Disney Vacation Club How Much $ Can You Save Renting, Resale or Direct Purchase? | Is DVC Worth It?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

What cost comparison would you like to see next? Let us know!

[@Bobswatercooler]

I am thinking a Bungalow the week of December 25th through Jan 1st haha 😂 I can’t even think how expensive that would be!

[@ardi2940]

I think I would like to see a value comparison... Maybe Art of Animation compared with a lower cost DVC?

[@jcbnyc2009]

Using SSR points at VGG and vice versa.

[@choreomaniac]

I would like to see how a value resort or a moderate resort factor in. Is it possible that a dvc could save over 21 years of going to Art of Animation instead? I picked AofA because it is a value plus resort and has the new Skyliner direct to Epcot and Hollywood studios. If you don’t mind going there, should you even consider DVC?

[@choreomaniac]

@@ardi2940 yes. Maybe with OKW. Also a “cheap” DVC with a 2042 vs a 2060+ I’m guessing the extra 20 plus years makes them a better value even though the point buy initially is much higher.

[@ShayneSplaining]

This was amazing. Thank you. I would love to see the same video vs a moderate resort stay.

[@katherinedeliberatefare]

This is the best explanation of DVC vs cash/rack rate. Thank you!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I’m so glad that you found it to be helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@sarahwilson2663]

This was excellent! Awesome graphs.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

So glad you found it helpful! The numbers continue to change over time (pricing all goes up), but the general trend lines pretty much remain the same.

[@kdillenbeck89]

I just found your channel a few days ago as I dissect everything about DVC. This was my favorite video so far, really great info! They have all been very helpful, but seeing this visual really puts it in perspective! Thank you!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I’m so glad you found it to be helpful. Best wishes on your DVC journey! 👍

[@patm95]

This is the best channel for researching dvc. Watching your videos motivated us to buy a BWV contract recently. Hope to buy direct riviera contract eventually. Thank you for your time in making these videos!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I'm so glad that you found our info to be helpful. Best wishes on your DVC journey!

[@nickhudeck8281]

Amazing rundown of all of the options

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks! We really appreciate you watching our video! Best wishes!

[@ardi2940]

Great video very useful information!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching.

[@rachelpompetti8410]

This video and the graphs were very helpful. I like to study things with the emotions clouding judgement/observations so listening to your explanation of this calmly helped me tremendously. Thank you for putting this together.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks so much for watching! Even though there is certainly an element of emotion in the decision of whether to buy DVC, we are very much data-driven decision makers. We're so glad we could give you helpful info. Best wishes!

[@PatrickJaszewski]

I'm loving the detail of your videos. Thanks!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for that feedback! Our goal is to make videos with the kind of data that WE wanted when we were considering purchasing DVC. We’re so glad it’s helpful to you.

[@PatrickJaszewski]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic - It's really helpful. I'm bingeing all of your videos now :)

[@Bobswatercooler]

Great video!! I am really proud of the graphs!! I think it really helps explain things.

[@mollyoreilly9670]

What a great breakdown! Now…how do I get my husband to watch this??🤔😅

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Lol! That IS the challenge, right? Of course the numbers are a bit out of date on this video now, but they still ring true. DVC prices have increased, as have hotel prices. Thanks so much for watching. Don't worry - we've got no shortage of videos with DVC data for you! 😎👍

[@spicymchaggis5659]

You guys do a great job at breaking down the cost. You should do a vlog on why people spend so much when there are thousands of cheaper options in Orlando. Way nicer time shares with more to do on resort or just hotels or house rentals. The excuse of we just live Disney doesn’t cut. We love Disney also.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I don't disagree. There are many very nice options for less money in Orlando and I've stayed in many different hotels/resorts in the area in my life, BUT once I stayed on property, the proximity and convenience were game-changers. Being able to walk to the theme park or take a boat/monorail/Skyliner made it quick and easy for us to take breaks/naps/pool time. Especially traveling with young children, it made the entire vacation so much easier and more relaxing. I'm willing to pay for that convenience. In the end, it's a matter of location for me. For others, it may not matter as much. It's a matter of personal preference. Thank you for watching.

[@spicymchaggis5659]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic that right there is at least a good well thought out answer. All my friends that are DVC just say “it’s Disney “. To each there own. Hey. I have a Westgate timeshare and people think I’m crazy for that. Keep up the good work.

[@JustinCredible31]

But that IS the reason we decide to spend more, because it is Disney. There are much better vacation spots and even better theme parks, but the draw and magic of Disney is what keeps us coming back.

