Buying DVC Directly vs. Resale: Math & Benefits
If you’re debating Disney Vacation Club, you might’ve heard that it’s cheaper to purchase via the resale market than directly via DVC. You might be wondering whether there’s a catch to saving so much money, as there’s no such thing as a free lunch. This unbiased comparison does the math and helps you determine which route is better. (Updated May 31, 2025.)
The “unbiased” part of this is important. As always, we’ll be honest with you: we bought DVC via the resale market, but Disney Vacation Club absolutely is not for everyone. That’s the first point that it’s critical to understand. Disney Vacation Club has emotional marketing that tugs at the heartstrings and makes the decision seem like a no-brainer. It really isn’t.
The second is that there’s no one-size fits all answer to this question of DVC resale vs. direct. Both Disney and the big resellers put tremendous energy and marketing budgets into, ahem, persuading people that they are the best route. In fact, there’s a good chance this is the only comparison you’ll find on a website that is not sponsored by a reseller (or directly on a resale website). At the risk of pointing out the obvious, a reseller sponsoring a post about DVC resales vs. direct is about as unbiased as Philip Morris sponsoring a study about the health benefits of tobacco!
With that out of the way, let’s dig into the considerations. First and foremost, this is NOT simply a math problem. Disney Vacation Club resellers oversimplify this decision by comparing their per point costs to those directly from DVC. And in that case, they win by a wide margin. That’s fairly indisputable.
It’s also a bit reductionist. For starters, you might have heard about resale restrictions. Anyone who purchases DVC resale contracts for the original 14 resorts at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and 3 stand-alone locations will only be able to use their points at those 14 existing resorts.
In other words, resale buyers who purchase today will not be able to use their points at at Cabins at Fort Wilderness, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Villas at Disneyland Hotel, Disney Lakeshore Lodge, and whatever else is built after that. Moreover, buyers who purchase points for those resorts via the resale market will not be able to use their points anywhere else.
This is very restrictive, and should alone make buying Riviera or the Villas at Disneyland Hotel from the resale market a non-starter unless you are 100% sure that’s the only place you ever want to stay. Even if you’re comfortable with that, you should also consider the possibility that you might someday want–or need–to sell your DVC contract. That resale restriction could significantly impact its value down the road.
This is just the latest restriction in a series made to discourage resale purchases and encourage prospective buyers to purchase directly from Disney Vacation Club. The other big one is more significant from a usage perspective, and muddies the waters on the math of DVC resale vs. direct.
Several years ago, Disney Vacation Club implemented another rule change that new DVC Members who do not purchase their ownership interest directly will not have access to “Membership Extras,” such as exclusive Member experiences and discounts.
At that time, Disney’s explanation for the move was that it’d be a “very positive step to ensure that, going forward, our Members who purchase directly from Disney Vacation Club receive a premium advantage — in addition to all the magic that Disney has to offer.” From Disney’s perspective, this move makes sense.
However, let’s call it what it is: a protectionist attempt to reverse the trend of declining direct sales. It was motivated by the desire to offer a “premium advantage” to those who purchase directly from Disney to the same extent that a bear’s love for salmon is motivated by the US crude oil market. Which is to say, in no way whatsoever.
This resale restriction hurts current owners by virtue of decreasing the value of their contracts–the only benefit here is to Disney. It’s another way to push potential customers who are aware of the resale market towards a direct purchase.
In this era of information, it’s much easier to quickly gain perspective with a quick Google search (just look at the comments from readers on our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide who found it after hearing the sales pitch).
This is something with which timeshare salespeople did not have to contend in the 1990s. Not only was there no highly visible resale market allowing for easy price comparisons, but there was no in-depth financial analysis of timeshares online.
It was much easier for potential customers to get caught up in the sales pitch without the counter-balance of the actual monetary implications of the purchase, and blindly buy. (Fortunately, in the 1990s, DVC was an unequivocally good deal!) Free access to this information has undoubtedly made selling timeshares more difficult, even for Disney Vacation Club which offers a premium that avoids many of the pitfalls of traditional timeshares.
