First time DVC buyer: New Poly tower direct, or resale?

[AstroBlasters]

Thanks! Never been to California and have always wanted to for a 3-night stay. I'd imagine we'd mostly plan the use of our points around a 6 or 7 night stay in Orlando, but having flexibility to use in California would make it an easier decision for my wife to agree to check out the original Disneyland.

Where would you recommend I buy direct? Should I go with Poly tower since it's MK-centric? Should I bug a sales rep about finding me a direct contract elsewhere?

I really don’t think there is a “wrong” resort to buy, but the best ones would be where the dues are on the lower side, where the home resort priority window matters, and that you would be EXCITED to go back to.

 

[crazywig]

I will add 2 points...1- I think the pool at BLT is one of the smallest and worst onsite, but you can use the Contemp pool as well.
2- others can please correct me but I dont think the Min req points has been over 150 since after OKW min buy was 230. Now they have gone down,,but cant remember a time its crossed the 150 threshold.

When we bought in 2003 the minimum was 160 and it was for a while, it's why you see so many 160 pt contracts for resale.

 

[Road_Dog]

I really don’t think there is a “wrong” resort to buy, but the best ones would be where the dues are on the lower side, where the home resort priority window matters, and that you would be EXCITED to go back to.

I 100% agree. While BLT is on the cheaper side, is it hard to book at 7 months? If not, I might be better off buying a cheaper resort (like AKL) and using the points at a place like BLT. That being said, I need the fallback (my home resort) to be something I can comfortably book 11-months out and be EXCITED to go back there if something isn't available at 7 months.

I've personally never stayed at AKL but I've heard great things about the Savannah View rooms. Personally I'd be concerned about AKL being "too far from the action" and having to rely on only bus transportation is a downside. Which does bring me back to BLT.

Seems like based on MICKIMINI's advice, AKL provides a lower initial cost and seems to imply the home resort priority matters there if I'm shooting for 2-bedrooms, which I won't always be, but I will at some point.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I 100% agree. While BLT is on the cheaper side, is it hard to book at 7 months? If not, I might be better off buying a cheaper resort (like AKL) and using the points at a place like BLT. That being said, I need the fallback (my home resort) to be something I can comfortably book 11-months out and be EXCITED to go back there if something isn't available at 7 months.

I've personally never stayed at AKL but I've heard great things about the Savannah View rooms. Personally I'd be concerned about AKL being "too far from the action" and having to rely on only bus transportation is a downside. Which does bring me back to BLT.

Seems like based on MICKIMINI's advice, AKL provides a lower initial cost and seems to imply the home resort priority matters there if I'm shooting for 2-bedrooms, which I won't always be, but I will at some point.

CCV is a great one to look at too. Up front is a bit more but dues are lower. CCV is very popular at Christmas and so far I have seen it hold it value really well. I could sell my contract today for more than I paid 5 months ago.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I 100% agree. While BLT is on the cheaper side, is it hard to book at 7 months? If not, I might be better off buying a cheaper resort (like AKL) and using the points at a place like BLT. That being said, I need the fallback (my home resort) to be something I can comfortably book 11-months out and be EXCITED to go back there if something isn't available at 7 months.

I've personally never stayed at AKL but I've heard great things about the Savannah View rooms. Personally I'd be concerned about AKL being "too far from the action" and having to rely on only bus transportation is a downside. Which does bring me back to BLT.

Seems like based on MICKIMINI's advice, AKL provides a lower initial cost and seems to imply the home resort priority matters there if I'm shooting for 2-bedrooms, which I won't always be, but I will at some point.

AKL is priced a bit lower in the upfront…. but the dues…. $9.08pp vs $7.59 for BLT…. That’s nearly a 20% higher dues rate…. and the majority of the cost over the life of the membership is the dues.

Now… many people LOVE Animal Kingdom. There is nothing else like it and its remoteness is a feature and not a bug. But taking care of animals is not cheap.

Additionally , there are so many rooms that it seems to be easy to get at 7m… outside of the worst views (value) and club level.

