If you purchased resale, foregoing direct benefits...

[biochemgirl]

... would you do it again? Do you feel like you miss out on perks and wish you had bought enough minimum direct to get the perks?

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Good question, because it seems like most of the people who comment on the direct benefits not being worth much actually HAVE direct benefits.

Although, the biggest restrictions came in 2016 and a lot of people did 25 points up until that was raised to 75 in 2018. So, it stands to reason, most people on here do have direct benefits or haven't owned for long.

 

[aleh021]

... would you do it again? Do you feel like you miss out on perks and wish you had bought enough minimum direct to get the perks?

I honestly dont think the perks from buying direct are that great.
I mean the times we tried visiting the Epcot lounge it was just packed and there was a wait to get in.
The AP discount is nice but nothing worth jumping up and down for. But again it is nice.

I wouldn't use my points to book DCL, Adventures by Disney, or any international Disney Hotels as I think renting your points out and using the money from that will give a bigger value.

The biggest advantage of buying direct is having points available to you same day. An easier process.

Those are my thoughts! If you love the main resorts being sold at the moment such as Copper Creek or Riviera Resort then sure absolutely buy direct from DVC

 

[aoconnor]

I bought resale and am very happy with my decision. Some of the perks would be nice to have, but not for the many thousands of dollars extra it would have cost to get them.

It really depends on your vacation patterns. The only perk that has any real monetary value is the AP discount. Even though I visit twice a year, each visit only has 3 or 4 park days, maybe 7 total in a calendar year. On top of those Disney days I mix it up by going to water parks, Universal, and Sea World. So the AP-- even squeezing in 3 trips on one pass-- is not as huge of a savings to me as it is for other people. I also don't have children yet so the AP discount would only be for two people. With a large family it would add up more quickly.

All of that said, I wish I would have bought 25 points direct a couple of years ago when that was the threshold just as an insurance policy more than anything else. At 75 points now, no way for me.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

... would you do it again? Do you feel like you miss out on perks and wish you had bought enough minimum direct to get the perks?

Only annual pass discount. I think you have to ask yourself how many times you will actually buy an annual pass and for how many people. Might be worth it... but might not. And they can always take that "perk" away.

 

[msjprincess]

Yes. The biggest perk is the AP which could be taken away at any time. Plus as of now, the AP isn't even worth it for us. I don't see myself ever buying direct.

 

[bababear_50]

My DVC ownership: Half Resale and Half direct purchase.
I have never used any of the *Perks* Disney offers.
Remember *Perks* are not guaranteed and can end at anytime.

Edited:to add
Hang on I have used the 10% shopping discount at a few stores but I think all members get that?
10%-20% discount dining discount at a couple of Disney Springs Restaurants--again I think all members get that?


Regards
Mel

 

[rg35]

I bought resale in 2012, so the only thing we lost out on is the ability to use points for cruises and whatever, so not much. But even if I had to buy again now, I wouldn't buy direct.

 

[Rush]

You might find this thread helpful with putting a numerical value on the AP, which most feel is the only real value of direct. Of course not being able to book at the new resorts might matter to some people as well. We recently bought the min direct at SSR at $160 pp and a larger 175 resale at $100, making our average $118 pp, and worth it to us for the AP, even if it just stays for another 2 or 3 years. Each person has to evaluate the value of direct/resale and their vacation habits. About halfway down on that thread some people run the numbers to show the AP does indeed have significant value to many.


https://www.disboards.com/threads/minimum-direct-points-needed.3743915/

 

[wnielsen1]

My DVC ownership: Half Resale and Half direct purchase.
I have never used any of the *Perks* Disney offers.
Remember *Perks* are not guaranteed and can end at anytime.

Edited:to add
Hang on I have used the 10% shopping discount at a few stores but I think all members get that?
10%-20% discount dining discount at a couple of Disney Springs Restaurants--again I think all members get that?


Regards
Mel

The shopping and dining discounts are for direct only (or grandfathered resale contracts).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I also need to point out that value is relative, and one of the major factors is the price of the direct points. The spread on direct vs. resale is bloody insane when considering VGF, Poly and BLT, as examples. The direct pricing for BWV and BCV, considering their end dates, is also dreadful. If you're buying CCV or Riviera, the direct rates are what they are, and there are a few resorts where the spread is more economically justifiable to cover if you're positive about wanting APs and understand that the discount may be eliminated before you reach break-even.

Another factor, I think, is financing. If you take the differential on nearly any resort, then finance, you are piling on to the difference and make economic justification far more difficult.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

You also get shopping discounts with the disney Visa on purchases over $50.

