question about resale vs direct

[CaoilinnsMom]

I am thinking about buying a small contract with a later expiration date. I own 150 points at a 2042 resort and have a blue card. I don’t see myself always wanting to have a large contract. I also own a small VGC contract I bought resale. If I were to buy 40-50 points that I can continue to use after 2042, in addition to the VGC contract. Is there any reason to buy direct vs. resale. It would be marginally cheaper to buy resale but not thousands of dollars. When 2042 rolls around, I will lose blue card rights, even if I buy these other points direct? I don’t really care that much about it but curious as I am weighing options.

 

[DVCsloth]

I think for smaller contracts its usually better to buy direct depending on where you buy. May cost a little more but the points won't have any restrictions on them.

 

[Sandisw]

If your blue card is tied to the 2042 contract, then yes you lose access to membership extras unless you have accumulated enough by then in small contract direct points to meet whatever minimum is in place.

The bigger piece is that resale points are restricted from using at RIV and future resorts. Direct points are not.

So, when those 2042 resorts are gone, the resale points will have fewer resorts to choose from.

Remember, where you can use points is not dependent on the blue card so buying direct points now means they will still be good past 2042 even if your blue card goes away.

 

[Sunnyore]

You are correct that you will lose your blue card status in 2042 unless you have accumulated 150 direct points that will extend past 2042. If benefits aren’t a big deal and you don’t think you’ll be interested in staying in Riviera or future built resorts, resale may be the way to go to save some money. Sometimes small contracts are hard to find though or they are priced a lot higher than larger resale contracts. I agree to check to see if the saving buying the small contract resale versus direct might be marginal. With direct you can easily add on 25 points at a resort and get it in the account same day.

 

[Jwaire]

I'm with you on not caring. Membership Extras are so limited now, I just don't see them being a factor in 2042. It's not like Disney is going to go back to 1996 and start giving out free park tickets again. You get almost the same discount benefits with an AP anyway.

There are advantages to buying direct for small contracts. They will actually have your use year, closing costs are generally lower than resale, you don't have to pay the maintenance dues at closing (they'll bill you a few months later), you can put in on your credit card (and reap the credit card rewards or special financing), if you finance through Disney they won't report it to the credit bureaus, if you play your use year right, you can get double points without paying fees on them, etc. However, Membership Extras is just a bonus to me.

What's your 2042 and how long have you owned it?

 

[CaoilinnsMom]

If your blue card is tied to the 2042 contract, then yes you lose access to membership extras unless you have accumulated enough by then in small contract direct points to meet whatever minimum is in place.

The bigger piece is that resale points are restricted from using at RIV and future resorts. Direct points are not.

So, when those 2042 resorts are gone, the resale points will have fewer resorts to choose from.

Remember, where you can use points is not dependent on the blue card so buying direct points now means they will still be good past 2042 even if your blue card goes away.

This is a very good point-exactly what I was looking for. I forgot about the resale restrictions on new resorts. What do you think will happen to all the 2042 resorts?

 

[CaoilinnsMom]

I'm with you on not caring. Membership Extras are so limited now, I just don't see them being a factor in 2042. It's not like Disney is going to go back to 1996 and start giving out free park tickets again. You get almost the same discount benefits with an AP anyway.

There are advantages to buying direct for small contracts. They will actually have your use year, closing costs are generally lower than resale, you don't have to pay the maintenance dues at closing (they'll bill you a few months later), you can put in on your credit card (and reap the credit card rewards or special financing), if you finance through Disney they won't report it to the credit bureaus, if you play your use year right, you can get double points without paying fees on them, etc. However, Membership Extras is just a bonus to me.

What's your 2042 and how long have you owned it?

I own BRV, I’ve had those points since 2012. I love the Wilderness Lodge, but not really into competing for Copper Creek studios down the line. What do you mean “if you play your use year right“ for double points?

 

[Jwaire]

I own BRV, I’ve had those points since 2012. I love the Wilderness Lodge, but not really into competing for Copper Creek studios down the line. What do you mean “if you play your use year right“ for double points?

If you add on direct the month before your use year, Disney will give you that current year's points for no dues. For example, if I added on a 50 point Poly contract in January 22, I'd get 2022's points (no dues) plus turn around and get 2023's Feb 1. They will bank those 2022 points (that are long past their banking deadline) into 2023 as a courtesy to you.

Disney also prorates dues unlike resale. It's just something to consider. I'm not advocating one way or the other. I just think if you buy direct and are gonna pay more per point, you should know how to maximize your value.

 

[Sandisw]

This is a very good point-exactly what I was looking for. I forgot about the resale restrictions on new resorts. What do you think will happen to all the 2042 resorts?

My guess is that they will come back and restricted from resale points…

The only way that doesn’t happen is if they abandon the current rules and change the POS for the resorts to remove them.

And, right now, we have VDH and Poly tower coming on line in the next few years, which could end up restricted. No official decision has been published for either.

 

[Sandisw]

If you add on direct the month before your use year, Disney will give you that current year's points for no dues. For example, if I added on a 50 point Poly contract in January 22, I'd get 2022's points (no dues) plus turn around and get 2023's Feb 1. They will bank those 2022 points (that are long past their banking deadline) into 2023 as a courtesy to you.

Disney also prorates dues unlike resale. It's just something to consider. I'm not advocating one way or the other. I just think if you buy direct and are gonna pay more per point, you should know how to maximize your value.

Just to add to this…that it doesn’t always work with sold out resorts because they may not have points in stock to sell you.

While they can change UY of what they own, they still need to have current UY points that will work with what they own before they can switch it.

 

[RoseGold]

I also own a small VGC contract I bought resale

There are many tiers of DVC, and your VGC might also qualify you for a Blue Card, depending on when you bought it.

