be one of them.  It's not like they were using it as a throw away room.  That is just their style of vacationing.


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## elleny76 (Aug 3, 2016)

IMO

Disney though about it ..hummm "Why don't we allow 5 people in a STUDIO? After all they only come to sleep and shower since they spend time in the parks $110 one day entrance $$$$$ per person.


5 people in a Studio? I did book a studio last spring break (2 toddlers an 2 adults) and I was going crazy.(never ever) and I go to Disney every 3 months! We go to the parks for 5 -6 hours then resort time then Disney spring at night for dinning

RCI  by wyndham :  105000k for 1 bed @ SSR + RCI fee + DVC $99 fee ( no cheap)


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## Lisa P (Aug 4, 2016)

We are so spoiled for space and amenities with timesharing.  "Deluxe" Disney hotel rooms commonly offer bedding for 5.  For Disney to decide to offer this in DVC studio units is wonderful for many families.

Everyone is different.  When our children were pre-adolescent, our family of 5 mostly vacationed in a pop-up camper or hotel rooms.  Either way, we _enjoyed_ these travel adventures together.  Having a single, private bathroom was no problem - not having to go outside to get to it at night was actually a real plus!    Once the kids became 'tweens and we had more fun together when we included their friends in our travels, we valued the space of a 2BR or larger unit with at least 2 baths.  That's just our experience.

We once spent a week in a Boardwalk Villas studio since it had a kids' daybed.  We enjoyed the resort plenty but did little inside the room other than sleep/nap and shower.  We enjoyed ourselves.  Our kids were very well-behaved and did not put undue wear-and-tear on rooms.  There's really no reason to diss people's decision to vacation this way.

For us, despite many DVC and central Florida vacations, the Disney transportation and proximity to the parks were and are the main draws for us to stay at a DVC resort.  We do enjoy the Disney resort themes and amenities.  But the WDW DVC _resort_ activities are _*not*_ as extensive, the rooms are _*not*_ as luxurious, and the closest restaurants are _*not*_ as good value for our restaurant dollars as what we have found when staying at the nicer offsite resorts.

Both at DVC resorts and at the better offsite resorts, I can enjoy my morning coffee on a balcony with lovely views of Florida landscaping, a water feature, a golf course, beautiful buildings, or a fireworks view at night.  As at other resorts, a few DVC rooms can even overlook utility areas or parking lots, or hear road noise (including bus traffic!) from beyond a few trees.

While the handy transportation keeps us coming back when we are able to get the exchanges (our family now consists of 4 adult couples), we actually enjoy our resort time more when we stay offsite.  I totally get the idea that people who have enjoyed offsite vacations are excited about a DVC exchange for the sake of the convenient transportation and they want to focus on that when trading into DVC.  I don't think that they are "missing out", especially if they get all the theming they care for at the parks.  My DH tires of the Disney marketing machine when staying onsite.  Just my opinion.  To each their own.


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## Bailey#1 (Aug 4, 2016)

elaine said:


> also prefer WDw buses. I commute to work. Not using a car is a luxury for me.



Ditto for me  too.


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## icydog (Aug 8, 2016)

buckor said:


> DVC members are doing with their membership what they choose to do...many of them choose to use their memberships at resorts other than DVC which give the opportunity for others to use DVC resorts.
> 
> So, yes, DVC members have an exclusive choice to only stay at DVC properties...some just choose another option.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320AZ using Tapatalk



Only a tiny fraction of Disney Vacation Club owners Trade out.  It makes little monetary sense to do so except for a few very high value RCI Resorts. If I wanted to go on a cruise for instance I would rent out my Disney Vacation Club points and pay cash for the cruise.


