Food For Thought: Best Uses for DVC Points (Part 2)

The Cheaper Resorts 

The other best use of your points is to select the right resorts. I’ll start this topic with a confession. I don’t always follow my advice here because I love the Polynesian the way that 1990s baseball players loved steroids. I understand the math of the situation, though. 

Some DVC resorts are just cheaper than others. Disney balances the Points Chart to acknowledge all forms of demand. All other things being equal, almost everyone would stay at a monorail resort. 

Of course, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa also has exponentially more inventory than Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. So, adjustments must be made to reflect the two critical differences in supply and demand. 

In a way, Disney tries to price you into staying at certain hotels. Undoubtedly the finest example is Old Key West. This resort combines one of the most favorable DVC Points Charts with some of the largest hotel rooms at Walt Disney World. 

As I said previously, you can spend a week here for 76 points, which is a ridiculous value. The best part is that the studio is 376 square feet, giving you plenty of room to stretch out. Should you book a one-bedroom, you’ll more than double your room size to 942 square feet. The combination of space and cost here is inimitable. 

Of course, other DVC resorts have favorable point charts as well. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa largely mirrors Old Key West in terms of points cost. The breathtaking rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas are incredibly reasonable, too. And Disney’s BoardWalk Villas combine the convenience of a walk to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a cost of 10 points per night. 

Animal Kingdom Villas even has Value accommodations for less. These rooms start in the single digits nightly. However, the resort has so few of them that you’ll only have this option when you own at the hotel. You may want to pick up a low-point contract here to book Walt Disney World’s cheapest DVC rooms at the 11-month window. 

BoardWalk represents perhaps the best overall combination of logistics and points cost. You’re right by the International Gateway when you stay here, but rooms start at 76 points per week, the same as Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. 

Beach Club, which is right across the lake from this hotel, starts at 107 points. You’re paying 41 percent more to stay there, which speaks volumes about how substantial the value is at BoardWalk. 

One Final Clever Usage of DVC Points 

The underlying goal behind maximizing your DVC points is getting the most possible out of your investment. You want the hard-earned dollars that you spend on DVC to reduce the cost of Disney vacations for the rest of your life. 

Booking one-bedroom suites is a subtle usage of points to accomplish this goal. When you visit Disney, you’ll spend an inordinate amount of money on food. Many restaurants, especially Table Service and character meals, cost $100 or more for a couple…and a LOT more for large families. 

When you exchange DVC points for a one-bedroom suite, you’ll get a kitchen as part of the package. And I don’t mean a “kitchenette” that’s a glorified microwave and mini-fridge. No, those elements are standard in a DVC studio. 

With a DVC suite, you’ll have a full-service kitchen complete with cooking utensils and plates. Those of you who don’t mind cooking on vacation can save a fortune this way. 

I view every meal cooked in the room as at least $50 saved for most traveling parties. For my family, it’s legitimately $100+. If you’re willing to cook six or seven meals on your trip, you’re effectively added $300-$700 of value to your DVC budget. That could be enough to offset the extra points cost. Plus, you’ll have a washer/dryer unit in your room, which is a HUGE bonus. 

Given all of these strategies, you can see just how many different approaches you can take to get the most out of your DVC contract. It’s an ongoing process to maximize your DVC points, but these suggestions should help you get the most out of your membership.