[@bethmorse5444]

Liven your videos! I love that you picked Beach Resort- that’s my events plan!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks so much for watching! 😎👍

[@choreomaniac]

Now if you add in annual passes and assume that the direct benefit of a gold annual pass remains, buying direct is better if we assume a $1200 platinum pass and a $600 gold pass both increasing at 5.5 percent. In 21 years the price difference is nearly 2000 dollars. And for a family of four that’s 8k in savings per year. That obliterates any savings with resale. So if you are planning on going to the parks as a family more than 8-9 days a year (outside of the blackout dates) and don’t live in Florida then direct makes more sense. Especially if you consider the ease of purchase and the ability to choose use year and dividing the points how you want. Also, throw in one trip to Tokyo Disney which you can use direct points but not resale and direct wins. I probably won’t buy annual and can’t right now even if I wanted. But in ten years I might I’d my income is higher and ticket prices higher. And I would love to go to visit Tokyo DisneySea. And finally in 15 years, there might be 3 resorts other than the Riviera that resale members can’t go to. As each new resort is built, and especially as old ones are retired and rebuilt, the value of resold owns to down. Imagine in 2042 when the only choice for resale resorts are the ones that are 25 years old.

[@Bobswatercooler]

All great points there are really great advantages to buying direct, we didn’t include those in the analysis because at any point Disney can and will change the member benefits. Who knows if demand is high enough potentially Disney could discontinue the annual pass benefits to DVC member. Let’s hope that never happens, but it could! Thanks for the really insightful comments! I am glad to see we are not the only Disney data hounds! Hehe

[@EatLiveandLove]

Wow this is such informative video..the graphs helped to understand the things you are talking about even better..💕

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching! 👍

[@Bobswatercooler]

Glad you liked it!!

[@MinnieMelly]

Such an awesome video! Thank you for breaking down the numbers and making it easier to understand our options!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@ericwillison1389]

There are a lot of nice hotels around Disney world with reasonable nightly rates. I am a dvc member but when I am low on points I go to Caribe Royale which is 180 or so per night for a suite with 2 queen beds and a sleeper sofa.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

That’s definitely a great option. We really value quick access to the parks via walking, boat, monorail or Skyliner, so staying on property is a priority for us. We also fly to Disney World (and sometimes Disneyland), so we never have a car and rely on Disney transportation.

[@vaderfluffy]

Nice job guys. Appreciate the comparison. This is something that I have wanted to do but now you have saved me the effort :)

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Glad we could help! 👍 Thanks so much for watching.

[@LeahStukov]

Thank you so much for sharing, we were so curious about the DVC but this gave us so much insight with the pricing and saved us having to go through their presentation!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

We’re so glad to help! We’re not timeshare people - this is the only one that we would ever purchase. It IS different from other timeshares but ultimately, it still IS a timeshare. It’s really a matter of how you like to vacation and whether it fits your needs. Hopefully we gave you some good comparisons and alternatives. If you’re looking for more info, we have more videos on DVC in our playlists. Best wishes!

[@ReggisVsgCloset]

Oh wow So much great info I always see the DVC stands but never stop to see what its about. Great collab with your hubby. His t-shirt is so fun!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Hey, thanks so much for watching! I’m glad that you like his shirt - I made it. I hope you’re having fun with your month of Disney videos! ❤️

[@Bobswatercooler]

Thanks! I love my monorail t-shirt!! 🚄

[@choreomaniac]

It seems the cheapest option for someone who just wants a cheap place to stay on property is to look for rental deals. It seems there are often members who are desperate to rent before their points expire and might unload for $15-16 per point. But you might only get Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. And if that’s the case, you can buy them for $100/point on resale.

[@blave8730]

One other line to chart is investing that $25k in the stock market at a conservative 8% annual return. This means over 21 years your investment will grow to $125k at the end of 21 years. That could be added into the DVC cash stay making the actual total cost a lot less. How much less depends on how much you eat into that investment going to Disney World.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

You make a good point about eating into that investment by spending on trips to Disney World. 👍 And you're right about the investment, but there's definitely an emotional component to buying DVC as well. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@choreomaniac]

Here’s a similar analysis done by CR five years ago. Observe that if they sold their contract today it would fetch about the same price they paid for it so break even would be year one! And that’s buying direct with financing. If they bought resale in cash they would spend maybe 25 thousand less in just 5 years.

[@HappiestGirlsonEarth]

Dvc has always been so confusing to me especially with renting points so this video helped a lot! If I ever decide to rent I got to be careful of what they say on the website.. awesome video!

[@Bobswatercooler]

Thanks! Yeah it can all be a bit confusing, I am glad we can help everyone understand it a bit better!!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching! Yes, renting has it’s pitfalls but it’s still a great option.

