Incentives and new pricing winter/spring 2025

[RMDVC24]

Disney is counting on “what if I prefer to sleep around at not yet built resorts” FOMO to get people to pay $200+ for Poly when they can get the exact same Poly product for about $150 resale.

As we’ve seen around here, there are some people willing to pay 25-40% more for occasional stays at RIV or VDH and more flexibility with hypothetical future resorts, but I am not one of them and I would be surprised if it’s enough to sell RIV, PVB, VDH, CFW, and AUL at a fast pace… which will be fine as long as they are doing ok on hotel bookings, but could result in some deals if hotel bookings drop.

There are A LOT of people who pay a premium for FOMO. Especially on the FB groups lol.

 

[Girlstar30]

Disney is counting on “what if I prefer to sleep around at not yet built resorts” FOMO to get people to pay $200+ for Poly when they can get the exact same Poly product for about $150 resale.

As we’ve seen around here, there are some people willing to pay 25-40% more for occasional stays at RIV or VDH and more flexibility with hypothetical future resorts, but I am not one of them and I would be surprised if it’s enough to sell RIV, PVB, VDH, CFW, and AUL at a fast pace… which will be fine as long as they are doing ok on hotel bookings, but could result in some deals if hotel bookings drop.

Yeah its pretty much me not giving in to the ridiculous pricing. The average person won't even hold on to their dvc contract long enough to see these 2042 resorts expiring and yes they will build more resorts that I'm interested in, but I'm not going to go to the new resorts every single year to justify paying over $34k for 150 points. At this point, I'd rather just buy akv resale for $15-$17k for 150 more points or hell 300 points and pay less and just rent points when i want to stay at new resorts. Yes i won't get all the money up front at once, but who cares. Sucks because they're driving out people like me that was seriously interested in buying direct, but I refuse. Maybe I wait until the summer, but at this pace I doubt it will get lower than the last incentives. Hopefully others will follow suit and maybe they will come to their senses again lol

 

[atthebeachclub]

There are A LOT of people who pay a premium for FOMO. Especially on the FB groups lol.

I have FOMO only on Sorcerers Pass. lol. But really, I truly wish I could buy it.

 

[Girlstar30]

Animal Kingdom Lodge has incentives as well. Looks to be the same as Saratoga.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Wow thanks for posting this! This is something I can try to justify lol. My wife will be happy

 

[Girlstar30]

Hmm that seems low actually. Isn’t BLT like $275?

Sure is that's why my resale contract is currently pending lol I literally laughed out loud when the guide told me the price

 

[atthebeachclub]

Yeah its pretty much me not giving in to the ridiculous pricing. The average person won't even hold on to their dvc contract long enough to see these 2042 resorts expiring and yes they will build more resorts that I'm interested in, but I'm not going to go to the new resorts every single year to justify paying over $34k for 150 points. At this point, I'd rather just buy akv resale for $15-$17k for 150 more points or hell 300 points and pay less and just rent points when i want to stay at new resorts. Yes i won't get all the money up front at once, but who cares. Sucks because they're driving out people like me that was seriously interested in buying direct, but I refuse. Maybe I wait until the summer, but at this pace I doubt it will get lower than the last incentives. Hopefully others will follow suit and maybe they will come to their senses again lol

The best deal if you are ok with potentially staying there is always Saratoga Springs resale. I probably should have considered it more strongly, but I really wanted walkable resorts.

Animal Kingdom tends to have a lot of availability at seven months outside of their value rooms, so you could use Saratoga points there.

 

[Girlstar30]

The best deal if you are ok with potentially staying there is always Saratoga Springs resale. I probably should have considered it more strongly, but I really wanted walkable resorts.

Animal Kingdom tends to have a lot of availability at seven months outside of their value rooms, so you could use Saratoga points there.

Is it the best deal factoring the annual dues to because if it is i am interested! Damn greedy mouse broke my heart

 

[Brian Noble]

There are A LOT of people who pay a premium for FOMO. Especially on the FB groups lol.

And that changes even for the same person over time. If you go back and look at my posts---going back a LONG time---I've been on Team Resale more or less forever.

So, what changed? Two things: the product and my circumstances.

