Hubby finally ready to buy...direct or resale?

[MamaBear12]

I started perusing the Disboards and researching DVC 6+ years ago, but I haven't been following the last year or so because I figured there was no point. Well, now DH wants to buy in so I'm back into figuring out what our best option is. We can afford direct if it's worth it. We have enjoyed staying Beach Club, and would enjoy trying out all the DVC resorts. We want to use the points for larger accommodations at WDW (1-2 bedroom depending on who we're traveling with). We will rarely/never book at the 11-month mark. 6-8 months is more likely.

Resort: Previously I had settled on resale AKV as our best option in terms of price/point, expiration, and resort for our 11-month window. Is that still our best option?

Use year: In the past, we've traveled to WDW over Christmas/New Years, spring break, summer, and fall break (mid-October), but summer is my least favorite, so I think we would aim for an October UY. Good idea, or should I consider something else?

Direct vs. Resale: Any new factors I should consider?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Currently no AP discounts is a drawback to direct, but I expect them to return when APs return. Still, you'll save money with resale and if you don't care to stay at Riviera or any possible future resorts with restrictions, then go resale.

If you've been researching this for 6+ years, you're probably a patient person and buying resale takes more patience.

I would only buy direct if you don't want your points restricted or if the direct resorts are where you want to have booking advantage.

 

[kilik64]

Direct vs. Resale: Any new factors I should consider?

The only direct "perk" that matters currently is restrictions on resorts with resale points. Resale locks you in to the Original 14 with about half of those set to expire in 2042, meaning if you get a longer expiration like AKV that ends in 2057, you'll have a lot less options for resorts after 2042.

This also means you cant stay at RIV, and most likely Poly2 at WDW and the new Disneyland Tower (last two are still not for sure to be restricted, but its basically a foregone conclusion that they will be). You'll be locked out of any new resorts or "new" associations with whatever they do with repackaging 2042 resorts.

Really thats the ONLY factor that matters right now. If you are good with that, resale is definitely cheaper.

 

[MamaBear12]

Direct vs. Resale: Any new factors I should consider?

The only direct "perk" that matters currently is restrictions on resorts with resale points. Resale locks you in to the Original 14 with about half of those set to expire in 2042, meaning if you get a longer expiration like AKV that ends in 2057, you'll have a lot less options for resorts after 2042.

This also means you cant stay at RIV, and most likely Poly2 at WDW and the new Disneyland Tower (last two are still not for sure to be restricted, but its basically a foregone conclusion that they will be). You'll be locked out of any new resorts or "new" associations with whatever they do with repackaging 2042 resorts.

Really thats the ONLY factor that matters right now. If you are good with that, resale is definitely cheaper.

Thanks for the response! Hypothetically speaking, if we were to buy direct for the option to stay at RIV and Poly2, which resort provides the best "bang for our buck"? Since the 11-month window isn't something we'll utilize, and I'm not a big fan of the point chart at RIV (so it would not be a regular stay for us), I don't feel the need to purchase at a new resort. So is there one that stands out as a better direct buy? Or could we buy the bulk of our points resale and add on a smaller number of direct to bank/borrow for newer resort stays? With the 2042 expiration of several resorts, would you recommend buying into a different resort via resale?

And just to confirm, we would still be able to book at Aulani, Bay Lake Towers, Copper Creek, Grand Cal, Grand Fl, Poly, and Saratoga Springs after 2042 with AKL points?

 

[MamaBear12]

Currently no AP discounts is a drawback to direct, but I expect them to return when APs return. Still, you'll save money with resale and if you don't care to stay at Riviera or any possible future resorts with restrictions, then go resale.

If you've been researching this for 6+ years, you're probably a patient person and buying resale takes more patience.

I would only buy direct if you don't want your points restricted or if the direct resorts are where you want to have booking advantage.

Thanks! I'm patient. My husband is less so, lol. Now that he's decided he's onboard with us buying, we'll see how quickly he wants that to happen. APs are not something we would likely utilize. We travel lots of places, so we typically visit WDW every 18 months, give or take. Is it still an option to buy a larger contract resale and then add on with a smaller number of direct points (that we could bank/borrow for the occasional new resort stay)?

 

[Ashlotte]

Thanks for the response! Hypothetically speaking, if we were to buy direct for the option to stay at RIV and Poly2, which resort provides the best "bang for our buck"? Since the 11-month window isn't something we'll utilize, and I'm not a big fan of the point chart at RIV (so it would not be a regular stay for us), I don't feel the need to purchase at a new resort. So is there one that stands out as a better direct buy? Or could we buy the bulk of our points resale and add on a smaller number of direct to bank/borrow for newer resort stays? With the 2042 expiration, would you recommend buying into a different resort via resale?

