As we reported back in October, Disney recently announced their new paid perks program—Membership Magic Beyond. This paid benefits package for Disney Vacation Club is set to roll out in January 2025 for an annual cost of $99, with sales starting December 3rd, and today we learned a bit more about what that money will get you. Let’s take a closer look at some of the perks that come with the program, now that Disney has revealed some pricing details and what we can expect.
For those who may not know, Membership Magic Beyond is a brand-new yearly add-on that gives DVC Members access to exclusive offers, discounts, and perks. It comes with a mix of ticket discounts, exclusive access, and some interesting new features that could enhance your overall DVC experience—if they’re right for you.
Disney Sorcerer Pass Using DVC Points
One of the standout perks that got the internet abuzz when Membership Magic Beyond was first revealed, is the ability to use DVC points to purchase or renew a Disney Sorcerer Annual Pass. Let’s put this into context now that Disney Vacation Club has shared how many points it will take to purchase an Annual Pass:
- New Pass Purchase: 75 Points
- Renewal: 65 Points
Now, we know DVC points have a perceived value—for our purposes estimated conservatively at around $16 per point, depending on how you use them. So, if we do the math:
- New Sorcerer Pass: 75 points x $16 = $1,200
- Renewal: 65 points x $16 = $1,040
Comparing that to the cash prices, a new Sorcerer Pass is $1,079 (plus tax), and a renewal is $999 (plus tax). So, while you wouldn’t necessarily save money by using points (it actually costs about $50 more if you factor in tax), there’s definitely value in having that flexibility if you’re short on cash but have plenty of points. It’s not the best use of points we’ve ever seen, but for those who want the convenience of paying for their pass using points, it could make sense.
Discounted Ticket Options—But is It Simple?
Next up, we’ve got discounted tickets. Members enrolled in Membership Magic Beyond can take advantage of discounted weekday tickets for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. But here’s the thing—after taking a look at the attached pricing sheet, I have to say, I wish it were a bit more straightforward.
Let’s break down an example to make things clearer. For a 5-day weekday ticket at Walt Disney World starting on September 1, 2025, with the Park Hopper option:
- Magic Beyond Price: $610 for adults, $590 for children
- Regular Cash Price (Park Hopper Plus Option): $637.60 for adults, $618.43 for children
So, what do we see here?
- There are savings, but they’re not huge—more like 4% making it important to realize that it is advertised as “UP TO 10%.”
- The savings could add up depending on the number of tickets and the size of your family. However, another fun comparison is that the DVC Rental Store currently sells these same tickets for $608.91 for adults and $590.60 for children, which is almost the exact same savings without the added $99 cost of the Membership Magic Beyond program.
With ten pages of pricing charts needed to outline the ticket deals, I’d love to see a bit more simplicity in the future. If you’re interested in these discounts, make sure to take the time to compare all options available to you.
Character Meet-and-Greet Experience—With a Catch
Finally, let’s talk about the Membership Magic Beyond character meet-and-greet experience at the EPCOT ImaginAtrium Member Lounge. When this was announced, I was pretty excited—it’s always fun to have exclusive character experiences! However, there’s a bit of a catch: members enrolled in the program can only participate in the character meet-and-greet once per year.
This is a bit of a letdown, to be honest. We’ve seen other experiences—like the Chase Visa Character Experience—that don’t seem to have such restrictions. It feels like a missed opportunity to keep members coming back to the lounge more often. I would’ve loved to see a rotating character lineup that gave members a reason to stop by each time they visited EPCOT. Plus, imagine the chance to talk about add-on contracts while members are already feeling that Disney magic!
One-Time-Use Points—The Hidden Benefit?
One true hidden benefit of the Membership Magic Beyond program might be the bonus One-Time-Use Points. Members can receive one bonus One-Time-Use Point for each One-Time-Use Point purchased, up to 12 Points for a total of 24 One-Time-Use Points in a Use Year. These points are essentially valued at $20 each, which means if you’re planning to buy One-Time-Use Points next year, you could save $140 just by enrolling in Membership Magic Beyond. For members who frequently need extra points to complete their reservations, this benefit alone could make the $99 price tag worthwhile.
PhotoPass Memory Maker Benefit
Another perk of the Membership Magic Beyond program is the 30-day Memory Maker entitlement, allowing members to capture and share their Walt Disney World memories. This benefit is valued at up to $210 if purchased separately, which many in the DVC community view as a plus. However, with the 30-day limitation, it only truly benefits you if you’re taking one trip per year to the Disney Parks. Additionally, if you’re already an Annual Passholder, you can add the PhotoPass benefit for the entire year for $99, which is the same cost as joining Membership Magic Beyond. For those who are frequent visitors, the yearly add-on may provide better value.
