# Advice if you were a newcomer to DVC



## Pepo (Jan 7, 2022)

We are a small (2 kids Girl 5 Boy 3) family and looking to start the Mouse journey.  I can see us making Disneyworld/land/cruises/etc. being a big part of our lives as my children grow . We do plan on doing other vacations outside of this so I'm worried about getting stuck in a hefty commitment that goes to waste or thats costs more to maintain that to enjoy.   I see lots of people discussing previously purchased timeshares/points and converting them to DVC points while others speaking about new resorts in the DVC family and purchasing timeshares that way.  any other options? 

If you were to start this journey in 2022 with your family, how would you do it?

Thanks!!


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## capjak (Jan 7, 2022)

I would do much the same.
I would not buy if I had to finance the purchase.
I would only purchase if I was confident I would go to Disney at least every other year and stay in deluxe level resorts anyway.
I would purchase resale contracts first as resale use years are limited.  Resale will allow you the opportunity to stay at all resorts (Book Home resort priority at 11 months others 7 months if available) with the exception of Riveria and any newly developed resorts.  I would look at all the resorts and pick the one that I feel I would always want to stay at....If I had no preference I would pick the least expensive (excluding off site DVCs like Hilton Head, Vero Beach and Hawaii)
I would NOT use DVC for anything other than DVC resorts (other options do not make sense, unless you just can not use your points and they will expire).  
I may buy direct the smallest contract possible that would give me the "DVC Perks" (discount on annual pass etc...) but only if I needed extra points.
Make sure you understand the different expiration dates of each resort and the differences in Maintenance Fees as well as differences in number of points needed to book the unit you would use most during the time of year you would go most often.

Also DIS Forum is probably one of the highest traffic forums if you have more research to do.


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## montygz (Jan 7, 2022)

Pepo said:


> We are a small (2 kids Girl 5 Boy 3) family and looking to start the Mouse journey.  I can see us making Disneyworld/land/cruises/etc. being a big part of our lives as my children grow . We do plan on doing other vacations outside of this so I'm worried about getting stuck in a hefty commitment that goes to waste or thats costs more to maintain that to enjoy.   I see lots of people discussing previously purchased timeshares/points and converting them to DVC points while others speaking about new resorts in the DVC family and purchasing timeshares that way.  any other options?
> 
> If you were to start this journey in 2022 with your family, how would you do it?
> 
> Thanks!!


DVC is best used as a tool for people who like to go to Disneyworld pretty much every year or two and like to stay in deluxe accommodations.

While you can use your DVC ownership for cruises, your best value is to use them only for accommodations.

If you are thinking of timeshares, I suggest you rent first. Stay in some. Learn what quality levels and systems you prefer.

If you find you aren't a "Disney person" you won't have a Disney timeshare to unload. 

You may find you prefer Marriott, Wyndham or to just rent.


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## Dean (Jan 7, 2022)

Pepo said:


> We are a small (2 kids Girl 5 Boy 3) family and looking to start the Mouse journey.  I can see us making Disneyworld/land/cruises/etc. being a big part of our lives as my children grow . We do plan on doing other vacations outside of this so I'm worried about getting stuck in a hefty commitment that goes to waste or thats costs more to maintain that to enjoy.   I see lots of people discussing previously purchased timeshares/points and converting them to DVC points while others speaking about new resorts in the DVC family and purchasing timeshares that way.  any other options?
> 
> If you were to start this journey in 2022 with your family, how would you do it?
> 
> Thanks!!


IMO it is a poor choice to buy DVC to use for non park trips.  It's reasonable to use points for non park DVC resorts but not to buy to use points for cruise or other vacations.  IF buying makes sense in your situation, just buy the number of points that fit.  I'd project 5 years down the road as to the number and length of trips to Disney and then consider somewhere around the number of points for a mid cost resort for a 1 BR.  I would not assume just studios.  That's likely to be around 300-350 for a 1 BR for a week in the summer and depending on resort thoughts, time of year and length of stay might be more or less.  I would not worry much about loss of developer perks ir RTU ending date other than to factor it into the value realizing that the years far into the future are worth far less than the ones much closer.  Personally I feel one should also be able to pay cash as well without it being a strain.  

