150 pts to get blue card... what happens in the future?

[GroguAndStitch]

Hello everyone,
We are looking into our first DVC contract and of course, contemplating direct vs. resale. I know the minimum to get the member benefits (blue card) is 150 pts direct from disney and they've raised this in the past. Has it happened when they raise it, that they disqualify past contracts for the member benefits? We are thinking we'd want about 175-200 pts depending on where we buy, but I'm wondering if we'd end up being kicked out of member benefits in the future since that's close to the cut-off. Thoughts?

We're really thinking of buying a resale 2042 Boardwalk contract, a resale poly contract, or waiting for the poly tower and buying direct.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Hello everyone,
We are looking into our first DVC contract and of course, contemplating direct vs. resale. I know the minimum to get the member benefits (blue card) is 150 pts direct from disney and they've raised this in the past. Has it happened when they raise it, that they disqualify past contracts for the member benefits? We are thinking we'd want about 175-200 pts depending on where we buy, but I'm wondering if we'd end up being kicked out of member benefits in the future since that's close to the cut-off. Thoughts?

We're really thinking of buying a resale 2042 Boardwalk contract, a resale poly contract, or waiting for the poly tower and buying direct.

The membership benefit was 75pts for our CCV contract. Our total is 118 pt. It is grandfathered in for full benefits because it is more than the required 75pts at the time. It doesn’t matter what the current membership benefit amount is now. We are grandfathered in.

 

[RuntheMouse]

We are thinking we'd want about 175-200 pts depending on where we buy, but I'm wondering if we'd end up being kicked out of member benefits in the future since that's close to the cut-off. Thoughts?

If they up the requirements for member benefits, it will only affect new members going forward. As stated by PP, they will grandfather your membership in. We have 425 resale and 150 direct to be MB eligible.

 

[sndral]

Hello everyone,
We are looking into our first DVC contract and of course, contemplating direct vs. resale. I know the minimum to get the member benefits (blue card) is 150 pts direct from disney and they've raised this in the past. Has it happened when they raise it, that they disqualify past contracts for the member benefits? We are thinking we'd want about 175-200 pts depending on where we buy, but I'm wondering if we'd end up being kicked out of member benefits in the future since that's close to the cut-off. Thoughts?

We're really thinking of buying a resale 2042 Boardwalk contract, a resale poly contract, or waiting for the poly tower and buying direct.

DVC has always grandfathered in those qualified for benefits when they’ve changed the rules about what it takes to qualify. Here’s a summary of DVC benefits & what it took to qualify for them.
Originally there was no distinction between direct & resale owners. In January 2011, DVC removed the ability to use resale points to book cruises, Disney exchanges, etc.. Resale buyers who bought prior to the rule change were unaffected.
Resale buyers who bought after 2011 while unable to use their points for Disney exchanges were still eligible for other DVC benefits like discounts, ability to buy APs at DVC rates, access to DVC lounges, etc. - the so called ‘membership extras.’ I purchased my first 2 resale contracts during this era & have been blue card since then.
In 2016 DVC introduced the rule that you had to own direct points to qualify for membership extras. Thus began the blue card v. white card era. At the time the minimum # of points you could buy was 25, so that was the # required to get a blue card. Those who already owned resale such as myself were grandfathered in & retained our blue card status. Those who purchased resale afterwards w/ no direct point ownership got a digital white card. Many added on 25 direct points to become blue card during this era.
In 2018 DVC upped the direct minimum to qualify for a blue card to 75 points. Those who were already blue card (either resale pre 2016 or less than 75 direct) retained their blue card status.
In 2019 the direct minimum was upped to 100 points, existing blue card holders who qualified under the old rules but not under the new rules were again grandfathered in.
In 2020 the direct minimum for blue card was upped to 125, all existing blue cards retained their status.
In 2021 the direct minimum was upped to 150, all existing blue card members retained their status.
In Dec. 2021 DVC did away with physical blue cards, members eligible for membership extras now had a Y on their digital membership card & ineligible former ‘white’ card members an N.

 

[Cfabar1]

I am skeptical that they would want to raise it too much higher, and I really don’t see them going beyond 200 points at the ABSOLUTE maximum, even then I don’t really see it… I think they are more likely to do a tiered loyalty system at that point with additional benefits once you have say 250 or 300 points if they did that.

 

[Sandisw]

Id be surprised to see it raised. While DVD can do anything they want, I don’t see them not grandfathering like they have so far.

 

[kboo]

In 2016 DVC introduced the rule that you had to own direct points to qualify for membership extras. Thus began the blue card v. white card era. At the time the minimum # of points you could buy was 25, so that was the # required to get a blue card. Those who already owned resale such as myself were grandfathered in & retained our blue card status. Those who purchased resale afterwards w/ no direct point ownership got a digital white card. Many added on 25 direct points to become blue card during this era.

we were in this bucket with our first resale contract - after passing ROFR but while we were in estoppel (none of it took long) I called DVC and asked to add on 25 points at my first home resort and UY. He said "adding on the 25, eh?", read me some things over the phone, and I think I paid by credit card...? Direct points were 185 back then for BLT.

By the time we bought Riviera, our first direct points, in 2019, all our prior resale points were already grandfathered and could be used anywhere, but we fell in love with Riviera.

