Disney Vacation Club Raises Prices & Drops New Deals, Save Up to $22,459 with Stackable Bonuses.
Like clockwork, Disney Vacation Club made the one-two punch of its annual price increase along with new discounts and stackable bonus savings. This offers a rundown of the higher and, I guess, lower prices on joining or adding on points.
Before we get going, I want to make a plug for our 2026 Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide. That was recently refreshed for 2026, and includes the latest price increases (but not incentives). I think that’s a pretty fair assessment of joining DVC. But then again, I wrote it. Few people would come out and say: “Please check out a buying guide that I wrote for this thing. It’s incredibly biased and completely unreasonable.” Might be compelling reverse psychology, now that I think about it. I’d click.
What I mean by fair, in this case, is that although we’re members, it isn’t a sales pitch for Disney Vacation Club. The fact is, DVC is not right for everyone. It probably isn’t right for most people. So, rather than presenting the kind of tug at your heartstrings marketing message you’ll hear from a DVC guide trying to make a sale, we present a more balanced perspective. It’s tough to separate emotions from objectivity when weighing the pros & cons of DVC.
I’d also add that we are sponsored by neither Disney nor one of the resellers, so we don’t have a dog in that fight. We bought via resale and would add-on via resale, but that was also a long time ago. The fact is, there’s a compelling resale vs. direct debate despite some in the fandom viewing it as all or nothing.
What I will say here is that I do think the vast majority of first buyers in 2026 are better off joining via resale. Not everyone, but maybe 75%? Regardless, be sure to price out all options out before making the plunge. Don’t be swayed by emotion or just price or just perks; consider everything. All of this is covered in much greater depth in the full buying guide, which, again, is well worth a read before dropping tens of thousands of dollars.
We’ve heard from several readers who told us they saved a ton by reading that, opted against doing DVC, or conversely, that it’s what convinced them to join. So that guide could save you a lot or it could cost you a lot, I suppose. Either way, you’ve been warned.
With that said, we’ve also heard from many people who shared that they’ve done the math on DVC multiple times and it has never penciled out. Many of them wanted DVC to make sense, and wondered what they could do to change the equation. If this describes you, the answer is probably nothing (fortunately or unfortunately). I don’t think DVC makes more sense in 2026 than it did in the past (the opposite, actually).
There are a lot of ‘hard truths’ about joining Disney Vacation Club, and I think that pretty succinctly covers the big ones. Suffice to say, DVC isn’t right for most people and buying direct is correct for an even smaller subset of fans. Okay, now that I’ve lost ~82% of you, let’s dig into the deal details. There are actually some significant savings!
Note that the price increases took effect earlier this week. Disney Vacation Club typically raises sticker prices around the start of each calendar year, typically in February. Here’s a look at the 2026 increase:
- Villas at Disneyland Hotel – $248 (previously $245)
- Cabins at Fort Wilderness – $243 (previously $235)
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – $243 (previously $235)
- Disney’s Riviera Resort – $243 (previously $235)
- Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas in Ko Olina, Hawaii – $243 (previously $235)
For the most part, these increases were actually on the lower end of the range that we’ve been seeing lately. They are more than offset by the new discounts.
The previous couple of years were mostly $10 per point, whereas all of these are below that. Still notable given the sales slowdown and lack of popularity with the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and Aulani (and seemingly Villas at Disneyland Hotel, but the data isn’t as good for that).
With the higher base prices out of the way, let’s turn to the offsetting incentives, starting with those for existing Disney Vacation Club members…
Existing DVC Member Add-On Incentives
For a limited time, existing Disney Vacation Club members can save up to $5,250 or more with this wonderful winter offer when you Add On at select Resorts. Act fast, by April 27, 2026, to take advantage of this special offer.
In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Disney Vacation Club, save an additional $1,000 when you purchase 150 or more Vacation Points at any of the Resorts shown below. That’s a total savings of up to $6,250 or more!
And the more Vacation Points you Add On, the more you’ll save. Call (888) 681-6028, use DVC’s Online Add-On Tool or select a Resort below to start exploring savings.
