Disney Vacation Club Resale vs. Direct | Watch This Before You Buy DVC

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Do you own a DVC contract? If so, did you buy it direct or resale? If you are considering purchasing, which approach are you considering? Tell us below.

[@ardi2940]

Yes, and we have both just like you recommended! But then again it was easier to get all the benefits just a few years ago!

[@edwinromero5896]

Is buying a resale floating week a better option???

[@LatinFratGuy1]

Resale all the way. I paid $87 a point for my contract, ill take the savings over discounts anyway. All i care about is staying at the DVC resorts for less than paying in cash, and that makes me more than happy :) thanks for your videos!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Sounds like you found just the right fit for your needs! Resale is definitely a great option - 2/3 of our points are resale as well. Thanks so much for watching!

[@ardi2940]

Wow what a great deal! The savings IS hard to beat!

[@dominicankid809]

which dvc resale website do you recommend?

[@Bobswatercooler]

Great comparison and definitely important information for potential DVC members to watch!

[@ardi2940]

A lot of great info, it is not always clear what you get out of buying a direct contract with Disney and this really spelled it out!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@mothernature4895]

I recently found your channel and I must say that you’re the best channel out there with regards to DVC content. You’re miles ahead of all the other channels. 🙂

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

You're so kind! I'm so glad that you've found our videos to be helpful. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions that I can help with. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I look forward to hear an update on your DVC journey. Best wishes! 😃

[@cyclechickmary]

Really good comparison and great advice. Currently only have resale, but are strongly considering direct. Honestly the lack of info about AP's is probably the #1 thing holding me back (other than cost).

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I 100% agree about the lack of APs being a major issue and makes direct less appealing. Hopefully that will change in the future. Thanks so much for watching! 😀

[@choreomaniac]

I think the number one take away is that people need to look at the value over the course of the entire contract. It can be up to 50 years. Over that time, the initial cost is a fraction of the total cost. You need to think about how your life will change. Maybe there is no value to you for the access to gold annual passes because of your schedule but what about after you retire? Maybe you will be more flexible and can go to the parks more. Or maybe you will have more kids and you need to consider larger rooms. Also, the legacy/new resort divide could get much more important. Right now it’s 10 to one so the restriction isn’t that important. But in 10 years, it could be 10:3 and by 2042? Let’s say they build one new one every 5 years. So it could be 6:4 by then and you would be shut out of all the newest resorts. And they could convert the old legacy ones to new ones at expiration, so it could be more like 6:7 with a majority of resorts new. Now, that’s 20 years away but the reaction in the resale market might be felt several years before that. Clearly, Disney keeps on looking for ways to nerf the resale contracts.

[@CarouselofDouglas]

My wife and I are newly minted DVC Members having gone through the process of buying Saratoga Springs on resale... for us the price was the complete reason we chose a resale, but the only perk that we wish we could have as Blue Card is the ability to by Florida Resident priced Annual Passes.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Welcome to the club! Literally! 😎👍

[@itsbubba7303]

Thanks much for the information 💕

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@Tiffany.132]

Love this DVC series! There's a lot of great info!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thank you so much for watching! Be sure to let us know what other topics you’d like to see. 👍 Our primary goal is to give value to our viewers.

[@Tiffany.132]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic if you any experience in renting out your points in years you don't use them all, I'd love to learn about that!

[@WDWAO]

Such great information Jennifer. And so well presented. Thank you very much! - Dan x

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks so much for watching! 😎👍

[@onelittlespark3576]

This is definitely a tough choice. Good info.

[@choreomaniac]

If you aren’t going to buy 125 ever, buy resale. If you don’t care where you are staying at WDW, buy resale. If you plan on keeping it for 25 years or more or will buy 125 points or will use the annual passes most years, buy direct. If you buy both, buy resale, then direct so you can easily match use year. If you’d really not sure, rent or buy a small cheap contract (like 75-100 points at SS or OKW) with the idea of reselling it in 5 years and buying your “lifetime home”. It really is a lot like real real estate. You can rent before you buy, buy a starter home, buy what you can afford.

[@choreomaniac]

You should also calculate alternate uses for the money, like investing. If you were to take the 10k you saved on buying resale and invested it at 10% after 21 years you would have 80k and that could buy lots of annual passes.