As an existing DVC Member, I can’t really complain. Disney’s practices including right of first refusal (ROFR) and price increases safeguard the value of our contract, preventing it from becoming a money pit like other timeshares. Not only that, but new resale members not having access to certain Membership Extras makes them less crowded and competitive.
Moreover, the market value of our contract at Saratoga has actually increased in the years since we made the purchase, despite the restrictions. That’s remarkable given that it’s duration-limited with the end date now ~20 years closer.
The question is whether Disney’s restrictions on Membership Extras or resort usage should make those considering Disney Vacation Club look at a direct purchase instead of one via resale. For the purposes of brevity, we will assume you’re going to make a purchase one way or the other, and will thus overlook the threshold question of whether it’s a smart purchase to begin with. (Again, maybe not!)
Unlike the last restriction that prevents resale buyers from using their points on certain non-DVC products (which was totally meaningless because Members should rent out their points and pay for those experiences out of pocket since they are such poor uses of DVC points), this restriction does have an impact.
Not being able to use your DVC points at Riviera, FW Cabins, or the Villas at Disneyland Hotel is a bigger deal. Even then, it’s arguably not that big of a deal. The 14 “legacy” Disney Vacation Club resorts are in literally all of the prime locations at Walt Disney World. Disney Vacation Club has been added to every single monorail resort, and has nearly full coverage at the resorts near Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
At this point, Disney Vacation Club has exhausted all of the ideal add-on locations and is building resorts on parcels of land that are far from ideal. In other words, any new resort at this point will be located on “the leftovers” and have to use some other hook to lure members away from the legacy resorts. Arguably, the Riviera has that with the Skyliner.
However, it’s not right now that’s the concerning part of this. We’d probably be fine never staying at Riviera, Lakeshore Lodge, etc., given the comparable or superior alternatives. But that won’t be the case forever.
It’s in part whatever else is built in the future and what happens with the resorts that expire in 2042. There are several resorts with contracts expiring then, including a few–BoardWalk, Beach Club, and Boulder Ridge–that probably won’t be extended. Once that happens, that means no Crescent Lake or Wilderness resorts, increasing the value of Riviera and Lakeshore Lodge (and whatever else is added).
Between those resorts potentially disappearing from the eligible pool and more being added to the ineligible pool, it’s entirely possible that the scales are tipped in the other direction by 2050. This is something to consider if you’re looking 25 years down the road and how valuable or useful your membership will be then!
Value of Membership Extras If Buying DVC Direct
Let’s turn to Membership Extras, starting with the main one: discounted Annual Passes at Walt Disney World. Here are the Walt Disney World Annual Pass options for 2025:
- Disney Pixie Dust Pass – This is the lowest tier pass for Florida residents costs $469 plus tax.
- Disney Pirate Pass – This is the next tier up for Florida residents only, costing $829 plus tax.
- Disney Sorcerer Pass – Available only to Florida residents or eligible Disney Vacation Club members, costing $1,079 plus tax.
- Disney Incredi-Pass – The top tier with no blockout dates, and is the only tier of AP available for anyone to purchase, including non-Floridians and non-DVC members. It costs $1,549 plus tax.
Disney Vacation Club members being able to purchase the Sorcerer Pass is absolutely huge, which you can only do if you buy direct from DVC. It essentially amounts to a $470 savings per person if you don’t need or want the AP with no blockout dates. For most members, that should be an easy call–the Sorcerer Pass offers much better value for money.
Of course, this assumes you want or need an Annual Pass in the first place, which is a bold assumption and not true for most Disney Vacation Club Members. But if it is the case for you, that $470 per person savings is going to be significant. (It’s worth noting that the Sorcerer Pass is blocked out around the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve; otherwise, there are no material differences between the two tiers.)
