Second contract

[Girlstar30]

I can’t wait to get to the AKL too!! I hope they kept the theming in the refurbishment ..I loved the furniture with the carvings..too bad they had to get rid of them Fingers crossed they didn’t get generic with the furniture

I am hoping it turns out great as well! It is a beloved resort and they sell a lot of cash rooms on the side so its in their best interest too lol!

We just bought this year after falling in love. Staying in Kidani next year hopefully and hoping for a refurbed room! Its my wife birthday so im already looking for safari themed party favors. I want to do something unique and special for her so im looking to surprise her with the Savor the Savannah enchanted extra and a night safari tour!

The resort has much to do and were just getting started! We havent been to the Kidani pool yet, looking forward to that too!

 

[PolyRob]

I bought 300 points at AKL ..just waiting for the rofr . Do you mean December is a peak week? I have been hearing that there is nothing available at 7 months except OKW and SSR…so I should just pick a second resort that I love and forget about getting SSR for cheap. YOLO

I might be in love with Poly

Was this not the justification for BRV in the previous thread? Early December bookings need home resort advantage.

 

[melissa70]

I think the big thing is just making sure you don't rush into something again before doing all your research. Like someone said do you really need more points at this time?

If you're dead set on getting points, I'd ask you what problem are you trying to solve? Are you trying to get into bigger accommodations/stay longer at your current home resort? Are you trying to get into another resort? After referencing the DVC availability tables, is that resort hard to book at 7 months for the room type and season you're going for? if not, is there another resort you're trying to get into and repeat that until you find somewhere you like so you get at least some booking advantage. If booking advantage means nothing to you and only buy in cost and dues matters to you then I'd just look up the most economic resorts thread by @ehh and go with that.

Personally I bought more where I want to stay. If I'm spending this much money, I'm going to buy exactly what I want.

By looking at the point charts and rooms I want to book , yes I need more points. Unless I want to rent them , which I don’t.

 

[melissa70]

Was this not the justification for BRV in the previous thread? Early December bookings need home resort advantage.

Yes, I thought so for Boulder Ridge, but I didn’t realize it applied to everywhere. Years ago, those weeks were considered a downtime in Disney.

 

[PolyRob]

Yes, I thought so for Boulder Ridge, but I didn’t realize it applied to everywhere. Years ago, those weeks were considered a downtime in Disney.

Peak DVC times do not equal peak WDW park crowds.

This statement is why it's so important to buy a contract at a resort you like. Trends change. Points charts change. The only thing that doesn't change is your contract unless you sell it.

 

[juliebee]

If travel in December is important to you, maybe consider a fixed week contract - here is a thread about that- https://www.disboards.com/threads/a...cv-aul-vgf-poly-tower-vhd-fwc-charts.3806985/

 

[melissa70]

I wonder what , if any, the new incentives will be for Poly after December 10

 

[airjay75]

I wonder what , if any, the new incentives will be for Poly after December 10

The trend is almost always in one direction - total cost is more expensive. It is rare, although not impossible, that incentives improve from one incentive period to another.

That said, as I recall, the UY on you resale contract is February. If you want direct points to match your resale contract UY, that is a more significant deadline for a direct points purchase because as long as you purchase prior to Feb 1st, you'll get full points all the way back to Feb 2025 (which can also be sold back to Disney for $20/point, which can be quite a discount on a direct points purchase).

Also, just noting that for December travel, keep in mind that with a Feb UY, if you were to cancel any December reservations, even if 30 days in advance, those points would have to be used by the end of January or be forfeited.

 

[melissa70]

The trend is almost always in one direction - total cost is more expensive. It is rare, although not impossible, that incentives improve from one incentive period to another.

That said, as I recall, the UY on you resale contract is February. If you want direct points to match your resale contract UY, that is a more significant deadline for a direct points purchase because as long as you purchase prior to Feb 1st, you'll get full points all the way back to Feb 2025 (which can also be sold back to Disney for $20/point, which can be quite a discount on a direct points purchase).