Keep in mind DVC is a timeshare that requires a long term commitment and a large financial commitment up front and ongoing.  It also requires planning around 11 months out for many situations and comes with compromises like mp daily housekeeping.  Also consider there are other options.  One can look at non DVC timeshare also as well as renting DVC privately and cash stays direct often with discount codes.  A non DVC timeshare can give one lots of other options and still get them to Orlando for Disney trips much cheaper and a lot more flexibly overall.


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## kanerf (Jan 7, 2022)

If you do purchase a DVC contract and then find you aren't using it as much as you planned, it is one of the easiest timeshares to sell.


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## bnoble (Jan 7, 2022)

Pepo said:


> If you were to start this journey in 2022 with your family, how would you do it?


DVC works best for someone who can say yes to all three of these questions:

1: Do you plan to go to WDW at least once every other year, preferably more often, for at least 7-10 trips in total?
2: Do you often stay in Deluxe-cateogry resorts, sometimes Moderates, but never Value or offsite?
3: Do you have the ability to pay for the purchase without borrowing, sacrificing savings for college/retirement, or dipping into your 3-6 month emergency fund?

As others have mentioned, DVC points are best used for DVC lodging---particularly those DVC resorts at either Orlando or Anaheim.


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## montygz (Jan 7, 2022)

One more thing to add about Disney, the cost of accommodations is just one part of what you will spend.

Theme park tickets are expensive. Food is expensive, even if you eat a meal or two in your room. Disney merchandise is everywhere and not cheap.

Want to skip in the lines? That costs extra now. Need a ride to the airport? That costs extra now. 

Want to go to a show, play golf, take in a desert party, after-hours experience, etc. they are all extra.


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## heathpack (Jan 8, 2022)

If you are reasonably proactive, you will not be stuck with a huge commitment that you cannot use.  If you don’t go to Disney, you can rent your points out with a small bit of effort.

I’d suggest starting small to try things out.  Buy half as many points as you think you’ll need per stay of your preferred duration (5 days, a week, ten days?), in your preferred season in a 1BR unit.  Plan on banking/borrowing so that you can travel every other year to start.  If you love it, you can always buy another contract.

Use DVC for Disney resort stays only.

That’s all there is to it, really.


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## ljmiii (Jan 8, 2022)

I second pretty much everything everyone else has said. Only buy DVC if you want to stay at WDW at least EOY, can book 7 and ideally 11 months in advance, can pay in cash, only use DVC points for DVC resorts, you can easily rent you points you don't use, etc. So I will focus on where...

Since you have young children, in a few years you will find yourselves limited by the school calendar to going when everyone else has to go. If you can book 11 months in advance, this means buying where you want to stay since everyone else will want those same dates. An important unanswered question is what are your villa expectations. In particular, do you want to sleep in a separate BR from your kids for the next umpteen years, want to cook breakfast before you head out to the parks, and/or have thoughts of inviting grandparents along. If no, you can focus on resorts with nice studio units. If yes, on those with better 1BR and 2BR villas. All that said...

My 1st rule for a new resale buyer is to avoid the resorts that expire in 2042 and Riviera. I also don't recommend Copper Creek Villas because of the boat ride to MK, small villas, fierce competition for studios, and better options at the Magic Kingdom. Which leaves...

