DVC points used for Adventures by Disney/DCL?

[Amunet]

I am not a DVC owner but doing a lot of research
In some of the material I've received, it mentioned using points for ABD & DCL but had absolutely no point usage/amount charts.
Could anyone share that information? I know using points for DCL isn't 'a good use of points' but I am not asking if it's good or not, just the charts.
I'm particularly interested how they can be used for ABD, never heard of being used for those before.

I would appreciate any information on this subject, thank you

 

[tjkraz]

Rates are based upon double occupancy so a minimum of two adults must be paid at the point values listed.

https://secure.cdn2.wdpromedia.com/media/dvc/catalog/resorts/adventures/2017-ABD-Pt-Cht-041117.pdf

Applying an approximate rental income of $14 per point helps put the cost in perspective. The 4 day / 3 night New York City visit is 333 per person or 666 points to meet the double occupancy requirement. At $14 per point, you’re effectively spending $9,324 on that trip. (If you happen to have 666 points sitting around, they could be easily rented for over $9k rather than spending on this AbD trip.)

I know the Adventures by Disney trips are well regarded, but I’m thinking $9,000 is a little much for 3 nights in NYC. Also, travel costs are not included.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

If you buy direct, you can use those points to book ABD and Disney Cruises. I recently did an ABD Trip to London and Paris, and I found it was better to pay cash. Many people find the same for the cruises. The exception seems to be people who bought a lot of points 20years ago at $50/point. They can profitably use their points for ABD.

For example, our ABD cost around $10,500 cash. To pay with points would by 750 points each, or 1500 total. This would be 3 ½ years of points for us, so even borrowing and banking does not get us enough points. This is enough points for 3 years with 1 week in a studio at VGF and 1 week in a 2BR at VGF and several points left over.

To put it another way, $10,500 divided by 1500 points yields $7.00 per point that ABD values the DVC points at. I could rent out my VGF pints for $15 to $19/point, giving me $22,500 if I don’t go to DVC for 3 ½ years.

So in general, you can spend direct points on ABD, but you probably would not want to.

 

[crisi]

RARELY the exchange rate on cruises works out a bit better. Another thing to know is that DCL/ABD only gives DVC a certain number of spots - when the Dream and Fantasy first launched, it was really difficult to get a cruise on points - they could sell them for cash and so did.

 

[supersnoop]

but had absolutely no point usage/amount charts.

If they included a chart, you’d realize what a terrible value it is. And, those point charts can change (increase) every year, unlike the DVC resorts.

 

[jennyl772003]

You can see the points charts on the member site. They are not really that easy to find though. (sorry, just saw that you are not a member)

For an example, here's one of the cruise charts.

 

[disneynutz]

Isn't there a $95 booking and change fee also?

IMO they don't want you to use your points outside of DVC so they set the rates high, restrict availability, and have now added a booking fee to deter you even further. They want to advertise that "you can use your points for vacations around the world", but that's just used to sell direct contracts.

Bill

 

[jodifla]

We used our points for a DVC cruise once. We booked just a few months before the cruise, so the rates were already very high for cash. We could have rented points out, but the close timing made it too risky we felt.

 

[crisi]

We used our points for a DVC cruise once. We booked just a few months before the cruise, so the rates were already very high for cash. We could have rented points out, but the close timing made it too risky we felt.

Yep, that's one of the use cases where it can make sense - when DCL still has DVC rooms left on a cruise that is close to sailing so rates are higher.

Disney doesn't fire sale DCL rooms (very rarely to fill ships they'll do a specific discount - to military or Florida residents for instance), and point charts are fixed regardless of when you book - so if you book late, points can actually work out to be as good as cash.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The Oct 2 DCL cruise was discounted. 25% off, you had to use some points. Friends went on the cruise for points, and were very satisfied!

 

[Amunet]

Wow, all my notifications didn't show except just now. Weird ...

Thank you ALL for your information, it definitely helps Figuring out DVC value to us is as serious as buying a house! I haven't bought a house but I'm sure it will be thorough too

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I am using points to stay in a regular room at the Grand Californian next month. I had borrowed points from next year to book a room at WDW earlier that we then cancelled, so I had points I couldn't bank. And all the VGC villas were booked by the time we decided to go to DLR.

There's no fee for using points to book the Disney Collection hotels.

 

[JETSDAD]

There's no fee for using points to book the Disney Collection hotels.

For the majority of the Disney Collection there is.

"A non-refundable $95 transaction fee applies per confirmed Disney Collection reservation (excluding Disneyland Resort in California, and the campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in Florida). If payment is not received at the time of confirmation, Disney Vacation Club reserves the right to cancel the reservation."

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Well, I stand corrected. That makes booking a Disney collection with points even less attractive.

 

[disneynutz]

Well, I stand corrected. That makes booking a Disney collection with points even less attractive.

I was told that the fee applies to changes to the reservation also.

Bill

 

[taaren]

We used our points for a DVC cruise once. We booked just a few months before the cruise, so the rates were already very high for cash. We could have rented points out, but the close timing made it too risky we felt.

I did the same thing for our 4th cruise.

I booked it 2 weeks out (wanted to be on the same cruise as my sister, couldn't get the time off from my last job, then got a brand new job offer 2 weeks prior to sailing so it was a fun surprise for all of us), with points for the 3rd person in the room (my son) with some points that were about to expire, and the accompanying rates for person 1 & 2 were very reasonable by comparison to booking cash and trying to rent out the expiring points.

That's a pretty rare occasion though I'd look into using points again for a child/3rd/4th person rate if it made persons 1 & 2 cheaper than a rate after you miss an early DCL booking window. DCL's rates can really hop quickly after they release the dates and the rate you pay cash for the other room members when you use points are set/not subject to price fluctuation like direct DCL cash rates if it was explained to me correctly.