2026 Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide
Our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide covers best & worst home resorts, buying DVC direct vs. resale, how to use points, pros & cons of joining, membership perks & more. We share our story of why we joined, and also answer frequently asked questions.
Although we are DVC members, we weigh the benefits and drawbacks of joining. In other words, this isn’t a sales pitch for Disney Vacation Club. The fact is, DVC is not right for everyone. So, rather than presenting the kind of emotional and rosy marketing message you’ll hear from a DVC guide trying to make a sale, we’ll present a more balanced perspective here.
Let’s start with a little background. Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s twist on the traditional timeshare concept, and Disney advertises it as a way to save money on future vacations at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond. There are currently 17 Disney Vacation Club resorts, with more projects in development.
Speaking of which, it’s probably worth delving into some recent developments before getting down to the basics. Here’s a rundown of recent and upcoming projects at Walt Disney World and Disneyland:
- Villas at Disneyland Hotel – The newest DVC resort in California and the second addition at Disneyland Resort. That tower is a huge addition to the DVC portfolio for the California parks, where Disney Vacation Club is incredibly popular, but also has significant supply constraints at the Grand Californian. We’ve already stayed in the tower–check out our look at the new rooms in the Villas at Disneyland Hotel.
- Cabins at Fort Wilderness Campground & Resort – These have officially opened, but “construction” is still in progress. The explanation for that is the new cabins being pre-fabricated off-site and installed unit-by-unit, not built on location. We stayed in one of the new “controversial” cabins during Christmas and absolutely loved it.
- Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – This new tower opened right before Christmas, as a massive addition between the existing Polynesian Village Resort and Grand Floridian Resort. The outside of the Island Tower is hideous, but the inside is rather nice. Avoid having to look at this eyesore by staying here, I guess.
- Disney Lakeshore Lodge – First announced in 2018 as Reflections Lakeside Lodge, DVC officially revived this project as Disney Lakeshore Lodge over a year ago and massive construction progress has been made since. Despite that, DVC hasn’t shared anything about it–probably to avoid overshadowing the Island Tower and Cabins at Fort Wilderness. Disney Lakeshore Lodge is expected to open in 2027–probably in the first half of the year, judging by progress as of early 2026.
Until Lakeshore Lodge opens, Riviera Resort is still the newest standalone DVC property, having debuted 6 years ago. Its main selling point is a Skyliner station providing gondola access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Check out our Disney’s Riviera Resort Review for thoughts on the resort as a whole. You should also be aware of the restriction for resale buyers at Disney’s Riviera Resort if you’re considering buying there via the secondary market or directly from Disney.
It’ll be interesting to see what DVC sales look like in the year to come. On the one hand, there’s been a slowdown of late in direct sales. After booming business for over a year, November 2025 had the fewest number of points sold since April 2024 according to DVCNews.
Despite that lackluster month, DVC point sales for last year (through only the first 11 months of the year) surpassed the previous year’s 12-month point total (1,703,032 points to 1,693,637). Whether November was the beginning of a downtrend or an anomaly remains to be seen.
Our guess is that it’s simply where the properties stand in their sales-cycles, with the Island Tower now being over a year old and there being next-to-no interest in the Cabins at Fort Wilderness (less than 6% of the total points have sold, despite nearly two years on the market). Of course, a lot could change in 2026. At some point this year, Lakeshore Lodge is likely to go on sale–and it’s impossible to say what will happen with the economy as a whole, so we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves!
Then there’s the resale market, which has been largely flat since 2022. There was one stretch when prices declined for 11 consecutive months, but that streak was broken. Last year was mostly a story of stagnation, much like the year before that. Resale prices down from their peak, which is also not inflation adjusted.
With regard to forward-looking prices, a couple of things are worth noting. The first is the new $500 Contract Administration Fee (CAF) that Disney Vacation Club now charges on every resale contract closing as of January 1, 2026. This is a flat-fee that exists regardless of contract size.
DVC’s CAF will almost certainly put downward pressure on prices for smaller contracts, as it amounts to a $10 per point premium (in essence) for those coveted 50 point contracts. It’ll make less of a difference at the higher end of the spectrum since its per point cost is diluted, but we’d expect this alone to result in lower per point prices and slower sales.
Additionally, DVC resale inventory was on a downward trend for much of last year due to Disney Vacation Club exercising its Right of First Refusal (ROFR) more frequently than in the last couple of years. We’ve seen this less in the last few months, but if DVC resumes ROFR activity, that could put upward pressure on prices. A direct price increase in early 2026 would have a similar impact.
As with anything, it’s exceedingly difficult to time the market. We should note that we expected prices to drop during COVID, and after that briefly occurred they quickly bounced back and hit all-time highs by early 2022. We then expected the last two years to be golden windows of opportunity to buy, which they sort of were.
Now, our expectation is that the tides will continue turning as DVC resales become more of a seller’s market throughout 2026. But of course, we’ve been wrong before. As you might expect, Disney Vacation Club sales correlate with the broader market as a whole, so if U.S. economy and Wall Street keep booming, so too should DVC. If there’s a recession, all bets are off.
In other news, Disney also has released its 2026 Disney Vacation Club Resort Refurbishments & Construction Timeline. The upcoming year is currently quieter than the last few, with nothing brand-new scheduled at the condo association meeting in December. Still, more could be added for 2027 and 2028.
If you’re thinking about buying directly from Disney, it could be advantageous to do so now. This is because Disney Vacation Club is increasing prices again on February 10, 2026.
Disney Vacation Club typically increases prices around the start of each calendar year. Here’s a look at the upcoming change:
- 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)
These increases are about par for the course. Lower than the biggest increases we’ve seen in recent years, but still notable given the sales slowdown and lack of popularity with the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and Aulani. Don’t be surprised if there’s a promo shortly after February 10, 2026 to create the illusion of a killer deal on the Cabins, especially.
There’s an alternative to paying the skyrocketing prices from Disney Vacation Club directly. Since you’re purchasing a real estate interest, DVC can be bought and resold on the secondary market, similar to a house. As of the time of publication, the average per point price is ~$115 (and trending downward). In other words, you can save considerably by purchasing DVC via resale!