The first is one that everyone knows. Up until 2019, points were points for all practical purposes. Sure, you couldn't use them on cruises, guided tours, etc. but those were poor uses of points anyway. I didn't qualify for the 10% Member discount at Olivia's, but I did qualify with a zero-fee Disney Visa, so who cares? Plus it would take a LOT of conch fritters to make up the difference. But now, points are differentiated, and that's especially true if (a) you want to an Epcot-ish home resort (b) for more than 15-ish years.

The second is more interesting. Both kids are out of the house and have started their own financial lives without a big pile of debt. At the same time, I am downsizing and no longer need to live in the Really Expensive School District. So, money plays a different role in my life now. Finally, I've been staying in DVC villas for years on timeshare exchanges, so long as I was willing to accept "the leftovers" after Members booked what they wanted.

After giving it some thought, I decided that if I was spending five figures on this anyway, I was going to do it in a way that did not require compromises, beause I no longer had to. And from a dollars-and-cents perspective, the thing I bought was about the dumbest possible choice. And I'm super happy about it, because I had the cash.

As a friend put it: "Thirfty 'til Fifty, then Spend to the End."

The average person won't even hold on to their dvc contract long enough to see these 2042 resorts expiring

I'm not sure that is true. The average length of ownership of a resale contract is shorter than that, but that only measures the contracts that were resold, not the ones that weren't. I'll bet a mickeybar that more than half of the OKW contracts are still owned by the families that originally bought them. What's more, if someone's time horizon is ten years or less, I'd encourage them to consider renting rather than buying. Nothing is more flexible and lower risk than cash.

 

[stat]

Is it the best deal factoring the annual dues to because if it is i am interested! Damn greedy mouse broke my heart

It all depends on one's assumptions about the time value of money and other factors. BLT and AUL-S can come out ahead in some scenarios. But if you value paying the least up front and can get stellar investment returns on your money saved, SSR is still great despite its slightly higher dues. No one knows how dues will develop over time so I like the certainty of saving more money up front.

 

[atthebeachclub]

And that changes even for the same person over time. If you go back and look at my posts---going back a LONG time---I've been on Team Resale more or less forever.

So, what changed? Two things: the product and my circumstances.

The first is one that everyone knows. Up until 2019, points were points for all practical purposes. Sure, you couldn't use them on cruises, guided tours, etc. but those were poor uses of points anyway. I didn't qualify for the 10% Member discount at Olivia's, but I did qualify with a zero-fee Disney Visa, so who cares? Plus it would take a LOT of conch fritters to make up the difference. But now, points are differentiated, and that's especially true if (a) you want to an Epcot-ish home resort (b) for more than 15-ish years.

The second is more interesting. Both kids are out of the house and have started their own financial lives without a big pile of debt. At the same time, I am downsizing and no longer need to live in the Really Expensive School District. So, money plays a different role in my life now. Finally, I've been staying in DVC villas for years on timeshare exchanges, so long as I was willing to accept "the leftovers" after Members booked what they wanted.

After giving it some thought, I decided that if I was spending five figures on this anyway, I was going to do it in a way that did not require compromises, beause I no longer had to. And from a dollars-and-cents perspective, the thing I bought was about the dumbest possible choice. And I'm super happy about it, because I had the cash.

As a friend put it: "Thirfty 'til Fifty, then Spend to the End."


I'm not sure that is true. The average length of ownership of a resale contract is shorter than that, but that only measures the contracts that were resold, not the ones that weren't. I'll bet a mickeybar that more than half of the OKW contracts are still owned by the families that originally bought them. What's more, if someone's time horizon is ten years or less, I'd encourage them to consider renting rather than buying. Nothing is more flexible and lower risk than cash.

Great job raising those kids. That new contract will bring you a lot of joyful memories! I think you made the right call for your circumstances.

Oddly, I’ve considered that if my circumstances change, I might buy direct too. Right now we vacation with my mother since she’s over 80 and it’s nice to bring her along to share memories. But if she can no longer travel in the future, our family would need fewer points then (2 bedroom down to 1 bedroom or studio), so might exchange to direct them for pass discounts.

 

[Girlstar30]

And that changes even for the same person over time. If you go back and look at my posts---going back a LONG time---I've been on Team Resale more or less forever.

So, what changed? Two things: the product and my circumstances.

