As a DVC member since 2018 who’s stayed at multiple resorts across
Highlights
- How your specific contract use year dictates when you receive points and deadlines for banking or borrowing.
- The crucial 11-month home resort priority window versus the 7-month booking window for other Disney properties.
- Smart strategies for pooling three years of points together to book bucket-list stays like grand villas or overwater bungalows.
- How to safely navigate third-party rentals and resale points if you want Disney perks without a long-term commitment.
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How DVC Points Work: The Basics
Before we dive in, let’s review some of the basics of how DVC points work.
- Flexible Timeshare Model: Disney operates this points-based program for frequent vacationers, giving you a small real estate stake in Disney properties beyond
Walt Disney World . - Variable Upfront Pricing: Initial costs depend on when and how many points you buy (our family’s setup cost about $35,000).
- Ongoing Annual Dues: Members pay incremental yearly dues (running around $1,000+) that cover 175 points for annual use.
SheBuysTravel Tip: It should seem fairly obvious, but if you’re not super interested in taking regular Disney theme park vacations, then DVC membership probably isn’t right for you. If you want the perks of the Disney Vacation Club without the long-term commitment, consider renting DVC points.
What Are the Perks of DVC Membership?
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- Enhanced Comfort: Many families find DVC villas to be more comfortable than a standard hotel room.
- In-Room Conveniences: Most villas include a kitchen and an in-room washer and dryer.
- Upscale Accommodations for Less: DVC Deluxe Villas are at Disney’s most upscale resorts, so if you need top-tier accommodations, membership is one way to get them at a better price.
- Accommodations Only: Don’t forget when you’re budgeting that DVC membership just gets you the accommodations; you still need to buy park tickets.
Read More: Walt Disney World Resorts- Value vs. Moderate vs. Deluxe
How Many Disney Vacation Club Points Do I Need?
It depends on several variables.
- Vacation Length: Consider how many days you want to vacation per year.
- Family Size: Factor in how large your family is and how much hotel space you need.
- Guest Travel: Decide whether you will invite others to vacation with you regularly, such as extended family.
- Strategic Planning: Knowing the answers to these questions before you buy matters because it helps you determine what you need to aim for. DVC looks different for a couple that vacations one week per year than for a family of six that vacations two weeks per year and wants to bring the grandparents.
SheBuysTravel Tip: When you’re buying, always keep in mind this is a sales pitch. It’s probably friendly and low-pressure but knowing your vacation style BEFORE the sales pitch will help you make sound decisions on how many points to buy.
Read More: Is the Disney Vacation Club Worth It?
Understanding DVC Point Values and Seasonal Charts
- Seasonal Point Fluctuations: Point values vary by time of year, so rooms cost fewer points per night during non-busy periods and significantly more during peak holiday seasons.
- Accessing Official Charts: Members can review the 2026 and 2027 DVC points chart on the official DVC member website, where resort PDFs are available for targeted planning.
Is Buying DVC Resale Points Safe? Maybe, Maybe Not
- Motivated Seller Deals: You can buy points from members who want to unload their membership, but make sure to read all the fine print.
- Direct Purchase Benefits: When you buy points directly from Disney, you receive full member benefits.
- Third-Party Limitations: Buying resale points from a third party could leave you without certain Membership Extras such as discounts on merchandise and dining and the ability to use those points to make reservations at Disney’s newest resort properties.
- Membership Card Requirements: Disney instituted a strict requirement for the Disney Vacation Club Membership Card, stating that DVC membership must be purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development Inc. to be eligible.
- Exclusive Access: The official membership card gives access to Membership Extras like hotel exchanges, special discounts, and after-hours events like Moonlight Magic.
SheBuysTravel Tip: You can also rent DVC points. We recommend using a reputable third-party service, such as David’s Vacation Rentals.
Read More: How to Rent DVC Points
How the DVC Home Resort Assignment Works
- Initial Resort Assignment: You will be assigned a home resort based on availability when you first buy into a DVC membership. Your home resort does not change over time.
- Real Estate Interest: Your home resort is the Disney property that you hold a real estate interest in. Your annual dues go toward its upkeep and property taxes.
- Flexibility Across Resorts: You cannot pick a property as your home resort just because you like it best unless it is available at purchase.
- Reservation Priority Perk: DVC members are not locked into staying at their home resort; however, if you do stay there, you get a major perk: first dibs on reservations.
Read More: Is David’s Vacation Club Rentals Legit?
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Understanding the DVC Booking Windows and Priority Periods
- Home Resort 11-Month Window: Members can book at their home resort 11 months before the desired check-in date, giving them first dibs on reservations and significantly increasing their chances of securing peak weeks.
- Other Resort 7-Month Window: Members who want to stay at a property other than their home resort can book at the 7-month mark.