[@CarouselofDouglas]

I think the cost comparison of a DVC Rental Stay versus a Good Neighbor stay might be interesting to look into... perhaps even an AirBnB visit. I can also attest to the rental tip. It works great, and saves SO much money.

[@Bobswatercooler]

Yeah I think points rental is a great option, but I think the best rooms will be difficult to get even with a long notice. I probably should have tacked on an extra 10% for not getting a less expensive room. Yeah, I think a good neighbor stay compared with a value and an Airbnb might be a good comparison. Of course I think I would add a Disney daily parking cost to a good neighbor stay...as I think their shuttles will likely be few and far between....

[@CarouselofDouglas]

@@Bobswatercooler we’ve been able to rent exactly the room we wanted every time, to be honest. You’re right about Beach Club being tough, though!!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Good suggestion! We may do that one in the future.

[@johnsneade2995]

Would love to see this on a property that has many more years left

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you for the suggestion! 👍 Any specific requests?

[@johnsneade2995]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic animal kingdom lodge would be a good one I think

[@gamorine1700]

Love the video, thank you making it! Can you attach the graph document to the video so we can make a copy for our own use?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I’ll check with my husband and see if he can make a version that can be easily shared.

[@gamorine1700]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic thank you so much! I'm talking this over with my wife and want to present her with as much data as possible.

[@HeartlandFamilyAdventures]

Great video, really like the option of renting for us, often all you will get is Saratoga or maybe OKW but that’s ok for us. Certainly see the value of owning DVC though, great option if you ok with the commitment.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yes, I think it can be tricky to get the more in-demand resorts as renters but it's still a great value with no commitment! Thank you so much for watching!

[@jcbnyc2009]

Nobody pays rack rates, so thank you for factoring in a discount.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Absolutely! I think it’s a bit deceptive when Disney shows comparisons using rack rates. We wanted to be more accurate. Thanks for watching!

[@PieDefender]

For the Disney DIRECT line, how many points were purchased?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

The assumption here is that someone had purchased 100 points, which is what was needed for the week long stay.

[@Kierymarie]

I'd be interested in seeing a chart like this but including the other levels of resorts. Is there ever a time along DVC contract life where a value resort could end up more expensive?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Good idea! We have been thinking about doing a comparison between value, moderate and DVC. I think that would be really helpful for prospective DVC members.

[@VillainsandVice]

Great video! I’ve never rented DVC points, but we miss Club Level so we were thinking of going that route until Club Level comes back!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Interestingly enough, DVC only offers club level at Animal Kingdom Lodge but I’m not even sure if they’re actually offering the club level services yet. I would have to look into that. Thanks so much for watching! 👍

[@BougieBigE]

How many trips would it take to be "worth it" if you were staying at Pop or All Stars and buying in to Riviera (or whatever new DVC will be sold soon with GF2.). My sister is value resort focused, but they, of course, loved staying with us at Riviera in a 2-bedroom our past trip. I think they're interested but would want to know around what trip number would you reach the axis to go over to DVC.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Good question... we have a video where we make a comparison to a moderate resort here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKndaX1nZZxprqc but we haven't done one yet on value resorts. It's definitely on our list! The "break even" point for that would obviously be longer than for the moderate resorts.

[@ChrisHodges87]

Very helpful video. Thank you. When I bought our DVC contract at Boardwalk in 2000 I created a similar chart to yours but I did not have the pay in cash option at a DVC room. I’m not sure that existed then. I compared it to a hotel room. Your comparison to the cash option is more accurate. The one calculation I did make that I found a little less comforting was to take the initial contract price and assume I had put that money in the stock market instead. If you assume an average rate of return in the market over time of 6-8% the opportunity cost of putting your money in the DVC contract becomes less compelling. In the end I came to the conclusion that I would still save quite a bit of money but not in the same magnitude as your chart shows. I figured the market could also fall e.g. 2008 and I would still have a DVC home. Bottom line: I love what you guys are doing, I’m not an excel pro and my wife and I could not be happier with our DVC investment. (Fingers in my ears as current political activism clouds the brand)

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I’m glad you’ve found it helpful. We need to do another video with some more up-to-date numbers. Still a good deal, though!

[@WDWAO]

Interesting video, with some food for thought. I'm unconvinced that DVC is right for me, at this time though. I did rent DVC points for my last trip, but it had to be cancelled. So I have a credit note to use for my next trip, just as soon as the borders open up again :D

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I think for international guests, it doesn't always make sense to buy DVC. You'd have to have very specific travel habits for it to be worthwhile. Sounds like you'll have some fun using that rental credit, though! Thanks for watching.

