Are you happy with your DVC Purchase? Thinking of purchasing.

[minniemous]

We are thinking of purchasing a DVC resale and want to know if there are any regrets people have? I was looking at a resale also. We are a family of 3 and we do currently stay at deluxe hotels Moderate and Values. Any information is appreciated! Thanks. Sorry if there is a separate DVC thread I missed.

 

[Rm4OneMore]

We just bought in nearly six months ago. We'll use our points for the first time this summer and again in fall. Considering how much money we spent in the past to stay on property, I wish we had bought in back in 2004 on our first trip as adults. If you plan on going every year or two or multiple times a year, I would definitely pick up a resale contract. That way if it turns out that ownership doesn't work for you, you won't be out the full amount of a direct contact. You can also rent points for your next stay to "test the waters" before you buy.

 

[minniemous]

We just bought in nearly six months ago. We'll use our points for the first time this summer and again in fall. Considering how much money we spent in the past to stay on property, I wish we had bought in back in 2004 on our first trip as adults. If you plan on going every year or two or multiple times a year, I would definitely pick up a resale contract. That way if it turns out that ownership doesn't work for you, you won't be out the full amount of a direct contact. You can also rent points for your next stay to "test the waters" before you buy.

Thank you so much! That is a good idea to rent one trip and see if we like it. Is there anything you lose out on in purchasing resale versus from Disney? Also are you aware of any DVC resorts that allows dogs?

 

[Rm4OneMore]

I know there are places on property that allow pets but I don't know which ones off the top of my head. The perks for purchasing direct have changed over the last year. You still receive a discount on merchandise, but they aren't offering the discounted annual passes right now. They also aren't running any moonlight magic events. Check out some of the DIS Unplugged and the DVC Show's video. Here's an example;

Pete Werner practically talked us into buying DVC. We watched a ton of YouTube videos to decide which was the best resort for our family and whether to buy resale or direct.

 

[minniemous]

I know there are places on property that allow pets but I don't know which ones off the top of my head. The perks for purchasing direct have changed over the last year. You still receive a discount on merchandise, but they aren't offering the discounted annual passes right now. They also aren't running any moonlight magic events. Check out some of the DIS Unplugged and the DVC Show's video. Here's an example;

Pete Werner practically talked us into buying DVC. We watched a ton of YouTube videos to decide which was the best resort for our family and whether to buy resale or direct.

Thank you again! Great video with helpful information!

 

[Eskie]

There are not many places on property that allow dogs. Here are the ones that I am aware of: Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, and The Cabins at Disney's Ft. Wilderness Resort.

 

[Louis morrell]

We purchased resale in 2017 and added on direct in 2018. I have no regrets. While it was a lot of cash outlay the cost per trip has gone down quite a bit.

Side note, none of the DVC resorts allow pets. It's in the contract.

 

[MICKIMINI]

DVC is a lifestyle IMO. You can start small with a contract and add on and on and on... We originally bought in 1996 and were in our 30's (do the math) and are buying up contacts (six plus one in ROFR) so we can be snowbirds at WDW! Our son and DIL love it as much as we do and actually go several times a year (we gift). Our son grew up at WDW and now we meet them there for a fall trip.

I'd buy resale at least initially and save a bundle. If you decide you really want the blue card then you can match up your UY with a direct buy. Do lots of research here on disboards before you buy. UY's, resort info, pricing, ROFR, banked or stripped and lots more are discussed in various threads here. Good luck!

What's not to love?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Overall we enjoyed our DVC very much. It was not without its faults, with poor housekeeping being the main issue. Nothing is perfect, but again, we truly enjoyed our time as members.
We purchased with the intention of keeping it for the duration (as most here do), but ended up selling about 10 years later for a variety of reasons.

 

[bwvBound]

Is it highest priority that you stay on property at WDW? If yes, then DVC is quite helpful in that objective.

Will it bother you to be considered a "2nd class citizen" because of buying resale? If yes, you might want to reconsider the purchase.

Edited to add:
Will it bother you that you have zero control over this investment and that some mysterious board/management company can introduce changes that may have a negative impact on your use of DVC? To the extent that this may bother you, you should reconsider the purchase intentions.

 

[minniemous]

DVC is a lifestyle IMO. You can start small with a contract and add on and on and on... We originally bought in 1996 and were in our 30's (do the math) and are buying up contacts (six plus one in ROFR) so we can be snowbirds at WDW! Our son and DIL love it as much as we do and actually go several times a year (we gift). Our son grew up at WDW and now we meet them there for a fall trip.

