The DVC Desk
Disney Vacation Club in one place: learn how it works, rent a villa on an owner's points, buy a resale contract with our calculators, and, for owners, your use-year deadlines, booking windows and what your points are worth. Plus every DVC post.
The DVC Desk
Disney Vacation Club in one place: learn how it works, rent a villa on an owner's points, buy a resale contract with our calculators, and, for owners, your use-year deadlines, booking windows and what your points are worth. Plus every DVC post.
DVC tools
- DVC Rent vs Rack: Rent DVC points or pay Disney cash?
- DVC Resale Calculator: What would DVC resale cost us?
Learn the lingo
- Points
- DVC's currency. A contract brings the same number of points every year, and you spend them on nights at DVC resorts.
- Point chart
- Each resort's chart sets what a night costs in points, by room and season.
- Use year
- The month your points arrive each year. They're good for 12 months, unless you bank them.
- Home resort
- The resort your contract is tied to. You can book it 11 months ahead; the other DVC resorts open at 7 months.
- Banking and borrowing
- Move unused points into next year during the first eight months of your use year, or borrow next year's points when you book.
- Resale
- Buying an existing owner's contract instead of buying from Disney. Usually much cheaper, with a few limits.
- Right of first refusal
- Disney can buy a resale contract at the agreed price instead of the buyer. The Timeshare Store says it decides in about 30 days.
- Contract end date
- Every contract ends on January 31 of a set year: 2042 at the original resorts, as late as 2075 at the newest.
- Dues
- A yearly fee for each point you own, set again every year, whether or not you travel.
Questions first-timers ask
- Is DVC a timeshare?
- Yes, a points-based one. Instead of a fixed week, you get points every year until the contract ends and spend them at the DVC resorts, on the dates and rooms you choose.
- Can we try it before buying?
- Yes. Rent an owner's points for one stay: the same villas, with no contract. See the Rent tab.
- What can't resale points do?
- They can't book Disney Cruise Line or Adventures by Disney, and they don't come with Disney's Member Extras. Resale points at Riviera and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness book only their own resort.
- How many points would we need?
- It depends on the resort, room, season and nights. Our two calculators price a stay, or a trip you'd take every year, in points.
- How much cheaper is resale?
- The Timeshare Store puts it at $50 to $100 or more a point below buying from Disney, depending on the resort.
- How much does renting cost?
- About $20 a point on average at The Timeshare Store, depending on the resort, season and room. Their figure.
- Pre-booked or our own dates?
- A pre-booked stay is already reserved, so you see the exact dates, resort and room before you pay. A custom request starts from your own dates.
- Can we cancel a rental?
- Usually not, or only on strict terms, so book once your dates are firm.
- How is it different from booking with Disney?
- Housekeeping is lighter, dates are fixed and refunds are rare. Our post prices what you give up.
- How small can a contract be?
- Resale has no minimum: contracts as small as 25 points sell. Buying from Disney takes at least 150 points to get Member Extras.
- Does the end date matter?
- Yes. The original resorts end in 2042 and the newest in 2075. Fewer years left usually means a lower price per point.
- What are the dues?
- In 2026 they run from about $8 to $15 a point a year, depending on the resort, and they're set again every year.
- Can we finance it?
- Yes, through lenders that finance DVC resale. The Timeshare Store can point you to one.
How renting works
- Price the stay: Pick a resort, room and dates. DVC Rent vs Rack shows the points it takes and what renting them costs.
- Choose how to book: Take a pre-booked stay that's already reserved, or ask for your own dates and the broker finds an owner with the points.
- Get it in your name: The owner books the villa with Disney under your name, and you get the confirmation.
- Check before you pay: A confirmed reservation can be checked before you send money.
How buying resale works
- Pick a resort and size: Choose a home resort and enough points for the trip you take each year. The DVC Resale Calculator sizes it.
- Make an offer: Offers go through the broker, and asking prices are sometimes negotiable.
