Why Dvc Is A Bad Investment
Disney vacations are magical. From enchanting theme parks to world-class hotels, The Mouse serves up a heaping spoonful of pixie dust with every trip. But is joining Disney’s timeshare program, known as the Disney Vacation Club (DVC), really the most magical way to experience Disney resorts year after year?
As a die-hard Disney fan who has always dreamed of being a DVC member, I was eager to learn everything I could about the program. And while DVC has its perks, my research revealed that it’s not exactly a dream investment.
In this 3000 word guide, I’ll break down exactly why buying into Disney Vacation Club fails to deliver much long-term financial value for most people. With high upfront costs, rising annual dues, limited flexibility, and no true ownership stake, DVC ends up being an expensive commitment that locks you into Disney vacations, sometimes for decades.
Don’t get me wrong – I adore Disney and still hope to stay in those chic DVC villas and bungalows someday. But as someone who scrutinizes every financial decision, I’ve concluded that vacation club membership doesn’t pencil out over the long haul.
Here’s an in-depth look at why joining DVC ranks as a poor investment strategy for the average Disney lover.
Costs and Expenses Make DVC a Poor Value
The steep expenses involved with buying into Disney Vacation Club pose one of the biggest barriers to value. Let’s break down the myriad of costs.
High Upfront Buy-In Cost
To become a DVC member, you must make an initial real estate purchase equal to a minimum of 150 vacation points. In 2023, Disney hiked the price per point to $217 – bringing the minimum buy-in cost to a lofty $32,550 plus closing costs.
This buy-in outlay happens once, but it’s no small chunk of change. For many families, coming up with over $30,000 means taking out a loan. And financing your purchase adds significantly to your total costs over the long run through interest charges.
Closing Costs
On top of the vacation point purchase price, Disney saddles buyers with closing costs that can exceed $800 for some resorts. So with closing costs, a minimum 150 point purchase would set you back $33,350 or more to start.
Ever-Increasing Annual Dues
All DVC members also pay annual dues to cover maintenance and operating costs for their “home” resort. In 2023, dues range from $7.7673 per point at newer resorts like Disney’s Riviera Resort to $11.235 per point at older resorts like Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
For the rock-bottom 150 point buy-in, expect to pay minimum annual dues of $1,165. And Disney has increased dues every year – sometimes significantly. Over the 50 year contract term, compounding hikes result in dues ballooning to multiples of the original amount.
At Disney’s Riviera Resort, 2023’s minimum dues of $1,165 for 150 points could rise to an incredible $7,092 per year by 2072 based on hypothetical modest 4% annual increases.
Total 50 Year Investment
Add it all up – the buy-in, closing, and half a century of rising dues – and a DVC membership can easily top $160,000 in total invested over the contract term before you ever book a single vacation night.
For most families, that’s a massive luxury expense that either requires sacrificing other financial goals or ratcheting up debt. Certainly not ideal as a primary investment vehicle.
DVC Lacks Long-Term Financial Upside
Beyond the steep costs, Disney Vacation Club also falls short in providing members any meaningful financial upside or ownership stake.
No Real Estate Ownership
Although you make a “real estate purchase” to join DVC, you do not actually own any deeded real estate. Instead, you purchase an annual allotment of vacation points attached to a specific resort.
You can book vacations at your home resort or exchange points to stay at other DVC properties. But you have no tangible property or real estate asset.
Limited Contract Length
In fact, every DVC contract has an expiration date approximately 50 years from the opening of that resort. Once your contract hits expiration, your vacation points terminate and cease to exist.
This stands in stark contrast to real property like a primary home or investment real estate, which maintain value indefinitely and can be sold or passed down.
No Residual Value
Given their finite length, DVC contracts have virtually no residual value once expired. When your 50 years are up, your buy-in investment and all annual dues paid over decades provide zero remaining financial value.
Certainly not ideal when making a major financial decision that impacts your family for the next half century.
Difficulty Recouping Buy-In Cost
While you can resell your contract before it expires, resale values for DVC contracts tend to be far below original buy-in prices.
As contracts approach expiration, demand drops even further. So while you may recoup some portion of your initial buy-in, expecting to make a profit (or even just break even) is unrealistic for most owners.
No Control Over Rising Dues
Unlike a true real estate investment, DVC owners also have zero control over rapidly escalating annual dues at their home resort. Disney sets the dues increases unilaterally each year.
