Author Archives: David Mumpower

1. Smart Ways to Use Your Big Disney Vacation Club Contract

   May 21, 2025 7:24 pm Comments Off on Smart Ways to Use Your Big Disney Vacation Club Contract

   You’ve spent a lot of your hard-earned money proving your Disney fandom. You didn’t just invest in the Disney Vacation Club program but instead went all-in. As an owner of hundreds of DVC Points, you enjoy a plethora of options, all of them great. So, let’s discuss how to maximize the value of a big DVC contract.

   What’s a “Big DVC Contract”?

   I’m a firm believer that even if you own 25 DVC Points, you’re a huge winner. You can stay at a deluxe Disney villa simply by spending your points. Still, like everything else in life, membership has its privileges, and you will benefit from favoritism when you own more points.

   So, for the purposes of our discussion, let’s presume that you own 350 DVC Points. That’s roughly 50 percent more than the mid-sized contract we previously discussed. When you spend that much more money, you typically receive better benefits.

   In the specific example of DVC, you’ll add even more luxury to your future Disney vacations. This isn’t like buying better wheel rims or paint protection on a new car. You’ll directly improve your trips when you own more points. 

   Generally speaking, you’ll benefit in five ways. You’ll spend more time at Disney, visit at more popular times on the calendar, stay at Disney’s finest resorts, choose better accommodations, and sometimes even book hotel rooms that the average DVC member will never even try. Let’s explore each of these benefits to understand the best ways to maximize the value of a big DVC contract. 

   Spending More Time at Disney

   As discussed in earlier articles, Disney provides an entry price point for DVC contracts of all sizes. So, a 25- or 50-point contract can provide value when a member knows how to use the points effectively. 

   Here’s the thing, though. That idea scales up more than you’ve probably ever considered. For example, you can spend a week at Disney’s Old Key West Resort for as little as 71 DVC Points. It’s a tremendous value and a vacation I’ve personally done several times.

   Now, consider the math from the perspective of someone who owns 350 DVC Points. With that many points, you can spend nearly five weeks at Walt Disney World! I’ve spent two weeks at Disney before, and even I wouldn’t do that. 

   However, we should presume that people who own at least 350 DVC Points likely possess significant discretionary income. Also, they can probably vacation more than the average person. 

   For these reasons, someone with a large DVC contract could spend a week at Disney every quarter. Would people want to do that? Of course! Is it feasible for most tourists? Probably not.

   Fortunately, the program stretches and contracts to fit those needs and considerations. 

   Visit during the Most Popular Times

   I said you could spend a week at Old Key West for 71 DVC Points, which is true…as long as you don’t mind visiting in September. 

   Should you have your heart on a different month of the year, the conversation changes. With a smaller or even a mid-sized contract, using your precious DVC Points during the holidays will cost a lot. That same Studio at Old Key West costs 162 points from April 13th through the 20th and December 24th through the 31st in 2025. 

   Disney meticulously calculates the DVC Points Chart each year. DVC officials must do so because many national holidays double as popular tourism opportunities. 

   Travelers will spend anything from a three-day weekend to a week at the park during these holidays. As you know, some holidays vary based on the date, though. 

   For example, July 4th, 2023, fell on a Tuesday, which led to a shocking turn of events. Walt Disney World was so empty that the media panicked and wondered what had gone wrong. In reality, only two factors applied. 

   One was that it was “the hottest day on record.” The other was that July 4th fell on a Tuesday, which is arguably the worst calendar configuration for holiday travel.

   When you own 350+ DVC Points, you don’t care! You can stay where you want for a week, at least in a Studio. Even The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa max out at 343 DVC Points for a week, and that’s with Theme Park View!

   I’m getting ahead of myself by saying that, but those two points are the subjects of the next two sections. The underlying point is that when you have that many points, the bare minimum is a week at your favorite DVC resort. Those of you who prefer properties with less expensive Points Charts can spend up to five times as long at Disney in a year!

   Staying at the Finest Resorts

   In the previous example, I used one of Disney’s least expensive and priciest resorts for comparison. That’s how DVC works. When Disney evaluates its new properties and creates DVC Points Charts based on their perceived value. 

   The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, DVC’s newest property, falls on the cheaper side of the equation. Conversely, the second-newest addition, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, falls closer to the middle, save for one Room Type, the Duo Studio. 

   When you own tons of points, you never need to sweat the details. You can stay at the finest DVC hotels ever built. At worst, you’ll vacation in a spacious Studio for at least a week. Nothing is off the menu, either.

   You’ll have your choice of the monorail resorts, both Disneyland Resort properties, and even Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas. So, you can stay close to Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Park, or virtually anywhere else in the DVC program. You basically own a skeleton key that works for Studios at all the plush Disney hotels. 

   Booking Better Accommodations

   Of course, that’s not all. You may not want to stay in a Studio. Many members, including the friend I referenced last time, will ONLY book a Villa. 

   A good rule of thumb about One-Bedroom Villas is that they cost 50-100 percent more than Studios. However, you get 50-100 percent more space as well. In some instances, like the Villas at Old Key West, the rooms are substantially bigger.

   Remarkably, with a 350-point contract, you can easily afford a One-Bedroom Villa. Even at Disney’s Riviera Resort, a Standard View Villa costs 321 DVC Points or less during 50 out of 52 weeks each year. For a Preferred View, you can book a room for 30 out of 52 weeks. Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, arguably the most desirable location at Walt Disney World, charges 352 DVC Points for a one-week stay in a One-Bedroom Villa. So, that’s on the menu as well…and that’s for all 52 weeks! You could even book Theme Park View for 30 of those weeks. 

   In short, your accommodations improve when you own more DVC Points as well, presuming that’s your privilege. In fact, you could do even more…

   Spending Times in Disney’s Bucket List Suites 

   Now we get to the fun part. Every Disney fan knows that some upsell experiences are rare and profound. I’m talking about eating at Victoria & Albert’s Restaurant, experiencing a VIP Tour, and the like. 

   Well, one of the ultimate Disney bucket list items is a hotel stay in one of the most decadent rooms. Thanks to the DVC program, this seemingly unattainable goal is more than possible. When you manage your points well, you can do it more than once if so inclined!

   I’m talking about options like Grand Villas and the specialty Room Types in the program. Let’s start with the Three-Bedroom Villas. Circling back to Bay Lake Tower, these suites start at 606 DVC Points. 

   So, if you take a modest trip one year – for example, the week at Old Key West in September – you can bank the extra points. Then, you can take the baller vacation the following year. 

   I mean the one where you spend the week in a hotel room generally reserved for people like Princess Diana, who famously slept in a suite at the Contemporary. Some would argue that’s not even the ultimate at Disney these days, though.

   Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge is one such property. You can spend a week in a Cascade Cabin for as little as 620 DVC Points. By booking this Room Type, you’ll have your own cabin in the woods right by Magic Kingdom for a week!

   I would argue that’s not even the best option near Magic Kingdom, though. At Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, you can Bank/Borrow points as needed to schedule your dream vacation.

   The Bungalow Room Type is a two-bedroom suite built into the waters beside the Polynesian. These rooms feature an outdoor mini-pool where you can stare across the water at Magic Kingdom. It’s as magical as Disney gets.

   Polynesian Bungalows start at 824 DVC Points for a week. So, you’ll need to dip into three different Use Years to book this vacation. Don’t forget that it doesn’t need to be a week, though! You could also spend a romantic three-day weekend here and then book somewhere else for the rest of your trip.

   Conversely, if you do want to treat yourself – and you deserve it! – you can book a week here for up to 994 DVC Points. That requires you to Bank one year and Borrow another, but it’s possible. More importantly, it’s a vacation you’d never forget!

   All these things are possible as long as you use the tips you’ve learned to maximize the value of your DVC contract! You can stretch any number of DVC Points to make them feel like much more. 

2. How to Best Use a Mid-Sized DVC Contract

   April 11, 2025 9:30 am Comments Off on How to Best Use a Mid-Sized DVC Contract

   One of my favorite aspects of the Disney Vacation Club program is that you can always find a price point that fits your family’s budget. As you’ll notice on the Listings page, DVC contracts start as low as 25 DVC Points but could include 500+ DVC Points. 

   With that much variation in ownership options, Disney has designed DVC to fit contracts of every size. We previously discussed the best strategies to maximize the value of a small contract. Now, we’ll evaluate a different level of ownership. Here’s how to best use a mid-sized DVC contract. 

   What’s a Mid-Sized Contract?

   For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll go old school. You may not realize this, but the first members of the DVC program didn’t have a lot of wiggle room. Their only buying option was The Disney Vacation Club Resort, which we know as Disney’s Old Key West Resort. 

   Guests at the time purchased at least 230 DVC Points. At the time, DVC officials indicated that this amount entitled members to “reserve a two-bedroom villa for a week’s stay during peak seasons, a nine-day stay during a slow month such as September, or to reserve a villa for several weekend stays.”

   Even now, more than 30 years later, 200 DVC Points remains a roughly average amount for program participants. So, we’ll use that as a baseline for a mid-sized contract. If you’ve got a few more/less points, that’s fine! It’s just an arbitrary number.

   Broaden Your Horizons

   Anyway, the first thing I’d invite you to do is read the DVC Points Charts. This time, you don’t need to cut corners as you did with the small contract discussion. As you’ll notice, you have enough points to book a week during most times on the annual calendar at Disney’s finest resorts. 

   With 200 DVC Points, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will provide you a week in a Studio 50 weeks out of 52. At The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, you can spend a week in a Studio for less than 200 points during 46 of 52 weeks each year. 

   The DVC program proves so beneficial to small contracts that you can even spend a week in Hawaii! A Studio with a Poolside Gardens View maxes out at 203 points. 

