Adding On?

[disney junky]

I have a June UY contract I bought direct. If I added on a June UY contract from a third party, would I still have all the advantages of the initial contract?

 

[erionm]

As long as you own your existing direct points, you are entitled to all member perks and benefits. Those new resale points will be subject to usage restrictions currently in place.

 

[disney junky]

As long as you own your existing direct points, you are entitled to all member perks and benefits. Those new resale points will be subject to usage restrictions currently in place.

ev
If I had 200 direct points and 200 resale points, how might that look? I'm not up on the restrictions currently in place since I've only ever had direct points. I'm mulling over the thought of adding on versus renting occasionally.

 

[Bing Showei]

As long as your membership contains a contract with member-benefits-qualified points, it doesn't matter if you add 7,800 resale-points-of-shame to your 200 direct points, you will maintain your benefits.

For those who bought resale prior to April 2016, all resale points were grandfathered to be qualified, for those who bought the 25-point minimum prior to the February 2018, those points were grandfathered to be qualified. For those who buy today, they would need 75 total points to become qualified points. As long as the qualified points are in your membership, that membership is qualified for the über magic stuff like 10% off churros from La Hacienda de San Miguel.

ETA: To clarify, you can only buy an additional 3,800 resale-points-of-shame (or direct, for that matter) to your BWV holdings.

 

[disney junky]

Thanks

 

[erionm]

I'm not up on the restrictions currently in place since I've only ever had direct points.

You would only be able to use the resale points for DVC Resort reservations or RCI Exchanges. They couldn't be used for cruises, non-dvc disney hotels, adventures by disney, etc.

 

[bgdude]

We purchased 175 February U/Y points direct and just recently added February U/Y resale points at a different resort, we were told the perks apply to all points in our membership, other than booking outside of DVC resorts.

 

[lovin'fl]

Your direct points get you the blue card and therefore the access to the Epcot DVC lounge, DVC dining and shopping discount, AP DVC rates, DVC member magic parties or whatever they're called. So you're set with all that as long as you own those direct points. Then if you wanted to use for a cruise you could only use the direct points and not the added resale (ie: if it's, say, 350 points for one person on cruise you'd have to use 350 direct- or those of us with grandfathered in are considered direct for intents and purposes). Same applies to using points for regular Disney hotels and Adventures By Disney.

 

[Frederic Civish]

We purchased 175 February U/Y points direct and just recently added February U/Y resale points at a different resort, we were told the perks apply to all points in our membership, other than booking outside of DVC resorts.

A minimum qualifying amount, which is currently 75 points, purchased Direct from Disney, is what gives you the perks like merchandise discounts, special members events, TOTWL, Epcot lounge, meal discounts and similar things. Also, only those points purchased Directly from Disney can be used in the 'Disney Collection' to stay at some of the Disney hotels, in the 'Concierge Collection' to stay at other outside hotels, and for cruises. Naturally, if you own more direct points, you can use more on the exchanges. But you can't add your resale points to that total. Essentially, resale points simply are not counted at all when you are talking about 'Incidental Benefits.' They don't help, and they don't hurt.

 

[JETSDAD]

A minimum qualifying amount, which is currently 75 points, purchased Direct from Disney, is what gives you the perks like merchandise discounts, special members events, TOTWL, Epcot lounge, meal discounts and similar things. Also, only those points purchased Directly from Disney can be used in the 'Disney Collection' to stay at some of the Disney hotels, in the 'Concierge Collection' to stay at other outside hotels, and for cruises. Naturally, if you own more direct points, you can use more on the exchanges. But you can't add your resale points to that total. Essentially, resale points simply are not counted at all when you are talking about 'Incidental Benefits.' They don't help, and they don't hurt.

TOTWL doesn't require direct purchase.

 

[Frederic Civish]

TOTWL doesn't require direct purchase.

I didn’t know that. How about Epcot Lounge. I thought they were both restricted to Direct purchasers. I think that such restrictions are a load of garbage, but that is what I had been told by another member.

 

[zavandor]

You do not qualify for member perks, your contracts do.
There are types of benefits and you qualify in different ways. Let's say you have one 75+points contract bought direct and one resale.

1) Membership Magic: the direct contracts gives you the blue membership cards which give you the majority of perks, like AP, dining and merchandise discounts, Moonlight Magic events, Epcot Lounge, Soarin tour, access to paid extra events.
There is a minimum of 75 direct points to access those perks (unless you are an older owner, now grandfathered). If you sell (all) the direct contract(s) you own or drop below 75 points, you loose access to Membership Magic.

2) You can also use your points to book cruises, other Disney hotels (like in Paris, Tokyo or the Disneyland Hotel in California), however you can only use the points from your direct contract to do so. And points are exchanged this way with a poor conversion rate, in the range of $6-$8pp, just a little above the MF.

3) Membership benefits: those are open to every owner, regardless how they have purchased, mostly because they are paid with MF so legally DVC cannot take those away from resale buyers. This includes RCI exchanges, pool hopping, TOTW lounge at BLT

 

[DaveNan]

I didn’t know that. How about Epcot Lounge. I thought they were both restricted to Direct purchasers. I think that such restrictions are a load of garbage, but that is what I had been told by another member.

EPCOT lounge is restricted to qualifying or grandfathered direct purchase.

 

[erionm]

I didn’t know that. How about Epcot Lounge. I thought they were both restricted to Direct purchasers.

The space used for the TOTWL is owned by the BLT condo association. They can't restrict it to direct purchasers only since all BLT owners pay the same dues rate which covers maintenance of the space.

 

[Frederic Civish]

The space used for the TOTWL is owned by the BLT condo association. They can't restrict it to direct purchasers only since all BLT owners pay the same dues rate which covers maintenance of the space.

Thanks everyone. I'm trying to get this all straight. I own 325 direct points (4 contracts of 75 points each and 1 contract of 25 points), so I don't have a problem, but I have family members that have only bought at resale, and they always want to know what they can do.

 

[sndral]

Thanks everyone. I'm trying to get this all straight. I own 325 direct points (4 contracts of 75 points each and 1 contract of 25 points), so I don't have a problem, but I have family members that have only bought at resale, and they always want to know what they can do.

The short answer is that it depends on when they bought those resale points.

Before 3/21/2011 - their resale points are equal to your direct points and can be used in exactly the same way. These resale buyers were grandfathered in when the first set of resale limitations happened. These owners have blue cards.

3/21/2011 - 4/4/2016 - these resale points cannot be used for Disney cruises, adventures by Disney, the concierge collection or to book non DVC resorts with points. All other benefits were grandfathered in. These owners have blue cards.

4/4/2016 - present - added to the 2011 point usage limitations was the removal of access to discounts, membership events, etc.. These members do not get the blue card.

Many bought the minimum of 25 direct points as an add on between 4/4/2016 and 2/25/2018 which qualified them to obtain the blue membership card and access to the discounts/events, etc. These members are grandfathered in.

On 2/25/2018 the number of direct points to get the blue card and access to discounts/events was upped to 75.

 

[DarleneP]

I bought resale in 2014, and I have a blue card. The blue card has an expiration date. Will I be able to get a new card when the current one expires, or do I have to purchase 75 direct points?

 

[erionm]

I bought resale in 2014, and I have a blue card. The blue card has an expiration date. Will I be able to get a new card when the current one expires, or do I have to purchase 75 direct points?

You are grandfathered in because you purchase prior to the current restrictions. Since you are grandfathered in, you will receive a new blue membership card.