Hiya, Mark!
Welcome to planDisney. Thank you so much for stopping by with your question. Oh boy! It sounds like you are considering becoming a Member of
Disney Vacation Club. As a Member for the last 22 years, I can tell you, Mark, that our family has enjoyed flexible, affordable family vacations year after year to Disney and beyond. In fact, the flexibility of Membership has enabled us to take family trips to Disney AND to the great wide somewhere many times, which wouldn't have been possible without Membership. It is the best investment our family has made, and it has paid for itself many times over.
First, Mark, you are doing the right thing by thinking about your family size and family vacations you would like to take. How many
Vacation Points you would need for this would depend a bit on whether you are hoping to stay in a Deluxe Studio or one of the One Bedroom or larger Villas each year. Additionally, you might want to think about what you could be interested in for the future. Would you like to possibly use your Vacation Points for exchanges to dazzling places you never knew through Interval International or at Disney Destinations near and far, such as Disney Cruise Line or theme parks around the world?
Our family has 220 Vacation Points that are allotted to us each year, and this comfortably affords us a week-long Disney Vacation Club stay in a Deluxe Studio every year, typically at our Home Resort, which is Disney's Wilderness Lodge. We are also a family of five, and my kids, who are now teens, STILL love Disney. While my 16-year-old son is now as tall as Goofy, we can still fit in a Deluxe Studio that fits five people. Sometimes, we opt for a one-bedroom villa or larger, but with our Vacation Points, we usually do that every other year. Sometimes it requires Banked or Borrowed Vacation Points (depending on the time of year.) Now, we have used Vacation Points to pay for at least one person for Disney Cruises, and we have used our Vacation Points for exchanges with Interval International. It just depends on each year what we decide to do with our Vacation Points.
By contrast, my parents have three contracts and they use their Vacation Points for Adventures by Disney vacations and Disney Cruise Line cruises, almost exclusively. These are dream trips they would not be able to afford without their Membership.
Now, here's the good news. You can always buy more Vacation Points as your family vacation needs change.
Vacation Point costs do change depending on the time of year, and some Vacation Club Resorts cost more points than others. So, I would look at the Resort where you would most likely stay, and the time of year when you would most likely visit. And then, you can also use the Vacation Point
Cost Calculator Tool on the Disney Vacation Club website to get an idea. You can also speak to a Sales Team Member at
Member Services, who can also make sure you have the Points Charts and guide you through the calculation. But you can always add more at a later date.
I hope this helps you, Mark, and you become the newest neighbor on the block of the most magical neighborhood on earth. It truly is the best way to give your family the gift of flexible, affordable vacations, year after year. If you have any further Disney Vacation Club questions, knock back on my door and I'll be happy to help.
See ya real soon!
Keri