How Much Does A Disney Vacation Club Membership Cost
One of the reasons that many people dont consider a Disney Vacation Club membership is because they assume that it will be too expensive. However, it is more affordable than they might think.
Like any real estate, specific properties are more valuable than others therefore, the points at one sometimes cost more than at another. For example, the Grand Floridian is Disneys flagship in Florida, so when they built villas and sold membership, it cost more than at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Not only does it carry real and symbolic luxury, but the Grand Floridian is also in a better location.
When you buy into Disney Vacation Club, the actual value item youre purchasing is the vacation points themselves. You will pay a specific dollar amount for every point you buy. Currently, points start at just over $200 each. Since you have to buy at least 150 points to get in, your initial investment will be over $30,000.
Different factors can drive this price up. We already mentioned which resort you buy, and if you buy more than 150 points, youll pay more. There are other fees attached as well. Since this is a real estate transaction, you must pay closing costs, which Disney states start at $628. Disney offers a financing program for up to 10 years, and these costs roll into a single payment that includes monthly membership dues.
Disney Vacation Club Membership
Disney Vacation Club Members receive a yearly allotment of Vacation Points based off of the size of the real estate interest of their Home Disney Vacation Club Resort. Members may then use their Vacation Points to book their vacations!
Disneys Riviera Resort
In fact, Members are permitted tobank Vacation Points, which means you can bank any unused points from the current year towards next years vacation, orborrow from the coming year to put towards this years vacation.
Disney Vacation Club
A DVC Membership offers the following:*
- As Disney shares, Members can Vacation when, where and how often you want!
- Members stay at Disney Vacation Club accommodations in Disney destinations.
- Members enjoy additional access to vacation destinations around the globe as part of the World Collection.
- Members can take advantage of savings on things like theme park admission, Disney dining, and merchandise, as well as invitations to special Member-only events.
*Interested guests can find the current starting price on disneyvacationclub.com, and may also call 500-3990 to receive a quote. Note that Closing Costs and Annual Dues apply for Membership.
How Does Disney Vacation Club Work
Disney promises that by becoming a member, you enjoy magical vacations year after year, and they make good on this guarantee. As we said above, your DVC membership comes with an allotment of annual points. You buy these points in your home resort when you become a member, and they compose the bulk of your membership costs, in addition to annual dues.
The minimum number of points is 150 the maximum is 325, although some people purchase even more points.
It matters which hotel you choose as your home resort because youll enjoy preferential booking here. Reservations are available at your home resort months before all of the others.
This section gives a very rudimentary explanation of how membership works. Keep reading for a lot more details and information.
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How Long Are Disney Vacation Club Contracts
It depends. Disney has adjusted the length of membership over time in response to the programs popularity and individual members feedback. The first group of DVC memberships has technically expired, but Disney provided an option to extend them.
You will know how long your contract is for when you sign up. Many contracts also have provided terms for extending the membership once the contract has been satisfied.
If you choose to finance your membership instead of paying it upfront, you may finance for up to ten years. Some new members opt for shorter terms and thereby end up paying much less interest over time.
If the owner or owners of the membership pass away, their heir will inherit their membership. A Disney Vacation Club membership can be willed to anyone and split up between multiple heirs, though they will likely have to share a single membership unless they make other arrangements on their own. If you have inherited a DVC membership, Disney can help you transition it into your name and get you situated with your new association.
You should also note that you can purchase a DVC membership from someone else besides Disney themselves. For a variety of reasons, current members sometimes opt to sell their memberships. Buying a membership this way has some benefits. For one thing, since the memberships arent whole , theyre less expensive. You may also be able to buy into sold-out resorts.
How Many Points Do You Need For A Week At Disney World Resort And What Impacts This
The answer depends on where you stay. Indeed, many people can and do use their vacation points for various accommodations on and off Disney property. This option includes standard hotel rooms, hotel suites, and even vacation rental homes through RCI.
Suppose you prefer staying in standard hotels on Disney property . In that case, you may find that your points dont go as far as they do in the villas, especially when you consider the features of your accommodations. Disney has deliberately designed it this way they want their members to stay in their membership properties.
For that reason, all Disney Vacation Club hotels are deluxe hotels. In Disneys world, this means that they have premium amenities and services, and the rooms are elegantly appointed according to the hotels theme .
