Let’s Talk about the Underrated DVC Amenities You’ll Find at Most Resorts

Disney Vacation Club members have it really good. In fact, I sometimes feel that we take for granted some aspects of a DVC resort stay. Disney caters to our every whim, providing luxury and a healthy dose of membership magic. Here are the underrated DVC amenities you’ll find at most resorts, ones we should all appreciate more. 

Arcades

Have you visited a Dave & Buster’s lately? They’re always packed, and there’s a reason for that. Gen Z prefers video games to movies, something Bob Iger recently acknowledged. Disney purchased an ownership stake in Epic Games and will create an entire Disney gaming universe adjacent to Fortnite. 

Given the importance of gaming in society, we shouldn’t be surprised that Disney resorts include arcades…and I mean great ones! You can find a full list on the official web site. 

My favorite is Game Station at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. However, every DVC resort’s arcade is remarkably detailed and modern. Here’s Win, Place, Or Show at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa:

Basically, you’ve got a mini-version of the former DisneyQuest at many DVC resorts. How great is that?!

Hey Disney!

Over the past two years, Disney has added specialized Amazon Echo devices to many of its DVC hotel rooms. In the process, Disney liberated DVC members from needing our phones when we’re in our rooms.

Instead, we can ask the virtual assistant what the temperature will be at the park that day or whether we should pack an umbrella. We can learn theme park hours while we’re taking a shower or ask for our favorite Disney songs to play. 

Hey Disney! enhances any hotel stay, and it’s a free amenity. How great a value is that? You can add the Hey Disney! functionality to an Alexa device in your home, but it’ll cost you $90 for the device and another $7 a year for the app. 

Jogging Trails

Personally, I find the idea of jogging at Disney akin to eating before going out to dinner. But I say that as someone whose feet often look pretty messed up when I return from a Disney trip. 

For exercise fanatics, Disney’s jogging trails provide an optimal way to get in a light workout in between park visits. You’re not going at your cardio as heavily as in an exercise room, but you are burning even more calories. 

By using the jogging trails, you’ll virtually assure yourself of losing weight while on vacation. Given how exceptional Disney dining is, that’s an extraordinary feat. 

Also, let’s not overlook how gorgeous some DVC jogging trails are. The ones that circle Crescent Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon will take your breath away. 

Morning Yoga

From 7 until 9 a.m. on most mornings, you can find a free yoga session at a DVC resort. Properties like Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort host yoga exercises.

The hours vary, and Disney heavily modified the offerings during/after the pandemic. However, the popular Lakeside Yoga remains available at the Contemporary. And Disney thoughtfully provides the mats and towels for you, saving you some room in your luggage!

Movies Under the Stars

Some of my favorite Disney memories didn’t happen at the parks. Instead, they occurred at DVC resorts hosting Movies Under the Stars. 

On several nights each week, participating DVC properties roll out a giant projection screen monitor. Disney will display one of its classic movies on these screens, although some recent hits are in the rotation as well. 

For instance, 2023’s Elemental is currently an option at Disney’s BoardWalk Villas and Disney’s Riviera Resort. As another example, here is the March 2024 schedule for Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort:

• Sundays –  Mystery Movie
• Tuesdays – The Lion King 1-1/2
• Thursdays –High School Musical 2
• Saturdays – WALL-E

Wouldn’t you love to watch WALL-E while your family relishes a night beneath the stars? Many DVC members have learned to pack a blanket for just this reason. Plus, we can watch some of our favorite films!

Online Check-in

Don’t laugh! During my days working in the hospitality industry, check-in was an arduous task. I provided crisis support for a major hotel chain, and many of the worst complaints involved simple things like incorrect reservations. 

DVC members never need to worry about these mistakes because you take care of everything online. Once you have your reservation booked to your satisfaction, all you need to do is show up at your hotel room. 

That’s a dramatic change that has taken place in recent years. Disney introduced online check-in via My Disney Experience in July 2017. Many guests wouldn’t even use the service before the pandemic, meaning its widespread adoption has occurred since 2020. 

Now, DVC members know we can skip the front desk. Our phones tell us what our room number is. Even better, those same phones function as keys to unlock the front door. Online check-in is a vacation-changing amenity and one all of us should appreciate more. 

Stylish Transportation 

Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog

Speaking of amenities we take for granted, how spectacular is the Disney Skyliner? The Walt Disney World gondola system isn’t even five years old yet, but it’s already become integral to the fabric of DVC vacations.

Three different DVC resorts reside within a short walk of Skyliner stations. So, you can ride the most stylish form of free transportation at Walt Disney World.

Alternatively, you can celebrate the classics, as nothing says Disney more than a monorail ride. Again, three different DVC properties qualify as monorail resorts. 

Then, we have another classic, the Friendship Boat. Several DVC offerings include a boat dock. The boats here will take you from your hotel to EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and even Disney Springs. 

Since we use these transportation options so often, we often forget how remarkable and unique each one is. That’s the thing about DVC amenities. You really only notice them when you stay at non-Disney hotels and realize you don’t have them!

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