Animal Kingdom Villas DVC: resale vs direct and the cheapest studio
Buying Guide 001: Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, resale or direct. AKV's Value studio is the cheapest studio week at Walt Disney World: 62 points for a week in September, and 80 a week on average across 2027, against 93 at Old Key West, the next cheapest. It is also nearly gone by the 7-month window, so owning here is how you get it. Same 150 points: resale $18,939, direct $33,050.
Here is what each route costs, how far a week goes here, the dues, reasons owners buy and reasons they buy elsewhere, what resale keeps, where AKV ranks among the 17 resorts, and how long it takes to pay for itself.
The short version
- Resale: $18,939 for 150 points ($116.26 a point plus $1,500 closing), about $12.91 per point per year to own, 10th of 17.
- Direct: $33,050 ($215 a point plus about $800 closing), about $15.94 per point per year. $215 is the lowest direct price at Disney World, shared with Saratoga Springs, Old Key West and Boulder Ridge.
- The Value studio: 62 points for a September week, 80 on average in 2027, the cheapest studio at Disney World. At 7 months it's usually gone (0.5 of 7 nights open in summer); at 11 months, 5.7.
- The catch: dues are $10.16 a point, third-highest at Disney World, and the deed ends in 2057, sooner than any resort built since.
Resale is 57% of direct, about the DVC norm
150 points, full contract length (the deed ends in 2057, 31 years left):
| Resale | Direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $18,939 | $33,050 |
| How | $116.26/pt + $1,500closing | $215/pt + about $800closing |
| Per point, per year to own | $12.91 | $15.94 |
Per year to own is the price spread over the 31 years left on the deed, plus yearly dues (growing 4% a year, in today's dollars). Direct costs $14,111 more up front, or $3.03 more per point every year. Dues are the same either way.
Resale as a share of Disney's price, 150 points with closing:
| Resort | Resale share |
|---|---|
| Vero Beach | 41% |
| Saratoga Springs | 53% |
| Median of 17 | 55% |
| Animal Kingdom | 57% |
| Copper Creek | 60% |
| Grand Floridian | 66% |
| Polynesian | 73% |
Buying resale here saves about what it saves at most resorts. The prices are Fidelity Real Estate's September 2026 resale average and Disney's October 2026 direct price.
The cheapest studio week at Disney World
The cheapest studio at each of the 11 Walt Disney World DVC resorts with studios, 7 nights, Sunday to Sunday, on the 2027 charts: the week of September 5 (the cheapest season) and the average of all 51 weeks of the year.
| Resort and studio | Sep 5–12 | 2027 average |
|---|---|---|
| Animal KingdomValue studio | 62 | 80 |
| Old Key WestDeluxe Studio | 71 | 93 |
| BoardWalkResort View studio | 76 | 94 |
| Saratoga SpringsStandard studio | 73 | 101 |
| RivieraTower Studio | 76 | 107 |
| Copper CreekDeluxe Studio | 95 | 120 |
| Boulder RidgeDeluxe Studio | 97 | 121 |
| Beach ClubDeluxe Studio | 100 | 121 |
| Bay Lake TowerDeluxe Studio | 97 | 125 |
| PolynesianDuo Studio | 95 | 125 |
| Grand FloridianResort Studio | 120 | 145 |
Across 2027 an AKV Value studio week runs from 62 points in September to 123 over Easter week. Value studios are at Jambo House only. The same week in a Resort View studio is 76 points, Savanna View 90, Club Concierge 148.
Only owners get it: book at 11 months
Nights open out of 7, on average, at 11 months (when only AKV owners can book) and at 7 months (when every DVC owner can):
| Studio, season | 11 months | 7 months |
|---|---|---|
| Value, summer | 5.7 | 0.5 |
| Value, Food & Wine | 5.8 | 0.2 |
| Value, Christmas | 4.5 | 0 |
| Savanna View, summer | 7 | 7 |
| Savanna View, Food & Wine | 7 | 5.1 |
| Savanna View, Christmas | 7 | 5.4 |
An owner at another resort can book AKV at 7 months, but by then the Value studios are mostly gone. Resale points keep the 11-month window at AKV, so a resale contract here gets the cheapest studio too. From DVC Field Guide availability history, not live inventory.
Higher dues per point, lower dues per week
AKV's dues are $10.16 a point in 2026, 11th lowest of the 17 resorts. At Disney World only Old Key West ($11.21) and the Cabins ($12.28) cost more. 150 points cost $1,524 a year, up from $989 in 2017: 4.9% a year, 6th slowest of the 14 resorts open that whole span (Copper Creek 2.3%, Vero Beach 7.0%).
Dues are charged per point, and AKV's cheapest rooms take fewer points than anyone's. Dues for the cheapest studio, the same September week (2027 charts at 2026 dues):
| Resort | Points | Dues |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Kingdom | 62 | $630 |
| Saratoga Springs | 73 | $671 |
| Riviera | 76 | $719 |
| BoardWalk | 76 | $735 |
| Polynesian | 95 | $791 |
| Old Key West | 71 | $796 |
| Grand Floridian | 120 | $997 |
Past increases don't promise future ones.