This may sound too good to be true, but it is. That’s in large part because the vast majority of buyers have no clue that resale is even an option. Disney relies on an emotional sales pitch, uninformed buyers, and the aforementioned restrictions in an attempt to minimize the resale market. It’s a surprisingly effective strategy (few companies can tug on the heartstrings like Disney!)–so if you’re reading this, you already have a huge advantage over the majority of buyers who don’t do their homework!
Similar circumstances existed when we bought into DVC back during the Great Recession, and we couldn’t be happier with our decision to take the plunge then. We paid considerably less than today’s prices–or even the costs shortly after we joined and the economy began recovering.
For our part, we’ve been waiting to add-on DVC points for several years now. We are now waiting to see what happens next, partly with pricing but also with the upcoming Disney Lakeshore Lodge (we love the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, but don’t want to purchase there due to high maintenance fees–so we’re hoping they end up being part of the same trust). This is not to say history will repeat itself completely, or even that DVC is right for you. That’s what we’ll try to help you figure out through the rest of this guide, though!
With the ‘current events’ addressed, let’s turn to the threshold question: whether buying into Disney Vacation Club is actually a good idea for your family? Maybe you’ve recently taken a Disney Vacation Club tour or heard a sales pitch and are now wondering if it’s really as great as that it sounds.
The good news is that saving money with DVC is still possible. The bad news is that it’s not nearly as easy as Disney Vacation Club reps might lead you to believe. From a purely economic perspective, Disney Vacation Club won’t make sense for a lot of people.
Even if it doesn’t make sound fiscal sense, there are other compelling reasons for you to make the purchase. If your main motivation for buying an interest in Disney Vacation Club is to save money, whether it’s a good deal for you depends of your party size, resort tier preference, and how often you’ll visit Walt Disney World.
It’s also worth noting that Disney Vacation Club is a pre-paid vacation plan, which differs slightly from the traditional definition of a timeshare. In the strictest sense, Disney Vacation Club can be viewed as an asset, but not a tangible one. This is an important distinction to some people, but it doesn’t matter to a lot of people.
With that said, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of buying into Disney Vacation Club, and what you should think about before you decide whether to make the purchase…
Is Disney Vacation Club A Good Fit?
Accommodations Preferences – This is the threshold question, because if you’re (voluntarily) a Values and Moderates type person, Disney Vacation Club may never make financial sense for you. However, it can be a difficult question to answer, because it’s tough to anticipate your vacationing habits in the future. If you only roll Deluxe, and anticipate demanding posh accommodations in the future, Disney Vacation Club might be right for you.
Where DVC makes even more sense is for those who have kids or anticipate soon having kids, and are tired of sleeping in the same small quarters with them at a Moderate Resort. Disney Vacation Club, and its one-bedroom units and larger, may be right for you as it gives you the option to separate yourself from the kids at night. If you’re frequently booking the Art of Animation Family Suites, DVC is a great–nicer–alternative. Similarly, if you have to book two or more rooms at a Value or Moderate, it might be for you.
If you are a commando park tourer who primarily books All Star Sports, find the Value Resorts acceptable, and you stay up until all hours of the night and get up for rope drop daily, Disney Vacation Club may not be a good option for you. This is for two reasons.
First, the initial cost of Disney Vacation Club plus the cost of the annual maintenance fees will be higher than the sum of the yearly cost of a room at a Value Resort over the life of the Disney Vacation Club contract. This assumes reasonable price increases and accounts for the time value of money.
Second, because you simply don’t need one of the vacation-home style rooms offered by Disney Vacation Club. If you’re a no-frills or ‘bottom line’ traveler who just wants a place to shower, sleep, and will barely spend any time in your hotel room, it’s highly unlikely that DVC is for you.
With that said, even if you do presently stay at Value Resorts, after one stay at a Disney Vacation Club resort, you may be hooked. For many people, it’s one of those, “I didn’t realize what I was missing until I tried it” scenarios. Our first stay at the BoardWalk Villas definitely made it tough for us to stay in Value accommodations again.
If you’re not sure whether Disney Vacation Club accommodations will be a good fit, rent Disney Vacation Club points. There are a number of sites from which you can rent points, and they offer a cheap way to ‘get your feet wet’ with DVC, so to speak. You can also book Deluxe Villas from Disney directly, although this isn’t as cost-effective.
A final consideration in terms of accommodations: Disney Vacation Club still might not be right for you if you can’t stand the idea of MouseKeeping not cleaning your room daily. To us, this is such a minor, unimportant thing, but it bears mentioning.
Conversely, if you like the idea of being able to do your laundry, prepare a meal in your in-room kitchen, or enjoy a whole host of other “home-away-from-home” amenities, Disney Vacation Club may be right for you.
Advance Planning – If you can’t regularly plan your vacations 7 months or more in advance, and Saratoga Springs Resort and Old Key West Resort, which are typically the two resorts that fill up last, aren’t acceptable resorts to you, then Disney Vacation Club may not be right for you.
During various times of year, popular Disney Vacation Club resorts fill up quickly. In fact, during the Christmas season, it can be difficult to get even Saratoga and Old Key West inside of 7 months. If you can plan more than 7 months in advance, DVC is probably a good fit.
One thing we recommend doing before buying into Disney Vacation Club is doing some sample Disney Vacation Club availability searches to get an idea of how far in advance you’d need to book to secure the resort you want. This can also be helpful in determining which home resort is right for you.
Disney Vacationing Frequency – Thanks to the banking and borrowing system, it isn’t necessary to take a Disney vacation every year. However, to make DVC a pragmatic option, you pretty much must visit WDW or DLR once every two or three years.
Using DVC points for non-DVC vacations offers terrible value. Since many DVC contracts expire in 2054 (contracts for Disney’s Riviera Resort will expire on January 31, 2070), you better hope the Mouse won’t break your heart anytime soon. Although if he does, selling your contract on the resale market is an option, and thanks to Disney’s Right of First Refusal, contracts retain a somewhat inflated value on the resale market.
Even this isn’t a hard rule. A lot of Disney Vacation Club owners who aren’t able to use their annual allotment of points safely rent them out through point-rental businesses. Rather than using the exchanges for other vacations, you will always come out ahead by renting out your Disney Vacation Club points and paying out of pocket for whatever the other thing is. The amount owners can make through point rental is usually more than enough to pay for accommodations elsewhere!
Interval International & Point Exchanges – Disney Vacation Club touts the ability of members to use Interval International exchanges for access to thousands of resorts in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Caribbean, and beyond, with a portfolio including resorts from Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt, and Westin.
