My DVC Points

We pick up the conversation from episode 030 where Chris, Jeremy, and Adam present their armchair Imagineering resorts. We cover three areas in this show: Room Design and Layout, Transportation Options and Resort Activities

Does Disney inspire your inner creative? As DVC members, we love our resorts and have often dreamed about building a new resort. In episode 030 and episode 031, we give members the opportunity to share their creativity as they dream up new resort ideas on our armchair Imagineering competition. After listening to the episodes please vote for your favorite resort! The winner will advance to a celebrity round with former Disney Imagineer McNair Wilson. Who will win episode 030 and episode 031? Will the Haunted Mansion inspired resort edge out the Villain's Getaway? Will the listeners prefer the luxury of the Skyline Resort and Spa?

This is the third round of our FrankenResort competition. The winner of this show will join Valerie Fairnington from episode 010, Melissa from episode 020. Adam and Jeremey started working on their resorts as soon as episode 010 was released. Every time we record this show, it gets longer and longer. We have over 2 hours of content and will be presenting it in two episodes. The voting form is at the bottom of this page.

Resort Element #1- Name, Theme, Location

#1 Jeremy Murray – The Villian's Getaway

Theme: Villain semi-immersive with 3 locationsGothic Castle with vaulted 6 story lobby, Pirate Township 1700s, and Savana Canyon Location: North of Grand Floridian, West of Pirates of the Caribbean & Frontier Land

#1 Chris Salata – Skyline Resort and Spa

Resort Name: Skyline Resort and SpaResort Theme: Upscale, Think Waldorf Astoria meets ManhattanResort Location: Along Bay Lake, between TTC and ContempGeneral Overview: This upscale resort will give the upscale resort experience with the ultimate luxury experience. Limited size, with luxury being the focus.

#1 Adam Hitt – The Lillian – A Haunted Mansion Resort

Resort Name: The Lillian (Named after Lilian Gracey, aka The Tightrope Walker in The Haunted Mansion)Resort Theme: The Haunted MansionResort Location: This would be a massive sprawling estate located in a currently undeveloped piece of land that lies between World Drive and Reedy Creek, about a half-mile north of Cornado Springs. The most important part of the location is that the resort and grounds themselves feel isolated. I don’t want guests to be able to see anything but trees in the distance.General Overview: The Lilian was the second, much grander home of Edward Gracey. It’s a massive French Baroque palace located in the English Countryside. Think Versailles meets the Winchester Mystery House meets the Haunted Mansion meets the grounds and interior detail of the Tower of Terror. The hotel would include everything expected in such a grand estate. Libraries, game rooms, gardens, hedge mazes, atriums, ballrooms, grand dining areas… in fitting with the theme, there will be plenty of dusty old oil painted portraits, giant stone fireplaces, gargoyles, creeping vines, secret doors through bookshelves, hidden corridors, and of course flickering candlelight, creaking doorless chambers, and strange sounds echoing through the halls. This is a completely immersive resort. The hotel staff will be wearing outfits similar to The Haunted Mansion. They would remain in character.Location: This would be a massive sprawling estate located in a currently undeveloped piece of land that lies between World Drive and Reedy Creek, about a half-mile north of Coronado Springs. The most important part of the location is that the resort and grounds themselves feel isolated. I don’t want guests to be able to see anything but trees in the distance.

Resort Element #2- Restaurants Name and Theme

#2 Chris Salata – Skyline Resort and Spa

Table Service: Mario's – offering a variety of high-end comfort food such as steaks sizzling on a platter, a deep dish Chicago style and New York thin-crust pizzeria.Quick Service: Cusine inspired by some of the best food truck inspired chefs across the country.Signature Restaurant: Platinum &

Does Disney inspire your inner creative? As DVC members, we love our resorts and have often dreamed about building a new resort. In episode 030 and episode 031, we give members the opportunity to share their creativity as they dream up new resort ideas on our armchair Imagineering competition. After listening to the episodes please vote for your favorite resort! The winner will advance to a celebrity round with former Disney Imagineer McNair Wilson. Who will win episode 030 and episode 031? Will the Haunted Mansion inspired resort edge out the Villain's Getaway? Will the listeners prefer the luxury of the Skyline Resort and Spa?

Have you ever wondered how a DVC guide spends their points? Realistically, DVC is their job. What do they do to get away from work yet create magical vacation memories for their own families? Shortly after Andy Berry joined DVC as a member, he joined the DVC sales team as a guide. Earlier this year, he transitioned over to DVC Resale Market. In episode 029, Andy shares his DVC story and we get a glimpse of how a DVC guide's family utilized their DVC points. Join in to learn about RCI, cruises, and Adventures by Disney.