If I were not going to use the 11-month calendar and just wanted points, I'd buy Saratoga Springs resale.

Actually, what I would personally (and did) do, is buy a subsidized Aulani account, but I realize most people want a WDW location.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Thanks! I'm patient. My husband is less so, lol. Now that he's decided he's onboard with us buying, we'll see how quickly he wants that to happen. APs are not something we would likely utilize. We travel lots of places, so we typically visit WDW every 18 months, give or take. Is it still an option to buy a larger contract resale and then add on with a smaller number of direct points (that we could bank/borrow for the occasional new resort stay)?

It wouldn't be too small of a direct purchase nowadays. The minimum is 150 pts to qualify.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

If I were not going to use the 11-month calendar and just wanted points, I'd buy Saratoga Springs resale.

Actually, what I would personally (and did) do, is buy a subsidized Aulani account, but I realize most people want a WDW location.

I second this. If you just want the most economical at WDW, SSR is hard to beat. AKV is no longer the good value it used to be.

 

[BamaGuy44]

If you don't use APs, direct won't get you much outside the ability to book Riviera and future resorts with your points. It's definitely an option to start resale and then add on direct. Many people do it that way. If you plan to have a mix, there are benefits to doing resale first. Easier to match your use year, and you'll get existing member incentives on direct, which are always better than what new members get.

There are some "blue card" perks with direct, but if you go every 18 months, I doubt any of them would be worth paying thousands of dollars more, and they aren't guaranteed.

 

[RoseGold]

Larger units are going to be expensive. You need to look at some charts and do some math. For peak times you are going, you need home resort points to book many of these. 2BR in particular.

I found this chart helpful:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/best-economical-dvc-resorts-to-purchase-spring-2022/

But you are going to care a lot more about charts, because of the size of your unit. I used a rental site to calculate points. From 12/24 to 1/1, a 2BR is
455 AKL standard
553 BC
741 GF standard
655 RIV

So, even if AKL or BC points cost more, it still might be the better choice overall if it allows you to book a cheaper room. Or, when traveling this peak, to even book a room at all.

The main feature of direct IMO is FOMO to booking future resorts. If you are traveling at these peak times, that isn't likely to be possible anyway.

You need to decide if you love AKL. If that isn't you, then you need to book what you do love. Maybe that's BLT or BC or BW. It won't be possible to book any of these without home points.

There is more flexibility in 1BR, and that might make direct points more useful, but that is in part because of how expensive 1BR units are.

If you are trying to book rooms like this for Christmas or spring break at 6 months, DVC in general probably isn't the product for you.

 

[AKVDisneyFan]

I ended up buying AKV resale... but have always had the itch to have some direct points. I've watched direct pricing increase rapidly and wish I had bought direct first for the blue card minimum and then added on resale instead to bulk up on points. My parents have been DVC owners for 30 years so we've had some of the advantages of direct like moonlight magic when we go with them. Don't buy for the blue card extras because they come and go, but I would like to know that I would have some points that aren't restricted and won't be affected by future changes.

That said, generally speaking, if you're going to use points as SAP (sleep around points) then it's better to buy at a location that has a lower points chart because it's less of a pain to "move up" in points than "move down" when switching reservations. I would also do the math to look at the total cost PP to determine the best value if you're going for that over specific location. On the resale market, that can shift. Saratoga and Poly generally have a good overall value on the resale market. A couple of quarters ago CCV was the best buy but I am not sure that's the case anymore since it's being bought back at a higher floor on the resale market right now.

You can also buy a resale contract (small or large) and then add on direct for the resort minimum (or any amount above the minimum) if you want. For example, some resorts have a 25 point minimum (cash) and some have a 50 point minimum.

 

[kilik64]

Thanks for the response! Hypothetically speaking, if we were to buy direct for the option to stay at RIV and Poly2, which resort provides the best "bang for our buck"? Since the 11-month window isn't something we'll utilize, and I'm not a big fan of the point chart at RIV (so it would not be a regular stay for us), I don't feel the need to purchase at a new resort. So is there one that stands out as a better direct buy? Or could we buy the bulk of our points resale and add on a smaller number of direct to bank/borrow for newer resort stays? With the 2042 expiration of several resorts, would you recommend buying into a different resort via resale?

And just to confirm, we would still be able to book at Aulani, Bay Lake Towers, Copper Creek, Grand Cal, Grand Fl, Poly, and Saratoga Springs after 2042 with AKL points?

Yes to your last question, you can still book those until they too expire, which I think only SSR expires prior to the AKL end date.

And yes you can buy resale to start and add some direct later. Direct from the jump is a MINIMUM purchase of 150 points, and at the current prices is 33k give or take. SSR, a good choice for SAP (sleep around points) for the same amount of points would be right around 20k, so 13k less. SSR has a cheaper chart too than RIV and VGF.

