How to Make the Most of a Small DVC Contract

Small DVC contracts of 100 points or less are a great way to dip your toe into using DVC points, or they can make for the perfect add-on contracts if you are already a DVC Member. If you are wondering what you can do with a small contract, here are some strategies to make the most out of your points.

Bank and Borrow

A common way to stretch a small contract is to bank, borrow, or bank and borrow your points to use as many points at once. For example, if you have a 50-point contract, you could bank points to use them next year or borrow them to use them a year earlier. That would give you up to 100 points to use at once. If you were to bank and borrow for one trip, you would have up to 150 points to use for a longer stay. 

Plan Split Stays

If you prefer to have Disney trips every year, small contracts can work well for split stays when you already have another DVC contract. A contract of 75 points can get you a few nights in a Deluxe Studio, which can help you extend a stay that’s booked with your other contract.  

This can also work well if you have different home resorts, so you can be near two different theme parks throughout your vacation. For instance, you could spend a few nights at Bay Lake Tower to be near the Magic Kingdom and then have a couple of nights at the BoardWalk to be near EPCOT.

BoardWalk Villas

Add One-Time-Use Points

Should you find yourself short a few points when using your small contract, you can supplement them with one-time-use points. You can purchase up to 24 one-time-use points per Use Year for $20 per point by calling Member Services. One-time-use points are available to all DVC Members, including Resale Members. These points can only be used at the 7-month mark or earlier, and they expire at the end of your Use Year since they can’t be banked or borrowed.   

Book Weekday Trips

Another way to get more out of your small contract is to book your travel for Sunday through Thursday. Sunday nights through Thursday nights cost fewer points than Friday nights and Saturday nights. This holds true for all DVC resorts.  

Polynesian Island Tower Bamboo Terrace Garden

Pick Cheaper Travel Periods

Besides the days of the week that you travel, the time of the year matters too. Take time to review the points charts before booking your stay. The cheaper travel periods will vary depending on your destination:

• Disney World Resorts: September and early May
• Disneyland: January for Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian and February and September for Grand Californian
• Hilton Head: Early December and January
• Vero Beach: September to November
• Aulani: January through February, September to early October, and mid-November to mid-December

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

If you’d like to make an offer or request a free consultation about buying or adding to your DVC contract, the DVC Resale Market team is here to help!