Why did you sell your resale contracts and buy direct?

[cruisehopeful]

I've seen a few people post about selling their resale contracts and buying direct. I'm curious about specifically why. I'm kind of looking at my own long term plans and while I love the idea of saving thousands of dollars, I am also kind of picky about where I will stay and don't want to be locked out of the restricted resorts.

 

[Sandisw]

Well, we wanted access to RIv which is our favorite and want the option for future resorts.

Since our adult children want to continue to be owners, we wanted options for them to have it all!

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I’m in the process of doing just this - selling resale VGF to buy POLY direct. Two main reasons in my case.

1) I’m about a year into owning RIV direct and already frustrated that I can’t combine with my VGF when needed. I bought resale VGF before buying RIV and never thought it would bother me until it did! Since I still want an 11-month advantage at an MK resort, POLY direct seems the way to go. And as @Sandisw said - I want to lock in the option to book where I want down the road.

2) I am spoiled with owning Favorite Weeks at RIV and CCV. Absolutely no judgement to those who walk, but I don’t have it in me to do it repeatedly (I’m currently in the process of trying to pick up scraps left by walkers at BWV for Spring Break 2026 and it’s exhausting.) Will most likely go FW @ POLY.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

go FW @ POLY.

Yes…this.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Yes…this.

FW 50 TP Studio is gone…may need to upgrade

 

[Girlstar30]

People on these boards gave me a really good idea that if an awesome direct sale comes along i could sell one of my resales and finance a direct while selling the resale and extend final payments as long as possible and then pay it off when resale sold.

I like this idea a lot and the reason would be for the future resorts and benefits, but only if the price was amazing like the BPK was would I consider this in the future.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

FW 50 TP Studio is gone…may need to upgrade

You want the FW 50 TPV 1bdrm …. Trust me.

 

[robinb]

I sold OKW to pay for AKV because we loved AKL and wanted to own there right away.

 

[hhisc16]

Sold 2042 resale hhi to buy direct ccv for the 2068. (We also own a tiny hhi direct)

 

[pangyal]

We sold resale OKW 2042 to buy direct OKW 2057 when they had the amazing sale last year and we ended up paying only $40/pt more for fifteen extra years and no restrictions on those.

 

[AstroBlasters]

We sold resale OKW 2042 to buy direct OKW 2057 when they had the amazing sale last year and we ended up paying only $40/pt more for fifteen extra years and no restrictions on those.

And to think people turned down the extension for $15pp….

 

[LittleBitGoofy]

We sold resale OKW 2042 to buy direct OKW 2057 when they had the amazing sale last year and we ended up paying only $40/pt more for fifteen extra years and no restrictions on those.

That is a solid upgrade and value at $40/pt to extend and make direct.

This is a good discussion. As a hybrid owner, I'm very glad to have my direct / blue card. My resales are CCV and BCV which I will mainly only use at those resorts because they're my favs, but my direct VGF and Poly are more my sleep around points which is funny to me when I stop and think about it. But I can take them anywhere (next trip is RIV with VGF points) and looking forward to trying Lakeshore some day with them. Who knows what comes beyond, but I'll hopefully get to enjoy those too.

Not sure I'll have the right opportunity to sell my resale CCV and rebuy as direct CCV, but if they ever had a situation like the one mentioned above then I'd be strongly tempted. Last "sale" at CCV was like $5/pt off... not moving the needle for me. And as a 2042, I know that ain't happening for BCV, nor would I likely spend to swap those, but CCV is long enough left that I would with the right sale (it ain't happening, I know).

 

[Girlstar30]

That is a solid upgrade and value at $40/pt to extend and make direct.

This is a good discussion. As a hybrid owner, I'm very glad to have my direct / blue card. My resales are CCV and BCV which I will mainly only use at those resorts because they're my favs, but my direct VGF and Poly are more my sleep around points which is funny to me when I stop and think about it. But I can take them anywhere (next trip is RIV with VGF points) and looking forward to trying Lakeshore some day with them. Who knows what comes beyond, but I'll hopefully get to enjoy those too.

Not sure I'll have the right opportunity to sell my resale CCV and rebuy as direct CCV, but if they ever had a situation like the one mentioned above then I'd be strongly tempted. Last "sale" at CCV was like $5/pt off... not moving the needle for me. And as a 2042, I know that ain't happening for BCV, nor would I likely spend to swap those, but CCV is long enough left that I would with the right sale (it ain't happening, I know).

Never say never!

 

[CarolynFH]

And to think people turned down the extension for $15pp….

I’m not an OKW owner, but I’ll be in my 90s in 2042 and would have to make 100+ to see the 2057 expiration. I suspect a lot of OKW owners were in similar age group then. We wouldn’t have wanted to pay $15 (actually $25, the $15 was for only a very short time) for points we’d not be able to use. Remember, the extension was offered in 2007, and many questioned why they should pay in 2007 for points they couldn’t actually use until 35 years later.

 

[pinkxray]

I knew I wanted direct as I am a Disney fan and not having direct just brings too much FOMO. I also prefer MK resorts but didn’t know which one. CCV was on sale direct when we were looking to buy. We love that resort, but as a family of 5 we needed too many points to stay there in a 2 bedroom each time.

