Like clockwork, Disney Vacation Club made the one-two punch of its annual price increase along with new discounts and stackable bonus savings. This offers a rundown of the higher and, I guess, lower prices on joining or adding on points.
Before we get going, I want to make a plug for our 2026 Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide. That was recently refreshed for 2026, and includes the latest price increases (but not incentives). I think that’s a pretty fair assessment of joining DVC. Of course, I wrote it, and it’s unlikely that anyone would come out and say: “Please check out a buying guide that I wrote for this thing. It’s incredibly biased and completely unreasonable.” Might be compelling reverse psychology, now that I think about it. I’d click.
What I mean by fair, in this case, is that although we’re members, it isn’t a sales pitch for Disney Vacation Club. The fact is, DVC is not right for everyone. It probably isn’t right for most people. So, rather than presenting the kind of tug at your heartstrings marketing message you’ll hear from a DVC guide trying to make a sale, we present a more balanced perspective. It’s tough to separate emotions from objectivity when weighing the pros & cons of DVC.
I’d also add that we are sponsored by neither Disney nor one of the resellers, so we don’t have a dog in that fight. We bought via resale and would add-on via resale, but that was also a long time ago. The fact is, there’s a compelling resale vs. direct debate despite some in the fandom viewing it as all or nothing.
What I will say here is that I do think the vast majority of first buyers in 2026 are better off joining via resale. Not everyone, but maybe 75%? Regardless, be sure to price out all options out before making the plunge. Don’t be swayed by emotion or just price or just perks; consider everything. All of this is covered in much greater depth in the full buying guide, which, again, is well worth a read before dropping tens of thousands of dollars.
We’ve heard from several readers who told us they saved a ton by reading that, opted against doing DVC, or conversely, that it’s what convinced them to join. So that guide could save you a lot or it could cost you a lot, I suppose. Either way, you’ve been warned.
With that said, we’ve also heard from many people who shared that they’ve done the math on DVC multiple times and it has never penciled out. Many of them wanted DVC to make sense, and wondered what they could do to change the equation. If this describes you, the answer is probably nothing (fortunately or unfortunately). I don’t think DVC makes more sense in 2026 than it did in the past (the opposite, actually).
Anyway, let’s turn to the point of this post, which isn’t just a long-winded link to a different post.
Let’s start with the price increases, which took effect this week. Disney Vacation Club typically raises sticker prices around the start of each calendar year, typically in February. Here’s a look at the 2026 increase:
- Villas at Disneyland Hotel – $248 (previously $245)
- Cabins at Fort Wilderness – $243 (previously $235)
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – $243 (previously $235)
- Disney’s Riviera Resort – $243 (previously $235)
- Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas in Ko Olina, Hawaii – $243 (previously $235)
For the most part, these increases were actually on the lower end of the range that we’ve been seeing lately.
The previous couple of years were mostly $10 per point, whereas all of these are below that. Still notable given the sales slowdown and lack of popularity with the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and Aulani (and seemingly Villas at Disneyland Hotel, but the data isn’t as good for that).
With the higher base prices out of the way, let’s turn to the offsetting incentives, starting with those for existing Disney Vacation Club members…
Existing DVC Member Add-On Incentives
For a limited time, existing Disney Vacation Club members can save up to $5,250 or more with this wonderful winter offer when you Add On at select Resorts. Act fast, by April 27, 2026, to take advantage of this special offer.
In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Disney Vacation Club, save an additional $1,000 when you purchase 150 or more Vacation Points at any of the Resorts shown below. That’s a total savings of up to $6,250 or more!
And the more Vacation Points you Add On, the more you’ll save. Call (888) 681-6028, use DVC’s Online Add-On Tool or select a Resort below to start exploring savings.
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $23 Per Vacation Point | $2,300 to $2,852 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $25 Per Vacation Point | $3,125 to $3,725 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $35 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $6,250 to $7,965 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $38 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,600 to $10,462 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $41 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $11,250 to $13,259 |
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $1,800 to $2,232 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,250 to $2,682 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $4,600 to $5,776 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $28 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $6,600 to $7,972 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $31 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,750 to $10,269 |
Disney’s Riviera Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $12 Per Vacation Point | $1,200 to $1,488 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $15 Per Vacation Point | $1,875 to $2,235 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $19 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $3,850 to $4,781 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $5,800 to $6,976 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,500 to $8,774 |
Disney’s Aulani Resort in Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $16 Per Vacation Point | $1,600 to $1,984 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,250 to $2,682 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $4,900 to $6,174 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $30 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,000 to $8,470 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $33 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $9,250 to $10,867 |
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 100 to 124 Vacation Points | $6 Per Vacation Point | $600 to $744 |
| 125 to 149 Vacation Points | $6 Per Vacation Point | $750 to $894 |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $8 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $2,200 to $2,592 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $12 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $3,400 to $3,988 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $14 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $4,500 to $5,186 |
New DVC Member Incentives
For a limited time, save up to $9,500 or more on Membership with this wonderful winter offer and experience magical vacations near and far for decades to come.
In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Disney Vacation Club, save an additional $1,000 when you purchase 200 or more Vacation Points at any of the Resorts shown below. That’s a total savings of up to $10,500 or more!
