Blue card vs white card

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Okay we are in the process of buying AKL contract resale with my parents. My parents are starting to get worried about only being white card.
How many people are white card only? Is it really okay to just be white card?

Also if we did buy the min which is now sadly 125 points direct so we could get blue card we have another question that came up.
Can we use our resale points at AKL at the 7 month mark to get a room at Riviera for example as long as we are blue card?

Thanks for help.

 

[PurdueTodd]

Only blue card points can be used at riviera

 

[EM Lawrence]

Your question is confusingly worded. But if you have 125 direct points, they can be used anywhere at the 7 month mark that has availability, including AKL and RIV.

If you are a blue card member with 125 direct points, your blue card would not qualify any resale points you also purchased to be used at Riviera. Resale points can not book Riviera even if the member who owns them also has a blue card.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Your question is confusingly worded. But if you have 125 direct points, they can be used anywhere at the 7 month mark that has availability, including AKL and RIV.

If you are a blue card member with 125 direct points, your blue card would not qualify any resale points you also purchased to be used at Riviera. Resale points can not book Riviera even if the member who owns them also has a blue card.

Sorry... but u answered the question.

 

[Atinsley22]

I’ve closed on an AKL contract, waiting on points to load and I too am getting nervous about the lost benefits but it’s too late for me. If we decide to upgrade we might buy direct eventually. The difference for us was 10K and since we’re Florida residents the AP benefit isn’t there and I couldn’t justify it just for the discounts, I wish we’d bought in pre-January 2019 but my husband wasn’t on board yet then

 

[Eric Smith]

We're white card members. We were originally going to buy in at the new Disneyland Tower to get our blue card, but the increase in the direct minimum and the uncertainty about what price that resort will start at gave us second thoughts. We ended up finding a 100 point Grand Californian contract about a month ago, so we just bought that to give us a place to stay at Disneyland.

I don't think there's much of a difference between white and blue cards. We don't feel like we're less of DVC owners. Additionally, we would have needed to pay 80% more for our points if we went the direct route. The only benefit of the blue card that would make any financial sense is the discounts on Annual Passes (assuming you don't live in Florida). Unless you're going to be buying APs fairly often, it won't make up for the amount of money you'll save on the initial purchase.

In the end, the only real limitation we have as white card members is the fact that we can't stay at Riviera or any new resorts. However, Riviera has a very inflated point chart and it would stand to reason that any other new resort would as well. That means that the points you have won't go as far there as they would at Animal Kingdom.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

I’ve closed on an AKL contract, waiting on points to load and I too am getting nervous about the lost benefits but it’s too late for me. If we decide to upgrade we might buy direct eventually. The difference for us was 10K and since we’re Florida residents the AP benefit isn’t there and I couldn’t justify it just for the discounts, I wish we’d bought in pre-January 2019 but my husband wasn’t on board yet then

Yep I wish we did it sooner too. I have always wanted to do it, but it was not till the Gamestock craziness and my husband got it in before the crazy just as a lark that we had the cash to do it. lol. So there it is.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

One of the key differences between a white card owner and a blue card owner is that the white card owner needs bigger pockets to hold all the cash money they saved.

 

[What-r-ya Goofy?]

Resale points can not book Riviera even if the member who owns them also has a blue card.

Unless your resale points are at Riviera in which case you can use those points to make a reservation at the 11 month mark.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I’ve closed on an AKL contract, waiting on points to load and I too am getting nervous about the lost benefits but it’s too late for me. If we decide to upgrade we might buy direct eventually. The difference for us was 10K and since we’re Florida residents the AP benefit isn’t there and I couldn’t justify it just for the discounts, I wish we’d bought in pre-January 2019 but my husband wasn’t on board yet then

IMO, without the AP benefit there is absolutely no fiscal reason to purchase direct.

 

[Yinn]

IMO, without the AP benefit there is absolutely no fiscal reason to purchase direct.

We don't know what we don't know though. There may be a future perk that ends up justifying it, but we don't really have future vision here.

Okay we are in the process of buying AKL contract resale with my parents. My parents are starting to get worried about only being white card.
How many people are white card only? Is it really okay to just be white card?

Also if we did buy the min which is now sadly 125 points direct so we could get blue card we have another question that came up.
Can we use our resale points at AKL at the 7 month mark to get a room at Riviera for example as long as we are blue card?

Thanks for help.