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## rfc0001 (Aug 8, 2016)

I think Disney fans are notorious for cramming as many people into a room and as much time at the parks as possible to maximize the value of an otherwise horrendously expensive trip.  I think DVC Members are the exception to this, since they can more easily afford longer stays, bigger accommodations, and discounted APs -- all of which lead to learning to relax while on a Disney vacation.  I think exchangers are probably more likely to fall into the former category, but so do the majority of people booking direct or renting DVC.  Also, I don't think exchangers are getting that great a deal.  Lately, the only thing available are 1 bdrm SSR, and with the new resort fee, the total exchange costs $400 + MFs on their home resort.  I own DVC and exchange in, and at the price for exchanging into SSR, I will probably pass.  As far as it cheapening DVC, RCI only let's people exchange in proportion to DVC members exchanging out, so it's not RCI cheapening it.  People are voluntarily exchanging their value in DVC for less value in RCI (in most cases).  Blame the people who would be better off renting their DVC points and paying cash, although you would have the same problems with renters per my comments above.


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## SueDonJ (Aug 8, 2016)

icydog said:


> Only a tiny fraction of Disney Vacation Club owners Trade out.  It makes little monetary sense to do so except for a few very high value RCI Resorts. If I wanted to go on a cruise for instance I would rent out my Disney Vacation Club points and pay cash for the cruise.



I think we'd all be surprised if our timeshare companies, including DVC, released the numbers of how many owners exchange out.  Even more surprising would be the number of owners who simply don't use their timeshares in any way.  It sounds ridiculous to us because TUGgers are all looking for the most value they can get, but industry-wide all of the companies are making money for themselves off of unused intervals.  Check your governing docs - they all have something in them about the company being allowed to take floating intervals that aren't reserved within so many days of check-in.


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## famy27 (Aug 8, 2016)

SueDonJ said:


> I think we'd all be surprised if our timeshare companies, including DVC, released the numbers of how many owners exchange out.  Even more surprising would be the number of owners who simply don't use their timeshares in any way.  It sounds ridiculous to us because TUGgers are all looking for the most value they can get, but industry-wide all of the companies are making money for themselves off of unused intervals.  Check your governing docs - they all have something in them about the company being allowed to take floating intervals that aren't reserved within so many days of check-in.



So true. I was talking to one of my cousins a few weeks ago, and she mentioned something about a timeshare. I said that I had no idea she had a timeshare. Apparently, they bought it in the 80s and used it for 10 years or so but haven't used it since, as they decided they don't really want to go back to the same area. I asked if it exchanged in RCI or II, and she just gave me a blank look. She has been paying MFs on a TS for 20+ years and doing absolutely nothing with it. Not using it, renting it, or exchanging it. It's the TS equivalent of taking a big pile of cash and flushing it down the toilet. I told her to call me, and I can walk her through exchanging it for something she can use.


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## elaine (Aug 8, 2016)

I have a number of friends who "Can't find anything good" who typically start looking via RCI at 4 months out and then just don't use their TS. They think I'm crazy to lock in a vacation 1+ years out. It's a different mindset, for sure.


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## icydog (Aug 9, 2016)

*How does Disney Vacation Club do it?*

I have friends who were guides in DVC and they were the ones to tell me that most members do not exchange out. What they do, however, is use their points for various Disney Cruises (including the Member Cruise) the Explorer Collection, Adventures by Disney, or Disney's Concierge Collection. 
What I don't understand is how all the points can be associated with  Saratoga Springs.. Does Disney do a *"point laundering"* and turn all the non-SSR member's points into Saratoga Springs points?


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## FLDVCFamily (Aug 9, 2016)

icydog said:


> I love my Disney Vacation Club Resorts. I pay a ton of $$ to own them.  I kind of Shake my head at posts saying they're going to stuff one bedrooms with as many people as they can.
> 
> And then their idea of a deluxe vacation is to only use the resorts as a place to shower and sleep.  These one bedrooms would cost me $3000 in point value.  Why are these posters NOT grateful for the chance to stay in a deluxe resort and why don't they use the incredible pools and grounds.
> 
> ...



Yep. I said that when DVC affiliated with RCI and left II. I even emailed them and they called me. Last year we sold both DVC contracts. It's too cheap and easy to trade in if we want to to actually own points and pay high dues. 