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $23 Per Vacation Point | $2,300 to $2,852 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $25 Per Vacation Point | $3,125 to $3,725 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $35 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $6,250 to $7,965 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $38 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,600 to $10,462 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $41 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $11,250 to $13,259 |
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $1,800 to $2,232 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,250 to $2,682 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $4,600 to $5,776 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $28 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $6,600 to $7,972 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $31 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,750 to $10,269 |
Disney’s Riviera Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $12 Per Vacation Point | $1,200 to $1,488 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $15 Per Vacation Point | $1,875 to $2,235 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $19 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $3,850 to $4,781 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $5,800 to $6,976 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,500 to $8,774 |
Disney’s Aulani Resort in Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $16 Per Vacation Point | $1,600 to $1,984 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,250 to $2,682 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $4,900 to $6,174 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $30 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,000 to $8,470 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $33 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $9,250 to $10,867 |
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $6 Per Vacation Point | $600 to $744 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $6 Per Vacation Point | $750 to $894 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $8 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $2,200 to $2,592 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $12 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $3,400 to $3,988 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $14 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $4,500 to $5,186 |
New DVC Member Incentives
For a limited time, save up to $9,500 or more on Membership with this wonderful winter offer and experience magical vacations near and far for decades to come.
In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Disney Vacation Club, save an additional $1,000 when you purchase 200 or more Vacation Points at any of the Resorts shown below. That’s a total savings of up to $10,500 or more!
And the more Vacation Points you purchase, the more you’ll save. Select a Resort to start exploring savings…
Cabins at Fort Wilderness
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $25 Per Vacation Point | $3,750 to $4,975 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $34 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,800 to $9,466 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $38 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $10,500 to $12,362 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $41 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $13,300 to $21,459 |
Villas at Disneyland Hotel
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,700 to $3,582 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $5,800 to $6,976 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $28 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,000 to $9,372 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $31 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $10,300 to $16,469 |
Disney’s Riviera Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $15 Per Vacation Point | $2,250 to $2,985 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $19 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $4,800 to $5,731 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,000 to $8,176 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,800 to $13,974 |
Disney’s Aulani Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,700 to $3,582 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $6,200 to $7,474 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $30 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,500 to $9,970 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $33 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $10,900 to $17,467 |
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $6 Per Vacation Point | $900 to $1,194 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $8 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $2,600 to $2,992 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $12 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $4,000 to $4,588 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $14 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $5,200 to $7,986 |
But wait, there’s more!
Stackable Bonus DVC Savings
US Military Discount – Through April 27, 2026, US military personnel can save an additional $2,250 on Membership (on top of current special offer savings) when purchasing 150 Vacation Points at select Disney Vacation Club Resorts.
Plus, the more Points you purchase, the more you save! Eligibility rules apply. Valid identification and/or proof of employment is required and subject to approval.
Cast Member Discount – Eligible Disney Cast Members can save an additional $2,250 on Membership (on top of current special offer savings) when purchasing 150 Vacation Points at select Disney Vacation Club Resorts through April 27, 2026.
Be sure to ask about additional savings available for other Point tiers. Eligibility rules apply. Valid identification and/or proof of employment is required and subject to approval.
Disney Visa Discount – Disney Visa Cardmembers can save an extra $1,000 off select DVC Resorts between now and April 27, 2026. There are savings available to both first-time buyers and existing members.
The exact terms of this are unclear. It’s definitely $1,000 off. One spot indicates it requires a 250 point purchase at Fort Wilderness, but another opens it to all 5 of the properties with active sales. Our guess is that it’s the latter.
These discounts are stackable with the 35th Anniversary savings and the incentives, but it doesn’t appear that you can double or triple dip on the additional savings. But I’m not 100% sure of that, so perhaps the U.S. Military Cast Member Visa Cardholders out there can confirm one way or the other.
Our Commentary
By my math, you will need to spend over $100,000 after discount in order to unlock the highest tier of savings, which is the $20k at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. That $100k upfront “investment” is actually much less than you’ll pay over time, thanks to annual maintenance fees.
No one should be making that kind of financial decisions based on a Disney blog’s commentary. Not for nothing, but the kind of person who would do so is probably also the kind who would buy 499 points at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. So I will offer one little morsel of investment advice: don’t do that.
Spending over $100,000 on the Cabins at Fort Wilderness is a categorically bad decision. (Unless you’re making a massive gamble on the Palmetto Trust and are playing 4D chess that’s beyond my comprehension.) And I say that as someone who loves the Cabins at Fort Wilderness! But there’s a reason why the incentives are highest there. If you really want to take up residence in one of the cabins, you could literally purchase one for less. Granted, it’ll be the old model, but some might prefer that.
Joking aside, these incentives strike me as reasonably good once you get to the level that unlocks the 35th Anniversary bonus and especially the Disney Visa bonus. If you have those, the prices become more attractive and closer to on par with the last round of pre-price increase incentives.
