Are you trying to decide which Disney Vacation Club Home Resort is right for you?
As someone who has bought two DVC resale contracts, I know how important choosing your Disney Vacation Club Home Resort is.
With so many factors to weigh, it’s essential to take the time to explore all the DVC Home Resort options to ensure you make the best choice for you.
This post is all about the 11 most vital things you need to consider before you choose your Disney Vacation Club Home Resort.
Disney Vacation Club Home Resort
Disney Vacation Club Explanation
DVC offers the opportunity to purchase a real estate interest in one of Disney’s deluxe resorts, granting you annual points that can be utilized for stays at various Disney properties or even traded for accommodations globally.
This flexible points-based system empowers you to customize your Disney vacations according to your preferences. Upon purchasing a set number of points, you gain access to different DVC resorts.
You can book a stay at your Home Resort up to 11 months out, and other DVC Resorts up to 7 months out (based on availability). Being able to book at your Home Resort before most DVC members is one of the best DVC Home Resort benefits.
So, in essence, you’re pre-paying for your vacations by acquiring a contract, which typically spans up to 50 years. Subsequently, you’re responsible for annual dues, covering the maintenance of your property, which varies depending on your home resort, ranging from $7.57 to $13.86 per point (based on 2024 prices).
DISCLAIMER: This is not financial advice, and while some members have benefited from selling their DVC contracts, it’s important to note that DVC is a timeshare, not an investment.
Disney Vacation Club Home Resort Options
List of DVC Resorts at Disney World
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Disney Vacation Club Hotels List at Disneyland
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
Disney Vacation Club Resorts That ARE NOT Located by the Disney Parks
- Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa (Hawaii)
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (Florida)
- Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort (South Carolina)
What to Consider Before Committing to Your Disney Vacation Club Home Resort
1) Where do you want to stay the most?
This may sound pretty obvious, but a common mistake is buying at the wrong Home Resort.
For example, if you own at Hilton Head Island, but have NO DESIRE to visit, but only want to go to Disneyland or Disney World – you may struggle at certain times of year to find the availability you need.
Or, if you really want to stay at BoardWalk Inn in a Standard View Studio most of the time, you’ll want to own there, because the Standard View Studios go FAST.
2) Which Disney Vacation Club Home Resort is best for your budget?
Affordability can be a critical factor when deliberating on which DVC Home Resort to choose.
The cost of purchasing a DVC contract can vary significantly depending on several factors. Firstly, consider your budget and financial situation.
Some Home Resorts are less expensive to buy into than others.
Another consideration is whether you are buying a Direct or Resale contract.
But, as a general rule, DVC Resorts in prime locations (e.g. on the Monorail or Epcot Resort Area at Disney World – or at Disneyland) are the most expensive.
Another factor that could impact your decision to buy a Home Resort is whether you’re paying the initial cost in cash or if you’re financing.
Keep in mind that financing may impact your overall affordability due to interest rates and monthly payments (which often aren’t low). Please note that I have never financed a DVC purchase, so I am not the most knowledgeable on this topic. But make sure to research thoroughly and really run the numbers to see how much the interest can take away from your potential DVC savings).
Please also keep in mind that the sooner a contract expires, the cheaper a contract may be. Here are the expiry dates for contracts at each Home Resort:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Expires 2057
- Disney’s Bay Lake Tower – Expires 2060
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas – Expires 2042
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas – Expires 2042
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Expires 2042
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Expires 2068
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort Direct – Expires 2042 or 2057 for RESALE or 2057 for DIRECT
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – Expires 2066
- Disney’s Riviera Resort – Expires 2070
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – Expires 2054
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Expires 2064
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort– Expires 2074
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel – Expires 2060
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel – Expires 2074
- Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas – Expires 2062
- Disney’s Hilton Head Resort – Expires 2042
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort – Expires 2042
3) How many DVC Points should you buy?
When deciding on your DVC home resort, you’ll also need to consider the number of points you should purchase.
If you’re not sure, check out the Disney Vacation Club points chart for the DVC Resorts you may want to stay at.
Assessing your vacation preferences and travel habits can help determine the appropriate point allocation for your needs.
Start by considering the types of accommodations you prefer and the duration of your stays.
Larger villas or longer vacations will require more points, while smaller studios or shorter getaways may require fewer points.
Better views will often cost more points per night.
Additionally, point costs per Studio/Villa can vary based on the season (and the time of week – staying Sundays-Thursdays is the cheapest).
Another strategy to explore is purchasing more than one small contract for different Home Resorts. This approach offers the flexibility to book accommodations at various resorts while maintaining a consistent use year for easier management of your points.
If you do this, make sure your contracts have the same Use Year. I have two contracts and two different Use Years, which makes planning vacations more complicated than I would like. For more information on Use Years, check out this post.
4) Check out the accommodations available at each DVC Resort
When selecting your DVC Home Resort, it’s essential to carefully examine the accommodations available at each resort to ensure they meet your vacation needs and preferences. Here are some crucial factors to consider:
- Studio/Villa Types
Some DVC Resorts offer tiny, less “expensive” Studios for up to two guests (with a Murphy bed – instead of a traditional bed). Currently, these are only offered at Disney’s Riviera Resort and The Villas at Disneyland Hotel.
Or, if you plan on staying in Three-Bedroom Grand Villas, be aware that they aren’t offered at every DVC Resort.
You can find the Studio/Villa categories offered at each DVC Resort on the Disney Vacation Club point charts.
- View Types
Many DVC resorts offer different view categories for their accommodations, ranging from standard views to preferred views.
These views can be as exciting as BoardWalk Views at BoardWalk Inn, Savanna Views at Animal Kingdom Villas (Jambo House and Kidani Village) and Theme Park Views at Bay Lake Tower at The Villas at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
5) If you’re buying a Resale Contract, how bad are the resale restrictions for each home resort (they’re not ALL THE EXACT SAME)?
