The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) offers a unique way to vacation at Walt Disney World and other select destinations. Instead of traditional hotel bookings, members purchase DVC "points" which act as a currency for booking accommodations at DVC resorts. The value of these points can fluctuate significantly based on the initial purchase price, the remaining term of the contract, and ongoing maintenance fees. This calculator helps you determine the effective cost per point, a crucial metric for evaluating the financial viability of a DVC purchase, especially on the resale market.
How the Calculator Works:
This calculator uses a straightforward approach to estimate the cost per point over the life of your DVC contract. It considers the initial purchase price and amortizes it over the remaining years of the contract, while also factoring in the annual maintenance fees.
Inputs Explained:
Resale Contract Price ($): This is the total amount you are paying to acquire the DVC contract. For direct sales from Disney, this is the purchase price. For resale contracts, it's the price agreed upon with the seller.
Points Purchased: The total number of DVC points included in the contract you are buying.
Annual Maintenance Fee per Point ($): This represents the yearly cost for each DVC point you own, covering property taxes, operating costs, and resort expenses. This fee typically increases over time.
Years Remaining on Contract: The number of years left until the DVC contract expires. This is a critical factor in determining the long-term value.
The Calculation:
The core of the calculation involves determining the total cost over the life of the contract and then dividing it by the total number of points owned.
Total Amortized Contract Price: This is the initial purchase price. For simplicity in this calculator, we assume the purchase price is the cost that needs to be recovered.
Total Maintenance Fees: We calculate the total maintenance fees by multiplying the annual maintenance fee per point by the number of points purchased and then by the number of years remaining on the contract.
Total Maintenance Fees = (Annual Maintenance Fee per Point) * (Points Purchased) * (Years Remaining)
Total Investment Cost: This is the sum of the initial purchase price and the total estimated maintenance fees over the contract's life.
Total Investment Cost = Resale Contract Price + Total Maintenance Fees
Total Points Over Contract Life: This is simply the total number of points purchased.
Estimated Point Cost: The final metric is calculated by dividing the Total Investment Cost by the Total Points. This gives you an estimated cost per point, factoring in both the upfront purchase and the ongoing fees.
Estimated Point Cost = Total Investment Cost / Points Purchased
Note: This calculation provides an estimate. Actual maintenance fees can increase annually, and the "value" of a DVC point is also subjective, depending on usage patterns, desired resorts, and travel seasons. This tool is best used for comparing different DVC contracts and understanding the upfront and long-term financial commitment.
function calculateDVCPoints() {
var resalePrice = parseFloat(document.getElementById("resalePrice").value);
var pointsPurchased = parseFloat(document.getElementById("pointsPurchased").value);
var maintenanceFeePerPoint = parseFloat(document.getElementById("maintenanceFeePerPoint").value);
var yearsLeft = parseFloat(document.getElementById("yearsLeft").value);
var resultElement = document.getElementById("calculationResult");
// Input validation
if (isNaN(resalePrice) || resalePrice < 0 ||
isNaN(pointsPurchased) || pointsPurchased <= 0 || // Points must be greater than 0
isNaN(maintenanceFeePerPoint) || maintenanceFeePerPoint < 0 ||
isNaN(yearsLeft) || yearsLeft < 0) {
resultElement.textContent = "Invalid Input";
resultElement.style.color = "#dc3545";
return;
}
// Calculate Total Maintenance Fees
var totalMaintenanceFees = maintenanceFeePerPoint * pointsPurchased * yearsLeft;
// Calculate Total Investment Cost
var totalInvestmentCost = resalePrice + totalMaintenanceFees;
// Calculate Estimated Point Cost
var estimatedPointCost = totalInvestmentCost / pointsPurchased;
// Display the result, formatted to two decimal places
resultElement.textContent = "$" + estimatedPointCost.toFixed(2);
resultElement.style.color = "#28a745"; // Success green for good results
}