In episode 029, we meet Andy Berry. He and his wife, Jolie, have been Disney Vacation Club members since September 2010. While on a weekend cruise aboard the Disney Magic, they decided to join DVC.

Andy and Jolie decided to buy into DVC after she had booked a Disney cruise to Alaska. Andy and Jolie knew that they wanted to continue taking Disney related vacations with their family. He says it was simple economics that led them to the decision to purchase their Vacation Club membership. Wanting to share the legacy of Disney with their four kids and being able to pass it down to their grandchildren was a significant selling point for them, too. They chose Bay Lake as their home resort, although they have yet to stay at Bay Lake.

Becoming a Disney Vacation Club Cast Member

Photo when Andy was a Direct Guide at Disneyland

After going through the process of buying into DVC, Andy's guide suggested he look into joining the DVC sales team. Andy decided to become a Disney Cast Member as a guide. Before joining the Walt Disney Company, Andy had spent many years as a CFO, which provided him with a background in finance. Andy discussed the qualities he believes Disney looks for in a DVC Guide Member, including loving the Disney brand and embodying Walt's legacy. He says he likes to treat every tour he does as if Walt is sitting with them during the conversation. After working as a Direct Guide for DVC for eight years, Andy transitioned over to DVC Resale Market to have more time to spend with his family. This also allows Andy to serve buyers and sellers.

As someone who has worked in the direct market and resale market of Disney Vacation Club sales, Andy recommends purchasing through the resale market.

Adventures by Disney

When Andy's family began planning their first Adventures by Disney vacation, the company was coming up on their tenth anniversary. Andy's wife suggested they take one of the first trips offered when Adventures by Disney was first established. Her idea led them to the “Quest for the West” trip to Wyoming. While in the airport returning home from that trip, the family was looking over the brochure for ABD and chose where their next trip would be: South Africa.

You have to love the Camel Selfie!

Among the seven trips that Andy and his family have taken with Adventures by Disney are destinations to Peru, Norway, and Costa Rica. “Disney thinks of everything so thoroughly,” Andy says. He feels their experiences in those places were so complete that they don't feel a need to return there because of Disney's attention to detail in planning the trips. Another point Andy makes about Adventures by Disney is their dedication to the first-class service. He says while traveling in Peru with Adventures by Disney, he became ill. Within a half-hour of letting their Guides know he was sick, they had brought him medicine to help him overcome his illness.

Andy says they had a first-class experience on their trip to South Africa thanks to ABD. He especially loved learning about and engaging in the culture there and being immersed in the Sahara & Savannah areas. A memory that stands out from the trip was seeing the animals in their natural habitat.

Aulani – A Excellent Use of Your DVC Points

Andy and his family have stayed at Disney's Aulani Resort and absolutely loved it. He offers advice when planning your trip

Have you ever wondered how a DVC guide spends their points? Realistically, DVC is their job. What do they do to get away from work yet create magical vacation memories for their own families? Shortly after Andy Berry joined DVC as a member, he joined the DVC sales team as a guide. Earlier this year, he transitioned over to DVC Resale Market. In episode 029, Andy shares his DVC story and we get a glimpse of how a DVC guide's family utilized their DVC points. Join in to learn about RCI, cruises, and Adventures by Disney.

“Hey, my DVC sisters and brothers!” If you're a member of any of the DVC Facebook groups, that's all the introduction you need to realize our guest for this episode is none other than Mr. Kevin McCloud. I consider Kevin “The Happiest DVC member on Facebook!” Kevin has the gift of packing pixie dust into pixels and filling our Facebook streams with pure joy.  I find it ironic that Kevin shares a last name with the author of “Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids.”  Just like the posts, Kevin brings happiness and joy to episode 028 and its sure to fill your bucket!

The McCloud Part at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Kevin's Disney Origin Story

In 1996 Kevin and Yolanda started to coming to Walt Disney World when they were still dating. In 1997, they went on the DVC tour as boyfriend and girlfriend but thought it was best to make a commitment to DVC after the commitment of marriage.  In 1999 they were married and bought into DVC in 2000. Kevin was working at a Disney Store and it took 4-5 other cast members to convince him to buy DVC.  Bear in mind in 2000, you didn’t have podcasts, facebook groups, and other consumer media.  Kevin was pretty much reliant upon his DVC guide for information and members that he personally knew from working at a local Disney Store.