The first is one that everyone knows. Up until 2019, points were points for all practical purposes. Sure, you couldn't use them on cruises, guided tours, etc. but those were poor uses of points anyway. I didn't qualify for the 10% Member discount at Olivia's, but I did qualify with a zero-fee Disney Visa, so who cares? Plus it would take a LOT of conch fritters to make up the difference. But now, points are differentiated, and that's especially true if (a) you want to an Epcot-ish home resort (b) for more than 15-ish years.

The second is more interesting. Both kids are out of the house and have started their own financial lives without a big pile of debt. At the same time, I am downsizing and no longer need to live in the Really Expensive School District. So, money plays a different role in my life now. Finally, I've been staying in DVC villas for years on timeshare exchanges, so long as I was willing to accept "the leftovers" after Members booked what they wanted.

After giving it some thought, I decided that if I was spending five figures on this anyway, I was going to do it in a way that did not require compromises, beause I no longer had to. And from a dollars-and-cents perspective, the thing I bought was about the dumbest possible choice. And I'm super happy about it, because I had the cash.

As a friend put it: "Thirfty 'til Fifty, then Spend to the End."


I'm not sure that is true. The average length of ownership of a resale contract is shorter than that, but that only measures the contracts that were resold, not the ones that weren't. I'll bet a mickeybar that more than half of the OKW contracts are still owned by the families that originally bought them. What's more, if someone's time horizon is ten years or less, I'd encourage them to consider renting rather than buying. Nothing is more flexible and lower risk than cash.

Baseing it off of statistics i read, i believe on dvc field guide, that said the avg person owns 7-10 years

 

[Girlstar30]

Disney is counting on “what if I prefer to sleep around at not yet built resorts” FOMO to get people to pay $200+ for Poly when they can get the exact same Poly product for about $150 resale.

As we’ve seen around here, there are some people willing to pay 25-40% more for occasional stays at RIV or VDH and more flexibility with hypothetical future resorts, but I am not one of them and I would be surprised if it’s enough to sell RIV, PVB, VDH, CFW, and AUL at a fast pace… which will be fine as long as they are doing ok on hotel bookings, but could result in some deals if hotel bookings drop.

Yeah its pretty much me not giving in to the ridiculous pricing. The average person won't even hold on to their dvc contract long enough to see these 2042 resorts expiring and yes they will build more resorts up to then that I'm interested in, but I'm not going to go to the new resorts every single year to justify paying over $40k for 150 points

Yep, pretty bad deals as expected. The last few really good sales tended to be during the summer periods so maybe next time? Unless they really decided they don't want to sell quickly but sell slowly at higher prices and rent them out in the meantime.

Have they ever done some sort of a 0% interest deal where they sell it to you at a high price but let you make payments out over a few years? As opposed to the 6 months that the Visa gives you? That could attract some more buyers since everyone wants to finance everything these days. Or have they always just done standard rate stuff?

If they did that i would jump on it so fast

 

[davidhr]

Baseing it off of statistics i read, i believe on dvc field guide, that said the avg person owns 7-10 years

That’s for contracts that have hit the resale market only.

 

[stat]

Baseing it off of statistics i read, i believe on dvc field guide, that said the avg person owns 7-10 years

That might be an accurate calculation, but it's easy to misinterpret. That's an average of years of ownership for those who have completed a sale. The denominator does not include those who have never sold. Including those folks would make it a materially higher average number of years, who knows maybe even double. And it's a number that can just keep getting bigger over time if the number of holders outweighs the sales activity. Another issue is it's looking at the contract level. If I sell you a contract I'm still a DVC owner since I have more than one.

 

[Girlstar30]

This suggests to me that the plan has very much been the Fort cabins are a small part of a larger resort. I suspect the original plan was something like SSR: develop the general resort first, and then add the in-the-woods option later. Unfortunately, the pandemic reversed the order in the Fort/Reflections case.


Wait for a while, it won't be 45 minutes anymore!

------
I'm feeling at least moderately okay about my purchase last month. I normally visit late Feb/early Mar each year for a week or so. For this year's trip, I have a one-night rental at RIV before moving to my OKW exchange. I've never stayed at RIV before, and that night was originally designed to be a "kick the tires" visit. If I liked it, I'd buy a Fixed Week 9 with a Feb UY in a studio there.