 

[Moonlight Graham]

We bought resale last year and would absolutely do so again despite missing out on the perks (and in spite of the new booking restrictions on resale buyers). For us, the benefit of buying resale (saving about $8,000) far outweighed whatever we were missing out on by not having direct member benefits.

It is worth noting, though, that we don’t go frequently enough to justify buying APs, so the AP discount wouldn’t have been as valuable an incentive for us as it is for many.

I said then, and still feel like, Disney is leaving money on the table in our case by not extending the membership extras to us as resale buyers. I truly believe the perks would have cost us a significant amount of money in the end. If we were eligible for discounted APs, it would be really easy to rationalize buying them, which would have made it really easy to rationalize taking an extra trip or two, which would have made it really easy to rationalize buying more points... It seems to me that the DVD silo is implementing policies that may benefit the sales team in the short term to the detriment of the overall corporate umbrella in the long term. But as I noted then, I’m sure that Disney has much smarter people than me crunching the numbers so my suspicion probably isn’t worth much.

I think the moral of the story is that if you would already be buying APs or if your trip happens to overlap with a Moonlight Magic event, then those perks would have some value, but at the end of the day, that value isn’t particularly high in our case and it certainly isn't sufficient to make me regret our buying decision. We’ll continue to use our points for the stays we had mapped out and I suspect we’ll continue to be satisfied with the purchase, even as we are scarlet letter resale buyers.

 

[Katie L]

It seems to me that the DVD silo is implementing policies that may benefit the sales team in the short term to the detriment of the overall corporate umbrella in the long term.

As someone who works at a massive corporation, there is zero doubt in my mind that this is true. The DVD group cares little to none about the other business groups. They have pressures to hit their numbers in a silo.

 

[Princess Merida]

We purchased 170 points at BWV two years ago resale. It is our only contract. I did take a look at what it would cost recently to do an add on of 75 points direct and no way for me 75 points direct would cost me the same amount as my 170 point contract did then. The AP discount isn’t enough for me to trade 95 points per year for it. I’ll add on, but resale again. Maybe AKL....dreaming of VGF..... not in the budget just yet.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I also need to point out that value is relative, and one of the major factors is the price of the direct points. The spread on direct vs. resale is bloody insane when considering VGF, Poly and BLT, as examples. The direct pricing for BWV and BCV, considering their end dates, is also dreadful.

Its not that I disagree but even with the sooner end dates I rather stay at BWV or BCV for 21 years and be enjoying my vacation, than staying somewhere else and perhaps not enjoying my vacation.

With DVC increasing the direct prices this much I would have thought that the resale prices would have increased more. But as it stands DVC are ROFR a lot of contracts at the moment and at some point the prices will increase.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Its not that I disagree but even with the sooner end dates I rather stay at BWV or BCV for 21 years and be enjoying my vacation, than staying somewhere else and perhaps not enjoying my vacation.

With DVC increasing the direct prices this much I would have thought that the resale prices would have increased more. But as it stands DVC are ROFR a lot of contracts at the moment and at some point the prices will increase.

And I've absolutely said on other posts: If you want to stay at BWV or BCV, buy them. But note that I also said direct pricing. It's a lot worse. BCV is $225 per point direct. That is bananas. Boardwalk is $190.

Makes $140 for a resale contract quite a bargain by compare.

Definitely still not a contract to buy to "try all the resorts!" or have network points. But I can't advocate for BCV or BWV direct unless you are buying a very small contract, and even then, I'd ask if you're counting on BWV Standard with the small contract and suggest rethinking.

 

[biochemgirl]

Great discussion here - thanks! I'm looking at buying SS and whether to do part resale and part direct vs. all resale. I'm heavily leaning towards 75 direct and 50 to 75 resale depending on what I find on the market.

We already take around two trips per year and I've already begun squeezing two trips into a 22 month window for our APs and taking a small break and taking two trips in another year. As non Florida residents, the gold AP actually saves us $303 per person because we normally can only buy Platinum.

Making the decision now - during the buying process - I can really see the benefits of buying a little of both. I'm even thinking of what happens when I go through a phase where the family is busy - kids in college aren't available - or I want to travel less. Having two smaller contracts will allow me to ditch one if I need to. I guess I like knowing I will have options.

 

[ELMC]

I regret not buying a 25 point direct contract for a variety of reasons. Now that the minimum is 75 points, when combined with the price of direct points these days, I don't see it as worth it. So a missed opportunity for sure.

 

[SL6827]

I have a blue card but shouldn't. I do get shopping, dining discounts and such while I am at Disney, not the big discounts on tickets. But I would never buy direct for any discounts. The 20% off in the Disney stores is really nice though.