 

[lilsonicfan]

If you are not planning to go until March 2027, it's difficult to justify DVC at all until at least 2026. If you bought now, you'd pay 3 years worth of dues (Jan 2025, 2026, 2027) before you even get to take a trip. Personally, I don't really see the value of direct for myself and in your case I don't really see a HUGE benefit either. If you chose VGF or Poly for example you still have 38-40 years of usage of two desirable, well-located resorts even if you don't buy in until 2026. When the 2042 resorts run out, you'll still have an 11 month advantage at your desirable home resort. That being said, the difference between direct and resale at those two resorts is not nearly as big as at SSR for example. So, I'd suggest BLT if you were interested in resale.

As for how many points to buy, I have zero use for a 50 point contract, with my family we will almost always be in 1BR or bigger and I'm not interested in managing a contract that gets me less than 4 nights at WDW.

 

[bakerworld]

My 2 cents.
I am assuming your park of choice for the next 10 years will be MK.
I am assuming you want a 2 Br Villa. BLT seems the easiest touchstone for MK.

With planning a trip in 2027 and repeating in 2029, buy a resale BLT 160 point (you probably could get a way with 100 points, if you squeeze into 1 Br) now. It seems to me that most the resale contracts are stripped or reduced of their year 1 points. At a 160 point, you'll need 2 years of points for a week in a 2 Br. You will need to be in a bank/borrow scenario to make the 2027 and 2029 vacation happen so you have to buy resale now to put yourself into a banking situation and (if the year 1 points are used) you'll probably being borrowing, which might make you short for 2029. I would only hold off buying now if you could swing purchasing direct.

JMO

 

[kilik64]

If blt is on the cards, now is the time to find a contract. I am of the opinion that once the refurb is done, we will see an increase in pricing provided the refurb is done well.

Blt does have a 11 month booking that matters for standard view. Usually those are gonna be gone by 7 months. Lake and tpv are going to still have some 7 month because of the increased cost.

 

[CastAStone]

I wonder if I avoid buying direct if I will eventually regret it

I would just say given the situation you laid out I can’t imagine why you would buy direct. Yeah, you’ll have a little bit of lounge fomo, but you can’t access them now, is it ruining your trips?

If you decide you want to stay at some future resort, rent out your points and use the proceeds to pay cash for a room at the resort you can’t access. Or trade points with someone for a trip.

If it becomes a constant thing sell your contract and get a direct one in 2045 or whatever. That is a problem you will likely have a lot more money to deal with in your 50s than you do in your 30s.

If you don’t know for sure what to get I would definitely keep the $20000 (or whatever) difference.

 

[DanCali]

Additionally , there are so many rooms that it seems to be easy to get at 7m… outside of the worst views (value) and club level.

If the concern is view, with Standard View rooms you know with almost certainty you're getting pool or street/parking lot views. With Value, at least you have some reasonable chance of seeing animals from the balcony.

"Value" at AKVJH are smaller rooms, not the worst views. The value studios (~315 sq ft) are about 50sq smaller than "regular" studios and the value 1BRs (630 sq ft)are about 90sq ft smaller than regular 1BRs at Jambo, and about 180sq ft smaller than the ones at Kidani. But their views are not the worst. I think about 45% of the value studios (8 of 18) technically have a Savanna View albeit it's from a high floor and not a very trafficked part of the savanna (the rest face the pool or the front of the building).

 

[Road_Dog]

If you are not planning to go until March 2027, it's difficult to justify DVC at all until at least 2026. If you bought now, you'd pay 3 years worth of dues (Jan 2025, 2026, 2027) before you even get to take a trip. Personally, I don't really see the value of direct for myself and in your case I don't really see a HUGE benefit either. If you chose VGF or Poly for example you still have 38-40 years of usage of two desirable, well-located resorts even if you don't buy in until 2026. When the 2042 resorts run out, you'll still have an 11 month advantage at your desirable home resort. That being said, the difference between direct and resale at those two resorts is not nearly as big as at SSR for example. So, I'd suggest BLT if you were interested in resale.

As for how many points to buy, I have zero use for a 50 point contract, with my family we will almost always be in 1BR or bigger and I'm not interested in managing a contract that gets me less than 4 nights at WDW.

The prospect of paying for years of dues before my first trip did not cross my mind. Thank you for bringing that up. That being said, many of the contracts I see for say (Oct UY) have 2024 dues paid for and contingencies for 2025 (if those points are missing). But it’s something to look out for, definitely.

