How Many DVC Points Do I Need?

Those who are new to DVC often ask how many points should you get?  In all honesty, there is no single number that works for everyone, and that’s what makes it tricky to determine the number of points to purchase.  While your travel needs may shift over the lifetime of your DVC contract, you can at least project what you will need annually by asking yourself the following questions when looking at the point charts:

What Time of Year Do You Travel?

Each point chart is divided into 7 travel periods.  September is the cheapest travel period of the year, followed by January and early May.  The most expensive travel periods are the days around Easter and Christmas through New Year’s Eve.  To illustrate the differences, a Standard Two Bedroom Villa at Saratoga Springs is 27 or 34 points per night in September, depending on the day of the week.  That same Two Bedroom is 56 or 63 points between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in 2025, which is nearly double the cost.

What Type of Room Do You Need?

Deluxe Studio at the BoardWalk Villas

DVC resorts have Studios, One Bedroom Villas, Two Bedroom Villas, Three Bedroom Grand Villas, Cabins, Bungalows, etc.  The larger the room type, the more points you will need.  If you are traveling as a couple or small family, a Studio may suffice.  However, with a larger family or simply a desire for more room to sprawl, you may need to bump up to a One Bedroom or Two Bedroom.  

Note that capacities are not always equal by room type.  For example, One Bedrooms at Bay Lake Tower can accommodate 5 people.  By contrast, One Bedrooms at Copper Creek can only accommodate 4 people.  

Where Do You Want to Stay?

Point charts differ from resort to resort.  In general, newer resorts have higher point charts than the older ones.  Resorts also have different categories or views available, such as Value, Standard View, Lake View, etc.  Point values will vary depending on these categories.  

While Value or Standard View rooms are easily the cheapest rooms, they are also some of the hardest rooms to book based on availability.  It’s smart to ensure you have enough points for preferred view categories just in case those are the only rooms available.  It also never hurts to have those extra points when planning for trips during more popular seasons like Food & Wine, RunDisney events, and holidays.

How Long and How Often Do You Visit?

Clearly the longer and more frequent your stays, the more points you will need.  If you only plan on taking trips every other year, you can get away with a smaller contract.  For example, a stay in a Boardwalk Villas Boardwalk View or Garden/Pool View Deluxe Studio would cost 130 points for a weeklong stay in October.  If you plan on doing that every other year with a 75-point contract, you can either bank or borrow your points to have a total of 150 points in one year.  That would more than cover the weeklong stay.

Whatever size contract you need, you can find the right DVC contract with the help of the knowledgeable team at DVC Resale Market.  Save thousands on your resale DVC contract, and enjoy decades of magical vacations to come!