In addition, DVC Members are able to use their points for National Geographic Expeditions, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, and even stays at Shanghai Disney Resort. These options are great…in theory. However, in actuality, trading DVC points into these exchanges is not a smart use of points. Let me repeat that again because this is pretty much the opposite of what you’ll hear from DVC reps: don’t use Disney Vacation Club points anywhere but at DVC resorts.
We won’t belabor the point too much here since this is something covered in exhaustive detail in our Best & Worst Uses of Disney Vacation Club Points, but using DVC points on any of the various “Collections” or anything other than DVC is a bad idea. Being able to use points elsewhere is an illusory Membership Extra–a selling point touted by salespeople that has no actual value. Always has been, always will be.
This applies even to other Disney destination. You should never use Disney Vacation Club points for Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, the international parks, etc. Simply put, using DVC points at non-DVC resorts is also a poor use of points.
If you buy into Disney Vacation Club thinking that you might cash-in your Disney Vacation Club points for any of these options every once in a while, you are going to have a difficult time getting adequate value out of your membership. One reader recently emailed me, indicating that she saved $15,000 by canceling her direct purchase at the Polynesian Bungalows and instead purchasing the same number of points via resale after reading this article. $15,000.
Suffice to say, one of the main reasons DVC reps are able to convince people to purchase directly from Disney is the “perk” of using the points on Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or otherwise outside of the Disney Vacation Club resorts. It’s not an actual perk if you shouldn’t or won’t use it. Save the money and pass on the value-less perk.
Actual Membership Perks – Disney Vacation Club Members get discounts on Annual Passes for Walt Disney World. There are several Members-Only DVC pins, events, a small magazine mailed to members, and other offerings throughout the year as well. In our Top 10 Disney Vacation Club Member Perks post, we discuss all of our favorites.
It is important to note that none of these perks are contractual rights, so Disney is free to terminate or reduce these benefits at any time. A “Membership Magic” promotion runs from time to time that gives Disney Vacation Club members discounts on Disneyland and Walt Disney World Annual Passes. Disney Vacation Club members may also purchase the Disney Dining Plan.
These Membership Perks are no longer available to those who purchase their contracts via the resale market. Unlike the restriction on using the non-DVC resort collections mentioned above, this is potentially a big deal. If you intend upon purchasing Annual Passes with the DVC discount, this can eliminate a $100-200 per person, per year savings. In our post covering the “new math” for buying Disney Vacation Club direct vs. resale, we analyze prospective buyers should do given this change.
Hard Economics
It’s important to note from the outset that all of the monetary considerations below assume that you are purchasing Disney Vacation Club via the resale market. This is the ‘best case scenario’ and definitely the way to buy into DVC given the presently high prices direct from Disney. The incentives Disney offers for direct-from-Disney DVC purchases rarely make sense.
If you are savvy with your money and saving it is your paramount concern, you should almost always purchase from the resale market. Before making a purchase, you crunch the numbers to determine what your vacation costs would be for the next 40 years if you do purchase DVC and if you don’t.
Since these numbers will vary widely for everyone researching the matter (based on party size, at which type of resort you’d prefer to stay, etc.), it’s difficult for me to offer sample calculations here. Instead, I’ll offer a few important considerations to make sure you take into account when doing the math.
Total Cost – When you’re looking at DVC, it’s tempting to just consider the initial, total purchase price and not pay much attention to Maintenance Fees. This is a mistake, as Maintenance Fees end up costing more over time at every resort, and can make a significant difference when comparing resorts.
We highly recommend using figuring out the total cost of DVC over the life of your contract, which is pretty easy thanks to DVC Pro Plan’s free calculator. Then do similar math for your current room expenses. However, this is not where your calculations should end, due to two very important things (see below) that the calculator overlooks…
Financing Disney Vacation Club – Not factored into the calculator is financing. Whether you have to finance Disney Vacation Club is an incredibly important question and definitely shouldn’t be glossed over. If you have to finance your Disney Vacation Club purchase, a lot of potential savings are wiped out by the interest you pay on the purchase.
Interest will vary from purchaser to purchaser, but it’s a very important consideration. Unless the intangible reasons that will be discussed below strongly apply to you, we usually advise anyone considering a purchase of Disney Vacation Club who would have to finance it NOT to make the purchase.
Time Value of Money – Another thing unaccounted for by the calculator. If you don’t have to finance your purchase, Disney Vacation Club should look a lot more appealing, but there still is a pitfall. In doing the math, time value of money is the most frequently overlooked aspect of any equation when people are crunching the numbers on Disney Vacation Club. Time-value of money is the principle that money at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future due to its earning capacity over the course of time.
To illustrate this principle, imagine you have $1 today. If you invest that dollar today in something with a 6% yearly rate of return, and let it sit for 20 years, at the end of that 20 year period, that dollar is worth $3.21. Since you’re paying for all of your future Disney Vacation Club vacations up front as opposed to when they are incurred, large portions of the initial investment in Disney Vacation Club could be invested in other ways (with a similar return on investment rate, if not better) if you were instead paying for your room each year as you vacationed.
The calculations here can be pretty complex given that you can’t take that entire initial investment and perform a time value of money calculation on it to determine what it would be worth in 10, 20, or even 40 years, as you would be paying out portions of that initial investment each year for your hotel stays.
That said, by even doing rough math here, you should get a pretty good idea of the “actual” cost of Disney Vacation Club. Now, if you have suitcases full of one-hundred dollar bills sitting under your bed that you wouldn’t invest anyway, maybe this is not a consideration for you. Use this Time Value of Money (TVM) Calculator to see how it makes a difference.
Home Resort – If you’re interested in maximizing the economics of Disney Vacation Club, it’s very wise to purchase a contract with a home resort that expires in 2054 or later. When we first started crunching numbers over a decade ago, Saratoga Springs Resort was the very clear winner.
The arguments in favor of Saratoga Springs Resort are threefold. First, it frequently has the lowest per-point cost of any of the Walt Disney World-based resorts. Second, even when other resorts are lower in per-point costs, they’re higher in per-point maintenance costs, which is more important than the initial cost-difference.
