DVC Snobs

[Dean Marino]

I don't consider myself a snob, I am a carpenter, worked hard and still working hard too be able to afford DVC trips. What I do consider myself is fortunate. I am a middle class kinda guy, not rich in finances, and according to the fed. govt., I am considered poor. But I live a good life, and am blessed beyond measure. I was lucky enough to join DVC when it was still affordable. I feel for those who buy in these days at such a high price.

Where the word "snob" does settle in with me is the accommodations provided by DVC. I find myself constantly comparing any other accommodations to DVC. And most never live up to those standards.

As for what the original poster overheard, I don't doubt it! Unfortunately, there are folks like that everywhere, who feel they are better than others. I have experienced it as my trade means I very often am dressed in work cloths that may have dust, dirt, paint, etc. on them. I can't dress in a suit to install cabinets, that would be not so smart. But after doing this job all my life, believe me, I know when I get looked down on! I also know when someone thinks they are smarter than me because of what they do or where they live, or how they talk, or how much they make. We as humans have a very strange way of setting ourselves on a pedestal, but we can be knocked down with life. God has a way of humbling us for sure.

I like this . Retired Chemist with a PhD & doing well.... but I dress, most times, as I did when I worked the fields in CA . I clean up well when I must wear a suit for V&A .

When we get folks in to work on our house? I grab tools & help them . And NONE of these folks are in any way "dumb" - I've learned a LOT from them. Wold do the work myself, if I were younger, and had the know how.

So - ex busboy, field hand, looks like a bum most days, Retired Chemist.... DVC owner, but not looking down on ANYONE. I just studied a lot.... .

 

[Ben E N]

I like this . Retired Chemist with a PhD & doing well.... but I dress, most times, as I did when I worked the fields in CA . I clean up well when I must wear a suit for V&A .

When we get folks in to work on our house? I grab tools & help them . And NONE of these folks are in any way "dumb" - I've learned a LOT from them. Wold do the work myself, if I were younger, and had the know how.

So - ex busboy, field hand, looks like a bum most days, Retired Chemist.... DVC owner, but not looking down on ANYONE. I just studied a lot.... .

I loved reading both yours and jimmytammy's comments, not just from a DVC standpoint, but from a where we should see other people standpoint.
We all have been raised differently, had different life experiences, and know more about some things and less about other things than everybody we meet. None of those make us better than or worse than others. The sooner people learn to accept that, going both ways, the happier they will be.

By the way - Teacher, former maintenance worker, pizza delivery driver, stagehand, farmhand, house painter, grocery store cashier, and paper delivery guy here. I've loved meeting and talking to people in all of these fields.

 

[lovethesun12]

I like this . Retired Chemist with a PhD & doing well....

By the way - Teacher, former maintenance worker, pizza delivery driver, stagehand, farmland, house painter, grocery store cashier, and pizza delivery guy here. I've loved meeting and talking to people in all of these fields.

As an aside I feel like a combination of you both - chemistry (degree) teacher

 

[Mazz519]

People suck and there are so many people that think they are better than others simply because of what they can afford... pretty crappy way to live, but its done everyday

 

[mco65]

My wife can be snobbish towards me, does that count?

I work from home and am not that concerned about dress and looks so much. My wife is corporate and always dresses snazzy.. you see us out and you think professional lady and her handy man... she gives that funny look sometimes to, not the good one either.....

 

[Murron]

My wife can be snobbish towards me, does that count?

I work from home and am not that concerned about dress and looks so much. My wife is corporate and always dresses snazzy.. you see us out and you think professional lady and her handy man... she gives that funny look sometimes to, not the good one either.....

omg this. is. us.

 

[jimmytammy]

You folks are too funny
Too add to the lists of jobs, I also was a school bus driver(back in the old days when they let students drive), a bus boy(very briefly) and a cook at Pizza Hut while attending college

 

[SL6827]

I like this . Retired Chemist with a PhD & doing well.... but I dress, most times, as I did when I worked the fields in CA . I clean up well when I must wear a suit for V&A .

When we get folks in to work on our house? I grab tools & help them . And NONE of these folks are in any way "dumb" - I've learned a LOT from them. Wold do the work myself, if I were younger, and had the know how.