Is Membership Magic Beyond Worth It?
So, is the Membership Magic Beyond program worth the $99 price tag? It’s tough to say at this point. On the one hand, there are definitely some nice perks, like the ability to use points for annual passes and discounted tickets. On the other hand, some of the restrictions—like the once-per-year character meet-and-greet—leave me scratching my head.
That said, we’ve all spent $99 on far crazier things, and I think there’s potential here, especially if Disney adds more benefits down the line. Personally, I’ll be signing up on day one so I can share all my thoughts with you as I experience the perks first-hand.
What are your thoughts on the Membership Magic Beyond program? Will you be signing up, or are you holding off for now? Let me know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the program’s launch in January!
Andrea
November 26, 2024I’ll sign up eventhough not sure it’s worth it because I have FOMO
Rob Skidmore
November 26, 2024Another factor to consider when using points for an annual pass is the tax implications of renting points. Although you are using a conservative estimate of $16, the “net cash” after taxes will be less.
The $1,079 new purchase price of a Sorcerer pass comes to $1,149.14 with tax. Divide that by 70 points and you are getting $15.32 of value per point, which would be more than the after tax cash from renting out points.
Another benefit that you did not mention is the discount on Disneyland tickets, which is significant, even when compared to third party authorized resellers.
Like many other people, I initially yawned when this program was announced. But now that more of the details have been announced, it warrants some serious consideration, especially if you plan on visiting Disneyland (on weekdays).
DB
November 26, 2024I don’t see mention of the PhotoPass entitlement of 30 days per year. That seems to be an added value if you want to use the service. We’ve stopped purchasing it at current prices.
John (Jack) Parmele
November 26, 2024Thank you, Paul!
Donna Witte
November 26, 2024I think you pay enough to be a dvc member. Especially a direct one. I don’t think you should be charged extra for perks. This is a slippery slope of starting to make once free perks only available for a fee just like genie plus in the parks went from free to paid. I know these are additional benefits now but if successful as a subscription who’s to say lounges and current perks don’t become available to only those subscribers to extra magic. I won’t buy and I hope others don’t either and it fails miserably. It’s exhausting how the money grab never ends with Disney.
Lisa Reckmeyer
November 26, 2024I think Jeff H said it best: “If you have to pay for it, its not a perk.” I agree with you though Donna. 🙂
doug foerch
November 26, 2024With the ability to buy the 24 points for half price, I don’t see how you can loose. If you use them, you are staying for only $10 per/pt. If you rent them, you make some kind of profit. Personally, I have Poly for my Home Resort, so there’s a good chance of renting for $20. Needless to say, I’ll be trying out.
Peter D
November 26, 2024Annual pass seems like a good deal (as mentioned) considering the tax implications of renting. Hate each year getting the 1099 and giving so much back to the government after renting.
Gary H
November 26, 2024The article states you would save $140 if you purchased 12 one-time use points and then received an additional 12 points as a bonus (for a given Use Year). If someone has contracts with 4 different Use Years, the savings could be $140 times four, correct?
Paul Krieger
November 26, 2024I believe the terms state you can only buy 12 as part of this offer. It is not per contract.
Shawn
November 26, 2024When computing the point cost of an AP, shouldn’t you also include 1 year’s worth of maintenance dues on those 75 or 65 points? Instead of valuing a point at $16, shouldn’t it be something like $21-$25?
Brian M
November 26, 2024But people rent their points for $22 so I can rent the points out and buy a pass and still put money in my pocket
Anthony Coker
November 26, 2024After reading the terms and listening to the most recent video, can I use banked points toward the purchase of a Sorcerer Pass?
Debra Bjerke
November 26, 2024We bought this mainly for the Photo Pass. However in the past when we purchased Photo Pass everyone in our reservation was able to scan their magic bands and have their pictures added to it. When I called Disney we were told that the person who paid the $99 is the only one who can scan their band to add photos. Meaning we all have to be together ALL the time to get in the picture. How is that of value?
My other complaint is while we are able to get the ticket discount on up to 8 people in our household we jointly own this with our adult daughter and her husband. I feel all members, up to 8 people, should be able to get the discount since it’s “Member Magic”.