Intro and question about "Anti-DVCers"

[dreamernowdoer]

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda - I'm a 29-year-old SAHM to my DS (18 months) and I am coming out of semi-lurkdom to ask about perceptions about DVC. We aren't DVCers (yet!), but that's only because we're saving up to be able to pay in full for our membership (a lesson learned here.... along with "buy where you want to stay!" Anyway, up until about 2 weeks ago, I'd only ever been to the DVC section here. Then, I went to the community board and read where someone wrote that they'd never again stay at any DVC resort (they were cash-room guests of the hotel, not the villas) and other posters agreed, like it was a common stance to take. I'm definitely not trying to stir the pot, if this is a heated subject I don't know about, I just can't seem for the life of me to figure out what anyone would have against DVC or its members, other than just being jealous of the perks offered (and hey, I'm guilty of points-envy myself!). So, I thought I'd ask you guys about the perception some non-DVCers have of DVC, since you're the ones who'd know best.

Love.
Amanda

p.s. - Thanks again for all the knowledge you all bring here to help us DVC-hopefuls make better informed decisions!

 

[bavaria]

every so often we do seem to get 'visits' from posters who seem to be hostile towards DVC members.

I think that there is a perception that some DVC owners think that they are 'above' non owners, but frankly I haven't really seen that in all the years that I have been reading and posting here.

DVC is not for everyone - I only became a member a few years ago, although I am a very frequent visitor to Disney parks. I don't consider myself 'better' than a non member. But with everything, there will be positive and negative impressions.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It could be a jealousy factor as well. When you can only afford to take your family once every four or five years, it must be hard reading about DVC members who go two or three times a year.

And then you have the "you're only in the room to sleep" crowd.

 

[disney junky]

You don't have to go to the boards to get that attitude.
Some people are just anti-time share.
I never thought we'd buy, and yet suddenly it made perfect sense. I think the epiphany for me was while golfing with a member and he was asked how much he was paying to stay at BW. His reply. I don't know. We're DVC members.
Some like renting points rather than owning.
BTW, no one in my family understands either why I prepaid my vacations for the next 35 years, and though they aren't vocal about it, I suspect on an anonymous discussion board, they might have more to say.
Good luck in your saving and your decision.

 

[CarolMN]

I wouldn't worry about it - I've never encountered anyone in person who said or acted poorly towards us because we are DVC members.

 

[dannyh23]

Hi Amanda,

First, welcome to "unlurk" mode! We were the same way for months and months before deciding to join DVC. If you have any questions, just ask!

I think Deb & Bill hit it on the head -- the "room to sleep" crowd wouldn't spend $1,000 cash per night to stay in a 2BR if they are only in the room to sleep. Others in the same mindset agree. You see the same sort of thing in places like Vegas, on cruises, etc. Some people are happy in a tent, some like Motel 6, or Pop, or Polynesian, and others won't stay anywhere except the presidential suite.

 

[Starr W.]

Amanda,

People who don't even know what DVC is get jealous. Mentioned we joined after our first trip(cash stay at SSR) to some of the other preschool moms(they enquired about the trip since DS was very vocal about to it to his friends). About 3 moms said "Oh we're members too!" So I asked about home resorts, blank stares they thought I was talking about the Disney Visa card.

The one mom hasn't talked to me since then(right after Thanksgiving), luckily her son is in the other class and not friends with my DS.

 

[rocketriter]

DVC rooms booked over-the-counter are wildly expensive and probably not worth the money. What non-members might not understand is how much lower our costs are through membership.

 

[JimMIA]

First of all, welcome!

Second, don't worry about anything you see on the community board. It's a unique place and people are likely to say just about anything there. You'll find a lot more braying there than intelligent discussion. Usually the less information they have about the subject matter, the louder they yell.

A more serious concern that you hear on this board is the reaction of family and close friends when they learn of a DVC purchase. DVC is obviously a luxury purchase, and people sometimes criticize that. Some here have actually refrained from telling relatives about their purchase because of fear of the feedback they'd get. One of the interesting side-issues is that some of the most vocal critics are among the first to invite themselves on our vacations!

