Welcome Home, Alene!
One of the many reasons we decided
Disney Vacation Club Membership was for us, was that we appreciated the flexibility of the program. While we knew that staying in a villa was our main goal, knowing that we could also use our Vacation Points for things like Disney Cruise Line, exchanges with RCI, and even the ability to stay in standard rooms at Disney parks around the world was a huge bonus for us. (Disneyland Paris is still on my bucket list!)
Eligible Members can elect to turn their Vacation Points into Reservation Points, which can be used to
book Disney Resort Collection Hotels. If you have a blue Membership Card and are eligible for discounts and perks then you are also eligible for this kind of exchange! To begin your planning, I would check out the
Points Charts for the Disney Collection. Points Charts are available on the Disney Vacation Club Member Website, though I think they can be a bit hard to find. If you are specifically looking for Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, you can see those
points charts here.A few things to know about before you book. First, booking within the Disney Collection at the Walt Disney World Resort is subject to the Rule of Four. This means you cannot book
and stay during the last four months of your Use Year. You can stay during that time if you book earlier, or book during that time for a stay during your next Use Year, but you cannot book a last-minute stay if your Vacation Points are about to expire. Also, these stays are subject to a booking fee. If you do have expiring Vacation Points and you are wanting to use them, neither the Rule of Four nor the booking fee currently apply to stays at the Disneyland Resort, so that may offer you another option to consider. Also, know that once you convert your Vacation Points (used to book villas) into Reservation Points (used to book the Disney Collection) that transaction is final and you cannot convert the points back, or book a villa with Reservation Points.
If booking sounds like the right choice for you, you’ll need to call Member Services to check availability and complete the reservation! Since availability throughout the Walt Disney World Resort is tight right now, I would have a prioritized list of a few resorts you would like to consider in case your first or second choices aren’t available.
I hope this helps you to start your planning, Alene! And sending pixie dust that you can find that perfect reservation for your Disney Vacation Club family!
Wishing you
Membership Magic!- Kate