DVC values steadily increase

Image: DisneyIf you’ve read any of my tourism writing over the years, you know that I have a core philosophy. I don’t like to tell people how to spend their money. Everyone has their own budget and bills to pay.

I’m stepping away from my general practice with this testimonial for a simple reason. I believe that DVC is a safe investment, although I’m making one key assumption. I presume that the American and global economies are sound. Should either one collapse, luxury commodities such as vacation memberships would lose value. This actually happened twice during the 2000s, once after 9/11 and again after the housing crisis of 2008.

Assuming that the economy is stable, DVC is a terrific purchase. Yes, I understand your skepticism. I shared it for many years as my older brother tried to persuade me to buy into the program. I, like many people, have such a negative perception of timeshares that anything that sounds like one makes me naturally suspicious.

Image: DisneyDVC is different, though. No, really! During my time in covering the program for Theme Park Tourist, I’ve watched prices increase at a shocking rate. As an example, when I purchased my first contract, I paid about $65 per point. That same contract would pay about $110 per point today. This isn’t anomalous. To the contrary, DVC’s steady increases are impressive to behold.

In 2014, I noted several examples of contracts that were available for $80 per point or less. Today, only two of the current participating properties, Hilton Head and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, have contracts available for that price. The other dozen DVC resorts range in price from right at $100 to more than $200 at Grand Californian. I say in all sincerity that I could have doubled my money in about four years if I’d bought a Grand Californian contract I researched when writing one of my first DVC columns here.

Why are DVC contract values soaring? No, this isn’t a Bitcoin thing (although we all wish we’d bought Bitcoin in 2014, too). The truth here is simple. Disney theme parks are steadily increasing in attendance.

Image: DisneyIn 2014, 134 million people went to Disney. In 2017, that number had surpassed 150 million. Those 16 million new guests have to stay somewhere, and many of them have recognized the value of DVC. The number of contracts has only increased somewhat, but the demand has risen dramatically.

The remarkable part is that this trend is poised to expand soon. Pandora – The World of Avatar already boosted attendance at Disney’s Animal Kingdom by 25 percent in calendar 2017. Then, Pixar Pier and Toy Story Land debuted at Disney California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2018. All of them have caused traffic surges.

Image: DisneyThe mind-boggling aspect is that 2019 sees the arrival of Star Wars Land at Disneyland and Walt Disney World alike. It’s a theme park stampede, and those people all want to stay in a quality room. This is where I circle back to the first three points listed here. With so many benefits to a DVC membership, contracts are exploding in value.

With Star Wars Land in the offing, a DVC contract is a tremendous personal asset that you can use to stay at the hotel you want when the new themed land debuts. Alternately, you can rent your points to someone else and vacation elsewhere until the crowds die down at the Happiest Place on Earth. DVC gives you that flexibility, which is why I feel comfortable recommending it to one and all. Start shopping for resale contracts now and enjoy the benefits down the road!