Thanks everyone for your responses. I'll try to address some questions and comments. Sorry if I missed yours! Let me know if my responses change your opinions. So far it's looking like I should go the resale route.
The
DVC discounts are no better than AP discounts in most places.
As the UK passes seem to be slightly better than the AP (assuming I don't get two trips out of the AP) and the Disney VISA isn't open to UK residents - how much value would you put on the DVC discounts if it was your only option?
Perk 1: If this is your first purchase, and you want to stay somewhere that's available now which won't be available in 2 months from now (like say a Poly lake view for a week during Christmas), then buying direct will give you the option to stay there. You'll have your points within 24 hours.
I'm highly unlikely to be able to visit this year so speed isn't an issue for me at the moment.
$0 without the AP. 10% discount at table service? Big wow. The discount on Merch is good but TBH we don't buy many. (Yes we are the type of guest that Mr Paycheck doesn't like). How many meals and Mickey ears would you need to buy to break even?
I'd be amazed if I spent more than $200 on merch in a trip. A new Olszewski light box and a pin lanyard for some trading fun is about all I buy. I have eaten many meals in the parks but I'm vegetarian now and those options tend to be the least expensive.
Re: Future resorts. So far that's just RIV - do you want to stay there? Are you aware of the substantial # of points it takes compared to SSR? If you are aware and you do see that as a bucket-list stay, then it's worth considering. Otherwise it is not.
The skyliner is a plus, but I think I'd prefer the Boardwalk. I'm aware some of the resorts take a lot more points than SSR but it's the 'having the option' that's appealing. I wouldn't mind if I could only ever stay at SSR (it's very green and reminds me of home!) but some other resorts (AKL, WL, BW) have piqued my interest enough that I'd try them. I expect some of the future resorts will be of interest to me too.
I think it really depends on your exit strategy. If you plan to sell in ten years, who cares about a couple free Mickey bar events and maybe one or two more resorts coming online.
If you plan to hold your whole life, then my considerations are different. (But I still wouldn't buy direct SSR.)
Why not direct SSR? I don't have an exit strategy, I intend to hold until the bitter end but who can say for sure, life likes to throw us all curveballs!
The blue card itself is meaningless but 1/ I’m tired of feeling less than, of being referred to obliquely as a non-eligible member, and just generally being a fourth class citizen that can’t borrow points online, and 2/ I’d like to stay at new resorts and try them out.
This is one of my concerns. I'd hate to slap down the kind of money DVC costs and be made to feel lesser. Is it a common occurance?
#1 Buying direct is super easy and you can spread out the upfront costs into payments over 90 days and put the charges on a credit card to earn points. Convenience and cc points are probably worth $2k in my book.
A family member has an airmiles CC so it might net a couple of free flights. I'll have to dig into the numbers to see what that would be worth, it could move the goalpost closer to direct.
I love cruising and have been on at least 7 DVC member cruises. So, yes, being a blue card member has been very important to me and my family.
Enjoy your Wish cruise! I've been on a couple of non-Disney cruises and would like to try a Disney one at some point - are there cruises exclusively for DVC members? Is there some kind of perk for blue card holders? I haven't looked into this aspect at all.
If you buy resale, when does the contract expire compared to purchasing direct? That is what I would be concerned with.
As far as I'm aware the expiration date for SSR is the same regardless of how the points are purchased - 2054. I hope I'm not wrong about that lol.
And you can branch out and not put all your future vacation funds towards Disney. Stay at Universal.
Consider how Disney has removed a lot of the onsite perks and apply that view towards what DVC is most likely to do. Without support from Disney for return customers it gets more difficult for DVC to offer those types of perks.
Never! Apart from the Harry Potter bits, I'm always underwhelmed by Universal, The Simpsons area could have been great but they half-assed it. Maybe Nintendo land will turn things around.
Disney's stripping of perks is disappointing but I can't help but feel that the DVC ones will be the last to go - Disney don't seem to be showing signs of slowing down the march of DVC properties, perks are a good way to lure people in.
Being able to book at future resorts is not a perk. If you buy at a desirable resort (I own resale Poly and BLT) and want to stay at one of those places, rent out your restricted resale points and parlay that into renting someone else's eligible points for the stay you want. This approach has some benefits:
1. you get to book beyond at 11 months out,
2. it's less work than stalking those rooms you want at 7 months,
3. It's less stressful than hoping you get what you want at 7 months,
4. You may even be able to rent our your points for more than you pay to rent someone else's.
That's a really good point, thanks. That takes away one of the big perks of being Blue.
Measured in only dollars-and-cents terms, and considering the question on average, I believe that the perks will not and cannot ever make back the difference in purchase price. That's because the perks are paid for out of the developer's marketing budget. On average, those perks have to cost less than the extra value they can extract in the sale, or they wouldn't be offering them. The only alternative explanation is that the finance people at Disney are incompetent.
That was a nice, analytical response! I am most definitely someone who will strive to get every penny of value out of it. The most I could expect to get back is food discounts and backstage tour discounts but that doens't really amount to much.