My 2 cents.
I am assuming your park of choice for the next 10 years will be MK.
I am assuming you want a 2 Br Villa. BLT seems the easiest touchstone for MK.

With planning a trip in 2027 and repeating in 2029, buy a resale BLT 160 point (you probably could get a way with 100 points, if you squeeze into 1 Br) now. It seems to me that most the resale contracts are stripped or reduced of their year 1 points. At a 160 point, you'll need 2 years of points for a week in a 2 Br. You will need to be in a bank/borrow scenario to make the 2027 and 2029 vacation happen so you have to buy resale now to put yourself into a banking situation and (if the year 1 points are used) you'll probably being borrowing, which might make you short for 2029. I would only hold off buying now if you could swing purchasing direct.

JMO

Your assumptions are mostly correct. I definitely see MK as being our main resort for the next 10 years. Well still go to the other parks but MK will be the one we return to at night or do multiple days at.

A 2-bedroom would be more for bringing grandpa and grandma or perhaps another couple like a brother and family. This wouldn’t be an every trip thing—more of a special occasion. We’d be fine in studios otherwise until the kids get a bit older and we want/need the space of a 1-bedroom. That being said, I could see our next trip be a 2-bedroom trip, if only because grandpa and grandma are in their 70s and likely are losing their Disney legs fast.

If blt is on the cards, now is the time to find a contract. I am of the opinion that once the refurb is done, we will see an increase in pricing provided the refurb is done well.

Blt does have a 11 month booking that matters for standard view. Usually those are gonna be gone by 7 months. Lake and tpv are going to still have some 7 month because of the increased cost.

This has been a major selling point for me on BLT, but if the renovation did nothing but turn it into a stale boring Marriott, I’d be pretty disappointed (although happy I got in on the ground floor). To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I should feel about the lack of theming. I do think Poly has AMAZING theming and I loved the food and vibes when we ate at Ohana and checked out the shops. If BLT doesn’t provide anything like that, but I’m just supposed to be happy that I can walk to MK, it’s understandable, but it’s not something to get as excited about (although I get that my points will go way further at BLT which can lead to either more trips or bigger accommodations).

I’d say right now my strategy is more and more looking like I should buy at BLT, a place I’d be comfortable staying at if all else fails (given the MK proximity) and would book at 11 months. But at 7 months, I can aways see if I can change my booking to someplace like Poly if I so choose.

I would just say given the situation you laid out I can’t imagine why you would buy direct. Yeah, you’ll have a little bit of lounge fomo, but you can’t access them now, is it ruining your trips?

If you decide you want to stay at some future resort, rent out your points and use the proceeds to pay cash for a room at the resort you can’t access. Or trade points with someone for a trip.

If it becomes a constant thing sell your contract and get a direct one in 2045 or whatever. That is a problem you will likely have a lot more money to deal with in your 50s than you do in your 30s.

If you don’t know for sure what to get I would definitely keep the $20000 (or whatever) difference.

Mostly my argument was, it seems like a majority of people on this forum own some level of direct. So did everyone start direct out of ignorance of resale cost savings? Or did they start resale and then realize they needed the direct benefits? Maybe there have been crazy direct fire sales I’m not aware of.

I can say I’m 95% leaning towards resale—150 points direct for $30k or 150 points resale for half that price—it would take a lot of benefits to make up that cost. And being able to stay at Rivera or future resorts that don’t exist yet doesn’t swing the pendulum for me just yet.

 

[Royal Consort]

Mostly my argument was, it seems like a majority of people on this forum own some level of direct. So did everyone start direct out of ignorance of resale cost savings? Or did they start resale and then realize they needed the direct benefits? Maybe there have been crazy direct fire sales I’m not aware of.

We bought direct first. At the time Grand Floridian resale was the same price as Riviera direct. We went direct, got a fixed week and blue card. Then later down the track we added on Grand Floridian resale, topped it up direct with a small contract that matched our use year, and then bought Grand Californian resale. Ultimately we went direct because it was essentially the same price as where we would have bought resale.

If you feel indifferent to the resort, don't be buying Bay Lake. You'll regret it and you sound too much on the fence. Always buy where you love.

 

[Chili327]

I’ve been trying to reply to this all day and kept hitting “quote” but never getting around to typing it up. lol

Should I bug a sales rep about finding me a direct contract elsewhere?