- Disney reviews it: Disney can buy the contract instead (its right of first refusal). The Timeshare Store says that's happened to under 10% of the resales it has sold.
- Close: You pay the price, closing costs (typically $517 to $777, their figure) and that year's dues.
- Book your first stay: About 3 to 5 weeks after closing, once Disney sets up your membership, The Timeshare Store says.
Sponsored by The Timeshare Store, Stack the Magic’s exclusive partner for DVC resale and rentals. Resale listings · Pre-booked stays
Stack the Magic is independent and isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Disney. We’re a publisher, not a broker.
The DVC Desk
DVC News
Every Disney Vacation Club post on Stack the Magic, newest first: renting, resale, owner tips and news. We cover news once Disney confirms it, never from rumors.
12 posts
FinanceBuying Our First DVC Resale Contract: 270 Points at BoardWalk Villas
One of our co-founders just bought a 270-point BoardWalk Villas resale contract to add to his family's Old Key West points. He talks through why resale, how he sized it, the offer, Disney's right of first refusal and the 40-odd days to a recorded deed.
FinanceDVC Resale 101: The Questions Every First-Time Buyer Asks
Buying Disney Vacation Club points on resale usually costs thousands less than buying from Disney. Here's what resale points can't do, how to read a listing, how many points your family needs, and what closing really costs.
NewsDisney's Lakeshore Lodge Is Open to Book for July 2027: What's Confirmed and What It Costs
Disney's Lakeshore Lodge opens July 1, 2027, and cash stays are open to everyone now. Here's what Disney has confirmed about the rooms, pools and dining, what early-summer nights cost, and why DVC points can't book it yet.
FinanceDVC Resale or Direct in 2026: Is Disney's Premium Ever Worth It?
On a 150-point contract, buying DVC resale instead of direct saves roughly $9,000 to $19,000 in 2026. Direct only earns its premium for Disney's member perks, the newest resorts or Disney financing. What resale gives up, and why Disney's $500 fee matters most on small contracts.
LogisticsThe Best Disney World Resort for a Family of 5 in 2027
Most Disney World standard rooms sleep four. Here is where five fit in one room in 2027, with nightly ranges: a 1-bedroom DVC villa, a room with two queens and a pull-out bed, a Family Suite, and how a baby in a crib counts.
LogisticsWhere to Stay at Disney World in 2027: Every Resort Tier, What It Costs and Who It Suits (Guide)
Value, Moderate, Deluxe or a DVC villa? Where we'd start in every Walt Disney World resort tier, 2027 nightly price ranges, the resort areas and transportation, where a family of five fits, renting DVC points, and what you give up staying off site.
FinanceWhat You Give Up When You Rent DVC Points, and When It's Worth It
A rented Boulder Ridge two-bedroom villa costs thousands less than Disney's cash price for the same week. What you trade for it: daily housekeeping, fixed dates and a rental that may not be refundable once it's booked.
FinanceTwo Hotel Rooms or One 2-Bedroom Villa? How a Family of Five Should Book Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Two rooms or one 2-bedroom villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a family of five: how Disney's room offer and a DVC point rental compare, and which to book when.
LogisticsIs Renting DVC Points Safe? How to Spot a Rental Scam
Most DVC rental scams start with a one-on-one deal with a stranger. Here's how to protect yourself if you rent that way, and why we highly recommend going through an established broker instead.
LogisticsRenting DVC Points, Step by Step: Confirmed Reservation vs. Custom Request
A step-by-step look at how DVC point rentals work: a confirmed reservation you can check before paying, versus a custom request where you ask for your own dates and wait to see if a room turns up.
FinanceShould You Pay DVC Dues With a Credit Card?
Disney's DVC dues portal takes a credit card for a full lump-sum payment, just not monthly autopay. On a 150-point Saratoga Springs contract, that's worth about $14 to $28 back, so it only pays with a card you already carry and pay in full.
Finance