[@56strine]

I own a WorldMark Timeshare and I use RCI to trade in to DVC. Talk about a savings! You can get a WorldMark Timeshare on the re sale market at a very inexpensive purchase. When combined with RCI. The savings for a one week DVC stay is unbelievable!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I’m really curious which resorts you’ve been able to book with that. We hear a lot of reports of DVC showing as an option but also hear that it’s very difficult to actually GET a reservation. What resorts/times have you had success with?

[@56strine]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic I have stayed at the Kidani Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was 2 bedroom for only 10,000 credits. I also stayed at SSR in a 1 bedroom. I just saw availability at RCI for only 9000 credits and 4000 credits for the one available with in a 3 month window. I know DVC is points. With WorldMark and RCI it is credits. I did have to get on a 2 year waitlist for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Currently I can book a reservation for a 1 bedroom for SSR or OKW.

[@Turiboy77]

Awesome info!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

So glad you found it helpful! Don’t hesitate to ask you have any questions. 👍 We have lots of other DVC videos on our channel.

[@VanessaMallia]

I love your videos 😊😍😊

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks for watching! Best wishes! 😎

[@sarahrussell7305]

Do you pay double the maintenance fees with two contracts both direct and resell? Even if it's for the same resort?

[@jackpast]

Timely video for me. I have a Blue Card Resale at SSR. I fell in love with the Riviera and would like to stay there at times. I also would like to visit Aulani one time. So with the Rivera restrictions I’m leaning towards direct to maximize all of my points flexibility. But I’m also looking at what it would cost to stay at Aulani with just cash. I’m still weighing all factors!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

That's a tough situation. Riviera is really the big factor here. We've found availability at Riviera to be very tough at 7 months. We like to stay in standard view studios at Riviera, which realistically takes our 11 month booking window Riviera points to do it every time. We basically only use our Riviera points at Riviera and use the rest elsewhere. I can understand why direct might make sense for you. Best of luck with your decision!

[@ellenthompson6181]

What are the restrictions at Riviera?

[@JustinCredible31]

@@ellenthompson6181 If you buy Riviera resale contract, you can only use your points at the Riviera. If you buy Riviera direct, you can use your points anywhere.

[@jcbnyc2009]

Small 25 contracts are hard to get in resale, so direct.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yes, those are certainly hard to find, so if that’s what you’re looking for, direct may be your best option.

[@shellycalhoun7194]

I’m a Florida resident I get the discount on the pass plus discount on dining and merchandise that you can also get with the Disney card from Chase. I just can’t see the value in the blue card. Do you think I’m correct?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I think that's a really good point. Especially for you as a Florida resident. We're not FL residents, so we can't get quite as many perks as you can.

[@atropos0754]

Good stuff, 150 points now for blue card(just changed)

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yes! We did a video on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/faDRl2aor5Kroac

[@atropos0754]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic , sorry , I just started watching your channel.I like your enthusiasm😀I’ll check it out😀

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

We generally do one DVC video per week but KZbin likes to promote this older video, which sometimes means that outdated info gets pushed out there. We hope you find some helpful info in our videos. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 👍

[@thedadwars]

Hey Jen, I think you answer this question in this or another video (I can't recall!), but are you able to combine your direct and indirect contract points to book at the home resort for either contract at 11 months out? Thanks!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

If the contracts are at the same home resort, then YES you can combine the points to book a reservation. It doesn't matter whether they are direct or resale - only that they have the same home resort.

[@LeilaThePetVet]

I would love for my parents to invest in this! Who doesn’t love Disney

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks so much for watching! 👍

[@ardi2940]

I would say DVC is not a true "investment" but if the alternative is paying for a hotel at or near Disney it is definitely worth it!

[@edwinromero5896]

What if you own a floating week (high) at a DVC resort - does it have a point conversion value?????

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

"Floating week" is not a term that we normally use in DVC. I'm assuming that's something from other types of timeshares? All DVC contracts are points-based, so you buy a certain number of points and can use them to book at your home resort or other DVC resorts. It is possible for DVC members to buy "guaranteed" weeks, where they get a certain week booked automatically each year, but they also have the option to release that booking and free up the points to book at other times as well. But these "guaranteed week" contracts are quite rare.

