Disney Vacation Club General Information

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is the Disney Company's version of a time share. Currently, there are two resorts at Walt Disney World (Old Key West and BoardWalk), a resort in Vero Beach, FL and one in Hilton Head, South Carolina. All have similar amenities and accommodations with slight differences.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Vacation Club is its flexibility. In a traditional time-share program, each owner is allotted a certain week or weeks of the year. This can be a rather unyielding system in that the owners are "locked into" their assigned time slots. With DVC a unique system of "Vacation Points" was created and with it an incredible amount of flexibility. Your purchase is based on how many Vacation Points you wish to own. You get that allotted amount of points each year, to use however you wish. Each season and each accommodation type are assigned a point value. There is also the ability to save or "bank" points to be used next year or "borrow" from the upcoming year.

In actuality, you purchase a real estate interest and receive a deed stating as such for part ownership in the lease of one of the buildings in your home resort. Ownership is until the year 2042 at which time the land reverts back to Lake Buena Vista Communities, Inc., from whom Disney Vacation Development has leased the land. Purchase price is approximately $65/point with a minimum purchase of 150 points. This is a one-time purchase. In addition, annual dues and maintenance fee are also a consideration and are presently $2.89/point payable each January. Once the points are paid for, (you can buy this outright, go through your own finance company, or Disney will finance for you), you are paying only your dues and taxes every year.

Your annual allotment of Vacation Points is issued at the beginning of each "Use Year". This happens during the month in which you originally purchased. For example if your originally purchased in September then each September begins your Use Year and you get your annual allotment of points then.

Adding to the flexibility is the ability to "bank" or "borrow" your points. If you decide that you will not be using part or all of your present Use Years' points, you can save them for next year or "Bank" them into the next Use Year. If you find you might need more points this year you can "Borrow" from the future Use Year to have more this year. It all depends on when you would like to go and for how long. Different times and seasons require more points, others less. Again, a great amount of flexibility.

In addition to staying at one of the DVC resorts, you can use your points to "exchange" out to resorts outside of the DVC network.

The Disney Vacation Club is an interesting vacation alternative. It should not, however, be looked at as a good financial deal. DVC membership is many things, but certainly not a good financial investment. If you consider the purchase of vacation points as a pre-paid vacation, you will have the right perspective.

Member Services: The best service of all with DVC comes from Member Services. Member Services is available Monday - Friday from 8am - 5pm. They handle most of the business end of DVC. Addition to the point transactions (banking/borrowing) and reservations for booking your DVC get-away, they can also take care of air transportation, car rentals, They are really quite helpful, personable and proficient and more than willing to go out of their way to help members

If you're interested in becoming a member and purchasing a real estate interest, give DVC a call.

DVC is also available through a resale purchase rather than directly through DVC.