Recently, when I haven’t been too busy eating brunch instead of paying for a mortgage, I’ve been researching and considering the prospect of becoming a Disney Vacation Club member. Now some may wonder, why should a millennial consider a DVC purchase when they can’t even figure out how to put a down payment on a house? The answer lies with the fact that the desire to stay in the Disney magic is something no one can resist.
With that being said, let’s go over the rationales for a younger person (even someone in their twenties, like me) to consider purchasing a DVC contract.
The first reason I have been thinking about this is that my girlfriend grew up in a DVC family. Her parents, who live in California, have been owners at Saratoga Springs for as long as she can remember. They have done trips to Aulani, Vero Beach, and, of course, Walt Disney World. I was shocked that someone could grow up visiting Disney on an annual basis; put simply, I wanted to find out how I could get in on the magic!
Of course, that’s when I researched and discovered the significant cost that is associated with DVC contracts, which dampened my perspective. As a young professional, that’s when I decided to bring math into the equation! I created an Excel spreadsheet that would allow me to enter the number of points and price per point of any contract. It would also tell me how much I would pay per year, and how much the contract would cost during its lifetime (including the cost of annual dues). This research helped me determine whether or not a Disney Vacation Club contract was worth the price for me.
What I soon discovered was that the annual cost of a trip would be significantly lower than the aggregate price per trip I usually would take; not only that, but the savings attributed with DVC membership would allow us to purchase our park passes and meal plans for the same amount that we’d usually pay for just our hotel. What was even more surprising was that the two most cost-effective resorts based on the price per point we found included Disney’s Bay Lake Tower and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. These are two of the most luxurious hotels on Disney property that I could only dream of staying at.
Thus, it appears to make perfect sense for a millennial like me to drink the DVC “kool-aid.” Like many prospective members right now, I only wish I had found out about this wonderful program years ago!
