Like many other timeshares, Disney Vacation Club tends to work best for owners who plan their stays many months in advance. Only a finite numbers of rooms are available and those rooms--particularly at the smaller or more popular resorts--can fill up quickly.
However, it is certainly possible to secure a room on short notice. Reservations can be made for next-day or even same-day stays, pending availability.
When contemplating a Disney Vacation Club purchase, two of the primary reasons for buying are economics and emotion.
The DVC points could be viewed as a means for taking cheaper trips, taking more trips for the same dollars or upgrading the quality of accommodations without spending significantly more money. All are examples of an economic justification for the purchase.
Or it could be based more on emotion--the desire to belong to one of the most exclusive Disney clubs, to own a piece of a Disney resort hotel and be greeted with a hearty "Welcome Home!" at every visit.
One of Disney Vacation Club's recent trends is the addition of a twin-size sleeper chair or Murphy Bed to many One Bedroom and larger villas. The feature has been included in the design of the five newest properties and retrofitted to two older resorts.
At the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, designers went one step further by including the Murphy Bed in Deluxe Studio Villas.
To some the additional bed is of little significance while others consider it an essential requirement for booking their vacation.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas is the only Disney Vacation Club resort to feature concierge-level rooms. Guests booking the concierge villa class pay a greater number of points per night. In return they have access to a lounge with complimentary snacks and beverages, vacation planning resources, daily housekeeping and other perks.
However, concierge villas do not appear to be a high priority for Disney Vacation Club management. Only about 1% of the villas at Animal Kingdom include concierge access. Including the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, four new properties will have opened after Animal Kingdom with none featuring concierge perks.
Disney Vacation Club villas have evolved quite a bit over the years. Deluxe Studio villas have moved from two queen beds at Old Key West to a queen + sofabed in many resorts to queen + sofabed + Murphy Bed at the Grand Floridian. One Bedroom (and larger) villas have added bathrooms (then subtracted again), added Murphy Beds and sleeper chairs, varying balcony sizes, varying kitchen layouts and so on. Grand Villas have featured billiard rooms, lofts, media rooms and more.