So you’re unable to control or mitigate one of the biggest recurring costs associated with membership.
Is DVC a Bad Investment Compared to Alternative Credit Scores?
When considering whether DVC is a bad investment compared to alternative credit scores, it’s important to understand what are alternative credit scores and how they impact financial decisions. While DVC may have its own set of pros and cons, evaluating alternative credit scores can provide a more comprehensive view of one’s financial stability.
DVC Offers Little Flexibility for Members
Disney Vacation Club also falls short in offering members flexibility and control over their vacation experiences. Various program rules and restrictions limit booking ease.
Limited Resort Availability
The total number of rooms available across the DVC portfolio is fixed. An ever-growing membership base chases access to a stagnant supply of accommodations.
That makes booking high demand resorts during peak travel seasons more difficult as competition increases. Getting your preferred dates and room type at places like Disney’s Polynosoan Village Resort or Animal Kingdom Lodge can be tough.
Advanced Planning Required
To secure coveted accommodations, DVC urges members to book reservations 7-11 months prior to travel. Gone are the days of spontaneous Disney trips!
Planning vacations within a few months, or even weeks, means picking over the leftovers other members didn’t want.
Home Resort Priority
Members who purchase DVC contracts resale also face strict home resort booking priorities. Their points can only book vacations at their designated home resort until 7 months before travel.
This home resort restriction limits booking flexibility, especially for small resorts like Disney’s Polynesian Village that are difficult to book even for owners.
Peak Times Are Competitive
Trying to visit Disney World during peak vacation weeks like Christmas or Easter is decidedly competitive as an owner. With school schedules aligning demand, you’ll need savvy planning and flexibility to secure holiday accommodations.
Disney Makes Up the Rules
A major downside of DVC membership is that Disney writes all the rules and controls every aspect of the program. They can alter benefits, offerings, and policies at any time as they see fit.
Recent years have already seen member perks like Disney’s Magical Express airport transportation phased out. More changes that impact the member experience are inevitable.
Cancellation and Change Fees
DVC also institutes harsh cancellation policies that can make altering an existing reservation costly. Owners face fees of $50 or more for cancellations within 30 days.
Trading vacation points for other destinations like Disney Cruise Line also incurs $95 transaction fees and has strict modification policies.
DVC Rewards Repeat Disney Visits
To maximize the annual vacation points they receive, DVC members need to utilize their membership – and that means repeat visits.
Get Your Money’s Worth
For most members, DVC only pencils out financially if they vacation at Disney almost annually and use their full annual allotment of points.
With the high average cost per point, as calculated earlier, letting points expire without use equates to costly waste. The break-even math relies on always using what you pay for.
Best Savings at DVC Resorts
And to get the highest value from points, experts suggest DVC owners should prioritize stays at actual DVC resorts instead of other Disney World hotels or theme park tickets.
Since non-DVC hotels and park tickets provide the poorest redemption value, DVC’s value proposition centers on providing luxury accommodations at a discount.
Limited Flexibility
However, the flip side to getting the most bang for your DVC bucks is less flexibility in vacation destinations. To maximize savings, you’ll need to return to Disney year after year.
DVC incentivizes repeat Disney trips, so it’s a poor match for families who prefer more variety in vacation spots.
Use It or Lose It Dilemma
Between work schedules, kids’ activities, illness or simple vacation fatigue, many DVC owners inevitably fail to use all their annual points.
When life limits your vacation time, you face the use it or lose it dilemma. Unused points expire rather than rollover year to year, reducing overall value.
There are certainly some benefits to Disney’s Vacation Club, like spacious villa accommodations and secured future vacation plans.
But between high costs, limited flexibility, and no real ownership stake, DVC falls short as a financial investment. The rigid structure and required commitment to Disney vacations outweigh potential perks for casual Disney fans.
Ultimately, plunking down over $30,000 for a 50 year vacation obligation only pencils out if you vacation at Disney World frequently and stay exclusively at DVC resorts most years.
For the average family who visits Disney once every 3 or 4 years, they will end up overpaying substantially compared to just booking vacation packages and hotel rooms as needed.
While DVC membership is a dream for diehard Disney devotees, carefully run the numbers for your family and vacation style before purchasing. For most, the high price tag and limited upside make it a poor long-term investment choice compared to other options.
The magic and memories of Disney last forever. But Disney Vacation Club membership may not pay off financially long-term for the majority of buyers.