Are 100 Disney Vacation Club points enough?
After much research, thought and talking with others – you’ve decided to buy into one of the greatest vacation clubs known to man (yes, most of us really do feel this way) – Disney Vacation Club! You’ve looked at the resorts, the pros/cons, the rooms and you’ve even decided on your home resort.
But now the bigger question looms…..How many points should I buy? Most people would answer with, “Buy as many as you can afford”. While you wish you were spending Monopoly money, you aren’t. And you need to be smart with this decision so that it doesn’t break the bank but also gives you and your family the vacations you dream of year after year.
I’m here to tell you, that you can have an amazing vacation every year with just 100 points, which is the current minimum to buy direct from Disney. So, let’s look at all of the fun that can be had, shall we?
For 2020, DVC categorizes each time of year into one of the following categories, with the least amount of points needed for Adventure Season, and the most amount of points for Premier Season.
Adventure Season:
Jan 11-17: 6 nights, Standard view studio at Bay Lake Resort for 86 points
Jan 12-16: 4 nights, One-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs for 84 points
Dec 5-10: 5 nights, Standard view studio at The Grand Floridian for 88 points
Choice Season:
Oct 3-6: 3 nights, One-bedroom villa with a pool/garden view at Boardwalk Villas for 92 points
Nov 15-19: 4 nights, One-bedroom villa at Old Key West for 96 points
Dec 16-22: 6 nights, Studio at Copper Creek for 92 points
Dream Season:
Feb 8-12: 4 nights, Standard view studio at the Polynesian for 87 points
May 9-15: 6 nights, Studio at Beach Club Villas for 100 points
Aug 22-27: 5 nights, Savannah view studio at Animal Kingdom Kidani Village for 87 points
Magic Season:
February 22-25: 3 nights, Preferred view studio at Riviera for 82 points
April 25-29: 4 nights, One-bedroom villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House for 99 points
June 14-18, 4 nights, Theme Park view studio at Bay Lake Tower for 100 points
Premier Season:
April 11-14: 3 nights, One-bedroom villa at Hilton Head for 98 points
Dec 23-27: 4 nights, Studio at Boulder Ridge for 95 points
For this exercise, I did not account for banking and borrowing of points. Maybe you want to save 2 years’ worth of points for a longer stay. That’s the wonderful flexibility of DVC. You can bank your 2020 points, and save up for an epic vacation in 2021 for the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary. And in this example, you can borrow from 2022 and have triple the amount of points to use!
The possibilities are endless with the room types, different views and varied resorts to choose from. Whether you are looking to take the kids on a vacation once school is out, a quick weekend trip to the Food and Wine Festival or a chance to check out Walt Disney World during the most magical season of all (the holidays), 100 points are a good starting point for any person dipping their toe into the DVC pool. Do your research on what kind of trips you plan to take and check out the resale prices as well. You may even be able to afford more points this way.
One thing is for certain, it’s a purchase that will bring you and your family a lifetime of magical vacations and memories. Welcome Home!
While these scenarios are technically feasible…. Standard view rooms are slim to none unless you are a BLT owner. 7 months is next to impossible to get the cheap points rooms at a resort you don’t own at. Getting a studio rooms at 7 months is proving more and more difficult since the additions of cabin points into the club. Prospective buyers should be aware of the challenges/realities of the club not just the hypothetical scenarios aimed to get them to purchase.
Just a thought. Please breakdown the cost of buying in and yes the yearly maintenance fee. Added to that is the cost of flights if you have to drive. Not to mention that when you buy into dvc you don’t get maid service or towels. That all adds to the cost and experience.
We go 2 or 3 times a year and only use our room for sleep and shower. The points and their cost simply do not work for us. We sleep the same in a value or moderate room and their showers get us just as clean. We love the idea of being DVC members and have explored the financials several times hoping we missed something. But it’s very cost unfriendly for how we do Disney.
It can be challenging to find a studio less than 7 months out. It all comes down to how you Vacation. If your constantly out and about, enjoy the pool and other recreational activities and only use your room to crash at night (and can plan 7+ months out most times) 100 points may be all you need (or more cost effective would be your value resorts). For me & my family, who like to travel with other friends & family and enjoy some elbow room, we had to bump up our membership points so we could enjoy a 1-2 bedroom when we’re at Disney. We enjoy making breakfast in the morning and coming back to hang out in the room or at the resort during the peak heat of the summer months. My best advice, think about how you do Disney, then check out the point charts based on when you travel and what is ideal for you in terms of space… Life is short – enjoy the Magic of it all.