Speculation on point requirement increase for direct benefits

[juliebee]

On the 11/10/25 episode of DVCFan, Derek predicted that within a year that DVC will raise the point requirement for membership benefits. Those already meeting the requirement when they purchased are grandfathered in, so this only applies to those not currently covered by membership benefits. Thinking about this, if Derek is correct, then that would probably happen prior to the start of sales for Lakeshore Lodge. Looking at the past increases, it has been 4+ years since an increase in the points requirement. They had gone so long before starting increases, then nearly yearly increases (even during COVID era), and then a pause. Why would they do an increase now or within the year? Are the sales that numerous that Disney feels it wouldn't dent the amount of direct purchases? Do you think it would cause a direct purchase frenzy to purchase prior to the increase? It sounds like in past times there was some amount of warning before the increase. Anyone know how much warning?
I was thinking to wait to go direct until Lakeshore Lodge, but now I'm a bit concerned.

According to my research, the last few increases were:
6/3/2021- increase to 150 direct points for membership benefits
10/19/2020- increase to 125 direct points
9/17/2019- increase to 100 direct points
2/2018- increase to 75 direct points

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I’ve been expecting it for some time…especially because 150 does not get you far at Island Tower and they might get less complaints about spec renting of standard view studios if the average contract had an extra 25-35 points…but I’m not entirely sure how it impacts sales.

For example, we bought direct first and there was a big price break at 200, so we bought 200 points (basically all points from 150-200 had a per point cost less than buying many resale resorts direct)— the real question is how many people would be turned off entirely versus how many people would just add an extra 25 (or 50) points.

I could see them announcing an increase to 175 on 1/1 and hoping a lot of people decide to go direct for the holidays.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Increasing it beyond the initial recommended minimum buy-in for any single membership would be suicidal. Surely, they have enough sense to know this.

 

[kristenrice]

Increasing it beyond the initial recommended minimum buy-in for any single membership would be suicidal. Surely, they have enough sense to know this.

Agreed....sales seem a little bleak right now. I cannot imagine why they would want to increase the amount required to obtain benefits. I wonder if direct sales would see a boost from current resale owners if they lowered the minimum to 100 points? That may swing some current resale owners to pull the trigger on direct points in order to get the benefits and it may also sway some new buyers towards direct for their initial purchase. Just a thought....

 

[airjay75]

I heard Derek speculate about this too. I had not really thought about this before. My initial reaction is that it probably makes sense for them to do this. Looks like it has been awhile since they upped the requirement. Clearly, they want to continue making direct look better than resale, and this would be an additional way to do that. I wonder whether it would be paired with additional direct benefits? Buy more, get more. They're certainly thinking about that as evidenced by the recent survey that went out to some members.

Not sure I'd let the prospect of something like this drive a direct points purchase - too speculative. Buy where you want points when you're ready to do so.

 

[Brian Noble]

My money is on some sort of tiered benefits system, rather than raising the floor.

 

[airjay75]

Yeah, that may be the smarter move. Keep 150 the minimum for direct benefits, but then layer on extra benefits for different levels above that. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum levels or something like that. Encourage folks to buy direct and then to come back and keep buying more direct.

 

[Brian Noble]

I think two other things are likely:

1: There will be new "higher tier" perks offered that are not grandfathered to owners without sufficient direct purchases in their Memberships.

2: There will be an "entry-level" tier at ~100 that has relatively meaningless perks---say, the merch/dining discounts that nearly everyone gets anyway by virtue of e.g. having a Disney Visa.

 

[jcolvin5]

My money is on some sort of tiered benefits system, rather than raising the floor.

Yeah, that may be the smarter move. Keep 150 the minimum for direct benefits, but then layer on extra benefits for different levels above that. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum levels or something like that. Encourage folks to buy direct and then to come back and keep buying more direct.

This makes a lot of sense. They need to encourage current DVC owners to buy direct due to the vast price point difference versus resale. This could move the needle for some.

 

[eticketplease]

Increasing it beyond the initial recommended minimum buy-in for any single membership would be suicidal. Surely, they have enough sense to know this.

I'm not sure what the "recommended minimum" is but I'm assuming that it is whatever the point requirement at the time is to obtain membership extras.

Since 2023 you have been able to join at 100 points which was under the threshold to qualify for membership magic.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/minimum-points.3892651/#post-64722352

I also don't think they will be increasing it anytime soon as it is currently $35,250 (without incentives and cc/fees) at the active selling properties. If they were to bump the requirement to 175 you are now starting at over $41k.

They will certainly raise Price Per Point down the line as they can always counter it with incentives but I just don't think they can realistically raise the membership extra requirements at least not anytime soon.

 

[eticketplease]

2: There will be an "entry-level" tier at ~100 that has relatively meaningless perks---say, the merch/dining discounts that nearly everyone gets anyway by virtue of e.g. having a Disney Visa.

Perhaps AP but not Disney Debit or Visa. There are only a few places that give discounts via the chase cards compared to the abundance offered to AP/DVC members.
When they are offered at the same place the discount is greater for AP/DVC as well. Of course AP/DVC cost a lot more money as well where the chase option is $0 or $49 depending on which option you persue.

 

[eticketplease]

I wonder whether it would be paired with additional direct benefits?