2000 – Initial purchase at BoardWalk Villas2003 – Addonitis strikes and they add more points at Wilderness Lodge.2007 – More points added at Saratoga Springs Resort2011 – The McClouds added more points at Animal Kingdom Villas.

When asked about getting more points, Kevin believes if he can’t get it done on the points he has now on four contracts, it’s not happening.

Looking back, Kevin realizes that life didn’t really work out for them to buy into DVC until after they got married.  Could they have bought in earlier?  Yes; however, they did was best for them.  Looking at the current point costs, he doesn’t know if he could economically pull off joining at today’s prices.  However, a couple of years ago, Kevin’s mom bought into DVC at Copper Creek after seeing the joy that DVC has brought Kevin and Yolanda.

Favorite Disney Memories Revolve Around Family

Kevin explained that they do not have any kids of their own; however, they enjoy bringing their family to Disney. From parents, in-laws, brothers and sisters to nieces and nephews.  Kevin and I discuss how our families are spoiled.  His niece demands “High Excellence” and doesn’t want to stay in a studio.  Chad adds that his family is #1bedroomspoiled!  After 20 years of going to Disney, Kevin has a hard time limiting his favorite Disney memories to just a few stories because there are so many awesome memories that all involve family members. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was the first thing that came to mind.  He also has very fond memories of his nieces when they were young.  Another trip he had a family member with some disabilities absolutely light up with joy at every single character meet.  Another favorite memory is when he brought his late mother-in-law to see Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios.  It was her favorite Disney event ever.  Kevin finds so much joy in Disney that every trip is magical.  With 20+ years of coming to Disney; he can only sum it up as quality time with his family.  DVC allows him to bring his family with him and that’s the key to happiness.

The McCloud Family Celebrating Life and Family at Magic Kingdom

Excellence Disney Customer Experience and Details

Kevin and I discuss the standard of excellence at Disney.  We’re both of the opinions that complaints should be directed to somebody who can solve the problem – namely a manager at Disney. We’ve found that if you reasonably explain the issue to a manager at Disney, they will take care of it.  In 20 years, Kevin points out that he’s never had a major problem at Disney.  Kev

"Hey, my DVC sisters and brothers!" If you're a member of any of the DVC Facebook groups, that's all the introduction you need to realize our guest for this episode is none other than Mr. Kevin McCloud. I consider Kevin "The Happiest DVC member on Facebook!" Kevin has the gift of packing pixie dust into pixels and filling our Facebook streams with pure joy. I find it ironic that Kevin shares a last name with the author of “Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids.” Just like the posts, Kevin brings happiness and joy to episode 028 and its sure to fill your bucket!

In Episode 027, we meet Debbie Ely who is not only our DVC neighbor but she also a timeshare industry insider. Debbie has worked in the timeshare industry for 20+ years and is a proud member of the Disney Vacation Club. We learn about her buying into DVC and her biggest regret as a DVC member. Hint! It's not, “I should have bought sooner.” We also learn about the history of Vacation Club Loans and how they may be of service to our fellow members.

Chad's backstory of My DVC Points and Personal Finance

Prior to hosting Disney Vacation Club conversations, I spent a solid decade as a financial coach helping people optimize their personal finances and get out of debt. That business was extremely successful and I was able to cash flow my way through an MBA in Financial Planning 100% debt-free. I'll be the first to admit when a My DVC Points Community member suggested I interview Debbie, I wasn't that interested airing an episode about financing a timeshare. I am both a fiscally conservative and an open-minded conversationalist. Debbie came with such high praise from Nick Cotton from DVC Resale Market, Valerie from Episode 002 and other trusted people in the community that I felt it was worth talking with Debbie. My DVC Points isn't about promoting Chad Pennycuff's personal opinions, this show is a celebration of the DVC community and the diversity of thought within the community. By respectfully sharing our stories, experiences, opinions, and preferences, we become better neighbors and develop a deeper sense of community. To finance or not finance your contract is a matter of your personal opinion, your economic situation, and your life choices. We all do Disney differently. The success of our podcast, Live shows, and Facebook Community Group revolves around real member conversations with respect for diversity of opinion and an open mind so that we can learn from other's perspectives.

All of my community research lead to this simple conclusion. Debbie offers services that a lot of DVC members value and has a track record of serving members with excellence. I spoke with Debbie numerous times before we recorded this episode. The more we talked, the more I became convinced that she has the heart to serve the community. An estimated 80% of direct buyers finance their contracts and an estimated 30% of resale buyers finance. Through the guest vetting and interview process, I honestly learned a lot and developed a deeper appreciation for others in the community. As with every episode, I hope you enjoy the conversation and gain from Debbie's perspective.