I remember each time they upped the ## to get blue cards, they'd announce it would go in effect a few months in the future, and sometimes they paired it with incentives at the same or slightly more points, and there was usually a swell for people who had addonitis. VGF last year was the most compelling, though.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Looking at the past trends, I would not be surprised to see it raised to 175 or 200 points in the next year. They need people with bigger contracts for the point heavy rooms at VGF, RIV, VDH, and Poly Tower— if they have too many people with 150 points (especially after they retire the 2042 charts!), it’s going to be a lot of people scrambling for studios and upset they can’t get the rooms they want.

The idea of Y card perks at 150 but an additional tier of benefits (priority for Membership Magic? A couple of FP per stay?) at 250/300/500 is intriguing. I also think it would cause less outrage from the massive amount of “grandfathered” resale points but still allow DVD to demand 250/300/500/1000 direct for whatever the VIP tier perk is.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Question about membership benefits. If you book a DVC stay with resale points, but are a direct purchaser and have the “Y”, can you still be eligible for events like “ moonlight Magic”? Or do you have to be staying on direct points to go to those events?

 

[DVCsloth]

Question about membership benefits. If you book a DVC stay with resale points, but are a direct purchaser and have the “Y”, can you still be eligible for events like “ moonlight Magic”? Or do you have to be staying on direct points to go to those events?

I don't think Disney has pushed it that far yet. But I wouldn't be surprised if they were looking into it at some point.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

You are grandfathered by the rules at the time of purchase. If it's 150 now and you purchase 150 direct then they change it to 200, you are grandfathered at the 150 for as long as you own that contract. If you sell that contract you have to obide by new rules

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Question about membership benefits. If you book a DVC stay with resale points, but are a direct purchaser and have the “Y”, can you still be eligible for events like “ moonlight Magic”? Or do you have to be staying on direct points to go to those events?

As long as that membership has direct points, I think you are eligible for events.

 

[CastAStone]

I think it’s more likely to go down than up. They already had to lower the minimum buy-in back down from 150 (while keeping benefits at 150+)

That said, just because they have grandfathered in contracts in the past doesn’t mean they will in the future. Leaders change. Objectives change. People’s panic levels change. It’s probably fine! But there’s no guarantees.

There’s also no guarantees that they will continue to offer any membership benefits. They have suspended the AP access before, permanently removed the discount for it, tinkered with restaurant and dining discounts, devalued the point charts for some of non-DVC options, etc.

They could wake up tomorrow and decide that the new membership extra is a free Hulu-with-ads subscription and a coupon for a six week trial of Hello Fresh and everything else goes away. And that would be that. Because they absolutely have the right to do that.

So just keep that in mind as you decide.

 

[tx911]

I am skeptical that they would want to raise it too much higher, and I really don’t see them going beyond 200 points at the ABSOLUTE maximum, even then I don’t really see it… I think they are more likely to do a tiered loyalty system at that point with additional benefits once you have say 250 or 300 points if they did that.

Oooh, imagine if they started doing things like offering a free AP for points above a certain level, or including Genie+.

 

[Cfabar1]

Oooh, imagine if they started doing things like offering a free AP for points above a certain level, or including Genie+.

That's awfully optimistic in terms of the perks... I think if anything we'd be more likely to see priority handling of reservations, extra-early registration for Moonlight Magic, DCL cruises, maybe an additional 5-10% discount, etc.

I'd love to say valet parking, but I just don't see it.

 

[Spivey378]

I am skeptical that they would want to raise it too much higher, and I really don’t see them going beyond 200 points at the ABSOLUTE maximum, even then I don’t really see it… I think they are more likely to do a tiered loyalty system at that point with additional benefits once you have say 250 or 300 points if they did that.

"Membership Magic+"

 

[tx911]

That's awfully optimistic in terms of the perks... I think if anything we'd be more likely to see priority handling of reservations, extra-early registration for Moonlight Magic, DCL cruises, maybe an additional 5-10% discount, etc.

I'd love to say valet parking, but I just don't see it.

Hey, a man can dream.

I don't think they'd need to offer much. Add a few additional perks at the 200 point level, for example, and I think you'd have a lot of people bumping up above 150 to get them. Fomophobia and all that would kick in

 

[DVCsloth]

You would think that Disney would be happy with 150 points for Membership Extras! Pretty much a $30k purchase.
Personally think they should lower it to 100 points.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

I think it’s more likely to go down than up. They already had to lower the minimum buy-in back down from 150 (while keeping benefits at 150+)

It is a selfish wish on my part that the MB cap goes down because that means a bad economic reality, but I believe this, too.

That said, just because they have grandfathered in contracts in the past doesn’t mean they will in the future. Leaders change. Objectives change. People’s panic levels change. It’s probably fine! But there’s no guarantees.

Also THIS. Be careful to understand what you are purchasing and what you are not!

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I think it’s more likely to go down than up. They already had to lower the minimum buy-in back down from 150 (while keeping benefits at 150+)

That said, just because they have grandfathered in contracts in the past doesn’t mean they will in the future. Leaders change. Objectives change. People’s panic levels change. It’s probably fine! But there’s no guarantees.

There’s also no guarantees that they will continue to offer any membership benefits. They have suspended the AP access before, permanently removed the discount for it, tinkered with restaurant and dining discounts, devalued the point charts for some of non-DVC options, etc.

They could wake up tomorrow and decide that the new membership extra is a free Hulu-with-ads subscription and a coupon for a six week trial of Hello Fresh and everything else goes away. And that would be that. Because they absolutely have the right to do that.

So just keep that in mind as you decide.

Have they suspended APs prior to Covid?