[@susanmarie5657]

Do the graphs include maintenance fees and property taxes ?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

The property taxes are part of the maintenance fees and the graphs include ALL of these expenses.

[@Chili327]

So helpful to understand the total cost, & long term value, but wondering if "dues" were included in the total cost of DVC numbers.? (both direct and resale). If not, a new video including that would be great, and maybe some other hypothetical trip combos.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yes, we did factor dues into these numbers, assuming a 5.5% increase each year.

[@DreamfindingwithFrances]

My parents bought in Hilton Head in 2001. I definitely think it was worth it then, not so much now.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

We’re all SO jealous of the people who bought in early on. They got an AMAZING deal! I’ve concluded that the best time to buy DVC is always YESTERDAY! Lol! Thanks for watching. BTW - I love your “Dreamfinding” name! I’m a huge Figment fan! 💜

[@jcbnyc2009]

Dues are high

[@themagicliveshere1646]

I've always wanted to do this. But reading through the fine print is unbearable! Thanks for this!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

We study, so you don’t have to! 🤓👍

[@choreomaniac]

What were the assumptions behind the rental scenario? I’ve seen rentals from 18-20 dollars a point. Then did you do 5.5 percent increase per year? What was your base number?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

The assumptions were $20 per point for rental and a 5.5% increase per year. He used $20 because that is the cost for a "premium" location through David's DVC Rental. The cost for the initial stay was $2,000.

[@Bobswatercooler]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic yep exactly!

[@adriennesmith.artist]

Knowing that it is expensive, but, I had no idea just HOW expensive it is to go. Poor parents. A lot of people must have to save up a ton to go.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Keep in mind that this is for a deluxe resort at Disney. They have value and moderate resorts as well, which are priced lower. This is also looking at 21 years of vacations, so you have to put that into perspective. Thank you so much for watching!

[@littlemissnobuy6164]

It can be really eye opening to compare a per night stay on resale vs direct new offer. Resale is more expensive per night if you consider how many total life of contract nights.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yeah, it really depends on the resort and the remaining number of years on the contract. I should do a video on the best "value" DVC resort to buy. Thanks so much for watching!

[@cyrano661]

Interesting but you are not taking in consideration the money you would make by investing the initial 30k or 40k in stocks. I can easily invest this money in some blue chip stocks and make on average 10%. That’s between 3 and 4 thousand dollars a year. I’m not saying that because of this DVC doesn’t make financial sense but it narrows the margin quite a bit.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

You’re right but we’re comparing the cost of hotel rooms vs. DVC. This comparison is for people who are ALREADY spending that money on hotel rooms rather than investing it. They could certainly choose to invest it instead but that’s not the focus of this particular video. Thank you for watching and thanks for your feedback!

[@TeacupForOne]

I know this has nothing to do with anything, but the DVC always stresses me out because it makes me think about what my finances will be like in 20-50 years 😂 Wow it makes a huge difference seeing all the info visualized like this...I’m not DVC would ever be a great option for me since my trips are generally pretty spontaneous, but at the same time....DVC resale is pretty tempting.... I know Disney would never do this, but I’d love it if they had a Value Disney Vacation Club where I could just stay in a Little Mermaid room for the next 21 years.

[@Bobswatercooler]

Yeah a value DVC would be great but this is a “profit deal” hehe 😜 so not likely! Also the little mermaid rooms are great except for the 3 story Ursula that haunts my dreams!!! Hehe

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I KNOW you must sing "Part of That World" in that shower in the Little Mermaid room every time! I know I do!

[@nickespino13]

Hi! Is it worth having the Disney vacation club member if my whole family of 7-11 Persons. Go twice or 3 times a year? For the next couple years.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

That's a tough question. It sounds like you travel to Disney frequently but I'm not sure if it's as good a value if you don't plan to travel there long-term. The really big savings with DVC come after a few years, so the savings may not be as significant for you. I would suggest that you consider purchasing a resale contract in order to maximize your savings, if you decide to go the DVC route.

[@nickespino13]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic I wanted to get much info as I can before we consider to purchase DVC. It was our 1st visit at WDW 2 weeks ago and we had a blast.. my kids our still very young age 3 and 1 and I also have my own siblings that go to.. if we go every year twice a year for the next 20+ years. Is it worth having for 7-11 persons. Given that we would stay at least 10 days or 2 weeks tops. 😊

[@CarlosPerez-nr6pt]

Great video! I’m just like your husband. I’m very data driven.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

We didn’t set out to be the “DVC Data People” but that may be what we are becoming! Lol! 😆