10th cheapest to own, out of 17
Resale cost per point per year to own, 150 points, full contract:
| # | Resort | $/pt/yr | Deed ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riviera* | $10.84 | 2070 |
| 2 | Copper Creek | $11.18 | 2068 |
| 3 | Polynesian | $11.51 | 2066 |
| 7 | Saratoga Springs | $12.26 | 2054 |
| 10 | Animal Kingdom | $12.91 | 2057 |
| 11 | Grand Californian | $16.05 | 2060 |
| 17 | Beach Club | $18.66 | 2042 |
*Resale points book only that resort. AKV is the second-most expensive to own of the 11 resorts whose deeds run past 2042: a shorter deed and higher dues than the newer resorts. The six 2042 deeds cost more still. Price plus closing over the years left, plus yearly dues, from Fidelity's September 2026 resale averages.
Five reasons owners buy here
- The cheapest studio at Disney World. A Value studio week averages 80 points in 2027, against 93 at Old Key West and 145 at Grand Floridian.
- 11 months is when the Value studios are there. 5.7 of 7 nights open in summer at 11 months, 0.5 at 7.
- Tied for the lowest direct price at Disney World. $215 a point, the same as Saratoga Springs, Old Key West and Boulder Ridge. Bought direct, it pays for itself in about 9 years against Disney's prices, quicker than any direct contract running past 2042 except Saratoga Springs.
- Resale has been climbing. $110.28 a point in September 2025, $116.26 in September 2026, up 5%.
- The savanna. Savanna View rooms look out on the animals, and Savanna View studios often last to 7 months: 7 of 7 nights open in summer.
Five reasons they buy elsewhere
- Higher dues per point. $10.16, third-highest at Disney World and 22% above Grand Floridian's $8.31. The cheap Value studio week makes up for it; a bigger room or the view doesn't.
- A shorter deed. Contracts end in 2057, 31 years from now. Riviera runs to 2070, Copper Creek to 2068, Polynesian to 2066, Grand Floridian to 2064. Fewer years to spread the price over is why AKV ranks 10th of 17 to own.
- Nothing is walkable. Buses to all four parks.
- The view costs extra. A Savanna View studio for the September week is 90 points, 45% more than Value, and over Easter week it's 188.
- Families outgrow the cheap room. A Value one-bedroom is 141 points for the same September week, Savanna View 190: more points than a 150-point contract gets in a year.
What direct buys you, and what resale keeps
- Keeps: the 14 original resorts at 7 months, and AKV at 11, Value studios included.
- Loses: Riviera, Disneyland Hotel and the Cabins. Resale points bought since 2019 can't book them.
- Loses: Membership Extras (discounts, member events) need 150+ points bought direct.
- Loses: cruises and Concierge Collection hotels can't be booked with recent resale points.
Disney Vacation Club's resale rules. Disney can change Membership Extras at any time.
When does it pay for itself? About 6 to 10 years on resale
| Measured against | Resale | Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Paying Disney cashpoints worth $30 each | 6 years | 9 years |
| Renting points from an ownerpoints worth $20 each | 10 years | 15 years |
Each year you own, the points you use are worth $30 (what Disney would charge for the stay) or $20 (renting them from another owner), and you pay $1,524 in dues. The years are how long that takes to cover an $18,939 resale or $33,050 direct buy-in, with point values rising 5% a year and dues 4%, and nothing counted for selling the contract later.
The years swing with the assumptions: if prices and dues never rise, resale takes about 6 and 13 years. Disney had no AKV promotion on its October 2026 offer list. Run your own numbers in the free Buying Guide.
Questions
Is Animal Kingdom Villas a good DVC resort to buy resale?
For studio stays, yes: its Value studio is the cheapest studio week at Disney World, and resale points keep the 11-month booking window you need to get one. It costs $12.91 per point per year to own on resale, 10th of 17, because the deed ends in 2057 and dues are $10.16 a point.
Can resale Animal Kingdom Villas points book other DVC resorts?
Yes, at 7 months: the 14 original resorts. Resale points bought since 2019 can't book Riviera, the Disneyland Hotel villas or the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.
When does the Animal Kingdom Villas DVC contract end?
January 31, 2057, 31 years from 2026. Riviera, Copper Creek, Polynesian and Grand Floridian all run later.
Animal Kingdom Villas DVC points chart: every room and season →
Your turn: Value studio at 11 months, or Savanna View: which would you buy AKV for? Tell us on Instagram.
150 points, full contract length (deed ends 2057). Resale: Fidelity Real Estate's September 2026 averages; direct price and promotions: DVCNews, Oct 8, 2026; direct closing costs from Disney's own estimates. Per year to own = price + closing spread over the years left, plus yearly dues (4%/yr growth, today's dollars). Payoff: points valued at $30 (Disney's cash price) or $20 (renting from an owner), rising 5%/yr, against dues rising 4%/yr; nothing counted for reselling. Dues growth: published dues by year, 2017-2026. Studio weeks: 2027 charts, 7 nights from each Sunday; dues = points x 2026 dues per point. Booking odds: DVC Field Guide history, not live inventory. Prices change monthly. Not financial advice.