While this AP discount is far and away the largest Membership Extra that has an ascribable value, there are plenty of other perks. This means no DVC dining discounts, no shopping discounts, no access to Star View Station, Top of the World, McKim’s Mile House, and Journey into Imagination Lounges, and no admission to Member events, like the Moonlight Magic Parties. (Here’s a list of all perks for Walt Disney World.)
It’s unwise to factor dining and shopping discounts into any math for two reasons. First, many DVC Members have access to these same or better discounts via other means (Annual Passes, Disney Visa, etc.) Second, you need to keep in mind that all of these are incidental perks that are subject to change. (Speaking of which, Annual Pass sales were suspended for a few years, so no one was receiving that benefit!)
Disney itself states as much: “You should not purchase…real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort in reliance upon the continued availability…[of] Membership Extras…These incidental benefits are subject to change or termination without notice…” (This is Disney’s way of trying to rebut any reliance upon the perks as inducement for entering into the contract; if DVC guides make explicit representations as to the perks, such that the perks are selling points, they aren’t quite so easily “disclaimed away.”)
Honestly, this is a “do as I say, not as I do” kinda thing because we get a lot of value out of the incidental benefits.
We use the lounges in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disneyland every single day we’re in one of those parks. It’s nice to have a reprieve from the crowds and “free” (air quotes) refreshments, a place to charge our devices, etc. We also attend at least one or two Moonlight Magic parties per year, and some of our best Disney memories are from those exclusive events.
I would never claim the dollar value of those things is remotely on par with the premium pricing for DVC directly–the rational side of me knows better. But the emotional side can’t help but think that I’d miss those perks if we didn’t have them, and there’s certainly an emotional component to buying DVC in the first place, or visiting Walt Disney World regularly, for that matter!
DVC Math: Resale vs. Direct Purchases
The subjective vs. objective debate seems like as good of a place as any to pivot and talk dollars and cents. At the time of publication, here are current per point costs directly from Disney Vacation Club:
- Animal Kingdom Villas: $215 per point
- Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas – $235 per point
- Bay Lake Tower – $275 per point
- Beach Club Villas – $275 per point
- BoardWalk Villas – $240 per point
- Boulder Ridge Villas – $215 per point
- Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – $235 per point
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins – $255 per point
- Hilton Head Island Resort – $165 per point
- Old Key West Resort $215 per point
- Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – $235 per point
- Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – $215 per point
- Riviera Resort – $235 per point
- Vero Beach Resort – $150 per point
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel – $330 per point
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort – $265 per point
- Villas at Disneyland Hotel – $245 per point
On average, resale prices are 40% to 60% off direct prices. There are a few big exceptions to that, such as the Grand Californian (which is also very expensive via resale and only offers around 25% off as a result), as well as the Polynesian and Grand Floridian, both of which are only around 33% off.
At the other end of the spectrum, the resorts located away from theme parks have deeper discounts–but also, higher maintenance fees and lower demand. We would never recommend buying at Hilton Head, Vero Beach or even Aulani unless you’re 100% sure those are exactly what you want. Even then, you might be making a mistake–that’s true whether you go resale or direct. But that’s a different subject for a different day.
Whenever we do this math, our favorite example is Saratoga Springs–because that’s where we own. But these numbers are fairly comparable for most of the resorts. Saratoga Springs currently has an average resale price of $93 (versus the direct price of $215), making it a whopping 57% off via the resale market!
Many first-time buyers opt to purchase between 150-200 points, which allows them to stay at most resorts for a week or two each year in a Studio or 1-Bedroom Villa. Even though it’s at the lower end of the spectrum, we’ll use the 150 or 200 point level because we view that as a good entry place into Disney Vacation Club.
Given that, a Saratoga Springs 150 point contract directly via Disney would cost $32,250. If you did opt for 200 points, it’d be $43,000. By contrast, the resale cost would be $13,950 for 150 points or $18,600 for 200 points. Even if we bumped up the 150 point cost to $100 (since smaller contracts do tend to be priced higher), it’s still only $15,000.