The Value Resorts -
Old Key West (OKW) w/2057 expiration ~$136 - A small proportion of OKW owners bought a 15yr extension of their contracts to 2057. They are relatively rare but do exist and seem to command an approximately extra $10/pt over OKW 2042 contracts. OKW has large villas and more importantly is the only resort with two real beds in the studio (and no sofabed).
Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR) $136 - Close to Disney Springs.
Animal Kingdom Villas (AKV) - $144 - Animals and great themeing in the common areas. Also, the Kidani half of AKV has an 'extra' bathroom in the 1BR and 2BR villas. This, combined with the ability to sleep 5 in the 1BR has allowed us to stay in a 1BR when we would otherwise have to pay for a 2BR.

The Magic Kingdom Resorts -
Polynesian Villas and Bungalows (PVB) - $173 - Great themeing and the largest studios at WDW and 1.5 baths. But no 1BR or 2BR villas.
Bay Lake Tower (BLT) $172 - Modern themeing w/great views and short walk to MK. Small studios but 'extra' Bathroom in 1BR and 2BRs.
Villas at the Grand Floridian (VGF) - $193 - Great themeing (some love it above all others), longer walk to MK. I wouldn't really recommend it for a 1st time buyer...but if you fall in love with it there's nothing wrong with the resort other than the price.

EPCOT/Hollywood Studios Resorts -
Sadly none that I would recommend for a 1st time buyer. If you had extra money laying around and really, really wanted to walk to those two resorts, we could talk about which of Beach Club Villas (BCV), Boardwalk Villas (BWV), or Disney Riviera Resort (DRR) is better for you. But that doesn't seem to be your circumstances.

(Note that prices are the average December '21 resale price shown on www.dvcresalemarket.com.)


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## aamarquez8 (Jan 8, 2022)

I agree with @ljmiii for the most part.
We own CCV.  We don't recommend it if the Christmas holidays is your intention. we like the boat ride to MK or to BLT to catch the monorail. Idk, it just add to the fun.

If you will not have a car you may want to plan your room location at OKW & SSR.  they are huge resorts and very spread out that you may not be close to the amenities. Also, I heard OKW doesn't have elevators on some buildings?

Riviera, if there is a skyliner issue, you may be stuck to using the bus. That was our experience.

DVC exchanges with Interval International starting this month.  That is another option to stay in WDW without the pricey commitment of owning.  based on availability though.  As of yesterday, we have seen SSR 1bed in June 2022


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## Gwendyc (Jan 8, 2022)

Pepo said:


> We are a small (2 kids Girl 5 Boy 3) family and looking to start the Mouse journey.  I can see us making Disneyworld/land/cruises/etc. being a big part of our lives as my children grow . We do plan on doing other vacations outside of this so I'm worried about getting stuck in a hefty commitment that goes to waste or thats costs more to maintain that to enjoy.   I see lots of people discussing previously purchased timeshares/points and converting them to DVC points while others speaking about new resorts in the DVC family and purchasing timeshares that way.  any other options?
> 
> If you were to start this journey in 2022 with your family, how would you do it?
> 
> Thanks!!


You said you can see Disney becoming a part of your lives, but do you already go to Disney often? I too, would worry about the family's tastes changing over time. We are also a family of 4 (kids aged 3 and 5) who started looking at timeshares in 2020, right before the pandemic. We go to Disney about twice a year. We are not currently DVC...we did a tour, read a lot on the DIS board, hope to eventually purchase some DVC points resale, but ultimately decided to go with Hilton Grand Vacations, since we can use it in Florida, South Carolina, Chicago, DC, and as the kids get older, places further than a day's drive from home. In Orlando, we stay walking distance from Seaworld. We purchased resale, and looking at resale HGVC versus DVC, we could get enough HGVC points for 5-6 nights a year in a 1 bedroom vs.for the same price, enough DVC points for 2 nights a year in a studio. That being said, DVC holds value better than other timeshare systems, if you ever would want to sell. And DVC has an expiration date, which could be a pro or con, versus other systems.

