Top 3 DVC Developments of 2023

2023 was an exciting year for DVC Members, and we’ve covered the top three stories you need to know regarding your membership as we head into 2024.

3) Polynesian Owners Get a Pleasant Surprise

Disney officials recently signaled a monumental decision during a Q&A session at the  2023 DVC Condominium Association meeting.

Historically, these discussions haven’t been particularly enlightening, as management keeps their cards close to their vest. 

However, this time proved different. When a Member asked about plans at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, an executive responded in an unexpected but pleasing way, signaling that the new expansion tower inventory would be part of the existing condominium association contract. Nothing is written in stone yet, but it seems DVC will be taking the same approach with the Polynesian as they did with Grand Floridian in 2022.

We’ve spent the past year wondering whether DVC would adopt the same approach as they had at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, splitting two different condominium association contracts for Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge.

Many had presumed this would be the case for the Polynesian, but nothing was for certain. (After all, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa converted the Big Pine Key building into  DVC accommodations, incorporating it into the existing condominium association.)

If you call the Polynesian “Home,” you are technically already owners at the new tower opening in less than a year!

You can imagine what this news will do for the resale value of DVC Polynesian contracts. It’s the decision we all hoped DVC would make, and presuming nothing changes, this is great news for new, existing, and future DVC Members who want more flexibility with the Polynesian as their “Home” Resort

2) Disney Updates the Cabins

See our existing article here for more details.

Speaking of Wilderness Lodge, longtime Disney Guests adore the neighboring Disney’s Fort Wilderness property. It’s an idyllic hangout spot. 

We make memories here, and trips to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have become a multi-generational tradition.

While the DVC offerings at Wilderness Lodge are a convenient boat ride away from Fort Wilderness, many of us have wanted an option at the campgrounds.

Earlier in 2023, Disney announced that it would make our wishes come true… in an unexpected way.

Guests who have stayed at the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort recognize the truth. Cast Members have done the best job of caring for them, but this area dates back to the mid-1970s and is ready for an overhaul.

So, Disney has chosen to strip the cabins to the screws and start from scratch – they will reclaim the old space and will rebuild brand-new cabins for 2024.

This new DVC inventory will combine everything great about classic Fort Wilderness campground visits with state-of-the-art DVC amenities.

Disney recently distributed artists’ renderings of the new cabins and they look epic in scope.

Even better, the project isn’t taking as long as expected. The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort should host guests by the end of summer 2024.

1) The Villas at Disneyland Hotel Open

As a longtime DVC reporter, I kind of felt like spiking the ball in the end zone in late September when The Villas at Disneyland Hotel opened to the public for the first time.

In the process, DVC finally satisfied a request that had been many years in the making.

Several years ago, DVC infamously announced a Downtown Disney hotel. Soon afterward, Disney was in an unlikely battle with the Anaheim City Council.

The local government refused to honor a $267 million tax incentive for Disney because the company wanted to build two blocks away from where the original plans had indicated.

(You may have forgotten this previous squabble in the wake of the Reedy Creek Improvement District kerfuffle.)

However, it proved so acrimonious that Disney canceled the project and publicly stated it would never accept local tax credits again.

After this cancellation, it appeared unlikely that DVC would add a second property at Disneyland Resort.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed over time, and Disney eventually built an expansion tower near the Disneyland Hotel.

Members can now own a part of theme park history, as the Disneyland Hotel was the first ever Resort to connect to a theme park when it opened in 1955.

The Villas at Disneyland Hotels offers 344 new, luxurious deluxe studios and villas. More impressively, the design esthetics exemplify efficiency, maximizing space and making Studios feel even roomier.

More importantly, Disney has more than doubled its DVC inventory at Disneyland Resort, giving Members a real chance of making a reservation within the seven-month booking window, as opposed to needing to own at The Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Fittingly, the top three DVC stories of 2023 tell the same story – membership opportunities keep getting bigger and better each year!

Fittingly, the top three DVC stories of 2023 tell the same story. The program keeps getting bigger and better each year.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if you’d like any additional information. If you’d like to rent a DVC Villa for your next Vacation or purchase a Disney Vacation Club property at a reduced price, our agents will be happy to assist you with any questions or information.

 You can reach our office at 800-550-6493 or email sales@dvcstore.com.