Buying Direct Or Resale
Buying into Disney Vacation Club is purchasing a real-estate interest, and contracts are also available for purchase and resale on the secondary market, with resale purchases yielding substantial savings sometimes up to 50% off direct-from-Disney prices. However, buying a resale contract does come with limitations some of them potentially significant.
Only members who have purchased at least 150 points directly from Disney are eligible for all of the previously detailed perks. Additionally, members who purchase a resale contract at any resort other than Disneys Riviera Resort, Disney Vacation Clubs newest property, which opened in December of 2019, are not able to use their points to book at Riviera.
On the flip side, anyone who purchases a resale contract at Riviera can only use their vacation points to book stays at Riviera.
Where You Live Matters
Some of this depends on where you live or how you travel. We live in San Antonio, which is SMACK in the middle of the country. Its easy to fly to Orlando from where we liveits equally easy to fly to Los Angeles and Disneyland, but the DVC points arewell, complicated there . If you live in Florida, Georgia, Alabama or any place within a comfortable driving distance to Disney World, then getting there for those frequent visits becomes easier and cheaper.
We can get a direct, early a.m. flight to Orlando and be at Disney before lunch. That said, flying a family of four to Disney twice a year gets expensive. Were able to make it work but how youll get to Disney to enjoy your DVC membership is something you need to ask yourself before you sign on.
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Financing Your Disney Vacation Club Membership
Financing is available if you dont want to pay for your DVC membership upfront. However, this option comes with strict requirements.
Disney offers ten-year loans through a financing partner. Youll need a 10% down payment and a of 685 or better. You wont qualify if you defaulted on a mortgage or if you have low credit.
You should also know that the . The APR you qualify for depends on your credit score and the cost of your membership. The APR corresponds to the range you can expect to pay for a personal loan. However, most personal loans have a much shorter term.
Overall, its much more interesting to pay upfront for your DVC membership if you can afford it or even shop around for financing from another source. A personal loan with a shorter term will probably help you save if you go for the financing option.
Not Sure Youll Love Disney Vacation Club Try It Before You Buy It
Like we said before, when we first found out about Disney Vacation Club, we decided to try it out on our next Disney Vacation. We did so by renting points from another Disney Vacation Club member. You can do so by renting points through Davids Vacation Club Rentals. Its a great way to try out DVC without buying, plus youll save about 30% on your rooms.
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What Are The Top Reasons To Buy A Dvc Membership
If youre wondering what members love most about their DVC memberships, its a combination of things. Not only do you get extra space with your resort reservation, but there are more perks that come with a Disney Vacation Club membership that you might not know about.
What do you like most about Disney Vacation Club?
- 60%: The cost for value
- 36%: Having more space to stretch with the family
- 32%: That extra bit of magic you get with Disney Vacation Club
- 25%: The perks!
- 25%: Location
- 17%: Getting the best available room
Extra magic is the third-most cited reason we love our DVC memberships. Theres just something extra special about staying onsite at the parks in a DVC resort or taking Disney everywhere you goto the theme parks and beyond.
The value of a DVC membership is all about having the best resort accommodations and easy access to parksand its about getting the most out of your Disney vacation. A Disney Vacation Club membership allows you to add some extra magic to your stay.
You Can Use Points At Non
There are 350 destinations around the world and youll be given access to a site where you can view and book properties. Even though the best value for your DVC points is at Disney, it can work like any other time share. If youre not feeling Disney on a particular year but still want to take a trip, you can. But back to what I said earlierif an every-other-year trip to Disney World doesnt sound like something you want to sustain, DVC membership probably isnt for you. Try renting DVC points instead of buying.
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How Does The Disney Vacation Club Work
The Disney Vacation club operates on a points system. You purchase a certain number of points a one-time buy and then use them at DVC resorts. If you purchase points directly from Disney you can also use those points at Disney Resort Hotels in California, Florida, France, Hong Kong, Japan, the Disney Cruise Line, and other non-theme-park vacations.
You can buy out someone elses DVC membership which also means that if it ends up not being a fit for you, you can sell it but to get the very best of the perks, its best to buy directly from Disney.
