Disney Vacation Club Perks At Aulani
By Nicole Byrom
*DIS Contributors review resorts that they have paid for during their own vacations. They only utilize discounts and special offers if they are available to the general public. They receive no additional compensation for rooms, dining experiences, events, or entertainment so that they may give their honest opinions about price and value.
If you are a Disney Vacation Club member and have not taken flight to the magical Islands of Hawaii, then wait no longer! Hawaii is a gift to the senses, allowing all visitors to forget about life on the mainland and become immersed in the spirit of Aloha.
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa Disneys DVC property on the Island of Oahu hits every mark perfectly. From the moment you set foot on the grounds you are greeted with warm breezes, a glass of pineapple and citrus infused water and a floral lei or kukui nut necklace. You are now in paradise and life feels good.
Lead Imagineer Joe Rohde ensured that the essence of Hawaii was captured in every square inch of this property. Every detail tells a story and every decision was deliberate and mindful when building this resort. Every guest at Aulani is spoiled however, as a Disney Vacation Club member there are a few extra perks that I thought you should know about:
Cheap Eats In The Parks & Resorts Disney World Restaurant Discounts
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Bringing in Outside Food and Drink
Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World theme park. It is also completely fine to bring in water or soft drinks in cans or plastic bottles.
One note of caution: avoid bringing in anything highly perishable, such as cold cuts. It would be easy to end up with food poisoning!
You absolutely will NOT be allowed to bring in the following: loose or dry ice, large coolers, alcoholic beverages or glass containers . Also, you cannot bring any type of straws into Animal Kingdom or the water parks.
Best Bets
Really inexpensive meals in the theme parks are hard to find, but listed below are some cheap options for real food that will fill you up. Prices below are approximate and subject to change at any time.
- Disneys Hollywood Studios The Trolley Car Cafe has breakfast sandwiches for about $5. For lunch or dinner, Fairfax Fare offers a fajita combo platter thats enough food to split for two light meals for $13.50. Backlot Express has a chicken & biscuit combo that is a decent amount of calories for $11.49. Dockside Diner has a nice pulled pork sandwich for $10.99, less if you leave the sides off, or get their loaded chili cheese nachos, which is plenty of food for $10.99. Woodys Lunch Box has a loaded totchos entree that is basically the kitchen sink over tater tots for $8.99 trust us, it doesnt look huge, but its dense.
Top 10 Disney Vacation Club Member Perks
Beyond the potential money saving benefit Disney Vacation Club offers, there are other member perks at Walt Disney World. DVC calls these its Membership Extras, which are usually discounts or special events. When looking at Disneys site, its difficult to tell which of these benefits are trulybeneficial, and which are thinly-veiled marketing. In this post, well share the 10 best Membership Extras offered by Disney Vacation Club, and how they might save you even more money, or otherwise benefit your value.
First up, we should offer a caveat. Thanks to a rule change within the last couple of years, Members who do not purchase their ownership interest directly from Disney will not have access to Membership Extras. While existing owners were upset about this change, Disney spins it as a way for Members who purchase directly to receive a premium advantage in addition to all the magic that Disney has to offer.
This effectively changes the math of buying DVC via resale v. buying directly. Fortunately, there are ways to circumvent this restriction, which we cover in that post. For other things to consider before purchasing DVC, we suggest reading our comprehensive Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide.
With that in mind, lets take a look at the best Disney Vacation Club Membership Extras, so you can better understand whether buying into da club is right for you!
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Disney Vacation Club Discounts
Disney Vacation Club members get a 10% meal discount at virtually all dining locations throughout Disneyland Resort.
Unless otherwise specified, discounts apply to a maximum party of 8 people. Not valid at outdoor cart locations, snack locations, Club 33, Napa Rose, and Room Service locations. Dining discounts are not valid in combination with any other discounts or promotions and exclude alcoholic beverages, tax and gratuity.
Must show valid DVC membership card to receive DVC discount. Discounts are nontransferable. Subject to change without notice.
Disney Vacation Club Dining Discount Roundup
Chip and Co Past Writers and FriendsPlease note: some posts may contain affiliate links which means our team could earn money if you purchase products from our site
Disney Vacation Club Members, if you havent looked lately, the list of restaurants offering discounts to Disney Vacation Club members may come as a bit of a surprise. Members can currently save on their dining expenses at popular spots like T-Rex, Boathouse, and Homecomin. Check out all of the locations and what you can save.
