Disney Vacation Club Announces New Paid Member Perks Program
Disney Vacation Club has finally confirmed the long-rumored membership program for perks at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond. This post discusses the details of the paid member add-on, along with our more general commentary about this and the barrage of upcharges, price increases, and so forth.
Introducing the “Membership Magic Beyond” option—a yearly enhanced benefits package that gives you special ways to elevate your family’s stays. Eligible Members can purchase Membership Magic Beyond for $99 starting December 3, 2024 for usage January 12 through December 31, 2025.
Membership Magic Beyond will supplement rather than replace the current Disney Vacation Club Membership Extras, which currently lists 306 Member Benefits according to Disney. Don’t get too excited–at least half of that list is either nothing special or not even real right now (“temporarily unavailable”)–but there are a lot of valuable perks. See our List of the Top 10 Disney Vacation Club Member Perks for the ones that are worthwhile.
Disney Vacation Club’s Membership Magic Beyond will offer the following paid perks:
Enjoy Enhanced Value
- Purchase specially priced 5-day weekday Walt Disney World Theme Park tickets with one water park visit included. Available for the enrolled Member and up to 7 family members living in their household. More pricing details to come.
- Purchase specially priced 3-day weekday Disneyland Resort Theme Park tickets that include Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Available for the enrolled Member and up to 7 family members living in their household. More pricing details to come.
- Receive a 30-day Memory Maker entitlement to capture and share treasured Walt Disney World memories. (Up to a $210 value if purchased separately.)
Get Exclusive Access
- Meet and mingle with special Disney Characters at Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge at EPCOT. The enrolled Member must have a Resort reservation and be staying on Points. The enrolled Member can bring up to 4 guests or the number of guests on their resort stay reservation, whichever is greater. Available 7 days a week. Capacity restrictions may apply.
- Take advantage of priority access to Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge, Disney Vacation Club Star View Station – A Member Lounge and a new Member lounge projected to open in 2025 in Magic Kingdom Park. Use this benefit when lounge access goes on a waitlist. The enrolled Member can bring up to 4 guests or the number of guests on their resort stay reservation, whichever is greater. Capacity restrictions may apply.
Experience More Flexibility
- Use your Points to purchase the Disney Sorcerer Pass to enjoy Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks.
Get one bonus One-Time-Use Point for each One-Time-Use Point purchased! Members can purchase up to 12 Points for a total of 24 - One-Time-Use Points in a Use Year. Excludes bookings offered through the hotel exchange program.
- Enjoy having your $95 transaction fee waived when booking Disney Collection Resorts and experiences, including Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line and National Geographic Expeditions experiences.
The Membership Magic Beyond option is part of Membership Extras which, effective June 3, 2021, requires having an ownership interest with 150 Vacation Points or more purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. This is an incidental benefit subject to availability, change or termination. Yearly enrollment fee applies. All offers are subject to availability. Special ticket and Annual Pass offers are not part of the ownership interest and are subject to change or termination.
This means Membership Magic Beyond is what’s colloquially known as a “blue card” perk. It’s all-digital now, so “blue card” member is a misnomer, but that’s what most DVC members still call it. Disney Vacation Club is able to restrict perks to only certain owners because these things are funded by DVC’s marketing budget–or some other budget–and not annual owner dues.
Turning to commentary, Disney might pitch this as offering more convenience, flexibility, or options for members to purchase the perks that best serve their needs. [Insert additional flowery marketing language.] And some guests might even agree! Perhaps there are some DVC members who would use the lounges more often but for the waitlist, would like to use points to purchase the Sorcerer AP, or buy special tickets.
It’s not uncommon to see this type of product segmentation in the travel and hospitality industries. Airlines do it, hotels do it, and Walt Disney World certainly does it. So it’s really no surprise that Disney Vacation Club would do it. And I don’t doubt for a second that diehard fans who already dropped tens of thousands of dollars to join the club will be inclined to purchase this. Unlike Lightning Lane Premier Pass, DVC diehards absolutely are the target audience for this type of thing. It makes complete sense for Disney Vacation Club to offer this.
I mention this in the interest of balance, but also because I am the target for this. Almost. Basically, I’m just the target for a (paid) FastPass to the front of the lounge lines. We use these lounges every single day that we visit EPCOT and Disneyland–sometimes more than once. There are multiple Cast Members who recognize me at the Imagination lounge. (My silly/stupid goal is to stop being carded.)