I'd buy resale at least initially and save a bundle. If you decide you really want the blue card then you can match up your UY with a direct buy. Do lots of research here on disboards before you buy. UY's, resort info, pricing, ROFR, banked or stripped and lots more are discussed in various threads here. Good luck!

What's not to love?

Thank you! It does sound like resale may be the way to go to get our feet wet. I knew I was coming to the right place to get some good honest opinions.

 

[Transferteck]

We’ve been members, direct and resale, for 2 years. We’ve been Disney-ites for 20 . We were on a one night visit at the Dolphin and passing by a DVC kiosk in Hollywood Studios as we made a reservation for a DVC tour. If our guide hadn’t been amazing and no-pressure I don’t think we would be members today. We all have had salespersons that make a difference and aid us in our decisions that we truly enjoy. While looking at the trips we’ve taken on the last 2 years and looking forward to the next 49 years I couldn’t be more grateful for becoming a member. If you like memories with your significant other, family, friends, or yourself then you will enjoy DVC. Part of the magic for me is finding out new and different ways to relax while on vacation. There are favorites we plan to do again and “bucket-list” ones to come. Although everyone is different it amazes me how many ways Disney has created for us to desire them.

 

[minniemous]

We’ve been members, direct and resale, for 2 years. We’ve been Disney-ites for 20 . We were on a one night visit at the Dolphin and passing by a DVC kiosk in Hollywood Studios as we made a reservation for a DVC tour. If our guide hadn’t been amazing and no-pressure I don’t think we would be members today. We all have had salespersons that make a difference and aid us in our decisions that we truly enjoy. While looking at the trips we’ve taken on the last 2 years and looking forward to the next 49 years I couldn’t be more grateful for becoming a member. If you like memories with your significant other, family, friends, or yourself then you will enjoy DVC. Part of the magic for me is finding out new and different ways to relax while on vacation. There are favorites we plan to do again and “bucket-list” ones to come. Although everyone is different it amazes me how many ways Disney has created for us to desire them.

I have been a long time Disney fan and when my daughter was about 15 months we started going once a year and now find ourselves going 2 times a year. So I feel like we would make good use of the DVC. We do have a dog that when we drive down from the northeast we bring with us so it is a bummer that Disney does not have pet friendly DVC rooms. That may end up being the deal breaker . I am not sure how he would do at the Best Friends Pet Care So he would have to sit out with a pet sitter at home if we did it. Thank you for your input!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We bought directly from DVC in 1997 (for $50 a point) and again in 1998 (for about $60 a point), 2000 (about $70 a point). I would never buy direct for the price they are asking now. Our original member fees were around $3 point and now are closer to $8 a point. If you have a pet, you can board them at Best Friends and get a small DVC discount (and you don't even need a blue card- white card will work). There are too many pet owners who aren't as responsible as others with their pets. I would sell if DVC started allowing pets at the DVC resorts. I have two cats and one dog at home, but I'd never bring them to a resort with me. It was hard enough trying to keep the quiet and non-destructive in a cheap hotel room for one night when we moved 1100 miles to a new home.

 

[Sandisw]

We do not regret it at all. It is so nice to know our vacations to WDW are covered for the rooms. We love knowing with the AP we can go as many times as we want to visit parks. We like knowing if we just wan opportunity to get out of the cold and snow we have a place to visit in FL.

We also love that our adult children and their families now no longer have to worry about that part of a WDW vacation when they visit.

 

[gisele2]

bought two resale contracts one in August and one in October. Really happy even if I won't travel until 2022.

 

[CarolynFH]

Members 23 years and counting, we had annual trips with our kids before they went to college, we gave our DD a DVC honeymoon, we bring our family from time to time but mostly it’s just DH and me now that we’re retired. We have no intention to sell anytime soon, either. That said, we’re probably an exception. DVC is a major investment - buyin costs over twice as much as it did for us (even accounting for inflation) - and is best used to come to Disney parks at least every two years if not more.
Did you know there’s an entire board here devoted to purchasing DVC? Check it out: https://www.disboards.com/forums/purchasing-dvc.28/

 

[ITGirl50]

We have owned since 2007 and now have four contracts. One resale and the rest direct. We just added on direct at CCV because we we added our daughter to it and plan to leave her that contract. She wants it and will pay the dues when it’s her time to get it. She is a young adult, well employed and loves Disney too. Right now, we wanted enough points to take long trips in retirement, she won’t get those new points for a while