Meet Debbie – DVC Member and Industry Insider

Debbie has been working in the timeshare industry since 2006 and has worked with well over 40 major brands. She chooses to be a Disney Vacation Club member. Debbie joined Disney Vacation Club in 2013 when she bought contracts at Boardwalk Villas and Saratoga Springs Resort.  A friend who happened to be a resale agent found a loaded contract with triple points at a good deal and suggested she buy the contract as a financial investment.  Having worked in the timeshare industry since 2006, she recognized this as a good deal.  However, 2 years later after using three years of points, Debbie sold the contracts.  She was able to stay at all of the Disney resorts over those three years.  One of her favorite memories was watching the fireworks from the private patio on a bungalow at the Polynesian resort.  Looking back, she really regrets selling those contracts.  Every time the Food and Wine event is announced she regrets selling off the Boardwalk contracts.  We briefly discuss the classic DVC debate of do you buy where you want to stay? Or buy where you love?  Debbie realized through buying and selling an experience that she is a buy-where-you-love person.  As a result, when Polynesian resale contracts hit the market, she re-joined DVC as a Poly

In Episode 027, we meet Debbie Ely who is not only our DVC neighbor but she also a timeshare industry insider. Debbie has worked in the timeshare industry for 20+ years and is a proud member of the Disney Vacation Club. We learn about her buying into DVC and her biggest regret as a DVC member. Hint! It's not, "I should have bought sooner." We also learn about the history of Vacation Club Loans and how they may be of service to our fellow members.

A #CastCompliment So Big It Merits an Episode

First things first. When I ask people in the My DVC Points Community what they really want for content. Reviews of the Membership Extra's tops the list. Some are free, some have costs, and some are just downright difficult to schedule. Members want to know, is it worth my time, energy and effort to attend these events? DVC Membership Extras are usually overlooked by most Disney content creators.

In today's episode, we cover all three of the DVC Membership Extra events in Disneyland. I knew going into the events they would make an excellent podcast episode. However, I didn't plan including a #castcompliment in the episode. On a typical Disney trip, you engage hundreds of Disney cast members. For our family, we usually fill out a comment card or send in a tweet to @WDWToday or @DisneylandToday. However, ALL of the cast members we experienced on these Membership Extra's team was so excellent, they merit the largest social media shout out I can give – a full podcast episode.

Disney Vacation Club Fitness in the Park

First off, from a high level, this is a yoga style class with various stretches and poses. The event meets at the children's playground area in Disney's California Adventure called the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Part of the playground area has a padded rubber floor which is incredibly comfortable to stand on and the yoga mat Disney provides makes it even more enjoyable. Jeff commented that he wished the entire park was paved with that padding. We briefly discuss how this playground area is so well themed that my family and elementary aged children walked by the entrance all week and didn't recognize it as a playground.

Chrissy and Chad at Fitness in the Park

Jeff and I met at this DVC Membership Extra event on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. We're guys and to be brutally honest, yoga is not our first choice of exercise. I commented that this was his second yoga class ever and it was a solid workout. The best part of the event was stretching. The Pennycuff's checked in on Saturday and spent the day touring the resort, grocery shopping and settling in the room. On Sunday, the Pennycuff's popped over to Knott's Berry Farm because they have annual passes to Cedar Fair and wanted to see the park. Monday was a full 10+ hour day in the Disney parks. After two park days, the stretch and relaxation felt wonderful. I commented that his normal training schedule of martial arts, spin classes, and barbell training was pushed by the different style of training in yoga. Don't let the theme park, churros, and Mickey Ears fool you. This isn't a vacation mode exercise. If you attend the class, you can expect a solid but enjoyable workout with an excellent instructor. (My impression was that Chrissy had numerous yoga certifications from a variety of yoga methods. Even if you're not a yoga person, she'll make you emotionally feel on board and part of the program – you'll physically feel uncomfortable in the exercises but the end result felt great emotionally and physically.)

Jeff and I highly recommend the class. The free Jamba juice after class was excellent. Please note this is a seasonal event that runs from April through September. Because this was the first class of 2019, it took a few calls to member services for them to get the class loaded into the system where member services could book people for the event.

Neighborhood Power Walk

I attended the power walk event for general hotel guests on Monday, April 1st, 2019. The event started at 6 AM with a 5:45 AM meeting time at the Grand Californian's entrance to Disney's California Adventure. (You can see the security scanners behind me in the photo). While it was early, my internal clock was still running on east coast time. Everybody participating in the vest is given a reflective vest to help identify power walkers from the cast members inside opening up the park.