Not to brag or anything, but I haven’t bought a caffeinated beverage at EPCOT in years–or at Disneyland since the lounge opened–but I’ve consumed hundreds of them. I’ve half-joked for a while that I’d pay for FastPass to two things: the TTA PeopleMover and the Imagination lounge. So I am very squarely the target audience for this.
However, I won’t buy it for a few reasons. First, I wouldn’t use any of the other perks (not sure about the character thing, actually). Second, spending $99 to get priority access to “free” soda and coffee kinda defeats the purpose of “free” soda and coffee.
Finally, it just doesn’t feel right to me. Don’t get me wrong–I’m perfectly fine with Lightning Lanes (even if I’d prefer faster-moving standby) from a moral perspective. Ride capacity is fairly robust at most attractions, so each guest is costing other guests a few seconds, at most. In aggregate, it’s obviously a different story. I’m more concerned about my individual impact, since the aggregate impact is obviously out of my control.
The difference here is that lounge capacity is very limited, so cutting someone on the waitlist has a clearer consequence. I could be costing a family that visits once per year 10 minutes, perhaps more, just so I could visit the lounge for the thousandth time to get a “free” soda and check my email. I don’t begrudge anyone who does buy this, and I’m not pretending to be the ethical arbiter of this stuff. All I know is that it doesn’t sit right with me–I don’t want to be the one doing it. My people already get a bad rap, so I don’t really want to be the jerky entitled blogger who is cutting families who have limited park time. To each their own, though.
Then there’s the other side of this. After the Lightning Lane Premier Pass announcements today, I shook my head when coming across this news. When is enough enough?! When do Walt Disney World and Disneyland just stop being fun for fans because the company has gotten so brazen with price increases, nickel and diming, and trying to squeeze every last cent out of people? How long before guests realize there’s a disproportionate number of announcements with immediacy that are of this nature instead of positive news? At what point does Disney cross the rubicon?
Look, I don’t think Membership Magic Beyond is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. For most DVC members, it’ll be mildly annoying at worst–perhaps something they actually want at best. But it’s also not the first or last of this. (Remember, Walt Disney World still hasn’t done the annual price increase that hit Disneyland last week–it was presumably delayed due to the hurricane. So there’s still that to look forward to.)
Based on what we’ve been hearing from readers–at least the vocal ones–there are a lot of lifelong fans who are on the precipice of reaching their breaking point. And this is on top of all those who already have due to the end of Disney’s Magical Express, free FastPass, and everything else that’s been cut over the last several years. Even if you’re indifferent to some or most of this, I think you’ve gotta admit that in aggregate, it’s exhausting.
Twice in the same day, I’m thinking the same thing. (The rest of this is repeated from the final few paragraphs of the Disneyland LLPP post, but most of you read the Walt Disney World version, so this is new to you.) One of my fears for a while has been that Disney is inflicting long-lasting brand damage for short-term financial gain.
We’ve seen this with the aforementioned lost (free) perks, along with entertainment cuts, nickel and diming, catering to the affluent, crowds and long lines, and a laundry list of other complaints. Not to mention Disney’s falling reputation, which is based on all of the above plus other issues. We’ve discussed all of this at length–no sense in belaboring the point here.
Beyond that, there are examples of very niche product offerings that are clearly aimed at the wealthy. Most notable of these is the abandoned Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Same goes for the $100,000+ private jet Disney Parks worldwide “adventure” and the new Cotino Storyliving by Disney communities.
Starcruiser was a colossal failure, but I’ve long wondered whether–even assuming it were a financial success–was it worth all of the negative headlines? Think of how few guests stayed there versus the millions of views on various YouTube videos or news articles, almost all of which were negative. These are niche offerings, but they have an outsized digital footprint. Is Disney’s immediate monetary gain worth the brand damage and loss of goodwill?
I can’t help but wonder the same thing about Lightning Lane Premier Pass Membership Magic Beyond. I’d expect that the number of people who read about Lightning Lane Premier Pass Membership Magic Beyond on the day it’s announced and feel alienated or annoyed will dwarf those who ever purchase it. Most consumers will quickly conclude the answer is “no” when asking themselves whether it’s worth it. Disney would be well-served to ask themselves the very same question when it comes to this and other such affluent offerings. Is the negative word-of-mouth and reputational hit really worth the 99 bucks? The answer might also be “no” if they looked beyond the immediate impact to this quarter’s balance sheet.
