The magic of Disney now spans over 100 years of imagination and creativity. Today’s grandparents grew up with classic Disney movies like Cinderella and Peter Pan, and enjoyed them with their children and now their grandchildren. Carrying such a rich legacy filled with joy, the name Disney alone can bring a smile to a face of any age. You may have seen signs for Disney Vacation Club on your trip to the most magical place on earth or the happiest place on earth. There are kiosks around Disney Parks and signs to tour-related rooms at the hotels. So what is Disney vacation club?

An Overview of Lasting Magic: What is Disney Vacation Club?

Disney Vacation Club, also referred to as DVC, is the Disney timeshare. While many timeshare opportunities are presented by companies that specialize in hotels alone, Disney is much more than that. Many know Disney for its fantastical films, catchy music and, of course, the theme parks that celebrate both of these. Any visit to Walt Disney World can delight you even further with a stay at one of the many incredible themed hotels.

Disney Vacation Club has sixteen different associated properties, explored below, and all of them are in the top tier of resorts. The Disney timeshare is basically a way for people to invest in their future vacations, paying less than today's room rental rates for tomorrow's hotel stays essentially. This allows members to get a better rate on their resort hotel stays, all while enjoying the best resort hotels Disney has to offer.

The flexible point based Disney Vacation Club lets you pick what time of year you'd like to visit, how long you'd like to stay and what size accommodations are the best fit for you. These three factors, along with your budget, can help you determine how many vacation points you should purchase. The home resort you choose also has a great impact on the cost to join. DVC is priced per point so the more points you buy, the higher the overall cost is. You can get an idea for how many points you might need to vacation the way you'd like to by taking a look at the DVC point charts.

What Disney Vacation Club is Not: DVC Details You Should Know

While discovering what Disney Vacation Club is, we should also clarify what Disney Vacation Club is not. A timeshare can be costly and you surely want to know what is not included for further budget consideration. DVC is not an all inclusive type experience. It only makes up for the hotel portion of your Disney destination visit. A DVC Membership does not include tickets to the park or food on your stay.

Disney Vacation Club is also not just a timeshare at Walt Disney World. The Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando, Florida area is the biggest destination for the brand but there are also DVC resorts at Disneyland in California and in a few coastal regions around America. Disney Vacation Club is not an international timeshare. Though members may be able to exchange their points for stays elsewhere, all of the DVC resorts are located within the United States, reaching as far as Hawaii.

The Disney timeshare: DVC Basics

When someone decides to join Disney Vacation Club, they first need to choose their home resort. As of early 2023, there are fifteen DVC resorts with the sixteenth on the way as The Villas at Disneyland Hotel opens later this year. A member's home resort is sort of like their home base. It’s the location they’re able to book eleven months out. This is more than the regular seven months out for the rest of the resorts.

Once a home resort is chosen, the amount of points to purchase is good to consider. The more points a member has, the more flexibly they can vacation. The Disney Vacation Club point charts show how points can be used at different resorts and at different times throughout the year. The more points a member has, the longer they can stay. Instead of the length of the trip, it might be bigger accommodations that intrigue a potential member to purchase a certain number of points. A DVC room might be similar to a hotel room but with a few more amenities inside or much bigger. For example, a one bedroom villa comes loaded with a kitchen and washer and dryer. It’s also possible to book up to a three bedroom villa with DVC points. Throughout the year, DVC villas cost more points depending on the travel period.

Is Disney Vacation Club Worth It?

Disney Vacation Club can be purchased directly from Disney but it’s also possible to purchase a resale contract. A resale DVC contract is kind of like purchasing a contract secondhand but it becomes fully yours. If a member no longer wants their contract, they’re able to sell it. DVC average resale prices have gone up over time. Unlike some other timeshares, DVC Members are able to sell their contract and walk away with more than they paid in many cases. This is likely due to the popularity of Disney vacations. Disney Vacation Club has grown and become more popular over time. For a detailed look at pricing, you'll want to see our post How Much is Disney Vacation Club?

While the cost of DVC has gone up, and resale prices have gone up too, it’s still possible to buy resale at an incredible rate. Those who buy resale DVC are able to save thousands compared to buying directly from Disney Vacation Club. Resale works the same as buying from Disney in many ways. There are a few small differences depending on the home resort you purchase at. It's mostly Disney's Riviera Resort and properties that may be built after that that have some restrictions.

What are the Disney Vacation Club Resorts?