I can't advise too much as I don't have white card. Being a blue card AKL owner, I have used the lounges, food discounts, etc. I don't know that it's made up the difference, but I like having it.

That said, if I had to do it over again; I would not have bought AKL direct. The spread between direct and resale is quite large with AKL. The rooms are abundant at AKL. Lastly, the contract at AKL is kind of mid-tier in terms of expiration.

That isn't to say I wouldn't have bought an AKL contract, just I would have bought it resale. In hindsight, I would have bought my CCV direct. Longer contract term, fixed week option. I would've instead picked up my AKL resale. That would have left me with the same. Essentially I would have ended up in the same place in terms of points, dues, terms. But my blue card would have lasted longer and I would've had an added perk of a fixed rate week.

It might not fit your situation but just food for thought..

 

[Minniemoo15]

We are white card owners and have no regrets. The math doesn’t work for us as international owners who only travel once a year. Riviera doesn’t interest us, and if a resort opens that we really love and want to stay at more than a few times, we will buy more points there.

 

[TeamRiley]

Blue card has no real benefit these days.

 

[gisele2]

White card only here , and I do not see advantage for me to buy direct. Those who purchase AP can save some money and cure their FOMO.

 

[Ronaldo17]

We have both, blue and white, I would say save your money and buy resale, the blue card is not worth it for the few extras, and they can all be withdrawn at any time.
Unless, of course you really want to stay at Riviera, then you need a blue card.

 

[Sandisw]

The blue card has nothing to do with where you use points. It is whether or not they are qualified, All direct points can be used at RIV, even if you bought less than the 125 to qualify for a blue card,

Any resale points bought prior to January 2019 can be used to book RIV, even if the person is a white card holder,

Your resale points can not be used at RIV because you are buying now. The blue vs white card has to do with membership extras, not where points can be used.

 

[DaveNan]

I have both a white and a blue card. I got in early enough that that the Blue Card requirement was only 25 points in Nov 2017. I added 25 points in my UY at that time. I paid $129 per point for direct SSR, at that time small contracts were going for $95-100 pp and large contracts for $80-90 pp. So I figure I paid a $750-$1000 premium for 25 points. I have bought 9 gold AP's (members of the household) and been to 3 MM's (18 guests total) on that little contract. For us, it has already more than justified the premium. With the current minimum being a much larger contract at an even higher per point difference, I would not buy a qualifying direct contract today. Folks who bought resale even earlier (pre 2017 I think) have Blue Cards and never had to buy anything direct. Resale only points qualified a person for member benefits and they have been grandfathered in through the ever increasing minimum requirement.

 

[Eric Smith]

I have both a white and a blue card. I got in early enough that that the Blue Card requirement was only 25 points in Nov 2017. I added 25 points in my UY at that time. I paid $129 per point for direct SSR, at that time small contracts were going for $95-100 pp and large contracts for $80-90 pp. So I figure I paid a $750-$1000 premium for 25 points. I have bought 9 gold AP's (members of the household) and been to 3 MM's (18 guests total) on that little contract. For us, it has already more than justified the premium. With the current minimum being a much larger contract at an even higher per point difference, I would not buy a qualifying direct contract today. Folks who bought resale even earlier (pre 2017 I think) have Blue Cards and never had to buy anything direct. Resale only points qualified a person for member benefits and they have been grandfathered in through the ever increasing minimum requirement.

Wow, that was a great deal and not all that long ago. I’d buy a 25 point contract at Riviera to get a blue card.

 

[RanDIZ]

I’ve closed on an AKL contract, waiting on points to load and I too am getting nervous about the lost benefits but it’s too late for me. If we decide to upgrade we might buy direct eventually. The difference for us was 10K and since we’re Florida residents the AP benefit isn’t there and I couldn’t justify it just for the discounts, I wish we’d bought in pre-January 2019 but my husband wasn’t on board yet then

I wouldn’t be too nervous. Outside of Riviera, there’s really nothing worth paying $1,000s more to buy direct and hold a blue card. Disney is taking more and more benefits away.

 

[smisale]

not saying that this the rule or its just for covid to bring more people in but my friends are alway asked if they are DVC Members and when they reply yes the food discount is given they never ask to see if the card is blue or white I guess its up to the server. when they see the T-shirts and tags on there magic bands its pride of ownership and they have been let in even at Epcot lounge with no trouble