When this base price increase was announced, it occurred to me that if I did the same thing before the end of January, I'd get a (potentially) lower sales price, plus an extra year of points. I was already planning to bank all of my 2025 UY for this new purchase, because my 2025 trip is already booked, so the 2024 points were pure gravy. I sent them off to the Magical Beginnings maw rather than try to rent them myself. All told, I ended up saving about 12% by buying two months earlier.

I sure hope I like it there!

I know I'm going to love it when we go in September, I already do and I haven't stayed yet either

 

[Girlstar30]

And that changes even for the same person over time. If you go back and look at my posts---going back a LONG time---I've been on Team Resale more or less forever.

So, what changed? Two things: the product and my circumstances.

The first is one that everyone knows. Up until 2019, points were points for all practical purposes. Sure, you couldn't use them on cruises, guided tours, etc. but those were poor uses of points anyway. I didn't qualify for the 10% Member discount at Olivia's, but I did qualify with a zero-fee Disney Visa, so who cares? Plus it would take a LOT of conch fritters to make up the difference. But now, points are differentiated, and that's especially true if (a) you want to an Epcot-ish home resort (b) for more than 15-ish years.

The second is more interesting. Both kids are out of the house and have started their own financial lives without a big pile of debt. At the same time, I am downsizing and no longer need to live in the Really Expensive School District. So, money plays a different role in my life now. Finally, I've been staying in DVC villas for years on timeshare exchanges, so long as I was willing to accept "the leftovers" after Members booked what they wanted.

After giving it some thought, I decided that if I was spending five figures on this anyway, I was going to do it in a way that did not require compromises, beause I no longer had to. And from a dollars-and-cents perspective, the thing I bought was about the dumbest possible choice. And I'm super happy about it, because I had the cash.

As a friend put it: "Thirfty 'til Fifty, then Spend to the End."


I'm not sure that is true. The average length of ownership of a resale contract is shorter than that, but that only measures the contracts that were resold, not the ones that weren't. I'll bet a mickeybar that more than half of the OKW contracts are still owned by the families that originally bought them. What's more, if someone's time horizon is ten years or less, I'd encourage them to consider renting rather than buying. Nothing is more flexible and lower risk than cash.

I guess I'm "poorty at forty" cuz I ain't feeling it lol

 

[InabinettheCabinet]

I wonder what the sentiment will be in 10 years when DVC direct is priced at $315 a point and people look back saying "wow I wish I would have jumped on $235 a point; that's a steal."

 

[Girlstar30]

It all depends on one's assumptions about the time value of money and other factors. BLT and AUL-S can come out ahead in some scenarios. But if you value paying the least up front and can get stellar investment returns on your money saved, SSR is still great despite its slightly higher dues. No one knows how dues will develop over time so I like the certainty of saving more money up front.

This is true I've thought about this before, impossible to do accurate cost analysis when we don't know how much dues will go up each year

 

[DanCali]

At this point, I'd rather just buy akv resale for $15-$17k for 150 more points or hell 300 points and pay less and just rent points when i want to stay at new resorts....

Hopefully others will follow suit and maybe they will come to their senses again lol

Most potential timeshare buyers, DVC or otherwise, are unaware there is a resale market (and remain that way until they try to sell many years down the road).

And for those who are aware, DVC does much less than other developers to entice them. To me, "come to their senses" means striking a deal where I buy 150 (overpriced) direct points and they "grandfather" (aka "wash") 300 of my resale points to make them as if they were purchased from the developer (can be used at new resorts, cruises etc). That way, they don't lower prices and the extra benefit I got, while it has value to me, costs them pretty much nothing. Until then, at these prices, there is very little incentive to buy direct IMO, especially for those who are already DVC-Y.

 

[Girlstar30]

Great job raising those kids. That new contract will bring you a lot of joyful memories! I think you made the right call for your circumstances.

Oddly, I’ve considered that if my circumstances change, I might buy direct too. Right now we vacation with my mother since she’s over 80 and it’s nice to bring her along to share memories. But if she can no longer travel in the future, our family would need fewer points then (2 bedroom down to 1 bedroom or studio), so might exchange to direct them for pass discounts.

So you went the all resale route? We don't have kids so passing it on to someone isn't a factor to us. Do you regret going all resale or feel some type of fomo about not being able to go to some things?