For that price, you get to experience vacations every year for the length of your contract. But what if Disney World, Disney Land, and other top Disney resorts is your vacation of choice each year?
When you consider that renting a week at a top Disney resort costs around $6,000 including meals and entertainment, buying into the Disney Vacation Club seems like a really good deal. If you are an avid Disney lover, then this could be a dreamy deal that brings you into a whole new world and live happily ever after.
But how much does a DVC contract cost though for long-term Disney theme park and hotel use? Let's get into some Disney Vacation Clubs timeshare talk:
How Does Disney Vacation Club Work?
The first thing to know about DVC contracts is what you're signing up for. Disney Vacation Club is a type of shared vacation ownership scheme.
To get started with a DVC timeshare, you buy a certain number of points at a Home Resort. This should be one of the Disney resorts where you'd prefer to spend most of your vacations.
Each week at this resort costs a certain amount of money based on the time of year, room size, and resort prestige. Apart from monetary value, this week has a points value that you can use to vacation at other resorts in the DVC portfolio.
These timeshare exchanges take place on a like-for-like basis. So, you could stay at a higher-rated Disney theme parks resort for a shorter time, or stay longer at a less sought-after property depending on the points values involved.
This is the primary cost of your DVC contract. After that, you also need to pay an annual maintenance fee which goes toward the upkeep of the resort and facilities.
You can buy a minimum of 50 points to become a member of DVC and if that isn't enough for your needs, you can save these points to use the following year.
Your Disney Vacation Club points allocation renews annually, so if you own fifty points, you can enjoy a vacation worth 100 points every second year. You can also borrow points from the next year, giving you 150 points to use for your second-year vacation.
If needed, you can buy additional points at any time or sell your existing points on the timeshare resale market.
You may book up to 11 months in advance at your home resort and seven months ahead to stay at any other resorts. The price of your DVC contract will depend on the current value of a DVC point multiplied by the points value of the week and resort you buy.
DVC ownership isn't forever though, each Disney timeshare resort has an expiry date upon which your contract will expire too.
How Long Is A DVC Contract?
DVC contract expiration varies from resort to resort on different Disney locations. Typically, your contract is valid for years from the date the resort came to be. That is 50 years from the date it was first available for sale.
The one exception to this rule is the Old Key West Resort in FL, although this will only impact you if you're buying a resale contract. during 2007, Old Key West owners in Florida had the option to add 15 years to their contracts.
If you buy into Old Key West at the moment, your Disney Vacations Club contract will expire in 2042.
If you buy a DVC resale contract you'll have fewer options to choose from than if you buy new.
You can only choose from the contracts that the broker has available. So take time to consider how to make a DVC resale contract work for you before you sign.
Always work with a resale broker that's willing to discuss all your options and even search for the ideal contract to suit your needs. When you're investing in a long-term commitment like DVC, you need a personal touch.
Guidelines for Buying a Resale DVC Contract
Some of the things to consider when buying a DVC resale contract are the number of points involved, the expiry date, and the use-year.
The term "Use Year" refers to the month in which your Disney DVC points renew every year. It's important to think about what time of year you vacation with your timeshare when considering the Use Year.
This how the process works when you buy a Disney DVC resale contract:
1. Choose the contract that suits your needs
2. Arrange finance
3. Make an offer on the contract you want
4. Sign the paperwork
5. Wait for the completion of the necessary administration
After that, all that's left to do is keep your membership up to date and enjoy the magic of Disney Vacation Club.
What Happens At The End Of A DVC Contract?
Predictably, when you reach the end of your contract, all your membership benefits expire, and you needn't make any further payments.
Occasionally, Disney will offer you an extension, but these instances are rare.
Once your contract's expired, DVC simply takes back your points and sells them to someone else. You're free to buy a new membership if you want to.
For many, this is a huge benefit of DVC membership, since many timeshares never expire, so owners have no option but to bequeath their membership to someone else. Often this recipient's unwilling to take on the burden of extra financial commitments of the Disney Vacation Clubs contract cost.
If you decide to sell your DVC contract before it expires, you're still liable for the costs associated with the timeshare until the new owner takes over.
Can You Afford A DVC Membership?
You must avoid getting locked into a DVC contract you can't afford in terms of cost. The resale value of DVC points is much lower than your original purchase price and it's often difficult to find a buyer.
You should view buying a Disney Vacation Clubs pass or timeshare as a major long-term expense, akin to investing in a holiday home. That is because you will still need to pay your annual fees, regardless of whether you vacation that year at one of their resorts, hotels, theme park, water park, or amusement parks. Weight the pros and cons of signing up for a Disney resort time share property.
So sign up for the Disney Vacation Club if it suits your financial and travel schedule needs, and you'll be on a magic carpet ride to fun each year!
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