My advice is to research carefully and make as rational a decision as you can for your family. If it's right for you, do it. If it's not, don't. Whatever you decide, enjoy your vacations your way and don't worry about what anyone else says.

 

[starbox]

I also think there is a vocal sub-group of people that honestly feel like the monorail resorts are the only resorts that give "the true Disney experience". I also think some people feel like their resorts should be more exclusive since they spend 400+ dollars per night. YC/BC/WL/BWI and soon AKL will all share facilities with DVC owners, and most DVC owners frequent the non-DVC deluxes for dining. Think about it, imagine you are paying big bucks to stay at WL, and the DVC owners at VWL are getting everything you get (but daily bedmaking and towel changing) PLUS they get larger accomodations and are spending less money. The obvious thing to do would be to just join DVC - and if not, you'd have to convince yourself that it was not so great.

Plus, we can pool-hop - and many of the monorail resort people don't like that.

BTW - before we joined DVC, some of the nicest people we met on vacation were other DVC members. As a non-DVC member, it really made an impression on me.

 

[jbrowna]

My family and I just recently became DVC'ers, and I do want to add that the DVC community is not entirely blameless with the friction that sometimes goes on with non-DVC'ers. You'll -- even now -- sense the attitude that staying someplace like All Stars or Pop Century is "slumming"; what kind of message does that send to those who like to stay there? We used to sense that attitude over the years, and it put us off even looking at DVC.

Sure, everything said above is true -- there are elements of envy among non-DVC folks. But I know our feeling pre-DVC is that, even though we could have afforded to stay at a more expensive place -- like a moderate or deluxe resort -- on a regular basis, staying at a value meant we could stay longer and go more often. We weren't paupers, but we decided our priorities. Did that make us part of the "we're only in the room to sleep crowd"? Maybe. But as our kids have grown up our priorities (and our finances) have shifted somewhat, and we feel we can go for something more luxurious without giving up how often or how long we go. DVC allows us to do that in a very economical way.

Sure, DVC resorts are great. And as DVC'ers we have every right to feel good about that. But we need to be aware that sometimes our feelings come across to others as "airs". I'm not accusin', I'm just sayin'...

 

[bavaria]

Actually, you would be surprised to hear how many owners stay at a value on weekends to conserve points, or even offsite.

I think that starbox has a very good answer - there is a sense of 'we were here first' from some posters who normally stay on the monorail resorts. I have been trying to analyze why at least one comes to the DVC boards to bash owners, and starbox's comment definitely fits that example.

when DVC is added to an existing resort, the impression may be that DVC detracts rather than adds to the resort.... although by adding DVC, the resort usually adds additional infrastructure to handle the additional guest volume, thereby enhancing the resort.

 

[dannyh23]

And as DVC'ers we have every right to feel good about that. But we need to be aware that sometimes our feelings come across to others as "airs". I'm not accusin', I'm just sayin'...

Like starbox said, I assure you that *some* of those staying at Deluxe resorts feel the same way exact way about DVC members, as well as moderate and value, and Ft. Wilderness resort guests... That doesn't mean they all do, nor do all DVC members feel the same way about everyone else... but some probably do.

I'd venture to say that offsite guests may feel some degree of "airs" being put on by onsite guests -- getting package delivery, extra magic hours, etc.

I've heard people in the parks and resorts say "I've spent $5,000 to stay here and I... (insert your favorite entitlement here)".... but I've never stood up to them and told them I've spent more.....

 

[MagikMom]

There are many people who don't understand why we bought into DVC. We bought in because we truly love Disney and know we are going to be going there at least once a year. Because we go so often, we don't have to "rush" around to get everything in. We can sit back and relax and enjoy the resorts. Half the fun of DVC is experiencing all the different resorts! I know that some of our family members and friends think we "wasted" all our money on the DVC time share. We look at it this way, we could have a bigger house, nicer cars if we didn't go to Disney every year. We CHOOSE to spend our money on Disney vacations! For US, it's a way to get away from the world and spend time as a family in a place where we truly love to be. If people don't understand...it's their problem.

