In this week’s mailbag, we catch up with staff writer Steve Russo, who answers letters in response to his articles on Disney Vacation Club (A Disney Vacation Club Primer – March 13, 2009) and the Disney Dining Plan (October 3, 2008).
Paul B. writes:
Thanks for the article. I’ve been a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member for about three years. I used the resale market originally to save money and to see if DVC was even a good option for me. A friend told me about DVC before I bought so I didn’t have the DVC tour before purchasing my membership. I found a good deal on 50 points in the resale market. I tried it out and found how much I enjoyed it.
On a second stay, I took the tour and ended up buying an additional 50 points from Disney because it was actually cheaper (because of all of the incentives) than the resale market at the time. This last year I finally got to the “minimum” 150 points when I purchased another 50 points in the resale market. Interestingly enough, I paid less for the last 50 than for the others and considerably less than then current price and less than buying 150 directly from Disney. I paid $84, $87, and $70 per point including the closing costs. The last purchase was a steal and I still can’t believe Disney let it through. (I should note that the first and third purchases are at Old Key West and the second is at Saratoga Springs.)
I tell people if an up front purchase price of $17,000 seems a little steep, they should try my method and find out if it works for them or not. If it doesn’t make sense, they can resell and get most of their money back. If they love it, they can search for the deals. Also, I did want to say, “Thanks for the headache!”
Thanks for sharing your “method.” It certainly is a unique way to accumulate points but it sounds like it worked great for you. And, you’re welcome (for the headache).
Jim M. writes:
I was a little confused about the DVC pricing. I have seen DVC for some time now and have never looked into it so I though your article would be helpful. However, the way I read this is that each point is about $106 and it costs nine points per weekday night and twenty points per weekend. That is $954 a night for weekday and $2120 for a weekend. That sounds really, really, really expensive to me. I guess I am missing something here.
Yes, what you missed is that you pay for those points (at $106 per point) only once but you receive the allotment of points every year until your ownership expires. In your example of 9 points per weeknight and 20 points per weekend night, a week would “cost” you 85 Points. So, if you purchased 85 points at $106 each, you would pay $9010. You would pay that once but you would get that one-week stay each year until your membership expired. Of course, you would still have to pay the $3 – $6 per point in annual maintenance as well.
Tom C. writes:
Your articles are very informative. My wife still loves your article from a while back on theme park etiquette. We are annual passholders who live locally, and we are disappointed watching families fight and people that are just plain rude (line cutting, etc). The DVC article was awesome and answered a lot of questions. We have three-month-old twin boys and are thinking (in this economy) to purchase a resale at a low price so we can stay overnight, have it for relatives, etc.
Thanks so much for those kind words. It’s always nice to hear that someone out there in cyberspace is enjoying something I write. Good luck with that resale purchase.
LauraLee L. writes:
I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for sharing your opinions and collected information. My family has been DVC members since 2003. Although there have been times that it was a bit of a financial struggle (living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we were heavily affected by Katrina) we have NEVER regretted the decision to buy into DVC. As a matter of fact, had it not been for the DVC purchase there are a few years we would not have been able to take a family vacation during the hardships of day to day living and rebuilding our lives.
As an added bonus my oldest son just got married last month. Because of our ‘DVC blessing’, we were able to give him and his new bride an amazing honeymoon at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. There is no way we would have had the upfront cash to provide such amazing lodging for such an amazing occasion without the DVC. So, again I thank you as well as give you my total support and agreement.
Thanks so much for sharing. It’s hard for some of us to imagine what you folks hit hard by Katrina went through. It’s great that DVC was able to give you a bit of a respite amid the hardships.
R.Y. writes:
Just wanted to congratulate you on the great “DVC Primer” article. Very well written and very clear; maybe you should write some of Disney’s advertising copy? Also noticed that you generated a lot of interest in the “DVC talk” community. That group really gets fired up about some things.
I noticed in one of your comment responses to your latest trip report that you mentioned a possible future meet somewhere in the Albany area. If that happens, could you let me know? I don’t take up much space and don’t eat much. I’d even bring along my copy of your book for signature.
Once again, great job on DVC Primer. Maybe in a future article you could tackle the world of renting points. We’ve had the experience of having some points expire (due to my mismanagement) and wonder how many others out there have had the same problem.
Thanks for those kind words. We’ll keep you in mind if that Albany mini-meet ever happens (although it’s been talked about for years). Yes, I agree there may be another article in the ins and outs of the resale market, renting points, etc.
