VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.0) updated 21 June 2023

You're most welcome.
The number of owners and rooms is immensely different between AKV and VWL, but the method should apply without issue to BRV. The only location I've seen that breaks the pattern is the Grand Californian Villas, but that is an excessively high demand location. Even then, I'd still have faith that my room will come though. Positive attitudes yield positive results ;)

Actually, VGC is a breeze to book at 11 months. :goodvibes The exception may be D23 and a couple of holidays but that's it.
 


I am glad you asked that :).

First, we are not doing this... but here is why: We have hit "break-even", vs discounted Main WL Hotel Room cost. As of NOV 2018 trip? We MAKE money... about $2000 per trip.

Now, a lot of folks don't properly calculate what "break even" means. This is when that HUGE down payment + dues < DISCOUNTED Main Hotel Room Cost.
And the only real way to track this is to know what the "discounts" are for the Main Hotel.... year, after year, season after season...

I have a spreadsheet for this :). After NOV 2018 trip? I could sell all points for $1, triggering ROFR, and dumping that contract in a heartbeat :). With ZERO monetary loss :).

Now, why does this matter? EVERY YEAR that we keep DVC, from NOV 2018 on, we make SERIOUS money - because we were going to go ANYWAY :).
But key? People think that when they buy into DVC, they are STUCK for 20-30 years :).

One of the BEST elements of DVC is ROFR. Once you have (at least) WON? You have hit break-even? ENJOY it. Then, when you are a little too old, tired, your children don't want it? DUMP IT FOR $1.00 :). Watch WDW PANIC with ROFR :). In any case? No more dues :).

So many folks see ROFR as a barrier... folks, it's a "get out of jail FREE" card :). Enjoy WDW with DVC, until you tire of it - and WIN, economically. Then? Having won? Dump it if you have hit "break even", and really don't wish to go anymore :). Most classic condominiums ARE for "Life". DVC has a built in escape hatch.

ROFR is not a curse... it's an absolutely WONDERFUL ESCAPE HATCH, mis-engineered by WDW, that will allow a contract owner to run away, once they have hit that magic "break-even" point :).
You are :) with yourself, I take it.

You do realize that what you’re describing is cutting your nose to spite your :)?
 
Well, Groupies, it's almost the weekend! Luv is headed to the World in a month and staying at BLT. She's going with friends, and that extra bathroom will come in handy. Besides, apart from our home, BLT might be our second favorite DVC resort. No, the theming isn't as lovely as AKL, nor does it have the upscale feel of VGF; however, the location so close to MK and the extra bathrooms and the monorail access and the restaurants. . .well, it's kinda cool. Sadly, for moi, it's another 6 months before I drive onto Disney property. But, my first 9-week grading period is almost here. . .I'll be 1/4 of the way through the school year!
 
I am glad you asked that :).

First, we are not doing this... but here is why: We have hit "break-even", vs discounted Main WL Hotel Room cost. As of NOV 2018 trip? We MAKE money... about $2000 per trip.

Now, a lot of folks don't properly calculate what "break even" means. This is when that HUGE down payment + dues < DISCOUNTED Main Hotel Room Cost.
And the only real way to track this is to know what the "discounts" are for the Main Hotel.... year, after year, season after season...

I have a spreadsheet for this :). After NOV 2018 trip? I could sell all points for $1, triggering ROFR, and dumping that contract in a heartbeat :). With ZERO monetary loss :).

Now, why does this matter? EVERY YEAR that we keep DVC, from NOV 2018 on, we make SERIOUS money - because we were going to go ANYWAY :).
But key? People think that when they buy into DVC, they are STUCK for 20-30 years :).

One of the BEST elements of DVC is ROFR. Once you have (at least) WON? You have hit break-even? ENJOY it. Then, when you are a little too old, tired, your children don't want it? DUMP IT FOR $1.00 :). Watch WDW PANIC with ROFR :). In any case? No more dues :).

So many folks see ROFR as a barrier... folks, it's a "get out of jail FREE" card :). Enjoy WDW with DVC, until you tire of it - and WIN, economically. Then? Having won? Dump it if you have hit "break even", and really don't wish to go anymore :). Most classic condominiums ARE for "Life". DVC has a built in escape hatch.

ROFR is not a curse... it's an absolutely WONDERFUL ESCAPE HATCH, mis-engineered by WDW, that will allow a contract owner to run away, once they have hit that magic "break-even" point :).
My grandfather had the best definition of ‘break even’ when he translated the term in regards to my grandmother’s description of her Vegas trips - Grandma ran outta money when she ran outta time!
 


Did everybody see the news on the new parade coming out?

I haven't seen this either. Just rumors that "Disney is working on a new nighttime parade" but no details or timing. Tell us what you've heard! :chat:
 
Last edited:
I am glad you asked that :).

First, we are not doing this... but here is why: We have hit "break-even", vs discounted Main WL Hotel Room cost. As of NOV 2018 trip? We MAKE money... about $2000 per trip.

Now, a lot of folks don't properly calculate what "break even" means. This is when that HUGE down payment + dues < DISCOUNTED Main Hotel Room Cost.
And the only real way to track this is to know what the "discounts" are for the Main Hotel.... year, after year, season after season...

I have a spreadsheet for this :). After NOV 2018 trip? I could sell all points for $1, triggering ROFR, and dumping that contract in a heartbeat :). With ZERO monetary loss :).

Now, why does this matter? EVERY YEAR that we keep DVC, from NOV 2018 on, we make SERIOUS money - because we were going to go ANYWAY :).
But key? People think that when they buy into DVC, they are STUCK for 20-30 years :).

