Is Disney Vacation Club a luxury item? Indeed it is. It’s not food, clothing, or shelter. Nobody needs to own DVC. I know almost every DVC owner will disagree with that, and I get it. But at the end of the day, it is a luxury purchase – Although not in the way you may be thinking!
I prefer to look at the intangible luxuries of owning Disney Vacation Club as opposed to the monetary ones. My definition of luxury in being a Disney Vacation Club member comes from how my Disney vacations have changed compared to the average Disney guest. Here are some ways I feel that purchasing Disney Vacation Club has given me that extra special something I consider luxurious.
The Luxury of Time
This has been one of the biggest changes in my Disney vacations since we purchased DVC. We now know that we will be spending plenty of time at Disney World (and other DVC destinations), and that is a luxury. Our vacations are longer now…regularly ten days to two weeks, and this past May, I spent three and a half weeks straight in Disney World. It was heaven! The entire feel of our stay is different. We vacation at a more luxurious pace. We slow down and take the time to enjoy our resort. We take the time to linger over a wonderful table service meal without feeling like we need to rush back to the attractions. We have time to enjoy sitting and relaxing in each park, just soaking up the atmosphere. We’re never in a hurry to do anything. If we don’t get to something on this vacation, we will have the opportunity on the next one, which is usually less than six months away.
The Luxury of Relaxation
Relaxation and a Disney World vacation are not two words I would have put in the same sentence before owning DVC. Our Disney vacations always felt hurried. We had to get things done, we had to ride everything, we had to get up early and beat the crowds…it was a long list of trying to accomplish as much as possible in the time we had, because we most likely wouldn’t be returning to Disney World for a couple of years. Disney World vacations were stressful, and I honestly didn’t see a way out of that. I often told people who asked how our WDW vacation was, that we’d been “chewed up and spit out by the Disney machine.” And that was true. We definitely did not come home feeling relaxed. We were drained. Happy, but drained.
All of that changed after we became Disney Vacation Club members. Suddenly, we no longer had to rush. We could spend days at our resort just relaxing. We had real pool days, which hold some of our best vacation memories. We now spend some mornings just relaxing on our balcony, having a leisurely breakfast in our villa, and then taking time to enjoy all the unique amenities our resort has to offer. We spend days exploring the rest of Disney World now, whether that means taking time to shop and dine at other resorts, heading to Disney Springs in the middle of the day when it isn’t busy, or just hanging out in our villa as a family, talking, playing games, and sharing a meal together. We are finally returning home from our Disney trips feeling like we’ve been on an actual vacation…refreshed and restored…not spent, sore, and exhausted.
The Luxury of Space
This was probably the first thing we noticed on our initial trip as DVC members. Our two-bedroom villa at Old Key West was huge. We had so much space. As a matter of fact, thirteen hundred and ninety-five square feet of it. It was incredible. In the past, in order to stay at Disney World for as long as possible, we would usually book value resorts. If we stayed at Pop Century, we could do nine nights, vs. six or seven at a moderate or five at a deluxe. Now, as DVC owners, we regularly stay ten to fourteen nights and have more space than we could have imagined.
And having more room to move around means a more comfortable stay. The extra bathrooms are priceless, especially when everyone is trying to get ready all at once. I always love staying in a two-bedroom villa that has three full bathrooms (Bay Lake Tower and Kidani Village). That is the ultimate in luxury on a Disney vacation.
The space also means we aren’t right on top of each other all the time. There is always a quiet spot to sit and read (the balconies are the stars of most of these villas, peaceful and beautiful), or a comfortable spot in the living room and kitchen area to socialize and eat. If you’ve ever been crammed into a three hundred square foot hotel room with kids, you understand how nice it is to have space where they can play and have fun, as well as space where you can have a private moment to yourself.
The Luxury of Comfort
Disney Vacation Club villas are the most comfortable accommodations on Disney property. They are all in the deluxe category, and it shows. In all one-bedroom or larger-sized villas, the primary bedrooms all have a king-size bed and generously sized bathrooms, with either a soaking or jetted bathtub. The showers are usually large enough to host a cocktail party in and very relaxing after a long day in the parks. Honestly, the primary bathroom at Kidani Village villas reminds me of a locker room in size. It could have been another bedroom.