During the intervening years, a number of other resorts have opened that are more expensive but have even later expiration dates. Disney’s Riviera Resort and the Villas at Disneyland Hotel expire in 2070 and 2074, respectively. That’s 16 and 20 more years than Saratoga Springs at this point, so amortizing those higher up-front costs over the life of the contract can mean they end up being cheaper on a per year basis.
So in other words–don’t overlook expiration dates. Some of the oldest Disney Vacation Club resorts have less than 20 years of life now, and those are (finally) starting to come down in price as a result. At the other end of the spectrum, many newer resorts have 30-50 years, which is pretty lengthy by comparison.
You should never overlook maintenance fee costs, as over time, you will pay more in maintenance fees than the actual contract cost itself. That $.20 to $2 difference per point in maintenance fees may not seem like much now, but over time, it really adds up. It may be tempting to buy at Aulani, Hilton Head, or Vero Beach, but consider the maintenance fees before doing that.
You also need to keep in mind that your home resort is where you have an 11-month window. This is of no value whatsoever at Saratoga Springs, whereas it’s incredibly valuable at any of the monorail loop or EPCOT-area resorts.
Copper Creek at Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary all hit this ‘sweet spot’ of desirable location, lower maintenance fees, and longer contract durations (later expiration dates). While these are not the cheapest contracts on the resale market, the price premiums are not bad considering all of the above. (They are better than, for example, the Polynesian or Grand Californian.)
Although we opted for Saratoga Springs Resort as our home resort when we purchased Disney Vacation Club, things have changed since then. If we were doing it all over again, we’d probably buy at the Grand Floridian, BLT, or Copper Creek. In fact, that’s precisely our plan–to target one of those three resorts–the next time we add-0n.
Locking In Your Vacation Costs – One of the huge benefits of Disney Vacation Club is locking in prices for future vacations. In other words, you know up front what your vacations will cost for the next forty years or so (depending on the expiration date of your DVC contract).
This is something you can’t accurately predict without DVC, but one thing you can predict is that room prices directly from Disney will increase. In fact, since we purchased Disney Vacation Club–and even since we first published this article–rack rates at Walt Disney World have skyrocketed, far outpacing Disney Vacation Club maintenance fees.
Depending on how dramatically these prices increase, you could realize significant savings by purchasing Disney Vacation Club. When performing your calculations, make sure to account for this yearly increase in room rates you’d be paying if booking a room from Disney each year rather than using your DVC membership.
Non-Economic Considerations
Okay, I wrote up a lot of “stuff” above, and it’s funny to think that one sentence can wipe away all of that, but it very well might. That sentence is, “will owning Disney Vacation Club increase my quality of life?” If the answer to this question is yes, all of the economic considerations in the world may very well be meaningless. It may be a good idea to purchase DVC anyway.
If things, such as the “Welcome Home” doormats, Disney Files Magazine showing up in your mailbox, going to bed at night knowing your vacations are partially paid in advance for the next 40-some years, the “forced vacation” aspect, owning a piece of the Magic, or being able to share trips with friends and family in awesome and unique accommodations are a big deal to you or will make you happier, then you might want to disregard everything I’ve written above.
As with everything in life, “happiness” is that ace-up-the-sleeve trump card that can render everything else meaningless. Quite simply, you can’t put a price tag on happiness and peace of mind.
Try Before You Buy!
We highly recommend trying Disney Vacation Club before you buy to see if it’s right for you. You can either do this by booking a Deluxe Villa directly from Disney or by renting Disney Vacation Club points. We highly recommend renting Disney Vacation Club points, as you will save considerably over booking directly from Disney (typical savings over even a discounted Deluxe Villa price are around 50%) and you will get the true “Owner” experience.
Check out our Guide to Renting Disney Vacation Club Points if you want more information about the process! For renting points, there are a few options. The most popular and least expensive option is renting points from David’s Vacation Club Rentals, which specializes in DVC points rentals.
This is actually another place where you might want to stop and do the math. Not to see if renting is cheaper than booking through Disney (it unquestionably is), but to see if renting Disney Vacation Club points for all of your trips is a better option than buying Disney Vacation Club points. We know a lot of people who go this route year in and year out because it provides great savings without locking them into an actual contract. It is something to give serious thought, and you might be surprised just how attractive renting, rather than buying, can be!
I Want To Purchase DVC, What’s Next?
Home Resort – If saving money is the impetus behind the purchase, and you’ve crunched the numbers and think it can be done, this is a no-brainer—you buy into Saratoga Springs via resale.
If money is a concern, but you have a definite resort preference, you should buy where you want to stay. If you won’t be happy unless you are able to stay at the Beach Club Villas every trip, you should purchase points there. This is especially true with the popular and small resorts, such as the Beach Club Villas, which are difficult to book at the 7 months mark throughout much of the year.
At the bare minimum, your home resort should be somewhere you wouldn’t mind staying—because you just might have to stay there during busier seasons where other resorts are booked at the 7 month mark. If you are not sure which resort might be the one you want to call “home,” read our article ranking the Disney Vacation Club resorts.
Start Watching The Resale Listings – There are several sites that can assist you in purchasing Disney Vacation Club via the resale market. The most popular ones include ResalesDVC.com, DVC Resale Market, The Timeshare Store, and DVCByResale.com, and I’ve mostly heard positives about each.
Figure out what you want, whether your contract needs to be ‘loaded’ and start making reasonable offers on contracts. Another resource to use for searching Disney Vacation Club resale listings is DVCFinder.com. It’s basically a search engine of active listings on the main DVC resale sites.
Research, Research, Research! – This post is aimed at whether you should buy Disney Vacation Club. Once you’ve made the decision, you need to understand various aspects of ownership. With regard to those things, this post barely scratches the surface. You might have seen passing references to the “7 month window” above. Do you know what that is? Do you understand terms such as “banking,” “borrowing,” “ROFR,” or “use year,” just to name a few terms?
Disney Vacation Club practically has its own lexicon, and it’s important to fully understand the product before you buy. I spent two years reading and posting on the MouseOwners.com forums before we made our purchase. It’s worth hanging around there or the other sites mentioned above before making a purchase. The members there can impart far more wisdom on you than I ever can. Many of them are true experts.
Our Story
We are Disney Vacation Club owners, and the economics work well for us even though we don’t have a larger party or a demand for always staying in Deluxe Resorts. We save money with DVC, but more importantly, owning makes us happy, which is the paramount consideration. We reviewed these same factors when contemplating a DVC purchase. Ultimately, we decided it was right for us. After doing the math every which way, we determined that buying a Saratoga Springs Resort contract was what we needed.