One of the BEST elements of DVC is ROFR. Once you have (at least) WON? You have hit break-even? ENJOY it. Then, when you are a little too old, tired, your children don't want it? DUMP IT FOR $1.00 :). Watch WDW PANIC with ROFR :). In any case? No more dues :).

So many folks see ROFR as a barrier... folks, it's a "get out of jail FREE" card :). Enjoy WDW with DVC, until you tire of it - and WIN, economically. Then? Having won? Dump it if you have hit "break even", and really don't wish to go anymore :). Most classic condominiums ARE for "Life". DVC has a built in escape hatch.

ROFR is not a curse... it's an absolutely WONDERFUL ESCAPE HATCH, mis-engineered by WDW, that will allow a contract owner to run away, once they have hit that magic "break-even" point :).


I see and agree that one of the great things is that DVC keeps value and is easily sold. I don't know that ROFR really impacts that - IMO the main factor is the continued appeal of onsite stays close to the most popular theme parks in the world. That is what supports the value of ownership as you've seen by keeping track of what cash stays would have cost vs your cost of purchase and ownership of DVC.

ROFR is only a concern to a buyer who worries that what they want will be taken by the mouse. And that appears to be an issue I see with your plan. Sure, someone might decided to give it a whirl at $1 but yes, Disney is almost certain to take it back so really, why even bother trying? Also, there's no need to dump it which is what the $1 sales scenario is doing - don't forget that a huge upside to DVC is the retained value. It would just be tossing money away. I'd recommend placing it for sale for an amount that things are realistically valuing it at. As a seller if it gets ROFR'd it doesn't matter because it will be sold at the same terms that the buyer agreed upon with you. There will be sales value there as long as the parks remain a popular destination and onsite also remains popular. So I say double the financial outcome from owning DVC and get even more of a payback on your ownership since it's there to have with no additional work vs dumping it for $1.

If everything tanks tremendously with WDW then even a $1 sale won't trigger ROFR as DVC won't want the points either.
 
I could sell all points for $1, triggering ROFR, and dumping that contract in a heartbeat :). With ZERO monetary loss :).

Very true, but as @KAT4DISNEY indicated, if you are going to get rid of it there is no need to do so for $1 unless that's where the market goes (it will approach this kind of value when there are only a couple of years left on the contract). Selling for $1 is just putting extra money in Disney's pocket since they would acquire points for $1 that they will turn around and sell for much, much more. So I understand that you have broken even with your investment, but no need to give it to Disney almost for free.

It would be like keeping a car for many years to where its trade-in value is only $3,000 or so. You wouldn't accept $1 for that trade-in for a new car, would you? I understand if you feel you've already gotten your full purchase price in value out of that car. But you'd just be giving the dealer a great $1 deal that he could turn around and re-sell for much more than $1.
 
I think one would not even find anyone willing to buy for $1. Someone who wants the points would want to have a higher price for a chance to pass ROFR. And someone not wanting them would not want the chance of actually ending up with the points and having to pay closing fees and such.
 
And in the continuing rumor area, it looks like Rafiki's Planet Watch & Conservation Station is going to shut down permanently in a few weeks. Here's the article from Kenny the Pirate:

https://www.kennythepirate.com/2018...nd-conservation-station-to-close-permanently/


I can't say that we'll miss this since in all of our trips I think we only got on the train one time. But it may point to a new attraction taking its place which is always exciting. Just another rumor that may have impact on our DVC ownership.


:chat:
 
Data Deleted. Hate mail again...

Was this necessary? This is why I rarely post.

I'm very sorry that you interpreted the posts that way Dean. I myself did not - not even a single little bit. I wrote one and can 100% tell you there was nothing hateful meant about it - just to not sell for $1! Perhaps it was confusion when you referred to dumping the DVC. Not a term that has really needed to apply to DVC except perhaps to some people during the recession who got in over their heads with financing of it and then lost jobs.

You got the DVC, it's paid itself back for you and you'll be ahead after November. Awesome! And, it's going to retain sales value for quite sometime is just what I and others believe. As you pointed out, that is unlike most other timeshares - it's different that way.
 
Last edited:
Was this necessary? This is why I rarely post.

I am sorry that you felt we were attacking you! I did not understand the replies to your posts that way and that’s why I added my comment. I found your opinion interesting and was just really wondering about it.
 
Oh @Dean Marino , I'm late, sorry I missed your analysis of break even. Typically I love these things as I'm not all that brilliant with finances, I do enjoy hearing out what others have done to make it all work. Yes, if you feel you've gotten your money's worth out of your ownership you're on the up! This sort of thing I cannot for the life of me explain to my real family who think I've wasted my money on ownership. What they don't see is that I have not only saved money, but banked many memories with my kids that I find worth more than gold all while staying in accommodations a great step above the moderates I would have been in. Wilderness Lodge has played a huge role in those memories.

I know you don't post much in here, but we are as close to a family as you will find on the web. Attacks are not a thing in this space, but as with all families sometimes subjects can get immediate reactions, and then the reactions might not be what we wanted to hear when we really hoped just to express a thought.
 
Last edited:
Was this necessary? This is why I rarely post.
Hey, Dean. Looking back, aside from my old-man, “get-off-my-lawn-with-this-break-even-shenanigans” influenced post, I’d say people were especially thoughtful with their responses and seemed to go out of their way not to disparage your proposal to give away your DVC. Maybe my initial response may have colored how you interpreted subsequent responses? If you look back, everyone was really measured in how to interpret your post about walking away from your DVC. It seems to me a lot of people appreciate your contributions so it would be a shame to change that. But that’s just my personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!









Top