Best Economical DVC Resorts to Purchase: Spring 2025
At the DVC Resale Market, we understand that making a DVC purchase is an investment, and finding the most economical option is crucial. That’s why we created this blog to provide you with valuable insights each season.
Our goal is simple: evaluate and rank the most economical DVC purchases based on three key factors:
- Average Cost Per Point: We analyze the current average price per point to purchase at each resort.
- Current Dues: We take into account the current annual dues at each resort, recognizing these expenses can vary from year to year and differ between resorts.
- Years Remaining on the Deed: We take into account the years remaining on the deed at each resort, providing insight into the long-term value of your investment.
Using these factors, we calculate and rank each resort to help you identify the best value for your money when purchasing a new DVC contract. Keep in mind these rankings may fluctuate slightly each season, reflecting changes in market conditions and resort offerings.
We started this ranking in the Fall of 2014, and this blog represents our 21st in the series: Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016,Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023 , Spring 2024 and Fall 2024.
Riviera Retains Slight Edge to Remain Top of the List
After Riviera Resort jumped to the top of the Best Economical Resort to Purchase rankings for the first time ever in the previous report the gondala-riding resort maintained its top billing ever so slightly in the latest study. And the resort Riviera actually replaced in last fall’s semi-annual report, Copper Creek, is the one creeping back up to the top once again.
Indeed, Copper Creek, which held the No. 1 position for three straight rankings seasons before it was toppled from the top, is now just a penny away from regaining top billing when considering total cost per point to own each resort for the life of their respective deeds. For instance, when taking into account average resort prices, the current dues basis and factoring them out over the years left on their respective memberships, Riviera and Copper Creek are now neck and neck at $11.72 and $11.73, respectively.
Riviera
So how is Copper Creek, which opened July 2017 in the beloved location formerly known as Wilderness Lodge, primed to sit atop the rankings once again? One of the biggest factors was a nearly 3% drop in price to $136 per point compared with last November’s $140 price, not to mention it only has two less years on its lengthy deed versus Riviera.
Conversely, Riviera was one of only two resorts that actually increased in average price from last November, albeit by just $1 to $117 per point, according to our latest monthly DVC Resale Average Sales Prices report for May 2025.
Although Riviera resale market buyers are limited to being able to use it only for Riviera, having the the resort’s excellent proximity to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot along with the second-longest deed in the club are two main reasons this resort will likely continue keeping its rankings value.
Polynesian Also Makes Noticeable Move in Rankings
Apparently all the excitement surrounding the recent opening of the new phase of villas at Disney’s Polynesian Resort & Bungalows is not wearing off on buyers. At least that’s one way to interpret the Polynesian’s ongoing rankings momentum.
After the iconic Disney World property jumped two spots to tie Saratoga Springs for No. 4 in last fall’s report, the Polynesian moved ahead of Saratoga Springs in the latest economic analysis to take sole position of the fourth spot. A main contributor to the Polynesian’s continued economic value was a 3% reduction in average price from last fall to $160 per point.
Of course another Magical factor fueling the Polynesian’s value was an actual decrease in the resort’s 2025 annual dues cost basis from the previous year’s assessment, something that rarely happens in the history of the club.
Poly Island Tower
Two other DVC resorts that made noticeable shifts in the semi-annual rankings: Disneyland Hotel Villas and Boardwalk Villas. Disneyland Hotel, which opened after Riviera and thus shares the same Resale Market restrictions, moved into the No. 8 position due to a significant drop in average price to $150 per point from $185 per point last fall.
Boardwalk, which moved into the 14th spot ahead of Hilton Head, also was helped by a sizeable 5.5% reduction in average price to $116 per point. Interestingly, Hilton Head was the only other property that actually had a price increase since last fall’s rankings, matching Riviera’s $1 jump to $73 per point.
DVC Resort Economical Rankings: Spring 2025
The chart below provides a long-term economic ranking of each Disney Vacation Club resorts. The long-term value takes into consideration the resale price at a point in time (this report uses May 2025), annual dues, and the years remaining on the deed to ultimately get to an estimated 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.
| Resort | Avg. Cost Per Pt. | Years Left | Cost Per Pt. Per Year from Price | 2025 Dues | Total Cost Per Pt. Per Year | Rank: Spring 2025 | Rank: Fall 2024 | Rank Change |
| Riviera *** | $117 | 44 | $2.66 | $9.06 | $11.72 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Copper Creek | $136 | 42 | $3.24 | $8.49 | $11.73 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Bay Lake Tower | $132 | 34 | $3.88 | $8.02 | $11.90 | 3 | 3 | — |
| Polynesian | $160 | 40 | $4.00 | $7.93 | $11.93 | 4 | T4 | +1 |
| Saratoga Springs | $98 | 28 | $3.50 | $8.54 | $12.04 | 5 | T4 | -1 |
| Grand Floridian | $162 | 38 | $4.26 | $7.93 | $12.19 | 6 | 6 | — |
| Aulani * | $94 | 36 | $2.61 | $10.12 | $12.73 | 7 | 7 | — |
| Disneyland Hotel*** | $150 | 48 | $3.13 | $9.82 | $12.95 | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| Animal Kingdom | $106 | 31 | $3.42 | $9.65 | $13.07 | 9 | 8 | -1 |
| Old Key West (Extended | $105 | 31 | $3.39 | $10.51 | $13.90 | 10 | 10 | — |
| Boulder Ridge | $93 | 16 | $5.81 | $9.19 | $15.00 | 11 | 11 | — |
| Grand Californian | $233 | 34 | $6.85 | $8.80 | $15.65 | 12 | 12 | — |
| Old Key West | $84 | 16 | $5.25 | $10.51 | $15.76 | 13 | 13 | — |
| Boardwalk | $116 | 16 | $7.25 | $9.06 | $16.31 | 14 | 15 | +1 |
| Hilton Head | $73 | 16 | $4.56 | $11.92 | $16.48 | 15 | 14 | -1 |
| Vero Beach** | $42 | 16 | $2.63 | $14.30 | $16.93 | 16 | 16 | — |
| Beach Club | $133 | 16 | $8.31 | $9.12 | $17.43 | 17 | 17 | — |
| Notes: | ||||||||
| * Avg. cost per point based on DVC Resale Average Sales Prices for May 2025 | ||||||||
| * Aulani contracts that originated pre-July 6, 2011 have 2025 annual dues of $7.61/point | ||||||||
| ** Vero contracts that originated pre-January 1, 1996 have 2025 annual dues of $11.24/point | ||||||||
| *** Points purchased via resale at Riviera Resort & Villa and Villas at Disneyland Hotel can only be used for stays at their Home Resort or within the Interval International network | ||||||||
Additionally, this yearly cost per point metric 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 Polynesian contract and were going to stay at the Polynesian in a deluxe studio (standard view) for one night on a weekday during the popular summer timeframe of June 11-Aug. 31, or Travel Period 4, when looking at the respective DVC Point Charts. The number of points needed for that one night is 20, and the estimated cost per point per year according to the above chart is $11.93. So multiply the number of points needed by the cost per point and the result is 20 x $11.93 or $239/night. For those not using points, the room’s retail price in the same summer months is typically in excess of $800/night plus taxes.
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