I would be ok with this and @Brian Noble tier system if they would remove the "Benefits can go away at any time" stipulation but I don't see that happening.

 

[eticketplease]

I’ve been expecting it for some time…especially because 150 does not get you far at Island Tower

This is where the guide pivots and tells them that with their 150 they can stay for the week of Halloween in a Duo Studio but with the magic of borrowing 10 points you could upgrade your room to a deluxe studio or even better a 1 bedroom cabin for the same 160 and start talking up the cabins.

 

[juliebee]

Agreed....sales seem a little bleak right now. I cannot imagine why they would want to increase the amount required to obtain benefits. I wonder if direct sales would see a boost from current resale owners if they lowered the minimum to 100 points? That may swing some current resale owners to pull the trigger on direct points in order to get the benefits and it may also sway some new buyers towards direct for their initial purchase. Just a thought....

100 points doesn't go very far at the resorts being currently offered for direct sales. Plus I imagine that it would really make some current direct owners mad if the threshold was lowered for the same benefits. Perhaps Brian's suggestion of a tiered system could be on the horizon. I'd love a lower buy-in that allowed for the Sorcerer Pass as that is the only benefit (beyond the ability to use points at all resorts) that matters to me... however I imagine that would be considered a top tier benefit.

 

[Sandisw]

I am surprised they have not raised it in over 4 years

I would expect the minimum to raise too. I also see them finally adding tiered benefits that only apply to direct points.

The benefit for DVD in raising it is that if people don’t reach the level, it’s fewer benefits they have to offer. But still allow people to buy.

 

[eticketplease]

sales seem a little bleak right now.

According to dvcnews they had their fourth month in a row of increasing sales

https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program-men...ue-slow-but-steady-increase-in-september-2025

 

[CinCrisis]

I also don't think they will be increasing it anytime soon as it is currently $35,250 (without incentives and cc/fees) at the active selling properties. If they were to bump the requirement to 175 you are now starting at over $41k.

I agree. I think there’s a ceiling on the minimum buy-in for direct benefits that average buyers are willing to stomach. I’m also skeptical about a tiered benefits system for the reason eticket mentioned about the language wherein benefits can be taken away at any time (not that most people read fine print).

I think we’re more likely to see more aggressive differentiation between incentives at different levels, but obviously I’m not looking at the same data as the Disney execs. As I think Brian mentioned in another thread, we’re in a k-shaped economy so maybe execs think they’ll have success targeting the top-end of that graph like the rest of Disney leadership. That said, ticket and food prices are easier to reduce down the road than minimum point buy-in if the strategy to attract “income eligible” individuals fails long term.

 

[Genie+]

OKW had a 220pt minimum buy-in. BLT had 160pts for new members. But then you could add-on at smaller amounts, and reselling those smaller contracts entitled the new owner full membership access. To combat this DVC started very gently on a restriction path with 2011’s removal of the “Disney Collection’ (which 99+% members cared little about… until 2024’s MMB arrived) leading up to 2016’s big change - the new age of Blue Card. Even here they went gently because as little as 25pts direct could 100% fully qualify a member. That slowly increased in increments of 25pts to what we have today, 150pts direct.

I only own 150pts direct and see ways they can and do accomplish ‘tiers’ without officially calling it such. Look at the gradual changes to Moonlight Magic and newly created perks like Wicked Wind Down and MMB. It seems a gently shift slowly removing meaningful perks to stays on direct points, or tying them to willingness to spend to access. In this same vein look at the lovely direct incentives offered on the member cruise. They are figuring out ways to lock certain benefits behind additional spending.

People laugh when I talked about ‘future proofing’ my points by adding on direct instead of resale. It is easy to dismiss as FOMO. But these contracts are long (other than 2042s). I’m guessing at a future where even though I have Blue Card my stays on resale points can end up locked out of important stuff. For one, the new resorts. I think we’re also going to see more and more things tied to direct points stays too.

Right now my points are 50/150 resale/direct and we need 100-150pts more. If I add-on resale it runs the risk that half or more of our trips are locked out of cool stuff we’d much prefer having. Thefuture will be here before we know it. We get ALOT of use out of our blue card and my bet is things like Moonlight Magic and Welcome Home weeks end up attached to direct stays just as Wicked Wind Down is currently. It’s not easy to decide! I’m super temped to buy SAP resale. Also have the feeling my future self would rather I buy a longer contract with better home priority, and the resale prices on those make direct very competitively priced, tiers or no tiers.

 

[Sandisw]

Another thing that DVD could do when it comes to some of the membership extras is begin requiring owners to be staying on eligible memberships and eligible points.

There are a lot of ways they can change things in terms of perks.

It’s why if we ever add more DVC we will only add on direct points…

 

[Genie+]

Another thing that DVD could do when it comes to some of the membership extras is begin requiring owners to be staying on eligible memberships and eligible points.

There are a lot of ways they can change things in terms of perks.

It’s why if we ever add more DVC we will only add on direct points…

Exactly. This is my big concern as I’m trying to decide adding-on direct or resale. We’re already seeing signs of this.

It seems a pretty smart strategy for DVC. And I really think they’re also eyeing a future with point washing. This could play out nicely for that as well.