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How To Sell Dvc
DVC Sales is here to help make selling Disney Vacation Club memberships easy! The first step is to create an account with DVC Sales. Well need some basic information about you and your contract and youll have your DVC points listed within about 5 minutes. We have several hundred visitors to our site daily and most contracts sell within about 30 days depending upon Home Resort, size of membership and current availability of points. We have a Resale Value Calculator to assist you in selecting an appropriate price for your contract on the resale market, and were here to help every step of the way. Once you reach an agreement with a buyer, it takes about 45 days to close on the sale. Our motive throughout the DVC resale process is to match the interests of both buyers and sellers. Our motive throughout the DVC resale process is to match the interests of both buyers and sellers.
Disney Vacation Club Member Faqs
If you love Disney Vacations as much as I do, and if you have ever stayed in a deluxe Disney resort, chances are you have seen some reference to becoming a Disney Vacation Club member. I bet you still have a lot of questions unanswered. Like what does it cost to join? Is Disney Vacation Club worth it? Is there Vacation Club Financing? What does it mean to be a Disney Vacation Club Member?
I get so many questions every week about being a Disney Club Member versus just booking a vacation at Disney. I will answer some of those most common questions here for you.
Whether its a kiosk in the lobby the cabins, or bungalows you passion the way to your next adventure or even a simple welcome home from the security guard. Disney Vacation Club is a big deal at Walt Disney World and in select locations around the world.
It started with Old Key West, the first Disney Vacation Club property, in 91. The most recent is The Riviera in 19.
If you are at all curious about Disney Vacation Club, but are afraid to open a whole can of worms while on vacation, thats understandable. So, here are some straightforward answers to common questions regarding becoming a Disney Vacation Club member.
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Disney Vacation Club Resales
Unlike some other timeshare brands, Disney Vacation Club memberships do not depreciate in value as dramatically. However, the market value of DVC memberships on the resale market is tied to the expiration date of the contract itself. As time goes by and fewer years are left on the DVC contracts, you can expect the value of all DVC timeshares to decrease.
Another important thing to know about DVC resales is that Disney Vacation Club regularly exercises its right of first refusal. This means that when an owner is about to sell a DVC membership, Disney has the right to purchase that owners timeshare for the same price. This has contributed to higher resale values for DVC, as Disney will buy back any memberships that fall below a certain price threshold.
Disney Vacation Club Disappointment
I am frustrated and need to vent. I purchased a DVC Membership with my sister back in 2001. Every year we attempt to visit WDW for a long weekend in the beginning of December. My work schedule prevents me from making plans more than two months in advance. We purchased it because they sold us on convenience and flexibility. HA!
Every year since then we try to book, and we can rarely seem to get the resort that we want, even though this is the DVC “value season”. However, they always offer us the option to purchase a room for cash! Why should we when we already paid over $10,000 for a membership?
One year we used extra points for a “preferred water view” which turned out to be a view of a big puddle and the parking lot. Another year we had “Boardwalk View” and were placed right above Jellyrolls, had to hear the partying well past midnight and couldn’t see very much of the boardwalk because the resort curves around the corner! Both times, we were in the very farthest room from the lobby and bus area. I feel like the best rooms are given to the cash people, and the DVC members get whatever’s left. Why should Disney care – they’ve already got your money!
I asked how many rooms they have booked for cash and how many through DVC points, and no one could tell me. I feel like I’ve been tricked and mislead.
Has anyone else had problems with DVC bookings?
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How Does The Sales Process Work
Dont be misled by the claims that investing in a DVC resale deprives one of many great benefits. By purchasing a Disney Vacation Club Membership through resale, you will have the opportunity to enjoy all 14 DVC properties. Like all members, you will have the benefits of Home Resort Priority, youll have access to Member Services and can book your family vacation by phone or online. The biggest benefit of purchasing a DVC resale rather than buying directly from Disney is the priceyou will save 20%-50% off retail pricing! Members can also enjoy the thousands of resort options around the world through Resort Condominiums International .
Once you find the contract that best suits your family, simply create an account. When logged in, youll head over to the Listings page and press the plus sign to start the offer process. After youve submitted your offer, the seller will receive an automated email. Once you reach an agreement, youll sign the sales agreement electronically and we will forward the contract to Disney for ROFR. When we receive a response from Disney on the right of first refusal, you will be notified and our title company will begin generating your closing documents. From start to finish, the closing process takes about 45 days. At the end, you will be a proud member of Disney Vacation Club and that too by choosing from the DVC resales available at comparatively lower prices.
