Category: The History of DVC

DVC Looks Back at Past 25 Years

DisneyFilesCoverSummer2016The Summer 2016 edition of Disney Files, a publication made available to Disney Vacation Club members, takes a look back at 25 years of “membership milestones.”

I enjoyed reading the latest Disney Files, but I was particularly pleased to see DVC include this.

Earlier this year, I was disappointed when the Spring 2016 edition failed to have any sort of look back.

I have an interest in the history of DVC (in fact, I have a whole section of this web site devoted to just that – available here).

DVC Celebrating 25 Years and beyond
DVC Celebrating 25 Years and beyond

I’ve personally enjoyed my membership and what it has provided for our family, and it’s interesting to see the Disney Vacation Club expand and change.

The publication presents a membership milestone for each of the past 25 years. Below is an extract from Disney Files. Members should look forward to reading the latest edition, which also covers the “Frozen” attractions opening this summer, Membership Extras and other news and information.

DVC Looks Back at Past 25 Years
The first 10 years (click for larger image)
DVC Looks Back at Past 25 Years
The second 10 years (click for larger image)

 

DVC Looks Back at Past 25 Years
The last 5 years (click for larger image)

23-year old DVC Promotional Video

The Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World
The Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World

Since it’s the 25th anniversary of the Disney Vacation Club, here is a look back at a 23-year old DVC promotional video. It’s 17 and a half minutes long, and it’s interesting to compare this to the DVC of today.

When this video was made, there was only one DVC resort – the Disney Vacation Club resort at the Walt Disney World Resort – and it was not even half completed.

The furnishings in the rooms are quaint (but were luxurious at the time) and the plants and trees are not as lush as they are today at Old Key West (as the resort is called today).

The logo in the video is the original 3-mountain logo (they didn’t switch to the 2-mountain logo until 1995).

The video stresses the flexibility of the program and the accommodations and amenities of the resort. Interestingly, Member Services was a full-fledged travel service who took care of your plane reservations, rental car and more.

The biggest perk mentioned were the free theme park tickets to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, and Disney-MGM Studios through 1999.

Finally, prices started at just $11,210 ($56-57 per point), quite lower than today.

For more videos like this, review our History of DVC.

A look back at 25 years of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC)

The History of the Disney Vacation Club
The History of the Disney Vacation Club

Since this year is the 25th anniversary of the Disney Vacation Club, let’s take a look back at the past 25 years and learn how DVC started, the successes, failures and changes from 1991 to today. Learn about planned resorts that never came to be, how DVC’s grand expansion vision was curtailed, and how DVC has changed over the years.

Read the most thorough and extensive DVC history I am aware of.

Click HERE to access it.

What’s missing from the latest Disney Files Magazine?

The Spring 2016 edition of Disney Files Magazine celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Disney Vacation Club. Yes, later this year, DVC turns 25.

However, perhaps intentionally, there is no look back at the history of DVC. There is no recap of the memorable events of the past 25 years.

25thAnnLogo

Instead, Ken Potrock focuses on two words on the 25th anniversary logo… “And beyond”. Ken says this is because of the forward-looking focus of DVC, it’s mission of creating more Member value each year by raising the bar.

The issue highlights the new member events and other offerings and enhancements that are part of the 25th anniversary celebration.

However, I still think a few pages looking back at the last 25 unforgettable years of DVC history would have been enjoyable. My hope is that one of the following 2016 editions of Disney Files Magazinewill do just that.

Ryan March and Ken Potrock, are you listening?

How One Small Experiment Made Disney Billions of Dollars 25 Years Later

ThemeParkTourist.com has published an article that discusses the beginnings of the Disney Vacation Club.

This, of course, caught my interest, since I have spent some time of my own investigating this subject matter, as evidenced by my own history of the Disney Vacation Club article here on DVCInfo.com

Generally, the ThemeParkTourist piece is a very good article and deserves a read if, like me, you find the topic interesting.

The only issue I had (which is very minor) is that the article seems to imply that it was Disney who invented the points-based system.

This is not strictly true.

The points-based timeshare system Disney used was not invented by them, but actually dates back to “the Father of Timeshare”, Dr. Guido Renggli. In 1963, Dr. Renggli and German developer Alexander Nette co-founded Hapimag, which started selling timeshares in Europe. Hapimag was the first timeshare operator in the world and is by far the largest in Europe. It was Dr. Renggli who first pioneered the points system.

Vacation Internationale introduced the points system in the US in the mid-1970’s, beginning in Hawaii. Trendiest Resorts, based in the state of Washington, was the first timeshare company to only sell a points-based timeshare.

Disney patterned its system on these models. So, Disney’s version was more of an evolution of an existing model than a revolutionary new model.

Thanks to DVCInfo discussion forum member Spavins for pointing out the article in our forums.