Buying resale but experiencing major FOMO, justified?

[Sunnyore]

I had FOMO when I first bought my first resale contract end of last year. It just didn’t sit well with me that I wouldn’t be allow to use my points at Riviera and any future resorts (I’m interested in Dland Towers). I also plan on hopefully keeping my contracts until they end and saw that blue card requirements just keep going up. I just missed the window for 100 points when I first started getting into DVCs so took the plunge and bought my 125 direct points. I was able to buy a DVC annual pass and I did enjoy going to the Epcot lounge. So far no regrets and now I feel better about looking at resale add ons again. In your case, I wouldn’t be able to justify buying Boardwalk direct either with the short contract and price per point. I also picked up a BWV resale recently and just passed ROFR this week so super happy about that. You probably aren’t missing much at all with a resale contract if your goal is mainly to stay at Boardwalk.

 

[RanDIZ]

This is actually my biggest fear, and the reason we are buying at BWV, which is one of the worst values but the only resort we would be happy to stay at 100% of the time if it came down to that.

I think with BWV, resale is a no brainer. The only FOMO buying direct will give you is thousands more missing from your bank account. There’s no way I’m paying $210/point on a resort with 21yrs left. These new price increases on DVC direct are probably not going to go over well. We shall see.

 

[DisneyDad0315]

I had FOMO when I first bought my first resale contract end of last year. It just didn’t sit well with me that I wouldn’t be allow to use my points at Riviera and any future resorts (I’m interested in Dland Towers). I also plan on hopefully keeping my contracts until they end and saw that blue card requirements just keep going up. I just missed the window for 100 points when I first started getting into DVCs so took the plunge and bought my 125 direct points. I was able to buy a DVC annual pass and I did enjoy going to the Epcot lounge. So far no regrets and now I feel better about looking at resale add ons again. In your case, I wouldn’t be able to justify buying Boardwalk direct either with the short contract and price per point. I also picked up a BWV resale recently and just passed ROFR this week so super happy about that. You probably aren’t missing much at all with a resale contract if your goal is mainly to stay at Boardwalk.

I bought 100 point resale contract about 2 years ago. It's was a great purchase for our family and we have been to Aulani several times to use our points. The only FOMO I have is that I should have bought more points, like 150 instead of 100.

 

[VdoesDisney]

I had FOMO when I first bought my first resale contract end of last year. It just didn’t sit well with me that I wouldn’t be allow to use my points at Riviera and any future resorts (I’m interested in Dland Towers). I also plan on hopefully keeping my contracts until they end and saw that blue card requirements just keep going up. I just missed the window for 100 points when I first started getting into DVCs so took the plunge and bought my 125 direct points. I was able to buy a DVC annual pass and I did enjoy going to the Epcot lounge. So far no regrets and now I feel better about looking at resale add ons again. In your case, I wouldn’t be able to justify buying Boardwalk direct either with the short contract and price per point. I also picked up a BWV resale recently and just passed ROFR this week so super happy about that. You probably aren’t missing much at all with a resale contract if your goal is mainly to stay at Boardwalk.

Congrats on the BWV contract! Your experience is kind of what I’m feeling, concerns of not being able to stay at future resorts and the point minimum going up. That said, I think I, personally, may be over-reacting, the truth is that we get gold APs regardless because we are FL residents (have been AP holders for years), and we’re not that interested in RIV as a regular option for our trips.

 

[VdoesDisney]

I bought 100 point resale contract about 2 years ago. It's was a great purchase for our family and we have been to Aulani several times to use our points. The only FOMO I have is that I should have bought more points, like 150 instead of 100.

That’s a really good perspective! I actually was stalking 100 point contacts but ended up getting a 150-point one, funny thing is that I already think we’ll want more points!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I strongly considered RIV but we don't like it enough to make it our 11-month advantage, also the dues are higher than most WDW resorts, and the point charts not very favorable, not to mention I worry about its resale value. The incentives made it a very attractive purchase, but we ultimately felt we needed to choose a resort we would be happy staying at if we couldn't switch at 7 months.

Point chart for RIV is truly awful
I love the resort but realistically we won’t be staying there. We would rather stay 7 nights at a resort with a better point chart than 3-4 at RIV. We also love VGF and used to stay there sometimes before buying dvc. But we have never stayed there since becoming a dvc members. Point chart just isn’t worth it. There are too many other awesome options with more reasonable point charts. The only thing we use the direct points for is 1) moonlight madness— and big deal you can just do an after hours evenT now and then for a couple of hundred bucks instead of paying thousands more with direct. Plus, they schedule this MM events at odd times when you will probably not be vacationing. You are also not guaranteed to get tickets. It’s a call in lottery nightmare. And 2) annual pass, Well, it looks like they will be dramatically changing the AP system, so I wouldn’t bother for that either. The fomo you feel is just their marketing working. Stay rational and the fomo will pass! Enjoy dvc. BWV is definitely the best!

