Practical Tips for the Prospective DVC Member

Whenever someone says that they’re interested in DVC, I like to advise that they take their time and do their research.  While there are the obvious questions like figuring out how much DVC costs, how many points you need for the kinds of trips you want, and which resort may make the best home resort for you, there are some smaller details that help ensure you won’t be surprised or disappointed once you start to use your DVC contract.

Learn Which Resorts and Rooms Aren’t Easy to Book

DVC likes to advertise its flexibility and the ability to use your points at different resorts.  While it is true that you can use your points at other resorts (minus any restricted contracts) at 7-months or less before your desired check-in date, the catch is that not all resorts have equal availability.  Larger resorts like Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Kidani Village tend to have more rooms available than smaller, high demand resorts like the Beach Club.  

Riviera Tower Studio

Similar availability patterns arise with different room views or types within a resort.  For example, even if you own points at Animal Kingdom Villas and have that 11-month booking window, there are so few Value and Concierge rooms that they are very challenging to get.  The same goes for many low-point rooms like the Tower or Duo Studios or Resort View (formerly Standard View) rooms.

Doing your research will give you more realistic expectations of what you can book with your points.

Buy More Points Than You Think You’ll Need

This goes hand-in-hand with the tip above.  Having more points helps when you can’t get those low-point rooms that tend to be in high demand.  In fact, when I plan my trips for the year, I typically budget the points needed for the more point-expensive categories and consider getting the Resort View category as a bonus.  

For example, at Bay Lake Tower, I’ll budget for the Preferred View Deluxe Studio, which has more room inventory and typically lower demand than the Resort View Deluxe Studio.  If I am lucky enough to get a Resort View Deluxe Studio, it’s a nice perk to save some points.  

View from a Bay Lake Tower Preferred View Deluxe Studio

Get to Know Resort Expiration Dates

The resorts that have the earliest expiration dates have less than 17 years left on their contracts.  That can make a big difference when selecting a home resort.  Depending on your personal needs, 17 years may not be enough for your family.  It also makes a big difference in the value that you get for the price of your contract.  A prime example of this is Copper Creek that ends in 2068 versus Boulder Ridge that ends in 2042.  Both resorts are located at Wilderness Lodge.  You pay more in terms of price per point for Copper Creek, but you also get more than twice as many years to use your points.

Another point to know about expiration dates is that once your contract ends, you are no longer able to use your points.  It may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember, especially when considering any resorts with a 2042 expiration date.  Don’t count on DVC offering any sort of contract extensions.  

Copper Creek Villas

Understand Banking, Borrowing, and Cancellation Policies

To get the most out of your points, you really have to understand how they work.  That includes knowing how banking, borrowing, and cancelling a trip all work.  For instance, you can bank points to use them a year later or borrow to use them a year earlier.  However, those are final transactions; once you move your points, you can’t move them back.  

When cancelling a trip, it’s best to do so at least 31 days out from your check-in date.  If you cancel under 31 days out, your points go into a Holding Account.  Those points are essentially restricted and can only be used to book trips 60 days out from your new check-in date.  They can’t be banked or borrowed and expire at the end of your Use Year.

Getting familiar with these policies will help you avoid losing valuable points. 

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