You Know the Basics of DVC. Now What?
Last month, I wrote about the basics of joining the Disney Vacation Club.
At the time, I acknowledged that we’d really just scratched the surface of how the program works.
By now, you know that you have DVC Points and understand how to use them. But what else do you need to know about DVC membership? Well…
Choosing the Best Resort for a Vacation
DVC owns and operates several resorts that aren’t at Walt Disney World, but let’s ignore them for now.
Instead, let’s focus on the dozen options at Walt Disney World. That’s an overwhelming number, right?
If you’re someone susceptible to analysis paralysis, the sheer number of exquisite Walt Disney World DVC options may prove challenging.
What I suggest to friends is that they take one of two approaches. The first is to think about which park they plan to visit the most.
Currently, Disney requires Park Passes for theme park visits anyway. So, you’ll know where you’re spending your days during your vacation.
Let’s say you’re vacationing at Walt Disney World for a week and have three days planned at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
If so, I highly recommend that you stay at one of the three resorts. Those options are Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, and Disney’s Beach Club Villas.
I suggest them because each one is merely a Disney Skyliner ride away from the entrance gate at Hollywood Studios!
Similarly, for those of you planning to visit EPCOT the most, especially during festivals, the same three DVC properties represent excellent choices.
You can also add Disney’s Old Key West Resort to that list, as that resort is only 2.9 miles away from EPCOT.
More about Prioritizing Convenience
The options at Magic Kingdom are precisely what you’d expect. You should pick between the three monorail resorts to maximize efficiency and minimize stress.
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa offer the best amenity for Magic Kingdom guests.
You can walk to and from the park thanks to direct connecting paths.
Technically, you can do the same at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, but it’s a much longer walk.
When you don’t feel like walking, you can take advantage of the monorail instead. Oh, and I should mention another option as well.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge hosts two DVC resorts, Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins.
You can also take the boat from this resort to reach Magic Kingdom. And the view is gorgeous!
Finally, there’s the obvious DVC resort. When you plan to spend most of your time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you should obviously stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas.
A Clever Plan B…
Those are the essential tips for picking hotels…but there’s a hidden Plan B!
Are you familiar with split stays? That’s when you spend part of your vacation at different DVC resorts.
During more extended Walt Disney World vacations, split stays can be your best friend.
You could spend two days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, two days at Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, and three days at Bay Lake Tower.
By taking this approach, you’d waste little time on transportation. For example, your bus ride to Animal Kingdom would only take a few minutes.
For your Hollywood Studios and EPCOT days, you can either ride the Disney Skyliner or walk into the latter park via the International Gateway.
At Magic Kingdom, you’re a monorail hop away from the promised land!
Also, when you do split stays of two or three nights, you don’t ever have to worry about clean rooms or towels. Instead, you’ll receive new room service at each check-in!
I’m an ardent proponent of split stays because they dramatically reduce the aggravation of Disney transportation.
You should know a couple of things, though. First, you won’t be able to unpack and spread out as much when you’re changing hotels in two or three days.
Also, your luggage will be unavailable from when you checkout until you ask Bell Services to deliver them to your room at your next hotel.
That’s often 4 p.m. or later, which could prove inconvenient. Oh, and the Bell Services employees will expect tips for taking and delivering your luggage.
I consider these minor aggravations, but I want you to be aware of them as you debate the pros and cons of split stays.
What Is Add-On-Itis?
DVC members have a lot of fun with the term Add-On-Itis. In simplest terms, it’s an almost compulsive need to add more DVC Points.
When you first join DVC, you’ll likely purchase a contract that will address your basic needs.
You can visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland once in a while and stay at a Deluxe Tier resort while doing so.
However, what you’ll quickly realize is that you hunger for more. MOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!!
You think I’m joking right now, but nobody in my inner circle owns a single DVC contract.
All my friends and family members started with a single DVC purchase but gradually upgraded with additional contracts. That’s the breathing definition of Add-On-Itis.
Why do DVC members do this since they already have a guaranteed Disney hotel room for the next few decades?
As owners grow more familiar with the program, they recognize two irrefutable truths. One is that DVC vacations are the absolute best.
The other is that we all want longer, better, and/or more frequent Disney vacations.
That goes triple once you grow old enough to have ample paid vacation time or reach retirement age.
Where would you rather be today, wherever you’re reading this or at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? Exactly.
Similarly, Disney fans start eyeing other potential vacation destinations like Hilton Head, South Carolina, Vero Beach, Florida, or the dream trip, Aulani in O’ahu, Hawaii.
However, those aren’t the only reasons for Add-On-Itis. You also may discover that you prefer one- or two-bedroom villas to standard studios.
The villas come with washer/dryer units, a considerable benefit during an extended DVC trip.
Guests also treasure the extra space, especially as the kids grow older.
In short, the ironclad law of DVC is that you can always use more DVC Points. So…Add-On-Itis!