Where to start

[sharonjanegreen]

Hi All,

Have been to Orlando 5 times so far and trip 6 starts on 2nd October. As we don't want to go anywhere else I am starting to gather information on how much etc it would cost to purchase 2 weeks in October for accomodation for 2 adults & 1 child (would prefer a double bed & a twin) at the cheaper end of the DVC market. Can anyone help me as I have no idea on how much it will cost?

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hilary]

Hi Sharon and welcome to the DIS boards!

DVC is not as straightforward to understand as many other 'vacation club' schemes, so you should spend a while trying to get as much information as possible before leaping in - and these forums are a great place to start!

On the US DVC board there is a FAQ section here which will give you a good start.

how much etc it would cost to purchase 2 weeks in October for accomodation for 2 adults & 1 child (would prefer a double bed & a twin) at the cheaper end of the DVC market.

This isn't easy to answer because of the way in which DVC works. Unlike many timeshare schemes, DVC owners do not buy a specific apartment for a specific time of year - they purchase DVC points which can be exchanged for a wide variety of accommodations throughout the year, but each 'costing' a different number of points.

However, just to give you a ball-park figure, you could stay for two weeks in October in a studio in Old Key West Resort (2 x queen beds) for 164 points. The current cost of points direct from Disney is $84 per point.
164 x $84 = $13,776.
But there are incentives available which could bring that cost down appreciably, and there are many points available through re-sales (rather than from Disney) which can be down to less than $70 per point.
Then there are annual maintenance charges which currently run at just under $4 per point, but vary according to your 'Home Resort'.

If you don't plan on doing the same thing at the same time each year, you can bank and borrow points from one year to another (within limitations) and even exchange for resorts outside of Disney.

Check out the FAQ and ask away with any other more specific queries you may have

 

[sharonjanegreen]

Thanks Hilary,

This information gives us a great starting point. Will let you know how we get on.

sharon

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Originally posted by Hilary

However, just to give you a ball-park figure, you could stay for two weeks in October in a studio in Old Key West Resort (2 x queen beds) for 164 points. The current cost of points direct from Disney is $84 per point.
164 x $84 = $13,776.

remember - this $13,776 gives you the 164 points for the next 39 years (plus the yearly maintainence fees Hilary mentioned.)

 

[Hilary]

remember - this $13,776 gives you the 164 points for the next 39 years

Good point! I should have explained that!

When we were looking into the pros and cons of joining, I couldn't believe how expensive it all sounded, but the 'penny dropped' when I had all the DVC literature to look at in depth. Once I could see how versatile the system is and how 'little' it could cost for much 'better' accommodation than we were used to in the value and moderate WDW resorts (which we love), it all bagan to make sense.

We've stayed in studios when there have been just the four of us (DH, DDs and myself) and last year we stayed in a Grand Villa when there were 12 of us all together. Next trip we plan to treat ourselves to a one-bedroomed accommodation as we have some 'extra' points to use from last year.

If you're interested, I suggest you call DVC and request they send you the no-obligation information pack - you may get a follow-up phone call, but we certainly didn't get any hard sell, so I'm sure you wouldn't feel pressurised. You can request the info on-line from here

 

[vernon]

It's worth taking into account that with the different sizes of DVC accommodation you might find that you prefer a larger room ( even with just one child). The one bedroom has a king sized bed in the bedroom and a double sized sofa bed in the living room. This does allow you ( and the child as they get a little older) a lot more privacy than a regular hotel room. Another advantage to this sized room is the full kitchen that it provides as well as living room,TV and VCR/DVD player. When your son/daughter gets up to say 13/14 it does give you the option of letting them bring a friend (we've used an airbed and a sleeping bag if they don't feel ok sharing a bed). You can then let them stay behind to watch a movie share a pizza etc while you go out to enjoy an adult meal.
Getting a larger room than a studio does cost more points, but I don't use DVC as my whole room needs for every trip, I'd rather it covers the majority of my needs and then give myself the option of staying on Universal for a couple of nights, going to the coast, rent a house if there is a larger group ( you can still get a great DVC stay for say 4-5 days if you go with another couple or two).

As Hilary says DVC is a lot more flexible than most other timeshare offerings and being able to make it work for you, as opposed to your holiday fitting in around the dates/time structure of the timeshare is a huge benefit to DVC IMHO. As you'll notice as you look into DVC, if you can avoid staying on DVC at weekends it can make a huge difference to the cost. Weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) cost two and a half times as many points as weekdays (Sunday to Thursdays), so if you arrive say on a Saturday checking into a motel near the airport to crash at ( after that flight that's all most of us can do ) frees up enough points for another two and a half nights worth of points for another trip midweek.

As it's unlikely you'll take the plunge before you go I would suggest you call DVC member services and ask them to mail you the DVC video and written sales material, read as much as you can on the FAQ on this site, ask here about the bits your not sure on, take the tour in October when you go ( all the research before will be worth it's weight in gold) and you will have a very good understanding of whether the program is one that works for you. You're at a changing point in the DVC program at the moment. All the previous DVC resorts had an end date of 2042, the new one that is going on sale will have an end on 2054. While there are savings to be had looking at a resale, you will get less use out of the resales at the end of the program. What happens in 40 years may not be the biggest issue to you, a little lower entry cost or the choice of the current resorts may make a resale a better option for you, but armed with the knowledge of what's available will mean you can make an educated choice for your family.

 

[disneyuk]

Blimey !
Is that cost payable up front ?
Can you repay it over several years ?
Is that per person or per room ?
Can other members of the family use them ?
Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Hilary]

Originally posted by disneyuk
Blimey !
1. Is that cost payable up front ?
Can you repay it over several years ?
2.Is that per person or per room ?
3.Can other members of the family use them ?
Sorry for all the questions.

1.Yes, it can be repaid monthly like any other loan - finance can be arranged through DVC or you can arrange your own - or you can choose to pay it all up front.

2.It's per contract. The contract has as many or few (within limits) points as you choose to purchase, and these points are put into your account every year until 2042 (or 2054 for the newest contracts). The points are then used to reserve Vacation Homes for as many guests as that room accommodates (see explanations above for flexibility of the sizes / types / locations / dates of rooms). Vacation Homes can accommodate from 1 to 12 guests and can cost anything from 8 to 162 points per night - so you see there's a lot of flexibility in there!

3. Points can be used to reserve rooms for guests (family or not) and you are even 'allowed' to rent out your points to others.

Hope that answers some of your questions, but ask again if I haven't explained it very clearly!

 

[sharonjanegreen]

So,

If we wanted the first 2 weeks of October for the 3 of us at the cheapest resort, where would it be & how much are we looking at?

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Sharon

You would need 164 points for 14 nights in a studio or 344 points for a one bedroom villa - both at Old Key West starting 1st oct

David

(hope my addition is ok )