Our circumstances were a bit different than the norm, though. For our honeymoon, we wanted to stay at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, or Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Unfortunately, for the busy summer season, we couldn’t get much of a discount on any of these rooms. We found that if we purchased a modest contract, we could bank & borrow enough points to use for our 10-day honeymoon. In comparison to paying out of pocket for a stay at the BoardWalk for our honeymoon, buying the DVC contract outright on the resale market provided a very short break-even number of years.
With the math working out well, it was an easy decision, as the hotel stay would have no residual value, whereas the DVC contract would be useful for years. Plus, as Annual Passholders, the DVC membership would save us over $250 per year total for our Disneyland and Walt Disney World APs, which comes close to covering our dues. On top of that, we have access to a variety of member perks including lounges, special events, and more. Those are all hardly make or break, but they’re nice bonuses that make us feel valued as members.
While our touring style of staying out late and getting up early didn’t really necessitate DVC accommodations when we joined, things have changed. We now have a daughter, and we’ve done several stays with her as a toddler. Already, we’re seeing that the amenities DVC offers are vital. And we’re also realizing that studios no longer cut it, so we’re thinking about adding on more points.
The math worked for us, and so too did DVC increase our happiness. There are few pieces of mail I look forward to more than the Disney Files magazine, and hearing “Welcome Home” from the Cast Member at the front desk of our resort gives me an ear-to-ear grin every time. It may not work for everyone, but it certainly works for us–and we’ve “grown into” the membership even more as we’ve gotten older and our party size has increased. Hopefully this guide helps you determine whether DVC is right for you!
Looking to plan a trip using your Disney Vacation Club points? Make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. We also have an Aulani Trip Planning Guide for those of you using your points in Hawaii! For updates on Disney Parks including the latest news, discount information, and tips, sign up for our free newsletter!
Your Thoughts?
A lot of you reading this are probably either members who stumbled upon it while looking for Disney Vacation Club content, or prospective buyers weighing their purchase? What do you all think about Disney Vacation Club? Owners, are you happy with your purchase? Potential owners, how does this article impact your decision to buy? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Thanks for all the info. One thing you didn’t touch on was the pros/cons to “sharing” a membership. My husband and I were considering investing with his mother and father in points and was wondering if you have heard anything from others who have done this. Also, could you please clarify what “non-DVC Disney hotels” are? Part of the allure for me was that we wouldn’t have to use our points at DLR or WDW for every vacation and the fact that they had “partners” all over the world sounded good. Are you saying that staying in one of those places using your points is not a good value?
Wonderful article! We just returned from a 4 night cruise on the Dream, as well as 3 nights at the Polynesian. For our family of 4, it was quite expensive, and we ended our trip by signing up for the DVC. Just received the paperwork in the mail and haven’t gone over all of it yet with a fine tooth comb, but I do have a question I hope you can answer.
We bought 250 points (effective September 2013), and as an incentive were given 250 additional points, effective as of September 2012. The Disney rep did not explain this, but I get the feeling that our 250 incentive points better be used pretty quickly? Can we bank these for next year? When do we need to either bank or use these points so we don’t lose them?
Thanks for all the useful information–I still think we made the right decision for our family, but I’m just scared we’re going to lose points by not paying close enough attention.
Thanks!
Sorry, I’m not familiar with the exact terms of the incentive. Have you logged into the member site to view them? Do you have any paperwork relating to the points? I would start by checking there.
We recently went through a presentation and were offered the same incentive and from my understanding the pionts being effective in 2012 means they have to be used by 2013. Since you can only use the previous year’s in the current year, but I would definitely clarify that.
We just did a presentation and bought…now reconsidering. BUt we were awaredd 2014 points like you are saying…we have to call by july 31st to let them know we want to roll them over and then we have until 12/16 to use them.
not sure it this helps anyone reading this in 2015 but figured I would throw in what we were told on 6/11/15
Thank you for the wonderful article. We are in the process of buying 220 points at the BWV. One of the advantages we like is the option to use our DVC pints at non-Disney resorts. We’d like to travel to Europe, Mexico, etc. The idea of not being locked in to Disney-only properties is enticing. WE love Disney, but we would love the opportunity to show our kids the world as well. Question: Have you heard of anyone having trouble trading their DVC points to RCI and booking rooms at the non-disney properties in Europe and the other various other locations? That would be a deal breaker for us. We’ve been told by our DVC sales rep that RCI offers a 1 bedroom suite at their properties for a week for flat rate of 160 points. That sounds too good to be true; which worries me. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on this. Thanks!
I should explain – our boys are 6 & 8 and we are all about Disney. We have annual
passes, etc. My husband and I just think that over time our travel needs and interests will continue to evolve and change as our kids get older. That is why we like the idea of traveling to other properties. AS much as we love Disney – we’d like to travel to other locations as well.
I have never heard of any troubles, but I’ve never tried this personally. From what I understand, DVC points are heavily sought-after in the RCI system, so I doubt there would be any issue. But again, I don’t have personal knowledge or experience on this.
Tom, definitely the best article on the web on DVC! We are currently in process of purchasing. We are the type who is buying from Disney instead of resale mainly due to the concerns on the limits Disney could impose on resales. Again, not sure what they could do but better to be safe than sorry I guess. My hesitation now as I’ve read things here is the comment on Disney restructuring the point system and folks being hurt due to the structure change. If they can keep changing the system then it potentially affects your investment negatively. Ex: you buy 271 for a weeklong yearly vacation and their structure change would thn require 293 for the same timeframe, requiring you to buy even more points at more cost etc.
How often do they redo the point structure?
Also, any one know the average resort price increases over the last 10 years or so for folks who rent and not DVC? Has it been on avg, 3%, 5% etc. I’m asking this cause their fees have gone up 2-3% each year and for comparison I just wanted to compare costs. Etc.
Thanks again for your work on this blog. For us, a consistent Deluxe resort user every year since 2002, our purchase will largely be the happiness factor. Probably would’ve joined sooner but couldn’t financially. We are now a family of 6 and the DVC guy said that we fit their profile for sure! Ha! He did peg us cause we are definitely Disney people.