With those numbers, you’re saving over $17,000 on the initial purchase price by buying resale. That is, of course, assuming the higher per point resale cost and that you “only” need 150 points. The higher you go, the more you save–both on a per point basis and total dollar amount. You can fairly easily save over $20,000 on 200 points by buying via resale. And that’s not just at Saratoga Springs–it’s pretty much across the board!
In order to recoup that savings, you would need to purchase 4 Annual Passes at the current discount levels for ~10 years. Again, this assumes you need APs in the first place. If you do and you’re a family of 4, there’s a decent chance you also need more than 200 points! (Another factor is that Walt Disney World has been offering more and better ticket deals to the general public, undercutting the value proposition of APs in the first place for non-locals.)
This still is not an apples to apples comparison. In the case of buying resale, you’re saving that money on the initial purchase price, rather than over the course of time. If you are financing your purchase (something we do not recommend with Disney Vacation Club), you should always take the upfront savings, and buy via resale. The interest on the difference in the purchase prices will negate any long-term savings. So stop reading–there’s your definitive answer.
If you’re paying cash, the decision is a bit more difficult. One thing we’ve repeatedly stressed on this blog–and by far the most overlooked element of calculating the true value of Disney Vacation Club–is the time value of money, or the principle that money at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future.
The earning capacity of today’s money makes it worth more than the same amount in the future. Think about it this way: if you had $17,000 in your hand today, you could place that money into a low-risk investment and have significantly more in 10 years, which is the timeline of your AP savings.
Since you’re paying for all of your future Disney Vacation Club vacations upfront as opposed to when the expenses are actually incurred (minus maintenance fees, which don’t come into play for this comparison), large portions of the initial investment in Disney Vacation Club could be invested in other ways if you were instead paying for your room each year as you vacationed.
Suffice to say, in the first year you’d earn $850 on that $17,000 assuming a 5% return. That’s simple math without compound interest–in actuality, the return increases with each subsequent year the money is invested.
This is one reason why the purported savings claimed with Disney Vacation Club are dubious. With that said, it’s an admittedly big assumption that people will invest money instead of purchasing Disney Vacation Club. It’s fair to say that for most people, it’s either buying DVC or spending the money they could use towards the initial purchase price some other way.
So, where does that leave a decision to purchase DVC directly or via resale? If we were in the market for Disney Vacation Club today, this would be a tough decision. I really hate the idea of forfeiting the AP discount, as many people will derive a lot of value from it.
I’m also concerned that going forward DVC will actually increase Membership Perks to help bolster sales and draw a greater distinction between direct and resale purchases. We do love those incidental benefits. Those intangibles add to the emotional value of DVC, which is a relevant consideration with all things Disney.
On the more objective side of the ledge, there are the resale restrictions for reservations. Currently, this only blocks prospective purchasers via resale out of a handful of properties, but that number is only going to continue growing. Disney Vacation Club will undoubtedly announce another addition after Lakeshore Lodge comes online in 2027, and there will be a fairly seismic shift in 2042. That’s all worthy of consideration given the time horizon of membership.
On the other hand, direct prices are nothing short of excessive and the gap between the two is only growing. And since the whole point of Disney Vacation Club is to save money and lock-in lifelong Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacations as inexpensively as possible, I would probably be inclined to purchase via the resale market.
If we’re being rational and objective about DVC, which is necessary when it comes to any $10,000+ purchase (unless money is no object to you–in which case, why’d you read this?!), I think taking the upfront savings wins out for most people debating DVC resale vs. direct. But I also think it’s a much closer call than the numbers alone suggest, and surely is not a slam dunk decision in either direction.
There are undoubtedly some prospective purchasers reading this who might have specific reasons for wanting to buy direct, and that’s totally fair and understandable. But absent compelling justifications, resale is probably the best route. At the very least, this comparison should give you proper food for thought so you can make an informed decision for yourself!