Also, just noting that for December travel, keep in mind that with a Feb UY, if you were to cancel any December reservations, even if 30 days in advance, those points would have to be used by the end of January or be forfeited.

So with incentives , I think it is 45k for 200 points and then they reduce 20x200 and credit it to you. For a grand total of 41k but then again, I saw a contract that sold for 220 points resale for 34k not counting MF or closing

The riviera incentives are a bit more attractive

 

[airjay75]

So with incentives , I think it is 45k for 200 points and then they reduce 20x200 and credit it to you. For a grand total of 41k but then again, I saw a contract that sold for 220 points resale for 34k not counting MF or closing

200 Poly points for an existing DVC member would qualify for $11/point off of the base $235 price, or $224/point. You can use D23 Gold status to get an additional $500 off. Then, if you use magical beginnings, that would be an additional $4,000 off. You can use a cash back credit card to pay for the entire purchase and/or take advantage of any promotional 0% financing that might be available (which, if you have money in the bank, can continue to accumulate interest). To be conservative, let's just say you'd get 2% cash back on the purchase.

So, 200 x $224 = $44,800. Take off $4,500 and $896 (2% of purchase price). That comes to $39,404.

Looks to me that resale Poly is currently averaging around $165/point. Let's assume you can get exactly 200 points in one resale contract for that price, so closing costs are a wash. 200 x $165 = $33,000. Some title companies will let you pay some amount of that with credit card without any fees, but let's just leave that out for now, since it depends on the title company.

There are 40 years left on a Poly contract. $39,404 - $33,000 = $6,404. That's about $160/year over the life of the contract.

(I'm ignoring dues which could also affect the difference - when you buy direct, you pay prorated dues, but when resale, you often pay for an entire year of points even if you didn't have the points for the entire year, although that can be negotiated.)

The direct points will load immediately - no ROFR, no waiting for seller to sign, no waiting for Disney to load the points. You can book a "welcome home" stay with those points. The direct points will qualify you for direct benefits - discounts on merchandise, discounts on APs, moonlight magic events, membership magic beyond (and BOGO OTUPs). No, none of those discounts are guaranteed, but I think it's a safe bet you'll get some savings each year on something if you're a direct member. And, those direct points can be used at RIV, VDH, CFW, and any future resort that Disney builds, including LSL. The resale Poly points will be restricted from use at those resorts and any new resorts. And, Disney could roll out future benefits for direct points, further enhancing their value.

Is all that worth an extra $160/year? For me, it's a no brainer. Absolutely yes.

 

[melissa70]

200 Poly points for an existing DVC member would qualify for $11/point off of the base $235 price, or $224/point. You can use D23 Gold status to get an additional $500 off. Then, if you use magical beginnings, that would be an additional $4,000 off. You can use a cash back credit card to pay for the entire purchase and/or take advantage of any promotional 0% financing that might be available (which, if you have money in the bank, can continue to accumulate interest). To be conservative, let's just say you'd get 2% cash back on the purchase.

So, 200 x $224 = $44,800. Take off $4,500 and $896 (2% of purchase price). That comes to $39,404.

Looks to me that resale Poly is currently averaging around $165/point. Let's assume you can get exactly 200 points in one resale contract for that price, so closing costs are a wash. 200 x $165 = $33,000. Some title companies will let you pay some amount of that with credit card without any fees, but let's just leave that out for now, since it depends on the title company.

There are 40 years left on a Poly contract. $39,404 - $33,000 = $6,404. That's about $160/year over the life of the contract.

(I'm ignoring dues which could also affect the difference - when you buy direct, you pay prorated dues, but when resale, you often pay for an entire year of points even if you didn't have the points for the entire year, although that can be negotiated.)

