Disney Timeshare Price Increase Alert - Time to Buy Disney Resales?

Several changes have been announced recently for the Disney Vacation Club, including a price hike which will break the $300 per point mark for the first time. Disney timeshares at the Grand Californian will now cost $310 per point if bought directly from Disney, making discounted Disney timeshare resales all the more appealing.

This price rise comes on the heels of an earlier hike for Grand Californian in January, plus increases for Disney Old Key West timeshare points (up to $170) and Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge (now $190). These new prices are in effect now for new DVC points buyers and will be in place for existing members looking to upgrade as of July 15.

As we previously mentioned, Disney Grand Floridian timeshare points are going for $255 per point from Disney – a big jump from the $201 per point at other Disney timeshare resorts. Compared with discounted DVC resales, significant money can be saved by buying Disney resales. Sure, resale buyers may not get some of the perks such as discounts on merchandising but considering the thousands of dollars saved by buying resale, it’s a great trade-off. 

Demand High for Disney Timeshares

A big reason for the price increases are the responses from consumers looking to buy Disney timeshare points. After all, Disney wouldn’t want to raise prices if they didn’t think they could get it or if there wasn’t a market for them. And judging from the overwhelmingly positive response to the reopening of Grand Californian in late April, the demand is definitely there for the product.

Disney has quietly been lifting prices throughout the year as the country emerged from the impacts of COVID. As I mentioned earlier, this is the second price increase this year for Grand Californian, with the first one coming last January along with price increases for Disney’s Bay Lake Tower, Beach Club Villas, BoardWalk Villas, and Polynesian Villas. More recently in May, Disney also hiked prices for its Hilton Head Island and Vero Beach resorts.

What does this all mean for Disney Vacation Club timeshares? It is good news for the product since it reflects a healthy program and positive consumer demand. Disney fans saw last year that the first Disney resorts to reopen during the pandemic were Disney timeshare resorts and the first ones allowed in were Disney points owners. This reinforced the power of ownership, even if it was done by Disney as much for legal reasons and program logistics as for making owners happy.

Even so, the gap between new and resale prices is widening, which is great news for buyers looking to buy Disney resale points. Some of these resorts see as much as a $100 per point discount on the resale market. Consider resorts such as Disney Beach Club Villas, which requires at least 192 points for a week of timeshare in a one-bedroom villa. Even at a $50 per point resale discount, that would shave nearly $10,000 off the purchase price.

Overall, prices retain much more of their value on the resale market compared to other timeshare programs. That’s great news for owners looking to sell DVC points, especially for long term owners who bought years ago at lower new sale prices. Sellers know that they can get a good value for their points when they resell them.

Disney Reduces Housekeeping Services

These increases come as Disney continues to announce reduced services, no longer offering full housekeeping services for stays of 7 nights or less. Guests had been able to request full housekeeping during their week stay at a cost ranging from $30 for a studio through to $75 for a Grand Villa. Stays of 8 nights or more will continue to receive mid-week full housekeeping services.

On a positive note, refurbishments have been announced for next week for Disney Old Key West and Disney Saratoga Springs timeshare resorts. Old Key West will have its lobby refurbished, with a new front desk and concierge area and smaller check-in counters to help streamline the process. Disney Saratoga Springs will have work done on the lobby and porte cochere areas to also improve check-in and guest flow in the main welcome area.

Expect More Crowds at Disney Timeshare Resorts

In some ways, Disney timeshare owners have had the run of the place, with most DVC resorts open exclusively to Disney Vacation Club members while the hotel portion of those resorts remained in COVID closure for most of the last 12 months.

Now that the vaccine rates have increased and the CDC has revamped its COVID guidelines, more resorts have reopened or are reopening to hotel guests as well as timeshare owners. Count Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge as one of those resorts.

Disney announced that the hotel rooms at the Jambo House section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will reopen on August 26. This will follow the reopening of the hotel section at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort at the end of July. The rest of the Disney timeshare resorts are listed on the Disney website as open to hotel guests as the resort experience slowly returns to normal.  

Disney World Resort Mask Update

Disney has drawn a distinct line in the sand between vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests when it comes to its COVID face mask policy. Guests on Walt Disney World property, which would include Disney timeshare resorts, are considered in one of the two categories:

• For vaccinated guests – masks are required when traveling on Disney buses, monorail or on the Skyliner. Otherwise, masks are not required to be worn.
• For non-vaccinated guests – masks are not required in outdoor common areas or on pool decks. Otherwise, Disney requires guests to wear masks in all areas except when actively eating or drinking in restaurants or bars.

One important note is that Disney World staff will not be checking guests for proof of vaccination, so they will be using the honor system for guests entering their facilities.  

Anticipating Disney World’s 50th Anniversary

Disney officials have announced more activities in relation to the approaching 50th anniversary of Disney World on October 1st. Announced activities debuting in October to mark the achievement are:

• A new nighttime program at the Magic Kingdom called Disney Enchantment which will include new lighting, music, fireworks, and projection effects extending from Cinderella’s Castle down Main Street.
• Harmonious at EPCOT, a new pyrotechnic, lighting and music evening show centered on the iconic World Showcase Lagoon featuring 240 artists from across the globe.
• The opening of the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction near the France pavilion in EPCOT, based on Pixar’s Academy Award-winning animated film Ratatouille.

Other activities will be announced as the event draws near, so click here for more information