There are many official Disney hotels at Walt Disney World resort and just three at Disneyland. Not all Disney World or Disneyland hotels are a Disney Vacation Club home resort. Typically a home resort is located at a deluxe hotel and within a specific area. For example at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas has its own building with a small lobby. The other home resort at this property, Copper Creek, is located with within the main lobby building.

All DVC resorts are in the deluxe tier category. These are the hotels that have the most amenities and usually very appealing locations either close to the parks or connected to great Disney transportation options. Deluxe resort pools are among the best you'll find with themed details, play areas for little ones and water slides for all ages. The restaurants at DVC home resorts offer some of the top tier dining experiences with memorable meals, exciting views and sometimes even characters.

Disney Vacation Club Home Resorts

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas

Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Disney's Beach Club Villas

Disney's BoardWalk Villas

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

The Villas at Disneyland Hotel

The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel

The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

Disney's Old Key West Resort

Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

Disney's Riviera Resort

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

Disney's Vero Beach Resort

DVC Resale Experts Makes Magic

DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. If you are considering becoming a Member, the Experts can help you find the right contract and answer your questions along the way. Our independent, licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. They have decades of pixie dusted experience selling DVC and take pride in providing excellent service to their clients. The Experts would love to help you make your vacation dreams come true. See our resale DVC listings for a look at real time availability and pricing. If you don’t see the contract you’re wishing for, join the DVC Resale Experts Buyer Wish List to be made aware when one magically appears on the market.

Get to Know Disney Vacation Club

Want to learn more about Disney Vacation Club ownership? Our blog is a great place to start, packed with important details and magical fun. Each month we cover the DVC average resale prices in a regular series. This can help you get an idea of what you might pay for a contract at any given time. You can also count on us for a look at DVC ROFR trends. ROFR stands for Right of First Refusal and can impact resale DVC buyers so we aim to keep you informed on this topic. We also cover Disney World news and updates in a monthly post so you can look forward to your next trip and plan with all of the latest information in mind. There's always something new, something that's being refurbished or an operational change you should be aware of as a visitor. We include all of this and the fun stuff you want to know, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Disney Vacation Club​

​How much does it cost to be in the Disney Club?​

Disney Vacation Club is the Disney timeshare and not to be confused with D23 which is the official Disney fan club. The Disney timeshare costs a different amount at each home resort. Pricing is based per point. The amount of points you have determines how long you can stay, what kind of room you can book and what times of year you can visit. Those looking to book a room for four on a weeklong vacation each year might buy 150 points. 

As of early 2023, the price range for Disney Vacation Club started at a per point price of $150 direct and around $65 for DVC resale at Disney's Vero Beach Resort. The lowest per point priced resort at Walt Disney World Resort is Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort tied with Disney's Old Key West Resort at $150 per point direct from Disney and around $100 per DVC resale point respectively. In the higher range are options like Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort which is $275 direct from Disney and around $140 on the DVC resale market.

What do you get for being in Disney Vacation Club?

Being in Disney Vacation Club, or being a Member, means you are allotted points each year to book Disney resort hotel stays. Parking at your hotel and the theme parks is included. As a Deluxe resort guest, you are also able to enjoy additional park hours reserved for hotel guests when they are offered. Tickets to theme parks and food are not included with Disney Vacation Club. 

How long is the contract for Disney Vacation Club?

Your contract length for Disney Vacation Club typically depends on when your home resort was built. When a new resort opens, contracts are usually around fifty years long. Even when you purchase a Membership directly from Disney, your contract does not start back at fifty years but has the same amount of time remaining as all of the other contracts at that resort. The exception is if you purchase a DVC resale contract from a Member who bought an extension at Disney's Old Key West Resort which has two different deed expirations. 

Some of the longer contracts are at Disney's Riviera Resort which expires in 2070, Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge in 2068 and Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows in 2066.

The shortest contracts expire in 2042 at Disney's Old Key West Resort, Disney's Beach Club Villas, Disney's BoardWalk Villas, Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney's Vero Beach Resort. 

See DVC resort deed expirations and check individual DVC resale contracts for lengths.

Can you finance Disney Vacation Club?

Yes, you can finance Disney Vacation Club and DVC resale! It's possible to buy both DVC and resale DVC outright or to get a loan. DVC resale prices are usually surprisingly lower than buying direct from Disney. The right DVC resale contract for you might be equivalent to just a few years of Disney vacations.

​How much do you have to put down on a Disney vacation?​

When you book a Disney vacation you must put down a $200.oo deposit. The remaining balance is due 30 days before your arrival.