They don’t need to “find” a direct contract. You/they create one.

I also vote for resale.

I would think BLT would be the way to go if your focus is MK. With young children walking back to BLT makes life so much easier. The children are going to love the pool no matter which resort you buy. Dues and the fact that points go so much farther at BLT are a couple of other good reasons to weigh BLT as an option.

Agree, unless Poly is just above all else at the top of the list.

While BLT is on the cheaper side, is it hard to book at 7 months? If not, I might be better off buying a cheaper resort (like AKL) and using the points at a place like BLT. That being said, I need the fallback (my home resort) to be something I can comfortably book 11-months out and be EXCITED to go back the

Lake view is very available at 7 months, but maybe depends on time of year.

AKL is priced a bit lower in the upfront…. but the dues…. $9.08pp vs $7.59 for BLT…. That’s nearly a 20% higher dues rate…. and the majority of the cost over the life of the membership is the dues.

Now… many people LOVE Animal Kingdom. There is nothing else like it and its remoteness is a feature and not a bug. But taking care of animals is not cheap.

Additionally , there are so many rooms that it seems to be easy to get at 7m… outside of the worst views (value) and club level.

Dues are sorta higher and very unpredictable, but AKV is also pretty easy at 7 months.



I’m thinking you might want to start with like 50-100 resale at Beach Club, but don’t do it just for the pool, kids love pools, and they would probably love the pools at the values too.

 

[Sandisw]

The prospect of paying for years of dues before my first trip did not cross my mind. Thank you for bringing that up. That being said, many of the contracts I see for say (Oct UY) have 2024 dues paid for and contingencies for 2025 (if those points are missing). But it’s something to look out for, definitely.

Your assumptions are mostly correct. I definitely see MK as being our main resort for the next 10 years. Well still go to the other parks but MK will be the one we return to at night or do multiple days at.

A 2-bedroom would be more for bringing grandpa and grandma or perhaps another couple like a brother and family. This wouldn’t be an every trip thing—more of a special occasion. We’d be fine in studios otherwise until the kids get a bit older and we want/need the space of a 1-bedroom. That being said, I could see our next trip be a 2-bedroom trip, if only because grandpa and grandma are in their 70s and likely are losing their Disney legs fast.

This has been a major selling point for me on BLT, but if the renovation did nothing but turn it into a stale boring Marriott, I’d be pretty disappointed (although happy I got in on the ground floor). To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I should feel about the lack of theming. I do think Poly has AMAZING theming and I loved the food and vibes when we ate at Ohana and checked out the shops. If BLT doesn’t provide anything like that, but I’m just supposed to be happy that I can walk to MK, it’s understandable, but it’s not something to get as excited about (although I get that my points will go way further at BLT which can lead to either more trips or bigger accommodations).

I’d say right now my strategy is more and more looking like I should buy at BLT, a place I’d be comfortable staying at if all else fails (given the MK proximity) and would book at 11 months. But at 7 months, I can aways see if I can change my booking to someplace like Poly if I so choose.

Mostly my argument was, it seems like a majority of people on this forum own some level of direct. So did everyone start direct out of ignorance of resale cost savings? Or did they start resale and then realize they needed the direct benefits? Maybe there have been crazy direct fire sales I’m not aware of.

I can say I’m 95% leaning towards resale—150 points direct for $30k or 150 points resale for half that price—it would take a lot of benefits to make up that cost. And being able to stay at Rivera or future resorts that don’t exist yet doesn’t swing the pendulum for me just yet.

We bought DVC only when they added BLT because we almost exclusively stayed at CR.

We did buy a small resale contract to start for the sole purchase of being eligible for the member pricing but sold that about a year later.

At that time, resale vs direct were the same product. Our reason now for going direct, if we were to purchase again is because we love RIV and being locked out is not an option.

But, we are very particular with where we stay and having tried all but OKW, RIV and VGF is where we stay unless there is a reason not to.

If someone enjoys…and many do…staying anywhere.,, and making the AP savings work isn’t really a factor…then it is hard to argue that starting resale isn’t the way to go.

 

[atthebeachclub]

We bought DVC only when they added BLT because we almost exclusively stayed at CR.

We did buy a small resale contract to start for the sole purchase of being eligible for the member pricing but sold that about a year later.

