What Is The True Value of Disney Vacation Club? 

How Much Do I Pay Per Night as a DVC Member?

Is Disney Vacation Club worth the investment?  That’s the biggest question we hear on a daily basis.  I’m Theresa Seitz, owner of DVC Resale Experts, and I can tell you, after being a DVC Member for 16 years and a DVC Guide for 15 years, that it is ABSOLUTELY worth the investment.

Not only will Disney Vacation Club benefit your family financially, but the quality of your vacations will be taken to the next level with unforgettable experiences in Disney’s deluxe resorts featuring larger, more comfortable accommodations with kitchens, private bedrooms and washers & dryers in your villa.

Now, my dad is a banker, so when I was looking into membership for myself, there was a lot of talk about points, but I wanted to put the points into a currency I was familiar with to know what I was going to get from my points and how that would compare to the cost of reservations as a non-member.  Let’s do some quick math to compare.

To determine the value of DVC, we’ll look at two examples.  First, let’s take a look at a resort that is a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation for many…Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.  The average resale price per point for a deed at the Polynesian in April 2020 was $137 and 2020’s dues are $6.79 per point.  Polynesian’s deed runs until the year 2066, which means you’ll receive points for 45 more years. 

To truly know how much you’d be paying as a DVC member to stay at the Polynesian, we need to do the math:

• Divide the $137 price per point by the 45 years remaining, which tells us we’re paying $3.04 each year for 1 point.  
• We have to add in the dues of $6.79 per point, which gives us a total cost of $9.83 per point to purchase and maintain.  

If we want to stay at the most magical place on earth during one of the most magical times of the year, mid December, the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows requires 21 points per weeknight to stay in a Lake View Deluxe Studio with an unforgettable view of the Magic Kingdom and the nightly fireworks shows right from your balcony during the period of December 18th through Christmas Eve.  This is a great time to visit, as you avoid the Christmas crowds, yet you get to enjoy all the Christmas decorations and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  To know the DVC member cost, simply multiply the 21 points required for a night, by $9.83 per point for a total of $206 per night. 

21 Points Per Night
X $9.83 Total Cost Per Point
____________________
= $206 DVC Cost Per Night

Now what would that cost you if you weren’t a DVC member and book your vacations directly through Disney (paying cash)?  The 2020 rate card published by Disney for the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows for the same Lakeview Deluxe Studio for December 18-24 is $1239 plus tax per night.  In Orange County, FL, the room tax is 12.5%.  This makes a single weeknight total cost of $1393.88 per night if you’re not a DVC member.  In this example, you’re saving almost $1200 per night as a DVC member!  DVC absolutely makes sense and is an incredible value!  Wouldn’t you agree?

DVC makes financial sense!

DVC Member Cost Per Night = $206

Non-DVC Member Cost Per Night = $1393.88 

DVC Member Savings Per Night = $1187.88 

Want to see more examples?

Now if you’re like my husband, you may be thinking “Theresa, there’s no way I’d ever pay almost $1400 per night for a hotel room!  I’d stay in one of Disney’s value resorts.”  Well, Disney’s All Star Movies resort’s published rate for a Standard hotel room over those dates is $237 and a Preferred hotel room is $264.  Being a DVC member and staying in larger, more comfortable accommodations in Disney’s Deluxe resorts is still a far better value than even paying per night to stay in the Value resorts!  You’re still saving at least $30 per night, but you are staying at the Polynesian, just a 7 minute water taxi ride or quick monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation for most, however as a DVC member, your family can enjoy this unforgettable dream vacation year after year for decades to come!

Let’s look at another example and stay this time in a Deluxe Studio at Copper Creek at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge over the summer break, sometime from June 11th through August 15th.  First, the average resale price per point in April 2020 was $146 and the dues are $7.45 per point.  The deed runs until 2068 giving you 47 more years of points.  So, $146 divided by 47 years is $3.11 per point per year, plus the dues of $7.45 giving us a total cost of $10.56 per point per year.  

A weeknight stay between June 11th and August 15th requires 17 points, so if we multiply that by $10.56 we have a cost of $179.52 per night.  The 2020 Disney rate card for this stay shows a cost of $595 plus tax, or $669.38, giving DVC members a savings of $489.86 per night.  Once again, showing you the incredible value of being a DVC member!

Don’t pay to book another night again!  Call the friendly professionals of DVC Resale Experts today so you can book your next Disney vacation using points as a Disney Vacation Club Member.