The only significant difference between direct and resale is you cannot use your resale points to stay at Riviera and all future resorts. This mattered to us for our latest contract because our daughter will be in her early 40s in 2042 when 5 DVC resorts expire. Also, right now there is only Riviera, but California will have the new resort soon and there will be others in the next 20 years.
That being said, you can buy resale now and add points at a new resort if you really want to stay there. Here are other tips:
- Don’t buy Copper Creek resale. The price difference between resale and direct is not significant enough for the limitations.
-Don’t buy Copper Creek expecting to stay in a studio. Too many people want a studio and they seem to be booked up at 11 months.
- Don’t buy Riviera resale because you can only stay at Riviera.
- Don’t buy Poly if you don’t want a studio; that’s all they have
- Watch the expiration dates; Boardwalk and Beachclub have high point prices; but expire in 2042. Just realize the value will drop the closer you get to 2042
- Buy where you want to stay if you can book at 11 months out
- Buy SSR if you can’t book early; best bang for your resale buck
- realize that Disney could want your resale contract and they could take it during the ROFR; if that happens you will have to find another contract to purchase and start all over again

I hope this helps. We have loved our DVC over the years. We aren’t happy right now, but the world sucks now, so hopefully it will be better in a couple of years.

 

[minniemous]

We have owned since 2007 and now have four contracts. One resale and the rest direct. We just added on direct at CCV because we we added our daughter to it and plan to leave her that contract. She wants it and will pay the dues when it’s her time to get it. She is a young adult, well employed and loves Disney too. Right now, we wanted enough points to take long trips in retirement, she won’t get those new points for a while

The only significant difference between direct and resale is you cannot use your resale points to stay at Riviera and all future resorts. This mattered to us for our latest contract because our daughter will be in her early 40s in 2042 when 5 DVC resorts expire. Also, right now there is only Riviera, but California will have the new resort soon and there will be others in the next 20 years.
That being said, you can buy resale now and add points at a new resort if you really want to stay there. Here are other tips:
- Don’t buy Copper Creek resale. The price difference between resale and direct is not significant enough for the limitations.
-Don’t buy Copper Creek expecting to stay in a studio. Too many people want a studio and they seem to be booked up at 11 months.
- Don’t buy Riviera resale because you can only stay at Riviera.
- Don’t buy Poly if you don’t want a studio; that’s all they have
- Watch the expiration dates; Boardwalk and Beachclub have high point prices; but expire in 2042. Just realize the value will drop the closer you get to 2042
- Buy where you want to stay if you can book at 11 months out
- Buy SSR if you can’t book early; best bang for your resale buck
- realize that Disney could want your resale contract and they could take it during the ROFR; if that happens you will have to find another contract to purchase and start all over again

I hope this helps. We have loved our DVC over the years. We aren’t happy right now, but the world sucks now, so hopefully it will be better in a couple of years.

Wow, thank you for all that information! This is truly helpful and we were thinking copper creek studio so that gives us pause on that decision!!

 

[DVCSunDevil]

We are thinking of purchasing a DVC resale and want to know if there are any regrets people have? I was looking at a resale also. We are a family of 3 and we do currently stay at deluxe hotels Moderate and Values. Any information is appreciated! Thanks. Sorry if there is a separate DVC thread I missed.

We bought our DVC contract in February 2020 via resale. We have zero regrets, even though our timing wasn't great due to the pandemic hitting immediately after we closed. Knowing we will be saving a ton of money on our resort stays is why we ended up buying. And it gives us happiness knowing we have years of WDW trips in front of us. We looked at both resale and direct, but for us buying direct didn't make sense. IMO, the only added perk that makes sense for a direct purchase is the AP discount. But we live in upstate NY and will not be visiting enough days each year to buy the AP, so that didn't matter to us. There is also the Riviera restriction, but quite honestly we don't care about staying at Riviera on a consistent basis...there are 10 WDW resorts we can stay at as resale owners. If we want to stay at Riviera once or twice, we will rent our points and then rent the Riviera points from a Riviera DVC owner. We literally saved $20K buying a 200 point contract via resale, so in our position resale made a lot of sense. We took the advice of buying where you would want to stay, so we bough BCV. It's proximity to Epcot and HS, along with Stormalong Bay, made it a no brainer for us. We know we have the option of doing non-park visits because we have the resort we want.

Good luck on your decision!!