Once you are a member you can do add-on purchases for 25-50 points depending on the resort. To get membership extras (which right now doesnt include the main perk which is APs since they are not being sold) you have to have 150 direct points.

 

[MICKIMINI]

From reading over your posts, I'd go resale for now and consider Poly2 when introduced as a direct add on. Oct UY sounds good. You will have until May to bank. Just for disclosure we go back to 1996 at OKW and now own OKW, OKWE, AKV, SSR, HHI and VBR. We have a OKWE direct and are AP's owners. We tend to buy and sell on a pretty regular basis so our experiences are current.

Definitely look for a contract that has banked 2021 points (expire 9/30/2023) as you won't have to pay Member Fees and you can even try to negotiate for the seller to pay 2022 fees. Everything is negotiable.

Prices have dropped and MF's are due in January so there are motivated sellers out there - you just have to find the right one. It may seem overwhelming, however you've chosen your UY and now have to chose your resort. AKV (we own) and OKWE (we own) are both 2057 and good choices. Any illusions you will get *values* at AKV should be dismissed as it is unlikely though with stalking it is possible you just can't plan on it. AKV's depending on number of points, are generally $10-20 more PP than OKWE. If you are looking at 7 months, it is more important IMO to get a long expiration date and a good price. There is still inventory at 7 months if you are flexible. I would certainly make a reservation as far out as possible and modify. Owning DVC forces you to plan 1-3 years out.

How long do you intend to spend at a resort and/or what is your budget? The more detail you provide, the better info you will get from disboard vets. Congrats on your decision to buy!

 

[RoseGold]

There is still inventory at 7 months if you are flexible.

I agree with you, and that's how I use DVC, but that isn't OP. OP is traveling spring break, fall break, Christmas. These are all peak DVC. Inventory might not be there at 7 months. Booking priority matters for peak times.

 

[MamaBear12]

Once you are a member you can do add-on purchases for 25-50 points depending on the resort. To get membership extras (which right now doesnt include the main perk which is APs since they are not being sold) you have to have 150 direct points.

Just to clarify, you're saying we could buy a larger resale contract and then add on 25-30 points direct, but those 25-30 points would not give us any benefits (like the AP discount) but would allow us to book the new resorts using those 25-30 points?

 

[BamaGuy44]

I ended up buying AKV resale... but have always had the itch to have some direct points. I've watched direct pricing increase rapidly and wish I had bought direct first for the blue card minimum and then added on resale instead to bulk up on points.

Wow I could have written this. Exactly the same for us. We bought AKV resale about a year ago and wish we had just gone direct at $186. Now we are looking to buy direct at RIV or Poly2. But to be fair to myself, I hadn't stayed at RIV at the time so I didn't know how much we would love it and want to own there, or at least be able to book there. Oh well.

 

[MamaBear12]

I agree with you, and that's how I use DVC, but that isn't OP. OP is traveling spring break, fall break, Christmas. These are all peak DVC. Inventory might not be there at 7 months. Booking priority matters for peak times.

We do typically travel around the kids' school break calendar, but that could change in the future. I have no desire to travel to WDW for Christmas again, lol. Way too packed!

 

[BamaGuy44]

Just to clarify, you're saying we could buy a larger resale contract and then add on 25-30 points direct, but those 25-30 points would not give us any benefits (like the AP discount) but would allow us to book the new resorts using those 25-30 points?

Correct, you have to have a total of 150 direct points to qualify for member benefits. And if you sold a contract and dropped below 150 direct you would lose the benefits. But you could still use the direct points to book any resort, even if you had less than 150. Simple, right?

 

[RoseGold]

We do typically travel around the kids' school break calendar, but that could change in the future. I have no desire to travel to WDW for Christmas again, lol. Way too packed!

Fall break is actually peak DVC because the point requirements are lower, we call it fall frenzy. Working around school calendars and peak times requires planning with DVC, unless you're willing to go in summer.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I agree with you, and that's how I use DVC, but that isn't OP. OP is traveling spring break, fall break, Christmas. These are all peak DVC. Inventory might not be there at 7 months. Booking priority matters for peak times.

Yes, that is true, however my suggestion was to make reservations at 11 months and then modify. Better to have something than nothing. I have been really good at stalking and typically get BLT, BWV or Poly. Even at 99.9%, I was able to get BLT/BWV for our son and DIL 11/25 for a week split stay (we're over at WBC) and a week at Poly in February.

I do agree, if you have to have a certain date you have to buy where you want to stay and probably *walk* a reservation at least until revenge travel tapers off. Spring break and Christmas are the worst.