So we bought SSR resale to try all the resorts. My favorite is VGF for me but BLT when traveling as a family. I said if direct ever went back under $200 for either we would sell SSR and get BLT or VGF. I do believe at some point BLT had a flash sale but I happened to be out of work for a few months with some medical stuff and didn’t feel comfortable plopping down that much money at that time. Soon after they announced VGF2. That’s when we sold SSR and bought direct at VGF.

I have to say I love my direct VGF contracts! I loved the sparkly bands at Aulani and the free popcorn. The tiny discounts on shopping and restaurants at WDW. I loved going up to the Top of the World lounge last year, my DD8 loved the goodies we got on DCL at the dvc desk. I look forward to trying the MK lounge next trip. Yes, it’s absolutely ridiculous that I love little things like this, but I do.

Currently saving for BLT resale…

 

[Patmcpsu]

People focus on the direct-benefits as the reason to buy direct, and how those benefits aren't enough to justify an extra $10k over resale. But the biggest benefit of direct (for me at least) is that those points are completed unrestricted. You can use them at Riviera, Disneyland Villas, eventually Lakeshore Lodge, etc.

People overlook this because, until Riviera, a resale point was just as unrestricted as a direct point. And a lot of people are still stuck in that mindset.

As time goes on, the gap will only widen (in the five years the policy has been in place, the gap is already sizable). After 2042, the gap will spike. After 2066*, every resale point will presumably have 0% flexibility and every direct point will still have 100% flexibility.

Resale restrictions are annoying, but Disney did it to entice people to buy direct... and it's working.

*I originally said 2068 (CCV expiration date) but it's actually 2066 (Poly expiration date). For the two years in between, CCV's unrestricted points will still exist, but they will have zero resorts left for the resale-owner to use the points at

 

[DanCali]

People focus on the direct-benefits as the reason to buy direct, and how those benefits aren't enough to justify an extra $10k over resale. But the biggest benefit of direct (for me at least) is that those points are completed unrestricted. You can use them at Riviera, Disneyland Villas, eventually Lakeshore Lodge, etc.

As time goes on, the gap will only widen (in the five years the policy has been in place, the gap is already sizable). After 2042, the gap will spike. After 2066*, every resale point will presumably have 0% flexibility and every direct point will still have 100% flexibility.

Resale restrictions are annoying, but Disney did it to entice people to buy direct... and it's working.

The two things you wrote will contradict each other over time. Right now, direct may be "just an extra $10K" over resale (I don't know what resort or point amount that is based on - it doesn't really matter) but if what you say works out, it can't stay like that.

Do you still think that, in the future, those one-resort resale contracts (RIV, DLL, BWV-II, BCV-II etc) or "less functional" remaining O14 resorts would be selling at "just $10K" below the price of direct? If that FOMO and "future proofing" aspect you describe would indeed drive more people to buy direct, then there's less demand for resale... So perhaps those resale prices would be 70%-80% lower than direct?

The market will get to an equilibrium... Some people will buy 100 direct points. Some people will buy 4x100 resale points at 4 resorts they like for the same price. They can use 200 points (double the vacation of the direct buyer) and rent 200 points (and pay dues for all 400 points that way, while vacationing for free). And if Disney starts washing points, they can entice both types of buyers.

But the argument that "resale contracts will be useless so buy direct" only tends to dissuade me from buying direct because useless=worthless, so why would I pay up for a product that is being intentionally devalued?

 

[Patmcpsu]

The market will get to an equilibrium... Some people will buy 100 direct points. Some people will buy 4x100 resale points at 4 resorts they like for the same price. They can use 200 points (double the vacation of the direct buyer) and rent 200 points (and pay dues for all 400 points that way, while vacationing for free). And if Disney starts washing points, they can entice both types of buyers.

Yes, the market *WILL* reach an equilibrium. As the utility of resale points go down, you are right that their price will reflect that . If you're buying in a few decades, and don't value the flexibility, there will probably be great values to be had.

We both agree that it will put a downward pressure on resale prices. But I wouldn't say that's the reason to buy resale in 2025.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

why would I pay up for a product that is being intentionally devalued?

Tbf, the product is already intentionally being devalued if you’re only looking at it from its resale value.

And you’d pay up because most aren’t buying with the intent that their timeshare has investment value. Most are buying for better accommodations and regular stays at Disney. As it’s been said plenty, we here aren’t the regular DVC member. Resale savvy owners are the minority, probably by significant margin.

For me, it’ll be less so an issue about resale restrictions and what is better: direct or resale for long term; it’ll be more about owning where you want to stay. I think as time passes and the restrictions become more prevalent and 2042 looms closer and passes, 7mo availability will be much tighter so you better be happy with your home resorts (with an edge to direct/grandfathered points since they’ll have the most flexibility and options).

 

[Girlstar30]

I will be happy if i get a good 18 years out of these resales at a variety of resorts. I think now is the time to get in while you can for cheap and access to a lot of them.