A new survey sent to select Disney Vacation Club Members suggests that Disney Vacation Club may be exploring major changes to its paid Member Magic Beyond program. Not only does the survey ask about potential new benefits, but it also hints that a price increase could be coming as soon as 2027.
As someone who has subscribed to Member Magic Beyond for the past two years, I’m honestly excited by the direction these questions seem to be heading. For a while now, both I and many other Members in the community have been asking for Disney Vacation Club to expand the program’s benefits. More options create more opportunities to find value in the subscription, which ultimately should lead to higher adoption among Members.
The big question now is whether Disney can strike the right balance between adding meaningful benefits and increasing the price.
What Is Member Magic Beyond?
Member Magic Beyond is a paid add-on program available to eligible direct Disney Vacation Club Members. The program currently costs $99 per year through the 2026 calendar year and includes a variety of enhanced Membership Extras.
Some of the most notable benefits include:
- Specially priced Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort tickets
- A 30-day Disney PhotoPass Memory Maker entitlement
- Buy one, get one free one-time use points
- Priority access to Disney Vacation Club Member lounges
- Additional discounts and exclusive offerings throughout the year
For some Members, the program already pays for itself. For others, especially those who do not visit the parks frequently, the value proposition has been less clear.
That may be exactly what Disney Vacation Club is trying to address.
What New Benefits Did the Survey Suggest?
The survey included several potential enhancements that could be added to future versions of Member Magic Beyond.
Some of the proposed benefits included:
- Expanded food and beverage discounts at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort locations, including select alcoholic beverages
- One complimentary beverage at a DVC Resort lounge
- An exclusive Disneyland lounge character experience
- Priority access to select high-demand experiences at Aulani, including the luau
- The ability to exchange 10 Vacation Points to renew Member Magic Beyond
- Access to airport lounges through the Priority Pass network
- An included Owner’s Locker membership
- Dedicated areas and bonus perks at DVC events
- Discounted travel insurance
- Complimentary beverages on select Disney Cruise Line sailings
- Complimentary popcorn during select Disney Cruise Line movie screenings
- The ability to exchange points toward Disneyland Magic Key annual passes
Some of these ideas feel much more impactful than others.
The Dining Discount Is the One We’ve Been Waiting For
Let’s start with the benefit I think many Members have been asking for since this program launched. An expanded dining discount.
To me, this has always been the biggest missed opportunity with Member Magic Beyond. For years, Members have been asking Disney to bring back at least a portion of the former Tables in Wonderland program. Even if Disney introduced a modified version of that benefit, I believe it would immediately make Member Magic Beyond significantly more attractive.
This singular benefit could drive subscriptions all by itself.
Why Dining Discounts Make So Much Sense
I think this type of benefit accomplishes several things at once. First, it creates immediate value. Dining is one of the biggest expenses for many Disney vacations. Even a modest discount can save Members a substantial amount of money throughout the year.
Second, it encourages additional spending. The writing has been on the wall for a while. With Disney introducing a new Deluxe Dining Plan option in 2027, it certainly feels like Disney is looking for ways to increase demand for table service restaurants. A meaningful dining discount could accomplish exactly that.
Personally, I know I would book more sit down dinners if a 20 percent food and beverage discount existed, especially if it included alcoholic beverages. Those costs can add up quickly, and even a modest discount can make a noticeable difference.
The Complimentary Lounge Beverage Is a Small But Appealing Addition
I actually like this idea.It’s not a massive benefit, but it feels special.
Considering that specialty drinks and alcoholic beverages at Disney can easily run $14 or $15 or more, even one complimentary beverage could help Members feel like they’re quickly recapturing part of their subscription cost. Sometimes it’s the small perks that make a Membership feel a little more premium.
Disney Seems Focused on Disneyland Members
One thing that stood out to me throughout the survey was the amount of attention being given to Disneyland Resort Members.
Benefits like:
- Point exchanges toward Magic Key annual passes
- An exclusive character experience
- Expanded Disneyland offerings
All suggest that Disney Vacation Club may be hearing feedback from West Coast Members who have been looking for more reasons to subscribe.
In many ways, these benefits mirror what we’ve seen on the East Coast through annual pass offerings and exclusive character opportunities at the EPCOT Member Lounge.
The Aulani Benefit Doesn’t Move the Needle for Me
The proposed Aulani priority access benefit feels like more of a throwaway option. Premium seating already exists for experiences like the luau, so I’m not entirely sure this changes much. Could it matter to a small number of Members? Certainly. But I don’t see this being a major driver of subscriptions.