Blue Card isn't worth much right now, and it would be hard for me to make four-five figure decisions based on it.

That said, I don't see the point of buying a 50 point contract at all with closing. I'd just sell the 2042, especially if they are BW/BC and buy into Poly2 next year if you are really in for the long haul. Buy the 200+ points and get the opening incentives.

Another option would be to buy more points resale SSR, because of the lower price point, if you plan to book at 7 months or don't use your priority. Maybe trade it in ten years from now when you really like BLT3 or whatever.

 

[D-Trick]

If you add on direct the month before your use year, Disney will give you that current year's points for no dues. For example, if I added on a 50 point Poly contract in January 22, I'd get 2022's points (no dues) plus turn around and get 2023's Feb 1. They will bank those 2022 points (that are long past their banking deadline) into 2023 as a courtesy to you.

I believe you meant January 2023.

 

[CaoilinnsMom]

There are many tiers of DVC, and your VGC might also qualify you for a Blue Card, depending on when you bought it.

Blue Card isn't worth much right now, and it would be hard for me to make four-five figure decisions based on it.

That said, I don't see the point of buying a 50 point contract at all with closing. I'd just sell the 2042, especially if they are BW/BC and buy into Poly2 next year if you are really in for the long haul. Buy the 200+ points and get the opening incentives.

Another option would be to buy more points resale SSR, because of the lower price point, if you plan to book at 7 months or don't use your priority. Maybe trade it in ten years from now when you really like BLT3 or whatever.

Nope on the GCV, I bought it after the resale restrictions. I really don’t want to sell BRV, I love going there at Christmas. I also know I probably won’t buy CCV. I wish I knew what there were going to do with BRV after 2042. I probably won’t be able to affortd buying it at that cost again, and I am not sure I would want the contract date they were setting by that time either. I have stayed at Poly, but it is not my favorite, maybe the new tower will be better? I was considering SSR or Extended OKW, maybe even Disneyland Hotel or Aulani.

 

[RoseGold]

Nope on the GCV, I bought it after the resale restrictions. I really don’t want to sell BRV, I love going there at Christmas. I also know I probably won’t buy CCV. I wish I knew what there were going to do with BRV after 2042. I probably won’t be able to affortd buying it at that cost again, and I am not sure I would want the contract date they were setting by that time either. I have stayed at Poly, but it is not my favorite, maybe the new tower will be better? I was considering SSR or Extended OKW, maybe even Disneyland Hotel or Aulani.

I don't like WL at all, and I've seen more than one CCV contract I thought looked attractive just for the math. You could trade in whatever doesn't appeal to you for CCV, which is a strong sleep around contract.

This is a great plan longer term IMO as CCV has a uniquely low and long point chart, because it matched BR for who knows why. CCV's chart already looks retro and that will only be more obvious as future resorts expand charts IMO. This makes CCV a unique mathmatical combo, with a long contract and somewhat low chart, worth considering if you love WL.

 

[Her Dotness]

Except, give the CCV floorplans a good lookover compared with the BRV ones before adding CCV, I suggest.

It's obvious the CCV in-lodge villas were originally WL hotel rooms. The layouts are peculiar for that reason. Those all-in-a-line kitchens show that much too well.

Maybe that's just me, but I find the BRV layouts much more appealing and home-like.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Except, give the CCV floorplans a good lookover compared with the BRV ones before adding CCV, I suggest.

It's obvious the CCV in-lodge villas were originally WL hotel rooms. The layouts are peculiar for that reason. Those all-in-a-line kitchens show that much too well.

Maybe that's just me, but I find the BRV layouts much more appealing and home-like.

This 100%. I really don't like that you literally have to walk through the kitchen to get to the living room and the whole galley kitchen idea really belongs on a ship and nowhere else. In BRV you get an actual defined kitchen space and with the refurb I don't see any appeal in CCV beyond the expiration date.

I will say the CCV villas are beautiful though, especially the bathrooms.

 

[Craho]

I think for smaller contracts its usually better to buy direct depending on where you buy. May cost a little more but the points won't have any restrictions on them.

I’m really torn about this. I just closed on a 50 pt. BWV resale contract and I want to add 50 more and I’m thinking direct. I don’t want to be totally shut out from future resorts and Riviera but BWV is our favorite. But are the 2042’s a really bad direct decision? I probably should start a new thread on this.

 

[DVCsloth]

BWV is probably best to pick up resale IMO. I would look for a decent price and matching use year.

 

[Her Dotness]

I’m really torn about this. I just closed on a 50 pt. BWV resale contract and I want to add 50 more and I’m thinking direct. I don’t want to be totally shut out from future resorts and Riviera but BWV is our favorite. But are the 2042’s a really bad direct decision?

Depends on your situation and preferences, I think.

We bought 50 BWV resale points not caring what the expiration was despite most saying, "DON'T buy a 2042." We're devil-may-care types who don't spreadsheet the details but simply buy the resorts we like. Getting enjoyment from our points for as long as we're able is more important to us than the "worth it" factor. Foolish, many likely think, but we don't care.

We bought BWV because we like its looks, and the dues aren't significantly higher than VGF's, our original home resort. We won't mind staying there a night or two as a fallback in case we can't find anywhere else we want at 7 months.

We can use our VGF direct points if we want to stay at RIV. That's why I think your resale plus direct idea is fine if that suits you and you don't mind paying the premium for off-sale resort points. That's the catch of buying an off-sale resort direct. That's how we bought VGF originally, not caring because we didn't want either resort on-sale at the time. Another choice most would say is really dumb.

 

[RoseGold]

It's also possible your resale qualifies for Blue Card. DVC is a complicated product.