- The Strategic Booking Method: A common strategy involves booking the home resort at the 11-month window and modifying or switching to a preferred resort at the 7-month mark if availability permits rather than waiting until 7 months for a brand-new booking.
- Last-Minute and Split Stays: Last-minute travel using DVC points is possible outside of the busiest holiday periods though room types may vary. Some members split their stay by dividing time between two different resorts with complimentary luggage transfer.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Don’t shy away from split stays. There’s the mild disruption of having to switch resorts but Disney makes it pretty easy. It can be fun to experience more than one resort during a single vacation.
Understanding Your DVC Use Year
Your use year refers to the specific month each year when you receive a fresh allotment of vacation points. Your use year might begin in February, September, or another designated contract month. Understanding how your use year functions is essential to avoiding lost points.
- Definition of a Use Year: A use year is the specific month when a member receives a fresh annual allotment of vacation points.
- Connection to Banking and Borrowing: Your use year determines your exact windows and deadlines for banking and borrowing points.
- Contract Alignment: If you add on to your initial allotment of points down the road, I highly recommend aligning your use years because matching them makes tracking multiple DVC contracts significantly easier.
Banking and Borrowing DVC Points
- Banking Points: Roll unused points over into the next use year before your contract deadline passes or you will lose them completely.
- Borrowing Points: Borrow from your next use year if you’re short on points for an extra vacation, an extended trip or a larger villa.
- Pooling Points for Mega-Trips: Combine three years of points for a bucket-list stay by banking this year’s points to next year, using your current use year allotment, and borrowing from the following year.
- One-Time-Use Points: Purchase additional points directly through Member Services to cover a reservation shortfall. Those extra points are non-refundable, cannot be banked, and have annual limits.
Managing Unused DVC Points
- Banking Limitations: Banking points only extends their lifespan so far and unused points will eventually expire if left unmanaged.
- Gifting Reservations: Owners can reserve points for family or friends to use.
- Renting Points: Offset costs by offering unused points through a reputable third-party DVC rental service like David’s Vacation Rentals.
- Testing Membership via Rental: Non-members can rent points to stay in DVC villas. It’s a good way to try DVC membership before buying a contract.
How to Book Your DVC Vacation
- Online Reservation System: The DVC website features a booking calendar that operates similarly to the main
Walt Disney World or Disneyland reservation sites. - Point Availability Check: The booking system automatically verifies available points and prevents members from proceeding if they lack sufficient points. To ensure you don’t miss the chance to book the resort of your dreams, borrow or top up your points before your booking window opens.
- Points in Holding: Once a reservation is completed, points enter holding status, meaning they cannot be applied to another reservation or banked while in holding.
Your DVC Resort Experience
- App Integration: Add the DVC reservation number into the My Disney Experience app to manage plans and link previously purchased park tickets.
- Band and Payment Setup: Associate a MagicBand or MagicBand+ with the reservation and link a credit card at check-in for incidentals.
How to Use DVC Points Outside Walt Disney World
- Global Disney Resorts: Eligible members can use points at affiliated resorts worldwide, including Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Disney’s
Hilton Head Island Resort, and Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii. - Alternative Travel Options: Members can apply points toward Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, and National Geographic Expeditions, though point values are typically higher and may require supplementing with cash or purchasing additional points.
- Interval International Exchanges: Members can book non-Disney properties through the DVC website under Vacation Exchange using Interval International which features vetted upscale hotels and beach resorts comparable to Disney standards.
Read More: Complete Disney Cruise Packing List
Read More
Renting DVC points for your next Disney trip
How many DVC points do I need?
Disney FAQs for first-time visitors and veterans
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Your Use Year is the specific month each year when you receive a new allotment of vacation points. It doesn’t dictate when you can travel, but it is critical because it sets your windows and deadlines for banking or borrowing points.
Yes, but it’s not always the best way to use points, which go much further when you use them to book a DVC resort. You can apply points toward Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, or Interval International exchange properties, but your standard annual allotment often won’t cover a full trip, so you may need to supplement with cash or pooled points.
Buying points directly from Disney gives you full membership benefits and access to all “Membership Extras,” including special dining and merchandise discounts, member events, and stays at newly built or restricted resorts. Purchasing points on the resale market can save you money upfront, but it restricts you from using those points for certain resort collections and exclusive perks.
DVC members get an exclusive 11-month home resort priority window, letting you book your home resort nearly a year in advance. If you want to use your points to stay at a different Disney Vacation Club property, you can book at the 7-month mark.
If you cannot take a vacation during your current cycle, you can bank your unused points into the next Use Year before your contract’s strict deadline passes. Alternatively, you can gift a stay to family and friends or rent your unused points out through a reputable third-party service like David’s Vacation Rentals to recoup your investment. If you don’t do something with your points, they will expire and you’ll lose them altogether.
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