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DVC Resale vs Direct
- Thread starter disneyincinci
- Start date
Do not buy direct just for the perks. Perks are not contractually obligated and can go away at any time, even for direct buyers.
Perks like cruise booking, RCI trading or using DVC points towards non DVC resorts are a terrible value for points anyway. You're better off renting points out and using that cash towards an alternative vacation than using points for other booking options.
The only perk worth anything of value are AP discounts, and even then you'd need to buy many years worth of APs to reach a break even point on buying direct vs. resale.
Perks like cruise booking, RCI trading or using DVC points towards non DVC resorts are a terrible value for points anyway. You're better off renting points out and using that cash towards an alternative vacation than using points for other booking options.
The only perk worth anything of value are AP discounts, and even then you'd need to buy many years worth of APs to reach a break even point on buying direct vs. resale.
Hamlit
New Member
One “perk” to buying direct is you decide your contract(s) size and use year. My strategy was to buy several small contracts rather than one large for the following reasons: 1. Multiple kids to split them to when I’m too old to go. 2. If I want to sell some or all points in the future I have flexibility of how many. 3. Small contracts sell on resale market in very short time and at higher $ per point than large contracts. Hope this helps someone.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
Remember though you do pay closing for each contract which can add up.
atjimfromdisney
Active Member
Although Disney has the right to take away any (and all) perks at any given moment, is there anything that would lead you to believe they would do so? ie. taking away events such as Moonlight Magic, DVC lounges, discounts, etc.
I feel they would possibly even increase perks to Direct purchase members to sway buyers from going to resale, as that really is a major difference when deciding between the two.
I feel they would possibly even increase perks to Direct purchase members to sway buyers from going to resale, as that really is a major difference when deciding between the two.
DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
Others can give you the history of DVC "perks" that have come and gone (and sometimes come again), but my feeling is that Disney uses these perks as a tool to suit the businesses needs, and they will alter the deal when it is beneficial to THEM, not you.
One thing I could see them doing is restricting access to lounges to certain members above a certain holdings threshold in DVC. Discounts it seems are always in a cycle of coming and going. The less Disney needs to drive attendance, the less discounts you are likely to see.
I would NOT expect them to increase perks for buying Direct any time soon. Disney doesn't need to "sway" buyers from buying re-sale. They're not competing with re-sale brokers because they have Right of First Refusal on all of those re-sales. If they wanted to drive buyers towards buying direct, they would simply purchase more of the re-sale contracts (thus making it harder to purchase re-sale) and sell them directly to you at their inflated price. My impression is that DVC has had little to no trouble convincing people to buy direct lately.
atjimfromdisney
Active Member
Would the threshold account for only new purchases? Previous purchases would be grandfathered.. (Right?) haha.
DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
Oh, there's nothing concrete there. I was just giving you an example of something they could do to further restrict the benefits as membership grows over time. Complete speculation on my part.
nickys
Premium Member
Most perks are restricted now to direct buyers, or those who bought before a certain date (actually two, depending on the specific perk).
The lounge at Epcot is already restricted. So are discounts and the ability to buy the special rate AP. And they recently increased the number of direct points needed to qualify for the perks.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
I've been a member a long time, so seeing things change probably has me more cautious than most. IMO the perks are about what brings in the money, and nothing else. After all look at the member mixers they nixed for Christmas - though some would say that the Moonlight Magic makes up for it, but I don't agree since those are limited more specifically and much harder to be a part of. Also remember they had the nightly mixer supposedly at Reunion Station and they removed that perk before it even started.
The lounge at Epcot is on a yearly deal. From what I understand they don't plan to take it away soon, but it's definitely marketed as a perk that isn't permanent.
I can remember when we had zero and I mean zero discounts on tickets too. So it all depends if they can work the deal of it is worth the prices to them.