The direct points will load immediately - no ROFR, no waiting for seller to sign, no waiting for Disney to load the points. You can book a "welcome home" stay with those points. The direct points will qualify you for direct benefits - discounts on merchandise, discounts on APs, moonlight magic events, membership magic beyond (and BOGO OTUPs). No, none of those discounts are guaranteed, but I think it's a safe bet you'll get some savings each year on something if you're a direct member. And, those direct points can be used at RIV, VDH, CFW, and any future resort that Disney builds, including LSL. The resale Poly points will be restricted from use at those resorts and any new resorts. And, Disney could roll out future benefits for direct points, further enhancing their value.

Is all that worth an extra $160/year? For me, it's a no brainer. Absolutely yes.

Could I still book a welcome home stay even if they buy the points back?

 

[airjay75]

Could I still book a welcome home stay even if they buy the points back?

Yes! You absolutely can. The only thing that will void the ability to use a welcome home stay is if you book something yourself with those direct points before calling in to book the welcome home stay.

So, let's say you buy them after you get your resale points loaded (so you qualify for existing member discounts). And, you want to go in December 2026 with those direct points. They will help you find something that isn't otherwise available in December. Of course, only within your applicable 7 or 11 month windows, but I'm pretty sure they'd be able to find you something. They are able to pull from their cash inventory that isn't otherwise available to DVC members to book.

 

[melissa70]

What if I don’t have my resale points loaded by December 10? Do They have a way of verifying that you are waiting to become a member? I see that they take forever with resales

 

[airjay75]

What if I don’t have my resale points loaded by December 10? Do They have a way of verifying that you are waiting to become a member? I see that they take forever with resales

I'm not sure about that. My guess is you're going to have to wait until Disney sets up your DVC account to access the existing member benefits, but you could always talk with a guide about that. Someone else on here may have some experience with this that I don't. At a minimum, you'll probably have to wait until the resale purchase closes.

Here's how I'd play it. Set up an official "tour" with a guide in the week leading up to December 10th. After you do that tour, you receive an offer that is good for 7 days. Talk with them about your pending resale contract to see which incentives you would qualify for. Then, see what the new incentives are and weigh whether it makes sense to act then or wait until you real contract has loaded.

My guess is that, if you wait until the end of January (just before the start of your new UY), any differences between incentives and a couple less months of dues will be close to a wash. And, because you'll be able to get that welcome home booking with those direct points, there really isn't a rush. (This could also give you a little more time to see whether the resale markets get flooded with some better priced resale contracts as people receive their dues bills.)

That said, a few other things to keep in mind. The D23 Gold $500 benefit is only good through the end of December. They could re-up that for 2026, but we likely won't know until 2026. And, to take advantage of magical beginnings, the deadline, as I recall, is 4 days before the start of your UY (so, don't wait until the last few days of January).

 

[melissa70]

I'm not sure about that. My guess is you're going to have to wait until Disney sets up your DVC account to access the existing member benefits, but you could always talk with a guide about that. Someone else on here may have some experience with this that I don't. At a minimum, you'll probably have to wait until the resale purchase closes.

Here's how I'd play it. Set up an official "tour" with a guide in the week leading up to December 10th. After you do that tour, you receive an offer that is good for 7 days. Talk with them about your pending resale contract to see which incentives you would qualify for. Then, see what the new incentives are and weigh whether it makes sense to act then or wait until you real contract has loaded.

My guess is that, if you wait until the end of January (just before the start of your new UY), any differences between incentives and a couple less months of dues will be close to a wash. And, because you'll be able to get that welcome home booking with those direct points, there really isn't a rush. (This could also give you a little more time to see whether the resale markets get flooded with some better priced resale contracts as people receive their dues bills.)

That said, a few other things to keep in mind. The D23 Gold $500 benefit is only good through the end of December. They could re-up that for 2026, but we likely won't know until 2026. And, to take advantage of magical beginnings, the deadline, as I recall, is 4 days before the start of your UY (so, don't wait until the last few days of January).