   So, you can use the One-Time-Use Vacation Points option to purchase three points to add to your 200. Voila! You’re spending Christmas in Hawaii, sitting by the pool and sipping umbrella drinks for $60 out of pocket! It’s less if you don’t need to travel during peak season. In that scenario, you’ll have points left over to bank for the following year!

   In short, you can pick the finest DVC resorts, the ones offering the utmost in luxury, with a mid-sized contract. You won’t need to worry about having enough points for a weeklong stay during all but the busiest tourism weeks.

   Splurge a Little 

   The genius of the DVC program is that once you understand the fundamentals, they apply to everything. For example, the ideas I suggested for maximizing the value of a small contract work a mid-sized one as well! The only difference is the scale.

   With this many points, you can upgrade to a One-Bedroom or even a Two-Bedroom Villa sometimes rather than staying in a Studio. So, your Disney vacation works the same while you’re outside your hotel room. However, you may never want to leave your Villa. 

   After all, these larger suites contain washer/dryer units, full-sized kitchens, and hangout areas for large groups. You can bring a larger number of friends and family members with you, or you can stretch your legs and feel like Disney royalty from the comfort of your own DVC room. 

   How you splurge is entirely up to you, but a mid-sized contract provides many exceptional options. 

   You can select a better hotel, a better room, a longer stay, and/or a larger traveling party. Once you understand the basics of DVC membership, everything scales upward from those precepts. So, let’s discuss a few specifics about maximizing a mid-sized contract.

   The Better DVC Resorts 

   Picking your favorite DVC resort is like picking the best food. Everyone will disagree, and it’s a pointless exercise anyway. It’s an intellectual exercise rather than anything with permanence. When you get bored of a food, you eat something else. If you start to like a different DVC resort, you buy somewhere else.

   In fact, you don’t even need to do that. You can just stay at most locations by using your current DVC contract. I mentioned a couple of exceptions like Disney’s Riviera Resort in the other article, but it’s the general rule. So, with a mid-sized contract, you can determine the best usage of your points.

   Personally, I’m a monorail resort fan. So, my family’s top two choices are Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. With 200 DVC Points, I can spend a week at either location almost all the time. But that’s not even the best part!

   I also have enough points to purchase a better Room Type. Lake View at both resorts costs 204 points or less during 50 out of 52 weeks each year. 

   At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, I can spend a week with Savannah View, my favorite Room Type overall, for 193 points or less. For that matter, I could go mega-plush with my Studio by reserving a Kilimanjaro Club Concierge Room Type during 50 of the 52 weeks on the calendar. 

   In short, I pick the resort I want and the Room Type I want for a Studio!

   The Better Rooms

   I have a dear friend who joined the DVC program several years before me. We sometimes joke that I’ve stayed at a dozen resorts since the last time he spent the night at a different one. He’s an Old Key West (OKW) loyalist, and he has a good reason why.

   During the earliest days of the program, he and his family discovered the value of Old Key West’s One-Bedroom Villas. I consider them one of the best value options in the DVC lineup due to their massive space. 

   If you’ve never been in this Room Type, it’s 942 square feet, which rivals the size of some Two-Bedroom Villas at other DVC resorts. You can book one of these One-Bedrooms at OKW for less than 200 DVC Points most of the time each year. As far as value goes, that option is tough to beat, which is why my friend is devoutly loyal to Old Key West.

   The logic applies to some other options as well. I previously mentioned Aulani, where you can save your points when you plan to spend little time in the room. The standard view is nothing special…but still Hawaii. When you book the better Room Types, you can either watch people having a blast by the pool or sip your morning coffee while you stare at the ocean. It’s serene either way.

   Similarly, you can book Preferred Rooms at various resorts like Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. These accommodations offer superior logistics and are worth splashing around a few extra points per night. 

   In short, at its core, a mid-sized contract works similarly to a small one. However, the overall options are vastly superior. That’s why so many DVC members gradually scale up via Add-On-Itis. We add more points to improve our vacation options. 

   

3. How to Choose a DVC Home Resort

   August 22, 2024 1:36 pm Comments Off on How to Choose a DVC Home Resort

   You’re ready to buy into the Disney Vacation Club program, and I speak from experience when I say you’ll never regret it. Still, the decision will be difficult due to the sheer number of excellent choices available. Guests can choose between 17 different Home Resorts, all of which are wonderful in their own ways.

   So, how do you decide which DVC resort is best for you? Here are a few tips for choosing the ideal DVC property as your Home Resort.

   Consider Your Preferences

   Purchasing a DVC membership is akin to deciding which car to buy. Thankfully, DVC contracts are typically much cheaper than new or late-model used cars. However, you’ll own your DVC contract for much longer. At a minimum, your contract will last 18 years, and it could provide you with Disney vacations into the 2070s! No car you buy could possibly do that!

   Since your investment will pay dividends for decades to come, you should consider many of your personal preferences. For instance, do you plan to spend all your time at/around Disney theme parks, or would you rather spend some of your vacations at the beach?

   If you like beaches, you should evaluate the contracts at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, and Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas. These three properties reside close to the ocean, making them ideal for a serene vacation.

   Conversely, if you’re buying into DVC to vacation at the theme parks, you should prioritize the resorts near the parks. Even then, you should decide whether you prefer Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World.

   Fans of Disneyland Resort should target contracts at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Everyone else should evaluate the Walt Disney World properties instead.

   As you can see, every personal preference will indirectly impact which DVC resort is best for you. So, let’s examine a few of the most important considerations.

   How Long Are Your Vacations?

   Are you someone who prefers three-day weekends, weeklong vacations, or spending 10+ days at the parks? Your response proves integral to where you should buy. For instance, those of you who take shorter trips can buy a contract at DVC’s “most expensive” properties. In this scenario, I’m defining “most expensive” as the resorts that charge the most for a single-night visit.

   You should familiarize yourself with the DVC Points Chart or use the Point Calculator for this reason. In reading the various charts, you’ll notice that a single night in a Studio at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa costs as little as 16 points per night or as much as 54 points per night. The price fluctuates, depending on myriad factors like the time of year and preferred room type.

   What you can tell from the range is that you’ll probably spend about 35 DVC Points for a night at the Grand Floridian. Cheaper options are obviously available, but we’re just creating a baseline for the moment.

   Contrast that price to a night at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Studios here could cost anywhere between nine and 28 DVC Points. So, the average room costs about 18-19 DVC Points. As you can see, you can basically spend two nights at Saratoga Springs for every one night at the Grand Floridian. If you generally take longer vacations, you’ll stretch your DVC Points more at Saratoga Springs.

   Where Do You Expect to Stay the Most?

   Of course, that’s only part of the conversation. The genius of the DVC program is that when you buy a contract at one, you can also stay at the others, although there are three exceptions we’ll discuss in a moment.

   So, you can still stay at the Grand Floridian when you buy at Saratoga Springs or vice versa. The catch is something called the Home Resort benefit. At your Home Resort, you can reserve a room up to 11 months ahead of your vacation. At non-Home Resorts, you must wait until you’re seven months away from your trip.

   In other words, your Home Resort is where you’re likeliest to book because you’ll have the best opportunity to do so. That’s why many DVC members are emphatic that you should buy at the place where you expect to stay the most.

   The Rule Restrictions at Three Resorts

   The DVC Point Charts will determine this decision to an extent, but there are other factors that matter just as much. I’ll start with an obscure one.

   DVC changed its rules a few years ago. Disney recognized the value of resales contracts, which provide better value than direct purchases. So, Disney modified its rules at Disney’s Riviera Resort, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, and The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

   When you purchase a resale contract at these three resorts, your DVC Points only work for your Home Resort. If you buy at the Riviera, you can stay at the Riviera. If you buy at The Cabins, you can only stay there.

   Realistically, the only property where this is significantly impactful (in the author’s opinion) is the Riviera. Disneyland Resort only has two DVC properties, and it’s often challenging to book at the Grand Californian. Meanwhile, if you buy at Fort Wilderness, it’s probably because you love the area. Still, you should be aware of these restrictions, as they could impact your purchase.

   Other Factors to Consider

   With DVC, your obvious factor is the price. Depending on your preferences, you’ll spend at least a few thousand dollars on a contract, and it could cost tens of thousands of dollars more. That’s only part of the price, though. DVC also charges annual dues on its contracts. You’ll pay this fee each January.

   I’m sincere when I state that you should be grateful for this aspect of membership. DVC performs room upgrades on a set schedule. Every seven years, your Home Resort will change its look to make the rooms feel fresh and new. Seven years later, DVC will basically perform something called a Hard Goods refurbishment. It’ll change the entire room schematic.

   So, you’re paying for those changes as well as the upkeep of the hotel itself. Since you’ve invested in this location, you want that. Unfortunately, some of the DVC properties, especially the ones close to the ocean, require higher maintenance fees. You can blame hurricane season for that one. When you buy at these locations, you may pay less money initially, but the long-term cost may prove costlier.

   Similarly, two resorts, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel and Aulani, require something called a Transit Occupancy Tax. You should be aware of this cost, as it’s basically a nightly fee you’ll pay to stay at the resort.

   Finally, your age will play a factor, as will your family status. DVC contracts come with Expiration years ranging from 2042 until the 2070s. Younger people should prioritize contracts that last decades longer, as should older buyers who want to deed their contracts to loved ones. I quite like knowing that my nieces and nephews will enjoy DVC vacations long after I’m gone, thanks to my contract.

   How to Decide Which DVC Resort Is Best for You?

   I’ve tried to detail the complexities and nuances of the DVC program in a single post, which isn’t easy. Still, I don’t want you to miss the forest for the trees here. Every DVC resort embodies the pinnacle of hotel design and immersive Disney theming. You cannot go wrong buying at any of these places. You’ll delight in your purchase, just as my family has treasured every moment we’ve been a part of DVC.

