DVC Q&A

[Powerline]

Super happy DVC owner. If you've got DVC questions, ask away! Other DVC folks, feel free to share your experiences too.

[Mouse511]

Us too - Welcome Home!!!

[leticiaj]

Our next trip is in May and it's our first time to have a split stay for our full family. The first part of the trip is at our home resort, BLT, and the second half is at BCV. We're excited about visiting the BCV pool, which I've heard great things about. Looking forward to going home and having a fun and relaxing trip!

[Powerline]

Thanks!! We are actually leaving TOMORROW to drive down, spending the night at the beach, then 10 whole days at Boardwalk and Riviera (split stay)!

When is your next trip?

[Powerline]

Our next trip is in May and it's our first time to have a split stay for our full family. The first part of the trip is at our home resort, BLT, and the second half is at BCV. We're excited about visiting the BCV pool, which I've heard great things about. Looking forward to going home and having a fun and relaxing trip!

Welcome home! Sounds like fun! I hope it's wonderful for you all.

[TK8286]

Our next trip is at the end of May. I am so glad that Josh and Jenna have this community forum. I am looking forward to participating and sharing on this forum.


Welcome home!

[Pinot_Pete]

We are going in two weeks! Can’t wait! Staying at Bay Lake!

[Jimoxenford]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!
Resale, unless you are looking for a full 50 years contract and/or the "perks" (which are never guaranteed, by the way) are more important to you. A resale contract will generally be so much cheaper than direct that the money you'll save is far more than what you'll save on discounts.
No, you will never get 'a better deal' for any direct sale from those on vs off property. All Reps are authorized to sell at the same prices.
As for how many points, look at a points chart for where you want to buy (ALWAYS buy where you want to stay!) figure how often, for how long, when you want to go, and what room type you want. For example, we have Animal Kingdom Lodge as our home resort. I figured I wanted to go during November, December, January and wanted a savannah view studio room every two years. I figured that 200 points would more than cover that, with a little wiggle room. At the time, the price per point was much less than it is now, and I still wish I'd known more about the Resale Market. Two things to be aware of; WARNING! Addonitic is a real thing!! You buy one contract and before you know it, you want more!!! Also, when purchasing a resale contract, since you are purchasing 'a house that's already built' you kind of have to find a contract that's closest to what you need, whereas if you purchase direct, you're 'having the house built' in other words, you can decide how many points you want and just purchase them.

[Amyandleif]

Want to go to now DVC Member

[TheMcDisneyFamily]

Welcome Home Everyone!

[TK8286]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

This is a very tough question. The rules have changed and that makes it murkier. I will try to be brief, but it’s kind of complicated. Back a number of years ago if you bought resale DVC, you could use your points at any resort. If you bought resale you got all the perks. Disney has walked that back significantly. No judgment or snarky and sarcastic comments from me. I have gotten sick of that drama on two other Disney forums. Disney can set its rules. That’s reality.

Here is the biggest issue in my mind. If you buy resale at this point, you can only use those points at the resort which which you buy. At least that’s the way I understand it. I purchased resale prior to that so I can book anywhere. I don’t get some other available to direct purchasers like RCI exchange, adventures by Disney tours.....but I bought to go to Disney World.

If I could only stay at Bay Lake Tower( my home resort) I may have not been able to go when I have wanted to. Every time I have decided that we were going to Disney I have been able to find a resort that I wanted to stay at, even though I had no availability at my home resort. Being limited to one resort I would view as a very big disadvantage. Don’t get me wrong, I purchased BLT because I wanted to stay at Bay Lake Tower. And I love it. But the flexibility is critical. I would tell you to check the current resale prices of the resort that you wanna to buy. Then compare those prices against Disney prices. Keep in mind, that the only resorts they are currently selling our Riviera and I think Aulani. If you want another resort you will have to get in line for points that Disney takes back the right of first refusal (commonly noted as ROFR). I checked with my guide (DVC salesperson)about five years ago about adding on additional points. He said there could be anywhere from a six month to to year delay in getting points at BLT.