We are newish DVC members and, while we appreciate the flexibility, were seeing that the most bang for our buck is using our points toward trips at actual DVC properties at Walt Disney World. We recently took a Disney Cruise and although it was tempting to use some of our points to shave some pennies off our travel costs, we decided it wasnt the best fit for us to use our points on the cruise.
I would definitely recommend number crunching each time youre planning a vacation. There are lots of variables and I always find it worth my time to do a little bit of legwork to ensure we get max benefits. I havent researched using DVC points for Adventures by Disney but I think it would probably be similar to cruises probably not a smart use of DVC points. But if you are a DVC member planning an Adventures by Disney vacation, it is definitely worth doing some cost comparisons.
How Much Does Disney Vacation Club Cost
Like we mentioned earlier, the biggest factor to answering the question is Disney Vacation Club worth it? comes down to the cost. When purchasing, Disney requires you to make a down payment like buying a home or a car and then you have to pay the remainder. The minimum initial cost is 10% of the total cost of your membership.
They will allow you to finance the remainder, but they encourage you to pay the rest either on a credit card or pay by cash/debit card. Being able to pay upfront instead of financing or using a credit card would be the best option, considering your monthly payments could be quite large and it could lead to financial strain.
If you decide to finance, you will pay per month like mortgage. You are also required to pay closing costs on your membership, just like buying a home, and the current closing costs start at $587 but go up based off of the number of points you buy and the room size you choose.
You also have to consider your annual dues. These take care of things like maintenance, and they go up every year. On average they increase 4%-6% each year, and right now the annual fees start at $70 a month.
Currently, Disney has reduced the minimum number of points required to purchase down to 100 points. For 2020, each point costs $195. This means the absolute cheapest DVC membership right now is $19,500 without closing costs and annual dues taken into consideration.
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How Often Do You Go To The Disney Parks
Really think about this question and try to guess what your future plans might entail.
Do you want to go to Walt Disney World every year? Are you thinking of vacationing there every five years? Have you considered going to Disney World, but you might also like to travel to Disneyland?
If you can evaluate your vacation planning needs and determine that you and your family members would like to go to Disney World at least once every other year, then you should consider becoming a Disney Vacation Club Member. The Disney Vacation Club works at its very best when the members are actively using their points to stay in the Walt Disney World resorts.
Before I became a Disney Vacation Club Member my family was traveling from Ohio to Florida at least once a year. We were spending outrageous amounts of money on vacations, including flights, hotels, theme park tickets, and food. After our third trip to Disney, we were contacted by a Disney Vacation Club sales associate, and having a conversation with her really made me think about the benefits of becoming a member.
As if the heroes who created the Disney Vacation Club knew you were out there, they have added hundreds of other places where you can use your Disney Vacation Club points. These vacation options can still be connected to Disney.
Is Disney Vacation Club Right For You
In looking at blogs and other information from actual members who vacation year after year with Disney, the benefits of the program are worth it.
We have given a realistic rundown of all the pros and cons.
Now it is up to you to look out over the next ten years.
- What do you see for your vacation prospects?
- What do you think the Disney Vacation Club would make easier in those plans?
- What do you think this membership could take away from those plans?
With those answers firmly in hand, you are better equipped to make the best possible choice for you.
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Savings With Disney Vacation Club
Those are big numbers when just figuring out the cost. We must take those costs and look at what it would total without membership for a vacation.
This calculation helps us figure out if there are savings worth buying this membership.
The first year you buy your membership, closing costs and initial fees get paid. Taking the cost of the membership year one is going to show a loss. Like all timeshare opportunities, it is how long you stay with the program that determines the savings.
With Disney Vacation Club years 6-12 is when savings start to accumulate over buying similar vacations through standard booking options.
Vacation options and other incidental benefits of the Disney Vacation Club are not reflected in these savings. These added benefits open only to members add soft savings to which a monetary value is not able to be calculated.
Sure, you are seeing one of the big arguments for this membership. If you take regular vacations, either as a couple or family this is a choice to consider.
If you wish to budget in vacations over periods of time this may be an excellent choice.
Another cost savings that could add up is when you travel. The Disney Vacation Club offers no blackout dates. Experiences that may not be open to other travelers due to high traffic times, is still accessible with this membership.
Also, discounts for dining, shopping, and park admissions are part of the membership package.