What Does It Cost To Join Disney Vacation Club
The costs associated with Disney Vacation Club are the purchase price on a per point basis with a 100 point minimum. The cost of a point varies depending on which resort you call home.
The cost of each coin ranges from $100 to $235. But some Disney Vacation Club hotels are not at Disney World, or even associated with any Disney Parks. Such is the case with Vero Beach, the cheapest Disney Vacation Club resort.
The overall cost depends on how many points you want to purchase, and which resort you make your home resort. One thing to keep in mind is how many points per night your accommodations are going to be, this varies by resort, but does not necessarily have bearing on your home resort.
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How Do You Book A Resort Or Hotel As A Dvc Member
There are a few different ways to book your accommodations with the Disney Vacation Club. While it can get tricky, and you may have to call under less typical scenarios, it seems to be simpler than a lot of other timeshare programs.
If youre making a reservation for a Disney Vacation Club resort, you simply log in to your member portal and use Disneys online booking system. Its very straightforward. The only obstacle you may have is availability. Your home resort becomes available 11 months ahead of your check-in date, and all others open seven months in advance.
You can also make Disney Collection reservations online through your membership homepage. These are a bit trickier, and for many members, its easier to call and speak to a representative. Also, be aware that you cannot book Disney Collection vacations during the last four months of your use year.
To book the Concierge Collection hotels and resorts, you have to call DVC directly. There are many limitations on what season or how far in advance you can book, which vary by destination. If you hope to use the concierge collection, we recommend that you start planning at least a year in advance.
Resale Or Direct From Disney
Generally only the newest resorts are available for immediate purchase directly through Disney. You can ask Disney to put you on a waiting list to purchase the other resorts, though they are supposedly sold out. If Disney exercises its right of first refusal on a resale, or it gets back points through foreclosure, it will turn around and sell those points at current full market rates to the next person on the waiting list. For popular, small resorts like Beach Club or Grand Californian, the waiting lists can stretch for several years. For bigger resorts like Saratoga Springs, you may be able to get points immediately or within a few weeks or months.
If you just want to buy into DVC as quickly as possible so you can start using it right away, buying direct from Disney is usually the best bet. You can usually complete the transaction instantly if youre already at Walt Disney World, and even over the phone it usually only takes a day or two to purchase a contract. Disney expedites the deed recording process and you can usually get a reservation as soon as you sign the paperwork, even before the deed is officially recorded with the state.
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How Do The Points Work
Now is an excellent time to talk about the points and how they work. As previously stated, you will purchase your membership by buying at least 150 points. These points will be distributed annually during your use month.
You do not have to use all of your points during the year. Some or all of your points can be banked or saved, and then you have one more year to use them. You can also borrow future points, so in total, you could potentially use three years worth of points in one vacation: the previous years banked points, the current years points, and the following years borrowed points.
In this way, some DVC members take less frequent vacations but get to stay longer, stay in larger or more premium accommodations, or even both. The relative flexibility of the points is a significant selling point for the Disney Vacation Club.
DVC points expire. If you dont bank them, they expire at the end of your use year. Banked points must be used by the end of the following year, and you have a separate yearly date by which you have to decide if youre going to bank your points or not.
You, as the member, do not have to be present for each time that your membership is used. That way, if you want to let other family members or friends use your points, you can. You have to book for them, but you dont need to be there if their names are on the reservation.
Where Can I Purchase Disney Vacation Club
You can easily become a Disney Vacation Club member at a kiosk at any Disney property, or you can buy over the phone and have the documents shipped to you. Its just a matter of Asking your questions about any specifics such as available resorts and the cost per point.
Try to do your own research so you know how many points you will reasonably need. Its not good to overshoot. You can always borrow points from the following year, or rent more points from another member.
The representative will disclose all of the information about what you are purchasing over the phone. You can make the down payment with your credit card and the paperwork will be shipped to you. They will then follow up to make sure you dont have any questions.
You will also get login information for your online account. The paperwork is easy to sign and return. and you can book your next vacation immediately. They will also tell you welcome home about a gazillion times.
So, are you ready to become a Disney Vacation Club Member now? My advice, do a ton of research before you make the investment.
If you are already a Disney Vacation Club Member, I would love to hear from you.
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