2025 DVC experience/thoughts - Great rental deals and APs

[Bo1203]

2025 has been an amazing DVC year for my family. We kicked things off with a 10-day split stay at BLT and Riviera in early April—both fantastic. Then in July we scored a great rental at Hilton Head, which was another awesome trip. And just this past weekend, we found an incredible deal at Saratoga Springs, 7-night deluxe studio in early December for only $12 a point… about $162 per night! Some of these rental deals are definitely keeping the addonitis at bay. Regularly checking the rental sites this year has really paid off. Our next trip on our own points is back to Riviera and GF next May.

We actually let our annual passes lapse in May since we didn’t expect to return to WDW until next spring, but that Saratoga deal changed our plans—so we ended up repurchasing Sorcerer passes. That was a whew moment at around $4,600+ total. Our youngest turned 3 after a last trip. I can’t imagine buying four Incredipasses! Based on our plans, we’ll get about 19 park days out of these APs, which works out to roughly $60 per person per day for our family of four—much better than buying regular tickets.

Next month will be our first time there during the Holidays, we are excited to see the Christmas decorations in the parks and resorts. First time having our kids at Saratoga Springs, we got a standard view, thinking about trying to request Paddock or Grandstand. We'll have our vehicle but will miss the skyliner. Would love to hear any tips around SS and being in WDW this time of year. Any opinions/advice on MK and HS on party days, we aren't buying any party tickets. How have the extended evening hours been at Epcot and AK?

 

[Sandisw]

How fun and what a great year you have had!!! We will be there in a few weeks and can't wait! Be sure to do the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs....its just fun to go and find them. There is usually a little booklet and when you find the tree, you put the sticker on it and then turn it in for a button!

The Gingerbread Stroll is fun to do and maybe on the night of a party......the one at Wildnerness Lodge has been canceled, but there still is a stall with treats and a chocolate log house there and that is a resort you don't want to miss.

You will find that they are pretty strict in December in terms of driving to resorts if you don't have a dining reservation, and many times, they will even turn you away with a mobile order...so, if you want to go resort visiting, use Disney transportation!!

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

We like Grandstand. First bus stop going and coming back from parks.

 

[LoveToDisney]

Also, check when the paddock pool is supposed to be refurbished…I can’t remember what I read.

 

[Bo1203]

Also, check when the paddock pool is supposed to be refurbished…I can’t remember what I read.

Good catch!

 

[SL6827]

2025 has been an amazing DVC year for my family. We kicked things off with a 10-day split stay at BLT and Riviera in early April—both fantastic. Then in July we scored a great rental at Hilton Head, which was another awesome trip. And just this past weekend, we found an incredible deal at Saratoga Springs, 7-night deluxe studio in early December for only $12 a point… about $162 per night! Some of these rental deals are definitely keeping the addonitis at bay. Regularly checking the rental sites this year has really paid off. Our next trip on our own points is back to Riviera and GF next May.

We actually let our annual passes lapse in May since we didn’t expect to return to WDW until next spring, but that Saratoga deal changed our plans—so we ended up repurchasing Sorcerer passes. That was a whew moment at around $4,600+ total. Our youngest turned 3 after a last trip. I can’t imagine buying four Incredipasses! Based on our plans, we’ll get about 19 park days out of these APs, which works out to roughly $60 per person per day for our family of four—much better than buying regular tickets.

Next month will be our first time there during the Holidays, we are excited to see the Christmas decorations in the parks and resorts. First time having our kids at Saratoga Springs, we got a standard view, thinking about trying to request Paddock or Grandstand. We'll have our vehicle but will miss the skyliner. Would love to hear any tips around SS and being in WDW this time of year. Any opinions/advice on MK and HS on party days, we aren't buying any party tickets. How have the extended evening hours been at Epcot and AK?

Where you finding the great deals?

 

[Bo1203]

Where you finding the great deals?

I browse a couple of the major rental websites, looking for confirmed reservations. The older resort point charts are just so good, when owners start reducing the price to $10-16pp they're such a good value.