Then there is the washer and dryer. This is the ultimate in luxury when you’re on vacation. Having a washer and dryer right inside your villa (one bedroom or larger) might even be my favorite feature. Because after a day in the hot and humid Florida climate, there is nothing better than coming home to your villa, changing out of your sweaty clothes, and tossing them straight into the washing machine.
The level of comfort provided in a DVC villa alone makes owning Disney Vacation Club worth it to me. Imagine spending your vacation in a private Copper Creek cabin, with the most beautiful view of Bay Lake through the screened-in porch while you enjoy a beverage of your choice in front of the indoor/outdoor fireplace. Your family and friends are preparing food in your full-size kitchen to serve on the picnic table while you all watch Magic Kingdom fireworks and listen to the soundtrack piped directly into your villa. You can even watch the show from your private plunge pool if you want. You end your day eating, talking, laughing, and sharing memories with your loved ones in the most magical place on earth, knowing that there are many more special memories to be made together…thanks to the magic of owning Disney Vacation Club. That is the ultimate luxury to me and worth every single penny.
Welcome home!
You speak volumes of truth. Great article , however, you must have a boat load of points to do what you are describing. But Kudos to you
Thank you. Yes, we own 460 points, but this past year involved using up a bunch of banked Covid points. Won’t usually happen.
Agree we stay in nicer accommodations but it depends how many points you have the money to buy to decide on the luxury of a 2 to 3 bedroom and how long you stay. We now have /214 pts a year but get a 2 bdrm (really could use a 3) as my 3 girls and their families go and that eats up the points and how long we can stay.
I agree we go more often and accommodations are nicer but still not the relaxing experience and amount of time you describe. It is definitely a luxury most especially the way you can go and enjoy. I am glad you can do so but others of us who can only buy in at minimums and have large families still have to do the rushing around the parks for the younger ones. Don’t get me wrong, we stay in a nice resort and have a good time but not able to have the luxury trip you describe which to me would be full on luxury ( and this is banking a years points).
I agree we have the luxury of not staying at Value or Miderate resorts but our time is limited. All comes down to what you can afford to buy in points and the size of your group. the size of your group.
Absolutely! I usually bring my kids and their spouses, as well as assorted extras, as well. Which I could never afford to do if we had to get them all hotel rooms at Disney. We were fortunate to have a year of banked Covid points, as well as banked points on a recent second resale contract purchase. So, I had a stupid amount of points that had to be used before they expired. Not that I’m mad about it….:)
Ordinarily would 100% agree. You can do what you want when you want. You know you will be back. But the Park reservations and lack of AP have completely screwed me over.
Yep. I get it. We only have one annual pass at the moment, because I keep renewing it. My husband doesn’t have one, and neither do my kids, so less park days on each trip. The upside of that is getting to enjoy the resorts more. But I can’t wait for the day that park reservations are no longer a thing, and anybody can get an AP again!
I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR 30 YEARS BOUGHT IN 1992 OLD KEY WEST..HAVE ALWAYS STAYED AT ONE OF THE MEMBER HOMES. WAS THE BEST THING MY HUBBY AND I DID. MY LATEST TRIP AT 84 YEARS OF AGE WAS MAY 2021 HAD 2 2 BEDROOM VILLAS FOR MY FAMILY. WILL GO BACK IF GOD WILL LET ME PAT CREMINS
We stayed in a DVC Room at Poly with a perfect view of the Magic Kingdom. They didn’t have the music for the fireworks in that room. We purchased our points in 1998. We have never stayed in the rooms shown in the article. We believe DVC has gone downhill in quality. They can’t even get the rooms clean so people can check in at 4 pm. Plus, we have to be the inspectors for management because there is no quality control. Sadly, it has become the timeshare they said they wouldn’t become.
All very true points! DVC is 100% a luxury, both from a financial standpoint and an “experience” standpoint. Any DVC owner who argues otherwise is detached from reality. We bought into DVC in 2019 and it has made our annual trips much more enjoyable!