"I got my deal" - a hidden benefit of DVC?

[skier_pete]

I was talking to my wife last night about our DVC contract, and I realized something that hadn't occurred to me - a somewhat hidden benefit of being a DVC member.

Before we were DVC members, we would bend over backwards to arrange our trips so we got a good deal. We would travel a lot of times for Free Dining. One trip we had 2 nights on a room only, and then 7 nights with a free dining package, but we had to pick up the tickets 2 days early, which took a good hour, and then when we switch from the room only to the package it was another 2 hours fixing the mess that occurred when we had already gotten our tickets. We'd move trips to match the best deal.

Since being DVC - all of that goes away and I just think "I got my deal". My discount is on my room, and sure if DVC has a ticket deal that we can take advantage of, we do, but we don't rearrange our trips around it. We just look at the dates that work best for us - and we book it. Sure we might have to play the "7-month switch" game, but that doesn't seem as bad as praying that free dining is going to work for you.

Does anyone else find this as well? That the booking process is less stressful with DVC? Or do you think the DVC booking process MORE stressful? Do you think of this as a benefit?

 

[CarolMN]

Congratulations - you've discovered the real "best-kept secret"!

I've felt the same way since 1999, when I realized that I no longer had to participate in the "dialing for discounts" competition. And since we come back often, I no longer had to join the "dialing derbiy" for those select, very popular ADRs, either. Of course, now it's all done mostly online, but still, LOL. Gives us plenty of time to just sit back and enjoy all the little things we used to just walk past on our way to the rides.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO DVC causes you to vacation more and it has it's own set of "must do's". Dates to kept track of, dealing with magic events, dates, and calling, website issues, different but still more to do.

Bill

 

[kboo]

Before we were DVC members, we would bend over backwards to arrange our trips so we got a good deal.

Exactly this. When our 1st was not in real school, we would go at off times and get the email code for 35% off at deluxe resorts. And a hotel room feels pretty spacious when you're just sharing it with a 3 year old. But once she started real school, we became much more limited in the times we could travel, and it really helped to have at least our hotel set for our planned Disney trips.

And to Bill's point above, since we know we are coming back (again and again), if we don't get the dining reservation we want, it is no big deal because we will get to it "next time." And with the TP reservation finder, we have never been locked out. Right now, since we are going during kids' school breaks, there usually aren't any magic events times, and they couldn't stay up too late anyway. We're very happy we got DVC, though now I wish I'd bought more BLT points when they were hovering around $100.

 

[pineapplepalms]

We used to get pretty good room discounts through runDisney since we would usually go for races and stay for vacation. After having DS2 we started going without those discounts and discovered DVC, and it's so nice to know we can now stay in 1BR and 2BR villas for much less than we could on cash.

While there is a bit of a learning curve with DVC, so far we've already booked several trips and it really hasn't been hard to navigate.

 

[gillep]

I was talking to my wife last night about our DVC contract, and I realized something that hadn't occurred to me - a somewhat hidden benefit of being a DVC member.

Before we were DVC members, we would bend over backwards to arrange our trips so we got a good deal. We would travel a lot of times for Free Dining. One trip we had 2 nights on a room only, and then 7 nights with a free dining package, but we had to pick up the tickets 2 days early, which took a good hour, and then when we switch from the room only to the package it was another 2 hours fixing the mess that occurred when we had already gotten our tickets. We'd move trips to match the best deal.

Since being DVC - all of that goes away and I just think "I got my deal". My discount is on my room, and sure if DVC has a ticket deal that we can take advantage of, we do, but we don't rearrange our trips around it. We just look at the dates that work best for us - and we book it. Sure we might have to play the "7-month switch" game, but that doesn't seem as bad as praying that free dining is going to work for you.

Does anyone else find this as well? That the booking process is less stressful with DVC? Or do you think the DVC booking process MORE stressful? Do you think of this as a benefit?

YES. We are still at the point that we don't have quite enough points to cover all our trips, and it is so annoying trying to chase discounts and change resorts based on budget when discounts come out. I much prefer to just book what I want with my points and be done with it.

 

[Bing Showei]

Does anyone else find this as well? That the booking process is less stressful with DVC? Or do you think the DVC booking process MORE stressful? Do you think of this as a benefit?

I think you get out what you put in.

A lot of people seem really relaxed and just book at 11-months. Done. Or they are ok with trying to swap out at 7-months. If it works out, great, if not, great.