   So, my vote here is for you to do the obvious thing. Pick your favorite DVC resort. Then, perform the calculations to ensure you can afford it. After that, check the Expiration Year of your contract. Eight years definitely qualifies as a long time, but you may find a resort you like almost as much that you can own for decades longer.

   Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff! I remember how diligently I approached my first resales contract, worrying that I’d choose wrong. I spent months stressing over my decision. Since then, I’ve learned about Add-on-itis. I know now that I can buy a new DVC contract whenever I want to extend the value of the one I already have. Simply stated, there’s never a wrong time to buy into DVC, and you’ll always be grateful that you did.

4. Making Every Point Count: How to Maximize a Small DVC Contract

   April 17, 2024 10:33 am Comments Off on Making Every Point Count: How to Maximize a Small DVC Contract

   One of the best parts of the Disney Vacation Club program is that membership fits any budget. I know some people who own as few as 25 DVC Points or as many as 2,000, and they all love the program equally. Still, we should be realistic that when you own fewer DVC Points, you must employ a bit more strategy while planning your visits. Here are tips on how to make the most of a small DVC contract.

   The Constraints of a Small DVC Contract

   I should start with the fact that our first DVC contract only contained 50 points. So, I’m speaking from experience about how my family approached DVC during those early days. The first thing we kept at the forefront of our planning was the reality of our situation. With 50 DVC Points, we couldn’t book a full week’s stay anywhere. Our Home Resort, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, charges 71 to 162 points per week. This reality forced us to be creative with how we booked trips. Over time, we developed several tactics to maximize our investment and enjoyment during Disney vacations.

   Know the Least Expensive Time Periods

   Knowledge is power when stretching your DVC Points. One of the best ways to get more bang for your buck is to understand DVC’s ins and outs. You’ll gain a competitive advantage by doing your homework. For example, a cursory glance at the DVC Points Chart reveals a way to maximize your points. Most DVC resorts charge fewer points during the months we’ve historically called the offseason.

   Truthfully, Disney no longer has an offseason, especially at Walt Disney World and, to a lesser extent, Disneyland. Still, DVC would rather its members visit during September, January, and early May.

   Not coincidentally, your points will provide you with more nights during these three months. For example, if I stay at Old Key West, a weeknight costs nine DVC Points in September and ten in January/early May. My 50-point contract may not sound like much, but it entitles me to five (!) nights at a Deluxe Tier Disney resort in September. I can take this trip annually, and I often do because I’m like many others. I was born in September, which isn’t unusual. Nine of the ten most common birthdays occur during this month, which makes September excellent for Disney celebratory visits. We get to wear the birthday button at the parks!

   Know the Least Expensive Resorts

   I also hinted at another tip in that example. It’s substantially cheaper to stay at Old Key West than my favorite hotel, Disney’s Polynesian Resort. A single night starts at 14 DVC Points at the Poly, which is 56 percent more. Similarly, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas start at nine DVC Points in September. Obviously, that’s just one specific month that won’t be for everyone, but you should understand the underlying logic.

   Those 50 DVC Points can book me five nights at BoardWalk, Old Key West, or Saratoga Springs in September, but they’ll only provide me with three nights at the Polynesian. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas offers an even cheaper booking option. It’s the Value Accommodations Room Type, which starts at seven DVC Points. However, these rooms sell out quickly. Also, they are standard rooms rather than the Studios you expect in the DVC program. For these two reasons, it’s probably not as viable an option as the others I’ve suggested.

   Buying One-Time-Use Points

   Here’s a divisive topic among DVC members. For many, the whole point of buying into the program is that we don’t spend extra money each year on a hotel stay. Instead, our Annual Dues pay for ownership interest from now until our Expiration Year. It’s a pay one lump sum, enjoy for decades program as a rule.

   However, when you face a DVC Points constraint, you do have options. For example, some DVC members rent points. Conveniently, this site offers numerous rental options, which you’ll find here.

   I’ve taken this approach on several occasions, just as I’ve relied on another membership option. Disney sells something called One-Time-Use Points, and it’s exactly what it sounds like.

   Each year, DVC members can purchase up to 24 One-Time-Use Points to increase their booking options. Disney charges $20 per point, a total that includes tax. So, you can spend another $480 each year to add 24 DVC Points to your account.

   That may not sound like much, but let’s consider what I mentioned earlier about Old Key West. A week in a DVC Studios costs 71 points. When you own a 50-point contract, you’re 21 points short. With One-Time-Use Points, you can spend $420 out of pocket to reach the needed 71-point total. I consider that a fair exchange and have done it many times over the years.

   Visiting Less Often

   The other strategy you could adopt with a small dvc contract won’t be your favorite. However, it’s a necessity at times due to the limitations of a small contract.

   Obviously, I’m referencing the fact that you don’t need to visit Disney annually. I realize that’s blasphemy to some, and I’ll confess that it’s a bit hypocritical coming from me. I don’t live in Florida, yet I’ve spent more than 100 days at Walt Disney World over the past decade. So, I must be vacationing there a lot. Still, with a small contract, you’ll sometimes find that discretion is the better part of valor. Alternatively, all things come to those who wait.

   What I mean is that DVC allows guests to Bank and Borrow points. For example, I carried over enough points from last year that I have double the points for 2024. I hated that every day last year, but I’ll love it this fall when I can spend twice as long at a Disney resort. Of course, I’m spending more than 100 DVC Points these days, but that’s not the point.

   When you skip a year, you can Bank your precious DVC Points. Then, you can take an even better trip next year. The only trick is that you must follow DVC’s Banking rules and – and this one is critical – you must remember to Bank!

   I’m not proud of this fact, but I have forgotten at least twice. Life gets in the way at times, and it’s definitely possible to forget. Still, as long as you Bank the points from your current Use Year, you’ll enjoy much better options next year.

   In fact, we can stretch this premise even more. Let’s say that in addition to Banking this year’s points, you decide you want to splurge next year. If so, you can also Borrow points from the following year. In the process, you triple the number of DVC Points in your account for the applicable Use Year. For example, let’s say that you have a December Use Year. If so, you still have your 2023 DVC Points in your account.

   Theoretically, you can Bank those points until your next Use Year, which begins in December. Then, when December arrives, you can also Borrow points from the following year. So, you’d have three different Use Years of DVC Points available in December.

   With that many points, you can book pretty much anywhere you like for at least five days and possibly more than twice as long. It all depends on how you approach your booking, while using the tips I’ve provided today. Good luck!

5. Everything You Need to Know About Guaranteed Weeks

   May 26, 2020 11:36 am 2 Comments

   

   Did you know that not all Disney Vacation Club (DVC) contracts work the same? A few years ago, The Walt Disney Company introduced a new kind of ownership option, one that doesn’t operate the same way as standard contracts. This unique form of DVC ownership is called the Guaranteed Week. Here’s everything that you need to know about it.

   What Is a Guaranteed Week?

   When Disney first introduced the DVC program, they bristled at the concept of their standard timeshare. In a way, the entire system that you know functions as a direct reaction against the outdated timeshare premise. Initially, timeshares were exclusively fixed-week programs wherein a person would get to stay at a deluxe resort for a set week each year.

   Disney went a different way with the concept. Understanding that many Disney vacationers prefer more freedom with their bookings, corporate executives designed the points-based system that you know and love. You get a set number of points each year as a member. You can purchase as many of these points as you want, and you can book as many rooms for as many nights as you like. All you need is hotel availability and enough points to “pay” for your reservation.

   While the DVC system has worked almost perfectly over the years, a few guests complained along the way that they preferred the primary timeshare concept instead. DVC officials wanted to satisfy as many customers as possible, and so they introduced the Guaranteed Week program.

   Explaining the Guaranteed Week

   This system is akin to a conventional timeshare, albeit with one huge difference. When you purchase a Guaranteed Week, you have the option to stay at your home resort during a fixed week each year. Disney numbers these weeks from 1 to 52, and the “week” begins on Sunday. Ergo, the first Sunday of the year signals the beginning of Week #1. The last Sunday of the year marks the start of Week #52.

   Your Guaranteed Week contract will display a number. That’s the week when you have a guaranteed reservation for your home resort. Disney goes so far as to book your reservation automatically each year. You don’t have to do anything. When your 11-month window opens, the system schedules the reservation starting on the Sunday of your ownership week. Disney presumes that you will stay during this week, but it’s not set in stone. You have another option.

   The way that the Guaranteed Week differs from the fixed week timeshare is that you have your standard DVC flexibility. When you don’t want to travel during your guaranteed week, you just opt out of your regular reservation. Your DVC Guaranteed Week contract will show a point total, too. You have this many DVC points annually. You just don’t use them in the usual way when you book your Guaranteed Week.

   A Guaranteed Week Example

   I understand that this situation is a bit confusing. Let’s use a real-world example to demonstrate the mechanics of a Guaranteed Week.

   A friend of mine owns a DVC contract at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. This individual says that their Guaranteed Week is #44. Their contract has a value of 168 points. Should you look at the points chart, you’ll notice that this week falls into Choice Season.

   A week’s stay at the Polynesian during this season should cost 153 points. It’s not a typo. You pay more to buy a Guaranteed Week contract. The premium is generally around 10 percent. Disney does this because they believe that a Guaranteed Week contract has more value.

   Let’s say that my friend cannot visit a DVC resort during Week #44. They are not in any way harmed by this situation. Instead, they just opt out of their scheduled week and receive the points instead.

   Rather than a booked stay starting on the Sunday of Week #44, the person receives 168 points. They can now do with the points as they see fit. Renting the points, selling them, giving them away, or banking them for the following year are all possible.

   Once they convert from the Guaranteed Week to DVC points, their membership works like any other. They’ve simply switched from a Guaranteed Week owner to the holder of 168 points for that year and that year alone and can book their Home Resort 7-11 months in advance or another DVC resort up to 7 months. When the next 11-month window opens, their Guaranteed Week contract will once again automatically book a room starting on the Sunday of Week #44.