The BOATHOUSE®: 10% off non-discounted mealsLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Springs The Landing
Chef Art Smiths Homecomin: Save 10% on Lunch and DinnerLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Springs The Landing
Cookes of Dublin: Save 10% on Lunch and DinnerLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Springs The Landing
Crossroads at House of Blues®: Save 20% on Sunday Gospel BrunchLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, West Side at Disney Springs
Crossroads at House of Blues: Save 10% on Lunch and Dinner in the restaurantLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Springs West Side
Earl of Sandwich® Restaurant: Save 10% on Food ItemsLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Springs Marketplace
Erin McKennas Bakery NYC: Save 10% on Food ItemsLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Springs The Landing
Joffreys: Save 20% on Beverages and TreatsLocation: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
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Celebrate 50 Years With Walt Disney World Resort
Join in the 18-month salute to Walt Disney World® Resorts 50th anniversary with our newest Disney Visa Card design featuring a golden castle in honor of The Worlds Most Magical Celebration.8
Operating Participant Savings
Offers and participating locations are subject to availability, capacity limitations, closures, and additional restrictions and exclusions, and may change or be canceled without notice and are not guaranteed. For select merchandise locations, a $50 minimum pre-tax single transaction purchase is required to receive discount. Must use your valid Disney Visa Card as form of payment at the time of purchase for full amount of purchase and mention this offer. Separate Theme Park admission and Theme Park reservation may be required. Respective offer is provided and fulfilled solely by the applicable Walt Disney World® Resort Operating Participant locations. Disney and Chase are not responsible or liable for fulfillment of such offers, products or services. Not valid on taxes or gratuity. Not valid in combination with other offers, discounts, promotions or with any previous purchase. Discount may not be valid on select specialty items.
Disney World Extends Annual Passholder And Disney Vacation Club Dining Discount
Disney World has extended its Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club dining discounts that were offered for Walt Disney Worlds 45th Anniversary. Heres the details:
Last year, on October 1, 2016 Disney World announced that it would offer a 20% discount on food purchased at certain restaurants for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members. The discounts were supposed to expire September 30, 2017.
Disney has chosen to extend the 20% offer to at least December 23, 2017 for eligible guests. Heres the list of restaurants sorted by location:
| Restaurant |
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Returning To A World Of Magic
Get ready to rediscover Walt Disney World Resort. Heres what to know before you go.
- For assistance with your Walt Disney World vacation, including resort/package bookings and tickets, please call 939-5277.For Walt Disney World dining, please book your reservation online.
- 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Eastern Time. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call.
- Start planning your dream Disney VacationView Videos
- Sign Up Successful Thank you for signing up! You should begin to receive news and special offers very soon.
Sports Recreations And Spa:
DVC Members can get discounts on a wide range of activities, including on Disney golf courses, and recreational activities such as bike and boat rentals.
DVC Members can receive 15% off select services at participating Disney spas, and 20% off select services at Mandara Spa at the Dolphin Hotel.
Offers vary by location. For the latest discounts, you can consult the official Disney Vacation Club page.
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Disney Vacation Club Dining Discounts For 2018
If you haven’t looked lately, the list of restaurants offering discounts to Disney Vacation Club members may come as a bit of a surprise. Members can currently save on their dining expenses at popular spots like Chef Mickey’s, Beaches & Cream Soda Shop and Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.
The printable member perks booklets have yet to be updated for 2018. However the DVC Member website currently lists more than 70 locations around Walt Disney World which offer dining discounts of 10-20% to Disney Vacation Club members.
Nearly all Table Service restaurants at DVC resorts offer discounts, along with a wide variety of venues in the Disney theme parks and at Disney Springs. Discounted locations include:
Note this list is subject to change at any time and subject to blockout dates. Inquire at the restaurant to confirm availability of offers. Discounts are granted to those presenting a Disney Vacation Club member ID card and matching photo ID. Members who joined Disney Vacation Club after April 4, 2016 must have points purchased direct from DVC in order to qualify for these and other Membership Extras perks.
Disney Dining Plan Add On
When staying as a guest of a DVC Owner at a Disney Vacation Club Resort in Walt Disney World, you can choose from any of the 4 optional dining plans that Disney offers to its owners and their guests. You will, of course, need theme park tickets if the restaurant you wish to dine at is inside a theme park. Be sure to check out my Theme Park Ticket prices.
If a dining plan is selected, it must be applied to all persons on the reservation for the total number of nights of the reservation. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Recommended Reading: Vacation Rental Terms And Conditions
What Is The Dvc Discount Code
Members can use code DVC30 when logged in at checkout to receive 30% off! A list of other exclusions apply and can be found on the Disney Vacation Club website. Please note, this discount is considered a Disney Vacation Club Membership Extra and is only eligible for direct members with a valid blue membership card.
Email Offers Printable Coupons Kids Eat Free And Other Restaurant Deals
There are quite a few printable coupons that can save you money on off-site restaurants in the Disneyland area. Most chain restaurants also have online email clubs, which are well worth joining, because they often send out great coupons. If they ask you to select a favorite location, pick the one near Disneyland , since some clubs restrict their coupons to a particular location. Also, sign up for the club no more than 2 weeks prior to your trip, as many clubs send out a really fantastic introductory coupon, but its often good for only a short time.