I’m type A and fixated on tracking availability into DVC as soon as I bought in and had access to the RAT. DVC gives the OCD population all the tools needed to obsess away. So on top of 180-day ADR, 60-day FP+, now taking into account the possible permutations of these variables depending on whether or not one can swap out resorts 7 months Sept-Jan... yeah, not less stressful for me.

 

[kboo]

I think you get out what you put in.

A lot of people seem really relaxed and just book at 11-months. Done. Or they are ok with trying to swap out at 7-months. If it works out, great, if not, great.

I’m type A and fixated on tracking availability into DVC as soon as I bought in and had access to the RAT. DVC gives the OCD population all the tools needed to obsess away. So on top of 180-day ADR, 60-day FP+, now taking into account the possible permutations of these variables depending on whether or not one can swap out resorts 7 months Sept-Jan... yeah, not less stressful for me.

Ha. I would argue that DVC gives me a sanctioned outlet for my OCD tendencies so I exercise them less in other aspects of life.

As of right now, I am definitely in the "book at 11 months, and maybe switch at 7, but happy to stay at home resort if it doesn't work out." Maybe in several years when my kids are "over" WDW I may think differently, but right now we are still finding plenty to enjoy at our home resorts and at the parks. We are already on the downhill curve of no longer needing strollers and diapers and naps, so we are in the golden period of DVC use, I think.

 

[Kim Gillihan]

I think you get out what you put in.

A lot of people seem really relaxed and just book at 11-months. Done. Or they are ok with trying to swap out at 7-months. If it works out, great, if not, great.

I’m type A and fixated on tracking availability into DVC as soon as I bought in and had access to the RAT. DVC gives the OCD population all the tools needed to obsess away. So on top of 180-day ADR, 60-day FP+, now taking into account the possible permutations of these variables depending on whether or not one can swap out resorts 7 months Sept-Jan... yeah, not less stressful for me.

lol, this is me!

 

[skier_pete]

Ha. I would argue that DVC gives me a sanctioned outlet for my OCD tendencies so I exercise them less in other aspects of life.

As of right now, I am definitely in the "book at 11 months, and maybe switch at 7, but happy to stay at home resort if it doesn't work out." Maybe in several years when my kids are "over" WDW I may think differently, but right now we are still finding plenty to enjoy at our home resorts and at the parks. We are already on the downhill curve of no longer needing strollers and diapers and naps, so we are in the golden period of DVC use, I think.

This is sort of my attitude to...if I know that it is "busy" season - I just stay at my home resort. If it's a slower time, I figure I'll be able to switch. The only time that I really ever felt stress, and it wasn't that much, was when we were trying to get into the VGC and couldn't and had to waitlist. We eventually got it with 33 days to go, but by that point no stress because we already had other plans.

 

[DougEMG]

Prior to owning DVC we typically went with a Free Dining Discount (back when it included everything). With DVC we realized that we would be getting the equivalent to a free dining discount all the time, whenever we went. So no more worrying about discounts. I just book at 11 months and then make any changes at 7 months if possible. Since we always book BWV at 11 months, I don't ever worry about what I can switch to at 7 months. So no stress ever.

The only stress that comes into booking DVC is when you do it under the 7 month window, then you have more limited or more expensive options only to pick from.

 

[Sleepy Sheep]

Ha. I would argue that DVC gives me a sanctioned outlet for my OCD tendencies so I exercise them less in other aspects of life.

Exactly! Besides it gives me a hobby.

 

[SL6827]

IMO DVC causes you to vacation more and it has it's own set of "must do's". Dates to kept track of, dealing with magic events, dates, and calling, website issues, different but still more to do.


Calling guest services from the Grand Cayman was quite fun this week. But I got what I wanted in return for my time.

 

[abbysmama]

We also find it less stressful to plan a trip. We also don't mind resort hopping and do it often when it is just us. Last year we did that with out grandson and was upgraded at Poly to a bungalow. It was awesome and my grandson didn't want to go anywhere except the pool for those 2 days. We also vacation about 3 times a year now.

 

[dd08]

To OP:
Yes that is one of the many hidden benefits

I have never really understood the constant complaints from some regarding DVC.

If owning DVC is such a troublesome issue, why keep it?

 

[Littlelulu01]

I’ve found as my kids grew older and now have very busy schedules that planning in advance is frustrating and not conducive for changes.

 

[ScubaCat]

To OP:
Yes that is one of the many hidden benefits

I have never really understood the constant complaints from some regarding DVC.

If owning DVC is such a troublesome issue, why keep it?

That's what the internet is for!