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about the new Membership Magic Beyond? Excited or disappointed about this new upcharge, or do you not really care? Bigger picture, does it bother or worry you that this is seemingly the direction that Walt Disney World and Disneyland are headed? When is enough enough for you? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
We are DVC members for over ten years now. For the first time in over ten years we are not going to Disney. Disney has become a complicated, expensive and honestly not much of a vacation. This year we traveled to a luxury resort in the Keys. The service and accommodations were impeccable, and was less expensive than a typical Disney vacation. We do enjoy Disney cruises, the theme parks not so much anymore.
The ability to use points to pay for the Sorcerer’s Pass is potentially significant depending on how much they charge. My wife and I have our own points and in a few years we will inherit a significant number of points from my parents and once we have those it could make using points to pay for our APs worthwhile.
Does this mean I need to purchase this to access the lounge at EPCOT?
It will be interesting to see the details on using points for a Sorcerer AP – I assume DVC will utilize the same formulas as using points for ABD, cruises, etc where your points are devalued by about 50%.
I agree, Disney is getting beyond most peoples means for a nice family vacation. The stock is in the toilet and so is the customer service and all these paid extras. Enough is enough, I believe this also has a lot to do with all the declined attendance over the past year.
Can you tell me how many points they charge for a annual pass?
Quick question… if you have “blue card” status but not 150 points, are you eligible? Not planning on purchasing, just a case of want the option to have the option to buy it.
Regarding this and the LLPP news today, do you think any thought was given to releasing the information in a more targeted way, or is that unrealistic given our increasingly online world? I’ve been wondering to myself today if it would have been better for Disney to add some kind of pop up when guests book stays at deluxe resorts alerting them to the fact that this is an offering that they can potentially take advantage of (with respect to the new premier pass)? That would seemingly offset some of the negative press that they’re been receiving from fans who aren’t ever likely to take advantage of the service. At one end of the extreme, take Club 33 or the Golden Oak homes. I don’t believe that Disney releases information to the public regarding changes to operating procedures surrounding these products, precisely because they’re not relevant to 99.9% of the population, right? This post probably belongs on the LLPP blog post, but this is the one I just read and it’s hard keeping up with all of the Disney/Universal news this week. Although, maybe not because I’m not a DVC member and this information isn’t relevant at all to me, but because the mood around it is generally negative, it’s going to have an impact on my perception of the company. Ignorance is probably bliss in my situation, but here I am. Lastly, I know that the opening of Epic Universe is a net positive for both companies, but Disney is really playing into their hand (or perhaps Universal is just doing a good job of capitalizing) when it comes to the timing of these announcements. I love the parks. I’m excited for what’s to come. I’ll continue to go and encourage others to do so too and if anything this just increases the advantage readers of blogs like this one have. From an emotional and ethical (maybe too strong of a word) though, the “classifying” of theme park population is tough to swallow (even though, sure, it’s always going to exist, and probably should exist, on some level). Thanks for your commentary!
As someone who just bought 150 direct points today this concerns me very much. I bought direct for perks and this makes me wonder if we will have to pay for perks going forward. Sure not the up charge is for additional perks but how do we know we won’t be charged for existing perks. Just like we were charged for fast pass.
Interesting to see all the complaints, when my initial reaction was excitement for the weekday park ticket deal. I’m looking at a summer trip, and this might work out better than springing for an annual pass. I’ll be disappointed if they’re not Park Hopper tickets. It will all be about the price point. They BOGO on one-time use points might work for me as well.
The only reason I am even entertaining this is because, for me, the $100 I would spend on this to get Memory Maker vs the $100 I spend to get it added to my AP would be a wash. Gaining the lounge skip the line perk would then become an actual perk. I am also skeptical about the AP for points deal. Does that mean no more sorcerer AP for DVC members? I feel like I need some additional information because at face value, it seems they are yet again making their most loyal fans pay more for things we are used to getting for free. You’re absolutely correct, though, that the LLPP and this on the same day is definitely a blow to those of us trying to hold off that final straw.
It does seem structured for the non-resident visitors who may have DVC but not AP and not the resident ones?
I completely agree with all your points. I was floored by the brazen price announcement today of LL premier….$500pp per day and only for 1 LL? That is insane! I clearly am a Disney nut and go there “just because” regularly, most of time to eat something or buy a souvenir and never ride a ride (little one doesn’t like that) and I might consider a $100 LL if I got unlimited rides per day at a park with no boarding windows….but $500 for one! That takes some…..