I know this hasn’t been very brief. I think the critical issue is this: if you’re going to go back to Disney World over and over again, and you know that is reality. DVC direct from Disney may make sense. If you LOVE Animal Kingdom Lodge and don’t EVER think you will stay elsewhere, resale may make some sense.

Prices are consistent between reps. There have been special promotions, but as I understand it, they are the same across in and out of park guides.

If I add on it will be direct. Opinions may vary on that answer and I may not be 100 percent right on resale restrictions.

Hope that helps a little.

[TK8286]

How many points is tricky. It depends on the resort. 100 points will go further at Saratoga Springs than Grand Floridian. Each night is a certain number of points, depending on season and day of week. One night at Animal Kingdom Lodge (wonderful resort!) will be fewer points than Grand Floridian for the same type room. Move onto a bigger room, a 1 bedroom suite and the points increase.

I would say any less than 150 would be unsuitable. I wish I had at least 50 more.

[Bcuinohio]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

We bought resale. We don't live close enough or go often enough to take advantage of the AP or special events. We bought BLT and we can use it at all resorts except Riviera. We bought planning on going about once every two to three years. If you think that you would use the Gold AP passes or go to the special events, direct might be a better option for you. Direct members also have access to all resorts and future resorts. Direct members also receive discounts on dining and purchases.

How many points depends on which resort you want, type of room and time of year, I would look at the point charts and see how many points you need for a week. Don't base the points on the cheapest category. Value rooms at AKL and standard views at BLT are hard to get, even at the 11 month mark. Also the point charts can change. DVC tries to allocate points to even out the seasons. The total points won't change but they may add points or reduce points for certain time periods. For 2022 the summer rates went down and the fall and spring rates went up. You can buy up to 24 points per year if you are a little short.

If you are partial to a resort that tends to book up quickly, I would buy there. We wanted to be on the monorail and BLT made the most sense for us. The points were cheaper and the points needed for a room are less too. Even though the Poly is my absolute favorite resort they don't have any 1 or 2 bedroom villas.

Also search youtube for videos in DVC room tours. That helps you see what the rooms are like.

[RockyMountainMouse]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

I have 2 contracts. The first I bought resale at Boardwalk. The second, I bought last year at Old Key West direct from Disney.

To be honest, I don't know that the "perks" are worth the extra money I spent to get the add-on contract from Disney. The real reason I bought direct is that they now have restrictions on the resorts you are able to book on resale contracts. So, on resale, if you buy at, lets say, OKW as I did, you would not be able to book Riviera or any new DVC resort they open in the future. You are locked into the original resorts. That may not be a deal breaker for a lot of people since you will still have plenty of options, but it WAS a deal breaker for me.

You won't get a better deal from reps at the parks vs calling them directly. I do believe that there are additional incentives to buy if you are on a Disney Cruise and you purchase while still on the ship.

After the recent restrictions put on borrowing points from one year to another, I would say to make sure you buy enough points to cover your needs from year to year if you go once a year. It seems like 150 point contract would be good if you are just looking at a studio for a week. And in the current system, you could borrow up to 75 points if you need more.

[MattKDisney]

As someone who never stayed at DVC resort, there is sites where I can rent points from someone and stay there right? Is it a good deal for that?

[TK8286]

As someone who never stayed at DVC resort, there is sites where I can rent points from someone and stay there right? Is it a good deal for that?

There are places that assist in renting of points. It’s not a bad idea to try that, although, people’s experience varies when doing this. NOT because of the accommodations but because of the business transaction. Disney offers cash reservations at some DVC resorts but DOES NOT rent DVC points. Rental of points is thru private individuals or a broker. Just like anything, you need to be cautious. I would never rent via eBay. I have heard of far to many scams and terrible experiences.