If you do really want to stay on Disney property, DVC can be a great way to do it if you like to stay in at least a "moderate" level resort. Some considerations that we thought about were:

As previous posters mentioned, some resorts points expire in 2042. Will you want 1 to 2 bedrooms or studios? I heard for studios especially, buy where you want to stay, rather than expect to book at other DVC resorts. For us, one of our issues was that studios seemed like the best value, but we wanted the studios that sleep 5, so we'd have 3 separate sleeping surfaces for when our son and daughter get older. A lot of those either had a 2042 expiration date, or was Riviera with its resale restrictions, or were some of the more point expensive ones. 

SSR, OKW, and AKV are reliant on bus transportation, and with young kids, we travel with a stroller and hate taking it on the bus, so we drive to the parks anyways. Monorail, boat, or Skyliner resorts can be so much more convenient with a stroller. After we are no longer in the stroller stage (and Sesame Street stage, which is one of the reasons we go to Seaworld so much), we may take a 2nd look at DVC, since SSR and OKW (which I heard might not have elevators) might be a better fit for us at that point. Plus, we want to see how our travel patterns change when the kids are in school.


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## Deb & Bill (Jan 9, 2022)

If you have plans on going to DLR often, you need to own a resort at DLR.  The Grand Californian DVC resort is the smallest of all the DVC resorts.  There are plans to build a DVC addition to the DL Hotel, but it is still a long way off from completion.  Expect to pay a premium for those points, just like GCV.  Don't bother trading out your DVC points for non-DVC trips.  The exchange rate is not good.  Disney cruises are notorious for being point hogs.  Plus you cannot book a Disney Cruise with resale points, only direct points.  Your points are converted to reservations points and if you need to cancel that cruise, you can't use those points for a DVC stay. For people who think they might like Vero Beach, you'd better like the Atlantic Beaches because it is a narrow beach with a steep dropoff in the water. And the water is colder than the Gulf. If you want a beach cottage at VB, you need to own there and book it at 11 months out. Same with booking summer at Hilton Head Island.  I live in SW Florida on the Gulf side and I prefer our beaches to VB. 

The other issue is realizing that if you buy Riviera resale, you can only use those points at Rivera.  If you buy another DVC resort resale you cannot use those points at Riviera. Yes, most of the buildings at OKW do not have elevators (only the three newest buildings have elevators and many times they are reserved for medical needs).  So if you don't want to haul your strollers and stuff up and down the stairs, plan on requesting a ground level villa. 

DVC points are very expensive direct from Disney and a little less expensive resale.  Resale currently has many restrictions, so be aware of them before you buy resale.


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## ljmiii (Jan 9, 2022)

Deb & Bill said:


> If you have plans on going to DLR often, you need to own a resort at DLR....Resale currently has many restrictions, so be aware of them before you buy resale.


While I completely agree with the rest of your post I am confused by your last sentence. There is only one resale restriction that matters - those who buy resale at Riviera can only stay at Riviera and those who buy resale at any of the 'original 14' can't stay at Riviera (and theoretically but not necessarily at any new DVC resorts that might be constructed). Yes, you can't throw away your resale points on DCL cruises or other nonsense...but I think of that more as a positive than a negative.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jan 9, 2022)

We bought cheap, and when we bought, it seemed so expensive.  And we bought resale.  We still have the blue cards and get most of the perks, but we cannot use our points for cruises.  I wouldn't use them that way anyway.  

What makes Disney so special [to me personally] is the ability to rent it out for 2-3 X maintenance fees, when you don't use it yourself.  It's easy to rent.  I rented my points for $17.50 per point in 2021 and exchanged into Disney through RCI all of last year.  

I do use some of our 500 points to fill in a night here and there.  I used the points for a night in a one bedroom to combine two exchanges into a smooth stay.  I could only get Sat-Sat and Sun-Sun in exchanges starting this Saturday.  I added a night, and now our kids won't be moving to a hotel for one night.  Worked great for them.  

