Owners: would you recommend DVC right now?

[Marionnette]

I don't recommend purchasing when anyone asks me. We bought when prices were more reasonable and the only restrictions on resale were the inability to use your points for the Disney Collection...a poor use of points anyway, so not a huge deterrent. Now, you cannot use your resale points at a resort whose members can still book at yours.

We don't care for the direction that DVC and the Walt Disney Company in general are heading and we contemplate selling just about every day. After 12 years of ownership, the shine has worn off and we just can't garner the enthusiasm for Disney that we once had. If it were not for capital gains taxes, we would have already placed the majority of points on the market now while resale is hot.

But take my negativity with a grain of salt. I'm a grumpy, over-55 with grown children and an infant grandchild. I remember WDW as it was when we took our kids as youngsters and it's just not the same product that we bought into. And for that matter, it's no longer suits the purpose for which we bought.

A word to the wise: Twelve years ago, I was a huge Disney apologist. Loved the parks. Loved our time there. Loved just about every that had to do with DVC. Like me, the shine may wear off for you after a decade or more of ownership. For that reason, I believe that every new owner should have a plan for getting out even if they never employ it. With DVC's latest attempts to destroy the resale market, I think it's wise to consider what could happen if you get stuck with a timeshare you no longer care for, can't sell for more than pennies on the dollar, but must pay annual maintenance fees on. While I never believed that DVC would reach that point, it could given their aggressive actions aimed at destroying the resale market.

 

[MMSM]

I have looked into purchasing too and have really enjoyed this thread. I too am amazed at the resale contracts w stripped points that are so high. I agree with previous posters that it is in demand now. However, I believe that the economy as a whole will shift in the next 6 months. When that does, it will be a good time to buy. I really hope that I am wrong. But, just like with the housing market and stock market, and inflation, you know it’s coming. So, unless you find a great deal I think that you will see more people having to sell within a year.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

And I don’t think Disney’s future is bright. They are not a company on the up and up. They seem to be crumbling from within, and it isn’t because of Covid. If you buy dvc, you are investing in Disney, so think about what Disney will be like in ten years. The people running Disney right now do not like the product they are selling. They are trying to change the message of Disney and in the process they seem to have weeded out a lot of their competent staff, so that, operationally, Disney now longer seems to have the brain power to function at a high level. For example, they no longer seem able to run a website. They have created an adversarial relationship with members. The people they now hire to run the phone lines for dvc all seem to have chips on their shoulders. A few years ago, there were some things Disney was doing that did not sit well with me. That was ok. But now, pretty much everything they do does not sit well with me. This trajectory seems to go hand in hand with mediocrity. And that’s probably the worst part.

 

[JinxRemoving]

We purchased resale in Jan 2021. Saved up and paid cash as well. We had been considering it on and off for about 5 years before we pulled the trigger. We are so glad we bought when we did and are considering adding on.

Yes, there are negatives about DVC and the WDC in general, we are by no means "pixie dusters" but hey, we LOVE going to the Disney parks. I've been going to Disney parks my whole life and don't forsee that changing, ever. There are always policies or decisions I don't agree with or that even make me mad (RIP Maelestrom) but I don't let that ruin my family vacations and all the amazing memories we've made and will continue to make. I view DVC as locking in rates now for all the vacations I know I'm going to take in the future.

The DVC market is a little nuts right now and imagine it will level off at some point, but overall long-term, I can't imagine that hotel or DVC prices will be lower in 10 years than they are now. I think if you're done your research, don't have to finance your purchase, and plan to keep going to Disney for the near future, why the hell not? Life is too short. You can always sell your contract in a few years of you decide it's not for you.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My husband and I have been crunching the numbers and saving up for months and we're finally ready to jump in and buy our first contract! But, with some research on this site, we came across the thread about points discrepancies for the 2022 chart and how they had added points without taking them from others (I believe it was a 0.22% increase across all WDW resorts). We were told that our points would never be devalued and that points changes had to even out somewhere else, but after reading through that thread, it doesn't appear to be that way at all. And now, we're extremely worried about the future of our DVC purchase if our points end up being devalued over the life of the contract.