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
Your Thoughts
If you’re in the market to purchase Disney Vacation Club, what do you plan on doing in light of these new restrictions? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? If you’re an existing Member, what do you think? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
Can you buy 125 points direct from Disney at a resort and then add 125 points to the same resort via resell? Would that allow you to receive the benefits?
Yes, you can buy both but Disney requires 150 points direct for the membership extras
as my dad used to say regarding his age and looking too far ahead in time “I don’t even buy green bananas!”, but Megatron Figment standing on those dino/dragon legs is rejuvenating!! ,. thank goodness for little people,.. Great article, by the way
We love owning and wish we’d done so when pricing took a drop during COVID. We have only purchases resale at 3 resorts, totaling 255 points, and that allows us to take rotating trips each year: one with a group of family and friends and one alone (we DINKs still need a break). We don’t charge our friends/family when travelling with us, and only ask for due repayments if they’re ‘renting’ from us.
We normally stayed at CSR and realized that amount we spend each year could just go towards purchase and dues. We ‘hit even’ IMO after 2 stays, as our resale was so cheap. We’ve paid around $20k for those points, cash, and look forward to these annual trips – making someone’s dream come true as their first visit includes a deluxe stay.
We have the Disney Visa and thus some savings, we also buy tons of gift cards to use while there. We’ve saved nearly $1k for our upcoming trip doing this, and while it’s more work, find it evens out (from not having direct).
I think if you’re someone who plans to visit annually or has a group who prefers the amenities and perks of a deluxe, this is a good idea for resale.
What kind of gift cards do you buy that help with saving money?
To emphasize a couple factors:
– Though resale has much lower upfront costs, the bulk of the long terms costs are really the dues and all the other expenses you pay to actually use your points (airfare, tickets, food). In the long term, (10-20+ years), the difference between resale and direct is far less significant.
-Today, a resale buyer of the 14 original resorts can still use the 14 original resorts– That sounds pretty good. But 2042 is inching closer. (Technically, it’s January 2042). Now less than 17 years away. That’s not exactly close, but no longer a lifetime away either. 3 WDW resorts will expire then, and most of OKW will expire. Assuming they also continue building new resorts between now and 2042…. Come 2042, a resale buyer will likely have access to less than half the WDW resorts. On top of that, the access will only be to the “older” resorts. So a resale BLT buyer will still have access to more resorts than a resale Riviera buyer… But may just be 10 out of 20+ resorts.
For those reasons, for those looking for 20+ years of ownership, I’d generally encourage direct purchase.
For those looking for less than 15 years of ownership, without an interest in the “new car smell” of the newest resorts, re-sale may be a worthwhile saving. (For full disclosure, I own 200 direct points at Riviera… and added 175 resale points at Riviera. So I have the flexibility to try different resorts, but the bulk of my bigger stays will be at Riviera)
That’s such a great point about 2042. What once felt like the distant future is now less than 20 years away. By the time Lakeshore Lodge opens, it’ll be 15 years.
Definitely deserves more emphasis–I’ll go back and add some.
Seems like the DVC resale market has taken a hit, prices appear to be way down, almost cratering at the older resorts.
Any other thoughts?
It seems like that trend has been reversed in more recent months. Numbers look like they’re largely holding flat now, with some resorts increasing slightly.
Do you have any recommendations for where to purchase resales from?
I’d prefer not to make any recommendations so as to keep this unbiased. There are very few DVC resources like this that aren’t paid for by the resale companies, so recommending resale–and then following up with a specific seller endorsement feels like it’d be a conflict of interest.
