Pricing out a Disney World Vacations can be fun. There’s that magical feeling of seeing what’s available. Then, the price tag shows up and feelings can change. Disney vacations are expensive and the hotel room cost can be the bulk of what you pay. Here’s where Disney Vacation Club comes in. It’s possible to pay a fraction of the cost when you’re a Member. DVC is a long term commitment. The lengths of DVC contracts are usually decades long. In a way, it kind of feels like getting a discount for buying bulk vacations. How much can you save when you buy DVC? Calculating cost savings of Disney Vacation Club really has to start with pricing out a trip without Disney Vacation Club to compare.
The Cost of Disney Vacation Club: How much can you save?
How much are Disney hotels?
The Disney hotel room price range can be anywhere from around $150 for the most economic rooms during the slowest seasons to $1000 or more for large or particularly unique or luxurious accommodations. The cost of a Disney hotel room per night depends on the particular hotel you’re choosing to stay at. The time of year also has a great impact on nightly Disney hotel rates.
There are three different tiers of hotels at Disney World: value, moderate and deluxe. Disney Vacation Club resorts are in the deluxe tier, provide the best amenities and are in the most convenient locations. They are also the most expensive when you’re booking a hotel room. The only DVC resort not in a deluxe, is the new The Cabins at Fort Wilderness.
So can you get cheaper prices than we’re showing here when booking rooms at Disney? It’s possible value resort rooms may be less than not just Disney deluxe rates but also lower than DVC prices. Deluxe and value resorts provide very different experiences though. When you do the math, DVC resale in particular can give you deluxe stays at moderate prices in many circumstances.
For a decent comparison we’re pricing out a comparable deluxe hotel to calculate the cost savings of Disney Vacation Club. You may find lower rates at value resorts but the difference in quality is also very noticeable. Savings vary so consider this a narrow look at what a Disney hotel costs and what you might save with DVC.
Calculating Cost Savings Of Disney Vacation Club at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
At $455 per night, a week in a Deluxe Studio at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge from July 14 through July 21, 2024 costs $3,583.16 with tax. A Deluxe Studio sleeps up to four adults and is similar in shape and size to what many consider a regular hotel room.
The direct cost of Disney Vacation Club at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is $250 per point. The Copper Creek point chart shows us a stay at this time would cost 121 points per week. Let’s say you buy a 125 point contract. At this rate this would cost around $31,250 plus closing costs. At first this seems like a lot but with a contract expiration of 2068, you have decades of vacations to use. In 2024, that’s 44 years of vacations left to take! We’ll divide the estimated cost of the contract by the number of years to get the cost of about $710 per year. Add in this year’s annual dues cost of $7.92 per point at $990 for 125 points. This brings us to a total of about $1700 for DVC at Copper Creek per year, for 125 points, based on the current annual dues.
How much can you save with resale DVC?
Then there’s resale to consider. Resale DVC refers to a contract sold by a Member, not by Disney directly. Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge goes for around $147 per point on the resale market. Let’s multiply that by 125 points to get a total of $18,375 for this resort. Divided by 44 years, that’s about $417 per year. Add the current annual dues of $7.92 per point at $990 for 125 points and we get about $1407.
So based on all of this, the same stay would cost about $3,583 through Disney, $1700 with Disney Vacation Club and $1407 with resale Disney Vacation Club. That resale savings of about $293 might not seem like a lot at first glance. Multiply that by 44 years, though, and that’s a price difference of $12,892.
Remember annual dues typically go up a bit each year. This is all an estimate for just one resort and some food for thought as you consider Disney Vacation Club prices and resale DVC. The savings with resale can be fantastic.
Disney hotel discounts and DVC
In calculating the cost savings of Disney Vacation Club, we have to mention that these are general prices available right on Disney World’s website. No discounts have been applied. You may have an annual pass, Florida resident or other discount that could be applied to room prices. That could take these room cost numbers down. Even still, discounts on rooms are often a promotional tool and not always available.
When you buy DVC, you are locked in at the current prices. You don’t have to wait for a great promotion, you know you paid a great rate. You can count on the annual dues going up a little bit each year. This is why people who bought DVC many years ago are thrilled. They may have paid 1997 prices for points that they are using on today’s rooms which are priced very differently.
The cost of DVC and Resale DVC
Below we’re estimating per point prices of resale DVC and direct DVC at each resort. Direct prices can change at any time. Disney likes to raise prices annually on most resorts. With resale, prices can change any time and the actual per point price depends solely on the individual contract you are looking at. Some variables that affect the DVC resale average prices here are the number of points on a contract and if the resort is very popular or not.
Buying a contract with 50 or 100 points? Smaller contracts like these typically come at a higher per point price point than others. Looking at buying a very large contract? These usually come with lower per point prices. The seller may or may not be willing to negotiate. Consider the resale numbers below the middle of a range. Talk to an Expert about how pricing looks right now or take a look at current DVC resale contracts.
DVC Prices
| Disney Vacation Club Resort | Resale Average Price 2023 | Direct price 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas | $111 | $210 |
| Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas* | $101 | $217 |
| Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort | $142 | $275 |
| Disney’s Beach Club Villas | $139 | $275 |
| Disney’s BoardWalk Villas | $121 | $240 |
| Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | $100 | $215 |
| Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | $147 | $250 |
| The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel | $254 | $310 |
| The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort | $160 | $230 |
| The Villas at Disneyland Hotel* | n/a | $230 |
| Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort | $68 | $165 |
| Disney’s Old Key West Resort | $89 | $205 |
| Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows | $147 | $250 |
| Disney’s Riviera Resort* | $130 | $217 |
| Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort | $102 | $205 |
| Disney’s Vero Beach Resort | $58 | $150 |
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel is too new to put into perspective here. As time passes and resale contracts become available, we can calculate cost savings of Disney Vacation Club contracts there. Newer resorts don’t usually have as many resale contracts, naturally.
Savings with DVC: Is the cheapest the best?
To calculate the most savings, consider the length of a DVC contract as well. The most economic DVC purchases are priced well per point but also have a decent amount of time left. This means your dollars go further. Given that, you don’t want to sacrifice staying at your favorite resort to save some money. The point of it all is great hotel stays at an excellent price, right? Even though one resort might be cheaper, that alone doesn’t make it the best option for you.
Consider the home resort booking advantage and that you’ll want to use that. It means you can book before others at your home resort. You’ll have a better chance at getting specific dates and rooms at your home resort. Finding the mix of a resort you like staying at that also happens to be a great price is the way to go.
Does Disney Vacation Club include tickets or dining?
Disney Vacation Club does not include tickets. That’s why all the pricing out we’re doing here if for hotel rooms only. If someone tells you they got free tickets with DVC, this did happen in the past. It’s just not an option with the Disney timeshare today. Dining is not included with Disney Vacation Club either. However, as a Member you can purchase the Disney Dining Plan which is available again as of January 2024.
DVC Resale Experts Can Help
DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. If you have more questions regarding calculating the cost savings of Disney Vacation Club, the Experts can help! Whether you’re adding on points, buying or selling Disney Vacation Club, the Experts can help you find the right price to place a bid with or list your contract for. Our independent, licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. They have decades of pixie dusted experience selling DVC and delight in providing excellent service to their clients. The Experts have seen it all and are happy to answer your questions throughout the process.
Resale DVC prices can pleasantly surprise Members interested in selling DVC. See our resale DVC listings for a look at real time availability and current pricing. Ready to sell DVC? Get in touch for a complimentary valuation of your specific contract today. There may be someone waiting on our Buyer Wish List for a contract just like yours.