Their structure cannot change in the way you’re describing. If a week costs 271 now, it costs 271 forever. Specific DAYS within a week can change, but those are offset by other days. This has affected people who only traveled on weekdays (as weekend rates were once waaaaaay more expensive).
As for supposed “limits” on resale, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Most of those concerns are fostered by Disney’s sales reps, who have a vested interest in you buying through them. Right now, the only limitation is not being able to use DVC points at non-DVC Disney hotels or cruises (you can still exchange in the RCI system). Using your points in the prohibited way is a TERRIBLE idea anyway, so most resale buyers don’t care. I know it wouldn’t give me any hesitation. As for what might happen in the future…so long as you’ve already made your resale purchase, you’re grandfathered in.
What a great read! I needed this. My husband and I just started looking into this. We found the resale market extremely enticing, but we’re afraid we’ll be missing out on a lot. I keep hearing different things regarding booking non Disney Resorts…how it does not make sense to use points for anything other than DVC resorts…so of course it brings us back to thinking the resale is a better value. I’m one of those types that’s afraid to not buy from the source and thinks she’ll miss out on goodies and specials or something. Of course I would love to save a ton of money though…Other than the locations you can book at, are there really any other differences in how you would be treated? Would you still receive a dvcmember.com account and be able to do everything else? Just curious….THANKS!!!
Excellent post! My wife and I have been considering buying into DVC for quite sometime, but with my parents already members (Saratoga, surprise) we’ll most like add to their points. One thing I haven’t seen in responses is people taking multiple trips throughout the year with their points. I know my parents bought 160 points and they use these to take 3-4 trips per year at 4 nights each, but at Disneyland and the Grand Californian. Hopefully people keep that in mind, you don’t have to use all of your points up in one week. It’s great to have the use of the DVC program and access to more Deluxe resorts, for less.
Absolutely! This is one of the great things about the point system. We’ve done single nights with our DVC points several times when we couldn’t get cheap rooms elsewhere.
re: the idea of adding points onto your parents’ membership, wondering how that would work? Would you just use their points as a guest, or get your name added as an additional owner (is that even possible?)? I haven’t crunched the numbers but it seems like DVC won’t make sense for me, but sharing it with my parents might…
Really like this article. And you’re definitely right about the happiness thing being the trump card. My boyfriend and I recently went to WDW this month and met with a DVC salesman. He broke it down well and while we aren’t ready to buy yet – I’m still in college – we’re really working on crunching numbers and hoping to manage it by next year.
I just have a question though. I read somewhere about resale policies changing. Something about if you buy resale at, say OKW as your home resort, you’re locked in there and can’t stay anywhere else. I know you’re much more of a Disney detective than I am, and you’re also a member, so maybe you’d know if that’s just a rumor? I certainly hope so, as buying resale had been looking like a fantastic option prior to that rumor.
It IS possible that Disney could, in the future restrict resale members (or really any members) to their home resort. In our contract it’s explicitly stated what is guaranteed and very few things are guaranteed. As I understand it, we are actually only guaranteed that we can book at our home resort, and that if it is open to others, we will have a booking advantage there. As far as I know, Disney could theoretically ban members from ANY trading, and restrict us to booking our home resorts at any time. They seem to be pulling back benefits on resales. You can argue that the trading for cruises and Disney Collection aren’t a good use of points anyway, but it’s possible they could take more off the table for re-sales.
If you’re still in college I would really wait and think about buying DVC. It’s a HUGE commitment, not just to the initial investment but to paying dues every single year and then either taking vacations you may or may not be able to afford or having to rent points out. DVC becomes a responsibility. Also, a LOT can change in a short time. We’re VERY happy DVC members (we bought direct at the most expensive resort, and financed..essentially breaking all the “rules” but it was what we wanted), but things do change. Since I joined DVC I became a travel agent and now I’m eligible for special rates that approach my DVC savings. You could god forbid lose a job or have a medical condition. Like i said, DH and I are very happy. We’ve been able to stay in resorts and take trips we only dreamed of before DVC, but I still always advise everyone to examine it all VERY carefully, take two steps back, sleep on it, examine it all again, crunch and re-crunch the numbers because it’s a 40+ year commitment. Hope that helped!
Totally agree with your second paragraph. That’s sound advice.
Disagree with the first paragraph. This is something I see discussed a lot on message boards, but the likelihood of Disney ever implementing any such meaningful restrictions on existing members is slim to nil. The express terms of a contract aren’t the only terms of a contract (despite boilerplate language possibly suggesting otherwise). Disney’s agents make representations to potential customers about the resorts at which they’ll be able to use their points. Limiting usage after these representations–which induced execution of the contract–would expose Disney to litigation for fraud, among other things. This is why the changes are made prospectively, rather than retroactively.
In addition to writing this blog, I’m an attorney with a decent amount of contract law practice (not specifically in timeshares), and litigation like this is fairly common, and plaintiffs quite often prevail.
BTW, the above should not be construed as legal advice…it’s just my opinion of what changes Disney is unlikely to make with regard to Disney Vacation Club. Use this advice at your own risk.
When Disney made the change to DVC resales that said that you couldn’t use resales for cruses, etc. it only applied to resales after a future date. I think that if they do make changes in the future they won’t apply to current resale owners (i.e. they will only apply to the person you sell it to if you sell after the change date)
Exactly.
Tom I really liked all that you had to say. My wife and I have a timeshare with same other place and are looking to get out and come over to DVC. Do you know if Disney would help us out of the other place so that we could become DVC owners?
Sorry, I do not know. I’ve never heard of them doing that, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Looking for assistance with one thing – what is the precise advantage of booking at one’s home resort? I can’t seem to find this spelled out anywhere.
The advantage of buying at a home resort you like is that you are able to make a booking 11 months in advance, whereas you can only book 7 months in advance at a non-home resort. In some cases, 7 months out, there is no availability at certain resorts.
ah ha! So you have a 4 month window when you’re only competing with other ‘owners’ at the home resort? That might be worthwhile for us.
Correct.