Ken writes:
I can understand why you bought the DVC membership, but the problems are…
1. Lack of locations (Walt Disney World almost exclusively): Traveling to one location is a bit limiting. I know about the Grand Californian and the Hawaii location, which makes DVC seem so immature as a timeshare (cross that out) or a vacation club. If or when it builds out, then maybe it becomes a better value, but it leads to my second question.
2. Potential resale value diminished close to end of lease (10 to 20 years). What will happen at this time? Disney will probably have to offer the locations at a discount if purchased at the latter years. DVC will only last one or two more generations at the most if kept in the family.I purchased Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC) for these reasons. Actually, I did it long before I found out about DVC and never regretted the decision. The best value is to stay at a HGVC location, but I have additional options as well.
HGVC belongs to RCI so I can exchange my points to stay at a DVC location if I wish, but I’m sure it might be difficult since I have a lower priority over owners as a rule. You should add a follow-up article to address these issues.
Thanks for reading and sending you comments. Let’s take them in order:
1. Lack of locations: There’s no doubt that the DVC resorts are primarily in Walt Disney World but they’re certainly branching out – Hilton Head and Vero Beach have been there for a while and you mentioned the Grand Californian and Ko Olina but there’s also the Disney Collection, World Passport Collection (although you already own with RCI), Concierge Collection and Adventurer Collection.
2. Potential resale: I don’t think there’s any question that the resale values will drop as we get closer to the end. In the article, I stated “I could sell my membership today for more than I paid for it. That may not be true in 2035, but it is true today.” If you’re looking for something that will take you beyond 40-50 years of ownership then you should certainly look outside of DVC.
A follow-up article might be useful but it would have to become more than just DVC and I’m not sure if MousePlanet is the right forum for that.
Judith D. writes:
In your article about your January trip to decide whether the dining plan was right for you, there was a statement about the dining plan at DVC pricing. “Further analyzing the costs involved show that the Dining Plan would have cost us a total of $455.88 (at DVC pricing).”
Is there a way to get a DVC discount on the Dining Plan? We have been going two times a year but now have to cut down because of the economy; we have to decide if it is economical to use the Disney Dining Experience or Dining Plan for June 2009. Please let me know if there is a discount through DVC that we do not know about.
Sorry, no DVC discounts are available for the Dining Plan. The $455.88 was straight 2008 DVC pricing for two adults ($37.99 per day times six days). Note that the 2009 prices have risen to $39.99 per day.
The Disney Dining Experience (DDE) is now called Tables in Wonderland and is available to Florida residents and Annual Passholders. The AP price is $75.
As you’re probably aware, there are a number of dining discounts available through DVC. They change frequently and you should check the DVC website for the current list.
Keely writes:
I really enjoyed your article on the pros and cons of the dining plan. I am 35 and believe it or not, this May I’m taking my first trip to Disney with husband and nine-year-old son. I booked a one bedroom at the Boardwalk Villas on the current buy four, get three promotion. I haven’t decided for or against the Dining Plan yet.
On the one hand, it sounds like a person could make the effort to always eat dessert and order a more expensive entree if using the plan however I feel like we would have much more flexibility not using it. My son is indifferent to the characters and will be overwhelmed by all the attractions. I heard the Boardwalk has a HUGE parking lot so I am planning on the price for the valet parking. Since I read that you are in the vacation club, which offsite grocery store do you prefer? Any advice is welcome.
First trip, huh? My advice is to do as much reading as possible before the trip – there’s so much to learn. Take up residence on the MousePad and ask your questions – there are a lot of people with the answers.
The Boardwalk is my favorite resort (no surprise there) and I think you’ll love it. You can’t beat the location with that short walk to Epcot and the area is beautiful, particularly after dark.
I don’t really have a favorite but, there are several Publix supermarkets in the area that should fit your needs. Have a great trip.
Karen M. writes:
I wanted to say thank you. My family has reserved a Disney vacation, and I have been trying to decide whether or not to purchase the quick-service dining plan. After reading your article I have opted not to. You are right, we never order dessert and they would probably be wasted. Also we don’t need the refillable mugs as we learned long ago to bring drinks and snacks for the hotel and breakfast is always muffins and cereal that we also bring with us. We carry snacks into the parks with us, and occasionally buy an ice cream or popcorn, but never the ten-a-day our family of five would be allotted. Thanks again for such an informative piece!
I’m glad you found it helpful. As an exercise, and if you’re up to it, try to track your dining expenses for the trip and see if the Plan might have saved you money. It might be useful if you’re ever considering it again.