EOD K9
Well-Known Member
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
DVC lounge is temporary - they have made that clear since they opened it
Free valet parking - where did that go
Dining Discounts - they are like a rotating door. I highly suspect that dining discounts are negotiated with the individual venues. It helps to drive customers to those places. I don't think DVC foots much (if any) of the costs. So if a restaurant decides it does not need the marketing, the discount goes away
Merry Mixers at Christmas - gone
Welcome Home Wednesdays - like the dodo bird
Park admission discounts - just like dining discounts, they come and go, and come again
Annual Golf Membership - Bye bye
Really, in the grand scheme of things, I think the dollar value of the perks have not changes. The cost to keep open the EPCOT lounge and have all of the Merry Mixers is likely in the same ballpark as the Merry Mixers and Welcome Home Wednesday. However, the VALUE (for me) has gone down. I am not local, and our schedules are not that flexible. So for me to take advantage of a MM event requires the planets to align. But I could pretty much hit a Welcome Home Wednesday whenever I went to WDW on vacation.
What is boils down to is the perks WILL change. They likely will always be some sort of perk (but that's not guaranteed either) but the perk you love today has a pretty good chance of going away in the future.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
I had knew I had forgotten something - Welcome Home Wednesdays!
The Valet Parking is one I actually understand why it went away. I never had a chance to use it, but loved the idea of it. Now to get cost effective valet parking, you need TIW.
The Valet Parking is one I actually understand why it went away. I never had a chance to use it, but loved the idea of it. Now to get cost effective valet parking, you need TIW.
Seeshark
Member
I'm considering a contract and also weighing direct versus resale. I like the idea of buying direct I suppose, to get all the benefits/perks, but I've yet to see someone say being able to use those points for cruises, adventure trips or the other RCI resorts, which you can't do on resale, is really worth it. By and large, everyone here says rent away the points and put the money toward one of those options as opposed to using points for it. Plus it seems like you need to have a pretty high amount of points to even reach what you need to do one of those trips, even if you bank/borrow. The other perks seem OK, but enough to warrant a cost difference of $60-$70 a point direct vs resale? So I'm struggling to find a good reason to buy direct. I'd actually buy in on either in a heartbeat, but my wife is a bit Disney'd out. But I could sell her on this with the cruises, or with the trips backed by Disney but not in-your-face Disney, over the next few decades as our kid kind of ages out of the parks. So on paper, I would actually prefer to buy direct and have those benefits. But I just don't see that it's worth it unless I bought a contract with a super-high number of points (which isn't doable), and even then, may not be getting any kind of meaningful savings. Has anyone bought direct specifically to access those benefits? Would you do it again?
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
The cruise, ABD trips, and such are not worth it at all IMO. I've done it once (traded for GCH before DVC was there) and that was because the insanely good contract I found had those type of points in holing.
Merchandise isn't worth it to us because we don't buy much. Same with dining. But again we don't spend a lot.
If your wife is Disney'd out, then I caution buying this. However if the perks matter to you, then they do matter to you and direct is 'worth it' Sometimes what we want out of things isn't always the most cost effective. Heck I've done direct simply because I wanted a specific resort. Not the best cost but it was worth it to me to have the ability to book at a certain resort at 11 months
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Do you get free parking if your resale buyer?
nickys
Premium Member
Yes. The annual dues pay for the upkeep of the parking lots, so all members get free parking when staying at DVC resorts. They will also get free parking if using points to stay at a Disney resort - but that is a bad use of points.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Thanks! Two more parking related questions, does a resale dvc owner have theme park parking for free? And can you park at other resorts for free?
nickys
Premium Member
Anyone staying onsite gets free theme park parking. Being a DVC member alone does not give you free park parking, whether direct or resale. If you have an AP I believe that does.... ?
And again, no one has to pay to park at the resorts during the day. But at the same time you are not meant to park at a resort all day and visit the parks if you are not staying there. That is enforced to varying degrees - which is another conversation altogether.
You only pay to park overnight, or to use valet parking. DVC members who stay at a non-DVC resort will pay like everyone else, unless you booked using points.