I also don’t see the benefit in the add-on DVC membership fee? I mean the lounges are great to escape the heat but they’re always filthy with goop everywhere for years. We’re blue cards so we get most of that added benefit anyway, nothing seems “special” or magical about that list. For $99 we’ll go to Garden Grill and eat a real meal and get 5 character meet and greets, with most of them repeating 2 or 3x.
Who is working in Disney marketing? Gees, they don’t get Disney. We never asked for this version of LL premier.
Keep it happy, keep it magical, keep the beloved rides working, only add rides and don’t just “reimagine” existing rides, and keep the place clean.
uh what? the Premier includes all rides in the park. not one.
Yeah, it’s only good for one ride entry per a day. So you can’t ride one ride multiple times with LLP pass. Hard pass for me too.
The LLPP price ranges from $129 to $449 for one day one park. Skip the line for all LL attractions and experiences without having to book an arrival window. It’s only available for Disney Deluxe Resort and Villa guests including guests at selected hotels. Not all Deluxe guests can get the pass due to limited quantities. Disney is piloting the LLPP which means there will be plenty of changes and adjustments to come.
My initial reaction to the “ticket” perk was annoyance because our kids are older and we prefer the ability to park hop due to our travel style. Why can’t there be a park hopping option here? And the “living in the same household” puts our family (we aren’t the DVC members) out of the perk anyhow. Count us in the group if “it’s not even worth it anymore, we can go to Europe for the cost” group.
I think your last point is an important one. My husband and I are currently saving up to buy our first DVC contract. We do care about the membership extras, so our current plan is to get the 150 (or whatever the minimum is when we’re ready to make the purchase) and then get the rest of the points we need resale. But news like this makes me more cautious. Obviously Disney warns that the perks can go away at any time, but I really don’t like the idea of chipping away at those perks for a paid version, like they’re doing with the lounge waitlist. It’s not stretch of the imagination to say that Disney could do a new round in a year or two while bumping up the price, say charging $150 and adding early access to the Midnight Magic queue. If a direct contract is going to become a money pit because I’ll have to pay extra every year to make sure I get a chance at the perks I’m most interested in, then ultimately I’ll just give up and get all my points resale . . . costing Disney approximately $30,000!
This was my first reaction as well.
When I got the email, the only perk that got me excited was the discounted park tickets but then I realized I would be paying to receive a discount, felt like I was hallucinating, and deleted the email.
In all seriousness though, we’ve only been members for a year so I don’t know if waitlists are a regular thing at the lounges. Are they? If so, annoying.
Was thinking the same thing……SInce when has there been waitlists at lounges? I guess the new Pirates lounge might but my guess is it will be like Ogas
Yes! Finally my DVC Platinum level!
I want to say I can’t believe they are charging for this on top of the rates to buy direct, but of course they are.
My parents reached their breaking point several years ago. We haven’t yet… but realizing we might one day is one reason we never bought into DVC. But the world population is going up, so perhaps Disney doesn’t need us. DLP has gone up in price, thought not as much as the US parks and the Asian parks are still relative bargains. As the US parks start to add up in price, more people will realize that for the price of a day or two of Lightning Lane Premier Pass you can fly to Tokyo and visit their parks. Or fly to Milan and go take a free hike the Dolomites.
I am one those lifelong fans who is on the precipice of reaching my breaking point. My wife has already reached hers. The experience has gone downhill and the costs have gone uphill since 2019. I’m not sure if we’ll keep our DVC membership after 2025.
A very sad day to be a Disney fan. Constant gouging at every turn. I guess they want to see what the braking point is. There’s a saying, “Everything that has a beginning, has an end.” Perhaps this is what they want long-term. As a DVC member since 2004, I am so glad we have pretty much done all of the dream vacations with the kids. Unless you are completely loaded, there really is not any value to a Disneyworld vacation any more.
There is nothing of value offered in this at all, other than the free 12 points when I buy 12, which i must admit is a nice perk
Yikes! Was not expecting this one. We have an eight night family trip planned for January. I have an annual pass for the first (and maybe only) time this year but I have been trying to figure out a park ticket plan for the other 5 in our party. If this ticket deal will save me the $99 or more, that would likely be enough reason to get it! I’m still not sure I’ll want to skip the weekend days. Just more numbers to crunch here. And if park ticket pricing will go up soon, will I want to wait until the details come out? Oh Disney. I love you but you are so complicated!