In episode 409, we asked the My DVC Points Community on Facebook to describe the characteristics of the ideal DVC candidate. Our Facebook group has over 5,000 members. We took their responses and ran them through AI to organize their thoughts and pull out key quotes from community members. Our goal is to create authentic grassroots DVC member content to help families make informed and educated decisions about Disney Vacation Club.
The essential question: Is DVC Right For Me?
For the right family, DVC is an excellent product. It’s designed for Disney super fans. If you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World or Disneyland, you may want to consider renting points through the DVC Rental Store. This will allow you to enjoy staying in a DVC resort at a fraction of the cost of booking the same room directly from Disney’s cash inventory.
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1) You Plan Vacations in Advance
Comfortable booking 11 months out (home-resort priority) or at least 7 months. Last-minute travelers struggle because DVC resorts run near full occupancy.
- “Ideal candidates plan 11 months ahead of time (bare minimum 7 months)…” — Beverly Newcomb.
- “One must be a planner as room reservations have become the Hunger Games, even with home advantage.” — Bridget Dignan.
- “Disney is perfect for those of us who plan 11 months ahead…” — Jean Hoffman-Anuta.
2) You’re Financially Prepared for the Long Haul
Can comfortably cover the purchase price, annual dues (which rise each year), park tickets, food, and travel. Members repeatedly called DVC a luxury product.
- “…have economic stability for the DVC maintenance fees and related travel expenses for frequent vacations.” — Peggy Beth.
- “A DVC membership is perfect for a family who can easily afford the associated costs… DVC is a luxury product.” — Mary Anne.
- “Regularly committing to a Disney vacation is not for the faint of wallet.” — Chad H Pennycuff.
3) You Regularly Vacation at Deluxe Disney Resorts
Your family is committed to staying at a Deluxe Disney resort at least every 1–2 years to the point where Disney resort vacations are part of your family’s lifestyle. Note the world Disney resorts. DVC will market using Disney Vacation Club for cruises, Adventures By Disney, and other Disney hotel rooms; however, they’re not a really good use of points. In a nutshell, Disney takes your points in on a wholesale basis and gives you back your dues towards the cost of their alternative Disney vacation. You also have to value staying at Deluxe Disney resorts. We’re fairly convinced that if you wait to come to Disney until they offer deep discounts on value resorts, the math will slightly favor timing your visit to coincide with sales on value resorts. But at that point, you’re comparing value resorts to deluxe resorts.
- “DVC is perfect for the family that wants to treat Disney as their beach house or lake house.” — Mark Allers.
- “The ideal candidate wants to vacation at Disney at least every other year. They need to come on such a regular cadence it becomes part of their lifestyle.” — Chad H Pennycuff.
4) You’re Willing to Do the Research, Understand the Product, and Make an Informed and Educated Decision
Ideal candidates for DVC research banking/borrowing, booking windows, resale restrictions, and the difference between direct and resale. They accept that DVC is a timeshare run by a profit-driven company. You’re buying into a shared platform with a lot of flexibility.
- “The ideal candidate has done their research on this product. They’re making an informed and educated decision. They know about banking, borrowing, 11-month, 7-month booking rules…” — Chad H Pennycuff.
- “DVC is not a club… it is a timeshare. A really great one in my opinion… but you have to understand that pixie dust is marketing.” — Mary Anne.
5) You Prefer Comfortable Deluxe Accommodations
Ideal candidates for DVC prefer deluxe accommodations. They value separate bedrooms, kitchens, space, and amenities. Families content with value resorts are usually better off elsewhere. Most people buy in to stay at Studios. Then your family grows in size and numbers. Once you upgrade to a one-bedroom, it’s hard to go back. The same is true for staying in two-bedrooms or Grand Villas.
- “…likes to stay at least at moderate but preferably deluxe resorts.” — Beverly Newcomb.
- “If your family is happy as a clam at the AllStar Sports resort, and think of your hotel room as a place to sleep… then DVC is not for you.” — Mary Anne.
- “Want to stay in deluxe accommodations on property…” — Ulli Dougwillo
6) You Value Multi-Generational, Family and Friends Oriented Vacations
DVC is a strong fit for families with young children who will grow up at Disney, empty-nesters, or groups coordinating multi-generational trips. The points system lets ownership evolve and be shared. Most people’s DVC journey starts with 150 points, staying in studios, and evolves to larger accommodations with more people.
- “…want to coordinate larger trips with multi-generations… value comfortable living space when you travel.” — Peggy Beth
- “We started as a nursery school-aged studio family to a 1 or 2 bedroom family for friends or family to enjoy. My favorite part is being able to share my DVC with my family.” — Bridget Dignan.
7) You’re Emotionally Aligned with Disney
Genuine love of Disney theme-park vacations and willingness to embrace the lifestyle (including the “Disney Adult” label). During the show, we had a great debate about whether pixie dust and the magical Disney feeling are just marketing or the product they’re selling.
- “DVC is great for those that like to keep planning a bit more streamlined… transportation, safety, food safety, entertainment, and cleanliness are always taken care of.” — Alicia Joy Kolenda.
- “For me, it’s an easy vacation to plan because all of the entertainment is already built in, and there is something for everyone at every stage of life.” — Kari Morris Vincent.
Conclusion:
If you meet these criteria, you might be an ideal candidate for DVC. Consider the benefits of long-term investments and experiences versus point rentals for more sporadic visits. Engage with our community to further explore whether DVC membership aligns with your personal and financial goals.
Join Our Community:
If you’re interested in DVC or have questions, join our My DVC Points Facebook community. It’s an excellent resource for honest, positive information and could connect you with like-minded Disney enthusiasts. My DVC Points Facebook community. It’s an excellent resource for honest, positive information, and could connect you with like-minded Disney enthusiasts.
My DVC Points is a fantastic community of DVC members. Our cheerful, respectful, and authentic conversations about Disney Vacation Club are designed to help people make informed and educated decisions about what’s best for their families. Please join us in continuing our Facebook group and YouTube channel conversations.
It takes an incredible community of DVC members to produce our content. We’re always recruiting people to help research, produce, edit, or join our shows to share their stories. Thus far, we’ve had over 400 DVC members on our shows.
If our content has been a blessing to your family, please consider supporting our show through our VIP Producer’s Club at Patreon.com and join us for the Patreon After-Party from our live shows.
Facebook admins and moderators of the My DVC Points Community Group: Sandy Symianick, Gina Grotsky, Shannon Ford, Caleb Allison, and Mary Anne Tracy. “Take Flight” music by Martinrowberry1 on Pond5.