 

[Nabas]

Point chart for RIV is truly awful

And the RIV Maintenance Fees are just as bad.

VGF started at $5.41 and currently is at $6.81.

PVB started at $6.02 and currently is at $7.05.

CCV started at $7.33 and currently is at $7.59.

RIV started at $8.31 and now is at $8.38!

 

[crisi]

We are resale owners from the days of no restrictions. And we have used very few of the perks. In twenty years, we've bought two annual passes. We've taken advantage of merchandise discounts and probably saved ourselves $100 - and maybe another $100 in DVC restaurant discounts. We stay at our home resort most of the time at WDW (we have used Hilton Head a few times in the Winter - and if that were removed we would probably sell) - the ability to stay at Riviera has zero appeal, and any subsequent resorts with this restriction are .... well, maybe something spectacular will open up that is points affordable

Figure out how much you'd use the perks- and then remember that they can change - when we bought there wasn't a discount on annual passes - which we don't find very useful - but there was a discount on hoppers which we would have gotten a lot of use out of...but only used once before it was changed. And when we bought there were only half a dozen resorts - including VB and HHI - we evaluated off of being able to stay at BWV (home), OKW, BRV, BCV, HHI and VB - and while we have stayed at VAKL which opened since, we see it as a bonus, not as a entitlement - it wasn't there when we bought.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

And the RIV Maintenance Fees are just as bad.

VGF started at $5.41 and currently is at $6.81.

PVB started at $6.02 and currently is at $7.05.

CCV started at $7.33 and currently is at $7.59.

RIV started at $8.31 and now is at $8.38!

Ugh
But somebody has to pay for the gondola.

 

[VdoesDisney]

Point chart for RIV is truly awful
I love the resort but realistically we won’t be staying there. We would rather stay 7 nights at a resort with a better point chart than 3-4 at RIV. We also love VGF and used to stay there sometimes before buying dvc. But we have never stayed there since becoming a dvc members. Point chart just isn’t worth it. There are too many other awesome options with more reasonable point charts. The only thing we use the direct points for is 1) moonlight madness— and big deal you can just do an after hours evenT now and then for a couple of hundred bucks instead of paying thousands more with direct. Plus, they schedule this MM events at odd times when you will probably not be vacationing. You are also not guaranteed to get tickets. It’s a call in lottery nightmare. And 2) annual pass, Well, it looks like they will be dramatically changing the AP system, so I wouldn’t bother for that either. The fomo you feel is just their marketing working. Stay rational and the fomo will pass! Enjoy dvc. BWV is definitely the best!

Great points all around, thanks for that perspective, we’re also FL residents and have had silver or gold APs for several years now so that’s not an issue either, I guess I’m just worried they can strip us from access to other resorts or change our booking windows, from the comments above it sounds like that’s not realistic. Argh DVC really plays mind games on you!

 

[Brian Noble]

I am content with the resale contract I got (waiting on ROFR) but concerned that Disney will continue to differentiate between resale and direct buyers, and eventually we will see restrictions on the use of our points, or maybe be treated differently.

My advice: wait until something that matters to you actually happens. Then you can decide what you want to do about it. That could be buying a qualifying interest, or it could be selling. You won't know (and don't need to know) until it happens.

As an aside, your reaction is exactly the point of the resale restrictions. For the most part they are inconsequential, but they feel like they matter---and they instill FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) about what might happen later. That is effective because at its core, a DVC purchase is at least in part an emotional one. It is neither a necessity or a commodity.

Argh DVC really plays mind games on you!

Disney is particularly adept at managing (and if we are honest, manipulating) those feelings of "belonging" or "not belonging" because they are a business built entirely on selling emotional experiences--unlike many other timeshare companies that are hoteliers (Marriott, Hilton) or real estate developers (Wyndham) at their core.

 

[Sunnyore]

Congrats on the BWV contract! Your experience is kind of what I’m feeling, concerns of not being able to stay at future resorts and the point minimum going up. That said, I think I, personally, may be over-reacting, the truth is that we get gold APs regardless because we are FL residents (have been AP holders for years), and we’re not that interested in RIV as a regular option for our trips.

For you resale makes perfect sense. One thing I knew in the back of my mind is if I really do want to stay at one of the future resorts in the future with only resale points, I can always buy direct points then or possibly rent. But I do like the flexibility of managing my own points. I think if I lived in FL and wanted BWV I would have made the same decision as you.

 

[DVCanadian]

Hi All, I would love some thoughts on the fear of not buying direct, I am content with the resale contract I got (waiting on ROFR) but concerned that Disney will continue to differentiate between resale and direct buyers, and eventually we will see restrictions on the use of our points, or maybe be treated differently. Any resale only owners out there? What are your thoughts on not owning any direct points?

