Hiya, James!
Welcome Home and welcome to planDisney! How exciting that you are planning for your upcoming Disney vacation. As a Disney Vacation Club Member for 22 years, our family has loved the magical and memorable dream vacations DVC has provided our family, year after year. With the flexibility and affordability of Membership, we have enjoyed dazzling places we never knew at Disney and beyond - experiences that wouldn't have been possible without our Membership.
James, eligible Disney Vacation Club Members (those eligible for Member Extras) can enjoy
discounts on hundreds of select tickets, tours, events, and experiences, including select merchandise and dining discounts. Unfortunately, we do not receive discounts on the Disney Dining Plans or Disney Theme Park Tickets (including the Park Hopper Tickets.)
You can see a complete list of the currently available discounts for eligible Disney Vacation Club Members
here. Two of my favorite discount options are for the Disney Water Parks and for Special Event tickets (e.g. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party) on select dates. If you are eligible for a DVC discount for these tickets, it will be connected to your My Disney Experience account. When you go to purchase the ticket when logged into your My Disney Experience account, the special DVC pricing will appear. Keep in mind that not every Special Event ticket date is eligible for a discount. So, if there isn't a DVC Member price shown to you when you log in to purchase these special event or Disney Water Park tickets, then unfortunately the discount isn't available to you on that date for that event.
Additionally, if you are eligible for Member Extras and benefits, your
Digital Member Card will have a designation on it. When you show your Membership Card, it lets dining and merchandise Cast Members know you are eligible to receive discounts on dining and merchandise when applicable. Not every restaurant or merchandise location offers a DVC discount but many do, so it is always a good idea to ask.
Our family loves to take advantage of the home-away-from-home benefits at our Disney Vacation Club Resort, including the kitchenette in the Deluxe Studios or full-sized kitchens in the Villas and the onsite grills at these Resorts. Equipped with gadgets and gizmos aplenty, these amenities have enabled us to enjoy family time and put more pixie dust in our wallets for other things, which is one of the reasons we don't usually purchase the Disney Dining Plan. While it is certainly a savings if you plan to dine out for most meals, for us, the heart of our DVC home sweet home is the kitchen, so we take advantage of that as one of the ways that helps us save money on dining during our Disney vacations.
I hope this helps you, James! If you have any further Disney Vacation Club questions, soar back here to see me and I'll be so happy to help you.
Magically Yours,
Keri