How Long Did It Take For You To Buy?

Joined
Dec 16, 2004
We did our first tour in 1996 at BW. The Entertainment Book had a 25% off offer. Did the tour. Listened to the costs, and said no thanks. We did another tour in 1999. Finally, in 2003, we bought our first contract, and then when my dd was working there in 2006, we were able to add on at a discount.
 
We first looked in 1996, and bought in 2003.

In 1996, our 2 sons were in college, and they both said they were done with WDW, and basically they were against timeshares. In the years between looking and buying, extended family members joined us on 4 European cruises, but DH and I still visited WDW for Flower Garden, Christmas and maybe another trip each year. Finally, my mom said she wanted to celebrate her 85th birthday at WDW, and we realized that even if our sons were through with WDW, we weren't! So we bought!

In these years since, we've had many many trips with the next generation, our 3 grandchildren and parents, and aunts, uncles and friends.
 
Yup, like ludari, right away. Toured in 2002, just something to do on a cold day while I was on a solo trip. No, DH didn't even go on the tour, just me. Brought the stuff home, DH took one look at the smile on my face and a DVC contract was bought!
 


Rented points at AKL and OKW in 2010 and did the tour while we were there; knew I wanted to buy eventually but committed to resale. Finally offered and passed ROFR last month for GCV!
 
Took the tour in March 1994 on our first trip to WDW. Were interested but didn't buy then because finances weren't right and we weren't sure how often we'd visit WDW. By November 1997 we had visited once a year, finances were good, and our family had clearly outgrown a single hotel room. BWV had been open a little over a year, and we had spent a week there in November '96, so we signed the papers and have enjoyed our ownership ever since.
 
We knew before we ever took the tour that we would buy in.
As soon as we heard of DVC, we knew cause of the trust we placed in the Disney name, this was back in '93.

We were staying onsite at DL-AB (now PO-RS), took the tour, and DVC offered to use some of our monies from our onsite stay as our down payment.
We had previously been burnt by a timeshare sales pitch, so as an added requirement; we booked within the cancellation period a weekend stay to ensure it was everything we had been told it was. We were very happy that DVC turned out to be just as we were told.
 
Last edited:


  • First DVC tour: Sept 1998
  • First DVC Purchase: May 2004
However, between those two dates we'd purchased four other timeshares. Timeshare, itself, made sense to us right away but we didn't see much value in owning DVC as our Orlando travel was typically paid by our employer up through 2003 (for me) and 2004 (for my husband). Once we started having to pay out of pocket for Orlando, we joined DVC to 'manage' the costs.
 
We never took the tour. I actually learned about DVC on these boards. We rented 2x, from someone on the boards. Realized we wanted the extra room with a 1 or 2 BR, and decided purchasing was the way to go! Bought BWV resale in 2005, added on a couple years later.
 
DH wanted to buy in 1997, I was doubtful, we visited DW several time before we finally took the plunge and purchased in 2010, can't believe to took me that long to decide. Hate to admit it, but he was right, should have purchased back then.
 
I did no tours.

I went last year (Feb. 2016) with DW and two DD (2 and infant) and I caught the disney bug hard. We spent so much on lodging for the week that I figured there had to be a better way. On a random Sunday, I did some googling and found DVC. Within a week, I had an offer accepted for VGF resale for 150 points. A month later I had another contract for 130 points. A month later I had 25 points add-on for BCV direct.

I would have bought more, but the DW put her foot down.

We've already done trips in Oct. 2016, Feb. 2017 and have trips scheduled for Oct. 2017, Dec. 2017 and Jan. 2018.

I've done two point transfers for more points. And I've managed to book reservations for some friends on those transferred points. I'm out of control. hahaha
 
Did the tour at the Hospitality House in November 1991. First purchase March 1992.
 
I learned about DVC in 2005 here on the boards. I read the boards exhaustively for 5 years, and dreamed about owning. In 2010 we came into a little money, and bought a SSR resale sight unseen. We negotiated $55pp because of all the sage advice here. We have loved it - the kids went with us twice, and the rest of our trips have been on our own. The kids are all in college now and are too busy. We're looking forward to our next trip in Sept.
 
Last edited:
We started looking and calculating in 2009, bought in 2017. Due to schedules, we always could only go at the cheapest time of year and were staying in deluxes for around what DVC would cost. Now that we are no longer stuck with that timing (we hate the August heat) it made sense and we bought during our stay at the Poly a couple months ago.
 
We first toured in maybe 2005, but we didn't buy because we felt silly buying a timeshare before buying a house. We also weren't sure we would continue to love Disney so much. We toured again in 2009. Same guide! He must have taken good notes because he remembered a lot about us. We were starting to plan for kids, and had bought a house in 2007. We were VERY close to buying BLT. So close! But we decided not too. Our son was born in 2010 and we took our first trip in 2011 and stayed offsite in a beautiful house with private pool. It was amazing, but it wasn't Disney, and we knew then we wanted to be on property for all future stays. We bought AKV resale sight unseen in 2012, and then a ton more SSR points shortly after. I wish we had known resale was an option sooner because we were only a few months shy of the first set of restrictions. So glad we finally purchased, an although I wish we had bought in sooner, I think we were more financially prepared when we did finally buy in.
 
We also never took a tour. Now that I think about it - when DH and I visited back in 1993 (?) for the first time together (and we stayed way, way offsite), we actually considered getting one of those tiles at Epcot. So even though we visited rarely before kids, I think we were always looking for an "excuse" to embrace it more. Did a lot of real adventure travel before kids.

In the last several visits, we've stopped at DVC kiosks in the parks and at some of the resorts, but never felt like taking the time out to do a tour. Stayed at DVC on a cash basis and renting points in 2015 and 2016, really loved the convenience, and started talking about it late 2016 as a possible thing to do in 2018. I was doing research, we were talking about resorts we liked, times we'd travel, etc. He has friends at work who are owners, so they started working on him. Then in late February 2017 DH suddenly asked, "have you bought DVC yet?" Made an offer in March on a resale contract, points loaded, direct add-on and 1st reservation made in May. And we are already talking about another contract!
 
First "adult" visit with my now exWife back in 2004... we did the tour, saw how little points it would have cost to stay at SSR, vs the ASMv resort we were at. Back at home we bought. Was able to use on our next trip in 2006. Then the "ex" label was assigned to DW and we had to sell it and split money in divorce. So fast forward a decade and I am back with my current DW (this one is the one!) and we are now owners at PVB.
 
In 2012 we rented points for OKW and took the tour. Bought in 2014, OKW resale.
I've been going to Disney since I was a kid, my husband and I have gone every year at least once a year since 2009. We knew it was right for us once kids 3 and 4 came around and we no longer fit in a normal hotel room.
 
I took the "tour" on the Dis Boards in 2015 and put in my first offer about six months after my initial research. My first ROFR taken and three resale contracts purchased later, we are having a blast !
 

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