Now that we have discussed the many positives of becoming a member of the Disney Vacation Club, it is time to consider the negatives.
This is a “pink elephant in the living room” situation, as the primary negative is unmistakable. That financial boogeyman is only one of several viable reasons to pass on membership, though. Let’s evaluate each one.
1. Joining Disney Vacation Club costs thousands of dollars
The exact amount for membership is determined by how many points you want as well as your choice of resort homes. People who purchase directly through Disney are required to spend a minimum of $11,500 right now. I realize that some of you are about to stop reading. To this I say, please continue to read these columns if you possess a lingering interest in becoming a member. The reality is that you can join for a lot less if you choose resale rather than direct purchase. In fact, I joined for less than half of that amount. That is a discussion for a different day, though. Today is all about the negatives, and spending that much money is a negative for 99% of the population.
For now, the statement is accurate. Disney requires new owners to buy at least 100 points to join DVC. The absolute cheapest resorts are currently priced at $115, and those two properties are Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina. While you can use the points from those facilities to stay at Walt Disney World and Disneyland properties, they are not DVC timeshare purchases I would recommend. Due to tropical weather causing damage and increasing insurance costs, those two locations have the highest maintenance fees among DVC resorts. So, you will spend less immediately, saving $1,500, but you will pay more in the long term.
If you prefer to stay at a Walt Disney World property, the cheapest timeshare you can buy right now would cost $13,000, the aforementioned $1,500 increase. And if you are a fan of Disneyland, the entrance fee for DVC ownership at Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is $16,500 for 100 points. That is the price of a decent car, which means a lot of people simply will not pay that much for a vacation timeshare. DVC ownership purchased directly through Disney is not cheap. As such, the investment should be considered carefully.
2. Annual maintenance fees are not cheap and constantly increasing
Rates increase based upon maintenance expenses at a given resort for the prior year. Using 100 points as the baseline, a DVC owner for a Walt Disney World property should expect to pay somewhere between $478 and $601 annually. Effectively, an owner pays between $4.78 and $6.01 per point in maintenance expenses. This fee is paid whether you intend to visit Disney during the year or not. Effectively, DVC membership costs between $40 and $50 per month for every 100 points owned.
The other aspect of maintenance fees that can be problematic is that fees increase each year. Generally, they are raised between 3% and 6%, depending upon exactly the makeovers needed at the various facilities during the calendar year. I would note that this maintenance fee is also a hidden positive. Members pay this money and Disney rewards their clientele by performing consistent refurbishing to guarantee that their resorts never lose their impeccable quality. So, members are charged maintenance fees, but they get what they pay for in that their money goes directly toward the upkeep of the properties in question.
3. Infrequent guests should pass
The underlying premise behind the Disney Vacation Club is a marketing ploy. The idea is to entice potential loyal customers into visiting Walt Disney theme parks as often as possible. The points that translate to “free” visits to the company’s best hotel resorts onsite are the loss leader. The company recognizes that the profit margin on the rest of the theme park visit is so high that they do not need the revenue stream from the hotel room.
For you as the customer, the “free” visit is integral to your maximizing your investment. If you do not visit a participating DVC property during the year, you have paid membership dues and maintenance fees for no reason. Yes, you can bank your points if you anticipate staying the following year, but they cannot be pushed back indefinitely. Each set of points may only be banked once, which means that you must go Disney at least every other year for this purchase to be viable. Otherwise, you are quite literally paying something for nothing.
4. Other theme park costs must be factored in
The topic above and this one blend together. I just mentioned the profit margin for the rest of a tourist’s visit to a Walt Disney theme park. It is large enough that the company can swallow the lack of revenue for the hotel stay. That statement is telling with regards to how much money you will have to spend beyond the cost of the hotel room.
A basic four-day ticket to Walt Disney World costs roughly $300 for adults. That total does not include meals, which can cost as little as $10 or as high as $75 per person (and even more for wine connoisseurs). These numbers do not include merchandise or snacks, either. Everyone reading this site understands just how expensive a theme park visit can be, even if the hotel room is free. So, DVC membership only goes so far in mitigating the cost of a trip to a Walt Disney theme park.
5. Spontaneity is the enemy of DVC membership
I am planning a return trip to Walt Disney World next May. As I write this in October, several of the nights I want at the most desirable locations are already listing as booked. Now, the magic of the waitlist protects me in that I know from past experience that I will probably wind up getting the room I want by the time May comes around. Still, I have to think about the precise details of my vacation seven months before it happens. And it gets worse from there.
Because Walt Disney World restaurants are so popular and in demand, I also have to spend time considering where I want to eat each day I’m there. My wife and I rarely have dinner plans for a given evening yet I already know I will be eating at Chef Mickey’s on a random Tuesday next May.
A few months from now, 60 days before my trip, I will also have to select my FastPass+ rides for each day of my visit. As I recounted in a previous column, I found the process immensely unsatisfying last time. In order to avoid history repeating itself, I will spend quite a few hours trying to figure out the best ways to utilize the system to maximize my enjoyment next May.
Simply stated, planning a trip to a Disney theme park requires a lot of forethought. As a huge fan of Cedar Point, I fall into the old school theme park crowd, which means I prefer to be impulsive. With regards to my DVC membership, this behavior is impractical bordering on impossible. If you join the club, you need to realize that you will have to know when you want to visit over half a year before you arrive. You would also be well served to make dinner reservations and FastPass selections six/two months ahead of time. Spontaneity goes out the window when you join DVC.
If you can get past the costs and the planning, DVC has nothing but positives. Over my next few columns, I will take you through the purchase process, discuss resale ownership versus buying direct from Disney, and evaluate Tables in Wonderland vs. the Disney Dining Plan as meal options. I also read the comments, so if there is a specific topic you would like to see addressed, please let me know!
