There’s so much to consider when planning a Disney trip. The resort hotel is a big part of the vacation and can set the mood for the whole stay. For example, a week at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will be quite different than one at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort due to location, transportation options and dining at each property. If you love to visit Disney destinations, in addition to booking Disney vacation packages that include a hotel stay, there’s also the Disney timeshare to consider. On the DVC Resale Experts blog we aim to provide helpful insight about Disney Vacation Club and Disney trip planning in general. This time around we are comparing Disney hotel reservations to DVC points along with the benefits of each. Note that we will sometimes refer to making regular Disney hotel reservations as booking with cash.
Disney Hotel Reservations vs DVC Points
Making Disney Hotel Reservations vs Booking with DVC Points
The actual booking part is different for Disney Vacation Club Members because the Disney timeshare is a point based system. Booking with DVC points is not done on the regular Disney site but in a Disney Vacation Club Member portal online. Basically you pay upfront for, or commit financially to, vacations for years in advance. Members buy a contract with a certain number of points. The number is also called a point value. Each year, the Member is then allotted that number of points to use for the year. It’s also possible to bank points and save them for the next year or borrow points to use more than your annual allotment. A point chart is provided for each calendar year that shows Disney Vacation Club Members how many points they will use to book at any given time. One of the biggest differences between booking with DVC points and making a Disney hotel reservation is that prices don’t fluctuate throughout the year with DVC. When booking with cash, the price can change for a certain time period based on demand. With DVC, prices, or point charts, are locked in for the year.
Rising Disney Hotel Room Prices vs the Value of DVC
With Disney hotel stays, booking with cash compared to booking with DVC points may have you rethinking which option is right for you. Disney Vacation Club is absolutely worth considering if you like to visit Disney destinations every year or even every other year. People that bought Disney Vacation Club years ago paid for decades of hotel stays at prices that made sense then. Hotel prices continue to rise but if you buy DVC you kind of lock in the prices at the time you purchase. The bulk of the DVC resorts are at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida but there is one, and another being built, at Disneyland Resort in California. There are a few DVC beach resorts in other states as well. As prices for booking with cash go up over time, Disney Vacation Club Members aren’t affected by rising room rental costs. DVC Members pay annual dues and those tend to go up a bit every year or two but not like rising hotel rooms rates.
Perks of Staying on DVC Points and Booking Disney Hotel Stays with Cash
What’s nice about Disney Vacation Club is that all of the DVC properties are in the Deluxe Resort Hotel tier. That include popular favorites like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Deluxe resort guests get extra perks from time to time like additional park hours. Guests staying on DVC points are eligible for those perks.
Housekeeping practices have changed a bit at Disney hotels over the years, especially since the 2020 closure. More housekeeping is included with a hotel stay booked on cash, typically a light visit every other day but this can vary. For DVC stays on points, planDisney shares this information about housekeeping visits: “If you are staying on Member Points or Member Cash Discounts, you will be scheduled for trash and towel service on your fourth day. If you are staying more than eight nights, you will receive full cleaning service on your fourth day and trash and towel service on your eighth day.” Additional housekeeping services for DVC rooms are not able to be purchased at this time.
DVC Resale Experts Makes Vacation Dreams Come True
DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker that specializes in resale DVC. It’s possible to save thousands on a contract when you buy resale instead of direct. You can expect pixie dusted service from our licensed real estate agents who are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. You’ll have someone to answer your questions and consult for helpful insight throughout the process. For a look at current pricing and availability, see our resale DVC listings.
