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Disney Vacation Club
Topic: Got My Video

#AuthorMessage
1
jonvn
Sat 2/16/2008 7:27a
Well, the video for the DVC came in the mail yesterday. So last night I watched it.

First, I do want to say that the packaging this video came in was amazing. It was this multi page thing that had pop up fireworks and the dvd that slid out as you turned the pages.

Very very very very slick. I mean that in a good way.

So I watch the video. It's nice. Casey is cute as can be. According to the DVD, minimum buy in is near $17,000! That. Is. Insane.

Aside from that, I just don't get what benefits this gives you over just picking up the phone and making a reservation. And why you'd want to go to only certain predetermined places, or why you'd want to spend so much on things for a future that may never happen.

Our last trip to WDW got planned in about 5 seconds. We said "Let's go." So we book rooms over the website, booked a flight, and went.

Why is this a problem? Why would i want to spend thousands for the ability to do this very same thing? We don't go there every year. We don't know WHERE we want to go every year.

But, if you absolutely go to WDW every year or more, then I susppose it might save you money after a few years if you live that long. I didn't figure out the costs of it, because the basic idea seems pointless to me.

They did say on the video that it pays for itself in only 7 vacations. Which I suppose is wonderful, except that is nearly a whole decade, and if I were to go to WDW 7 straight years, I'd be sick of it in short order. Every four or five years is plenty for me. On our last trip, it was more than enough for quite a while still, as fun as it was.

It's just a lot of money for not a lot of stuff you get. Like most timeshares. I saw very little to nothing in the DVC that was different from other timeshare type deals, although it does make it seem that way with their point system. I've been to a few timeshare shows. In all of them, you can swap your time for smaller chunks of time. You can swap where you go. It's the same with this one. It's nothing revolutionary.

The only way this would be worthwhile is if I were to go to WDW every single year, which I would not do. I do go to Disneyland every year or even a couple times a year. But we don't stay in a hotel down in OC. We stay in our home down there. So it has absolutely no use for us.

Next time we go on vacation, we're not going to be looking at the places the DVC says we can go to. We're going to be looking at a map of the world and deciding where to go on a whim. That's what I like to do, and what is fun.

This is just not a good way for most people to use their money on vacations unless you happen to fall into a very narrow category.
2
demderedoseguys
Sat 3/1/2008 4:32p
>This is just not a good way for most people to use their money on vacations unless you happen to fall into a very narrow category.<

Not neccessarily true. DVC can be used to go to many other places besides WDW and for those of us that go to WDW every year and take other vacations as well, it works fine. True, it's not for everyone, but it's not quite as narrow as you may think. Of course, my first 150 points were less than 10K back in '98, so maybe I would feel a little different if I was looking at 17K to start.
3
cherna-bog-vmk
Sat 3/1/2008 7:03p
What benefits does it give you? Discounts?
4
DlandJB
Mon 3/3/2008 12:19a
One nice little dividend we got this weekend - we were invited to a preview of the Dreams Suite in New Orlean's Square because we are DVC members. It was fun and really cool to see it in person. As they complete DVC spaces in California, I expect there will be more benefits out here.

It isn't for everyone, certainly. I expect that we will use it alot more for the Concierge program then for going to Disney World alot. I'm satisfied with what we got and what we get for our investment - especially knowing that with kids about to go off to college we are going to have less cash on hand for vacations in the next 8 to 10 years.

But if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you.
5
demderedoseguys
Tue 3/4/2008 8:50a
>especially knowing that with kids about to go off to college we are going to have less cash on hand for vacations in the next 8 to 10 years.

Make that SIGNIFICANTLY less cash. Yikes, it almost broke me for my two kids.
6
Kar2oonMan
Tue 3/4/2008 9:03a
>>Next time we go on vacation, we're not going to be looking at the places the DVC says we can go to. We're going to be looking at a map of the world and deciding where to go on a whim. That's what I like to do, and what is fun. <<

I'm the same way. I like Disney but there's so many other places I want to see. Basically, I don't have the patience to fool around with how many points here, which week can I/can't I go, and so forth.

I'm sure in my laziness, I spend more overall. But I am certain I don't want to go to any one location annually for the rest of my life (yeah, I know you can go other places but the main point in buying one of these timeshares is to go to WDW every year. If that isn't what you're planning to do, there's really little reason to buy one.)

I'm clearly not the target market for a DVC timeshare (or any timeshare). But if it makes people happy, and they intend on going to WDW annually, that's cool.
7
jonvn
Thu 3/6/2008 4:35p
"DVC can be used to go to many other places besides WDW "

Every timeshare deal I've seen does the same thing.

It's not an investment, particularly since it is only a lease. It's a very poor choice as a timeshare for that reason alone.

8
jonvn
Thu 3/6/2008 4:36p
By the way, I never got my follow up call. Guess they recognized the name and tossed the form.
9
davewasbaloo
Sat 3/8/2008 12:19p
Well this last trip made me so happy we bought MVCI again. I mean a week at a 5* ocean view resort with a 1600ft two bedroom villa with a spa, clubhouse, swimming, tennis, a park, and even a firepit campfire programme for effectively $200 a night - bargain. for us MVCI is perfect - in one year we have travelled to DLP, Mallorca and Newport Beach for 21 nights - expenditure for this year - $3000 dollars. Plus we rented a Cadellac for 10 days inc insurance and gas for $460 rather than the rack rate of $900.

Yep, we sure were suckers for buying MVCI. In fact, although we enjoyed the Marriott at Monterey, and the Stamford Court on Nob Hill (1 week free as a joining gift for MVCI) as well as the Grand California, we missed the spaciousness and luxury of MVCI Newport Beach. Plus for being members we got huge discounts at the Monterey Aquarium (50% off) and Sea World ($8 off each ticket) and the SD Zo0 ($8 off each), plus discounts at Albertsons and Vons when we shopped. We also had a $100 gift card for Fashion Island.

Man do I feel like the club was a rip off - not!!!! My only regret was not doing it sooner.
10
jonvn
Mon 3/17/2008 11:18a
It's Stanford, not Stamford.

I'm glad it's doing well for you. You do eventually pay it off, right? You do eventually keep a title, right? It isn't a lease type of thing, is it?

All times are Pacific Time (US)

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