You have flexibility if you don’t want to go to Disney every year

Image: Disney

Have you stayed away from DVC since you don’t want to get locked into visiting the parks each year? One of the strengths of the DVC program is how much flexibility you have with point usage. You don’t have to spend every year at Disney. Your options are much more robust.

First of all, Disney offers a couple of resort options away from Disney theme parks. Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and Disney’s Hilton Head Resort are wonderful choices for folks who need to get some sand under their toes for a while. The Florida and South Carolina properties are both highly regarded but admittedly not convenient for people who live outside the south.

Image: Disney

The dream destination is in Hawaii. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa is the best resort in the entire state according to Hawaii Magazine. Conde Nast declares it one of the best 15 resorts for summer vacations. If you’ve ever fantasized about a once in a lifetime trip to Hawaii, your DVC points will negate the cost of a hotel stay, cutting the price of a vacation significantly.

DVC points have other uses, too. Let’s say that you don’t plan to travel to a Disney locale for an extended period. Your points don’t have to go to waste. Instead, you can sell them to a rental service or individual. You’ll get at least $11 per point and sometimes as high as $15, depending on the market at the time. Since you only pay a fraction of that amount on annual dues, you’ll actually make money on your DVC points during the years you don’t travel to Disney. You can use that money to mitigate the cost of your actual vacation plans. In other words, DVC points have value that supersedes the program. You can look at this investment as one that applies to all your future vacations, not just the ones at Disney!

The big con…

Image: Disney

Okay, I’ve hyped the positives to the best of my ability. Now, let’s address the dancing pink elephant in the living room. The con of DVC membership is the obvious one. It costs a lot of money. Maybe a few thousand dollars is nothing to you. Maybe it’s not. I’m not in position to say. What I know for certain is that my family feels like our lives are enriched by DVC membership. We were in a financial position where we could spend the money to join, pay it off quickly, and then enjoy the benefits of membership for the rest of our lives. We’re so satisfied with the system that we’ve discussed buying more points on several occasions, and I’m sure that we will at some point…probably more than once.

That’s our feeling on the matter.

Your situation is different and unique to you. When my friends asked me about DVC membership, I told both of them the same thing. I’m not comfortable spending anybody else’s money. The choice of joining is up to the individual. For some people, it makes sense. For others, using those thousands of dollars in other ways is more beneficial.

Image: Disney

What I can say for certain is that each time I write an article like this, someone says, “Ha! I’d join if you spotted me the $25k!” I’m hopeful that you’ve read the above, and it’s allowed you to view the program in a new way, one where you can minimize your investment while maximizing your enjoyment of each vacation from now on in perpetuity. There are ways to hack DVC membership to reduce the cost of ALL your future vacations, not just the DVC ones. It will still cost a few thousand dollars, though. That’s a lot of money to spend on trips you won’t take for years to come. So, please make an informed decision.

If you have additional questions about the program, please leave notes in the comments section. I’ll reply in kind.