7 Things to Do Before Your Disney Vacation Club Trip

You’re finally ready for your Disney Vacation Club trip! You’ve been planning this for months, and now you’re nearly ready to go. Before you do, here are a few things to do before your Disney trip. 

Pay Your Annual Dues!

Here is THE most important thing to remember. If you haven’t already done so, you must pay your Annual Dues! Your DVC ownership requires you to pay yearly membership fees. 

Theoretically, you shouldn’t even be able to book your room until you have paid those fees. However, if you reserved your room before your Use Year began, you still need to pay your Annual Dues.

Disney automatically cancels reservations when members are more than 90 days past due on their accounts. You may not realize this, but Disney also won’t let you Bank or Borrow points when you’re past due. So, it’s imperative that you verify that you’ve paid your Annual Dues. The rest of this discussion is pointless until you do. 

Perform Early Check-in (with Room Requests)

What I’d encourage you to do is check My Disney Experience to verify your room reservations. As a longtime travel writer who previously worked in the hospitality industry, I’ve heard so many horror stories over the years. For this reason, I stress that you should check all your documents multiple times before your trip.

Once you’re certain that everything looks correct, you’ll want to perform early online check-in. You can do this up to 60 days prior to your arrival date. I recommend that people check in as soon as the window opens. Then, make any Room Requests you need.

I’ll warn you that Disney has nerfed Room Requests over the past few years. You may only have a couple of options, depending on where you’re staying. Still, if anything is important to you, you give yourself the best odds 60 days out. 

Riviera 1-Bedroom Villa

Book Your Dining Reservations

At the 60-day mark, another window opens. You can book any Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) you need.

This topic has grown a bit divisive in recent years due to the ascension of Mobile Ordering. Members can also take advantage of Table Service To-Go at a handful of participating restaurants as well.

As such, you may not even need ADRs at this point. Still, my family uses them for a few of our favorites such as Art Smith’s Homecomin’ and ‘Ohana. These places often book up quickly, forcing DVC members to act fast when we want to dine there. 

Buy Your Lightning Lanes and Other Amenities

I’ve written this article under the assumption that you’re probably visiting a theme park, which is statistically likely to be Walt Disney World. Still, this thought process applies to the non-theme park resorts as well.

At the parks, your Lightning Lane booking window starts a week before your trip. When you buy Lightning Lanes, you must act quickly. Otherwise, the top rides will sell out, making your purchase a waste of money. So, be ready to choose your favorites the instant you buy the Lightning Lane. 

At all Disney resorts, there are a few other amenities you may need to schedule in advance. For example, you may want to try Aulani’s luau or the carriage rides at Fort Wilderness. To guarantee you get to do these things, you should schedule them in advance. 

Magic Kingdom – TRON Lightcycle Run

Do Last-Minute Shopping

We thankfully live in a world now where online shopping provides near-instant shipping. So, when you need items like new clothes, bathing suits, suntan lotion, or other sundries, make a quick order. 

Pay particular attention to unusual items like USB fans, smart device batteries, and USB cords. Since you’ll be traveling, you want to make sure you can keep your devices juiced. Then, once you arrive at Disney, the USB fan will mitigate the scorching temperatures at the parks these days. 

Load Your Discounts 

At some point, Disney stopped being so generous about its discounts. Theoretically, when DVC members qualify for these cost-saving options, Disney should know. However, something has clearly changed.

Nowadays, a Cast Member will make you prove that you qualify for your savings. So, save your DVC membership info in your phone’s wallet. Similarly, if you’re an annual passholder, take the same step. Then, whenever someone asks you for proof, you can find it immediately. 

Order Groceries If Needed

Not everyone orders groceries during a DVC stay. However, for those who do, you should do so at a specific time: right before you leave for your trip. 

You may not know this, but Bell Services will hold your deliveries until you’re ready to go to your room. So, you can perform a bit of smart shopping to save yourself some money during your visit. 

For example, beverages, snacks, and bottled water are items most members need during visits. By ordering groceries ahead of time, they’ll be there waiting when you arrive at the hotel.

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!