   What Are the Benefits of the Guaranteed Week?

   You may read this information and wonder about the benefits of the Guaranteed Week. To Disney officials, they’re significant. You must determine whether you agree with them on the point. Here’s what you must understand to decide:

   The Guaranteed Week gives you more flexibility than a standard contract. You save yourself the aggravation of logging into the DVC site to book each year. Your vacation this year is the same as your vacation next year, assuming that you’re okay with that. When you’re not, you just opt out and reserve a room on your own.

   You may wonder about the utility of such automation. Think about the situation in these terms. When are the times that you’re most likely to visit a DVC resort? For many guests, the answers are things like birthdays, anniversaries, and major holidays.

   Let’s say that your birthday is on July 4th. How easy is that room to book with a standard DVC contract? Your answer depends on when your birthday or anniversary occurs.

   Did you know that one of the most popular anniversaries is Valentine’s Day? That’s obviously not an easy day to book a room. Similarly, I have a couple of friends with July 4th birthdays. They wouldn’t have much luck getting the room that they want at the seven-month window.

   Alternately, let’s remember that the busiest week on the Disney calendar is the time between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Have you ever tried to get the perfect reservation during the holiday week? The odds are not ever in your favor.

   In these examples, you can see how a Guaranteed Week would be favorable. You’re paying a slightly higher price to ensure that your family can visit Disney at the same time each year. It’s invaluable to anyone who has made a tradition out of Christmas at the parks.

   For my family, a Guaranteed Week makes perfect sense. My wife’s birthday and our wedding anniversary are a few days apart. With a Guaranteed Week, we always have the option to spend that week at Disney, proudly wearing our Celebration Buttons!

   A dear friend of ours likes the Guaranteed Week for a different reason. She is a marathon runner who has participated in RunDisney events. With a Guaranteed Week, she can always get a room even though Disney resorts are usually at full occupancy during RunDisney weekends.

   The value in the contract is that you always have a Plan A as part of your contract. Your ownership week will never change until the membership expires decades from now. Plus, Plan B is naturally built into the system. Let’s say that you have different plans for Christmas week or don’t want to run a marathon this year. You just opt out and switch your contract to DVC points instead.

   What are the Drawbacks of the Guaranteed Week?

   The Guaranteed Week has two primary drawbacks. One of them is the price. As I mentioned, Disney rightfully perceives the Guaranteed Week as having more value. They’re selling inventory during their busiest times of the year. They should and do charge more.

   You may wonder about whether the Guaranteed Week is worth the extra money. What I would suggest is that you list the weeks when you believe that you’re most likely to visit Disney. Next, think about previous experiences that you’ve had in trying to book your preferred hotel and room type during this period. Also, if any of these rooms are in the current 11- or seven-month window, please check for availability now.

   What I suspect that you’ll discover is that you cannot get your first choice right now. Instead, you must schedule a Waitlist reservation instead. With a Guaranteed Week contract, you wouldn’t even need to look. Disney’s system will book the room that you want as a standard part of your membership package. Is that benefit worth roughly 10 percent more money? Only you can say for sure.

   The other con is the inflexible start date. The Guaranteed Week gives you a room from Sunday to Sunday. You check in on the first Sunday and then check out on the following one. Not everyone vacations that way. When you buy this sort of DVC contract, you may find the inflexibility of the dates problematic.

   Which Resorts Offer Guaranteed Week Contracts?
   Now that you’re sold on the value of Guaranteed Weeks, I do have a bit of bad news. Not every DVC resort offers them. In fact, only five of them do right now. The places where you may buy a Guaranteed Week contract are:

   • Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
   • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins
   • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
   • Disney’s Riviera Resort
   • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

   Unfortunately, Disney would have difficulty adding Guaranteed Weeks to existing properties due to real estate laws. They would have to create a new property at a current site a la Copper Creek. The good news is that all of Disney’s recent DVC offerings have included a Guaranteed Week sales option. It’s reasonable to expect that pattern to hold in the future.

   Now that you understand the mechanics of the Guaranteed Week, you’ll also know to target these contracts. That’s especially true if they’re similarly priced to regular contracts. You’re getting a lot more value via the Guaranteed Week.

6. How to Decide if Riviera is Right For You

   October 14, 2019 12:11 pm 7 Comments

   

   The most subjective debate in the Disney Vacation Club community right now involves a resort that’s not even open yet. Disney’s Riviera Resort embodies the best of Disney Imagineering with its design and theming. Owning a contract here should be a no-brainer.

   Frustratingly, DVC management did something regrettable that has damaged the perception of ownership here. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s take an honest, hard look at the situation. Here’s how to decide whether Disney’s Riviera Resort is right for you. 

   Why the Riviera Is Great

   You won’t find a Disney fan with something bad to say about the Riviera Resort. Everyone agrees that it looks like a fitting tribute to Walt Disney and his older brother, Roy. The two men famously visited Europe during the 1930s, a trip that would have a profound impact on their lives. 

   The hotel’s theming embraces the European sensibilities that bewitched the Disney brothers. The style of the South of France is on display in the architecture, the restaurants, the stores, and especially the hotel rooms. 

   

   The hotels on the Mediterranean coast have unmistakably inspired Imagineers in the design of the eateries and bars. Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera, the rooftop restaurant, provides breathtaking views of many landmarks at Walt Disney World. 

   However, this eatery and lounge is also intended as a gathering place to nurture a beverage in a social setting, just as you’ll find at many Western European cities. Similarly, a coffee shop, Le Petit Café, and Bar Riva are places where Disney encourages guests to spend time at the hotel rather than the parks. For this reason, it’s perfect for laid back DVC members who visit Walt Disney World regularly.

   The other selling point of the Riviera is its Disney Skyliner station. When this resort opens, it’ll come with ready access to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You’ll simply board a Skyliner gondola and catch a ride to your preferred destination. Your preferred park is only minutes away. This amenity matters greatly to DVC members, as it allows us to skip buses and boats a lot of the time. 

   Due to the theming and other hotel features, Disney’s Riviera seems like a great location to buy your first/next DVC contract. But…

   The Problem with the Riviera

   Disney screwed up with the Riviera. Worried about the soaring popularity of DVC resales, the company did something reckless and short-sighted. DVC introduced new rules for resales purchases at the Riviera. 

   Those members who choose to buy a resales contract at the Riviera may only stay at the Riviera. Don’t worry. Those of you who owned at DVC before January 17, 2019, are grandfathered in. The change won’t apply to your existing deals. That’s beside the point, though.

   The purpose of this discussion is to determine whether buying a Riviera resales contract is a smart move for you. As such, you must understand that when you buy here, your purchase comes with a bit of an asterisk. You’ll only have the ability to use your Riviera DVC points at the Riviera. And that complicates the situation a great deal. 

   What’s Your Budget?

   Is money no object for your family? I’m not looking to pry, but it’s a crucial question in this debate. When you have money to spare, purchasing a contract directly through Disney seems sensible. You don’t face the resales restrictions this way. The catch is that you’re paying a lot more…and I mean A LOT more. If you can afford that, congratulations!

   Realistically, for most people, a vacation budget comes with some restraints. You can’t just buy whatever you want, no matter the cost. Instead, you must factor in the added price of direct purchase.

   At the time of publication, the Riviera Resort costs $188 per point directly through Disney. The first DVC resales listing at Garden Views Realty has an asking price of $144 per point for 175 points. You’d pay $44 more for each of those 175 points through Disney, which is an added expense of $7,700. 

   I don’t know many people who would shrug off an extra cost of $7,700 for the same product. To wit, nobody goes into a car dealership and asks, “Can I pay more than sticker price?” The idea is to negotiate down from that number, not up. 

   Unfortunately, the situation is even more nuanced due to Disney’s unprecedented decision to reduce the value of membership for some Riviera owners. At some point, you may want to sell your DVC contract. Even though the resort suits your needs, it won’t fit everyone’s, and that’ll ding you when it comes to resale value. 

   Due to these complications, you must debate a few other aspects of buying here to decide whether the purchase is worth the potential downside. For starters…

   Where Do You Plan to Stay?

   Whenever my friends ask me about DVC – and it happens a lot — I stress the maxim that you should purchase where you plan to stay the most. I regrettably didn’t do this because the hotel that I love the most, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, wasn’t in the DVC program yet. It is now, but I’ve been a member for a long time. So, I have to hope for the best whenever the seven-month window opens, and I try to book the Polynesian. Generally, I’m only able to wait-list most nights and hope for the best.

   I say this to demonstrate the real-life problems that come from not owning a contract at the DVC resort where you plan to stay the most. As DVC grows more popular, the situation only gets worse. For this reason, debating a Riviera direct or resales contract comes down to a straightforward question.

   

   Will you stay at the Riviera most of the time? Well, if you plan to purchase via resales, the question is actually, “Are you okay with staying at the Riviera all the time?” 

   I can’t answer either question for you and couldn’t even hazard a guess. Everyone vacations differently. What I’ll say is that I would go crazy if I were locked out of the monorail resorts and Beach Club. They’re my go-to DVC hotels. The Riviera is a place where I’ll stay sometimes, but it’s certainly never going to be a primary destination. 

   Even if you feel differently, I’ll suggest a couple of other ideas here. You may find that the safer play is to buy elsewhere. On those occasions when you want to stay at the Riviera, you can always rent your DVC points out, either on your own or through a third-party broker. Then, you can turn around and use that money to rent someone else’s points at the Riviera. I prefer this option because it provides much more flexibility. 

   How Much Do You Care about Expiration Dates?

