What to Consider When Choosing a DVC Home Resort

After deciding that you want to buy a DVC contract, one of the biggest questions is which home resort should you choose?  Since everyone has different needs and tastes, there is no single resort that is the best home resort.  However, there are a few factors that can help you narrow down home resort options based on your priorities.

Location

First, what’s your favorite Disney destination?  Is it Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or maybe one of Disney’s beach resorts like Aulani, Vero Beach, and Hilton Head?  While Disney World has several DVC resorts, there are only 2 in Disneyland and 1 at each of the beach destinations.  

Within Walt Disney World, you may want to consider which theme park you would like to be closest to, whether that’s the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom.  Or perhaps you prefer to be close to Disney Springs.  In that case, Saratoga Springs or Old Key West are great options.  

Expiration Date

Disney’s Riviera Resort

Younger buyers or those who wish to pass their contracts down to their children may prioritize DVC resorts with a longer contract length.  These would be the newer DVC resorts like the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, Riviera, and Copper Creek.  Those contracts expire between 2068 and 2074, depending on the resort.  The earliest DVC contracts expire in 2042.  This includes contracts for the BoardWalk, Boulder Ridge, Beach Club, Hilton Head, Vero Beach, and some contracts at Old Key West.

Price Per Point

The price per point varies from resort to resort and tends to fluctuate on the resale market.  For some people, it’s important to find the most economical resort like Copper Creek.  This allows you to buy more points for more stays.  For others, the price per point is less of a priority if it means owning where they would like to stay the most, especially at hard-to-book resorts like the Beach Club and Grand Californian. 

Room Types Available

Riviera Tower Studio

Not every room type is available at each DVC resort.  For example, Boulder Ridge and Beach Club do not offer Three Bedroom Grand Villas, and the Cabins are the only DVC room type at Fort Wilderness.  In addition, only Riviera, the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, and the Island Tower at the Polynesian offer the compact Tower Studios or Duo Studios that are designed for 2 adults.  Depending on your typical travel party, you may find that some DVC resorts would better suit your needs based on the room types offered. 

Transportation Options

Complimentary transportation on Disney buses is helpful, but sometimes the buses can be inconvenient for those with strollers or ECVs.  If avoiding the buses is a priority, you can consider resorts along the monorail, such as the Grand Floridian, Bay Lake Tower, and Polynesian that easily transport you to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.  

Resorts like Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek are a boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom while the Beach Club and BoardWalk are a boat ride away from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.  If the Skyliner is your favorite mode of transportation, then Riviera is the way to go with Skyliner access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

Points Chart

While older resorts like Old Key West, BoardWalk, Beach Club, and Boulder Ridge have an earlier expiration date, one pro is that they have lower points charts.  This means that it costs fewer points per night to stay at these resorts, which ultimately means that you can stretch your points further.  

Annual Dues and Transient Taxes

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa

A final consideration is the annual dues that you pay each year to help maintain your home resort.  These vary widely across resorts with some being as high as $12.16 per point like at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and some as low as $7.57 per point like the Grand Floridian.  Dues increase from year to year and can add up to more than the initial cost of your contract over the life of your contract.   

Other home resorts like Aulani and the Villas at Disneyland Hotel charge transient taxes that guests have to pay by checkout.

There’s lots to consider when choosing a home resort!  Not sure where to start?  Take the DVC Resale Market’s resort quiz, or contact one of their experienced sales associates who can help guide you.