Some may assume that moving to Central Florida makes DVC points unnecessary or that living close to Disney World means you might as well sell your points. So far, that has not been my experience at all. In fact, I have borrowed more points than ever since moving to Florida. Here are just a few of the reasons why the points are disappearing more quickly than I had expected.
runDisney Events
Like a lot of other DVC Members, I love running in the runDisney races. Between the fun themes and characters along the courses, every mile really is magic! However, what isn’t quite as magical are the early start times and road closures that accompany the runDisney races. While I could technically drive from home the morning of the race and then go home after, it would mean waking up even earlier and getting around some detours. Using my points to stay on property just makes everything smoother and easier, so I can just focus on the race.
Family Visiting
I come from a family of Disney World fans. If they’re visiting Disney World for vacation, in many ways it’s easier for me to join them and stay on property than it is to host them at home. We get to be in our happy place together, and there’s less prep and clean up for me; we can just enjoy our time together. I’d call that a win-win. With my cousins running next year’s Springtime Surprise 5k as their very first runDisney event, I already have a room booked for us for a cousin getaway. It’s fun to be able to share one of my favorite resorts with them!
Celebrations and Special Occasions
I decided on a whim to get tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party since there was a party on my actual birthday. I originally figured I would just go home at the end of the night, but when I saw a Polynesian Deluxe Studio available, you better believe I snagged it and put together a little birthday trip. It worked out perfectly since my son fell asleep during Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, and we were able to simply take him in his stroller onto the boat back to the Polynesian at the end of the night.
Last Minute Availability
When Disney World is just a short drive away instead of a costly flight away, it’s not a stretch to go on last minute staycations. If there’s a great room available at the last minute, it’s kind of hard to resist. When there was a Savanna View Deluxe Studio for Moonlight Magic, I booked a brief one-night stay. It meant not heading home after midnight and the bonus of waking up and seeing the animals on the savanna. I haven’t been lucky enough to find a last minute Club Level room at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but that kind of a unicorn sure would be a good enough reason to splurge on points in my book!
Even for this year’s DVC Fan Summerfest, I found myself looking at DVC availability about two weeks out and ended up finding a Deluxe Studio at the BoardWalk. Sometimes it’s just easier (and simply more fun) to stay on property.
I now find myself with hardly any points left for 2026 and trying to fend off the siren call of add-on-itis. Fellow local DVC Members, does any of this feel familiar to you? If you moved to Central Florida after becoming a DVC Member, do you find yourself using more DVC points now than you did when you lived further away?
Donna Witte
August 27, 2025Lauren I always enjoy your writing which is both uplifting and full of hard facts! One thing I would add is when you are a local (Merritt Island here) you are eligible for the pixie dust pass which means you can pop into the parks freely even for a few hours at a time. This means a DVC stay is not burdened with ticket costs on top of the cost of the stay. I always book a girls trip for flower and garden and food and wine. We can stay out late and don’t have to drive home after and then have brunch in the morning.
Lauren De La Cruz
August 27, 2025Thanks so much for reading and for the kind words! The pixie dust pass doesn’t work for my family with all the blockouts, but it can be a certainly be a good perk for some locals.
Gabriela Guerrero
August 27, 2025I’m scared this will happen to me lol.
We are Westbound and go to Disneyland once a month. We always want to spend the night but DVC rooms are out of the question, and cash rooms are expensive.
Here’s hoping we can do staycations when we move down to Fl
Lauren De La Cruz
August 27, 2025Staycations are wonderful when you’re local! But yes, it may just induce add-on-itis lol.