[@stevemccollum2011]

Just now thinking of buying into DVC. You just told us that we cannot pool different resorts points until the 7th month, which makes sense. IF you have more than one contract with the same resort, can you pool the points for those contracts for that resort in the 11th month? It would look like you could but I am very new to this and had to ask

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Great question! Yes, you can pool the points at the same resort at 11 months. One thing to note is that if you want to pool the points on the same reservation, I would strongly recommend buying contracts on the same use year.

[@mdhlasvegas]

Curious. I have bought many fixed weeks contracts with my timeshare developer who is not Disney. After wards I upgraded my multiple contracts and traded them in for a massive points ownership contract with the developer in house sales department. When I upgraded all my contracts in house the developer used the equity of all contracts as a down payment and as equity towards a massive points ownership. Along with that I was able to get all the developer ownership perks and benefits that were not available on resale contracts. My questions is can I do the same philosophy with DVC? I would like to acquire as many dvc points as possible through resale and IF possible Like my other developer upgrade with dvc itself and turn in all my resale contracts for a direct sale and receive all the dvc perks?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

I’m glad to hear that your other timeshare was so accommodating! Unfortunately I’ve never heard of DVC doing anything Ike that. They are definitely trying to curb resale by NOT offering any incentives to resale owners. The only thing I’ve heard of anything close to that is that recently they contacted some Old Key West owners and let them know that they would make them offers to buyback points (of course at a lower price point). If someone sold their points then used the proceeds to purchase direct, that would effectively be the same thing. A lot of members do what we did - buy enough direct points to get full DVC perks, then buy the rest resale to save money.

[@nicolehanson879]

We already own 2 small resale contracts, and are looking into getting the 125 minimum for direct benefits. Before I call a guide, can that 125 be separated into 2 contracts between 2 home resorts? Say 75 points at one, and 50 at another?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Thanks so much for watching! My understanding is that you can split the contract into smaller ones but that they would need to be a total of 125 at one resort to be eligible for direct perks (blue card). You’ll want to confirm that with a guide as things can and do change over time. Best of luck to you!

[@MrMikeciavarella]

If I buy a contract through Disney, then add a resale contract at the same home resort, can I pool the points together?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yes, as long as they share the same home resort, then they can be used together at the 11 month window. You can combine points from different resorts at the 7 month window.

[@videogamephilosophersaurim7732]

If you buy old resorts from Disney are the price per point lower?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Yes, you can buy DVC contracts on the resale market. If you search for "DVC Resale" online, you'll find many companies who do this.

[@choreomaniac]

I’m trying to figure out the value of Disney Collection. Specifically, how much do you save at Tokyo Disney resorts over rack rate?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

We have not used points at anything other than DVC resorts. Most DVC members say that it's a better value to rent out your points and use the cash to pay for any other resorts you wish to visit.

[@MrMikeciavarella]

I'm a person who likes to visit two to three times a year for long weekends, but I usually book 4 months out. Are there rooms available in the 20 points per night or below range 4 months out? Obviously not at Christmas time, but in February, August, or November?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Generally speaking, I'd say that you will not find much available, if anything 4 months ahead. The last resort to fill up is always Saratoga Springs, so if you were to buy DVC and tended to book late, you would find yourself staying there more often, probably followed by Old Key West. Now if you had some guesses of what weekends you might want, you could certainly book them earlier, then cancel or modify your reservations as you go.

[@mariapomerantz2041]

If you purchase at Resale at Riviera Resort are you entitled to every resort or only at Riviera ?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Unfortunately Disney has placed restrictions on Riviera resale contracts. Those can only be used at Riviera. If you buy a Riviera contract direct from Disney, the points can be used at all DVC resorts.

[@ebabula27]

I have a question. I bought 200 points at the Rivera. If I buy more points on resale at a different property can I use the resale points and combine the points at Rivera?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Great question! If you buy resale points with Riviera as the home resort, they can ONLY be used at Riviera (this is the resale restriction), so yes, in that case you could combine them for use at Riviera. If you buy resale at any other home resort, you CANNOT use those resale points to book at Riviera or any future new resort but you CAN use them at all of the other DVC resorts. So you basically have to buy either direct points from Disney OR Riviera resale in order to use the points at Riviera. I hope that makes sense.