 

[jekjones1558]

Wouldn't life be ever so much nicer if everyone celebrated rather than judged
different choices?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Plus, we can pool-hop - and many of the monorail resort people don't like that.

As someone who always stays at the Monorail Resorts, I understand that DVC members are allowed to pool hop since they are allowed to. That is if the Resort they want to go to is not going to be busy that day with guests staying there wanting to use the pool, so they have to call ahead. I think the guests who stay at the Monorail Resorts don't like the guests who pool hop that are not DVC members since they are not allowed to pool hop, so that would be breaking rules and taking pool chairs away from guests staying at those Monorail Resorts. So that is the main difference which I am referring to.

 

[JimMIA]

Wouldn't life be ever so much nicer if everyone celebrated rather than judged
different choices?

 

[nbodyhome]

Then, I went to the community board and read where someone wrote that they'd never again stay at any DVC resort (they were cash-room guests of the hotel, not the villas) and other posters agreed, like it was a common stance to take. I'm definitely not trying to stir the pot, if this is a heated subject I don't know about

I've not heard of that. I've stayed in DVC units in the past, but I'm not DVC (couldn't make it work for myself financially, and I need a lot more flexibility when travelling). Sometimes Disney seems to cater more to the DVC owners, but others will say the same thing about passholders and Florida Residents - of which I am both. Many of the perks that DVC gets are the same ones I do, as a Florida Resident - and with as much as you guys pay for DVC, I have absolutely no problem with that. I had always though that DVC owners should get Florida Resident prices on passes and such - again, it's a lot of money to put into vacations, so you should get more back.

I actually like to be able to stay at DVC units occasionally, they are lovely. But I'll probably never be an owner, I'm too cheap (including when I travel overseas and such). Plus I'm local. The AK DVC looks like it will be amazing!

I do think whenever someone is a "member" of something, there is a sense of "them and us". Not necessarily jealousy, it's just different.

 

[drakethib]

Hi.

DVC isn't for anyone so some may disagree with it and how it works.

I have also seen people who have spent more on one vacation staying at the GF and could have almost paid off a 150 DVC contract.

To each their own but do what is right for you and your family.

 

[goofy4dvc]

After our last stay (2BR at BCV), I felt somewhat that our purchase into DVC had been a mistake. Two reasons:

1. Our 2BR unit was the worst DVC unit we've ever stayed in. The walls were missing chunks of drywall and were badly needing painting, stains on the carpet, and there were exposed nails in the carpet strip where the master bedroom carpet ended at the tile in the Master bathroom. After stepping on a carpet tack (for the second or third time, I threw a towel over the area to spare my feet). Yes, I did mention this to the front desk. But with what we paid for 350 points and the numbe of points we paid for a 2BR unit, DH and I were both tremendously disappointed. My brother and his wife were staying with us and it was their FIRST time to WDW. I really wanted to WOW them. THey were impressed, but only after seeing the models at SSR.

2. There are lots of houses in Orlando that can be rented that can sleep up to 10 or 12 people, with a pool, just a few miles away from WDW that are about the same cost per night as a stay in a moderate to deluxe room. After our last experience, DH said he would have rather saved the money we spent for DVC and rented one of these homes. As for me, I want to be "on property" to really feel the MAGIC!

I love being a DVC member and I love being able to share WDW with my family. However, I do believe that DVC rooms are not kept up to the same standards that other WDW resorts room are. And that's a real shame!! Because DVCers probably spend more money at WDW than non-DVCers. (I could be wrong about that statement, but I was figuring in the cost of the purchase of points, along with the fact that DVCers tend to go to WDW more often, thus spending more money on park tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.)

As I said, I love being a DVC member and going to WDW, but if we have many more experiences like our last stay...