   One of the strongest selling points of the Riviera is its expiration date. DVC members who buy a contract today will own it until 2070. I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan to live that long. But there’s excellent news on this front! DVC contracts are deed-able; you can deed them to someone you love when you’re ready to go to The Good Place.

   Obviously, an expiration date in 2070, Walt Disney World’s 99^th year, represents a strong selling point. It’s legitimately one of the most tempting parts of the Riviera for me.

   Of course, those of you who like that idea but don’t want to pay the $7,700 have other options. The Polynesian and the Copper Creek part of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge offer similar expiration dates. The former ends in 2066 while the latter ends in 2068. Those of you who want to do Disney from now until the 2060s won’t notice much difference. If you do, come back and yell at me in 2069. If I’m alive and still have my hearing, I promise to apologize. 

   Are You Intrigued by the Tower Studios?

   Have you ever tried to book a Club Level or Value room type at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas at the seven-month window? It was never easy to do this, but it’s become increasingly difficult in recent years. Hospitality House at Disney’s Old Key West behaves similarly. 

   Some DVC room types attain a special status amongst members. Booking these accommodations is more challenging. Should you have a preferred room type that falls into this category, you should purchase a contract at the applicable resort. It’s the extreme example of buying at the property where you intend to stay the most. 

   

   In the case of the Riviera, the resort features an entirely new room type, the Tower Studio. This room only accommodates two guests, and it’s the smallest DVC room ever at 255 square feet. However, it costs substantially less in terms of points than other hotel rooms. 

   A Tower Studio requires a modest 81 points for a week’s stay during Adventure Season. The standard studio costs 109 points, while one with a preferred view is 134 points. You can appreciate why Tower Studios will have demand. If these romantic but tiny rooms suit your vacation needs, you probably should get a Riviera contract to guarantee that you can book them. 

   Have You Considered Annual Dues?

   Some people refer to maintenance fees as the hidden cost of DVC ownership. I’ve never subscribed to that philosophy, as the fees are right there in the contract. Disney’s never ran away from the fact that maintaining the villas costs a lot of money. They’re justified to bill guests for the upkeep expenses, and they’re much fairer than timeshare operators.

   Still, you should always factor maintenance fees into your DVC contract calculations. And the news is grim at the Riviera. This resort’s fees start at $8.31 per point, which is already the highest of any Walt Disney World property. Previously, the most expensive maintenance fees were at Animal Kingdom Villas, which costs $7.44. 

   In other words, Riviera isn’t just the highest in terms of maintenance fees. It’s the most expensive by a lot. We’re talking 12 percent. Over the course of a Riviera contract, you’ll pay a lot more for these fees. 

   Does the Riviera Offer Anything Special?

   The answer to this question is absolutely yes. A DVC resort with a Disney Skyliner station is invaluable, especially now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open. Until Disney adds a DVC component at the Star Wars hotel, Galactic Starcruiser, which not happen until 2069, the Skyliner is the next best thing. You can hop on a gondola and head straight to Hollywood Studios. That sounds fantastic, right? 

   

   Please don’t get carried away. Remember that Disney has built a Skyliner station at the International Gateway. Rather than getting locked into a single-resort DVC contract, you could just as easily buy into Disney’s BoardWalk Villas or Disney’s Beach Club Villas. 

   Both of them are only a few hundred steps away from that Skyliner station. Better yet, contracts at these resorts will allow you to stay at all 14 of the original DVC properties. To my mind, that’s a smarter play. 

   Again, that’s just one person’s opinion, though. I absolutely understand why some members will fall in love with the Riviera. It’s beautiful to look at, and it comes with several pragmatic amenities. The goal here is to guide you toward asking the right questions before you buy your first/next contract. I hope this discussion has helped!

7. DVC Options for 300+ Point Contracts

   August 12, 2019 12:54 pm Comments Off on DVC Options for 300+ Point Contracts

   Hello Daddy Warbucks! It’s nice to meet you and your trophy wife/husband. Today, I’d like to speak to you about your Disney Vacation Club membership which isn’t difficult since you own ALL the points. You’ve got at least 300 of them across your one or more DVC contracts. With that many points, you have the run of Disney theme parks, and you know it. Still, I’d like to offer you a few suggestions about what you can do with your many, many points. Here are some ideas about the kinds of vacations you should expect when you own/buy one or more large DVC contracts.

   Covering the Basics One Last Time

   By now, you should understand how Disney constructs their points chart. The beautiful part of having tons of points is that you don’t look at it the same way. You know that you own enough points to stay when you want where you want. If that means Christmas week at a monorail resort, you can do that! If you want the nicest suite at a DVC property, that’s on the menu, too. The sky is the proverbial limit when you have a lot of points.

   Think about the situation in these terms. The first article demonstrated how much a DVC owner can do with 50 points and some solid strategies. You have AT LEAST six times as many points as the person in that scenario. You can literally do six times as much. You’ve invested a lot in the Disney Vacation Club, and you should enjoy the benefits of said investment.

   Still, many of the basics still apply. You must choose where you want to stay, how long you want to stay, and what type of room you want. In fact, room type becomes a critical consideration for people with large DVC contracts. You can book a room overlooking the animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge…and that room can have concierge club access. Alternately, you could hole up at a bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for a long weekend. You can do it all with your contract(s). The only limit is your understanding of the best ways to utilize your points…and that’s why we’re here.

   The Large Membership

   The undeniable truth of a large membership is that you’ve invested $25,000 or more in DVC. Even if you purchased in the earliest years of the program, economic principles such as inflation adjustments and opportunity cost would still indicate that you’ve spent the equivalent of that much over time. In fact, the current valuation of your DVC contract(s) is probably in excess of $30,000, possibly much more. You’ve supported Disney with your wallet, and the company wants to reward you for your loyalty.

   The one likely difference with a large membership is the point distribution. Members with small contracts of 50 points almost certainly own a single contract. Program participants with 160-200 may own multiple contracts, but it’s just as likely that they have only one. To acquire 300 points, you’ve probably given in to that wonderful urge of Add-on-itis, the DVC fever that drives us to buy more points. After all, more points mean more Disney, right? Who wouldn’t want to pick up more contracts as long as they can afford it?

   With multiple contracts, you’ll have a few minor inconveniences. More importantly, you’ll have a wealth of options that enhance the value of your membership. The inconveniences are trifles such as having to pay maintenance fees in multiple months and having to keep up with multiple contract numbers. It’s simple stuff that you can add to your Google Calendar to maintain.

   The same is true of Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas. Do you have a soft spot for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? You could buy a contract at one of these resorts and guarantee your family a hotel room right by the International Gateway each year. In fact, with four annual festivals in the Epcot rotation now, owning a contract at one of these DVC properties is always a good idea.

   With a large amount of points, you have that flexibility. In fact, you have another hidden option that other owners wouldn’t even consider. Should you decide that you want a contract at a new DVC resort, you can cash in on the value of your current membership. You could sell a contract at a DVC property you haven’t visited in a while and use that money to buy a different contract at a desired DVC hotel. If your contract is more than a couple of years old, odds are good that you’ve turned a profit on it. You could engage in some profit-taking while flexing your DVC muscle to turn a less useful contract into a better one. You are a DVC power user, and you SHOULD maximize that power in creative and exciting ways such as this example.

   What Can You Get for 300 Points?

   The short answer is anything. It’s not even an exaggeration. You can book anywhere at any point on the DVC calendar. During the discussion of the moderate membership contract, I noted that options expand dramatically with 160 points. Imagine how much more you can do with roughly double the points from there!

   Last time, I used Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas as an example. At the time, I pointed out that DVC members with 160 points could book a full week of a room with a Savannah View most of the year. With 300 points, we can scratch out the word “most”. In fact, you can book a studio with Kilimanjaro Club Concierge access any week of the year! Yes, you could spend the holidays at Walt Disney World, looking out from your patio to see frolicking zebras playing beneath you. When you get bored of this marvel, assuming such a thing is possible, you can head over to the concierge lounge and gulp Jungle Juice.

   The DVC points cost for this vacation would be 211 points for a week during Premier Season. You’d still have 89 points to spend during the rest of the year! With a large number of DVC points, you’ve purchased the right to take full control of your Disney vacation…whenever, wherever. And that could mean multiple Disney trips in the same year.

   I’ll use one more example to make my point. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is the gold standard in Walt Disney World accommodations today and has been ever since it opened in 1988. A few years ago, Disney finally indulged DVC owners by giving them the opportunity to buy DVC contracts and stay at this lavish hotel. To many program participants, it’s the ultimate in Disney vacations.

   The only downside of a stay at the Grand Floridian is the cost. The Points Chart at this resort reflects the pristine status of the property. Few DVC members have enough annual points to spend a week at the Grand Floridian. You’re one of the lucky ones, though. You have enough on your contract to stay in a Lake View studio hotel room during Premier Season, a time when a week at the Grand Floridian costs 271 points.

   Most of the year, the cost is 199 points or less, meaning that you’d still have more than 100 points to spend elsewhere. That’s the twice amount from the small contracts article! You could do so much with that surplus, and that’s AFTER you’ve spent a holiday week at the Grand Floridian. This statement alone should signal the true potential of owning 300+ points. Everything at Disney is possible

   What Else Can You Get for 300 Points?

   When you have this many points, you may discover that you have a taste for suites. One- and two-bedroom suites at DVC resorts are spectacular hotel rooms that will add that extra level of luxury to your vacation. Plus, suites come with washer/dryer appliances and kitchens. You’ll feel like you’re at your home away from home when Disney welcomes you home in a DVC suite.

   The additional space is something that quickly grows addictive. I have a friend who will only stay at Disney’s Old Key West Villas due to their size. The one-bedroom suites that his family prefers are a whopping 942 square feet. A lot of people who live in metropolitan areas stay in apartments smaller than that! The suite life will elevate your Disney vacation into something mythic and unforgettable. Don’t sleep on this option.

