Best Economical DVC Resort to Purchase: Spring 2020
At DVC Resale Market, we like to keep an economic Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Resort ranking maintained for our clients as prices, dues, resorts and Disney can change over time. We started this ranking in the Fall of 2014, and this blog represents our 12th in the series: Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019 and Fall 2019.
The chart below provides a long-term economic ranking of Disney Vacation Club resorts to own. The long-term value takes into consideration the price, dues and years remaining on the deed to ultimately get to a price per point per year. This ranking may provide directional information in choosing a resort to own, especially for those Members or potential New Members who are less concerned about home resort priority and more focused on economic savings.
Polynesian Takes the Top Spot!
Polynesian first entered the Best Economical Resort to Own rankings at #9 of 14 in 2015, and now has ascended to #1 of 15.
Historical Economic Ranking for Owning Polynesian
| Dates | Ranking |
| Fall 2015 | # 9 |
| Spring 2016 | # 7 |
| Fall 2016 | # 9 |
| Spring 2017 | # 7 |
| Fall 2017 | # 5 |
| Spring 2018 | # 4 |
| Fall 2018 | # 3 |
| Spring 2019 | # 4 |
| Fall 2019 | # 2 |
| Spring 2020 | # 1 |
The Polynesian’s rise in the economic rankings was discussed in detail in our previous update to the economic rankings last Fall. Now, for the first time a resort is outranking Saratoga Springs in the economic rankings and it is Polynesian.
As mentioned before, two strong factors contributing to Polynesian’s ascent are low increases in dues and lack of price appreciation or depreciation. Since inception, the Polynesian’s dues have only increased on average 2.5% annually. At $6.79 per point, Polynesian dues are among the top 5 lowest in the DVC network. Additionally, the average price per point of a Polynesian contract sold has dropped nearly $20 per point in the past year. During this same period most all other DVC Resorts, with the exception of the Boardwalk, have seen their prices stay relatively steady with only minor increases or decreases in average selling price per point.
As mentioned in our DVC Resale Average Sales Prices for March 2020 blog, it’s hard to imagine Polynesian prices falling much lower compared to other DVC Resorts. Perhaps they fall a little lower with all other resorts due to the macro situation COVID-19 is causing, but in comparison to other DVC Resorts Polynesian is stacking up very well when it comes to the long term economics of owning. Outside of any personal preferences, the only strong negative Polynesian has is lack of room mix with just studios and bungalows. However, when it comes to location, theming, on-property amenities and well-designed rooms, for what it has, Polynesian is a winner.
Is Saratoga Springs No Longer the Go-To Resort for those wanting the Best Economic Buy?
The short answer is no. For many, Saratoga Springs (SSR) may still be the best economic purchase for several reasons:
- The total cost per point per year to own both Polynesian and Saratoga Springs is currently very close, $9.75 for Poly and $9.83 for SSR.
- SSR has a long history of being number one, keeping in mind these rankings fluctuate based on dues and price changes, hence why we publish a new edition roughly each 6 months.
- Of the three economic factors, price upfront tends to be the most important for many buyers, but this evaluation treats price, dues and years equally. Saratoga Springs still carries an average selling price that is $22 per point lower than Polynesian.
The important takeaway in my opinion is that while Polynesian is not the runaway choice for best long-term economic resort to own, it deserves to be in the conversation for those looking to make their DVC purchase based on bang for the buck.
DVC Resort Economical Rankings: Spring 2020
| Resort | Avg. Cost Per Pt. | Years Left | Cost Per Pt. Per Year from Price | 2020 Dues | Total Cost Per Pt. Per Year | Rank: Fall 2019 | Rank: Spring 2020 | Rank Change |
| Polynesian | $136 | 46 | $2.96 | $6.79 | $9.75 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Saratoga Springs | $104 | 34 | $3.06 | $6.77 | $9.83 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Bay Lake Tower | $140 | 40 | $3.50 | $6.58 | $10.08 | 3 | 3 | — |
| Grand Floridian | $166 | 44 | $3.77 | $6.56 | $10.33 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Copper Creek | $147 | 48 | $3.06 | $7.45 | $10.51 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Aulani* | $98 | 42 | $2.33 | $8.33 | $10.66 | 4 | 6 | -2 |
| Old Key West (Extended) | $106 | 37 | $2.86 | $7.84 | $10.70 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| Animal Kingdom | $113 | 37 | $3.05 | $7.67 | $10.72 | 7 | 8 | -1 |
| Grand Californian | $198 | 40 | $4.95 | $6.60 | $11.55 | 9 | 9 | — |
| Boulder Ridge | $98 | 22 | $4.45 | $7.78 | $12.23 | 10 | 10 | — |
| Old Key West | $99 | 22 | $4.50 | $7.84 | $12.34 | 11 | 11 | — |
| Boardwalk | $114 | 22 | $5.18 | $7.37 | $12.55 | 13 | 12 | +1 |
| Hilton Head | $79 | 22 | $3.59 | $9.10 | $12.69 | 12 | 13 | -1 |
| Vero Beach** | $72 | 22 | $3.27 | $10.13 | $13.40 | 14 | 14 | — |
| Beach Club | $145 | 22 | $6.59 | $7.06 | $13.65 | 15 | 15 | — |
| – Average cost per point based on Average DVC Resale Selling Prices for March 2020 | ||||||||
| – *Aulani with subsidized dues are $8.59 for a total cost per pt. per year (dues for 2020 are $6.26/pt.) | ||||||||
| – **Vero Beach with subsidized dues are $11.27 for a total cost per pt. per year (dues for 2020 are $8.00/pt.) | ||||||||
Additionally, this cost per point per year from the chart above can be used to help determine what a DVC Member theoretically pays for a Disney Vacation Club Villa. For example, let’s say you purchased a Grand Floridian contract and were going to stay at Grand Floridian in a standard view studio for one night on a weekday in Magic Season (covers peak of Summer vacations). The number of points needed for that one night would be 23, and the estimated cost per point per year according to the chart above would be $10.33. So multiply the number of points needed by the cost per point and the result is 23 x $10.33 or $237.59/night. The retail price of this room in the Summer season is typically in excess of $600/night.
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Comments
A question: do you figure in how far the points will go? For instance own at BLT and my points will go “father“ than they will at the Polynesian. We have a reservation for June at the poly, so I guess I’m going to be able to see if more points are worth it. Thought?
Monte, in this analysis we are just considering the most economical resort to own regardless of where you use the points. In the past we’ve done a separate analysis on best opportunities to stretch your points based on usage and not necessarily ownership. It’s a few years old, but concept is in this blog: https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/best-disney-world-resorts-for-stretching-your-dvc-points/
Interestingly, Riviera direct price with this same logic is $12.21, ranking it 10th in this chart. That may not mean much for the “buy where you want to stay” crowd, but it could be a useful comparison for potential new members interested in some of the additional perks that come with direct membership.