The Ultimate Guide to the Disney Vacation Club

Did you know that Walt Disney Company has been around for almost 100 years? Founded brothers Walt and Roy Disney, the original studio was for small-scale cartoons that are now iconic pieces of cinema history.

All their classic characters are visible up close and personal at the Disney parks and resorts–as if they’ve just stepped right off the silver screen. For all their splendor, entertainment, and delicious food, Disney resorts can come at a high cost. However, to experience these sites of everyday magic without breaking the bank, a Disney Vacation Club membership might be just what you need.

When you join the Disney Vacation Club, you get a customizable reward system for your trip. Your room, trip planning, food, and entertainment will all be discounted. If you want to know more about the DVC, read on for our complete guide.

Overview of Disney Vacation Club Membership

The DVC is similar to a vacation timeshare program. In a vacation timeshare, multiple people can invest in a piece of vacation real estate and have the right to use it at specified times throughout the year.

With the DVC, each member has a certain number of points connected to your contract. This means you can customize your plan by using your points for your favorite things.

Earning Points

When you become a DVC member, you buy your starter points. However, they do expire, so this program rewards frequent Disney visitors. From there, you can buy more points to plan for your upcoming trip.

Disney allows you to get a personalized quote for your upcoming vacation, so you’ll know how many points will be required.  

Disney Vacation Club Cost

There are annual dues for a membership, in addition to your points purchases. Your dues are calculated by the club bracket you join. It’s true that if you visit Disney frequently, you can save a lot of money, but this is still a substantial investment. 

Many people sign up for the club but are unable to use all their points before they expire. They’ll put their points up on DVC resale listings for non-members to purchase and use. If you want to try out the DVC but don’t want to commit to the Disney Vacation Club prices, this is a great way to experience the benefits without stretching your finances.

Booking a Room

DVC points are viable at any of their resorts, which have 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments in addition to studios. Of course, the more points you are willing to spend on a room, the bigger and more luxurious your room will be.

One of the most expensive but also the most beautiful resorts is the Villas at Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. They have a walkway right to the theme park, feature top tier amenities as well as beautiful rooms. Without the DVC points, a night can cost anywhere between $550 to $1000, depending on the tourism season.

Some DVC guests did the math and found that their rate at the Villas was only $119 a night for the same luxurious experience. This is just one example of the potential dramatic savings of joining the DVC. But, of course, there are tons of resorts and hotels available that are even more budget-friendly.

Accommodations at Disney World are divided into three categories: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. The Villas are classified as Deluxe accommodation. Because your points can be spent as you like, you can put lots of them into your accommodation and very little into your food, or vice versa.

Joining the DVC gives you access to planning assistance, so the team can help you find the perfect room for your budget, schedule flights, and ground transportation. They can even stock your room with groceries and food before you arrive.

In addition, if you’re staying at a Value hotel but want to taste the luxury, you can enjoy all the pools in the area, even if they’re not a part of your resort. 

Travel the Globe

In addition, DVC members can visit destinations around the world and stay in non-Disney accommodations. You’ll be provided boutique rooms tailored to your family and then guided around your destination with some of Disney’s professional Adventure guides.

Some potential global destinations include:

• Australia
• Austria
• Cambodia
• China
• Czech Republic
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy 
• Japan
• Laos
• Norway
• Peru
• Scotland
• South Africa
• Vietnam

Many more locations are available for these adventure tours that provide you with incredible vacations for reduced costs. What was a once-in-a-lifetime trip before can now be repeated as often as you’d like.

There are also several membership cruises along the Seine, the Danube, in the Bahamas, Alaska, and more.

Extra Benefits

In addition to these benefits for rooms, travel planning, and tours, there are many more Disney Vacation Club benefits. Members have shorter wait times, meet and greets with their favorite characters, and complimentary food and beverages. The rest of the food and merchandise is discounted.

There are also special private lounges for members, with free food and drink and wifi for a break during your days walking around the park.

Try the Disney Vacation Club Today

Hopefully, this article will have given you a good overview of the Disney Vacation Club, its extensive benefits, and the fantastic trips you can plan with it. Remember, if the price is too much to commit to, you can always buy someone’s points from a resale listing to give it a try.

If you enjoyed this travel advice, you’re sure to love our other content. So check out our blog for more tips and tricks.