Hi, Katie! We own three Disney Vacation Club contracts, and our opinion of the DVC is the same one I hear echoed time and again. Our only regret is that we didn't purchase sooner!
To start with, the way we used to travel was that we would stay at whatever Walt Disney World resort was offering a discounted room - which meant on one trip, we might be at the All Star Movies resort, and on another trip, we might be at the Boardwalk Inn. With DVC, we are assured of consistently deluxe accommodations, and while we are perfectly comfortable at the All Stars, the extra room and amenities at the DVC resorts is REALLY nice.
I don't know how many people you travel with, but we are a family of five, and often times, I like to bring my parents, my in-laws, or my siblings and their families on vacation with us. DVC accommodations allow us to book a Grand Villa that will sleep 12 people, so we can all vacation together.
I love the washer and dryer in the DVC one bedroom or larger accommodations, as well as the full kitchen and the luxurious master bath! The washer has saved me a ton of money in just the past few years on baggage fees with the airlines, and I love being able to stock the fridge with snacks, drinks, and breakfast items to save a little bit of time and money.
We've used our DVC points to book two cruises, and have done an RCI exchange with a time share in Ireland for a fabulous family vacation.
I would say if you go to Disney World at least once every other year, DVC is definitely worth the investment. We don't know what we did for so long without it!