This year, Disney Vacation Club celebrates its 30th anniversary, and despite the inevitable 2020 downturn, it’s still going strong.
So, if you’re looking for a vacation company that’s in it for the long haul, DVC’s a good choice.
In this article, we’ll focus on how DVC points work, what’s involved in membership, and also how you can save on a Disney Vacation without signing up.
How Does a Disney Vacation Club Membership Work?
When you decide to buy a DVC membership, you’ll need to decide how many points you need to satisfy your vacation needs. You can view your options on a current DVC points chart.
Remember, you can save up your points for up to one year and use them all at once for a longer period or in a more highly rated resort. You can also borrow points from the next year and use them now.
Home Resort, Annual Fees, and Contract End Date
The next step is choosing your home resort. You get an 11-month booking window at this resort every year. You only get to book 7 months in advance for the other Disney Vacation Club resorts.
Your choice of a home resort also affects how much you’ll pay in annual fees to the club. These fees cover your portion of the resort’s overall running costs.
You can’t book any resorts if your annual fees aren’t paid.
Unlike traditional timeshare which continues in perpetuity, all Disney Vacation Club resorts have an end date. That means you’ll need to renew your membership after a specified number of years. The earliest current expiry date is 2042.
Use Year
The next consideration is the Use Year of your points. This term refers to a date every twelve months when your points are re-allocated to your account.
You must use our points within years of receiving them. It makes sense to choose a Use Year that’s just before your preferred vacation season. That means you’ll have more points to spend when you want to choose your resort.
Are you wondering, why you should sign up for a membership when you can just rent accommodation from another member?
Some of the exclusive perks available to members include special events and parties, a wider choice of resorts, and savings on theme park entry fees, shopping, and dining.
Also read: 5 Places To Visit When You Are In Delaware
Which Disney Resorts Can You Visit?
Disney Vacation Club offers its members a wonderful selection of resorts to choose from. Many of these are close to the most popular Disney hotels but they do not offer all the same services that hotel reservations do.
DVC resorts do come with a few attractive extras though. You get one free parking per villa as well as a kitchen with a washer and dryer. These conveniences can save you a lot of money during your vacation.
The current portfolio of DVC resorts is:
- Old Key West
- Aulani Villas in Hawai’i
- Beach Club Villas
- Bay Lake Tower
- Boulder Ridge Villas, Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins, Wilderness Lodge
- Animal Kingdom Villas
- BoardWalk Villas
- Hilton Head Island Resort
- Riviera Resort
- Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Grand Californian Villas
- Vero Beach Resort
- Grand Floridian Villas
The new Disney Riviera Resort opened in 2019 and is the latest exciting resort available to DVC members.
Can You Sell Your DVC Points?
If you can no longer afford your DVC membership the only way out of it is to sell your points to another interested party. This could be a non-member or an existing member who wants to increase their points portfolio.
Disney won’t your points back from you, but you’re free to search for the best place for DVC resale if you want out of your contract.
Fortunately, there’s a high demand for DVC points, so you’ll get at least some of your initial upfront costs back when you sell.
If you don’t want to sell your points but you’d like some help paying your annual fees, you can also rent your DVC points to a third party.
How Do DVC Rentals Work?
You can either rent your DVC rentals privately to family and friends or advertise them to the public. Once your client has requested a specific vacation, you arrange the booking via your regular DVC reservation channels.
When they pay for their stay, you can confirm their details with the resort. The resort then reserves the space under their name and sends you written confirmation.
Most non-members look on Disney rental forums for points to rent, as these sites have a good reputation in the industry. You’ll get more exposure when you list your points here than if you advertised on your own.
You can also book accommodation during a sought-after period at a great resort and advertise the accommodation reserved in your name. This is a risky option though, as you might not find someone to rent it in time.
The best option is to put your points up for rent with a DVC rental broker. These businesses have the marketing power to find more potential customers and take care of all the admin for you. They also take all the risks.
Make Informed Decisions
One of the major benefits of DVC points is getting to try out the Disney Vacation Club experience without laying out a lot of cash.
You can also attend a presentation about membership and how it works while you’re on vacation to find out more about what’s involved. Buying a points-based vacation product is a long-term and expensive decision, so you can never do too much research.
If the Disney product isn’t quite your dancing cup of tea, you can explore more exciting vacation options on our travel pages.
