I’m going to go out on a limb and say that for most Disney fans being a part of the Disney Vacation Club sparks a little bit of interest. Owning a little piece of the magic, owning the pineapple in your Dole Whip, owning the Bay in your Lake Tower. But even though I’m the resident DVC enthusiast and a lover of all things Disney timeshare, I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t for everyone. And that is the very first step into discovering DVC is asking yourself: Should I buy?
Should you? Let’s find out. Let’s take a little quiz!
1. Do you go to Disney at least once every two years?
2. Can you legitimately say that for the near future your primary vacation plans involve Disney?
3. Are you most happy in deluxe accommodations and are willing to pay higher prices for such?
4. Are you able to plan the majority of your vacations a great deal ahead of time?
5. Are you willing to give up daily housekeeping?
6. Are you willing to give up cash reservation perk deals such as: free dining, buy four get seven and pin codes?
7. Are you financially able to sustain the initial purchase of the Vacation Club and yearly dues going forward?
If you answered “yes” to the majority of those questions you may just be on the right track to owning the Pop in your Century. But let’s dive a little further into this vast vacation club ownership and expand on a couple of points.
The Disney Vacation Club shouldn’t be looked at as a way to save money. Now, let me also state, that if used in a manor and in an economy where Disney isn’t giving away “buy three get twenty” you can save money. And quite a bit. But the way you should initially be looking at DVC is an investment in future vacations, an investment in accommodations that will sustain your family.
And with that though, it is time to address what your resident DVC expert believes to be the most important point in the “should I buy” experiment.
As a new DVC member the very first thing you must be prepared for is that sinking feeling in your stomach. That feeling you get when it is 95 degrees with humidity out and the Splash Mountain line is 180 minutes long. It is the feeling of not hunting for a deal.
Suffice to say I am pretty confident that you all passed certain questions on my quiz. You are visiting this blog, so I assume you are a huge Disney fan, and because of that, I assume that you will travel to Disney in the future with your family. I’ll assume that you’ll deal with reusing towels. And I’ll assume that if you are really looking into DVC you think you may be able to handle the dues. But what I can’t assume is that you bargain hunters out there can give up a deal.
You are the Disney savvy. You know the codes to get the discounted package rate before Disney does. In desperation for pin codes, you join every Disney mailing list known to man. To you paying rack rate is like going to Disney the week between Christmas and New Years without a touring plan. Disney deal hunters, unite!
And that, my NDP’s, was the hardest thing for me to get over. I honestly think that the first time I ever received a pin code in my email was the day after I purchased DVC. I digress.
But remember what I mentioned. In a “normal” economy DVC will save you money. Right now is not an apples to apples comparison because of the deals Disney is providing. But what you have to ask yourself is: will these deals always be here? And the answer is no. Sure there will be codes here and there but nothing like what we have seen in the past couple years. DVC is investing in future vacations and you must think of it like that as free dining folks are stumbling next to you delirious from free full bellies. Not to say that if an extra special deal comes out you couldn’t bank or rent your points and book the cash deal but that is for another post, people!
So here we are, at the end of my first rambling post here. We have asked ourselves some tough questions. Some of you may have answered yes with ease. Some of you I’ve scared away. Some of you want more information!
Well I’ll be here to do my best for that. The Disney Vacation Club isn’t for everyone. It takes a lot of research and a big commitment. But I hope that my future articles will help you decide either way and maybe even give you a chuckle or two. Stay tuned for next week’s article where we discuss home resort advantages and booking windows!
Contributed by: Katie S. (NDI#30). Katie is our resident Disney Vacation Club expert and creator of The DVC Life .
Katie,
This post take a flurry of information and breaks it down ino smaller chunks I can process. The new special offers for resorts were a little bit of an indicator that everyone, even Disney is feeling the pinch. Also, an argument FOR DVC.
From a “special ed teacher” point of view, knowing more or less where you are staying in advance is a huge bonus. I know one family who only uses 1 hotel chain, ever, because they know their kids do better when they recognize the wallpaper and bedding. Sounds extreme, but it makes sense if an itchy blanket has ever kept you up-for a week. The same pool night after night, summer after summer, might help kids to manage the excitement of the parks. A big plus.
Oh, and I would never go to Disney between Christmas and New Years w/o a touring plan. I wasn't raised by wolves.
Thanks for this! I plan to print it and accidentally leave it next to my dh's running shoes.
Wow, this post is almost IDENTICAL to Zannaland's! Have you seen her's JL? I can't believe you had Katie do a DVC post at the same time as she did one on Zanna's!
Lordy, what are the odds? Crazy!
Hey girl! Great blog post! I tried to comment once, but I guess it didn't go through.
Did you know Katie was also doing a DVC blog for Zanna? How weird!!!
Yes, I wasn't informed that Katie was writing an article about DVC for Zanna until after she had submitted this one to us and had it scheduled. But you will continue to see DVC articles from Katie here on the DDL because she has taken on the role of resident DVC expert for us and will be contributing articles on a weekly basis. 🙂
Yes, I wasn't informed that Katie was writing an article about DVC for Zanna until after she had submitted this one to us and had it scheduled. But you will continue to see DVC articles from Katie here on the DDL because she has taken on the role of resident DVC expert for us and will be contributing articles on a weekly basis. 🙂