At that time, resale vs direct were the same product. Our reason now for going direct, if we were to purchase again is because we love RIV and being locked out is not an option.

But, we are very particular with where we stay and having tried all but OKW, RIV and VGF is where we stay unless there is a reason not to.

If someone enjoys…and many do…staying anywhere.,, and making the AP savings work isn’t really a factor…then it is hard to argue that starting resale isn’t the way to go.

All of this. I sort of feel like starting with a small resale contract is probably prudent for most, unless they are on a time crunch for needing the points.

 

[CraigInPA]

Let me toss this into the mix... You seem to be deciding between Poly direct and resale. Are you aware that you can buy BLT direct from Disney? Sure, it's more expensive than Poly, but it's another option.

As a BLT owner, I can attest to the small pool there. But, the Contemporary pool is available to you, and it's HUGE. Neither is going to compete with Stormalong Bay at BCV, but there's really no other pool at DVC resorts at WDW that compares with Stormalong Bay. I wouldn't use the pool to justify buying at BCV. The main pool at Poly is usually super crowded, so keep that in mind.

I own both direct and resale points. I was lucky enough to get grandfathered into full benefits due to a direct purchase of 30 points long ago. I have an AP that runs out on February 3. In 2024, we went in February. In 2025, we are going in January to get two long trips into one AP purchase. We won't renew the pass for 2025, and buy it again in 2026. Except during the covid years, this was our strategy and it's worked well. We've maximized the AP benefit. I imagine that some people can justify the difference between direct and resale by the ability to get AP for their family, but for the two of us it took four AP purchases to recover the difference even on 30 direct points.

Some years we've gotten into moonlight magic, and some years not. Moonlight magic has been either great (all of the MK events) or a disaster (Epcot after the pandemic). But, with the extra magic hours for deluxe resorts, it's not a super special event any longer. The lounge at Epcot has been hit or miss for us. It's often got a waiting list, and we usually are just looking for a place to sit in air conditioned comfort, so standing around waiting to go up isn't in the game plan. The food discounts are almost always the same with Disney's Chase Visa card, which doesn't require a DVC purchase.

 

[Disdreaming479]

Paying cash on a resort with low dues would be my suggestion. Buy enough points for a yearly trip and when you bank forward, you’ll be able to splurge of higher points rooms/ resorts. I travel in January to get out of the cold and sometimes there might only be 1 or 2 pool days per week.

 

[atthebeachclub]

Paying cash on a resort with low dues would be my suggestion. Buy enough points for a yearly trip and when you bank forward, you’ll be able to splurge of higher points rooms/ resorts. I travel in January to get out of the cold and sometimes there might only be 1 or 2 pool days per week.

I agree here. We also travel in January because winter in the north is rough. And the pool isn’t the reason we bought at Beach Club Villas (though my kids enjoy it, I find it stressful). I just love the location. So consider what you want out of your home resort. Being a Wisconsinite, your kids might be fine with swimming pools in January (mine are…but I prefer the hot tub).

 

[VGCgroupie]

Let me toss this into the mix... You seem to be deciding between Poly direct and resale. Are you aware that you can buy BLT direct from Disney? Sure, it's more expensive than Poly, but it's another option.

The delta between resale vs direct is much greater on BLT than Poly that paired with zero incentives on BLT and the fact that it had incentives just 12 days ago makes this a pretty poor option. But if decisions don’t need to be made asap then maybe they with incentivize BLT again soon and it would more of a valuable option.

 

[CastAStone]

Mostly my argument was, it seems like a majority of people on this forum own some level of direct. So did everyone start direct out of ignorance of resale cost savings? Or did they start resale and then realize they needed the direct benefits? Maybe there have been crazy direct fire sales I’m not aware of.

I can say I’m 95% leaning towards resale—150 points direct for $30k or 150 points resale for half that price—it would take a lot of benefits to make up that cost. And being able to stay at Rivera or future resorts that don’t exist yet doesn’t swing the pendulum for me just yet.

Most people cannot bring themselves to admit ignorance, even to strangers on the internet.

But I’d also say this group isn’t probably a representative sample - I think a lot of the direct owners here really do own direct on purpose and would do it again, but I think most direct DVC owners overall would have been perfectly happy with resale.