For current members, knowing about this mess (and thinking back to a few years ago when they tried to screw owners over in a similar way but were called out on it), would you still recommend buying DVC now?

I'm pretty much the only one here who thinks this, but the "points discrepancy" is, in my opinion, a nonsense conspiracy theory cooked up by people who don't have all of the relevant data.

I think *some* DVC contracts are worth it. SSR resale, OKW 2057 resale, AKV resale, and Aulani resale primarily. I wouldn't buy direct at the moment, but if you're going to, Old Key West has the most favorable economics.

As always, I would never finance. Only do DVC if you can afford to pay cash.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I have looked into purchasing too and have really enjoyed this thread. I too am amazed at the resale contracts w stripped points that are so high.

Part of the reason for this is that we went through almost an entire year where there *were no* stripped contracts at all. Nobody was traveling, so unless they had borrowed their 2020 points in 2019, almost all of the contracts that went up for sale were loaded. That drove up the average resale price per point, and that inflated point price has stuck around and is putting upward price pressure on ALL contracts.

 

[Best Aunt]

My second thoughts have nothing to do with point charts, or with DVC corporate policies.

When I bought in 12 years ago, I was convinced that I would go to Disney World once a year. But life can bring unexpected changes. If you had told me, when I bought in, that I would start going elsewhere on vacation, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that a pandemic would close the DVC resorts, and that it would make me uncomfortable with travelling even after those DVC resorts had reopened, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that I would have unused points which I would end up giving to friends and renting out, I wouldn't have believed you. That just wasn't the way that I envisioned the future.

As PP mentioned, buying into DVC means pre-paying for your vacations. Those dues bills arrive every year. You are making a long-term commitment toward vacations. In hindsight, I'm not sure that commitment was a good idea for me. I have contemplated selling, but have decided to wait and see what next year brings.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My second thoughts have nothing to do with point charts, or with DVC corporate policies.

When I bought in 12 years ago, I was convinced that I would go to Disney World once a year. But life can bring unexpected changes. If you had told me, when I bought in, that I would start going elsewhere on vacation, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that a pandemic would close the DVC resorts, and that it would make me uncomfortable with travelling even after those DVC resorts had reopened, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that I would have unused points which I would end up giving to friends and renting out, I wouldn't have believed you. That just wasn't the way that I envisioned the future.

As PP mentioned, buying into DVC means pre-paying for your vacations. Those dues bills arrive every year. You are making a long-term commitment toward vacations. In hindsight, I'm not sure that commitment was a good idea for me. I have contemplated selling, but have decided to wait and see what next year brings.

All good points, which is why I usually recommend that people start small for their first contract. Instead of buying the number of points you think you'll need every year, buy the number of points you think you'll need every-other year. My current travel pattern is probably the equivalent of about 400 points per year, but my contract is only 200. So we supplement DVC reservations with cash reservations at places like Caribbean Beach or the Fort Wilderness Cabins. Only after we've gone through enough time to feel "stable" with how many points we need would we consider adding on.

 

[RoseGold]

I don't think I would recommend DVC, unless you are gung ho sure you are going to WDW for many years. And I mean absolutely sure Disney fanatic level.

There are better and cheaper properties everywhere, including Orlando. Resale is crazy expensive, availability is ridiculously tight because of all the Covid points, and mathematically, renting points is smarter right now. Or just staying at Universal or Swolphin or the new Marriott property next door (edit: the SWAN RESERVE, ooooh!). The competition is killing it, and DVC is mediocre in many ways. If you are actually used to "deluxe" hotels, this isn't it.

Since Covid, I have been unimpressed at the Disney-level service, which used to be there at least most of the time. The website is a HOT MESS. We have a trash website to interact with five figures of Disney. The cash side is absolutely up to date.

I think what got me was five hours on the phone and all the booking horror stories of Disney bumping people and not even caring. (Edit to add: and 90 minutes on the phone trying to borrow a couple points this morning and lost the room anyway! so magical!) In the old days, they'd comp you or whatever, but now failure is accepted and tough luck. To me, that's not Disney level service. That's not even generic American hotel chain service. It's a crap way to feel treated when you bought in this hard. Maybe free parking and a laundry room isn't worth all of this.

