Long before Disney Vacation Club became what DVC Members know today, Disney took a familiar vacation concept—the timeshare—and gave it a distinctly Disney twist.
The history of Disney Vacation Club officially began in 1991 with a different approach to vacation ownership. Instead of purchasing the same room during the same week every year, DVC Members would receive Vacation Points that could be used to create different types of Disney vacations.
The first Disney Vacation Club Resort opened at Walt Disney World in December 1991. Originally known simply as The Disney Vacation Club Resort, it would later receive the name we all recognize today: Disney’s Old Key West Resort.
More than three decades later, Disney Vacation Club has expanded far beyond that first resort. But to understand what DVC has become, it’s fun to go back to where it all started.
How Disney Vacation Club Began
By 1991, timeshares were certainly nothing new. The traditional model typically involved purchasing the right to vacation at a particular property during a specific week each year.
Disney took a different approach.
Instead of tying Members to one particular week, Disney Vacation Club created a points-based vacation ownership system.
Members purchased a real estate interest at a DVC resort and received an annual allotment of Vacation Points. Those points could then be used to book accommodations based on factors such as the resort, room type, time of year and length of stay.
That flexibility became one of the defining characteristics of Disney Vacation Club.
Want to spend several nights in a Deluxe Studio? You can.
Want to use more points for a larger villa and bring the entire family? You can do that too.
Of course, figuring out who gets which bedroom once the entire family arrives is another matter entirely.
Old Key West: Where DVC Started
The original Disney Vacation Club Resort welcomed its first Members home in 1991.
The resort was eventually renamed Disney’s Old Key West Resort in 1996, but its place in DVC history had already been established.
Today, Old Key West remains one of the most recognizable DVC properties. Its relaxed Florida Keys atmosphere, spacious accommodations and waterways give it a personality that feels very different from many of the DVC resorts that followed.
And for longtime Members, Old Key West represents something even more significant:
It’s where “Welcome Home” began.
Disney Vacation Club Begins to Expand
Disney didn’t wait long to take DVC beyond Walt Disney World.
In 1995, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort opened along Florida’s Atlantic coast. It became Disney Vacation Club’s first oceanfront resort.
Then came a particularly important year for DVC.
In 1996, Disney opened two additional properties:
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas at Walt Disney World
Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina.
Suddenly, Disney Vacation Club wasn’t simply a different way to stay at Walt Disney World. The program was developing into a collection of vacation destinations.
DVC Growth at Walt Disney World
As Disney Vacation Club grew in popularity, more DVC resorts began appearing throughout Walt Disney World.
The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge joined the program around the turn of the century, followed by Disney’s Beach Club Villas in 2002.
Over the years, the Walt Disney World DVC lineup continued to expand with resorts including:
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
Each new resort added something different to DVC—from walking access to theme parks and monorail transportation to savanna views, standalone cabins and entirely new styles of accommodations.
Disney Vacation Club Heads to California
In 2009, Disney Vacation Club officially established a Home Resort at Disneyland Resort with The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Disney records show the resort joining DVC in September 2009.
For DVC Members, this represented another major step in the program’s growth.
Disney Vacation Club was no longer primarily centered around Florida.
And California wasn’t finished.
In September 2023, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel officially opened as Disney Vacation Club’s 16th property, adding a second DVC option at Disneyland Resort.
DVC Goes to Hawaii
Then Disney Vacation Club went considerably farther west.
In 2011, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa opened in Ko Olina, Hawaii.
Aulani demonstrated just how far the original Disney Vacation Club concept had evolved. Members could now use their DVC ownership to experience a Disney resort thousands of miles from the theme parks.
No Cinderella Castle. No Spaceship Earth.
Just Hawaii, the Pacific Ocean and some pretty spectacular sunsets.
We think most families can find a way to survive.
The Next Generation of DVC Resorts
Disney Vacation Club continued growing throughout the 2010s.
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge joined DVC in 2017, followed by Disney’s Riviera Resort in 2019.
Then another wave of expansion arrived.
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel opened in September 2023.
In July 2024, the first of the new Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort opened to guests, bringing a new DVC property to the wooded surroundings of Fort Wilderness.
Later that year, Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows expanded the Polynesian DVC experience with more than 260 rooms and new accommodations overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon. The tower opened December 17, 2024.
From one resort in 1991, Disney Vacation Club had grown into something considerably larger.
How Has Disney Vacation Club Changed?
A lot has changed since the first Members checked into the original Disney Vacation Club Resort.
There are more resorts.
There are more room types.
There are more destinations.
And there are considerably more ways to use a DVC Membership.
But the basic idea that helped launch Disney Vacation Club remains remarkably recognizable: give Members flexibility in how they plan their vacations while providing a Home Resort they can return to year after year.
That flexibility is still one of the biggest reasons families consider Disney Vacation Club today.
Buying DVC Today: Direct vs. Resale
Another important part of the modern DVC story is the Disney Vacation Club secondary market.
Today, buyers interested in becoming DVC Members don’t necessarily have to purchase their ownership directly from Disney. Existing DVC owners can sell their contracts, creating an active resale marketplace.
A resale purchase can offer an opportunity to buy ownership at both current and older DVC resorts, including properties Disney may not be actively marketing.
Differences can exist between purchasing DVC directly from Disney and purchasing a DVC resale contract, including certain Membership benefits and restrictions, so buyers should understand those differences before deciding which option works best for their family.
Learn more about buying Disney Vacation Club resale
Already a DVC Member and Thinking About Selling?
As DVC has grown, so has the number of Members whose vacation needs eventually change.
Maybe the kids have grown up. Maybe you own more points than you need. Or perhaps it’s simply time for another family to enjoy the Membership.
DVC Members can list their ownership on the resale market, and the value of a contract can vary based on the Home Resort, number of points, Use Year, available points and current market conditions.
Learn more about selling your Disney Vacation Club Membership
More Than Three Decades of Disney Vacation Club
What began in 1991 with one resort and a new approach to vacation ownership has become a major part of the Disney vacation experience.
Disney Vacation Club has expanded from Old Key West at Walt Disney World to destinations in California, South Carolina and Hawaii, while continuing to add new accommodations and experiences for Members.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the history of Disney Vacation Club is how much of the original concept remains intact.
More than three decades later, DVC is still built around a relatively simple idea: give families a flexible way to return to the Disney destinations they love and create vacations that work for them.
And judging by how many DVC Members start counting down to their next vacation almost immediately after returning home, Disney may have been onto something back in 1991.
Thinking About Disney Vacation Club?
Whether you’re considering buying a Disney Vacation Club resale, selling your existing DVC Membership, or simply trying to understand how DVC works, our team at The Timeshare Store, Inc.® is here to help.
We’ve been helping families with Disney Vacation Club for more than 30 years, and we’re happy to answer questions, explain the resale process and help you determine which DVC resort and contract may fit your vacation plans.
Browse our current DVC resale listings or contact our team at 1-800-550-6493 or email sales@dvcstore.com to learn more.
About the Author: Scot Decker
Scot has been a senior member of The Timeshare Store, Inc.® (DVCstore.com) sales team with over 20 years of experience, serving as a dedicated DVC Sales Specialist. With decades of experience and a personalized approach to every client, he has helped thousands of families discover and enjoy the magic of Disney and the Disney Vacation Club.