So many different reasons to buy at DVC. We thought about it for many years and the reason we finally purchased hasn’t been mentioned here so I thought I’d add it. Before purchasing, for the last 10 years or so we stayed at Yacht Club, 2 rooms on the Concierge floor Christmas week. We wanted the convenience. We’ve been coming to Disney since the early 80’s when my daughter was young and then it was March school vacation week. Both periods don’t discount much but we got the discounts we could. Then we retired and had grandkids and the cost of Disney Deluxe vacations for all of us during prime time was very high. We started renting a one bedroom at Boardwalk for my daughter’s family and continued at our room at Yacht Club, as the kitchen became very useful for babies and young kids. We started thinking of DVC again as we had the cash to pay for the purchase and didn’t think we could continue to go as often with the high room rates. Now here is where we differ from the other thinking. We factored in the cost of getting a second home in a place like Celebration, but my husband didn’t want to be bothered with the upkeep. We like to travel but we travel all over and Disney (and Maui) are the only places that we return regularly. So we looked at the principal cost of DVC and compared it to the cost of a second home. We decided that we liked BoardWalk better. It is in the middle of everything and it’s where we want to be when in Florida. We bought a lot of points on the resale market at BoardWalk and Beach Club (for the pool when the grandkids are with us). As we go school holidays with the family we book at 11 months then but we also take spur of the moment trips by ourselves. This only may make sense in the current real estate market and lack of interest rates on savings but it works for us now. We’re enjoying it now but have a strategy of renting out the points if we ever tire of it or reselling.
We purchased the minimum 150 points at BWV in 2000. The only financial considerations were that we could afford it, and that it wasn’t a huge rip off. Our reasoning was that after many years of working with minimal vacations, buying in to DVC would force us to take a nice vacation at least every three years.
Over the past 13 years, we’ve used the points at WDW, Disneyland Resort, and Aulani. We’ve been able to take friends and family along with us. These are now our two daughter’s favorite destinations, and even though they are now 16 and 21, they both look forward to many more years of visits to these wonderful resorts.
We’ve bought additional points at VGC and Aulani and now do take vacations regularly. The main benefits of DVC have been an improvement in the quality of our lives, and unforgetable times together as a family.
I think your assessment is spot on. We are a family of four who purchased awhile (10 years?) ago when BCV was just being sold. I think we got in at the right time. That said, I don’t think we have gotten a huge financial benefit out of our purchase, but there has been some. It has been more about the happiness factor for us. When paying cash for a room at Disney, we would choose a moderate resort. DVC offers us an automatic upgrade.
We also have not ever had a problem with being in another resort. We just book for our home resort and go on a wait list right at the 7 month mark. I’m sure that there may be a time in the future when when we get denied, but that just puts us at our home resort, which is just fine with us (and would be fine with us if our home resort were ANY of the DVC properties).
As to how much to purchase, here was what we asked ourselves when we made our decision: What’s the smallest room our family can possibly handle (Studio for us)? What’s the minimum time we would be able to handle going to Disney every year (a week for us)? How many points would it cost for that small room at our home resort for that amount of days during the busiest time of year (at the time, 220)? That’s what we settled on. It has offered us a great amount of flexibility without feeling like we had overdone. We’ve rarely stayed during the “premiere” times, so each time we visit, we stay longer and in a bigger room. We also don’t go every year, so we’ve banked points and been able to bring friends and family along. THAT has been the greatest benefit for us: The ability to say to our guests “we’ll cover your room,” and to have them appreciate the quality of their accommodations. It’s worked out well for us, but more for the “Magic” factor than the economic. I can definitely say that we have gotten our money’s worth, and for that, not the savings, it’s a good value.
I saw where you stated 330 points for a family of 5 was too many.
I know a lot of variables come into play, but generally speaking, how many points would you recommend for a family of 4? After doing some research, my preference would be to routinely stay in one bedroom villas.
Depends on your length of stay, time of visit, and preferred resort. For a week, you’re looking at about 200-300 points, depending upon the other factors.
Check out the point charts: http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/points-charts/dvc-resorts
Note that while daily point amounts CAN change, weekly amounts cannot. That means that if weekend ‘rates’ go up, weekday ‘rates’ must go down (or vice-a-versa).
Do you mean that DVC has a policy that states that weekly amount of points can never change? I’ve been considering buying DVC but am concerned that they will increase the points needed to go on vacation. If I have a guarantee that the total amount of points needed for a week will never change it makes me much more comfortable to buy and gives me a better idea of how many points I should buy to start with.
Seasons can adjust slightly, but total yearly allocation can never change (pursuant to the contract). Weekly allocations can change, but to my knowledge, never have. The only thing I’ve *ever* seen change is weekend v. weeknight point rates.
In other words, while a single week might shift from one season to another causing a slight increase (or decrease) in points that week costs, another week MUST shift the other direction to offset that week. The more common change is weekend v. weeknight points, and even that isn’t common.
Your membership cannot be devalued by point changes.
we initially bought 150 points and then later regretted it. We added additional 50 points so that we could have a even 200 points. Works great for our family of 4. we go every couple of years and to be able to bank and borrow we always have enough for a 2 bedroom whether we stay at Disney Aulani or a couple of weeks in WDW of our choice. Never had a problem with not getting into any of the resorts at the 7 months windows.
We bought as we knew we would be happy since we are able to book at Disney Aulani in Hawaii. It comes out to be pretty cheap to stay overall considering our maintenance fees as you have to remember you are staying in Deluxe Accomadations and is much cheaper over time than paying seperately at a value resort. You get so much more! Buy it for your happiness! We did!!
We’re AKV members since Feb 2008 & LOVE it! The best advice I read was to buy where you want to stay–I saw so many people on various Disney boards who would buy SSR because it was cheaper, & then complain when they couldn’t get into the resort they really wanted at the 7 month mark. We bought from Disney and got the smallest number of points possible to get in, & it’s worked well for us so far. I would add that people should be careful about buying the # of points they need for specific stays (i.e. 5 nights Sun-Fri first week of Feb), for the simple reason that your touring plans will probably change. When we bought, both our sons were in elementary school & we could take them out for a week at any time without problems. Once our oldest started middle school that changed & we now have to travel during the summer–had we bought only enough points to cover our preferred travel time we would have been out of luck. I also remember the uproar when Disney re-adjusted the points charts–many people who had bought with very specific vacations in mind found themselves SOL.
I don’t know if we’ll ever add more points–the boys are getting older & I’m not sure how many more regular family trips there are in our future. But we are very happy with our purchase and foresee getting a lot more use out of it for the life of the contract 🙂
Glad to hear that you’re happy members!
