HOW MY FAMILY FINALLY DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO BECOME DVC MEMBERS

1. HOW MY FAMILY FINALLY DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO BECOME DVC MEMBERS

2. When is the right time to buy into the Disney Vacation Club (DVC)? Longtime members know this question well. At one point, we all debated the pros and cons of joining. Then, we all eventually took a leap of faith and received decades of rewards for our decision. Some of you reading this are likely at a crossroads as well. You’re deciding whether you and your family will benefit from DVC membership. I’m always uncomfortable telling people how to spend their money. However, what I can do is relay my own experience. Here’s how my family finally decided it was time to become DVC members.

3. OUR INTRODUCTION TO DVC I’m a thrill ride fan. I’ve literally written a book about how several of Disney’s attractions operate. However, when I was younger, Disney wasn’t my preferred vacation destination. Well, I should modify that statement a bit. As a kid, I was just like everyone else. A trip to Disney represented the best vacation imaginable. I could meet Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters in real life at the parks! Since we lived in the south, my family took me to Walt Disney World multiple times. I wouldn’t reach California and the theme park mecca of Disneyland until I was substantially older.

4. Many of my annual top 10 lists over the years included at least one Disney animated movie. Recognizing this, my older brother and his wife started talking about their annual vacation plan. They had joined the Disney Vacation Club resale, which sounded a lot like a timeshare to me. I stubbornly resisted for years due to this misconception, a decision I regret mightily today. In reality, I wished I’d researched how to become a DVC member many years earlier.

5. WHAT DREW ME TO DVC I was a tough sell at the time. My brother, a financially savvy individual, trumpeted several of the myriad benefits of DVC membership. Even though I sometimes write about economics or the importance of open-mindedness for a living, I didn’t listen for far too long. Finally, after literally years of them suggesting DVC, I relented and rented DVC points to try out the program. I’m not joking when I state that I fell in love with DVC within 15 minutes of my arrival at Orlando International Airport (MCO). All frequent travelers understand the aggravation that comes from airport transportation. You must rent a car or hail a cab, neither of which is an ideal solution. Uber and Lyft hadn’t debuted yet, but they have similar issues.

6. OUR FIRST DVC TRIAL VACATION Of course, I was already hooked on Disney vacations from my childhood. My better half required convincing about the trips themselves, while I needed a push on my DVC membership. We both got what we needed once we checked into our hotel. The trip was relatively last minute, and so we took the availability we could get. That locale proved ideal for us. It was Disney’s Old Key West Resort, the original DVC property. My wife and I are fans of lying on the beach and reading a book or sunbathing. We also love swimming. Also, we tend to shop a lot during our vacation. The Old Key West boat to Disney Springs proved ideal for our needs.

7. OUR CONS LIST FOR JOINING DVC Still, joining DVC required additional considerations. After all, DVC represents a legitimate real estate purchase, a viable ownership interest that will last for decades. So, my wife and I came up with a list of Pros and Cons to sell us on the premise. I’ll quickly run through our thinking. For us, the idea of a long-term commitment seemed like a con. The program comes with Membership Dues and an initial investment of thousands of dollars. If you don’t like it, you could get stuck. At the time, we didn’t realize that we could easily sell our DVC contract via the DVC Resale Experts. So, we fretted about what would happen if we disliked membership. Timeshare programs have created such a negative stigma regarding annual vacation contracts that we failed to give Disney its due. Obviously, Mickey Mouse’s company will find a way to create a customer-focused program that satisfies families for decades. We didn’t understand that when we were on the outside looking in, though.

8. OUR PROS LIST FOR DVC The pros for DVC came down to some specific aspects and a few personal ones. For example, I trust my brother and his wife completely. When they rave about DVC, that matters to me. I also asked the advice of a longtime friend who had joined DVC during the early years. I requested that he be honest with me about his feelings. As a family man and father, he emphasized that he trusts Disney to provide quality vacation experiences each time. He also amused me by stating that he was addicted to one-bedroom villas at Old Key West, his home resort. Having spent time in one since then, I completely understand his point of view. They’re larger than some apartments I’ve had.