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Mobile Ordering In The Parks & Resorts
Most Quick Service restaurants in Walt Disney World theme parks and hotels offer mobile ordering. Using the MyDisneyExperience app on your phone, you can place your order and pay using a credit card, debit card or Disney dining plan. Once you have placed your order, you will be given a time range for pick up. Once you arrive at the restaurant, open up the app and tap the Im Here, Prepare My Order button. When your order is ready, you will get a notification on the app. To pick up your order, look for the specially marked pickup spot for mobile orders.
The mobile ordering app is pretty easy to use and means you dont have to get to the restaurant, stand in line, and then place your order. Instead, you can place your order whenever you want, and then head over to the restaurant during your time range, find a table, and get your food once its ready. Unless there is literally no line, we would always choose mobile ordering if its available.
Disney Vacation Club Membership And Free Disney Dining Offers
Disney Vacation Club members are able to purchase Disney Dining Plans, but cannot take advantage of Free Disney World Dining Offers while using their DVC Points for accommodations.
In order for DVC members to book Free Dining, they must to book a Magic Your Way Vacation Package through Disney, complete with hotel room and ticket purchase, according to the terms of the offer.
For information about Free Dining Plan offers visit our Disney World Free Dining Offer page.
For more Disney dining information, including details on dining discounts, restaurants, menus, and more, visit our Disney Dining Reference Page.
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This Is Your One Stop Shop For Dining Information And Discounts
On this page youll find both information and links to lots more for you to read about Disney Dining. There is also info about the very limited Military Discounts on Disney Dining.
Flame Tree Barbecue Salad, French Fries, Onion Rings, Cole Salw, and Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Cupcake
This has been a challenging year! While Walt Disney World has reopened and is slowly ramping up operations based on demand, not all dining locations have opened and most have reduced menu options available.
Check out all of our other Topic Overview Pages:
The Disney Dining Plan
The Disney Dining plan is offered to Disney Resort Guests who can add this option on to their room reservation.
The Disney Dining Plan essentially allows you to pre-pay for your meals while at Disney. There are several different levels of the plan from the basic to the Cadillac version.
Disney occasionally offers Free Dining usually in the fall. The Free Dining Plan offer requires you to pay full price for the room and there is a minimum full price ticket buy required . Deciding if this offer is better that the Disney Armed Forces Salute room and ticket offer requires some calculation.
See all of our Disney Dining Plan content:
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Perks Of Being A Dvc Member:
Do Note: These benefits are subject to change.
Learn more tips and tricks for your next Walt Disney World vacation. Destinations in Florida can also help you add tips and tricks to your next vacation.
Planning a Walt Disney World vacation? Feeling overwhelmed? I’ve put together a Walt Disney World course just for you! Learn how you can have a stress free, magical Disney vacation with the Walt Disney World Planning Digest.
Headed To Disney World Soon Learn More With A Free Vacation Planning Video From Disney
We highly recommend checking out the Free Vacation Planning Video that Disney creates every year. Its SO much fun to watch. Theres tons of info on every park and resort, and its the perfect way to start getting excited about your tripand maybe even see a few must-dos that you dont have on your agenda yet! You can order it or live stream it right now. You can find out more about the free planning video here!
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Disney World Annual Passholders
You can .
- Standard theme park parking included with all Annual Passes
- 10% off select Table Service restaurants food and non-alcoholic beverages.
- 20% select Disney-owned merchandise locations
- 10 20% select Disney Springs shopping
- Room discounts at select Disney Resorts
- 15% off salon treatments
- $2 off adult evening movies at AMC
- 15% off Boathouse Amphicar tours
- 15% off Marina, Fishing, Boating excursions
- 15% off mini golf
- 10% off water sports
- Discounts on select nights for Disney After Hours BOO Bash and Disney Very Merriest After Hours
- 20% Splitsville bowling
- 10% off select Tri-Circle D Ranch Activities and Carriage Rides
- Up to 40% off Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail Golf Courses
- 20% off Wonderland Tea Party
- 15% off select theme park tours and experiences: Magic Kingdom: Family Magic, Steam Trains, Marceline, Keys to the Kingdom, Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP, and Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Epcot: Aqua, DiveQuest, Dolphins in Depth, Gardens of the World, Backstage Magic, Future World Tour, Behind the Seeds, and World Showcase DestiNations Discovered Animal Kingdom: Wild Africa Trek and Ultimate Nights of Adventure VIP Fort Wilderness Back Trail Adventure
- 10% Alamo Car Rentals
- Discounts on select services at Best Friends Pet Care
- 15% off select Childrens Activities Centers