They might even be better! I honestly don’t follow this that closely because we don’t currently have intentions to add on. And if we did, we’d absolutely be doing so via resale. We don’t typically post about DVC incentives for the exact reasons discussed above, but I thought this was nevertheless touching upon since these incentives seem to be making more waves than normal.
I do find it interesting that DVC continues to insight upon annual price increases paired with deeper discounts. That mirrors what we’ve seen with Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the last couple of years in the post-revenge travel era, suggesting that Disney needs to “keep up” with inflation by raising sticker prices and/or that the Kohl’s Model of illusory discounts is a winning one. Either way, this approach should be familiar to Disney fans already.
My only other commentary is confusion over Disney Vacation Club’s verbiage that they are offering “up to $X or more.” They do this all the time, and it drives me insane. Pick a lane, Disney. Either the ceiling (“up to”) or the floor (“or more”), but not both with some random number in between. It’s like Sarah asking me how many cookies I ate to polish off the box, and me saying “up to 1 or more.” Wait a minute, I love that idea.
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
Planning on taking advantage of the new incentives or bonus DVC 35th Anniversary savings? Thoughts on resale vs. direct? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions or thoughts about anything covered here? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Kind of off topic, but renting points is another great option that Tom talks about elsewhere. Run the numbers for your own situation and see if that’s worth your consideration.
Speaking of renting, the best sign that we have about a slowdown at the DLH Villas is the Aulani-level discounting above but checking out the rental market for cheaper stays might be another.
Thanks for another article that is both helpful and also made me chuckle (twice)!
Here’s one thing I’m wondering while in the very early stages of considering buying into DVC (resale) for out family: some of the properties, like Boardwalk which is probably my top choice, are getting closer to the end of their contract lives. Is there any speculation about what will happen to the properties after their contracts run up? In other vacation clubs, are current owners usually given the option to renew or anything like that?
If you had 3 teenage girls along with adult children and grandchildren, do you think DVC would better fit your needs?
Yes, definitely.
Once your party size is large enough to want/need the bigger units, DVC pencils out much better. That’s especially true if you want to stay on-site (as opposed to vacation home rentals) and plan to do Disney at least once every 1-3 years for decades to come.
If not, no.
Our days of getting a roll-in cot in a room with 1 bathroom are gone. We go twice a year.
Thanks Tom.
I owned HGVC (Hilton Grand Vacation Club). First, timeshares are worth it if you use it personally to its full potential. No guarantees if you can rent unused points. Second, exchanges to DVC is absolutely worth it, but depends on willingness of other brands to offer weeks or days. Third, the annual dues are a ripoff and the actual reason to not get a timeshare. You’re an owner, but the management company actually has all the power. Owners are responsible for the cost to maintain and upgrade the rooms every 10 years. Increase in dues are higher than inflation. My dues went from $660 to $1100 in 15 years. Fourth, compared to hotels, there’s no actual cost savings. For years, it was cheaper to just stay at a hotel than to pay annual dues and the cost of the timeshare. Hotels dropped to all time low during covid and for years during an economic downturn like in 2008. Only now has hotels got more expensive, yet I vacationed in Japan where it was much cheaper. Don’t let a timeshare to restrict your vacation plans.
I sold my timeshare back to Hilton in 2020 before Covid. It was great timing. I only got 20% of what I paid, but no more annual dues. I heard DVC owners can break even or get more depending on demand. That’s reassuring, but it’s better to stay at Universal who has some great new cheaper hotels. You don’t want to be locked in on your vacations.
I have no intention of adding on either… at least until Lakeshore Lodge goes on sale!
With regard to the less-than-helpful verbiage on the offer: I always loved the Taco Bell commercials for late night hours: “Participating restaurants open until 2am or later.”
So they’re either open until 2am or they’re open until later than 2am. Except for the ones that aren’t participating and close before 2am. Congrats – you’ve told me nothing. Soooo helpful!
Another GREAT, and helpful, set of guidance.
It would also be helpful to provide more insight into the difference in dues between the different resorts and the dues impact on the long-term recurring cost.
Purchasing Polynesian (direct OR indirect) will gives us a lower dues cost for points that you can use at any of the resorts and usually get a reservation at 7 months especially since the number of points required for a specific stay is less at many of the resorts other than at the Poly.
We recently purchased Poly and with an occasional stay there, we will normally use the points at the other resorts to make the points go farther. Our favorite resort is Saratoga Springs because we can walk to Disney Springs for the shopping and the dining.
DVC Member since ’93.