I don’t necessarily agree with either of these points. With the first point, you’re right that people who love one resort–and only one resort–should buy there. However, people who prefer a certain resort but don’t necessarily NEED to stay there should be fine buying into SSR. Since we became owners, we’ve NEVER stayed at SSR. Even when we haven’t gotten our first choice, we’ve always been able to get a great resort at the 7 month mark…and that includes traveling during popular times of the year for DVC. You just have to have reasonable expectations and be willing to go with the flow. You may not get Beach Club Villas during Food & Wine at the 7 month mark, but you won’t be stuck with OKW, either. Of course people on the forums are going to complain, though…that’s what they do! 😉
As for the second point, I wouldn’t say that anyone is “SOL” if they buy for specific vacations in mind…you can always add-on points. You can’t, however, sell a portion of your contract if you buy too many points and finding that you have more than you need. Buying more points than you need is a good way to “future-proof,” but if you’re approaching this from an economic perspective, it’s wasteful.
Right, there are options if they buy for specific vacations, but a lot of people don’t want to add on points ;). I suppose I should say that back when we bought, the advice from Disney (and some others around the internet) was to figure out when you wanted to vacation, what your room preference would be, & to buy enough points to do that vacation. People who followed that advice quite often found themselves lacking points when they discovered they had to change their touring plans. When I told people we just bought enough points to get our foot in the door (didn’t know about resale at the time)they quite often told me that I’d under-bought. As you say, I’d rather under-buy than over-buy–you can add more salt to the soup, but you can’t take it out 😉
Love your photos, btw–my husband has been doing photography for a couple of years now. He had just started when we took our last Disney trip a year & a half ago & said there really wasn’t anything “new” to take pictures of–I quite often post your pictures for him so he can see just how wrong he is 😉
Nice write up! I have no illusions that DVC has actually saved us money, because if we hadn’t bought in we probably wouldn’t be going. However since we did become owners, and financed through Disney at that. I can say without a doubt that being members has GREATLY improved the quality of our lives. We’ve spent more time together as a family, I’ve gone places I would have never tried without it, DH and I have done some childless getaway trips, and being able to get down to WDW more often has even given me an edge professionally. I owe that all to joining DVC. DVC isn’t for everyone, for all the reasons that you stated above, but for us the lifestyle benefits outweigh any money.
“for us the lifestyle benefits outweigh any money.”
That, right there, is reason enough for you to purchase, and the rest of my article should be irrelevant. For many people, those “x factors” of happiness and quality of like that DVC brings are more justification than anything else!
I’d be curious to know if you have any insight as to how easy it is to get reservations without planning far in advance. We live in Tampa, so a lot of our resort stays are planned weeks or sometimes even just a few days in advance – is it still possible to book DVC rooms that close, vs. the regular 7- and 11-month reservation windows?
If not, I could still see us possibly buying and just using DVC for longer vacations every couple of years, but it would be more appealing if there was actually a chance of booking a weekend stay if we decide on the Tuesday or Wednesday before that we need a little break!
It’s possible, but you’re likely to be stuck with Saratoga Springs or Old Key West 95% of the time…that’s assuming anything is available.
If you do buy, I’d plan on using it for longer vacations, not impromptu weekend trips.
Tom’s right it is possible and we have done it. It’s best at your home resort. They try really hard to make it happen, depending on how busy they are. They will even put together an itinerary if you are willing to move during the stay.
If you look at any timeshare simply from a financial POV, you can never justify it UNLESS you get it very cheap via resale. Even then, in my experience (DVC, Marriott Vacation Club), you typically can rent someone else’s for an amount equal to its annual maintenance fee.
Don’t forget the maintenance fee when calculating savings!
Also note that Disney has first right of refusal for resales. Marriott has started buying up cheap resales to keep them off the market, indirectly coercing potential buyers to buy from them at full retail. I still can’t believe Iger & Co. haven’t started doing this yet.
Orlando is the worst place on the planet to own a timeshare. I realize DVC isn’t just Orlando, but it should be noted. For example, we once traded a Marriott Vacation Club 1 week 1BR in Maui (their top destination based on demand) for a 3-BR suite in Orlando. Another thing to note is that Marriott (and most other major timeshare players) timeshares are perpetual, meaning they last FOREVER and can be passed on for generations. DVC is not perpetual, and you’ll likely exhaust it before being able to pass it down.
The single best reason to buy a timeshare is if it guarantees you your preferred accommodations, at your preferred resort, when you prefer it. For some this is worth the money, for others it isn’t. While we use timeshares at other locations, we will never buy DVC.
Interesting stuff. A couple of notes:
Per point rental prices for DVC are typically 2-3 times annual maintenance fees.
Disney does exercise ROFR, but it’s increasingly uncommon. I think it all is dependent upon inventory now…the Company doesn’t want to end up buying back hundreds of SSR contracts that it can’t sell for full price.
One additional comment about “running the numbers”….we only did a quick crunching of the numbers…more of whether we could afford it, no so much if we’d save money. Its something we wanted to do and figured it was a “value” to us.
If it’s something you want to do, more power to you! I know I don’t crunch the numbers every time I buy something. There are some things that you simply KNOW you want, and you buy them!
Great post Tom. We have been DVC members since 1995. Our home resort is Old Key West…which we love. The larger villas and parking near your door are wonderful. Having the ability to do laundry when we want…not having to bring clothes for the entire stay is great. We bought in when we were a family of 3 and now are a family of 5. It’s great having us all in one villa and having multiple bathrooms (2 if we have a 2 BR villa). So much better than having us all share a bathroom or splitting up the family between 2 rooms. Frankly, not having “mousekeeping” everyday is relaxing…it’s like being “at home”
DVC is also great for when we go to Disneyland….I don’t have to worry about paying for a hotel….the 3 Disney hotels are available as are the villas at the Grand Californian…if you can get in.
Tom- you read my mind !! My favorite disney site has now just posted a comprehensive guide on the prime disney related topic in my life right now. Excellent!
Mitch, hope you enjoy it! We didn’t “just” post it…it’s actually from 2011. I just went back and refreshed it for 2013. I’m in the process of doing this with all of our “big” posts that people continue to read. Keeps them relevant and prevents me from giving stale advice that might negatively impact trips, and also brings them to the attention of newer readers of the blog who might not have seen them when they were originally posted. Win-win-win!