Disney Vacation Club is the most magical timeshare on earth but all magic comes with a price. From a large dollar amount up front to annual dues, DVC is a financial commitment. It’s also a lifestyle change, though, knowing you’re signing up to visit Disney destinations every year after you join and there are so many reasons why members love Disney Vacation Club. You can stay at deluxe resorts on annual Disney vacations, enjoy homey accommodations with kitchens and rooms and at a rate that, overall, is better than paying full price. Which leads us to is Disney Vacation Club a Good Investment?
Is Disney Vacation Club Actually an Investment?
Before we jump in, let’s clarify how we’re looking at the word investment here. With a typical financial investment, you put money into something and hope for the desirable outcome of receiving a greater amount of money back. With Disney Vacation Club, you’re purchasing your future Disney vacations at today’s prices. It’s an investment in your vacation lifestyle, just not that kind of investment because at the end of your contract, you will have spent your money.
So the real question we’re asking here is: Is Disney Vacation Club a good value? Now that we’ve established that a financial advisor will not diversify your portfolio by encouraging you to ‘invest’ in Disney Vacation Club, let’s discuss some ways it is a good spend for those who love to take annual Disney trips. You might actually be surprised just how good of a value Disney Vacation Club can be. See this linked article where DVC Resale Experts owner Theresa does the math and clearly calculates the value of Disney Vacation Club in depth.
Is Disney Vacation Club a Good Value?
Now this question is much less tricky to answer. Yes, Disney Vacation Club can provide an excellent value on Disney resort hotel stays. This is true when comparing the cost of buying DVC directly to booking hotel stays. The savings are usually much greater when resale DVC is considered.
Disney Vacation Club Prices Over Time
Here we have a table displaying pricing information for each of the Disney Vacation Club home resort properties. In the first column is the per point price of each DVC property and the Disney Vacation Club resorts opening dates. For example, the first DVC resort is technically Disney’s Old Key West Resort. It opened under a different name but that’s what we know it as today. The original Disney’s Old Key West Resort property opened in 1991 and sold for about $51 per point. In the next column we have the direct price if you choose to buy from Disney in 2023. Note that these usually go up each year, often without notice. Then we have the DVC average resale prices for 2023. In the early part of 2023, we’ve been in a buyer’s market.
The Disney timeshare launched with one resort and grew over time. That is why Disney Vacation Club home resorts opened in different years. We can guess the per point price of a Disney Vacation Club resort is determined by the resort’s location, the popularity of that resort, amenities and other details that add value.
| Disney Vacation Club Home Resort | Estimated Direct Price at Opening | Direct price 2023* | DVC Average Resale Price 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas (2007) | $104 | $210 | $128 |
| Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas (2012) | $114 | $217 | $101 |
| Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (2009) | $112 | $275 | $161 |
| Disney’s Beach Club Villas (2002) | $72 | $275 | $165 |
| Disney’s BoardWalk Villas (1996) | $63 | $240 | $134 |
| Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (2000) | $65 | $215 | $110 |
| Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (2017) | $176 | $250 | $161 |
| The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel (2009) | $112 | $320 | $221 |
| The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (2013) | $145 | $217 | $163 |
| Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort (1996) | $63 | $165 | $67 |
| Disney’s Old Key West Resort (1991) | $51 | $205 | $98 |
| Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (2016) | $165 | $250 | $153 |
| Disney’s Riviera Resort (2019) | $188 | $217 | $131 |
| Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort (2004) | $89 | $205 | $110 |
| Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (1995) | $61 | $150 | $66 |
*Disney Vacation Club direct prices may change throughout the calendar year. Here we are looking at the per point prices in the beginning of the year.
In this table we can see that Disney Vacation Club direct per point prices at each resort are the best upon opening. The longer a resort has been open, the more the price has gone up. Some resorts cost more than others but all have gone up in price over time. While it’s exciting that you can buy resale DVC contracts at a much better price than buying direct, it’s also reassuring to see price trends over time. Those selling their DVC contracts still get a fair price for their Membership. Resale DVC is a win for buyers and sellers. Buyers pay less than they would if purchasing direct. Sellers often get a return greater than they expected. The longer you own a Membership before selling, the greater the odds of you getting your money back or walking away with more are. In the end, Disney Vacation Club is not meant to be an investment but a commitment to Disney resort hotel stays over a long term that gets you a better price.
Each resort varies but let’s look at a few examples. Someone who bought a DVC Membership at Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge in or around 2000 could have paid about $65 per point. That same resort today, even though there is less time left on the contract, sells for $215 directly from Disney. In early 2023, Boulder Ridge is selling for around $110 per point resale depending on the size of the contract and how many points are available on the Membership. DVC resale buyers could save around $10,500 buying a 100 point resale DVC contract at Boulder Ridge in this case.
Investing in DVC Compared to Renting a Room
When you think about if investing in Disney Vacation Club would be a good choice for you, consider how much you’re already spending on hotel rooms at Disney. If you visit each year, you have surely noticed nightly prices have gone up. For a few years there, deals on hotels were hard to come by. Even with hotel discounts coming back into play, they are often limited and booking dates must fall within a certain time period. There can be more flexibility with Disney Vacation Club vacation points in that way. You know what you pay for your points up front. You know you have annual dues to pay each year. Annual dues go up in price but usually nominally.
A Deluxe Studio room with a Standard View for two adults at Bay Lake Tower, checking in August 15th, 2023, checking out August 21st, would cost $4099.52 from our research including taxes. Using the point chart, I can determine this stay at Bay Lake Tower during this time period, would cost 106 vacation points. During the time of research, a 100 point contract for Bay Lake Tower was listed at $15,700. A Member could bank or borrow points to reach that 106 or pay a little extra to use One Time Use Vacation Points to cover the difference. What we’re really looking at is that just four hotel stays at this rate would buy a comparable contract outright. Yes, there are also annual dues to consider. For a 100 point Bay Lake Tower contract, the current annual dues are $743 per year. Bay Lake Tower contracts expire in 2060. That means as of 2023, Members at this home resort still have 37 years left on their Memberships. So is Disney Vacation Club a good investment into your future trips? Absolutely when you look at it this way.
Disney Vacation Club vs. Other Timeshare Values
When compared to other timeshares, Disney Vacation Club holds up incredibly well. Though it’s not an actual investment, there are some instances where people may profit when selling DVC points. If you think about it, those who purchased Disney Vacation Club in the beginning, or even early on, purchased points at a much lower rate. The price per point often rises each year depending on the resort. While the annual dues are expected to go up slightly each year depending on a few different factors, what you originally paid for your points, of course, doesn’t go up.
The price of Disney rooms for those paying with cash has also gone up consistently. So if you decide you want to sell DVC contract, you can absolutely find a buyer. Disney Vacation Club remains popular and sellable. After weighing these few financial factors, we can confidently say Disney Vacation Club is certainly worth it for those who want to vacation at Disney every year and stay in deluxe accommodations. It’s an even better value when becoming a Disney Vacation Club Member by purchasing resale DVC points. When someone decides to sell Disney Vacation Club points, you can buy that contract for a lower rate than you would pay buying direct from Disney. If you become a DVC Member, whether through resale or buying directly from Disney, you can rest knowing it’s possible to sell your points and either make your money back or profit in many cases.
DVC Resale Experts Can Help You Invest in Your Future Vacations
DVC Resale Experts has a team of dedicated professionals, who are former Disney Vacation Club Guides, ready to assist you with pixie dusted service. Having a licensed real estate professional guide you through the DVC resale process makes everything easier. Take a look at our current resale DVC listings to dream of the possibilities. Where will you call home?
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