I’ve seen estimates that the average DVC Member keeps a contract for anywhere from 7 to 15 years. Being 7 years into my DVC Membership, I am nowhere near ready to sell any of my contracts (unless perhaps the Yacht Club Villas becomes a real thing), but I started looking back and realizing just how much has changed with DVC over a relatively short period of time. Beyond routine things like resort refurbishments, here are just some of the changes that have occurred since I became a Member in 2019:
Fundamental Changes
Besides the price per point increasing every year, we’ve seen substantial changes in how DVC works ever since resale restrictions were first introduced in 2019. With these restrictions, we have a more confusing system with essentially 3 different tiers of points:
- Direct points (or grandfathered resale points)
- Resale points at the original 14 DVC Resorts
- Resale points at Riviera or any new DVC Resort created after that
Prior to that, points were more or less equal, usable at any other DVC Resort at the 7-month mark or under.
Another huge but thankfully temporary change was the limit on borrowing points during the pandemic. While it may feel like a lifetime ago, from April 2020 to July 2022, DVC Members were limited to borrowing 50% of their future Use Year points as a means of easing resort availability following the resorts’ closures and balancing the influx of points from rescheduled trips and extensions that were granted for expiring points from April and June Use Years.
While the establishment of trust use plans for the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and Lakeshore Lodge instead of deeded property is another big change, I think it is still too early to fully understand the ramifications of this difference and what it may mean for the DVC ecosystem.
Changes in Perks
When I first became a DVC Member in 2019, the minimum direct points to qualify for Membership Extras was 75 points. It had been at that minimum since 2018. By 2021, it increased to a minimum of 150 direct points. That’s double the minimum points for perks in just 3 years! While the minimum has held over the last 5 years, I highly doubt the minimum will remain at 150 for much longer as DVC seeks to incentivize direct points over resale points.
While perks have changed (e.g., Tables in Wonderland is gone, new lounges have opened, eligibility for Top of the World Lounge access has changed, etc.), perhaps the biggest change to Membership Extras over the past several years is the introduction of Membership Magic Beyond. Although it’s just an optional perks program, it creates yet another tier of Membership and another add-on that Members could pay for, so we now have:
- DVC-ND (Not eligible for Membership Extras)
- DVC-Y (Eligible for Membership Extras)
- DVC-YB (Membership Magic Beyond)
Tangental Changes
While the theme parks and other Disney services are not part of your Membership, changes to them can still have an impact on your enjoyment of your DVC Membership. Prime examples from the last 7 years include the replacement of the free FastPass system with the paid Lightning Lane system and the end of Magical Express, which was helpful for so many DVC Members to travel between MCO and their favorite home away from home.
We’re also seeing a shift in Disney’s overall strategy with increasing prices, attendance, and capacity, as evidenced by the recent earnings report. Years ago, Disney used to refer to DVC as the “best kept secret” and emphasized the savings that DVC could offer guests. As Disney expects future capital projects to produce double-digit returns, it’s clear that new DVC Resorts like Lakeshore Lodge and any resorts developed after it won’t come cheap. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that most of the recently built Disney Resorts have been DVC Resorts. Why wouldn’t Disney want more resorts that operate at nearly full capacity year round and whose maintenance is covered by Members’ annual dues?
Personal Changes
Even how I use my DVC points has changed over the course of 7 years. I became a DVC Member before I got married, and life has changed so much since 2019 from starting a family to becoming a Florida local. Instead of using points for several 3- or 4-night trips a year like I did when I still lived in New York, I find myself using most points for 2 longer trips and whatever is leftover for random 1-night stays.
If there’s one thing I didn’t anticipate about DVC, it’s how much I value our stays for the dedicated family time. It’s not all about the park time since my son loves spending time at the resorts or simply going for joy rides on the monorail and Skyliner.
Normal life lately can feel like a 3-ring circus, especially when traveling regularly for work, so it’s nice to hit pause and dedicate time to just bonding with my family. I think about how quickly it seems my son went from being an infant to a toddler, and I feel like the next time that I blink, he will be in school. Vacation is the time that I really get to savor the little moments together instead of sweating what I’m trying to balance or thinking of deadlines. The hardest decision I’ll make all week is what I want to eat.
All of this is to say that I was a little taken aback by just how much has changed in just 7 years. Of course, there are other DVC Members who have had their Membership for decades and have seen DVC evolve over time, and there are bound to be further changes as the years go on.
If you’re just starting to look at DVC and weighing all the pros and cons, you won’t be able to anticipate all the changes to come, but remember that DVC is really just about enjoying the resorts.