   You should also investigate some of Disney’s upscale hotel room offerings. Perhaps the most famous one is the Treehouse Villa, a special room type at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. It’s an octagonal standalone hotel room in the middle of the woods. You’ll relish in a serenely rustic setting when you stay here. Plus, you’ll stretch out across 1,074 square feet of cleverly used space. It’s one of the best floorplans at Walt Disney World.

   A night’s stay in a Treehouse Villa ranges between 39 and 76 points. During Adventure or Choice Season, you could spend a full week here at a cost of 281-295 points. During 49 out of 52 weeks of the year, a Treehouse Villa is 366 points or less. You can easily bank or borrow the points you need to stay here when you have 300 points annually. Alternately, you can just indulge your Add-on-it is and buy a few more if you want to make a Treehouse Villa stay a regular thing! Why shortchange yourself, big spender?

   May I Interest You in Some Hawaii?

   Oh, so you have ALL the points, eh? Well, don’t feel like you’re stuck in the continental United States. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa is the pride of Kapolei on the island of Oahu. Yes, the DVC program stretches out to the Hawaiian Islands and, yes, the resort here embodies every fantasy that you’ve ever had about an island vacation.

   The glorious part of Aulani is that Disney structured the DVC points chart in a clever way. There is an option to fit almost anyone’s membership contract. A one-week stay could cost as little as 112 points for a standard hotel room. A studio with Standard View is only 119 points to start. From there, the prices stretch out in a way that suits the needs of most members.

   As a power user, a person with more than 300 points, you’ll want something special. I’d suggest a one-bedroom suite with an Ocean View. After all, you’re there for the view, right? During Adventure Season, which I should note isn’t the same as Adventure Season at Walt Disney World, you can book a week in a one-bedroom with an Ocean View for 322 points. The cost goes up to 350 points, 405 points, and 434 points for the other three seasons. You may need to bank or borrow a bit, but it’s a small aggravation to spend a week in Hawaii, right?

   I should also point out that there’s a weird nightly room tax for “transient guests” in Hawaii. It’s a modest fee of $17.66-$23.94 per night, depending on the season when you visit. Given that the room is otherwise totally free via DVC points, it’s the best deal you’ll ever get on a Hawaiian vacation. You’re staying at an award-winning property that’s equal parts decadent and family-friendly. There’s a reason why reviews of Aulani are glowing. It’s in the conversation for best overall property in the DVC lineup.

   Hey, Don’t You Deserve that Bungalow at the Poly?

   With so many points under your belt, don’t you deserve some bragging rights? Wouldn’t you like to post on social media that you’re staying at the most extravagant suite at Walt Disney World? Seriously, who wouldn’t? And with 300+ points, you can!

   A few years ago, Disney introduced a new room type at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. They constructed Bungalows, the best of the best at Disney today. Later, Disney mimicked the idea with the Cascade Cabins at Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. The concept is the same at both places. When you stay at these deluxe villas, you’re holing up in a two-bedroom suite that’s isolated from the rest of Walt Disney World. It’s spectacular.

   The cost of a Bungalow or Cascade Cabin is price-prohibitive to some. The lowest cost for a Cabin is 87 points on a weekday, 102 points on a Friday/Saturday. Let’s be clear about the fact that 102 points is a decent DVC contract for a lot of people. To wit, the small contracts we discussed originally are 50 points. A small contract owner would need to use two years’ worth of points just to spend one night in a Cabin.

   A Bungalow is that much more expensive. The cheapest weeknight costs 115 points, while a Friday/Saturday is 133 points. You’d either have to buy extra points to go with your two years of points or you’d have to bank AND borrow points to have enough to book a Bungalow. Seriously, the price on these is obscene.

   What do you get for your points? A Cascade Cabin sits on the waters and delivers a wonderful rustic experience. The suite is 1,700 square feet in size, with two bedrooms. One of them has a queen bed while the master has a king plus a private bathroom. The highlights are the living room with a fireplace and a screened patio area. The latter space includes a hot tub and a picnic table/sitting area with a view of the lake. It’s amazing.

   The Bungalow isn’t quite as big, but it’s that much more impressive. Its 1,300 square feet of space is ideal for fans of the Polynesian, one of the original two resorts at Walt Disney World. Again, the smaller bedroom has a queen while the master has a king plus a private bathroom. You may think that the star of the Bungalow is either the impeccably themed living room or the large kitchen, but that’s not the case. Each Bungalow has an exterior sitting area featuring a line of sight to Magic Kingdom! You can sit in a swing on the deck and gaze at Cinderella Castle. In a way, it’s the best seat at Walt Disney World…and it’s your HOTEL ROOM!

   With a large DVC contract, you’re one of the lucky few who can stay at a Cabin or Bungalow. For that matter, you could spend a long weekend in a Bungalow for 381 points. You’d need to borrow or bank those extra points, but it’s a small price to pay for the unforgettable romantic backdrop that’s also decidedly Disney in tone. You deserve that kind of happiness, don’t you? Well, with 300+ DVC points, you’ll have it!

8. Buying Riviera Resort- What Should You Do?

   August 10, 2019 1:42 pm 2 Comments

   

   You’ve seen pictures of Disney’s Riviera Resort. You may have even taken the hotel tour. You’ve decided that you want to stay here. There’s just one problem. You really don’t want to own here. You know that the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) has changed the program’s rules, arbitrarily punishing owners of this resort. What’s the best course of action to spend time at Riviera without buying one of these contracts? We have a few thoughts on how to approach the Riviera Resales conundrum. Read on to get some ideas. 

   Buying Directly from Disney

   The option that Disney prefers you to choose is to buy directly from them. You’ll gain a few benefits from such a purchase, primarily that your Riviera contract will allow you to stay at the other DVC resorts, the Original 14. 

   How much will you pay for this privilege? Let’s be honest. It’s a lot. Disney requires a purchase of at least 175 points. The current cost per point is $188, and that price is subject to increase without warning. Currently, you must spend at least $32,900 to buy directly from DVC. That’s the high cost of purchasing a contract at Disney’s Riviera Resort. To many people, that’s a deal breaker. 

   Clever DVC members may take different approaches to the same goal. You aim to stay at the Riviera sometimes, right? While DVC has altered the rules to lessen your chances, you’re the enterprising type. You won’t be deterred from getting what you want. And you’re not going to do it at Disney’s ridiculous prices. Here are a few ways to beat the system.

   Buy a Small Direct Contract

   Current DVC owners don’t have the same rules as new members. Disney requires non-owners to make a sizable investment in the program. When you are already part of DVC, however, you don’t need to buy as many points. 

   The current rules require a minimum purchase of 50 points. It’s a much more manageable $9,400 out of pocket. Plus, 100 points is more than enough for a one-week stay in a Tower Studio during Adventure Season every other year. That would cost 81 points, and all you’d need to do is bank points every other year to do it. So, there’s a way to stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort for more than half off of DVC’s current pricing. 

   Buy Two Contracts for Less Than the Price of One

   How does this help if you’re not already a member? That’s a fair question. The answer is that it technically doesn’t, at least not yet. What you could do, however, is buy a resale contract first. Then, you may add a direct contract of 50 points later. 

   While inventory fluctuates daily, the listings page at ResalesDVC usually has a handful of contracts available that are $15,000 or less.  You could grab one of these contracts and then add 50 points at Riviera directly through Disney later. 

   Because resales are so much cheaper, you would still save a few thousand dollars. From your perspective, the more important aspect is that you’d own more points that way, too. 

   Let’s say that you get a 150-point contract via resales, which is sometimes possible, plus 50 points directly from Disney. Your financial outlay would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $24,400. That’s 200 points in total for $8,500 less than what 175 points costs for a direct DVC contract at Riviera! 

   Since so many factors impact your contract decisions, you might approach the situation from a different angle. You could seek out the smallest or cheapest contract that you can get. Once you are a member of DVC, you can buy the minimum number of points for the Riviera. 

   You could feasibly own only 125 points yet have 75 of those points exclusively for your Riviera stays. And again, 81 points is all you’d need to stay for a week at certain times of the year. Disney sells one-time use points, too. You could feasibly spend a week at the Riviera Resort every year as long as you’re willing to pay $114 for half-a-dozen points at $19 each. 

   If you purchased only 50 points for Riviera, you could still spend a week at the resort every other year simply by banking your 50 points. How much would that scenario cost?

   Stripped 50-point contracts, ones without immediate DVC points available, sell for as little as $5,000 at times. You won’t care about the stripped contract aspect, as Disney usually will give you double points the first year that you own a direct contract. You’ll still have 100 points during your first year, but you’ll spend roughly $15,000 for your two contracts. That’s less than half of what Disney would want you to spend on a Riviera contract. Of course, you’ll have fewer points as well, but that’s totally fine. You’ll pay only what you want rather than what Disney dictates.

   • 100 points total: 50 points resale (roughly $5,000) + 50 points direct at $188 pp ($9,400) = $14,400
   • 125 points total:  50 points resale (roughly $5,000) + 75 points direct at $188 pp ($14,100) = $19,100

   Thinking outside the Box

   Your DVC contract entitles you to exchange your points at a DVC hotel for a stay of one or more nights. While you receive legal real estate documents, the underlying concept involves a somewhat intangible service. What you do with your points is entirely up to you.

   For example, you could rent your points through a reliable third-party service like David’s Vacation Club Rentals or DVC Rental Store. These sites will pay you anywhere between $13.50 and $15 per point. You can sell them for even more points if you perform the transaction yourself, although that strategy comes with its own hurdles. 

   Let’s say that you have a 150-point DVC contract. Should you rent your points for $14 each, you’d have $2,100. Then, you could turn around and use that money to rent Riviera points for a hotel stay. 

