Can someone explain to me how the DVC works?

[SMAX]

Everyone that is in the DVC seems to really recomend it. So i want to know what its is all about and how much it is. They talk about points in places and Dues. Any help would be apprecitaed.

[BevS97]

Smax,

there's a FAQ here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/dvc/faq.shtml).

My understanding is that you buy some points -
you have to buy at least 150 points. #Each point costs $80 so minimum investment would be $12,000.

Then when you want to stay at Disney, #rather than spending money, #you spend points #
there's a calculator you can use to know how many points a night costs.Calculator (http://www.wdwinfo.com/resort/dvcpoint.shtml)

So, #you might get a room for 10 points per night, #or it might be 100 points per night, #depends on the size of the room, and the time of year. #Also, #they aren't ordinary rooms, #they are villas with kitchen facilites and washing machines etc.

So, #you pay for your accomodation with these points, #and then each year you get 150 more points.

It gets quite complicated with borrowing and banking points - but I think that's the general idea.

Bev

[Hil]

The short version? - You pay Disney lots of $s, then look forward to another 40 years of Disney vacations! .

The slightly longer version is much as Bev has already said, but you also have to figure in the 'annual dues' which are the maintenance fees for the points you own. #The dues vary slightly according to the resort at which you own your points, but they are around the $3.25 to $3.85 mark per point. #So for your minimum 150 points you'd be getting an annual bill of around $525. #This amount will vary from year to year as the actual costs of running the resorts vary, but they are not a profit-making excercise and can only reflect the true costs incurred by Disney.

Although you buy points attached to a particular resort (Old Key West, Villas Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk Villas, BeachClub Villas, Hilton Head Island, Vero Beach), you can use your points to book accommodation at any of the resorts, although there are slight differences on the time scale for doing this at a resort other than your 'home'.  You can also use your points to exchange for weeks at any of the other WDW resorts, the Disney Cruise and other locations worldwide, although these are not the most economical use of points, but are great as an option.

As an example of how the points can work, last year we stayed for 6 nights in a Studio at OKW (more like an average hotel room than the larger villas) last October and used the princely sum of 61 points. #This October we're taking the whole family with us and have a villa to sleep 12 in OKW, but one week will cost us 372 points! #We've been able to find enough points by the banking and borrowing that Bev mentioned.

Any more questions, fire away!

[Carole]

You had no problems getting the grand villa then, Hil? I know you were a bit concerned about getting the nights that you wanted.

[Hil]

LOL Carole! #Actually, at the moment I've 'only' got five of the seven nights I want. #

I was able to get the first four nights at the 7-month window by phoning every day, and I then waitlisted for the last three nights. #Then I decided I'd do better by waitlisting for the days individually, but didn't want to risk having just an odd day elsewhere. #So I waitlisted the fifth day on its own (are you following me here? #. #), and that came through within a couple of weeks - so I now have five nights in the GV.

For the last two nights I decided that if we couldn't get both of them in the GV I'd rather be shifting out for two nights than just one on its own, so have stuck to waitlisting the two nights together - and I'm still waiting (hopefully! ). #If the last two nights never materialise then we'll be having a couple of nights in three studios at VWL instead (my back-up ressie made at 11 months). #Who knows, by the fifth night all together in the GV that may not seem like such a bad idea! #.

[SMAX]

Sounds far too complicated for me - I'll stick to electronics engineering thanks.

[Carole]

Five out of seven sounds good. And at least you've got a back up plan. And those villas do look very very nice.....

Simon, that all makes perfect sense. Not complicated at all .