I am seriously considering selling a few contracts shortly, but the spike from Covid would mean I get taxed on the gains, boo! I like helping people with Disney enough that I think I could rent out points, but that's not a great financial position for a lot of people.

I certainly wouldn't be in a hurry. In a few years, they'll slap up a Coronado 2 or Reflections v2 or whatever, and then the market will shift again.

And yea, the point shenanigans are nothing new. Make no mistake about who is making money. The house always wins.

 

[E2ME2]

OP
Only you can assess your needs and your planned Disney usage.
We bought Direct in 2011, and can't believe how fast 10 years can roll by.
Shortly after buying, I had wished I had bought in sooner, and had bought more points at that price.
(Orig. Buy was 210 pts at SSR at $99/PP)
I've added on 3 times. We needed more points for a 3BR GV stay with the whole famly- 9, including 3 grandkids,
so I added on (40 more SSR points Direct in 2018 at $151/PP)
As I neared retirement, the thought/plan was to spend winters in Florida, and we considered buying more points but prices continued to escalate,
that is until COVID-19.
We added on 3 Resale Contracts from Feb.2020 to Mar.2021. There actually was a dip in resale during that time, on most resorts.
We purchased: (SSR - 225 Points at ~$89) (BCV - 30 Points at $140) (AKV - 160 Points at ~$123)
The resale process is painful compared to buying direct, but the savings can be well worth the effort.
My point -- I have not regretted any of the purchases, even when seeing others buy in at better prices,
because we use our points every year and plan to do so for at least another 10 years.
Based on how I compare our total costs to date to what we would have spent if we paid cash to book the same rooms at those resorts each year,
I estimate I was almost at Break-Even in 2019, and after all of our recent add-ons I now project to break even by 2023.
From that point forward I will feel we will be saving money on our DVC trips. (unless resale prices dip again, in which case all bets are off)

 

[ajiuo]

Do any members ever go to the association meetings and bring these things up? Are they even allowed to?

 

[shoegal9]

Although I grew up going to WDW annually (or more), unfortunately my father decided to not join DVC back in the early 90s. My spouse and I joined in 2018 and now have 4 contracts. We purchased CCV at $182, 2 Polynesian resale at $147-$174 and Animal Kingdom Lodge resale at $124. All of these prices are bonkers now and I just don't see it getting any cheaper. So, if anyone is waiting for that to happen - I would say just buy now. We thought that maybe prices would go down during the height of Covid last year, but it never happened. I just can't think of anything that would cause prices to go lower than they are at the moment.

 

[skippytx]

I would still recommend buying into DVC right now, if you're vacation plans lined up with DVC. It worked out really well for us, and still does, but we got in resale when it was much less expensive (125/pt for BLT) and were able to get the blue card with only 25 points direct. We knew we were going to be visiting at least every other year for a while, and we wanted a DVC style room with kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. We have 185 BLT points right now, and that gets us 7-8 nights in a standard 2 bedroom every other year which is just about perfect for what we want right now.

If you're fine staying at value/moderate resorts, and don't visit at least every other year, it probably doesn't make sense. We've had a lot of family ask about it, and generally we don't recommend it to them.

I've gone back and forth on adding on more points, and right now I'm not interested at all in doing so. I'll keep the points we do have for sure, but my kids are a little older now, and there's just a lot more places out there I want to vacation at. I know I could always rent my points out if I don't use them. We just got back from an amazing couples trip to Cancun and the kids would really like to go, so we're probably planning that for our off WDW year in 2023. Europe one year is on our radar as well, probably when both kids are in their teens.

I'm comfortable with my current commitment to DVC, the points we have, but a WDW trip has gone way up in costs the last 5 years, and there's so many other places in the world to visit. I'm not sure if we would buy into DVC right now. I'm 100% glad I did 4 years ago, but so much has changed.

So like most things in life, the answer is "it depends". I do agree that it's unlikely prices go down, so if you are going to do it, buy the right contract for you when it comes up.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

We purchased ten to twelve years ago, prices were more reasonable then. I am not sure I would recommend buying today. If you plan to go every year, then I would purchase, if you are wed to a specific resort only - then buy that resort - if you are flexible, then I recommend buying where you purchase the most points for the cheapest cost. I personally like this last option. I am not a fan of the changes DVC has made in the resale versus direct market.

