Every once in a while, dole whip just beckons you on a whim. A hard week can, sometimes, only be made better with a morning on Main Street, U.S.A. There’s also something about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind that just draws you back to Orlando, right? We talk a lot about buying DVC points at the home resort you want to stay at. This could be your favorite resort, one located next to the park you spend the most time at or a hotel with your top restaurant picks. The home resort booking advantage can really help you with booking tailored and specific stays. But what about those times when you just want to book a quick weekend getaway and don’t care where you stay? Let’s play with the thought of flexible add on DVC points to get the best price. While you might prefer some over others, most will agree that every Disney Vacation Club resort is nice. The per point prices can vary quite a bit though.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas has incredible theming and resale DVC per point prices
Add On DVC Points for More Flexibility
We’ve all been there. Looking at hotel rooms for next weekend or a weekend next month. You see a little pocket of time and start pricing out a trip. If you’re ok with roaming from your favorite home resort, you might be able to get the best value by choosing a cheaper per point home resort option. Quick, flexible trips here and there won’t be made easier by your home resort booking advantage. You just have to see what’s available, whether it’s your home resort or not, and go with something that looks good to you when you’re booking closer to your visit. It’s especially helpful if you’re a little flexible with your schedule. Having another contract, even a small one, that you use to roam different resorts can add some variety to your trips and save you some money.
In order for this to work, you have to be ok with staying at different DVC resorts. Think of adding on DVC points at a cheaper resort as a back up plan. When it gets close to the date of a visit, availability can be tight. On the bright side, sometimes cancellations open up awesome stays just a few weeks away. If you’re open to whatever happens, buying some less expensive add on points at your home resort or a different resort might be something to consider.
Flowers at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, a beautiful property perfect for add on DVC points at a great price
Less Expensive DVC Points Work the Same
In 2023, we’ve seen per point prices listed for $55 at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. That’s incredible compared to direct prices which come at the lowest price of $150 per point at the same resort. While you can buy points with the intention of staying elsewhere, there is a bit of a risk with buying points somewhere you might not want to stay. Especially a resort that’s far from Disney parks like Vero Beach or Hilton Head. If you don’t ever plan to visit these, maybe a resort at Disney World would suit you better.
However, if you’re up for a game of mystery DVC resort on some trips, buying the best priced points at a Disney World resort may not be a bad idea. This is best for folks adding on and open to trying new places to stay or taking whatever is left over to book. You won’t want to buy points at a random resort, strictly because they’re a great price, as your main vacation allotment every year but take a look at some of these prices below.
Let’s say you’re a DVC Member with The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort as your home resort. With 150 points, you stay there with the family every year and love the proximity to Magic Kingdom and firework views from the property. If you’ve always been curious about the animal views at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas but don’t want to give up your main vacation, adding on a small contract might be a good fit. It’s possible to find Animal Kingdom points trending around $118 on the DVC resale market. Compare that to $160 for resale at the Grand Floridian. Better yet, the original Disney Vacation Club Resort, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, can be found for around $105 per point when shopping resale. Quite the difference in price and worth taking a gamble on. Old Key West and Animal Kingdom Villas might not be your first pick but for some variety in your stays, you can’t beat the price difference.
Pad Your Trips Efficiently with Add On DVC Points
Add on DVC points give you a little wiggle room. If you’re just squeezing in your trips every year, some add on points could be just what you need. In most cases, one time use points are convenient but not cost effective for long term use. Yes, you can use them to book that extra night on your trip. However, if you’re using one time use points every year, adding on a resale DVC contract will probably be a much better spend. One time use points went up to $22 in 2023. The break down for this is $19.56 per one time use point, $1.27 tax (6.5%) and $1.17 resort tax (6%). With a rate like Saratoga Springs at under $100 per point in May of 2023, it makes much more sense to invest in add on points than use one time use points year after year.
Is it Worth Having DVC Points if You Live Close to Disney?
There’s something so fun about staying at deluxe resorts. The pools, the restaurants, the fireworks and not having to drive home are all selling points for me. You know it can be a lot driving home after a long day on your feet at the parks. Even if you live in town, or a few hours away, having some DVC points can complete your Disney visits. What’s nice about having points as a local is that you don’t have airfare or a day long drive to consider. You can peruse what’s available and book as you please without having to worry about flight rates.
With that kind of flexibility, you might not be as concerned about your home resort. Especially if you want to book last minute or any time after that eleven month out home resort booking advantage. At that point, you wouldn’t get priority booking at your home resort so you’ll be looking at what’s available on the whole anyway. Even if you live nearby and have a main DVC contract you use for annual trips with family, friends or a loved one, add on points can bring more magic to your days. If you are super flexible with travel and dates and open to staying at whatever resort is available, consider one of the amazingly priced resale DVC options.
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of the lowest price add on DVC point options
Adding On Points: Does Your DVC Home Resort Matter?
Add on points don’t have to just be an after thought. There are some convincing points for buying a DVC resale contract at a better priced resort if you’re flexible with booking. It’s also possible to add on points at the one and only home resort you love. At your home resort, you are able to book stays sooner than everyone else. That can be a precious detail for some looking for specific time periods or certain room types.
Which DVC Resorts are the Cheapest to Add On Resale?
As of early 2023, DVC resale per point prices are quite appealing. Prices are lower than they have been for years. This is likely due to changes at Disney, the state of the economy and Disney Vacation Club not buying contracts back for months. This brings us to amazing deals on contracts.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas brings elephant sized deals at meerkat prices with around $111 per point. Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has forrest offerings at seed prices with around $85 per point. Disney’s Old Key West Resort has sun kissed days ahead at fantastic rates around $93 per point. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort has your next trip off to the races at wonderful rates around $90 per point.
For the most up to date prices, see our DVC resale listings. These are actual contracts that are open to place a bid on right now. If you’re still wanting to gather more information on pricing or monitor the market, we have a monthly DVC average resale prices series. This gives potential DVC resale buyers and sellers a realistic look at where pricing is.
DVC Resale Experts Makes Magic
DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. If you would love to call your favorite resort home, maybe you should consider the Disney timeshare Disney Vacation Club. With so many home resort choices, you have options. It’s possible to save thousands buying a resale Disney Vacation Club contract instead of buying direct from Disney. Our licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides with decades of experience selling DVC. You can expect pixie dusted service from first contact to closing the contract. Take a look at current resale DVC listings for pricing and availability. If you don’t see your dream contract, you’re welcome to join the DVC Resale Experts Wish List. Then you’ll be contacted when the right contract magically appears on the market.
