The Basics of DVC and DVC Resale

My husband Ben and I recently became Disney Vacation Club Members, and we couldn’t be more excited! We purchased a contract through the secondary market with a company called DVC Resale Market. We *highly* recommend working with Nick Cotton’s team – we had an incredibly smooth and stress-free experience with them! We bought an Animal Kingdom Lodge contract, so that will be considered our “home” resort.

What is DVC?

DVC, or the Disney Vacation Club, is Disney’s version of a timeshare. You purchase real estate interest directly from Disney through a flexible system known as Vacation Points. The Walt Disney Company launched their program over 25 years ago, and members now have the ability to stay at 15 top notch properties.

How does it work?

With DVC, you purchase an annual allotment of points that can be used for your resort accommodations. Don’t want to go every year? You can decide how many points you want to purchase in your contract, AND you have the ability to pull points from the upcoming year or rollover points from the past year. Disney gives you the flexibility to meet your family’s vacation needs.

While with DVC membership you “buy into” a specific resort, you have the ability to use your points at any of the 15 properties listed below. Your “home” property allows you booking access 11 months in advance to that specific resort, while any other location can be booked 7 months out. So for us, we can book 11 months out at Animal Kingdom Lodge, giving us a slight advantage.

What are the benefits?

By purchasing real estate interest in Disney, you save significantly on Deluxe Disney accommodations through your DVC ownership year after year. There are also great perks such as exclusive Member events, discounts on park admission, dining and merchandise, and overall flexibility on booking your vacation. 

What properties can you stay at, and what are the accommodations?

There are currently 11 properties at Walt Disney World, 1 at Disneyland and 3 other locations outside of the parks. 

The accommodations consist of studios, villas and bungalows, meaning they can fit any size group! All accommodations have a kitchen space and are generally much nicer than the traditional resort rooms (and you’re paying a fraction of the price than if you booked directly through Disney). 

Walt Disney World Resort

• Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s Boardwalk Villas Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• COMING IN 2022: Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge

Disneyland Resort

• Disney’s Grand Californian

Oceanside Resorts

• Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
• Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa (Oahu, Hawai’i)

Is it worth the investment?

If your family plans on traveling to Disney at least every other year (and staying at the Deluxe properties), then you should definitely look into becoming a member. While the initial investment is substantial, there are payment plan options you can take advantage of. And if you run the numbers, your initial investment and yearly dues will pay itself off relatively quickly (so you’re paying a fraction of the price each year to stay at the Deluxe properties).

For us, Disney will always be a part of our lives. We purchased a resale contract that fit our budget and allows us to stay at the resorts for several long weekends a year. In the future when we are traveling with young ones, we will be able to use our points for a week long vacation with the family. 

What is the DVC secondary market?

DVC Members have the ability to sell their contract, and they can do so through companies like DVC Resale Market that facilitate the buying/selling of DVC contracts. 

How does it work?

Instead of buying direct from Disney, you can purchase a contract on the secondary market. The price per point can be substantially lower than buying direct, and you can buy into any of the Disney properties. For example, when we attended our DVC tour, the only remaining DVC membership availability (direct with Disney) was with Aulani, Copper Creek and Riviera. And, the points were almost double the price we paid for our Animal Kingdom Lodge secondary market purchase.   

When searching for resale purchases, the contracts are listed on their website. That means you are able to review all aspects of the contract – including home resort, point size, point availability and use year – and determine what fits your family’s needs and desires best. You are also able to set up financing for your DVC resale contract. 

There are some perks that you lose from purchasing resale versus purchasing direct. For us, however, the pros far outweighed the cons of resale purchase.

Renting points is another great option!

If you don’t want to purchase a contract and become a member yourself, there are companies out there that offer up renting people’s DVC points for your vacation. Just like for DVC members, the huge perk is that you are staying at a Deluxe accommodation at a discounted rate. Renting points needs to be done well in advance of your vacation, but is worth the savings! Consider using the DVC Rental Store, a partner of DVC Resale Market. 

Questions? Send me a message and I’d be happy to answer them and share more about our experience with DVC!