Photo Credit: Disney Vacation Club
My favorite DVC resort is…
Bruce G: The Boardwalk. I love the “Feel” of the resort. You can read what I wrote about it at here.
Kaylene: Our Home Resort is Saratoga Springs. We chose that for the golf course (for my husband and boys), as well as the close proximity to Downtown Disney. Our theory was that as the kids got older they could head over there to enjoy DisneyQuest, shopping, etc. We were thinking long-range (48 years) when we purchased. We love that we can rent the TreeHouse Villas at the same booking window as our regular Villa. That being said, while we’ve stayed in several different DVC Resorts, my favorite has always been the Beach Club Villas. I absolutely love Stormalong Bay as well as the location in relation to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. In addition, I love strolling along Crescent Lake in the evening.
Lisa: The Boardwalk Villas’ has it all – location that is within walking distance to two parks, great nightly entertainment, a theme that makes my family feel at home, and reasonable point values which means we can make our points go farther.
Nancy: Can I just answer “yes”? Honestly it depends on the time of year, what we’ll be doing, who from my family is there etc etc. Example: VWL is the perfect place at Christmas…but I don’t feel that strongly about it the rest of the year. OK, ok, I’ll pick one: Probably BWV for overall favorite.
The perfect number of DVC points for my family is…
Bruce G: 320. This allows us to stay where we want when we want.
Kaylene: 1,000! Ha! A girl can dream, can’t she? Actually we originally purchased 150 points on the theory that we would roll them and every other year we would have 300 points to rent a 2 bedroom Villa for 8 nights in October. Having 5 kids, we have to rent a 2 bedroom Villa to accommodate all of us. Naturally, I can’t ever bring myself take a year off in between, so we end up paying cash to stay in various other Disney Resorts on alternating years.
Lisa: There can never be enough!
Nancy: More than I have right now. 
I am actually being serious. I would LOVE more points, and it is a goal, once we don’t have a college student to pay for. I would say that if I could have around 300 (which we don’t) I would be content.
If Genie from Aladdin were to grant me three wishes to change things about DVC, they would be….
Bruce G: I would like to be offered the free dining plan, or at least offered it at a discounted rate. I can’t think of anything else I would want changed.
Kaylene: 1) There wouldn’t be “Home Resorts” and everyone would have the same booking window for any DVC Resort. In other words, a member is a member and it’s all first come first served. Those people who plan way in advance would be rewarded for it.
2) It wouldn’t be so cost prohibitive to stay in a non-DVC Resort on points.
3) The Membership wouldn’t expire and generations of our family could continue to enjoy it (like most other timeshares).
Lisa: 1. Build a DVC at the Polynesian Resort 2. Offer some type of Free Dining promotion every so often for DVC members 3. I can’t think of a third.
Nancy: Seriously, 3 wishes? Hmmm….1. Add a sit-down restaurant to Hilton Head Island. 2. Let DVC owners get Free Dining once in a while. 3. Make it easier to get into resorts that are not your “home” resort (which would be hard to do, but these are “wishes” right?
Tough Choices. If I had 150 DVC points to spend during the month of December, I would use them…
Bruce G: at the Wilderness in a two bedroom, for a 4 day weekend, Early in the month. (I’d have to borrow 8 points from my next use year though, as this trip would need 158 points.) It is very “Homey” and “Wintery” and a great place for getting ready for the Holidays.
Kaylene: I’m too much of a Christmas traditions nut to ever be anywhere other than home on Christmas Eve, so we’d head to Disney in the beginning of December instead. We’d go December 11th for 4 nights and stay in a 2 bedroom Beach Club Villa. Choosing to stay Sunday through Thursday makes the most sense, because it costs less points. In addition, December 1-14 is, “Adventure Season” which uses the least amount of points to stay. We’d visit the gingerbread carousel at the Beach Club and walk through the International Gateway at night to enjoy Holidays around the World and the Candlelight Processional. Another night we’d ride the ferry over to Hollywood Studios to be mesmerized by the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. We’d also be sure to go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on another evening.
Lisa: Ten days in a studio at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge during the first two weeks of December. We’ve never stayed at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge and I hear the decorations are amazing during the holiday season. The first two weeks of December is the “value” season for the DVC so I can stay more nights for less.
Nancy: .) I would spend them at VWL (see above) for as long as I could….Which would probably be early December so they would go further. Would get a 2BR so our daughter (if she was out of school) could bring a friend.
My best advice to anyone thinking about purchasing DVC is…
Bruce G: Do it. My reasons are offered here.
Kaylene: My best advice: Go for it! You’ll ensure your family a lifetime of Disney memories. Before you take the leap though, be sure to do the math. Take into consideration how much you will visit Disney World to be sure it makes sense for you. We have a large family. To rent 2 connecting rooms in a Deluxe Resort for 8 nights for three annual vacations would end up costing the same as our DVC membership did. Rolling our points, and doing what I mentioned above, we could have 24 trips for 8 nights in a 2 bedroom Villa (if this is what we chose to do each time). The flexibility is great, we can stay in a studio one time, a 3 bedroom the next…whatever fits in with our vacation plans. We’re now guaranteed 48 years worth of Disney memories!
Lisa: Choose your Home Resort very carefully. For example, if you want to stay at Boardwalk Villas during the Food & Wine Festival every year, you’ll have a tough time getting a reservation if it is not your Home Resort.
Nancy: Consider the resale market. Even with the new DVC changes that resales won’t be able to use points at non-DVC resorts, I still think buying resale is a better way to get the most for your money. Unless Disney offers a super incentive that allows you to get “free points” or something similar, (or it REALLY matters to you that you be able to use your points at non-DVC resorts) I think that the flexibility in the contract size and choice of location makes resale a better way to go.
Share
Love all the tips! As someone who’s been considering DVC for awhile, I love hearing the good and bad about the program.