Disney Vacation Club with Jen Lefforge - PREP312

Today we’re chatting with Jen Lefforge on all things Disney Vacation Club. Jen breaks down the ins and outs of DVC, who may benefit from owning a piece of the magic, as well as who DVC is *not* for.

There is much more info included in the audio, so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation, and then head over to Jen’s YouTube channel for even more of a deep dive on DVC.

In this article

Why DVC is right for Jen!

Jen heard about DVC when it first opened and thought that it was how rich people did Disney. She found out years later that it might be a good fit for her family.

However, they couldn’t afford a contract through Disney so they purchased a resale contract for their family of 5. At that time, it was difficult to travel to Disney World with a family of 5 in anything but a Deluxe resort.

Jen and her family purchased a contract at Vero Beach as their first DVC contract. They purchased and sold contracts and now own at Old Key West and Riviera.

They were most attracted to the ability to have a kitchen and laundry. They appreciate having the space for their family, especially because they have three boys.

Purchasing DVC gave her family the ability to travel to Disney in a way that was comfortable and affordable for her family.

Let’s Talk Money

Initial Buy-in: A one-time lump-sum payment made to purchase the contract. If you buy direct from Disney right now, your purchase price per point is about $200. One week in a studio room (depending on the time of year and resort) would be about 70-250 points.

If you want to purchase about 100 points, your contract will be about $20,000.

Annual Dues: These are regular payments made monthly or annually for the duration of your contract. Over the life of your contract, these payments will be WAY more than your initial buy-in. These dues vary from resort to resort and can go up over time. These can be paid with Disney Visa Reward Points.

DVC Beachfront Properties

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Vero Beach Resort
Aulani

Purchasing DVC

If you are purchasing directly from Disney, financing is available. However, be sure to check out the interest rate. You can also pay for your contract with your Disney Visa Reward card and then use the points at Disney!

Make sure to do your homework as this is a very large purchase.

If you are purchasing resale, you can save some money. There are some restrictions and you should definitely use a reputable broker. You can get some good savings.

Buying a resale contract can take some time versus purchasing directly from Disney. You cannot access the DVC lounge if you purchase resale, for example.

Jen recommends having the best of both worlds by purchasing directly from Disney to get the perks and then purchasing resale for the savings.

Jen also recommends purchasing at a resort where you actually want to stay, not just the cheapest! Be sure to look at the points per night at the resorts that you want to stay because you want to be sure that you purchase enough points.

Booking DVC

Eleven months prior to your trip, you can book at your home resort. Seven months prior to your trip, you can book at any DVC resort.

Smaller resorts are harder to book. Beach Club and Grand Floridian can be difficult to book if you do not own points there. Disneyland Grand Californian is also very difficult to book unless you own points at that resort.

If you want to book a week of nights in a row, you will have difficulty booking after the 11 month window.

Be sure that you examine the cancelation policy as well. It is not the same as booking a regular Disney hotel!

Thirty-one days prior to your trip, you can modify all you want. Once you get to the 30 day mark, there are penalties for changing.

Renting Points

If you are not a DVC owner or you need additional points, you can rent points. You can do this either through a business or privately. This gives you all of the perks of the DVC resort for a less expensive price.

You will need to pay this all up front, unlike booking a non-DVC room.

When is it worth it?

Jen compares it to putting a swimming pool in your backyard. There are a lot of factors that you need to consider.

For Jen and her family, they purchased DVC because they were staying at deluxe resorts, enjoying the space, and were traveling to Disney every other year.

Jen also loves that they have pre-paid for their vacations. They know that they can spend their week at Disney even when or if they are on a fixed income.

It is a decades-long commitment, so be sure you are ready! Contracts can be 50 years in length. You can add children or family as beneficiaries for the contract.

Quick Tip

On your iPhone you can ask Siri, “Where is my car?” and she will lead you to where you parked! This works because you have used navigation to get to the parking spot.

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