Hi there, Emily! Thanks so much for stopping by planDisney. It's the best day ever anytime I get to talk about all things
Disney Vacation Club! Joining DVC is a big decision and I certainly recommend doing your homework to determine if it's a good fit for your family. I'm happy to share some details about DVC and how it works from year to year.
Disney Vacation Club is Disney's version of a timeshare program. Rather than having a set week that you use each year, DVC Members purchase a number of
Vacation Points associated with one of the DVC resorts. This is your "Home Resort", which means you can make a reservation there beginning 11 months before your desired check-in date. You can also use your points for a booking at any of other Disney Vacation Club properties in Florida, South Carolina, California, or Hawaii 7 months before your planned arrival. All Members have what's called a "
Use Year", which is the month that you receive your annual allotment of points for the duration of your contract. For instance, I have a June Use Year for our contract at
Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
The number of points purchased really depends on how you want to travel! If you have a big family and need a 2-Bedroom Villa to accommodate the squad, you will need more points than a party of 2 that will be happy in a Deluxe or Duo Studio.
When you like to travel also influences the number of points needed. At peak travel times like the December holidays, more points are required for a stay. I recommend taking a look at the
Points Charts on the DVC website, which break down all of the point totals by resort, type of accommodation, and dates.
Emily, another unique aspect of DVC is that you can bank and borrow Vacation Points between years. For instance, if I am planning for a long stay at a peak time of year - let's say December 2025 - I can bank and borrow to give myself three years' worth of points to work with. Here's how it works:
- I bank points from my 2024 Use Year (points that were allotted on June 1, 2024) into my June 2025 Year (beginning on June 1, 2025).
- The 2025 Use Year Points would be used for this booking as it falls within the year.
- I can borrow points from my 2026 Use Year (starting June 1, 2026), as the December 2025 reservation falls within the 2025 year.
You can also exchange Vacation Points for Reservation Points to book a stay at the Disney hotels at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and the Disney parks in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong - and even sailings on Disney Cruise Line!
Emily, as for whether Membership is worth it - that's up to you! For our family, it's been a decision we've never regretted. We've had amazing vacations in deluxe-level accommodations for a fraction of the rack room rates. And we have literally decades ahead of us to make more memories together!
My best advice is to
schedule a meeting with a sales Cast Member, who can answer any questions you have and let you know about any current special offers or incentives! You can meet in-person or virtually.
I hope this information is helpful as you consider joining the coolest club around! Thanks again for visiting planDisney, Emily, and please stop back anytime if we can help with other questions.
Stay Magical!
Susan