What Is the Disney Vacation Club? A Quick Explanation

Did you know that Disney World celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021? Walt Disney World currently includes 4 of the most popular theme parks worldwide.

Are you one of the millions of people that visit Disney resorts and parks each year? If so, you might want to join the Disney Vacation Club to enhance your experience.

But what is the Disney Vacation Club? The following guide explains what you need to know about this popular Disney vacation timeshare program.

What Is The Disney Vacation Club?

The DVC is Disney’s timeshare vacation club that allows owners special access to their resorts. Locations include Orlando, California, Hilton Head Island, Vero Beach, and Hawaii.

Disney’s first resort opened in 1991 and their vacation club has grown significantly over the past 30 years. The club currently includes fifteen resorts across the U.S.

You must purchase points directly from Disney or through their resale market to become a DVC member. Note that there are different restrictions for buying direct vs. resale to consider.

Understanding DVC Points

Your specific DVC contract decides how many points you receive annually. The number of points needed depends on your personal vacation preferences and habits.

Disney Vacation Club points can be used to make reservations at any time at any of the 15 resorts. The points system offers great flexibility for last-minute booking but reservations often fill up quickly.

However, DVC contracts are linked to a “Home” resort. It gives you top booking windows for that resort over other DVC members.

Saving Up Disney Vacation Club Points

You don’t have to use your points each year and can save them for the following year. It’s a good strategy if you’d like multiple vacations or a longer vacation during a particular year.

You must save away points within the first 8 months of the year. You’ll have to quickly spend them or let the points expire otherwise.

You must use saved or “banked” points the following year because you can’t save them more than once.

Borrowing DVC Points

Disney Vacation Club owners can borrow points for reservations that cost more than they have. When you borrow points, they come from the next year’s points.

Remember, you can only borrow points if you’re out of points for a reservation. You can only borrow VC points from the following year and not additional years.

Other Important DVC Factors

Always make sure to choose your Disney Vacation Club home resort wisely. Your home resort will be the most flexible and frequent option for stays.

Keep in mind that you can book reservations 11 months in advance. Try making reservations as soon as possible to get the exact DVC resort that you want.

All DVC contracts expire after 50 years. The expiration date stays the same even if you purchase DVC through a secondary market.

Ready To Join The Club?

So, what is the Disney Vacation Club? Now you know that it’s a great way to book your Disney vacation each year through a simple points system.

We hope this guide has helped you understand how the DVC works and how to join. Check out the rest of our site for more fascinating finance articles.