Disney Math: DVC Rental Points vs. Booking Disney Direct
Note: We excluded Sarasota Springs and Old Key West DVC properties from this run down because they are not considered "premium" locations and do not have traditional rooms to compare with. In general, these are less expensive than what we have listed below for comparisons.
Note: Referenced pricing based on 3/7/2020 room availability through Disney website. DVC rental point references are based on pricing through DVC Rental Store and are not representative of actual availability at the time of this post.
Renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points via a reputable broker is a great way to save precious dollars on your Disney vacation AND still stay at a deluxe level property. Purchasing tickets through an authorized seller offers additional savings. Disney World has a streamlined online booking tool that puts everything in one place and linking your reservation immediately to your My Disney Experience account/app. There is more legwork on the front end when using DVC rental points and purchasing tickets separately; reservation confirmations are not immediate and there are a few extra steps to get tickets linked to your My Disney Experience account. But are the savings enough to make it worth it those inherent hassles? Check out the numbers and decide for yourself!
We reviewed some reference numbers on a trip for 2...
Dates: September 12-18, 2020 (6 night stay)
Transfers: Magical Express (FREE!)
Dining: Deluxe Dining Plan ($1428)
Tickets: 5 day tickets with Park Hopper
($1134 Disney, $1085 ParkSavers, $1068 GetAwayToday)
Keeping those factors the same, these were the package costs over a selection of
Disney resorts booked through the Disney website:
VALUE
$3547 All-Star Movie Resort Standard room (cheapest Value room)
$4042 Pop Century Preferred room
$4049 Art of Animation Little Mermaid Standard room
$5820 Art of Animation Family Suite (most expensive Value room)
MODERATE
$4392 Port Orleans Riverside Standard room (cheapest Moderate resort room)
$5308 Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower, Water View (most expensive Moderate room)
DELUXE
$5128 Wilderness Lodge Standard view room (cheapest Deluxe room)
$5653 Boardwalk Inn Standard view room
$7802 Grand Floridian Theme Park View (most expensive Deluxe room)
DVC VILLAS
$5155 Animal Kingdom Lodge Value Studio Villa, Jambo House (cheapest DVC studio villa)
$5953 Boardwalk Villas Standard view Studio Villa (direct compare to DVC rental)
$6752 Riviera Resort Preferred view Studio Villa
(**most expensive DVC studio villa available for comparison)
(**Bay Lake Tower with Theme Park View, Polynesian and Grand Floridian Studio villas with Lake view were not available for booking through Disney directly based on the reference dates, but are typically the more expensive than what is noted here for Riviera Resort)
DVC RENTAL POINTS/DISCOUNTED TICKETS
$3599 Boardwalk Villas Standard view Studio Villa (cheapest studio villa option)
$4758 Grand Floridian/Polynesian Lake view Studio Villa (most expensive studio villa option)
Yup, you read that right. If you are able to plan far enough ahead and take advantage of early DVC rental point availability, you can book a Disney vacation in a Deluxe Studio Villa for as little as $52 more than the CHEAPEST room on Disney property! The most expensive DVC rental option - still $370 LESS than the LEAST expensive Deluxe resort room on property.
The "Apples to Apples" comparison - for a Boardwalk Studio Villa, DVC rental points saves you $2354 over booking directly with Disney! That 65% of a second trip!
Tools to check out your own Disney Math:
DVC Rental Store Cost & Points Calculator
DVC Availability Tool (click on any of the boxes, regardless of availability, to see floor plan layouts and a calendar view of availability searchable by month)
Disney Dining Plan Details & Cost 2020