Is it worth it to buy 25 points direct from Disney?

[ziravan]

If they raised the minimum purchase amount I'm sure there would be some that wouldn't buy retail and some that would buy resale. But there would also be some that would buy 50 retail that would have only bought 25. My suspicion is it'd be a wash at worse for them and a plus for those that have qualified benefits already. I'm sure DVD has some info to tell them where this might fall but likely wouldn't know for sure even then. But it WOULD shift the number that should buy resale plus an add on somewhat though experience has taught me that what a given person should do and what they will do are different things. And in all likelihood it'd come with an increase of minimum purchase for new members retail to either 75 or more likely, 100 across the board.

The more difficult they make qualifying for benefits while buying resale (50 pt add on vs 25), the more people will walk away from that option.

1. Some will just buy direct instead. The guides will certainly point out just how huge a hassle 50 points is when you could just buy them all direct (that is, they'll point it out whenever it's relevant to the sale.)

2. Some will just forego benefits. That will save DVD money and make events more avail to their target audience.

 

[disneynutz]

Is it worth it to buy any points direct from Disney? Only you can decide.

Bill

 

[Dean]

The more difficult they make qualifying for benefits while buying resale (50 pt add on vs 25), the more people will walk away from that option.

1. Some will just buy direct instead. The guides will certainly point out just how huge a hassle 50 points is when you could just buy them all direct (that is, they'll point it out whenever it's relevant to the sale.)

2. They'll just forego benefits. That will save DVD money and make events more avail to their target audience.

Certainly it's true on both sides, the question is where does the balance like from a profit standpoint. I suspect they'd actually make more if they made the minimum retail 50.

 

[ziravan]

Certainly it's true on both sides, the question is where does the balance like from a profit standpoint. I suspect they'd actually make more if they made the minimum retail 50.

I think they'd make more and I suspect they consider the 25 point buy in to be cheating.

DVD wants a real differentiation between direct and resale. I think that even if it weren't more profitable, they'll raise to 50 on the principle of it.

They don't want their direct buyers to come here and read about 25 point work arounds.

That's why I think the change is coming and soon. It's been 18 months since the last change and this 25 point work around was being advocated within hours of the 4/4/16 announcement. I think they'll make this change certainly within the next 6 months and my guess is much sooner. Weeks (or days) not months from now.

 

[Ben E N]

I think they'd make more and I suspect they consider the 25 point buy in to be cheating.

DVD wants a real differentiation between direct and resale. I think that even if it weren't more profitable, they'll raise to 50 on the principle of it.

They don't want their direct buyers to come here and read about 25 point work arounds.

That's why I think the change is coming and soon. It's been 18 months since the last change and this 25 point work around was being advocated within hours of the 4/4/16 announcement. I think they'll make this change certainly within the next 6 months and my guess is much sooner. Weeks (or days) not months from now.

On the otherhand, Disney could easily love things just the way they are right now. They got my money upfront to purchase 25 points that I would not have originally purchased, plus I am considering another 25 point add on down the line.
What they got out of it was me being hooked on them. I had no plans on going next summer, but once I got that great annual pass deal, I immediately added on 4 days at Disney before another trip that i will take next summer. I spent $2300 on 4 passes. The parks rarely fill to capacity, and never in the summer, so it is costing them nothing extra to have me in their parks. I am already planning on dropping a few hundred on meals, and will get at least 3 or 4 dole whips, with and without rum, over those 4 days. All of that is profit that they are getting that would not have been there if the minimum buy I was 50 points.

The other benefits that they offer are pretty cheap to maintain, and their extra hours events fill up 100% anyway, so it doesn't matter if they have too many members, as they can still say these events were offered.

 

[ziravan]

On the otherhand, Disney could easily love things just the way they are right now. They got my money upfront to purchase 25 points that I would not have originally purchased, plus I am considering another 25 point add on down the line.
What they got out of it was me being hooked on them. I had no plans on going next summer, but once I got that great annual pass deal, I immediately added on 4 days at Disney before another trip that i will take next summer. I spent $2300 on 4 passes. The parks rarely fill to capacity, and never in the summer, so it is costing them nothing extra to have me in their parks. I am already planning on dropping a few hundred on meals, and will get at least 3 or 4 dole whips, with and without rum, over those 4 days. All of that is profit that they are getting that would not have been there if the minimum buy I was 50 points.

The other benefits that they offer are pretty cheap to maintain, and their extra hours events fill up 100% anyway, so it doesn't matter if they have too many members, as they can still say these events were offered.

But that would be DVD treating you like a valued customer of Disney.

That's an argument against restrictions altogether. Even resale buyers will spend tons at Disney so everybody should be happy and Disney's making bank regardless.

We know that DVC doesn't think that way. There are restrictions. They've been increased. No. DVC is guilty of silo thinking here.

I wish it weren't so.

 

[Ben E N]

But that would be DVD treating you like a valued customer of Disney.

That's an argument against restrictions altogether. Even resale buyers will spend tons at Disney so everybody should be happy and Disney's making bank regardless.

We know that DVC doesn't think that way. There are restrictions. They've been increased. No. DVC is guilty of silo thinking here.

I wish it weren't so.

Well DVD is a different part of Disney from the parks, so they are required to increase their own profits, regardless of how good they are for disney as a whole.
I agree that with a new officer in charge of DVC, more restrictions are coming down the pipeline, and sober rather than later.

 

[Dean]

I think they'd make more and I suspect they consider the 25 point buy in to be cheating.

DVD wants a real differentiation between direct and resale. I think that even if it weren't more profitable, they'll raise to 50 on the principle of it.

They don't want their direct buyers to come here and read about 25 point work arounds.

That's why I think the change is coming and soon. It's been 18 months since the last change and this 25 point work around was being advocated within hours of the 4/4/16 announcement. I think they'll make this change certainly within the next 6 months and my guess is much sooner. Weeks (or days) not months from now.

I tend to agree that over time they would make more if they changed the min to 50 and the minimum for a new member to 100 but it'd be long term over short term.

 

[Matty B13]

The problem with a 100 point minimum for new owners is that it pushes most contracts over $15,000.00 which might push people to resale at that cost. But I do agree that a 50 point minimum is probably coming soon.

We just bought 50 direct, but it was for an upcoming trip that we needed more points for....... and years to come hopefully.

 

[Dean]

The problem with a 100 point minimum for new owners is that it pushes most contracts over $15,000.00 which might push people to resale at that cost. But I do agree that a 50 point minimum is probably coming soon.

We just bought 50 direct, but it was for an upcoming trip that we needed more points for....... and years to come hopefully.

I'm not sure that matters, DVC is a luxury. While one might decide not to play at that price/# of points, if it makes it financially taxing, one couldn't afford it anyway. The number of people where 50 points alone makes sense when you combine numbers and budget would be extremely small, likely less than 0.1%.

 

[ScubaCat]

which might push people to resale

You'd be surprised how small of a percentage of owners are even aware of the resale market.

I think an easier "fix" would be to just refuse to sell less than 50 (or any number they choose) points direct to anyone who doesn't already own a direct contract. That wouldn't require any update to official documentation as it would just be an internal policy change. That said, the 25's here and there do help them offload some extra points here and there, so I suspect it's worth it to them to keep it as is.