Thank you for this

 

[Hubalorian]

We bought our direct contract a VGF during the “fire sale”. We like having a MK resort in the portfolio and loved the idea of staying at VGF. However, to date we have not stayed there yet. We have not pulled the trigger due to the amount of points it cost to stay there. We’ve stayed at AKV (Jambo and Kidani), CCV, BRV, BCV, and Poly. We previously owned AKV resale and just traded out the points for CCV.

I think it really depends on your mindset. I prefer low dues but also do not want to be trapped into a resort I don’t prefer. So I took the best deal at the time VGF direct and have modified my resale strategy as well. Good luck!

 

[Chili327]

If you love Disney you're going to want to buy direct at some point I guarantee it.

Not sure I agree with that. lol

AKL, BLT, BRV, BWV, OKW, POLY and RIV owner here. All of the resorts have their benefits and drawbacks due to distance or transportation options. RIV of course has the resale restrictions. If you want POLY hold out for it. There are new resale contracts every week.

I always wonder what it would be like if I focused on the area while staying in each area, like 2 nights at AKV & only going to AK, then split stay to BWV and only do Epcot and HS, for 3-4 days, the split over to BLT and focus on MK for the last few days. I’m not sure I could handle that, but it may make a lot of sense and save on hoppers.

I think the big thing is just making sure you don't rush into something again before doing all your research. Like someone said do you really need more points at this time?

If you're dead set on getting points, I'd ask you what problem are you trying to solve? Are you trying to get into bigger accommodations/stay longer at your current home resort? Are you trying to get into another resort? After referencing the DVC availability tables, is that resort hard to book at 7 months for the room type and season you're going for? if not, is there another resort you're trying to get into and repeat that until you find somewhere you like so you get at least some booking advantage. If booking advantage means nothing to you and only buy in cost and dues matters to you then I'd just look up the most economic resorts thread by @ehh and go with that.

Personally I bought more where I want to stay. If I'm spending this much money, I'm going to buy exactly what I want.

That is the big and correct question, what’s the question before you try to find the answer.

 

[melissa70]

Not sure I agree with that. lol



I always wonder what it would be like if I focused on the area while staying in each area, like 2 nights at AKV & only going to AK, then split stay to BWV and only do Epcot and HS, for 3-4 days, the split over to BLT and focus on MK for the last few days. I’m not sure I could handle that, but it may make a lot of sense and save on hoppers.



That is the big and correct question, what’s the question before you try to find the answer.

Not really a question but I need more points so how should I get them? Direct or indirect ? SSR or Poly?

 

[Girlstar30]

Not sure I agree with that. lol



I always wonder what it would be like if I focused on the area while staying in each area, like 2 nights at AKV & only going to AK, then split stay to BWV and only do Epcot and HS, for 3-4 days, the split over to BLT and focus on MK for the last few days. I’m not sure I could handle that, but it may make a lot of sense and save on hoppers.



That is the big and correct question, what’s the question before you try to find the answer.

I mean if you love the characters, you will probably want to go to moonlight magic to see rare characters and other meet and greets they offer if you're a big fan and go to member cruises where the voice of mickey mouse is and other Disney fan things.

Maybe some wouldnt, but every big Disney fan friend I know that isnt DVC is jealous I went to MM. I cant wait to go on a Member cruise and get the swag and see some other unique things like the princesses singing or a Coco singing performance just for direct members. Would have loved to go to the Stacia Martin presentation at Disney hotel this year too and I couldnt because, resale.

But like I said, for now, the longer hotel stays in better rooms and family time took priority Over the fun members only Disney events

 

[intamin]

Not really a question but I need more points so how should I get them? Direct or indirect ? SSR or Poly?

Again, what is the goal? Is the goal just to have more points to upgrade to 1BRs? SSR resale works wonders for that. Are you trying to stay at Poly or get a monorail resort? Do you want more points that can potentially be used at RIV/CFW/VDH? Are you willing to sacrifice buying more points in exchange for that?