How DVC Membership Evolves over Time

How long have you been a Disney Vacation Club member? I ask because the answer goes a long way in telling me the types of DVC vacations you take. While every owner is different, some generalities exist, which I know because I’ve been reading your comments here since I started writing here in 2016. And here’s how I’ve noticed DVC memberships evolve over time.

You’re All about the Parks at First

I was an amusement park fanatic before I joined DVC. At the time, my regular vacation destination was Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital of the world. For thrill ride fanatics, leaving the park for any length of time borders on being a sign of weakness. 

So, when I transitioned back to Disney themeparks, my first love as a child, I wrecked my body spending the entire day at the parks. This is NOT a joke. I have pictures of my feet and legs that occasionally pop up in my social media history. 

There’s a reason why people have nicknamed Golfer’s Vasculitis as the Disney Rash. When you put too much strain on your body, your feet and legs can do some weird things. And my wife and I would walk 35,000 steps a day during our Disney visits. We’d do that for 10-12 days, too. So, my body would rebel. 

Since those early years, I’ve stressed to friends that they should take it easy at Disney by planning a calmer itinerary. Nobody ever listens to me. It’s just human nature to want to spend all your Disney vacation time at the parks, especially when you’re new to them. 

You Cannot Believe How Nice the Rooms Are

One Bedroom Villa at BoardWalk Villas

The one thing that can entice you away from the parks is your DVC hotel room. When you first join the program, you cannot believe what a great deal it is. You’re staying at the places you’ve probably only dreamed about before now. 

You can book a room right by Magic Kingdom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort or experience the immersive, tranquil theming of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. You can even stay at the crown jewel of Walt Disney World hotels, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Even better, you get these rooms for free as part of your membership! It’s almost too good to be true!

You Become Attached to Your Home Resort 

Still, as much as you adore the other resorts, there’s only one place that feels the most like home. When you buy into the program, you purchase an ownership interest in a specific property. It becomes your Home Resort, and you grow possessive about it.

Even when you fall victim to Add-on-itis, you’re still fiercely loyal to your Home Resort. Every online criticism you read about this hotel feels like a personal attack on you. It’s no different than if they said something nasty about your actual home. 

That’s because your Home Resort somewhat defines who you are as a DVC member. So, when you buy at the property, it becomes your team. Nobody likes it when someone disparages their squad. 

This behavior grows even more ingrained the longer we stay in the program. Past a certain point, our Home Resort is a part of who we are. 

You Spend More Time Resort Hopping

Here’s the change I never saw coming. I’m a decade younger than my brother, the one who convinced me to join DVC 15 years ago. So, my wife and I watched the way his family approached their Disney vacations. It was much different than ours. 

We were still in that All Parks, All the Time phase. Meanwhile, my brother had become passionate about Resort Hopping and always tried to talk us into joining them. At the time, I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of leaving a Disney theme park to spend time at various DVC resorts. 

Nowadays, I barely even recognize that version of myself. Resort Hopping has become one of my favorite things to do. In fact, there are four or five Walt Disney World resorts I visit every trip, even when I’m not staying there. 

For example, I loooove leaving Disney’s Hollywood Studios to hang out at Disney’s Riviera Resort. Similarly, when I go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I’m visiting the lodge, too. And I think we all adore Resort Hopping on the monorail. That’s the best way to eat, drink, and shop in Orlando. 

You Have Strong Opinions about Everything DVC Does Wrong

Finally, we have the stage that many members enter after they’ve been in the program for a long time. By this point, some have grown jaded, no longer feeling as lucky to be in the program.

Gradually, you grow wistful about the DVC program you remember when you first joined, just as you feel strongly that some changes are for the worse. You’re not wrong, as DVC has paywalled some formerly free amenities and changed some other rules. Frankly, Disney has overcorrected on some Membership Extras, and the digital DVC membership system is less than ideal.

Still, even when you’re someone cynical about the program, you still cling tightly to a single truth. The DVC program has enriched your life and made your family’s vacations much more memorable. No matter how strong our feelings are about DVC, we all know we’re lucky to have purchased a contract.

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