Sorry, but hopefully you can find a recommendation elsewhere! 🙂
I am wanting to do a Hybrid Buy soon, 150 Points Direct (new requirement) and 100-200 resale. However, I do NOT want to buy into Riviera whatsoever (and Aulani is honestly useless). I have heard that even though the other resorts “sold out” years ago and that is why they are currently only offering Riviera and Aulani, that there is still a way that present day you can still buy Disney direct into some of the old resorts. How does one do this or what is it called? How does it work? I am wanting to buy Disney direct into Poly or Animal Kingdom but obviously they don’t advertise still being able to do this. Thanks for any help
Your best bet is to call them directly, or if you did a tour or something previously and have an advisor’s card/number, they can help you as well. I know that when I log in (as a member), I can see their offerings for resorts that were sold out before, but I’m guessing you probably won’t be able to. Or, if you aren’t in any pressing hurry, in a couple of years I think they’re supposed to be expanding the Poly (much as VGF is being expanded atm), so you can always buy in at that point and have the extra years as well compared to if you buy now and only have the older years I’d assume.
You are all pretty silly to buy Dvc direct at today’s prices. The benefits do not out weigh what you save on resale. Lots of the added benefits will never be used. You can attain discounts through annual discounts, owning the disney visa or debit card for 10% off food and purchases. I own 300 points to Aulani, which in fact is not worthless, obviously you don’t go to Hawaii. There is no other resort in Hawaii that comes close to the amenities of Aulani. I bought Aulani resale and saved 15,000 dollars from direct, at the time of purchase, direct points from Disney were 197.00 a point. I Have used my points at Baylake, Animal kingdom, Boardwalk, California grand, and aulani for 5 trips to date at a weekly stay every vacay. Don’t buy direct, you will never get your complete point price back through selling, never!
2020 2021 2022 — Resort
$195 $201 $207 — Disney’s Riviera Resort
$193 $201 $207 — Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas
$235 $245 $265 — Disney’s Beach Club Villas
$200 $210 $230 — Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
$135 $140 $155 — Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
$120 $125 $140 — Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Here’s an idea of how the ‘sold out’ resorts bought directly have increased the past few years.
I realize your comment is 3mo old, but Disney had a flash sale on AKV (I think taking it down to $160/pp direct) a couple months ago and they are doing a similar aggressive combination of sales getting Grand Floridian down below $175/pp) at the moment… I believe existing members can get Grand Floridian at $161pp if they are willing to sell back a year of points. Some of the “big” DVC brokers are currently trying to sell Grand Floridian resale for more than you can get it direct from Disney.
If buying resale to add to a previously purchased resale contract, should you stick with the same 3rd party broker? Is there some hidden benefit to buy thru them again? Or does it not matter and just look for the best listings that match our criteria (UY, qty, etc.) regardless of broker?
What is your opinion now that they have upped the minimum to 150 points needed to be purchased direct? Since that was the amount you posited as being a good amount to have in total?
I just spoke with a DVC guide and he said that the minimum number of points you can buy from DVC is 125 points. I want to give the person the benefit of the doubt, but that sounds like a lot that a person is required to buy.
Just a note – resale owners CAN in fact use the Top of the World lounge. One of the few perks we “white card” members enjoy
Thank you for confirming this! How do they verify your membership without the card?
Hello,
You mentioned, “I also wouldn’t be worried too much about the Riviera or future resorts (and certainly wouldn’t buy at those, as their resale restrictions will hurt owners trying to sell those resorts).” What resale restrictions are you referring to for the Riviera Resort? That seems to be the resort DVC is selling right now so I’m interested to know why you feel that resort wouldn’t be worth buying into.
Thanks,
Amanda
Riviera resale owners CANNOT stay at anything else except Riviera and newer. No poly, GF, contemporary, etc. that is not good.
Your concern about the annual pass discount only holds true the 1st year you buy it. Yes, you wouldn’t get the DVC discount that year if you bought resale, but Disney gives a 15% discount for renewing your pass. That’s a savings of $182.50 for an adult pass, which is pretty close to the DVC discount.
Hello. Can I first buy a resale and then buy 100 points direct from Disney to get the perks still? How soon would I need to buy other points from Disney?