Where Can You Stay With Dvc Points
There are currently 16 different DVC resorts. The majority of the resorts are located in Florida, with some other locations across the United States:
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Walt Disney World Resort in Florida:
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Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort
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Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge
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World Collection – RCI timeshares
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Where Can You Stay With Your Dvc Points
As a DVC member, youll get a share in one of the Disney resorts. However, there is no obligation to travel to this resort. You can use your points to book a stay at any Disney resort, such as the Riviera Resort in Florida or the Aulani Resort in Hawaii.
Overall, there are 163 destinations you can book with your points. These destinations include 25 different resorts, hotels, villas, and more. You can also transfer your DVC points to reservation points and book a trip on a Disney cruise line!
There are thousands of options available thanks to partnerships. These partnerships include National Geographic expeditions for those who like adventure and thousands of destinations through Interval International.
The partnership with Interval International adds considerable value to the DVC membership. Its a brand owned by Marriott with a presence in 80 countries with 3,200 properties.
Overall, there is an impressive range of destinations and experiences to choose from for DVC members. If youve ever booked a Disney vacation, you will know the luxury accommodation, entertainment options, and family experience you can expect.
Disney Vacation Club Rentals And Resales
While you may think owning a timeshare is outside of your familys budget, its possible to find Disney Vacation Club timeshare resales on the secondary market, advertised by-owner, for a small fraction of the retail cost.
Many of the DVC resorts are completely sold out of timeshare properties yet you can still find these available for sale on the resale market. If youre looking for a one-time vacation to a DVC resort, its also possible to rent Disney timeshares by-owner, which can save you tons of money!
SellMyTimeshareNow.com is an example of a site, which lists secondary market resales of Disney Vacation Club properties, as well as rentals advertised by-owner.
Additionally, if you want to buy Disney Vacation Club points, you can shop their resale inventory and search by resort, unit size or price tag.
You also have the option to rent DVC points on SellMyTimeshareNow.com. They often have last-minute deals with low nightly rates, and many feature a book now option that allows you to complete the entire transaction online with a 100% reservation guarantee.
Have you ever thought of joining a Disney Vacation Club? Any of you ever rent DVC timeshares for a stay at one of these resorts?
This post provided by featured contributor Julie Dufour.
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Disneys Yacht And Beach Club
Now were headed away from Magic Kingdom and over to the EPCOT area for Disneys Yacht and Beach Club Resorts! These are two separate resorts, but they share quite a few amenities like bus transportation and a pool.
And, speaking of the pool, thats one of the main draws to paying the Disney Deluxe Resort price to stay here. The pool itself spans three acres, has a sand-bottom floor, a lazy river, three whirlpool spas, AND a 230-foot long water slide . Theres so much going on that it can feel like a mini water park and you can spend a lot of time here if youre visiting in the summer.
Plus, when youre not hanging out at the pool, youll have easy transportation to both EPCOT and Disneys Hollywood Studios. So, youll be close to not one but TWO Disney parks.
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Is The Disney Vacation Club A Good Investment
The Disney Vacation Club can help you save on future vacations. As a member, youll hold a real estate deed for a share of a Disney resort and get a yearly allowance of points you can redeem to book vacations.
Its a great way to save if you book luxury vacations regularly through Disney or other travel companies. But you wont get dividends or other returns on your investment.
This means its not a good option if youre looking for a financial product that would give you exposure to real estate or the travel industry.
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Where To Purchase Disney Vacation Club & How To Save Money
There are two ways to purchase a Disney Vacation Club. You can purchase directly through Disney or you can purchase from a Disney Vacation Club reseller. One of the advantages of purchasing a resale contract is you can save a ton of money, I am talking about thousands of dollars. For example, you can purchase Disney Aulani points for around $110 $140 a point versus the $195 charged at Disney. If you bought just 100 points that is a $ 5500-8500 savings! You do lose a few perks like Member Magic Nights and the annual pass discount but the savings are often worth it. Lastly, find a reputable timeshare reseller like SellMyTimeShareNow.com, they will guide you through the ins and outs of the purchasing process.
If you have any questions at all about Disney Vacation Club, feel free to leave a question in the comments or send me a direct message on our