 

[Genie+]

We just scored a 2 night BWV studio at $15.75pp, which is less than it costs to use the BWV points we own It was ‘distressed’, less than 2 weeks out from check-in. Still it was by far the best deal we could find for a last minute trip over Halloween.

Disney sometimes offers very good deals too. We added on 1 night cash stay at BW Villa for our April 2026 trip. It was a bounceback offer and cost worked out to $17.50pp to book it 5 months out. Not too shabby!

 

[Genie+]

Where you finding the great deals?

https://dvcseer.com

This is a great resource from the same person who created Priceline Express tool so you can predict if the hidden deal is a WDW resort, and if so which resort.

 

[SL6827]

I browse a couple of the major rental websites, looking for confirmed reservations. The older resort point charts are just so good, when owners start reducing the price to $10-16pp they're such a good value.

Ya, you know Disney has been wanting to kick themselves in the *** for an extremely long time now for such low point charts. They won't make that mistake twice though.

 

[muppets3d]

Ya, you know Disney has been wanting to kick themselves in the *** for an extremely long time now for such low point charts. They won't make that mistake twice though.

There are other resorts built after the 2042's with reasonable points charts. Although I do concede that at least when you consider location, BWV and BCV's points charts probably should have been higher than they are.

 

[SL6827]

There are other resorts built after the 2042's with reasonable points charts. Although I do concede that at least when you consider location, BWV and BCV's points charts probably should have been higher than they are.

Ya, the point charts of those resorts which are in Epcot's backyard are the ones that give Disney the most regret and grief. I just wonder if that is  one of the reasons that they never went through with a DVC at the Yacht Club? Couldn't dare to align the point values with the Beach Club?

 

[muppets3d]

Ya, the point charts of those resorts which are in Epcot's backyard are the ones that give Disney the most regret and grief. I just wonder if that is  one of the reasons that they never went through with a DVC at the Yacht Club? Couldn't dare to align the point values with the Beach Club?

Well if it's a different association (which it would have to be since there aren't enough years on BCV to sell new points for - has to be at least 40 years left when they start selling according to posts I've read on here), the points charts don't have to align. BRV and CCV don't align for example.

 

[SL6827]

Well if it's a different association (which it would have to be since there aren't enough years on BCV to sell new points for - has to be at least 40 years left when they start selling according to posts I've read on here), the points charts don't have to align. BRV and CCV don't align for example.

They dont have to align, but if they were to have went with DVC at the Yatch, the point values would have clearly been worth at least double of what the Beach Club are. And that wouldn't have looked good on the side of Disney. And yes, the 40 years time line most definitely would come into play as well.

 

[muppets3d]

They dont have to align, but if they were to have went with DVC at the Yatch, the point values would have clearly been worth at least double of what the Beach Club are. And that wouldn't have looked good on the side of Disney. And yes, the 40 years time line most definitely would come into play as well.

Actually I'm looking, and CCV BCV and BRV all have fairly similar points charts (they sort of trade blows based upon the room type and season). So I'm not sure that a Yacht or Boardwalk tower would need to be double those. It's really only Riviera that is an outlier so far honestly (at least outside of the Monorail loop). Riviera is my family's favorite resort but even I don't think it really justifies its points chart.

 

[SL6827]

The reason I feel like the Yacht Club would be valued at double (and the fact that if Disney could change the point values at this very moment at the Beach Club) is not only the location next door to Epcot, but also SAB. We have actually came down for a few days at the Beach Club and entered not one park!

 

[muppets3d]

The reason I feel like the Yacht Club would be valued at double (and the fact that if Disney could change the point values at this very moment at the Beach Club) is not only the location next door to Epcot, but also SAB. We have actually came down for a few days at the Beach Club and entered not one park!

It's looking like Lakeshore may have a similar water park type experience to SAB so we'll see how the points charts there are as we get closer to opening.

 

[Mle8308]

Ya, the point charts of those resorts which are in Epcot's backyard are the ones that give Disney the most regret and grief. I just wonder if that is  one of the reasons that they never went through with a DVC at the Yacht Club? Couldn't dare to align the point values with the Beach Club?

The Yacht Club is also a convention resort, it would interfere with convention sales (which are good, a friend of mine is sales rep and the YC sells quite well).