 

[EM Lawrence]

Nope. Would not buy right now. Prices are too high and Disney is in too much flux. I think big changes are going to come in the next few years, and I'm on the sidelines until it all shakes out. If I knew 2019 Disney was coming back, I'd consider buying direct if it was something I just could not live without. I think resale is too expensive right now (what I've bothered to take a glance at anyway.) I also think a huge economic correction is coming sooner rather than later, and prices will go down then.

 

[crisi]

I wouldn't for a variety of reasons.

1) When we bought, DVC was the only way to stay in a multi room unit affordably on or near property. If I had bought five years later, we'd probably be Wyndham owners.
2) I don't think it is the value at the current prices that it was. It is compared to rooms at Disney, but rooms at Disney aren't the value they used to be. I started my DVC life as an onsite snob - now I think there are way better options off site for less money (yes, you need a car).
3) Any resort I'd be interested in owning at has a 2042 expiration date - the years don't justify the price.

I bought for what I was contracted to get - so I've never been too upset about perks coming and going (although I do miss the park hopper discount that was there when we first joined). But Disney does seem to be much quicker to jerk around members on policies and benefits than they used to be.

There are also external factors - I don't think Covid will be the last pandemic of my lifetime (and I'm 55). Global warming is making things far less stable (Canada is on fire). We have yet to figure out a solution to peak oil. Florida's governor and legislature have made some questionable moves - and I'm not interested in giving the state my tourist dollars in the current climate. There are some strange global economic things happening. Making a decades long commitment right now feels extra risky.

 

[crisi]

My second thoughts have nothing to do with point charts, or with DVC corporate policies.

When I bought in 12 years ago, I was convinced that I would go to Disney World once a year. But life can bring unexpected changes. If you had told me, when I bought in, that I would start going elsewhere on vacation, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that a pandemic would close the DVC resorts, and that it would make me uncomfortable with travelling even after those DVC resorts had reopened, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that I would have unused points which I would end up giving to friends and renting out, I wouldn't have believed you. That just wasn't the way that I envisioned the future.

As PP mentioned, buying into DVC means pre-paying for your vacations. Those dues bills arrive every year. You are making a long-term commitment toward vacations. In hindsight, I'm not sure that commitment was a good idea for me. I have contemplated selling, but have decided to wait and see what next year brings.

We bought only enough points to go every other year - that meant we've always had time (and we luckily always had budget) to take other trips. When the kids were little, they were frequently Disney related - cruises, ABD tours.

While I know that was wise for us, I think that its something everyone should consider. Buying a contract for every other year (and then adding a second contract if you go every year) - so that you have flexibility. The world is a huge place. Disney is a great vacation, but so is spending a week in Mexico, or visiting Washington DC, or going to San Francisco or the Grand Canyon.

 

[RoseGold]

Do any members ever go to the association meetings and bring these things up? Are they even allowed to?

Disney already knows all of this. They know how the math stacks up when buying direct, it's why RIV's rack rate is crazy. They know the charts are inflating, they wrote them. They know the total points on the charts. It's high school math. They know the website is down again. They know the website interface is garbage. They know how long wait times are on the phone. They know they are bumping people and not meeting expectations. This isn't just a business I am giving my money to for one trip, this is a business I own some of and am heavily invested in.

Maybe any one of these things is no big deal, but there are a lot of things stacking up that aren't making this what it used to be IMO. Especially at pricing this high and the level of commitment a timeshare requires, I wouldn't recommend this to most people right now.

 

[fumanchu2488]

After reading some of these responses, I agree with some of the sentiment. I have no regrets but things are in such flux now that if you have been waiting a few years another 6 months is no big deal. By then you could get a much better feel on the direction of WDW as a whole and you can decide if you still feel like yearly vacations is good for you. By that time hopefully we know the AP situation, ticket costs, paid FP, park hours and perks.

 

[Cabius]

Part of me wants to emotionally recommend against it -- comparing what they sell today to what was available 5, 10, 20 years ago -- but then I saw a 50-point PVB contract in my Use Year that would go so nicely with my other 300 PVB points, and I think my heart betrays me.