And the more Vacation Points you purchase, the more you’ll save. Select a Resort to start exploring savings…
Cabins at Fort Wilderness
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $25 Per Vacation Point | $3,750 to $4,975 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $34 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,800 to $9,466 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $38 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $10,500 to $12,362 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $41 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $13,300 to $21,459 |
Villas at Disneyland Hotel
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,700 to $3,582 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $5,800 to $6,976 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $28 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,000 to $9,372 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $31 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $10,300 to $16,469 |
Disney’s Riviera Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $15 Per Vacation Point | $2,250 to $2,985 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $19 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $4,800 to $5,731 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $24 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $7,000 to $8,176 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,800 to $13,974 |
Disney’s Aulani Resort
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $18 Per Vacation Point | $2,700 to $3,582 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $26 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $6,200 to $7,474 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $30 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $8,500 to $9,970 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $33 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with anniversary savings | $10,900 to $17,467 |
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
| When You Purchase… | You’ll Save… | For a Total Savings of… |
| 150 to 199 Vacation Points | $6 Per Vacation Point | $900 to $1,194 |
| 200 to 249 Vacation Points | $8 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $2,600 to $2,992 |
| 250 to 299 Vacation Points | $12 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $4,000 to $4,588 |
| 300 to 499 Vacation Points | $14 Per Vacation Point + an additional $1,000 with our anniversary savings | $5,200 to $7,986 |
But wait, there’s more!
Stackable Bonus DVC Savings
US Military Discount – Through April 27, 2026, US military personnel can save an additional $2,250 on Membership (on top of current special offer savings) when purchasing 150 Vacation Points at select Disney Vacation Club Resorts.
Plus, the more Points you purchase, the more you save! Eligibility rules apply. Valid identification and/or proof of employment is required and subject to approval.
Cast Member Discount – Eligible Disney Cast Members can save an additional $2,250 on Membership (on top of current special offer savings) when purchasing 150 Vacation Points at select Disney Vacation Club Resorts through April 27, 2026.
Be sure to ask about additional savings available for other Point tiers. Eligibility rules apply. Valid identification and/or proof of employment is required and subject to approval.
Disney Visa Discount – Make Disney Vacation Club a part of your family’s vacation tradition with a Membership at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, AULANI Resort, or Disney Vacation Club Villas and Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, featuring the new Island Tower addition.
The exact terms of this are unclear. It’s definitely $1,000 off. One spot indicates it requires a 250 point purchase at Fort Wilderness, but another opens it to all 5 of the aforementioned properties. Our guess is that it’s the latter.
These discounts are stackable with the 35th Anniversary savings and the incentives, but it doesn’t appear that you can double or triple dip on the additional savings. But I’m not 100% sure of that, so perhaps the U.S. Military Cast Member Visa Cardholders out there can confirm one way or the other.
Our Commentary
By my math, you will need to spend over $100,000 after discount in order to unlock the highest tier of savings, which is the $20k at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. That $100k upfront “investment” is actually much less than you’ll pay over time, thanks to annual maintenance fees.
No one should be making that kind of financial decisions based on a Disney blog’s commentary. Not for nothing, but the kind of person who would do so is probably also the kind who would buy 499 points at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. So I will offer this little morsel of investment advice: don’t do that.
Spending over $100,000 on the Cabins at Fort Wilderness is a categorically bad decision. (Unless you’re making a massive gamble on the Palmetto Trust and are playing 4D chess that’s beyond my comprehension.) And I say that as someone who loves the Cabins at Fort Wilderness! But there’s a reason why the incentives are highest there. If you really want to take up residence in one of the cabins, you could literally purchase one for less. Granted, it’ll be the old model, but some might prefer that.
Joking aside, these incentives strike me as reasonably good once you get to the level that unlocks the 35th Anniversary bonus and especially the Disney Visa bonus. If you have those, the prices become more attractive and closer to on par with the last round of pre-price increase incentives.
They might even be better! I honestly don’t follow this that closely because we don’t currently have intentions to add on. And if we did, we’d absolutely be doing so via resale. We don’t typically post about DVC incentives for the exact reasons discussed above, but I thought this was nevertheless touching upon since these incentives seem to be making more waves than normal.
I do find it interesting that DVC continues to insight upon annual price increases paired with deeper discounts. That mirrors what we’ve seen with Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the last couple of years in the post-revenge travel era, suggesting that Disney needs to “keep up” with inflation by raising sticker prices and/or that the Kohl’s Model of illusory discounts is a winning one. Either way, this approach should be familiar to Disney fans already.
My only other commentary is confusion over Disney Vacation Club’s verbiage that they are offering “up to $X or more.” They do this all the time, and it drives me insane. Pick a lane, Disney. Either the ceiling (“up to”) or the floor (“or more”), but not both with some random number in between. It’s like Sarah asking me how many cookies I ate to polish off the box, and me saying “up to 1 or more.” Wait a minute, I love that idea.
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Planning on taking advantage of the new incentives or bonus DVC 35th Anniversary savings? Thoughts on resale vs. direct? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions or thoughts about anything covered here? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!