What is DVC? Disney Vacation Club 101
This post will answer the basic question of, what is DVC?
Have you ever visited Disney and asked yourself, “What is DVC?” You’ve probably seen the Disney Vacation Club kiosks set up around the parks or found a brochure on your resort pillow. This seems to be a common question, and I hope to answer it in the simplest terms.
If you are educated on the DVC basics and need help making your final purchasing decisions, check out 4 DVC QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN BUYING AND HELPFUL INSIDER TIPS.
What is DVC?
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Disney Vacation Club 101 Table of Contents:
What is DVC Membership?
Becoming a Disney Vacation Club member requires purchasing a deeded real estate interest in a DVC resort of your choice. So, Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s version of a flexible timeshare.
The first thing to know is that you purchase “Vacation Points” that can be used every year at your home resort, other DVC resorts, or even at different destinations worldwide, giving you the freedom to explore and experience Disney magic wherever you choose.
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/points-and-flexibility
Vacation Point Value
Unlike other timeshares, DVC allows you to stay at different resorts anytime during the year. So, the potential value of your vacation points can change depending on several factors:
- The resort you use your points at
- Example: Points go further at Old Key West Resort vs Riviera Resort
- The time of year you plan to visit
- Example: You will need a lot more points to stay during the Christmas holidays vs a random week in September
- The room type or villa you choose
- Example: A studio with a standard view will use fewer points than a 2-bedroom villa with a preferred view
- The number of nights per stay
Home Resort
You must choose a “Home Resort,” and your membership is linked to this place. The main perk of your home resort is priority booking 11 months out at your resort, four months before other members.
You may also choose to stay at a different DVC location, which you can reserve seven months in advance.
How to pick your “Home Resort”
There are a multitude of reasons to purchase at one DVC resort over another. Some people choose their home resort based on where their points will go the farthest. Others might pick the resort closest to their favorite park. Or you’re more practical and decide to buy at a resort with the lowest annual dues.
However, I recommend choosing your favorite resort to stay at. It’s never guaranteed that you can book at a resort other than your home resort, so make sure you want to stay there.
We fell in love with Riviera on our first stay, and when we decided to buy, I knew it would be our home resort.
How Many Points do you Need?
Once you’ve decided on your home resort, you must determine how many points you need to purchase. To help you figure this out, consider the time of year you would like to travel to Disney. Then, think about how many nights you would like to stay.
Access the point chart for your desired home resort and calculate the points you need to satisfy the yearly trips you want to take. I am five hours from Disney World, so I like to take at least two trips to Disney every year.
Points Calculation Example
From my example above, I decided to purchase an even 200 points because everyone says you will wish you had more. I felt like simply rounding up should suffice, and in the 3 years I’ve been a member, I have been happy with my decision.
I’ve also been able to take even more trips since I’ve used my points at Old Key West and Boardwalk villas, where my points go farther. So, the way you book may change from year to year, bringing me to “banking and borrowing” points.
Banking and Borrowing Points
Surely, even as Disney adults, we understand that our vacation desires may take us to places other than Disney. So, Disney Vacation Club allows us to “Bank” our points to the following vacation year so you don’t lose your unused points. Which will enable you to take an even bigger Disney trip next year.
Or you may want to plan a multi-family trip with friends this year so you can “Borrow” vacation points from next year to plan that big trip now. You just never want to lose your points, so plan ahead!
Buying Direct or Resale
There is a lot of information available about buying directly from DVC vs. buying from a third-party reseller. The main point I want to mention is that certain membership benefits are only available to those who purchase at least 150 points directly from Disney Vacation Club.
The DVC benefits that are important to most people will be:
- Discounts on theme park tickets
- Shopping discounts
- Dining discounts
- Member lounges
- Ability to use your points at all DVC resorts
- Access to more vacation destinations
- Member cruises
- Exclusive member events
Buying resale is a great way to get into DVC and save a ton of money if you aren’t interested in the extra member benefits. Another key point is these member “perks” are subject to change at any time and are never guaranteed. So, that’s something to think about.
For my family, Riviera Resort was a must. Buying Riviera via resale meant only being able to use my points at Riviera, which is okay, but I wanted the option to stay at all the DVC resorts. So, we bought direct.
Cost of Membership
The price associated with Disney Vacation Club is not for the faint of heart. When I purchased my 200 points at Riviera Resort directly from Disney Vacation Club in 2021, I paid $40,000! That sounds crazy, I know!
Still, if you plan on making Disney a part of your family’s yearly memories, do the math and see if it works for your budget. Buying at Riviera basically meant 50 years of deluxe Disney vacation accommodations for the price of a car. Older resorts will have less time on their contract, hence the cheaper upfront cost.
What is DVC?
To summarize, Disney Vacation Club is a timeshare. But it’s the only timeshare with resale value and flexible usage options. As long as you don’t plan on financing your upfront purchase price, I recommend DVC to all Disney-adoring families.
Please check out my other DVC post, and if you still have questions, email me. But first, comment below your dream “Home Resort.”