   The concept is exactly the same. You’re exchanging DVC points for a hotel stay at the Disney resort of your choice. The difference is that you’ll use a middleman for this particular transaction. 

   Playing the Long Game

   Disney’s content to change the rules for DVC because sales are robust right now. We’re a decade past the last major recession, and theme park attendance is at all-time highs. With the arrival of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the upcoming 50^th-anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World, DVC officials are confident that the market is strong.

   What would happen if the economy took a turn, though? Nobody wants to think about such unpleasant circumstances, but it’s a fair question. DVC is the one timeshare program that has historically increased in price consistently. Even it has the occasional pricing hiccup, though. During turbulent economic periods, people don’t spend as much on recreational real estate. 

   You could take advantage of this by saving for a rainy day. Add a bit of money to a savings account each month in the hope that you see the perfect contract at a spectacular price. 

   This strategy should be especially effective with the Riviera Resort, as questions persist about its market value. You may stumble into a bargain courtesy of a frustrated buyer, someone who did what you didn’t: They bought a questionable direct contract at the Riviera. 

   Alternately, you could play the long game a different way. While buying a resale contract now, you could wait to see what happens with the Riviera. While Disney has changed the rules for now, the situation is fluid. There’s always a chance that they rescind the change later. 

   The most likely scenario would involve disappointing sales at the Riviera. As DVCNews recently suggested, its early results weren’t impressive, although that’s not unusual for new properties. Should sluggish sales continue, however, DVC executives could decide that they’ve made a mistake in limiting the resort stay rules at the Riviera. 

   At this point, a rules change is improbable, but the situation bears monitoring. There’s no need for you to rush into a direct purchase unless you’re absolutely certain. You could just as easily wait a couple of years to see what happens next.

   Finally, those of you who are dead set on staying at the Riviera have another option. As DVC members, you always have the right to pay cash for a room. Some program participants get discounts to stay at the hotel. It’s a great way to spend a weekend trying out the Riviera to decide whether you want to buy a contract here. 

9. Important Dates for 2019 – Disney and DVC

   May 29, 2019 1:09 pm 2 Comments

   In recent years, the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) has shown a deeper appreciation for its members. They’ve hosted more special events and exclusives to program participants on top of the delightful affairs that they provide for all Disney vacationers. Let’s take a look at some of the most important remaining dates for 2019. 

   July 18^th, August 8^th, and August 22^nd

   Disney will hold three more Moonlight Magic events this summer at a different location. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been the preferred destination of many vacationers since it added Pandora – The World of Avatar. The park is also open into the evening now, and Animal Kingdom after dark is a breathtaking, almost otherworldly experience. 

   

   Close your eyes and imagine having a nearly empty Animal Kingdom to yourself. It sounds incredible, right? And I have even better news. This Moonlight Magic evening isn’t sold out yet! It can’t be. Tickets for the events aren’t available until June 5^th for DVC members with hotel reservations. All other DVC owners may book starting on June 12^th. Since these dates are close, you will have to take what you can get in terms of booking DVC rooms. 

   September 18^th and October 16^th

   Disney’s trying something different with Moonlight Magic as the calendar turns to fall. They’re holding a pair of events at Typhoon Lagoon. Starting on August 14^th, guests with official Disney resort reservations can book this event. On August 28^th, all other card-carrying members can join them.

   A closed water park is an especially tantalizing proposition for DVC members. As this video shows from last year’s event, you will have no problem riding everything that you want. Plus, there’s bathing suit dancing at the park complete with a DJ! The only caveat here is that Florida weather is especially unpredictable. You may discover that the water’s a bit chilly if the temperature drops significantly after dark. 

   August 16^th through November 1^st and September 17^th through October 31^st

   Everyone’s favorite ticketed event, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) will open earlier than ever this year. It’ll debut in mid-August, testing the accepted calendar concept of Halloween season. 

   

   As you know, MNSSHP costs about $100 for DVC members and isn’t available every night. It’s only open on days when Disney closes Magic Kingdom early to regular customers, giving the party-goers the run of the most popular theme park on the planet for several hours. I went this past Halloween, and I genuinely hated that the evening had to end. Cast members felt the same way, as they were singing and dancing desperately as the final minutes ticked down for the last MNSSHP of 2018. Due to the calendar configuration, this one will add the first day of November, too.

   Over at Disneyland Resort, West Coast fans finally get their own version of the event. Disney recently announced Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party. On select dates in September and October, Disney California Adventure will close early for regular guests to host this soiree. It’s a ticketed event as well. You can read full details here. 

   November 8^th through December 22^nd 

   You may notice that I’m bouncing around the calendar event here. I’m trying to keep similar activities together in case you want to pick your best option among them. Along these lines, the other popular ticketed event at Magic Kingdom is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

   This event will return in early November this year and has many of the same general features as MNSSHP. For about $100 per person, guests get to celebrate the holiday with Mickey and friends. While the Halloween version leans toward the spooky side of the spectrum, the Christmas party is like a warm yuletide hug. 

   The seven-month booking window is already open for at least a portion of all three events. What you’re realizing right now is that the 11-month Home Resort window is there for a reason. It gives DVC members a safe way to secure a reservation for any popular theme park event during the calendar year. Many long-time owners at Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas specifically purchased there to guarantee a hotel room during Epcot’s various festivals. 

   August 29^th

   Did you know that Disney will open a new themed land based on Star Wars? I’m kidding. Of course you do. It’s all anybody can talk about when they mention Disney vacations right now. From August 29^th forward, all of your visits to Walt Disney World will include a stop at Black Spire Outpost, a settlement on Batuu, the final place at Galaxy’s Edge. 

   I can’t sugarcoat this one. Those of you who have your hearts set on visiting Walt Disney World for Star Wars Land need to book now. The seven-month window is already into December. You must act fast. Otherwise, you will likely have to wait until 2020 to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The good news is that most of the other dates here are one-time only or limited time excursions. Star Wars Land is forever!

   August 29^th through November 23^rd

   The final few days of August will be crazy this year, y’all! In addition to the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, August 29^th marks the start of the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. As any self-respecting DVC owner knows, this festival is one of the greatest aspects of being a member. Anyone lucky enough to stay at a monorail resort or Disney’s Beach Club Villas or Disney’s BoardWalk Villas has convenient access to Epcot and all of the treasures inside. 

   

   The Food & Wine Festival has staked a claim as one of the most significant activities at Walt Disney World during the fall. This year’s version will have a record-setting 87 days for you to eat the magnificent cuisine from the pop-up restaurants at the World Showcase. The one irregularity this year is that the Eat to the Beat concert series will end before the actual festival does. Its last day is November 19^th, as Disney needs time to set up Candlelight Processional. Speaking of which…

   November 29^th through December 30^th

   Disney’s other popular festival at the end of the year is Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays. One of its beloved activities is the aforementioned Candlelight Processional. Due to Disney’s scheduling for this year, you won’t even have a week between the end of one festival and the start of the next. 

   The Festival of the Holidays is one of my favorites, as I love the yuletide activities here. Various countries have cast members recite (or act out) stories involving their own versions of Christmas. It’s a fascinating insight into cultural approaches regarding the same subject matter. 

   For those of you who want to visit during one of the festivals, you’re already within the seven-month window for Food & Wine. You could start booking your non-home resort for Festival of the Holidays on April 29^th. In other words, it’s time to take action. 

   I cannot stress enough how much DVC rooms will be at a premium this year due to the arrival of Star Wars Land. Pandora almost singlehandedly increased traffic Animal Kingdom traffic by 25 percent. Star Wars makes Avatar look like a Police Academy movie. Disney parks will be insane during the fourth quarter of the year. 

   December 12^th 

   The DVC Condominium Association Meeting isn’t an event most members regularly attend. It is, however, something that everyone should do at some point in their lives. It’s an enlightening discussion of the ins and outs of DVC ownership during a calendar year. 

   You’ll learn about your upcoming maintenance fees while getting a detailed explanation of what goes into the pricing calculations. You’ll also be one of the first to hear about upcoming DVC events, changes, and new resorts/amenities.

   December 16^th

   Disney doesn’t add new properties to its lineup often. It’s even rarer for them to construct an entirely new property that’s primarily for DVC accommodations. That’s what we have with Disney’s Riviera Resort, the 15^th DVC property. It is now taking reservations in anticipation of an opening date of December 16^th. 

   I’m not going out on a limb when I say that this place will book quickly for its first few months of operation. As such, you should schedule your reservation as soon as possible. Keep in mind that the Disney Skyliner should be open by this point, although we don’t have an official date yet. All park officials have indicated is “fall 2019,” but the testing phase right now suggests that they’ll have no problem making that deadline. 

   With the advent of the Skyliner, the Riviera becomes arguably the best place for Star Wars fans to stay at Walt Disney World. You’ll receive direct transportation to and from Hollywood Studios. I say again that this place will book quickly. 

   Special Holiday Events

   On many major holidays, DVC hosts unique events for card-carrying members. Many of them cost extra, although some are free. Here’s a quick list of potential offerings throughout the rest of 2019:

   • June 18^th: DVC Father’s Day Lunch – Location to Be Announced at Disneyland
   • July 3^rd: Independence Day Dessert Party – Contemporary Resort
   • October 31st: DVC Halloween Dessert Party – Location to Be Announced at Disneyland
   • October 31^st: DVC Halloween Dessert Party – Contemporary Resort
   • November 28^th: DVC Thanksgiving Dinner – Contemporary Resort
   • December 24^th: DVC Holiday Dinner – Contemporary Resort
   • December 30^th: DVC New Year’s Eve Party – Contemporary Resort

   Special note: The events held at the Contemporary Resort are located in at least one of these three places: the Ballroom of the Americas Porte Cochere, and Fantasia Ballroom.