So - ex busboy, field hand, looks like a bum most days, Retired Chemist.... DVC owner, but not looking down on ANYONE. I just studied a lot.... .

Reminds me of my husband a bit. He is the biggest hillbilly, redneck, electrical engineer you will find. But he will never hire anyone to do much of anything, because he knows how to do it all. And I am serious. He gets really annoyed at other men that don't know how to do the same things and I try to install in him that not everyone is as enabled as he is and gifted as he is. But he will tell you real quick that he is not a desk hugger engineer, he will get out with his employees and work along side of them. But he is extremely hillbilly and redneck though. LoL.

 

[SL6827]

We also raised cattle up until about a year ago. That was until he bought a lake lot on Lake Weiss in Alabama and pretty much lives there on the weekends during the warmer months. He doesn't have time for both now. But we still have our tractors, one horse and a mini donkey.

 

[SL6827]

We as humans have a very strange way of setting ourselves on a pedestal, but we can be knocked down with life. God has a way of humbling us for sure.

Amen!

 

[Quiksilvr]

Funny thread. Hilarious OP. The notion that anyone could feel snobby about DVC membership made me laugh, so thanks for that. I'm a corporate lawyer. Partner at a very large US law firm (I'll put it this way, only junior partners make six figures. Everyone else makes seven). You should see the wrinkled, pinched look that most of my partners get on their faces when I say I'm going to WDW and staying using my DVC points! Most of them wouldn't be caught dead within 50 miles of a Disney property. They spend their vacations in the Maldives or other similar exotic locales.

But I love Disney. Always have. Grew up extremely middle-class and pinch myself regularly to remind myself how lucky I am. DVC snobs. LOL. I'm going to be chuckling over that one for a while.

 

[CraigInPA]

You should see the wrinkled, pinched look that most of my partners get on their faces when I say I'm going to WDW and staying using my DVC points!

While you think it's because they wouldn't be caught dead at WDW, it's actually because they were expecting you to work during your "vacation". While they sip wine on the veranda overlooking the ocean in Bali and reviewing the work of the associates, they know that you won't be able to put in your regular 14 hour day while you're at WDW.

 

[kboo]

Most of the partners in my [very large US] law firm make 6 figures ... but also grew up extremely middle class, are younger than the average law firm partner, and they are envious of my DVC! put another way, I've already got people offering to rent points we can't use. As if that will ever happen, lol.

 

[Quiksilvr]

While you think it's because they wouldn't be caught dead at WDW, it's actually because they were expecting you to work during your "vacation". While they sip wine on the veranda overlooking the ocean in Bali and reviewing the work of the associates, they know that you won't be able to put in your regular 14 hour day while you're at WDW.

Oh, no worries like that on my end. I'm a partner. That's why the others look at me funny. They can't understand why I would slum it at WDW. I have kids, which is one reason we go, but I loved going to WDW even before I had kids. I have a couple of partners who go once or twice if their kids push for it, but the rest of them pretend like WDW doesn't exist.

I should also note that being a partner doesn't mean you get to totally unplug. If I have a deal or something rolling along I have to stay connected. I've sat in on conference calls while standing in line for rides more than once.

 

[LaurenT]

It’s always interesting to see what people see as lower, upper and middle class. To own DVC most likely would be middle class as a minimum at some point but people float between classes largely depending on their choices. Once one gets into the upper class, many are still candidates for DVC if they’re on the lower end of that group but many aren’t, they just pay cash and don’t worry about it. For an individual often the definition of rich is someone who has more than they do (or is perceived to, often incorrectly). I like this model to look at a definition of middle class, http://money.cnn.com/infographic/economy/what-is-middle-class-anyway/index.html . If you use the asset model as the test, often even DVC members aren’t middle class as they often owe more than they own. IMO every middle class family has the opportunity to afford DVC but they may make choices that make it not feasible or they may just buy it anyway as we sometimes see here. I'd guess that most DVC owners are technically middle class.

that was interesting - by all three categories we're officially wealthy, but when I look at the future and calculate how far my money will get me - I don't feel rich at all. My husband earned very good money when he was able to work, but his Parkinson's has progressed and he can't really work anymore. I was a stay at home mom and then went to work in retail to help make us maintain the overhead we had accumulated for ourselves. We have money put away, but not millions ... I don't think anyone is really wealthy unless they can live off the interest of their savings - and you can only really do that if you have millions.
Anyway - who cares how much people have when they buy DVC? They love Disney so they're my kind of people.