Using Vacation Points for Membership Renewal Doesn’t Feel Like a Great Value
The survey also floated the idea of allowing Members to exchange 10 Vacation Points toward renewing their Member Magic Beyond subscription.
At today’s pricing, that doesn’t feel particularly compelling. Considering the value many Members place on their Vacation Points, exchanging 10 points for a $99 Membership simply doesn’t seem like the strongest use of those points.
Priority Pass Access Could Be Valuable for Some Members
Airport lounge access through Priority Pass was one of the more interesting additions in the survey.
For some Members, this could represent meaningful value. However, I would encourage Members to first check their credit card benefits. Many premium travel cards already include Priority Pass access.
There’s also one caveat I’ve experienced personally. Priority Pass members often receive lower priority than travelers who are direct members of individual lounges. If lounges become crowded, access may not always be guaranteed.
Still, for Members who don’t currently have airport lounge access, this could absolutely be an appealing perk.
The Owner’s Locker Idea Raises Some Interesting Questions
This was one of the proposals that immediately caught my attention, but the more I thought about it, the more questions I had.
At first glance, an included Owner’s Locker membership sounds like a tremendous value. However, Disney Vacation Club Members already receive a significant discount on Owner’s Locker’s Deluxe Delivery Plan. Eligible Members can currently purchase that plan for $112.50 per year instead of the standard $225 annual price.
That’s where things get interesting.
Is Disney simply moving a benefit that has historically been available as a discounted Membership Extra and now packaging it behind a paid Member Magic Beyond subscription? Or is there something more being proposed here?
If the benefit simply grants access to the same discounted plan that eligible Members can already purchase today, I’m not sure it really moves the needle. In some ways, it could feel like a previously available perk is simply being shifted into another paid offering.
On the other hand, if Disney and Owner’s Locker are exploring something more substantial, such as including the Deluxe plan at no additional cost, covering delivery fees, or offering enhanced storage options that aren’t currently available to Members, then suddenly this becomes a very intriguing addition.
Without additional details, it’s hard to know exactly what Disney has in mind. But of all the survey options presented, this may be one of the benefits where the specifics matter the most.
Is a Price Increase Coming?
Perhaps the most interesting part of the survey wasn’t a new benefit at all.
The survey specifically asked: “Assuming the current core Member Magic Beyond package stayed generally the same, how likely would you be to purchase Member Magic Beyond at a price of $109 for the 2027 window?“
That question seems significant. Importantly, it was presented separately from all of the additional benefits being discussed elsewhere in the survey.
We’ve said for the past couple of years that it felt like a price increase was inevitable. This survey strongly suggests that increase may be arriving.
I would not be surprised at all to see the program increase from $99 to at least $109 next year.
The bigger question is what happens if Disney actually adds some of these enhancements. Because if the current package moves to $109, it’s entirely possible that a more feature-rich version of Member Magic Beyond could climb even higher.
Could Member Magic Beyond Become a Great Deal?
Honestly, yes – if Disney were to add several of these benefits while keeping the annual price near $109, the program could become an incredible value. The dining discounts alone would likely entice many Members to subscribe!
Add in benefits like airport lounge access, Owner’s Locker, complimentary beverages, and expanded Disneyland offerings, and suddenly this becomes a much easier purchase decision for a large number of Members.
Our Experience With Member Magic Beyond
Amy and I have subscribed to Member Magic Beyond for the past two years, but interestingly, we did not receive this survey ourselves.
We’ve maintained our subscription because we wanted to experience the program firsthand and better understand whether it truly delivers value for Members. So far, we’ve primarily used it for Member Lounge access, but we’re looking forward to taking advantage of additional benefits during upcoming visits to Disneyland Resort and Aulani.
Personally, I’m encouraged simply by the fact that Disney Vacation Club is asking these questions.
The survey suggests Disney is actively evaluating ways to improve Member Magic Beyond. The ultimate question now becomes where the price lands and which of these proposed benefits actually become reality. If Disney gets that equation right, Member Magic Beyond could look very different and potentially much more attractive in the years ahead.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Would any of these proposed benefits convince you to subscribe to Member Magic Beyond? And how would you feel about a potential price increase if Disney expanded the program’s offerings?
Stay tuned to DVC Fan and join the conversation in the DVC Fan Forums for more Disney Vacation Club news and information.
