Let’s Talk about the Magic Kingdom Area DVC Resorts

Disney Vacation Club members vote with their wallets, and so the people in charge of the program must listen. Over the past 34 years, we’ve clearly stated a preference about where we want to own and stay. Let’s talk about the Magic Kingdom area DVC resorts, the heart and soul of the program.

The Monorail Resorts

DVC took a while to figure out what DVC members wanted. I say this because the monorail resorts didn’t arrive until Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Those of you newer to DVC may not realize how recently that happened.

The Contemporary joined the program in 2009, which means we’re barely 15 years into the monorail resort era. Disney quickly fixed a longstanding mistake, though. 

Magic Kingdom Area DVC Resorts: Bay Lake Tower, Grand Floridian & Polynesian.

Bay Lake Tower added a whopping 575 rooms to the program’s inventory, giving members unprecedented access to Magic Kingdom. Even now, no other property can match the location of Bay Lake Tower since it’s only a five-minute walk from the most popular theme park in the world.

Once Bay Lake Tower went on sale, the popularity of this property told the story. So, Disney quickly committed to the other DVC monorail resorts. The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa joined the program in 2013, followed by Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows in 2015.

Remarkably, Disney didn’t stop there, as the Grand Floridian converted an entire building in 2022. Now, this resort offers nearly 400 rooms to the total DVC inventory. 

Even more recently, DVC constructed the Island Tower at the Polynesian, an entire expansion tower just for the program. In total, that’s five different DVC additions at the monorail resorts in 16 years. 

Disney has taken such drastic steps because demand for these properties has proven outrageously high. I’m confident DVC executives are contemplating more ways to add inventory here as well, with additional expansion at the Contemporary a logical step. In the interim, Disney has explored other options as well. Two of them have enhancements have occurred at…

The Wilderness Resorts

Longtime DVC owners remember the time when the program offered just one Magic Kingdom area resort. For that reason, many of us will always have a soft spot for Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. 

In 2000, The Villas at Wilderness Lodge opened as a DVC add-on Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. So, early adopters were forced to wait nearly a decade for any Magic Kingdom option whatsoever.

Not coincidentally, many DVC owners have remained devoutly loyal to Wilderness Lodge during the 21st century. Before the Snow White character meal, DVC members kept Artist Point afloat. Both Whispering Canyon Café and Artist Point were considered DVC restaurants first and foremost. 

When DVC added the three monorail resorts, program planners recognized that the Magic Kingdom area still didn’t have enough inventory. So, DVC built a second property, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This facility opened in 2017 and offered new on-site amenities available to Boulder Ridge owners as well.

To a larger point, from 2000 through the middle of 2009, DVC sold only one Magic Kingdom property. Over the next eight years, Disney offered four more. Since then, two of the monorail resorts have expanded, and the area added yet another option.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort joined the program in 2024. Adding all these options together, DVC has expanded its Magic Kingdom area inventory seven (!) times since the middle of 2009. Remarkably, Disney isn’t stopping there, either. 

Coming Soon 

I’ll write a full recap of everything we know about Disney Lakeshore Lodge in a future article. For now, here’s what matters. Even after seven different program expansions, Disney still hasn’t added enough inventory in the Magic Kingdom area.

That’s how voracious DVC members are about buying contracts near the beloved theme park. No matter how many new rooms Disney adds, they all sell quickly, leaving fans shouting, “MORE! MOAAAAAAR!!!” 

I’m not even joking, as the former Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge died during the pandemic. Disney even filed the paperwork to cancel all construction on the project. 

Now, Lakeshore Lodge has risen like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes, and you should now understand why. DVC officials quickly realized that even after adding new inventory at the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, AND Fort Wilderness, it still wasn’t enough. 

So, Lakeshore Lodge will introduce another 900 rooms into the DVC program. Will that be enough for members looking to stay in the Magic Kingdom area? The answer is, “Absolutely not!” That’s why many people like me are already trying to guess where Disney will build its next hotel and/or expansion tower. Wherever that location is, even more DVC rooms near Magic Kingdom are inevitable.

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