Unless you buy another contract it won’t matter. You know the rules for the contract you bought. If you want to buy another you will also know those rules at that time. Disney has never, so far, change anything retroactively.

I bought resale in 2011 and 2014. Some restrictions were in place, we were aware and bought with that knowledge, makes no difference to how we use our contract, same for perks.

Many people are fear merchants on these boards, don’t waste your time with what ifs. Get planning those trips instead.

 

[Sandisw]

Point chart for RIV is truly awful
I love the resort but realistically we won’t be staying there. We would rather stay 7 nights at a resort with a better point chart than 3-4 at RIV. We also love VGF and used to stay there sometimes before buying dvc. But we have never stayed there since becoming a dvc members. Point chart just isn’t worth it. There are too many other awesome options with more reasonable point charts. The only thing we use the direct points for is 1) moonlight madness— and big deal you can just do an after hours evenT now and then for a couple of hundred bucks instead of paying thousands more with direct. Plus, they schedule this MM events at odd times when you will probably not be vacationing. You are also not guaranteed to get tickets. It’s a call in lottery nightmare. And 2) annual pass, Well, it looks like they will be dramatically changing the AP system, so I wouldn’t bother for that either. The fomo you feel is just their marketing working. Stay rational and the fomo will pass! Enjoy dvc. BWV is definitely the best!

But isnt that why DVC is so great? I’d rather stay 3 to 4 nights at RIV or VGF vs the other places for 7. To me, the other resorts are not worth the savings. The only one that we do enjoy close is BLT to replace the VGF part of our stays. With the walkway now, though, its really changed things.

I think that is why the best advice is and always has been to buy where it makes you happy! And, when deciding between direct and resale you really do need to decide if the blue card benefits are worth it or the ability to use the points at places resale can not. If never one of those makes any sense, then it is hard to justify buying direct

Personally, I dont think WDW AP will be drastically different. If that was going to be the case, I just don’t think they would be allowing people to buy new ones via the recovery over or continue to allow current holder to renew them.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Great points all around, thanks for that perspective, we’re also FL residents and have had silver or gold APs for several years now so that’s not an issue either, I guess I’m just worried they can strip us from access to other resorts or change our booking windows, from the comments above it sounds like that’s not realistic. Argh DVC really plays mind games on you!

Oh wow, so you are a Florida resident?! You definitely do not need direct. The AP that direct owners have access to is the Florida resident AP. If we lived in Florida we never would have purchased any direct points. Even now, I wouldn’t do it again because the only perk worth anything is that AP and I personally think they are going to restructure the program.

 

[VdoesDisney]

Oh wow, so you are a Florida resident?! You definitely do not need direct. The AP that direct owners have access to is the Florida resident AP. If we lived in Florida we never would have purchased any direct points. Even now, I wouldn’t do it again because the only perk worth anything is that AP and I personally think they are going to restructure the program.

Right, it seems the AP is the biggest perk with direct, which is why I ended up deciding to go resale, thanks for the feedback; everyone’s comments are definitely helping tame my FOMO.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

As a resale person who had FOMO too I feel you. Here some things that helped me, if you get the Disney credit card you get some of the similar discounts that you would get with the blue card if that helps you too. I know that helps me. Also it helps that we cannot even by the APs and now I know it is not even guaranteed, we have no idea if they will bring it back. Our plan if we decided to buy direct we will wait for Disneyland hotel and buy the min there.

 

[VdoesDisney]

As a resale person who had FOMO out I feel you. Here some things that helped me, if you get the Disney credit card you get some of the similar discounts that you would get with the blue card if that helps you too. I know that helps me. Also it helps that we cannot even by the APs and now I know it is not even guaranteed, we have no idea if they will bring it back. Our plan if we decided to buy direct we will wait for Disneyland hotel and buy the min there.

So we actually have gold APs already (were able to renew 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021) and the discounts on dining and merchandise are very similar to blue card discounts, so the only valuable things we’re missing out on are the Epcot lounge and Riviera stays, I’m ok with not having access to either but somehow I still have that nagging feeling that being a resale owner may be a problem down the road... anyway from what others are saying it seems I shouldn’t worry too much, it’s really Disney’s tactics working on me more than tangible losses. Thanks for all the posts, I appreciate the discussion.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Buy resale, and do not worry about it. The only resort you can't book is Riviera, and standard view will be a difficult book for those who can use their points there. If you think you want Riviera, then buy direct there.

 

[MonaMN]

We just bought resale for our first contract. I would consider direct if/when a new resort is added if it was appealing (Riviera did not appeal to us nor does the resale restriction). But we live far enough away that we can’t usually take advantage of most of the other benefits anyway... so I don’t think we will have any FOMO!