With Disney Vacation Club membership sales soaring over the last few years, we brought back our expert panel of industry professionals to explain why DVC is more popular than ever. As always, the opinions expressed here are from the individuals, not Theme Park Tourist.
Image: Disney
DVC membership has seemingly exploded over the past few years, and the points rental market has similarly experienced dramatic growth. To what do you attribute the success of the program?
Paul Little, The DVC Rental Store: I believe the reason for the dramatic growth of the DVC program and the point rental market is twofold. First, the savings are substantial for both the DVC member and rental guest and cannot be ignored. The cost of a Disney vacation is increasing with ever-increasing ticket prices and new parking fees, among other costs. Guests are looking to experience Disney in ways, such as DVC ownership and rentals, which will allow them to offset some of these costs. The second factor is program exposure and education that helps potential DVC members and renters to understand the program and benefits more clearly. As an example, the DVC Facebook group that we run has 42,000 members. It is a venue where group members can ask questions, get advice, and further understand the benefits of the DVC program and of renting points. This leads to potential DVC members and rental guests being more comfortable with the programs, which translates into new members and rental guests.
Melissa Mullett, David’s Vacation Club Rentals: I think that there are a few reasons why there has been an increase in DVC ownership. Firstly, Disney has done a phenomenal job of marketing the “on property Resorts” and the various reasons why you should stay “on property” when vacationing in Disney. A few of the perks of staying on Disney property are as follows: the FastPass+ booking window, 180 + 10-day Advanced Dining Reservations, Extra Magic Hours, Magical Express, etc. I think that the perks that the Disney Vacation Club has introduced have helped sell the product, such as DVC Moonlight Magic, DVC Lounge, discounts on Special Event Tickets, discounts on merchandise, Member Cruises, etc. I think that these additional perks in combination with what you would receive as a guest staying on property is aiding in the sales of DVC Memberships.
The second reason why I think that the DVC ownership has increased is people are preparing for their future. When you are buying a DVC Membership, you pay a one-time purchase price, and some DVC Memberships can last up to 40 years. Thus, with the rising cost of resort stays, it just makes sense to pay the purchase price and be able to plan future trips easily when considering budgets. Lastly, the increase in membership can be attributed to wanting to be a part of the Disney Magic. With all of the new Lands being added (Pandora, Toy Story, Star Wars), I genuinely think that people want to be a part of the excitement. Owning DVC to some people means being able to “Come Home” every year or every few years and being a part of something magical.
Image: DisneyKristen Tutas, ResalesDVC: I attribute the growth to the continued exposure of the product but most importantly, the consumer understanding the value of DVC ownership. It all comes down to affordable vacations, and I think that’s what has really lead to the success of DVC in a time where rates continue to increase at Disney.
Derek DeBoer, DVC Resale Market: I think it’s because folks are realizing the power of researching something before making such a big purchase like DVC. I’ve always said that an educated, well-researched person is the best one to share the magic of membership with. Our company is able to spend time with that families that have done research – or just started to – and make sure that the purchase they’re making just isn’t so they “purchase DVC today.”
Our customer service is built around finding the best way to help each family that we come in contact with, whether that’s a family looking to join DVC for the first time and finding the best “home resort” for them based on how they vacation, a current member looking to add points to their membership, or someone that has enjoyed their membership and now looking to sell and pass that membership onto another great family.
Families are now able to research all aspects of Disney Vacation Club and see if any differences in purchasing direct v/s with us do matter to them and their family. It’s funny, I remember calling DVC back in the late 1990s and asking if they had something called “a website” so I could get more information. I remember looking up my account when I worked for Disney and sure enough there were notes in there that said, “Derek called asking if we had something called a website…which we do not at this time.” Times have changed, and for us at the DVC Resale Market it means the consumer has more power in being able to research DVC and all the options they have available to them.
Which aspects of the DVC program do you feel need improvement? What would you suggest to make membership even better?
Image: DisneyPaul: The benefits of ownership are huge. Discounted accommodations and dining are nothing to sneeze at. With that being said, I’d like to see Disney increase the small benefits of membership that make the DVC member feel special after the purchase. These types of benefits do not necessarily save the guest or cost Disney a tremendous amount of money. A welcome gift such as a special edition popcorn bucket awaiting a member in the villa at arrival might be an example. Of course, an argument could be made that any benefit offered by DVC increases the dues of the owners. This may be true, but a lot of cool things can be offered at minimal cost.
Melissa: I think that DVC has a pretty good program. They do quite a bit for their members. I find that members will always want more for their money and I can’t blame them. However, when Ken Potrock became the senior VP, he added Moonlight Magic, Season Pass specials, and the DVC Lounges. I believe that the extras that have been done for members are satisfactory. Some think that the cost of their Membership helps pay for these events. However, the Disney Vacation Development funds these events/perks. As an enticement to become an owner, Disney Vacation Development has restricted the use of some of these perks to those owners who have purchased directly through The Disney Vacation Development.
Image: DisneyKristen: Disney has really listened to their owners’ concerns over the last few years and has implemented improvements based on their feedback — adding the murphy beds, improving the website and member services, refurbishing the units more often, etc. The feedback we are hearing from current owners tends to be booking issues with staying at the Polynesian. Having only studio units and the point-heavy bungalows leads to a lack of availability that could easily be solved if Disney offered one- and two-bedroom villas at that resort. We want more DVC resorts!
Marissa Vallotton, DVC Resale Market: Availability always seems to be in discussion with members. DVC upgraded their website about a year ago to start providing members with a 60 day out last minute booking option. I know many members have loved this, as it gives a snapshot of what is available last minute.
Since visibility to availability is always a hot topic among members, it would be awesome if Disney could develop that even more and possibly offer last minute promotions such as discounted point rates on last minute bookings seven to 30 days out. I am not an expert in logistics, but I think there is definitely something there that would really help with overall member satisfaction.
Where would you like to see a DVC resort added and why?
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Kristen: We actually posed this question on our Facebook page a couple of years ago, and the top request was a DVC resort in the Caribbean with the allure of Aulani but closer travel for the east-coasters.
Melissa: I would love to see a DVC resort added to the Yacht Club. I love the area around Crescent Lake, and I think that it just needs one more DVC Resort. The Yacht Club is close enough to the Beach Club that I think it would only make sense, right? Also, I’m a huge fan of the Food and Wine Festival, so if there is a third DVC booking option that allows me to walk to Epcot, I would be all in!!!
Marissa: I would love to see another Disneyland option (especially being from California). Obviously, there is the demand for it. As you can tell with our listings, we sell most of our Grand Californian contracts same day they are listed.
Also, working on the cruise ships for years and seeing the Disney guests’ love for Castaway Cay, I have always thought it would be really cool to see something on a private Island like Castaway Cay.
Image: DisneyDerek: I would love to see a DVC ski resort somewhere in Colorado or Canada. Of course, being Disney, it would be so much more than just a “ski resort.” It would be a true mountain/lake destination that families could enjoy not just in the winter but during the warmer months as well. Since I live 20 min away from WDW, we tend to use our points at the “non theme park” DVC resorts like Vero Beach several times a year (my all-time favorite DVC resort!).
Paul: I would love to see a resort with an entrance into the Magic Kingdom in the manner that the Villas at the Grand Californian have an entrance into Disney’s California Adventure Park in California. The points/price to book would be sky high, but the premium experience of staying there would be unparalleled. For strictly selfish reasons, I’d love DVC to build a resort in North Carolina or Virginia so that I would have one available to me close to home.
