DVC Member New Annual Pass Discount—Buying Direct Vs. Resale

[DonMacGregor]

Hey,,,you did go with the flow!! Right to DVD direct!! I know I’m done with resale unless RIV points drop below $100…which I do t expect for years!! By then, I hopefully will have hit my 1000 mark and be good!!!

Congrats!

We'll see with add-ons, but my focus is switching to Boulder Ridge now as that's my preferred resort.

 

[wnielsen1]

We'll see with add-ons, but my focus is switching to Boulder Ridge now as that's my preferred resort.

2042 resorts are a tough add via direct given the price vs years remaining ratio. I'm too impatient in general to buy resale, but I would go that route for a 2042 resort. (And I realize you never specified that you were looking at BRV direct).

 

[DonMacGregor]

2042 resorts are a tough add via direct given the price vs years remaining ratio. I'm too impatient in general to buy resale, but I would go that route for a 2042 resort. (And I realize you never specified that you were looking at BRV direct).

No, my plan was to get the 150 SSR points as my foundation with 2054 expiry, then add BRV later in smaller increments (we travel in February to April typically so we should enjoy pretty good availability at 7 months) only as a buffer in case we hit some 7-month booking roadblocks.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

I think SSR was becoming the preferred direct buy. I love the resort, and never understood all the negative reception it used to get. It is a gem, and I would gladly be "stuck" there anytime!

 

[LilyJC]

No, my plan was to get the 150 SSR points as my foundation with 2057 expiry

Just want to make sure to clarify that SSR‘s end date is 2054 while direct OKW (and AKV) is 2057…

 

[RoseGold]

DVC will get a backlash from this I think. The reason to buy direct are no longer there, even if you want RIV. Sure you can't use RIV anywhere but there, but I think many are fine with staying at their home resort. If they want to stay at another resort they can do a point transfer.

They’re not really trying to sell now, or they would have cut aulani’s price. They’ve got no projects and millions of points sitting around.

The one thing they did add back was EMH. If they add a little more stuff like that, I’ll be really happy. There has to be a reason to stay DVC at all before you even get to a Blue Card discussion. I hope we see more perks like this!

 

[DonMacGregor]

Just want to make sure to clarify that SSR‘s end date is 2054 while direct OKW (and AKV) is 2057…

Sorry for the typo. Yes, 2054 for SSR and 2042 for BRV. Extended OKW is 2057. Fixed it.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

They’re not really trying to sell now, or they would have cut aulani’s price. They’ve got no projects and millions of points sitting around.

The one thing they did add back was EMH. If they add a little more stuff like that, I’ll be really happy. There has to be a reason to stay DVC at all before you even get to a Blue Card discussion. I hope we see more perks like this!

EMH - glad it's back but it is only two hours. Really need three hours for it to be worthwhile, especially since the first half hour is usually clearing the line from the day guests. Unless they are going to put into place you have to be in line by 15 minutes before park closure for some of the more popular rides....
But I agree they are at least trying to make DVC and deluxe resorts worth the costs. But....universal gives the express pass to their deluxe guests.

 

[Drewferin]

Just wanted to add that the old Gold and Platinum passes are still available for renewal. I renewed these passes just yesterday for my wife and myself. Great value considering the new passes don't include photopass...

 

[Sandisw]

Just wanted to add that the old Gold and Platinum passes are still available for renewal. I renewed these passes just yesterday for my wife and myself. Great value considering the new passes don't include photopass...

Yes, you can still renew the pass right now. However, the information is that when you activate it, it will turn into the Sorcerer or Increi pass, in which they will add the Photopass but it will be subject to the new black out dates for Sorcerer for the rest of 2021.

In order for it to stay a gold or platinum pass, it has to be activated from the certificate by September 7th. Starting the 8th those certificates will only be eligible for the new pass type with no additional charge.

For example, my pass is an active Gold that I have used…it would remain as such until it expires. But, my DD who has the gold renewal certificate and won’t activate it until October, will be given the Sorcerer pass.

Don’t think we will really know until next week what actually happens with these unactivated passes.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Here‘s a question. I want to purchase an annual pass for my wife and I when they become available, but don’t actually want to use them until a trip next September. How exactly would that work? When I book the villas at the 11 month window, would I be able to use the passes to secure park reservations?
If I have to ultimately reschedule the trip, and cancel the park reservations, would I be able to shift the activation date for the APs to the new dates for the trip?

 

[DonMacGregor]

Here‘s a question. I want to purchase an annual pass for my wife and I when they become available, but don’t actually want to use them until a trip next September. How exactly would that work? When I book the villas at the 11 month window, would I be able to use the passes to secure park reservations?
If I have to ultimately reschedule the trip, and cancel the park reservations, would I be able to shift the activation date for the APs to the new dates for the trip?

I’ll be interested to hear the answer too. The new Magic Key program at DL allows you to make reservations up to 90 days out, but the pass isn’t activated until you use it for actual park entry (or parking if you have the Dream Key.). You can delay initial use of the Key until the day before 1 year, then the purchase price becomes a credit towards another Key.
Interested because the pass systems at the two coasts are paralleling each other in some aspects, and diverging significantly in others.