Sadly, since 2011, DVC Resale Restrictions have existed – and they’ve only gotten worse over the years 🙁
As someone who only has resale contracts, I can attest to that.
In essence, if you are buying a DVC Resale Contract today – with the Home Resort being any of the original 14 DVC Resiorts, you will ONLY be eligible to stay at these original resorts. You CANNOT use your points to stay at any new or future DVC Resorts (currently including Disney’s Riviera Resort, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, The Cabins at and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort).
However, if you buy a DVC resale contract at any of the newer resorts (Riviera, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel or The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – when people start re-selling these contracts), you can only use your points to stay at your Home Resort – and NO OTHER DVC RESORTS.
There are more DVC resale restrictions, which we cover in this post.
6) How much are the annual dues?
When selecting your Disney Vacation Club (DVC) home resort, it’s crucial to consider the annual dues associated with ownership. Here’s why annual dues matter and what you should consider:
- Maintenance and Operations Costs – Annual dues cover the expenses associated with maintaining and operating the resort, including upkeep of common areas, landscaping, utilities, insurance, property taxes, and staffing. These costs can vary significantly from one to another based on factors such as resort size, amenities, and location (the beach resorts cost more to maintain, so they usually have the higher/highest annual dues).
- Impact on Ownership Costs: The annual dues are an ongoing financial commitment that owners must factor into their overall ownership costs. Higher annual dues can increase the overall cost of ownership over time, affecting the long-term affordability and value of your DVC membership.
- Ownership Benefits: Of course, lower annual dues may be appealing from a budget perspective. But, some owners may be willing to pay higher annual dues for an 11-month booking window to a resort with premium amenities, and desirable locations.
- Long-Term Planning: When evaluating annual dues, consider the potential for future increases. While annual dues are subject to change each year, some resorts may have a history of more significant annual increases than others. Factor in potential future increases when making your decision. This post covers how much annual dues have increased over the decades.
RELATED POST: The Price of Magic: Breaking Down the Disney Vacation Club Cost of Membership
7) Do you like staying at smaller or more spread-out resorts?
The size of a resort can significantly impact how accessible and convenient it is to navigate during your stay.
Larger resorts may offer more amenities (particularly swimming pools), but they could also mean longer walking distances between different areas of the resort.
On the other hand, smaller resorts may offer a more intimate atmosphere and shorter walking distances, making it easier to access amenities and facilities quickly.
Some DVC Members prefer the convenience of having everything within close proximity, while others enjoy the expansive grounds and variety of amenities that bigger DVC resorts offer (think Disney’s Old Key West and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa).
RELATED POST: The Ultimate DVC Face-Off: Disney’s Old Key West VS Saratoga Springs – Which Resort Wins?
8) Have you visited or stayed at your potential Disney Vacation Club Home Resort?
While researching online and reading reviews can provide valuable insights, nothing compares to visiting or staying at a DVC resort.
When I bought my Old Key West DVC Contract, I’d visited once – but I’d never stayed. And then I realised I didn’t like Old Key West quite as much as I thought I would.
In contrast, I decided to buy a contract at Saratoga Springs AFTER I stayed there—and I fell in love with it!
If you would like to “test out a Home Resort”, you can do this on a budget by renting Disney Vacation Club points.
See our helpful guide to renting Disney Vacation Club points here.
9) If you’re buying a contract with a Disney World Home Resort, do you prefer to be closer to the Parks or further away?
Some Home Resorts (especially those on the Monorail or in the BoardWalk Resort Area) are closer to the theme parks – and offer more exciting transportation.
They are more “in the centre of the action” – which can be great, especially if you spend most of your time at the Disney Parks.
DVC Monorail Resorts (with easy access to Magic Kingdom – and Epcot):
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
RELATED POST: This is the Ultimate Disney World Monorail Hotel List Including Deluxe & DVC Resorts
DVC BoardWalk Area Resorts (near Epcot and Hollywood Studios):
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Riviera is a Skyliner Resort – providing fun and convenient access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Alternatively, there is beauty in DVC Resorts that are a little further from the parks – they are more peaceful!
The main downside is that it can take longer to travel to the Disney Parks – as you usually have to rely on bus transportation (unless you’re driving).
More Tranquil DVC Resorts:
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
I would even include Boulder Ridge Villas at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge in this. Though they are located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area – they feel like they’re a million miles away.
Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek are also not on the Skyliner, these resorts are just a water-taxi away from Magic Kingdom.
10) Do you plan on trying to switch your reservations at 7 months?
When selecting your Disney Vacation Club (DVC) home resort, it’s essential to consider your booking preferences and flexibility.
One crucial factor to contemplate is whether you plan to try switching your reservations at the 7-month mark or if you are loyal to specific resorts.
However, if you’re happy to stay at different DVC resorts and enjoy the flexibility of booking at multiple locations, your Home Resort may not matter as much (if you’re not ALWAYS going to stay there).
In this case, a more cost-effective resort – like Saratoga Springs – is often a good choice.
11) Does your potential home resort have your desired amenities?
Not all DVC Resorts have the EXACT same amenities.
For example, the Polynesian doesn’t have a Fitness Center. (If you stay there, you do have access to Grand Floridian’s Fitness Center, but it is more inconvenient).
If certain amenities are REALLY important to you, you may want to check out the amenities at each DVC Resort before you commit to one!
Ta Ta For Now
Choosing your Disney Vacation Club Home Resort is an exciting and important decision!
Which DVC Resort would you like to be your Home Resort?
This post is all about the 11 most vital things you need to consider before you choose your Disney Vacation Club Home Resort.
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