Disney owners are the happiest of all timeshare owners, in my opinion.

[rickandcindy23]

On the bus at Saratoga Springs for many days in a row, coming and going, I heard so many people talking about how DVC was the best investment they made. I asked a few of them why they say that because it's quite expensive. "No," they told me, "the value has gone up since I bought." I could resell my points for much more than I paid for them.

I agree, but I bought resale before the new restrictions were added, and even my value is up from what it was. Resale buyers no longer get AP discounts. That saved us $800 total for the two of us.

Our kids couldn't get the discount on AP's, so I contacted Legal Timeshare Transfer in Georgia, and Isabelle told me I could add the kids for $215 total. That sounds good to me. I will just add our two sons and they will get the cards, and then everyone in their households will get the discount. Easy to do, and no work on my end.

 

[AnnaS]

We have been owners since 2000. We are still very, very happy with it.

It is not perfect and I don't expect it or anything else to be. Not always happy with changes, etc. Things can and will go wrong/things happen, but overall still very happy with no regrets. There are and will always be complainers - some rightfully so. I don't know if it's my age, etc. but I do feel prices are getting a big high for a growing family.

Two of my sons are also small direct contract owners. They get all the perks. My daughter and son-in-law are the only ones who can't take advantage of the AP discount of course. Actually she just got married and has not changed her license yet but I know she will soon.

$215 is worth adding them - I guess they will be owners/on the deed?

 

[Dean]

On the bus at Saratoga Springs for many days in a row, coming and going, I heard so many people talking about how DVC was the best investment they made. I asked a few of them why they say that because it's quite expensive. "No," they told me, "the value has gone up since I bought." I could resell my points for much more than I paid for them.

I agree, but I bought resale before the new restrictions were added, and even my value is up from what it was. Resale buyers no longer get AP discounts. That saved us $800 total for the two of us.

Our kids couldn't get the discount on AP's, so I contacted Legal Timeshare Transfer in Georgia, and Isabelle told me I could add the kids for $215 total. That sounds good to me. I will just add our two sons and they will get the cards, and then everyone in their households will get the discount. Easy to do, and no work on my end.

IMO the satisfaction is largely tied to the parks, not the system. How happy would they be owning DVC if the parks closed, that is the real test of DVC vs Disney.

 

[rhonda]

Adding to Dean's comment above ... proximity to the parks and the on-site WDW benefits that are beyond the timeshare itself: Magical Express, on property transportation (boat, bus, gondola, monorail), the number of dining options, the seasonal celebrations, etc.

There also seems to be quite a bit of emphasis on the 'retained value' ... if that should go away or erode significantly ... I suspect the owners' tone (plural) will change.

Disclosure: SSR owner, direct purchase, 2004.

 

[Hemlock65]

IMO the satisfaction is largely tied to the parks, not the system. How happy would they be owning DVC if the parks closed, that is the real test of DVC vs Disney.

100% agree with this - not an owner, but have rented points many times

 

[Dean]

Adding to Dean's comment above ... proximity to the parks and the on-site WDW benefits that are beyond the timeshare itself: Magical Express, on property transportation (boat, bus, gondola, monorail), the number of dining options, the seasonal celebrations, etc.

There also seems to be quite a bit of emphasis on the 'retained value' ... if that should go away or erode significantly ... I suspect the owners' tone (plural) will change.

Disclosure: SSR owner, direct purchase, 2004.

I guess I'm saying it's not good or bad, just different. But I will say that the owners the last few years have come to realize that it's really just a nice timeshare, one with proximity to the parks, nothing more or less. I'd say the owners as a whole have woken up far more than the system has changed. In large part the majority of owners look at it as Disney, not as a specific choice of which timeshare. And many wouldn't own a timeshare were it not for the park and Disney connection. Over the years I've even seen people say they own DVC or it's a "Vacation Club" and not a timeshare which is clearly incorrect. To be honest, DVC was my first timeshare purchase and we still enjoy it and still own over 400 points. IMO future value is smoke and mirrors, if the economy tanks, so will DVC just like it did last time. And if that happens, ROFR will cease for almost all situations, again, like last time.

 

[Negma]

DVC was our first timeshare in 1999. 18K for 300 points. We have always used our points and have never looked back through many different economies. With 4 kids, all grown we have unbelievable memories. We go to food and wine every year now. This year we are taking all 4 children, their significant others, and 2 grandchildren for a week (4 rooms 523 points, yes we banked some planning for this). They are paying for flights. We could never afford to do that at today's rates.
We also own Westin properties and have been happy with those, but we find the Disney vacations special. We are already planning to go twice next year (2021) maximizing our Annual Passes. we have never done the flower and Garden festival.

 

[ljmiii]

I would say that your thread title is incontrovertible. For three reasons...

1) Unlike other timeshare companies, DVD hasn't done anything that harms the use of an owner's points (and yes, they did try with the first 2020 point charts). They have affected the usefulness of points bought resale and thus the value points being sold might have, but...
2) DVC prices have thus far trended higher over time. There have been dips but the trend has been ever higher.
3) A large number of DVC'ers have a Panglossian attitude toward their ownership - to own DVC is to live in the best of all possible worlds.
I have read many DVC owners write (more or less), "I'm glad my points expire in 2042...that way I don't have to worry about it when I grow older." I wish I could sell investment vehicles to these people...