We use DVC as a last-resort trade now when we need to be in Orlando for a camp and can't get Marriott. DVC is almost always available even when nothing else is.


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## Lisa P (Aug 9, 2016)

icydog said:


> What I don't understand is how all the points can be associated with Saratoga Springs.. Does Disney do a *"point laundering"* and turn all the non-SSR member's points into Saratoga Springs points?


Points-based mini-systems are not obligated to deposit weeks from the same home resort as the owner/member who trades out.  They just need to select a week (date) that the owner/member would have been able to reserve at that time - in DVC, this would mean deposits should be made within 7 months of check-in (standard reservation window) and no more.

It is to the owners/members' benefit if the system's management deposits mostly weeks from the resort(s) with plentiful availability.  Then fewer owners will get upset at lack of reservation availability at the same time the desired week is spotted in RCI.

Further, if Disney has the bulk of their onsite sales staff located at SSR, why wouldn't they bring in most incoming exchangers to SSR?  Money, money, money, muhhhh-ney!


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## bnoble (Aug 10, 2016)

> They just need to select a week (date) that the owner/member would have been able to reserve at that time


Exactly.  And, now that DVC is depositing much closer to usage, owners have longer to book things internally *and* the deposits are restricted to the "leftovers"---namely, 1BRs at SSR. Wyndham has been depositing this way for years, and I think it's the right thing to do. Frankly, I'm a little surprised that Starwood (in II) and HGVC (in RCI) do not. At least, not yet.

It will be interesting to see which section of SSR is deposited more frequently now that it has booking categories. I am going to guess that Preferred will be, but we'll see.


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## FLDVCFamily (Aug 10, 2016)

bnoble said:


> Exactly.  And, now that DVC is depositing much closer to usage, owners have longer to book things internally *and* the deposits are restricted to the "leftovers"---namely, 1BRs at SSR. Wyndham has been depositing this way for years, and I think it's the right thing to do. Frankly, I'm a little surprised that Starwood (in II) and HGVC (in RCI) do not. At least, not yet.
> 
> *It will be interesting to see which section of SSR is deposited more frequently now that it has booking categories. I am going to guess that Preferred will be, but we'll see.*



Is there any way we can know this in advance? I booked SSR for YDD's upcoming birthday, and we are trying to join our 1 bedroom to my parents' studio that they booked on points. They requested Congress Park. Could the new booking categories affect my ability to also request Congress Park? I never even thought about that until I saw your post.


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## elaine (Aug 10, 2016)

I'm checking into SSR this weekend on RCI points. I requested Congress Park. I will ask if RCI exchangers are put in Preferred vs. standard, but front desk staff might not know.


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## Dean (Aug 11, 2016)

rfc0001 said:


> I think Disney fans are notorious for cramming as many people into a room and as much time at the parks as possible to maximize the value of an otherwise horrendously expensive trip.  I think DVC Members are the exception to this, since they can more easily afford longer stays, bigger accommodations, and discounted APs -- all of which lead to learning to relax while on a Disney vacation.  I think exchangers are probably more likely to fall into the former category, but so do the majority of people booking direct or renting DVC.  Also, I don't think exchangers are getting that great a deal.  Lately, the only thing available are 1 bdrm SSR, and with the new resort fee, the total exchange costs $400 + MFs on their home resort.  I own DVC and exchange in, and at the price for exchanging into SSR, I will probably pass.  As far as it cheapening DVC, RCI only let's people exchange in proportion to DVC members exchanging out, so it's not RCI cheapening it.  People are voluntarily exchanging their value in DVC for less value in RCI (in most cases).  Blame the people who would be better off renting their DVC points and paying cash, although you would have the same problems with renters per my comments above.