Yes, you can do that. As for when, you would have to buy it as soon as you want to get your perks. Keep in mind that if you’re buying an older resort, such as Vero Beach, Saratoga or anything other than Alauni, Copper Creek or Riviera, you have to either buy whatever they have in inventory, or ask for a custom order and be put on a wait list. A friend recently did this with OKW, because he wanted a specific number of points on a specific Use Year and he had to wait a couple of months for them to have exactly what he wanted.
So one thing in the cost calculations of the direct perks that I don’t understand is the cost difference from an Annual Premium Pass (lowest tier available to non-residents) and the Gold Pass. This is the biggest driver right now for me to buy at least the minimum points direct as that is around a $200 difference. Take that with a family of 2 ($400/yr) or 4 ($800/yr) and you really get close to surpassing that initial $X,000 difference between direct/resale. The biggest knock I would throw towards direct right now is buying into Riviera. I love the look and theming BUT the point per room cost is high as is the maintenance. I would plan to buy direct to Saratoga (feel the same about it as the wonderful bloggers), current $160/pt and enjoy the direct perks that way.
I’m looking at doing a hybrid deal, but don’t understand how mixing the points actually works. I’m looking at either 75 or 100 points Direct from Saratoga (which currently is priced at $151/point direct from Disney) and possibly 75-100 points on the resale market from somewhere else. If I get 100 point direct and 100 points resale – do I then have 200 points to work with and use any way we wish in the eyes of Disney? Or, because we have 100 direct and 100 resale, and the “perks” are different, will Disney keep them separated or only allow us to book 100 points at a time?
Any info on this would be exetremely helpful.
If you buy separate contracts, Disney sees them as separate. You’d essentially would have two accounts. My research suggests that you can bank your resale points and then transfer them over to your direct account if you’re looking at 11 month bookings, but you should talk to the sales rep about it. But if you’re looking at 7 months, another possibility is to just use your 100 points as consecutive stays and call the resort/DVC to notify them as such and request they both be in the same room. Don’t be shy with the sales reps, they know all about the resale market and would probably be just as willing to work with you especially if you’re buying direct from them. If they say no, check again with a different agent the other day. The Disboards are a great resource for these clarifications as well.
I’m also considering splitting my purchase, 100 points Direct (for full Membership) and 100 points Resale. From my understanding, it can work like this:
If both of my contracts are the SAME resort and user year then there is little complication using them together for a trip.
If these are DIFFERENT then a good work-around is alternating contracts by banking/borrowing. Honestly I like this option using 2 resorts because I could alternate my stays and get 11 month booking privilege at both. 11 month privilege is becoming more important as popular room categories are increasingly hard to reserve certain weeks.
So can one make their initial purchase via resale and then add-on points from a direct purchase to gain the perks, but not have to meet the “new member” minimum (100 points in the case of BLT)? I’m trying to make sure I have a handle on this.
If you do the hybrid of direct and resale points would you be able to have 2 home resorts to book 11 months in advance?
Yes you can have 2 home resorts, each with an 11 month booking window. However let’s say you buy 1-100 point contracts, one in Boardwalk and another in Boulder Ridge, both with Feb Use Year. Now let’s say you need 148 points to book Sunday – Thursday in March for your kids spring break over at Boulder Ridge in a 1BR Villa. What you would do is borrow 48 points from next year’s Boulder Ridge, and bank all 100 points of your Boardwalk contract for the following year. The next year you now have your 11 month booking window for Boardwalk to do the same, and you either bank the leftovers for next year or use it for another trip. Each year you’re pretty much rotating which one you will use for the 11 month window.
If you did the hybrid purchase of direct points and resale points could you essentially have 2 different home resorts to book 11 months in advance?
I stumbled upon an FAQ and it stated you need to buy 75 points from Disney directly to have access to the perks.
Do you know, is it (still) the case that you could buy resale first, and then only need to add on 25 direct points to get the perks? We are about to buy 75 points direct, planning to do the rest in resale, so we could get the perks. But we could have considerable savings if all we need is 25 vs the 75 minimum they advertise for getting membership.
They upped the minimum and I still need to update this post. Sorry for the confusion!