 

[elaine]

And the ease to swap out points at 31 days (and easy rental options) is great.
We had June and July AKV booked while determining which to take when kids college summers sorted out. Then DS got an opportunity for June 1.
I grabbed a May RCI SSR and will canx both June and July and likely just roll over this year's points and rent my banked DVC points from last year. Plus, I don't even have to canx until May, so I'm keeping both DVC reservations until plans are firm.
No fee to canx, switch dates, roll over points. What other TS system does that?

 

[rhonda]

No fee to canx, switch dates, roll over points. What other TS system does that?

Worldmark

 

[Dean]

And the ease to swap out points at 31 days (and easy rental options) is great.
We had June and July AKV booked while determining which to take when kids college summers sorted out. Then DS got an opportunity for June 1.
I grabbed a May RCI SSR and will canx both June and July and likely just roll over this year's points and rent my banked DVC points from last year. Plus, I don't even have to canx until May, so I'm keeping both DVC reservations until plans are firm.
No fee to canx, switch dates, roll over points. What other TS system does that?

There is a cost to doing so, it's just built into the system. That's part of the reason DVC is higher for maintenance fees. One way or another members always pay for the ongoing costs to the system. In DVC's case, by building it in to the system, they get their 12% cut on that portion as well.

 

[ljmiii]

No fee to canx, switch dates, roll over points. What other TS system does that?

Worldmark

Marriott Vacation Club as well. In this respect MVC is actually kinder than DVC - if you cancel a reservation (at least 60 days out) the points are completely restored to their original state. In other words, if you borrow 2021 MVC points into 2020 to make a reservation and then cancel they go back to being 2021 points that can then be borrowed, used, banked, converted into Bonvoy Points, etc.

 

[elaine]

Good to know. I assumed others charged a close-in date cancel fee or penalized somehow.

 

[ljmiii]

Good to know. I assumed others charged a close-in date cancel fee or penalized somehow.

Well...both DVC and MVC have 'holding accounts' (aka points jail) where the points from close-in cancelled reservations go to die. DVC's is 30 days out and MVC's is 60 days out but for the most part those points simply die for lack of reservation availability. There are exceptions - with MVC you can usually find availability *somewhere* in Orlando up to the day before - but for the most part you don't want your points to end up in jail.

 

[pedro47]

Any idea what the average age of a DVC’s owners?

 

[ljmiii]

Any idea what the average age of a DVC’s owners?

The mathematician in me can't help asking, 'Median, Mean, or Mode?' But since it's sheer guesswork I would say the mean is somewhere around 40 - there are a lot of 20 and 30 somethings buying for the first time and older DVC'ers holding onto their contracts. I would guess the median might be a little higher. As for the mode...it's anyone's guess!

 

[Eli Mairs]

We bought OKW at the beginning, when it was the only resort. We were in our early 40’s. Twenty eight years later, we still have our points, and continue to enjoy vacations with our kids, and now our grandkids.

 

[Bailey#1]

Any idea what the average age of a DVC’s owners?

If you are talking about current/total owners I would say it it closer to 50. If you are talking new owners I would say upper thirties. My opinion only.

 

[CPNY]

Went on a presentation at riviera. I almost bought. I want I want I want lol

 

[Deb & Bill]

We had 500 points, but were paying way too much in annual fees. So we sold two contracts in 2006 and made more than we paid. Now we still have 325 points at OKW and BRV (used to be VWL) and can go for short trips around the festival times (maybe three or four nights) and maybe five trips a year, most of the time in one bedroom villas (we only like OKW studios since they have two real beds). I don't know how younger people can even afford DVC any more. We paid $50 a point for our original contract at OKW direct from Disney in 1997. Now, I can probably sell it for $120 a point. But new contracts from Disney run closer to $200 a point at the new resorts and anywhere from $150 to $225 a point at the legacy resorts direct. Most can only afford enough points for a studio, so that makes studios a premium even at 11 months out. Plus all the renters want to spend as little as possible (and rentals are going for $15 to $25 a point), so studios are their request most of the time.

I'm not interested in Riviera (getting a Skyliner here is tough since they fill all the cars at either DHS or Epcot, so none are empty when they get to Riviera). Maybe in a few years, but not to buy. We'll never buy any more DVC points. And we probably won't leave them in our will to our son since he won't be able to afford the monthly fees.

I was 47 and my husband 44 when we bought 22 years ago.

 

[littlestar]

I was 43 when we bought DVC 18 years ago. We are down to 275 points and that is a nice total for us. I would not buy any more now because I don’t like the changes Disney made last year limiting resale to home resort on their new resorts - it is too much like a traditional weeks timeshare and I already have one of those.

I actually think it is a tie for me on liking my resale Wyndham points and resale and developer DVC Points. With Wyndham I like booking ocean front in the Panhandle or Waikiki Beachwalk and with DVC grabbing a few nights here and there to tack on to a Marriott II weeks getaway in Orlando.