More Tips for New DVC Members

A few weeks ago, I gave you the first pieces of advice for new Disney Vacation Club members. Once you join the program, you may feel overwhelmed. There are a lot of terms to learn, and you’re competing for reservations with people who have been doing this for many years. So, you’re a rookie, and you need some help. Here are a few more tips for new DVC members. 

Think about Next Year

In terms of the learning curve, nothing about DVC caught me off guard more than the program’s future-planning requirements. I wasn’t prepared to think about next year’s vacation today, at least not at first. 

Over the years, I’ve warmed to the idea, and it’s something I quite like about the DVC program. When I talk with other members, we have a kind of shorthand.

“When are you going?” “April, September, and December. You?” “May and Halloween/early November.” That’s a real conversation I’ve had this month. Once you find your DVC people, you’ll have it, too, because that’s the genius of the program.

Once you know what you’re doing, you’ll typically book at least seven months early and maybe even 11 months before your trip. The latter tactic involves utilizing the power of your Home Resort to schedule early. Over time, you’ll get used to this, but I speak from experience when I say that there’s an adjustment period. 

You may not have even taken your current Use Year vacation yet, but you should still be thinking about vacations in 2026 and beyond. It’s a bit odd, but once you get used to it, you’ll find it oddly liberating. I know that I do. 

Pay Attention to Seasons

If you’ve read my DVC writing, you know that I’m obsessive about maximizing the value of my precious DVC Points. This is one of the tactics you must master. Otherwise, you’ll be using your membership poorly.

To punctuate this point, please carefully examine the DVC Points Charts. You can choose any resort to understand what’s important. Still, I’d recommend using your Home Resort, as that’s the chart you’ll study the most. 

I’m just randomly picking Disney’s Riviera Resort as an example. Please note the vast discrepancy in DVC Points between Travel Period 1 and Travel Period 7. While I’m conflicted about Disney’s renaming of these booking windows to “Travel Period,” the number serves a purpose. 

You can easily tell when a resort will cost more. If the Travel Period number is higher, that’s a more expensive time to book a DVC room. Now, I’m not telling you to book during Travel Periods with lower numbers. They’re priced this way for a reason, as they’re less popular times of the year for DVC vacations.

Still, by understanding how the DVC Points Chart works, you’ll recognize ways to stretch the value of your membership. Since you’re (hopefully) booking early for the next year anyway, you can train yourself to visit during less expensive Travel Periods. Even Travel Period 5 costs just two-thirds as much as Travel Period 7 at the Riviera. 

The differences can be that dramatic. So, learn how to spot the ones that simply cost too much relative to what you’ll get. 

Strategize on Ways to Save Money/Improve Vacations

You’re going to be in the DVC program through at least 2042 and possibly well into the 2070s. So, much of your life will center on Disney vacations and other aspects of fandom.

Therefore, one of the best business decisions you can make is to pay attention to various side offerings. I’ll discuss three specific examples today, but there are many more like them. You should always pay attention to potential opportunities along these lines.

The first is the DVC gift card method. Since you’ll be taking plenty of Disney vacations from now on, you’ll want to stretch your vacation budget to maximize your value. One of the best ways to do that is by picking up cheap Disney gift cards.

Throughout the year, various retailers offer as much as 13 percent off the standard price of gift cards as a loss leader to get you in the store. Target and Costco often offer such deals. 

Another tactic involves adding the Disney Premier Visa Card from Chase. You can earn Disney Rewards Dollars via this program, and most Disney purchases earn 2-5 percent in Disney credit. By using the Disney Premier as your primary card, you can stack Disney credit and then use it at the parks. Alternatively, you can follow my lead and use it to pay your annual maintenance fees. That’s what I do.

Finally, please be aware of a relatively new option, Disney+ Perks. You’ll find a list of all the current rewards and discounts on the official site. For example, you can get one month of D23 Gold and/or six months of DoorDash DashPass for free right now.

You’ll often find deals for the Disney Bundle that reduce the price to as little as $2.99-$4.99 a month. Your potential savings from the Disney+ Perks will more than offset such modest subscription fees. 

Don’t forget that Unlocked Magic—powered by DVC Resale Market—also brings extra savings with up to 10% off Walt Disney World tickets and party tickets, plus $10 off Memory Maker. It’s one of the easiest ways to stretch your Disney budget even further.

Research Interval International 

You probably didn’t know this when you bought into the program, but your DVC Points are even more powerful than you realize. DVC allows you to exchange your points as part of the Interval International swap program. 

Basically, you take your DVC Points and use them to book hotel rooms with other companies via Interval International. My brother does this all the time with a hotel he likes in the Smoky Mountains. Other friends have used Interval International for European vacations or weekend trips to Las Vegas. 

I encourage you to familiarize yourself with this page and also this one, which displays every potential resort where you can stay. Obviously, you’ll want to spend your first few DVC years staying at Disney hotels since that’s why you’ve bought into the program. 

Still, you should keep an eye on dream vacation opportunities beyond DVC resorts. The Interval International exchange program opens up the entire world for DVC members.

Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.