Not all Disney fan clubs are created equally. Some fans are so devoted to vacationing at Disney, they consider it to be their Home Away From Home.

Of course, we’re talking about the Disney Vacation Club! There are plenty of perks to buying into this program, like travel flexibility, exclusive events, discounts, and more. But recently, we’ve spoken to DVC members who are leaving the program and asked them why, but that made us wonder something else — what are the biggest reasons fans won’t buy into Disney Vacation Club?

What Is the Disney Vacation Club?

The Disney Vacation Club functions like a timeshare program, but there are a few key differences. Members aren’t “locked in” to any specific Disney destination, resort, season, or length of stay. Vacations are booked using a points system instead. Members receive a yearly allotment of points based on the size of their real estate interest or how much they’ve spent buying into their “home” DVC resort.

Members are able to “bank” or save vacation points that are unused for the next year, or “borrow” future years’ points for a sooner vacation as well. The program has changed over the years, including becoming more expensive while offering fewer benefits, causing some long-time members to end their DVC contracts.

Why Fans Won’t Join

We headed over to our Facebook page to see what our readers’ biggest reasons were for not wanting to buy into the Disney Vacation Club. Here’s what they said.

Cost

By far the most common answer we heard from readers was that DVC is just too cost-prohibitive. Of course, buying into any type of timeshare program is usually never cheap, but the Disney Vacation Club can come with some pretty steep prices. A few Disney fans mentioned that they were considering it, especially after the park closures, but after seeing the latest prices on the point charts, it didn’t seem worth it anymore.

Not only is DVC expensive to begin with, but some readers just don’t see the value — at least not anymore. Ticket prices have increased in the parks, and there aren’t as many stellar DVC perks as there used to be.

One reader shared that when they looked at the price per month they’d spend on a DVC membership compared to putting that money into some sort of designated vacation savings account, the latter made more sense for their family. By having that money saved, they’d be able to book a Disney vacation when they wanted — or a vacation anywhere else since they weren’t locked into a Disney destination.

Maintenance fees were also mentioned a few times by readers discussing the cost of a DVC membership. In addition to buying a certain number of points when you purchase a membership, you’ll also have to pay maintenance fees which can often be unpredictable. And ultimately, many of our readers just didn’t think spending all that money — what some equated to a second mortgage — on something you don’t actually own made financial sense for them.

But, it’s not just the cost our readers had a problem with…

Contract Length

One interesting thing about Disney Vacation Club memberships is that they last a lifetime…sometimes literally. Most DVC resorts were initially given an expiration date of 50 years from the date they were built, but occasionally extensions are offered (like in the case of Disney’s Old Key West Resort). So, as of now, the earliest any DVC contract might expire would be in 2042, with newer resorts like Riviera stretching all the way to 2070.

That’s a long time to commit to a payment, a vacation, a company, a destination — anything, really. Many of our readers said that the contract length — not the cost — was their biggest reason for not buying into DVC. One reader remarked that the future is uncertain, and signing a multi-year contract with monthly payments didn’t sit well with them.

Those who buy into DVC and later decide it’s not right for them or may have had a change in circumstances do have a few options when it comes to opting out. First, members can rent out their points by using point rental services. Any guest is then able to “rent” points for a stay at DVC resorts.

In other cases, members can sell their contracts entirely. This can be beneficial for those looking to get out of their DVC membership and those looking to purchase one at a discount or potentially for a shorter amount of time. You can read more about what to do if you want out of your membership here.

With many economic experts warning of a looming recession, it seems as though our readers aren’t too quick to jump into an expensive, multi-year financial commitment — no matter how many perks it might come with or how much they love Mickey Mouse.

Not Enough Flexibility

Even for some of the most die-hard Disney fans, the DVC just doesn’t make sense. Being locked into taking Disney vacations exclusively in most cases might sound appealing to some, but others want more flexibility. For most people, a DVC membership is their entire vacation budget and leaves them with little wiggle room when it comes to vacation destinations. Sure, there are DVC properties in Florida, California, Hilton Head Island, and even Hawai’i, but that isn’t enough for many of our readers.

Being able to spend the money they might have used on a DVC membership towards any vacation they want is a big reason our readers don’t want to buy into the club.

Not only that, but several fans replied that visiting the Disney parks, in general, is just less spontaneous than it used to be, with the addition of Park Pass Reservations. Members might be able to book the resort of their choice last minute, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to secure passes to the parks they want on the dates of their choosing.

With the overall lack of flexibility and more planning that goes into a Disney vacation these days, our readers don’t seem to think committing to a Disney Vacation Club membership makes sense for them. That, combined with those lengthy contracts and increasing costs are the big reasons why YOU won’t buy into the Disney Vacation Club.

Want to learn more about Disney Vacation Club? See the 2024 DVC Pints Charts here, and you can check out 2023 DVC Disney Cruise Line deals here.

Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news and more!

Everything You Need to Know About Disney Vacation Club

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Are you a Disney Vacation Club Member? Let us know in the comments!

The post The BIG Reason You Won’t Buy Disney Vacation Club first appeared on the disney food blog.