I also use points for some nights when airfare is much cheaper on a weekday, like a Wednesday.  Then I take a Marriott exchange for the week.  I have done that several times for October and December trips.  

I wouldn't finance any timeshare purchase, as others have said.  But if you have a lot of equity in your home to draw from and were going to refinance anyway and travel is a goal of yours, that is a little better way to do it.  

Some of us already made the mistakes, like financing a timeshare and regretting it later.  Don't do that, even for Disney.  Disney is very high in price right now, even resale.


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## JohnB3 (Jan 11, 2022)

I would reenforce the suggestion that you rent a few times to get an idea if DVC works for you its more of finical commitment resale than most Timeshares, I personally don't see enough value in the direct benefits to justify paying more.  All of the advice you have received here is spot on.  I own SSR and enjoy traveling to WDW via DVC a couple of time a year as a result DVC makes great sense for my family.  We also trade in via RCI and going forward I expect to trade in via II as well so I expect we might be a bit fanatical .


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## rickandcindy23 (Jan 11, 2022)

Trading into DVC is actually a wonderfully fun game, and it's a game that has winners and losers.  I have been a big winner with that game but I used to be a loser at it.  We exchange into Disney quite often.  

If you like the idea of going a week at a time, watch the Sightings/ Distressed section of TUG, which you only get with membership to TUG.  There are some great weeks that show up there, and as long as you don't need Food and Wine, October-December, you can get just about anything else Disney via exchange (mostly Saratoga Springs), and those are wonderful weeks, great exchanges that are worthy of exchange compared to staying with your own points (in most cases).  I wouldn't buy a timeshare with a $1,200 MF for one exchange because part of the game is in getting that exchange for as cheaply as you can get it.  

There are lockoff units that work very well for Disney exchanges.  I haven't tested my Marriott studio exchanges, but the one bedrooms definitely work to get Disney, and it's just Platinum Branson weeks that I deposit.  I would guess the studios will get them with an upgrade.  

I do have Sheraton Desert Oasis and Sheraton Broadway Plantation that trade into Disney as well.  If only I could get 2 bedrooms for our older grandkids to have their own room at Disney resorts, that would be the ideal.


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## JohnB3 (Jan 11, 2022)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Trading into DVC is actually a wonderfully fun game, and it's a game that has winners and losers.  I have been a big winner with that game but I used to be a loser at it.  We exchange into Disney quite often.
> 
> If you like the idea of going a week at a time, watch the Sightings/ Distressed section of TUG, which you only get with membership to TUG.  There are some great weeks that show up there, and as long as you don't need Food and Wine, October-December, you can get just about anything else Disney via exchange (mostly Saratoga Springs), and those are wonderful weeks, great exchanges that are worthy of exchange compared to staying with your own points (in most cases).  I wouldn't buy a timeshare with a $1,200 MF for one exchange because part of the game is in getting that exchange for as cheaply as you can get it.
> 
> ...


I did a test trade with my Willow Ridge studio and was able to see one of the SSR 1 bed weeks so I'm expecting to be able to continue augmenting my DVC points thru II going forward


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## Mowogo (Jan 20, 2022)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I do have Sheraton Desert Oasis and Sheraton Broadway Plantation that trade into Disney as well.  If only I could get 2 bedrooms for our older grandkids to have their own room at Disney resorts, that would be the ideal.


The demand is for studios, so that leaves the 1BR rooms available which is why the 1BR units are what exchanges.  With flexibility and dedicated checking you can definitely use external exchange in for small families traveling to WDW at insane exchange value.


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## chromeo (Feb 14, 2022)

If you aren't planning to use this 100% at WDW (or DL), this isn't the product for you.  I can think of a few exceptions, like a few people totally love Hilton Head and don't want to buy the billion other ones?, but DVC is a product for WDW.

If you want flexibility, Disney has TONS of cash options.  You don't need to buy a timeshare to stay somewhere nice at WDW.


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