[@whyallthefuss201]

I haven't heard you mentioning about parking at WDW resort. The last couple of years, we been paying to park the rental car at AK lodge as a guest. Do they charge DVC members to park at the resort? I need all the advantages of DVC membership to convince my wife that DVC is the way to go.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Excellent point... I didn't address parking in this video. But I do address it in this one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnq4lWehfNCsecU There's a chapter specifically about the parking policy for DVC.

[@donnam1257]

Parking is free for DVC members.

[@whyallthefuss201]

I'm learning towards the resale market if I can save a significant amount of money and the resale still has 35+ years left on the contract. I would imagine 35 years left on the contract is a good measuring stick. Any advice on years left on the contract would be great help. Thanks!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Contract length really depends upon your needs. We hope to outlive our DVC contracts, so the contract length does matter to us. On the other hand, retirees or older owners might not care as much or even expect to outlive their contracts. I have an entire playlist of educational videos about purchasing DVC. You may find some of these helpful as well: kzbin.info/aero/PL1oGx7aOVSWpzi-Jf38ixUFmhzM03xuu- I would highly recommend the "True Cost of DVC" video or "The True Cost of a DVC Reservation" from that playlist. They both give you the formula for comparing contracts.

[@timhardin7484]

Hey guys, I've been researching purchasing the DVC on resale, but am confused with what to really look for in a contract. I know what "Home Resort," "use month," and "expiration year" I want, but then I see "points available in 20/21/22" and become confused. Can you tell me what to look for in a "really good or great" resale contract? Thanks!

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

The “points available” is referring to each use year. We will be doing a video on that later but basically it’s telling you whether the points have been used yet for each one. A use year is a 12 month period and each contract has a specific use year. For example, a contract with a June use year will have new points available for stays each June and the 12 month period following. It’s just telling you what is left since some sellers may have borrow and used points from a future use year (a “stripped” contract), while others may have banked unused points from s previous year (a “loaded” contracts).

[@timhardin7484]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic Thank you for the quick and clear reply! I really like your channel for the good content and delivery! Keep it up!!!

[@tmcneil516]

Don't you think the savings of a resale contract purchase are somewhat reduced when compared to a direct purchase, by the 'perks' (while available) of Gold Passes, 20% merchandise, and dining discounts?

[@tmcneil516]

By the way, I bought an AKL contract direct from Disney.

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

Congrats on your AK contract! It's one of our home resorts and we LOVE it! Regarding the savings with direct perks. That's a tough one to quantify because it varies so much between different DVC members. We DO have annual passes, so theoretically there are savings there, BUT we probably wouldn't buy them if we weren't DVC members, so it's debatable if that's really a savings for us. Also with merchandise and dining discounts, it really depends upon how much you spend. I'm sure for some that discount would add up faster than for others. Right now the direct perks are not so great, in my opinion - especially not being able to buy APs unless renewing. Hopefully that will return in the future. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this and thank you for watching!

[@tmcneil516]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic ok. Yeah, we bought annual passes every year before we became DVC members. I considered that the absolute best perk, and hope that's one of the ones we never lose. We also have always bought more than we should so the discounts help. We also eat at the very best restaurants. When we go on vacation we do whatever we want because we worked hard and want to play hard. (we’re retired now so we're hardly working, but still playing hard). My point is that we took two vacations in 2012, both staying in the deluxe resorts, Boardwalk and Animal Kingdom Lodge, so when I found out that I could purchase membership of 200 points for the approximate cost of the vacations we’d taken that one year, the rest is gravy, but to me, it's really delicious gravy! Lol

[@bdsc1978]

Is it hard to find a resale contract for Californian?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

They are definitely less common but it IS possible. If you’re looking for a GC resale contract, I would suggest downloading the apps for a couple of the resale companies. That way you can get a notification as soon as a contract comes on the market that meets your needs. Those GC contracts go quickly.

[@whyallthefuss201]

If I'm looking at the resale market and I spend about two weeks at WDW, how many points should I be looking for when searching. I know there are many variables for my previous question but how many points do most DVC members buy?

[@TheMagicInTheMusic]

You should be able to determine the points needed with this calculator. I use it ALL THE TIME when I'm planning DVC bookings: dvcrequest.com/dvc-guests/cost-calculator

[@whyallthefuss201]

@@TheMagicInTheMusic awesome. Thank you.

[@choreomaniac]

No one needs to finance a DVC membership. It s not a need but a want.