Disney Vacation Club & other Membership Programs

[Fatboyslick]

Hi

Can anyone explain to me what Disney Vacation Club is in simple terms please? Found the Disney website a little unclear.

Is it simply timeshares on accommodation?
Is it worth it?
How does it work?


I ask because we go to Disney every year and we wondered if there were any other membership programs we can take advantage of to get loyalty points or similar

[LadyDebs86]

Originally Posted by Fatboyslick

Hi

Can anyone explain to me what Disney Vacation Club is in simple terms please? Found the Disney website a little unclear.

Is it simply timeshares on accommodation?
Is it worth it?
How does it work?


I ask because we go to Disney every year and we wondered if there were any other membership programs we can take advantage of to get loyalty points or similar

See more...

There's a separate DVC subforum on here, there's a full explanation of it there

[Mr Tom Morrow]

OP. Disney don't like to use the word Timeshare but that is what it essentially is.
However the huge difference is you dont buy fixed weeks you get a Points allocation depending on how much you invest. Then it's up to you what size room(s) you want and at what time of year.

For example you could buy enough Points for 2 weeks in a Studio for an August vacation every year. But if you decided to go bang on Xmas those Points would only get you 8 days maybe instead of 14. Hope that makes sense!

Every year you have to pay Annual Dues which cover maintenance, housekeeping, gardening, front desk etc etc etc.

The Contract runs for a set number of years, when that end goal is reached you own nothing.

[bighal]

There is no loyalty programme staying on site at Disney, only with airlines (BA, VS, Delta etc) and car hire (Avis preferred).

Only you will be able to say whether DVC is for you, if you always stay at Deluxe resorts then most likely it would be. But it does cost..

[dippiedawnie]

We love our DVC-been members since 2000. It has enabled us to visit for 2 weeks every 18months or so.

You can bank points into the next year if you don't use it and borrow points from the next year if you need more for a trip so it can be more flexible then the standard timeshare format dependent on when and how often you want to visit.

Most resorts have rooms for between 4-8 and some for more.
We have swapped our points and stayed in hotels in London, Scotland and Boston.

Best value is at your home resort though which you can book 11months in advance and then all other Disney resorts 7 months out.
Some things to think about- you have to buy into the dinning plan ever visit if that is something you would want to use as it doesn't come with DVC. You also will have to add on your tickets.
It's worth doing good research into the cost per year of your existing stays and the cost of a DVC membership and the annual dues.
We have 200 points at the Boardwalk and our dues this year were £1,119 for example.

Each resort has slightly different yearly fees so check that as buying into a resort with lower price per point doesn't necessarily mean it's cheaper each year.

Also check how many years are left on the life of the resort where you want to purchase as that can make a difference for you. So the older resorts like old key west and Boardwalk come to an end for this release in about 25 years but the newer resorts will last you longer so dependent on your current age that could be a factor for you.

I can recommend DVC but it won't be right for everyone so check it out and see if it would work better for you. There are people on here who have tried it, didn't find it cost effective and sold out at a loss so it is worth the time looking into all the details.

If you are due a trip out there, do the sales tour but then walk away and weigh up all your options.

[Shooby doo]

You will have to "crunch the numbers" to decide whether it's worth it but first & foremost where & what sort of accommodation are you currently using? That's your starting point- for us it would have been Staybridge suites at LBV, cost there for 2 weeks in a 1 bed villa is approx. £2k, DVC wise like for like would be a 1 bed but 2 weeks every year would be 400 points plus & a studio half that to give you an idea, that studio is going to cost you approx. £30k direct or approx. £15k resale plus those £1k in dues every year( for both)so on that SSuites holiday that's minimum of 40 holidays just to break even- buy in plus 50 years of dues- obviously if you always stay at deluxe Disney hotels then that number drops to about the 15 holiday mark- but worth noting that at the minute you would also get free dining for your money.
You will always have flights & passes on top.
My way of thinking about our DVC is that we have pre-paid for our future holidays but no way is it cheaper.
SD