What are the Perks associated with DVC membership and who gets them?
How would you like to have your theme park tickets included during your DVC stay? Back in 1991, when the Disney Vacation Club was started, Disney offered free admission to the parks for DVC owners for the entire length of stay. Guests staying in Studios and One-Bedroom Villas got two tickets, Two Bedroom-guests got four tickets, and Grand Villa guests got six passes. This was the first DVC benefit that sadly ended in 1999.
The additional benefits of being a DVC member are not contractual and can be reduced or eliminated at any time. Typical perks are food and merchandise discounts, annual pass savings, villa room discounts, pool hopping, DVC lounges at theme parks or resorts, and special members-only events and cruises.
The benefits associated with being a DVC member are not the same for every member. Disney changed all of this when it started restricting resale members on April 4, 2016. Until then, all DVC members had the same perks. After this date, owners who only owned DVC Resale contracts did not have access to discounts and member events like other DVC memberships.
There is a significant initial savings of purchasing a resale contract. However, many owners choose to buy contracts direct from Disney to get a portfolio of DVC perks.
Member Benefits
As mentioned earlier, contractually, DVC is only required to provide vacation points to owners to make reservations at one of their resorts or convert these points to be used at other vacation locations.
The current DVC discounts are:
Dining Discounts-Savings of 10-20% can be found at most Disney resorts, theme parks, Disney Springs in Orlando, or Downtown Disney in Anaheim. Additionally, Hilton Head Island, Vero Beach, and Aulani may offer negotiated discounts with 3rd party restaurants nearby the resorts.
Shopping Discounts-Foremost, DVC members receive a 20% discount on all Disney merchandise purchased at Disney resorts and theme parks. DVC membership items purchased at the DVC Marketplace on shopDisney also receive a 20% discount. Disney Store discounts are 10% currently. These can be modified or eliminated at any time, so be sure to check the DVC website for any changes. There can also be shopping savings at Disney Springs or Downtown Disney for DVC Members. Typically these savings are 10-15%.
Tour Discounts-Many park tours and Walt Disney World and Disneyland can be discounted with DVC Membership. These are usually around a 15% savings. Ticketed events such as Disney's After Hours Boo Bash or Disney's Very Merriest After Hours get discounts of $10/ticket.
Member, Exclusive Events-Moonlight Magic events are pretty popular with DVC members and are typically booked up very quickly. On certain dates, specific theme parks will be opened to DVC members after hours. Disney Cruise Line offers Member Cruises that are also very popular.
Spa Discounts-DVC Villa Spas will offer discounted services for DVC membership.
Complimentary benefits-These are perks that are provided to DVC members free of charge. These may include DVC lounges at Epcot or Top of the World at Disney's Bay Lake Tower, Fitness in the Park at Disney's California Adventure, or theme park behind-the-scenes tours.
Who Is Eligible For DVC Benefits?-Blue Card Vs. White Card
As mentioned earlier, on April 4, 2016, Disney restricted access to membership perks for owners who buy resale contracts. Until then, all members had the same perks with their membership. Disney will designate eligibility by issuing different color membership cards to owners. Membership cards with full access to all perks have "Blue Cards," while members who don't have access to DVC benefits have "White Cards."
Owners who have Blue Card privileges are in the "club" by still owning a DVC membership contract they bought directly from Disney with the minimum points required at that time or by currently holding a resale contract they purchased before April 4, 2016. I used "owning" rather than purchasing because you must maintain at least one contract that makes you eligible to be a Blue Card member. You can lose your blue card status if you don't currently own any contract that qualifies for it.
The rules determine the eligibility of whether a member gets the additional benefits in place at the time of the contract purchased. For example, if you purchased resale ownership in March of 2016 and still own it, you have a blue card and are eligible for all discounts and member benefits.
If you want to purchase a direct membership, then the point requirements change from time to time, and you'll want to make sure to discuss with your DVC Guide to make sure you are buying enough. Currently, the minimum direct points are 150, but I've seen it as low as 25 before. If you purchased a 25 point contract when that was the minimum points required, you are in, whereas today, you wouldn't be eligible.
Digital Cards Only Starting In 2022
DVC notified its members in November 2021 that starting January 1, 2022, Digital membership cards will be available through the My Disney Experience app. Physical membership cards will be invalid on this date. DVC will not be issuing or replacing physical membership cards after that time.
Perks Strategy (Owning Both Direct And Resale)
Any purchase of a DVC contract from Resale today will not get you any DVC perks. You may want the additional perks but can't afford to purchase a contract at a higher direct price. A strategy many use to get the best of both worlds is to buy a minimum contract from DVC and then buy the same resort/use year contract via Resale. In this case, you get some savings from your resale purchase, and you also get the perks associated with your direct DVC purchase.
Pool Hopping
Pool hopping is the ability for DVC members to use other DVC Villa pools during their stay. The use has been curtailed somewhat over the last few years, but pool hopping may be considered a perk that some members will use. Pool Hopping is paused temporarily due to COVID-19.
Disney Files
The Disney Files is a quarterly magazine put out by DVC to keep members informed about coming events and resort-specific developments. All members should receive this magazine by mail, but a pdf download is available at:
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/disney-files/
Room Discounts
Sometimes you don't have enough points for your vacation and need to add a reservation without using points. If Disney has room inventory, then a DVC Villa may be available to rent. The rate is a 25% discount off of the rack rate of the accommodation. These are subject to availability.
DVC Lounges
There are two DVC lounges at Walt Disney World. One at Epcot and the other at Bay Lake Tower. The lounge at Epcot is in the Imagination Pavilion, where Imageworks used to be. The lounge offers complimentary soft drinks, coffee, and snacks. There is a children's area as well. If your phone needs a boost, there are charging stations. There are several computers and printers if you need them as well. DVC employees are there to accommodate you if needed. The DVC lounge is open to all blue card members but subject to capacity constraints.
The second DVC lounge is located on the 16th floor of Bay Lake Tower (temporarily closed) and it's open to all DVC members and their guests who are staying at any Walt Disney Resort. The Top of the World lounge provides panoramic views of Magic Kingdom Park. Members can access it on a first-come, first-serve basis and can purchase light snacks or cocktails. The lounge is open to all DVC members, even if they don't have a blue card.
DVC Perks Vs. Other Sources
Similar food and merchandise discounts may be available from other sources. Annual pass owners will also be provided deals comparable to the DVC discounts. Usually, I'll let the cast member know that I have both, and they will decide which one offers the best value.
Tables In Wonderland (currently sales are paused) will have the best dining discounts at Walt Disney World. This card will get a 20% discount on food and beverage, including alcohol, for up to 10 guests. TIW members receive complimentary parking when dining at a participating restaurant in a theme park. There are some blackout dates, and there is an automatic 18% gratuity added at table service restaurants. Currently, the card is not available for sale since the re-opening. Previously the cost of the card was $150 for DVC members and $175 for non-DVC members.
Current DVC Perks
The below link shows the current member perks. Not every DVC member gets these benefits. For those that do qualify, these are excellent benefits that your DVC ownership entitles you to. This list is continually changing, and there can even be seasonal adjustments. The most up-to-date information can be found on the member web page. Perhaps you will find a perk that you didn't know existed, saving you some additional money.
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/discounts-perks-offers/