   Okay, there you have it. You now know precisely when you should book your DVC reservations for the rest of 2019. It’s poised to be a historic year in many ways, so don’t delay! You don’t want to look back with regret later, knowing that you could have gone to Star Wars Land during its first few months but didn’t.

10. What can you do with 160 DVC points?

    March 13, 2019 11:00 am Comments Off on What can you do with 160 DVC points?

    

    In a prior piece, we explored the benefits of a smaller Disney Vacation Club (DVC) contract. The article demonstrated that a member can have a lot of fun with as few as 50 annual membership points. It begs a question, though. What could you do with a lot more points? The most common contracts fall in the range of 160-200 points, which is at least triple the amount discussed last time. With so many points on hand, you have a lot more options for your vacation. Here are some ideas about the kinds of vacations you should expect with an average amount of points.

    Returning to the Basics

    As previously discussed, Disney constructs their DVC point occupancy and logistics, they’ve identified which resorts are more desirable and which ones are less desirable. When you have fewer points, you’re left with a hard choice. You can spend more nights at one of the less coveted resorts or fewer nights at the most popular locations.

    The great news about a larger contract is that your options expand dramatically. You’ll still have the same general constraints, as you unfortunately can’t stay at a DVC resort every night of the year. Nobody has that many points. So, you still have the same basic decisions about how to spend your points, debating whether to stay longer or at a more popular resort. You’re just not as constrained. With triple the points, you can do a LOT more.

    With DVC membership, you currently have 14 different properties where you can spend your points. The Walt Disney Company will introduce a 15th location, Disney’s Riviera Resort, in 2018. Even if you only spend a three-day weekend at each property, you would still need 45 entire days to vacation at the various participating hotels. This causes an additional kind of decision making.

    In addition to length of stay and points utilization, you must choose where you want to stay. And that choice starts early for those who believe that you should buy at the place where you plan to vacation the most. Once you have a contract, that place is where you will have the easiest time booking hotel stays, making it the most likely place for you to visit throughout the life of your membership agreement.

    The Average Membership

    These three factors comprise the basics of DVC ownership. With 160 points in hand, however, you will have more flexibility in how you address each one. Since you’ve invested $15,000 or so (or bought more than a decade ago), your contract rewards you. You will get what you’ve paid for, which is innumerable great Disney vacations.

    When you’re ready to book, you’ll run into the same disclaimers from the previous article. You’ll discover that the DVC Points Chart for each resort varies. Some of them require fewer points for a week’s stay. The ones that tend to cost the most are the three monorail resorts at Walt Disney World: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa joins that list, primarily because it’s currently the only viable option for DVC members at Disneyland Resort.

    The other overriding factor is that Disney has grouped their various DVC properties into tiers. You’ll spend more when you stay during a holiday such as Thanksgiving since that’s a more crowded period on the Disney calendar. Should you visit during a slower time such as January or September, you’ll spend fewer points. We’ll evaluate how that helps or hinders you as the discussion unfolds.

    What Can You Get with 160 Points?

    Okay, with the economics lecture out of the way, let’s get to the fun stuff! You’ve got 160 points. What can you do with it? Your initial instinct may be that with an average number of points, you’ll receive an average DVC vacation. This belief couldn’t be further from the truth. You’ll relish a multitude of options available to you thanks to your moderately-sized contract.

    What you’ll discover with your 160 annual points is that your options have expanded dramatically from a small one. Disney wants people to join DVC, and they really want guests to own a lot of points. Park planners and DVC strategists structure the Points Chart to entice travelers to spend more time at Disney theme parks and resorts.

    In the small contract article, I referenced the fact that you could stay for a week at a resort. You’d simply have to plan ahead by banking or borrowing points from a different Use Year. With 160 annual points, you can spend a week at Disney every year. In fact, you could do a lot more than that if you like.

    Let’s use Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge as an example. Whether you prefer the villas at Kidani or Jambo House, you’ll find a welcoming DVC Points Chart here. A week’s stay in a standard studio here costs as little as 81 points, 146 points at most. Would you rather look out at the animals from your room? Of course! Those rooms have higher points costs, but you’ll have enough on your annual contract to stay there during all but three weeks of the year. A Savannah View room is 181 points during Premier Season. Those are the dates of March 25th through April 7th and December 24th through December 31st.

    Your contract gives you a strong chance to book a room with a zoo view 49 out of 52 weeks each year! Should you want to go during Christmas, remember that you can always buy single-use points from Disney. A maximum of 24 are available. Since you’re only 21 points short, you could even stay a week during Premier Season for a modest fee of $17 per points ($357 total). It’s a great deal. Plus, you’ll never forget your Christmas holiday that you spent with the animals!

    

    Animal Kingdom Savanna View Studio

    What Else Can You Get with 160 Points?

    You’ll find other wonderful possibilities when you receive 160 points each year. Let’s start with single-year usage. With so many points, you can stay at a monorail resort for a week. You must be selective with your room types and your traveling dates, though.

    For example, you may schedule a studio room at Bay Lake Tower. The cost for a week is less than 160 points for all times except Premier Season. The catch is that your only options for that amount are standard view and Lake View. Theme Park View (TPV) is just a bit out of your point range most of the year.

    Lake View is 153 points or less during four out of five DVC seasons. TPV costs 141 points during Adventure Season and 151 points during Choice Season. Dream Season and Magic Season are still possibilities with one-time points, as they cost 174/183 points. You can’t stay during Premier Season unless you borrow/bank points, though. It’s a stiff 241 points. Disney makes you pay to have the best view at Christmas.

    

    Standard View Bay Lake Studio

    A quirk of the points chart is that the Polynesian and Grand Floridian have largely similar costs for studios. A standard view at both properties is 153 points or less during the first three seasons. Magic Season is 169 points for each location, and Premier Season is out of reach at 227 points. Remember, these are just the standard views.

    DVC members who prefer Lake View at these properties will need to travel during Adventure (148 points) or Choice Season (153 points). You could also purchase enough one-time points to split the difference on Dream Season (183 points). Both Magic and Premier Season would require banking/borrowing, though. Even with 160 points, you only get so much in DVC. Your best bet when you want these experiences is to shorten the length of your vacation or dip into a different Use Year’s points.

    But Wait! There’s More!

    Owning 160 points opens up another door for DVC members. Now, you may experience a different sort of vacation experience. With this many points, you could book a one-bedroom suite instead. Most DVC properties feature one-bedroom options. These rooms come with an obvious benefit and a hidden one.

    The obvious advantage of a one-bedroom suite is space. Generally speaking, DVC studios are in the 350-square feet range. That’s a massive amount compared to a standard hotel room, which is why Disney refers to the rooms in the program as villas. When you stay at an extended stay hotel room, it should be bigger, after all.

    One-bedroom suites are much larger. These properties are generally around 800 square feet, the same as a one-bedroom apartment. They have kitchen features, plates and cooking utensils, larger bathrooms, and other benefits, too.

    

    One Bedroom Villas at Bay Lake Tower offer full kitchens and expanded living spaces

    My favorite one is the washer/dryer combo that comes standard. I tend to spend 10 days at Walt Disney World during each trip. Packing enough clothing for that long is tough. Thanks to the washer/dryer, I can clean my favorite Disney outfits from the comfort of my own room. A pro tip is to start the laundry then head down to the pool for a while. Eating a meal at the restaurant works, too.

    About Those One-Bedroom Suites…

    The DVC Points Chart has a general rule of thumb that one-bedroom suites are double the points of standard rooms. There’s some wiggle room there, of course, and I’m speaking in generalities with the statement. What I can say for sure is that enterprising DVC members with 160-point contracts will be able to book a suite.

    You’ll have several choices about the best way to do so. For example, a one-bedroom suite at Disney’s Old Key West Resort costs 157 points during Adventure Season or 174 points during Choice Season. You could stay in one of these rooms for a week in January, September, or October plus some of November and December, too.

    Old Key West is one of the most popular places to book a one-bedroom for a different reason beyond its reasonable points cost. Its suites are comically spacious, with 942 square feet in the floorplan. You can really stretch out here. Since this was the first DVC resort, Disney gradually realized that they’d overcompensated with their room sizes, gradually reducing the suites in particular. Old Key West stands out to this day due to its size and is the perfect choice for families who prefer some breathing room.

    

    Old Key West Villas offer much more space!

    Most DVC properties charge more than 160 points for a week at a one-bedroom facility. As an example, Disney’s Beach Club Villas starts at 197 points. This may sound price-prohibitive until you remember that you can bank or borrow points.

    Let’s be real. You’re unlikely to visit a Disney resort every year through the life of your contract. Pick one of those years to add your points to the year when you will. With 320 points available, you’ll have access to a week (or more) in a DVC one-bedroom suite most of the year.

    Finally, I should add that a 160-point contract gives you access to one other room type that you can’t get with a small contract. Animal Kingdom Villas includes a room type called Kilimanjaro Club Concierge. It’s the same type of room you would otherwise book as a DVC member, only it gives you special access to the concierge floor of the hotel.

    The Kilimanjaro Club Concierge is effectively the club lounge. The room type is difficult to book due to its popularity, which speaks volumes about why you want to stay there. With concierge access, you’ll get free benefits like continental breakfast and food and drink options throughout the day. Many of these free foods and drinks are ones that you love from restaurants like Boma. Yes, they’ve had Zebra Domes at the club lounge at times. The famous Tusker House Jungle Juice is oftentimes an option, too.

    Booking the concierge level costs a minimum of 125 points for the week. That’s for a studio during Adventure Season. Basic studios require as many as 211 points, but the maximum for anything Magic Season or lower is 153 points.

    In other words, you can (and absolutely should) book a concierge level studio at Animal Kingdom Villas at some point. You’ll reduce your snack, drink, and possibly even breakfast expenses since you’ll get all of that free in the lounge. It’s just another way that having an average DVC contract benefits you as a loyal DVC member!