 

[Dean]

that was interesting - by all three categories we're officially wealthy, but when I look at the future and calculate how far my money will get me - I don't feel rich at all. My husband earned very good money when he was able to work, but his Parkinson's has progressed and he can't really work anymore. I was a stay at home mom and then went to work in retail to help make us maintain the overhead we had accumulated for ourselves. We have money put away, but not millions ... I don't think anyone is really wealthy unless they can live off the interest of their savings - and you can only really do that if you have millions.
Anyway - who cares how much people have when they buy DVC? They love Disney so they're my kind of people.

The definition of wealthy is someone with more than I have, LOL. But it does illustrate the fact that it's perspective. Roughly 80% of the US has a net worth of zero or less and even most of those defined as in poverty in the US would be in the top 1% from a World perspective.

 

[kboo]

Oh, no worries like that on my end. I'm a partner. That's why the others look at me funny. They can't understand why I would slum it at WDW. I have kids, which is one reason we go, but I loved going to WDW even before I had kids. I have a couple of partners who go once or twice if their kids push for it, but the rest of them pretend like WDW doesn't exist.

I should also note that being a partner doesn't mean you get to totally unplug. If I have a deal or something rolling along I have to stay connected. I've sat in on conference calls while standing in line for rides more than once.

I've done pitches (or dealt with others doing the legwork) at Disney and on maternity leave (and at Disney while on maternity leave). Conference calls on the DME. We did a week-long cruise and while it was hard to unplug, and we didn't totally unplug, it was incredibly freeing to only check email (and respond only to the true emergencies) once during that week.

 

[keishashadow]

Be aware that in certain rarified circles buying any TS, even DVC, is considered very déclassé. evidenced by my mentioning it to a truly wealthy person I know and being told "isn't that special". Where's the emoji for a balloon slowly deflating? Lol It's all relative, I think owning DVC is very special indeed.

I get people are proud of their purchase/association with DVC. Do feel though it's much worse though when in close quarters cruising, where it's harder to escape. Every single sailing have run into braggarts crowing about their lofty level in the frequent guest program. The first time I had a fellow passenger ask me "what's your status" I thought it was a pickup line.

 

[CarolMN]

Be aware that in certain rarified circles buying any TS, even DVC, is considered very déclassé. .......(snip)......................

I learned a new word, today! Thank you. (Not sure if I will ever have need to use it myself, but at least I now know what it means, LOL)

dé·clas·sé
adjective

1. having fallen in social status.
   "his parents were poor and déclassé"

 

[Dean Marino]

Be aware that in certain rarified circles buying any TS, even DVC, is considered very déclassé. evidenced by my mentioning it to a truly wealthy person I know and being told "isn't that special". Where's the emoji for a balloon slowly deflating? Lol It's all relative, I think owning DVC is very special indeed.

I get people are proud of their purchase/association with DVC. Do feel though it's much worse though when in close quarters cruising, where it's harder to escape. Every single sailing have run into braggarts crowing about their lofty level in the frequent guest program. The first time I had a fellow passenger ask me "what's your status" I thought it was a pickup line.

How cute... MANY DVC Members did not inherit their cash.... we WORKED for it. I'll let the "truly wealthy" laugh at us .
The way to GET truly wealthy is to save, spend wisely, and not walk away from a good deal. Also a good way to STAY truly wealthy . Reference Warren Buffet.

Worth noting: déclassé definition: "having fallen in Social Status" . What? My dear wife and I never HAD any "Social Status" .
I think you found the REAL snob(s) . Perhaps Norma Desmond? .

I ran into this type as early as High School. The "Rich Kids". A guy that worked in the fields was clearly beneath them....

Guess who got the PhD, and who ended up going to Junior College .