What Kind of DVC Member Are You

Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask you a question for years now! What kind of DVC member are you? We come in all shapes and sizes, and while we find consensus on some topics, especially the greatness of the Disney Vacation Club program, we vary in some vital ways. So, let’s go down the list to determine the kind of DVC member you and I are.

How Do You Approach the Parks?

When my brother tried to persuade me to join DVC many years ago, he told me that after a while, I wouldn’t even spend a lot of my time at the parks. As a theme park diehard, I found his statement comical. After all, at the time, I typically arrived at a theme park at the opening bell and then stayed until they kicked me out.

After I’d spent about 50 nights in DVC deluxe villas, I realized he was right. Over time, my wife and I approached our park visits differently. We no longer needed to Rope Drop in the morning and then stay at the park until closing. When we did that, we didn’t eat as well.

The reality is that DVC resorts host some of the best restaurants at Walt Disney World. Off my head, I’d include ‘Ohana, Kona Café, and Capt. Cook’s on that list. Wait, that’s just the list from one hotel, which makes the point about how strong DVC restaurant options are.

Similarly, I’ve discovered that shopping at the various hotel lobbies is much less stressful than at the parks or World of Disney. And the pools provide a glorious respite after an intense morning at the parks.

So, I’m in agreement with my brother. I’m now the kind of DVC member who spends a disproportionate amount of time at the resort rather than the park. How about you? Do you love lounging at your resort, or does the power of Mickey Mouse compel you to stay at the parks all day?

How Long Do You Stay?

Whenever a friend asks what they should do at Walt Disney World, I always start with a simple question. How long do they plan to stay in Orlando? That answer defines the approach people should take to their entire vacation.

Photo Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog

When you vacation for a shorter length of time, you’ll go hard for a few days and then return home, where you’re typically exhausted and need another vacation. Conversely, when you spend a week or more at Disney, you inevitably take a more methodical approach since you have no need to do everything immediately.

I think you can tell from the previous section which one I am. My wife and I took a 12-night vacation at Walt Disney World as recently as five years ago. However, life has gotten in the way a bit more lately. So, most of our recent trips have been in the four- or five-night range instead.

I’d consider that short for a DVC member. Do you agree? If so, do you prefer longer or shorter DVC vacations?

How Do You Use Your DVC Points?

There’s a funny meme that cracks me up every time I see it. You may know the one. It’s a person who won’t splurge on anything while they’re at home. Then, the instant they arrive at Disney, they splash the dollar bills everywhere.

I think about that meme at times when I book a DVC room. On the one hand, I treasure my DVC Points because they represent future Disney vacations. On the other hand, I bought my membership so that I could enjoy a magical Disney visit every trip.

As such, I walk a fine line with how I spend my DVC Points. I typically prefer Studios to Villas because I do not cook on vacation…or at home. For me, the main benefit of a Villa is the washer/dryer, although the space is nice, too.

So, I don’t usually splurge on a bigger room. However, I choose a pricier Room Type pretty much every time. My brother once described standard rooms as “parking lot view,” and he’s not wrong. I prefer looking out my window and seeing Bay Lake, Magic Kingdom, or — best of all – animals.

For this reason, I’m fairly loose with my DVC Points. Meanwhile, I know for a fact that people who spend most of their time at the parks find my practices wasteful, as they often tell me. Which group best defines you?

Where Do You Stay?

Here’s perhaps the most divisive topic of all. Do you spend your DVC Points to book rooms at the three non-theme park resorts?

The resorts in question are Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. All of them embody the best of DVC. Each of them is among the best-reviewed resorts in their city.

Still, some DVC members have never visited any of them. Others have gone once and have no intention of a return trip. That’s because of the unavoidable truth about them.

When you stay at these resorts, you’re deciding against vacationing at a Disney theme park. For many of us, that’s exactly what we didn’t want. We never would have joined DVC unless we loved the parks, right?

So, staying at a Disney resort far away from a Disney theme park is admittedly a hard sell. As I mentioned in the history of DVC articles, DVC strategists incorrectly assessed this situation. They believed people would visit any Disney resort.

After a time, they accepted that the majority of guests prefer to stay near the parks. That’s why the next three villas will reside close to Disney theme parks, as has every other DVC addition over the past decade.

Even so, some members are quite loyal to these three resorts. I’m a Hilton Head evangelist and adore Vero Beach for its turtle conservation practices. And who wouldn’t love the idea of staying at a Disney hotel in Oahu?

Obviously, I’m the kind of DVC member who stays at these properties. How about you? And what are some other behaviors you think define DVC members?

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