 

[Sandisw]

Here‘s a question. I want to purchase an annual pass for my wife and I when they become available, but don’t actually want to use them until a trip next September. How exactly would that work? When I book the villas at the 11 month window, would I be able to use the passes to secure park reservations?
If I have to ultimately reschedule the trip, and cancel the park reservations, would I be able to shift the activation date for the APs to the new dates for the trip?

What you buy is a certificate for the AP and it can be used for park reservations. The expiration date is typically 2030.

It stays valid until you actually go to GS at the park or DS and activate it showing your blue card and ID.

The start date then becomes the day you enter the park with it. So, if you don’t actually go, the pass can still be used later.

This of course assumes they don’t change things from how they currently are.

 

[Paul Stupin]

What you buy is a certificate for the AP and it can be used for park reservations. The expiration date is typically 2030.

It stays valid until you actually go to GS at the park or DS and activate it showing your blue card and ID.

The start date then becomes the day you enter the park with it. So, if you don’t actually go, the pass can still be used later.

This of course assumes they don’t change things from how they currently are.

Thank you for this info! It is, indeed, super helpful.

 

[fixerupper]

I live in a nearby state and we drive down. We go for long weekends, 4-5 days. I added the cost of the 2 4 day passes for the trips we have planned over the next 6 months. I don't remember the exact amount, but they were very close to the amount of the Sorcerer pass, and that wasn't even park hopper. Getting the pass may prompt us to consider an additional short trip. That's just this year. I don't know if it would make sense to get passes another year. We might go less, not at all, or spend time at other attractions. I wouldn't ever consider the most expensive pass. We do holidays with family and it wouldn't make financial sense or how we travel.

I fall in the camp that it doesn't make sense to buy direct anymore, especially past blue card. Over the next couple years they are going to have four properties concurrently in direct sales. I don't see any other new WDW properties being built anytime soon. On top of that, the newer hotels are getting ludicrous in point and money costs. In twenty years I won't be so young and my kids will be grown, and prices will probably be astronomical on the flipped 2024 properties. I think I will be very happy staying where I have left available for whatever time I am still using DVC after that point.

As far as saving money, that's all individual and relative. I would certainly save a lot more money not being DVC at all... less trips, less tickets, no upfront costs or MF.... I can't see myself buying direct again, and I would only consider another resale to possibly do a home resort swap to one that is a bit harder to get into at 7 mos.

 

[Aussie RJ]

What you buy is a certificate for the AP and it can be used for park reservations. The expiration date is typically 2030.

It stays valid until you actually go to GS at the park or DS and activate it showing your blue card and ID.

The start date then becomes the day you enter the park with it. So, if you don’t actually go, the pass can still be used later.

This of course assumes they don’t change things from how they currently are.

I'm hoping things don't change, but the fear is Disney has stated that the passes can 'sell out'. How would this work in conjunction with passes which are not active until 1 year from now (for example)?

 

[Sandisw]

I'm hoping things don't change, but the fear is Disney has stated that the passes can 'sell out'. How would this work in conjunction with passes which are not active until 1 year from now (for example)?

Once you have the certificate you have something. You can book park reservationswith iIt so any type of “sell out” would not apply.

The official details right now..and I would be surprised if the terms abs conditions of the passes sold before the shut down didn’t mention subject to change…is all active passes stay as is as long as it’s done my September 7th. For example, I have an actual Gold pass I have used. That is still going to be gold until it expires March 2nd.

But, starting September 8th, all certificates that have not been officially activated into the current pass, will become one of the new passes.

The benefit of phtopass will be added as that was part of the pass when it was purchased.

So, as of now, a pass not activated until next year will become the Sorcerer if you had Gold and Incredi if you had Platinum.

The biggest issue right now is Thanksgiving 2021. Those dates were not blocked when people bought but are with the Sorcerer so those guests are going to have to argue with WDW to allow them to visit those days if they had already booked them and planned for them before the new calendar for Sorcerer was released.

It won’t be an issue for 2022 because they had not released any block out dates for the Gold pass for Thanksgiving.

So, anyone with new exchange certificates under the old program should simply be eligible to activate into a new pass and be allowed to renew as the new pass.

 

[Bearval]

There is a big reason for the new re-sale restrictions put in place at Riviera and likely all future resorts: They are counting on these restrictions to drive people to Direct over resale, without the need to rely on perks.

So I certainly wouldn't rely on significant AP discounts still being available in 10 years or further.
Before you know it, we will get to a point where a direct buyer has access to 15-20 resorts, while a re-sale buyer has access to only 1 resort (if a Riviera or later resort), or a limited portion of older available DVC properties. (By 2042, wouldn't be surprising if a resale buyer is limited to about 10 out of 20 possible DVC resorts).
Over time, I expect reduction in directperks that actually cost Disney anything significant, when they will rely on the resale restrictions instead.

I will be dead and buried by the time 2042 rolls around or old and senile where you can just spin my wheelchair really fast in a dark room and tell me we are at WDW .