Personally I think DVC is far too lenient allowing guests to go over the legal occupancy and then there are those who are unethical who go even beyond that.  For example, Disney has always allowed one under 3 not to count for occupancy.  They've allowed 1 BR who have a legal sleep 4 status to check in 5 legally or the similar situation for a 2 BR.  Recent studio renovations have also increase many of the studios to a sleep 5 occupancy.  I don't begrudge anyone individual who's within the rules, just take care of the place.  DVC members are probably far more likely to stuff the room both legally and illegally than exchangers, it may or may not be that renters are more likely than DVC members to do the same. I'd be willing to bet that exchangers are less likely than the average to stuff the rooms.



elaine said:


> I'm checking into SSR this weekend on RCI points. I requested Congress Park. I will ask if RCI exchangers are put in Preferred vs. standard, but front desk staff might not know.


They won't know since it doesn't go into effect until Jan.  DVC has a history of putting exchangers in exactly what they exchanged to with no flexibility.  So if the deposit was standard OR preferred, that is certainly what one will get.  An exchanger can then request whatever and within the category they exchanged to have just as much chance getting it as a member would.  My guess is the majority of the deposits will be preferred going forward though I suspect there will be a mix because it'll be more points for DVC members but we'll see.  I suspect the standard will be more difficult to get than preferred.  It may or may not increase the overall popularity of SSR within the DVC system, if it does, it may shift some of the deposits to other resorts, esp OKW and AKV.  My guess is they'll change the booking category again in 2-3 years to separate out the Carousel section but still the standard points and most deposits will be there.


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## dansyr2514 (Aug 11, 2016)

May I suggest something as a test.  Touring plans has an option to select your room view and they fax the request 5 days ahead of time. I've had good luck with this with a regular resort reservation and also with a rented DVC reservation.  I'll post the link here if someone going soon wants to try it out. Moderators if it's not allowed please feel free to remove.  You may need to be a member, not sure.  I am already so I'm not sure for non members. https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-saratoga-springs-resort-spa

You select your room view and it generates a type of code.  It will be listed at the top of your dashboard.   You just add name and resort reservation number to it and it faxes it 5 days out. 

I'm not affiliated with touring plans at all.  I'm just curious if not getting a good location has to do with exchanging or not.


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## bnoble (Aug 11, 2016)

FLDVCFamily said:


> Is there any way we can know this in advance? I booked SSR for YDD's upcoming birthday, and we are trying to join our 1 bedroom to my parents' studio that they booked on points. They requested Congress Park. Could the new booking categories affect my ability to also request Congress Park? I never even thought about that until I saw your post.



If you are a 2016 inbound, then the categories do not apply and you can request any area in the resort.

If you are a 2017 inbound, then you are assigned to one category or the other. You can call Member Services and ask them which one you are assigned to, and can request any building in that category. But, DVC will not change categories of the deposited week, so if you want to request Congress Park, you will need to be in Preferred.

I suspect this will work much as AKV does---deposits are either Standard or Savannah, and what you exchange into is what you get. Historically, Savannah seems to have been more common. SSR's two categories are both large, and so I don't think deposits will be from all one or all the other.  Like Dean, I suspect there will be a mix with Preferred more common, but we'll have to see. 

That's in contrast to, say, OKW, where Hospitality House deposits happen very rarely if at all.


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## silentg (Aug 11, 2016)

DeniseM said:


> If I just wanted to stay at a nice resort - I wouldn't choose DVC.  I'd go somewhere else for a fraction of the cost.  And I wouldn't go to Orlando...



Oh Denise, We know how you feel about Orlando. We traded thru RCI six years ago and stayed at Disney's Vero Beach Resort. Got me hooked on Dole Whips which I first tried there. We had a wonderful time. It was Disney Theme without the Parks, instead we had the beach, pool and a nice villa.  I live in central Florida and we visit WDW often. Have only stayed at one hotel years ago. We sometimes visit the resorts for dinner or lunch, or to meet family or friends who are staying there. We own at Orange Lake but usually trade and summer bay which I can't give away, strange why people want to stay as close to the parks as they can, when there are nice resorts close by ?
Silentg


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## icydog (Aug 15, 2016)

I think Members of Disney Vacation Club will choose the standard rooms at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and not the preferred rooms. I would. Therefore, ironically, there will be more preferred one bedrooms offered for exchange.


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