Every Disney Vacation Club Member has a favorite resort. Maybe it’s the place you call home, the resort where your family has made the most memories, or simply the one you find yourself returning to year after year. But here’s a question that might be a little more difficult to answer: What is the worst Disney Vacation Club resort?
And while we’re at it, which DVC resort truly deserves to be considered the best?
In our latest episode of The DVC Show, Amy and I take on the challenge of ranking every Disney Vacation Club resort, placing each one into a tier list ranging from the coveted S Tier all the way to the bottom.
Let’s just say that some of our choices might surprise you, and we’re pretty confident not everyone is going to agree!
Ranking the Best and Worst Disney Vacation Club Resorts
One of the things that makes Disney Vacation Club so interesting is how differently Members value their resort experiences. What one Member considers the perfect vacation destination might be another Member’s absolute last choice.
For some, location is everything. Being able to walk to EPCOT or Magic Kingdom can outweigh almost any other consideration. Others care more about spacious villas, peaceful surroundings, incredible pools, or having plenty of dining options right outside their door.
And then there’s the emotional connection. Let’s face it, we all tend to have a soft spot for our home resorts, even when we can recognize their shortcomings.
For this ranking, we’re looking at the complete resort experience, including:
- Rooms and accommodations: Villa layouts, comfort, design, and overall quality.
- Resort theming: Atmosphere, attention to detail, and that special Disney feeling.
- Transportation and location: Convenience getting to the parks and other destinations.
- Dining options: Everything from quick service meals to signature restaurants and lounges.
- Pools and amenities: Recreation, resort activities, and places to relax.
- Overall vacation experience: How much we genuinely enjoy spending time at each resort.
Of course, there’s no perfect formula for determining the best DVC resort. And that’s what makes this conversation so much fun.
What Makes a Disney Vacation Club Resort S Tier?
To earn a spot in S Tier, a resort needs to deliver something truly special.
An incredible location might give one resort an advantage, but does that automatically make it better than somewhere with more impressive accommodations or a more relaxing atmosphere? What about a resort with excellent dining and theming but transportation that leaves something to be desired?
These are exactly the kinds of decisions we wrestle with throughout the episode.
We also explore an important distinction: A resort can be an amazing place to stay without necessarily being one of the best places to own Disney Vacation Club.
Purchase price, annual dues, contract expiration dates, and resale restrictions can all influence where someone chooses to buy. But for this particular ranking, we’re concentrating primarily on the experience of actually vacationing at each property.
After all, the resort that represents the best financial value isn’t always the one you’d choose for your dream Disney vacation.
Does Any Disney Vacation Club Resort Deserve the Bottom Tier?
Here’s where things get interesting.
Even the DVC resorts that rank toward the bottom have qualities that make them appealing to certain Members. Some offer tremendous space and a quieter vacation experience, while others provide unique amenities or convenient access to particular destinations.
And that’s an important point to remember throughout our rankings. Being ranked as one of the worst DVC resorts doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad resort. It simply means that when we’re comparing the entire Disney Vacation Club portfolio, something has to come out on top, and something has to finish last.
The real debate is figuring out which compromises we’re willing to make and which ones ultimately affect our vacations the most.
Watch: We Rank Every Disney Vacation Club Resort
Ready to see where your home resort lands?
Amy and I work our way through the DVC resort lineup, debating which properties belong among the very best and which ones might be getting a little more credit than they deserve.
And yes, we fully expect some disagreement in the comments!
Watch the full episode of The DVC Show below:
Create Your Own Disney Vacation Club Resort Tier List!
Now it’s your turn!
We don’t want you to simply agree or disagree with our rankings. We want to see how YOU would rank every Disney Vacation Club resort.
We’ve created a tier list that lets you organize the resorts based on your own experiences and preferences. Whether you’re ranking entirely on resort amenities, your favorite places to stay, or simply where you’ve made the best vacation memories, there are no wrong answers.
CREATE YOUR OWN DVC RESORT TIER LIST HERE!
Once you’ve finished, take a screenshot of your rankings and share them with the community in our DVC Fan Facebook Group or over on the DVC Fan Forums.
We’d especially love to see which resorts make your S Tier and which ones you send straight to the bottom!