I never rented points before I purchased, but I spent a significant amount of time reading about DVC. YouTube can give you tours of rooms and Resort TV1 has done a number of these videos. Jenna did one at Grand Floridian this week. I can tell you that some resorts are also part of cash reservation resorts, and as such the DVC resorts are just like you would expect with a Disney luxury resort (think monorail resorts). That gives you an idea of the “niceness” of the accommodations.


You can get a ton of info on the rooms on room tour videos and, if you have stayed at a Disney resort, you can expect the DVC to be equivalent to a Disney luxury level resort.

Hope that helps.

[DB3165]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

We have purchased direct at Saratoga, resale at Animal Kingdom and currently in the process of purchasing an additional resale contract at Poly. The bad resale restriction of only being able to use your resale points at the resort you buy into only applies to the new Riviera Resort and not with the other 14 DVC resorts.

Currently I would recommend buying resale. I am not sure if you get enough extra benefits with buying direct vs the savings on a resale contract. I would recommend going to a resale brokers website to research the DVC resorts and buying into DVC. Both www.dvcresalmarket.com and www.dvcstore.com are good brokers with good sites with lots of good information. Check out their FAQ's sections, it will answer a lot of your questions. Most of these resale brokers employ former Disney Vacation Club sales people so if you get to a point you want to talk to someone I am sure they would be very helpful with answering your questions. I also recommend watching various utube channels that feature DVC content, dvcfan is a good channel with lots of good information.

I don't believe you will find any deals with the direct DVC sales reps, for the most part they all will have the same pricing. Once in awhile they will have incentives but they all will offer the same thing.

As far as how many points, I always hear buy where you want to stay! Figure out which resort you mainly would want to stay at year after year and then research how many points it will take to stay there for a week. The point total for a week can vary greatly depending on the resort and what time of year you want to visit.

IF after buying a resale contract and down the road you want to get the DVC Blue Card for the DVC Member benefits you can always buy additional add on points directly from DVC. Even if a resort is considered “sold out” DVC usually has points to sell at those resorts, just have to ask for them.

Hope this helps a little and good luck with your research and decision!

There is something special about hearing the "Welcome Home"

[DB3165]

As someone who never stayed at DVC resort, there is sites where I can rent points from someone and stay there right? Is it a good deal for that?

Yes there are numerous DVC rental companies. This is a good DVC rental company that also allows you to search availability right on their site. https://dvcrentalstore.com/

There is usually a very good savings renting vs paying cash directly through Disney for a DVC room

Good luck and hope you find something that works for you!

[Ace]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

This sums up my mental state perfectly. I like the concept but its very daunting.

[ChimChimCheree]

Our next trip is in May and it's our first time to have a split stay for our full family. The first part of the trip is at our home resort, BLT, and the second half is at BCV. We're excited about visiting the BCV pool, which I've heard great things about. Looking forward to going home and having a fun and relaxing trip!

You're going to LOVE BCV. We enjoyed our first split stay back in Jan 2020, first at our home resort, WL and then moved over to BCV after 4 days. It was fantastic! A very relaxing resort imo. The kids went bonkers over the pool and we really enjoyed the close proximity to Epcot and the Boardwalk. Even the boat ride to HS is short. I'm so wishing we were there right now! Happy travels, you're sure to have a wonderful time!

[Brewbud]

We are going to look into DVC. We have had Premier APs the last several years so we could take advantage of AP discounts for WDW resorts. It looks like the Premier AP might not come back so DVC might be in our future. We might try renting points at some of the DVC resorts before we decide.

[Tina McNeilDCS]

I love my DVC! I'm also willing to answer any questions, and I'd love to read stories about your experiences!

[Jimoxenford]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

We have purchased direct at Saratoga, resale at Animal Kingdom and currently in the process of purchasing an additional resale contract at Poly. The bad resale restriction of only being able to use your resale points at the resort you buy into only applies to the new Riviera Resort and not with the other 14 DVC resorts.

Currently I would recommend buying resale. I am not sure if you get enough extra benefits with buying direct vs the savings on a resale contract. I would recommend going to a resale brokers website to research the DVC resorts and buying into DVC. Both www.dvcresalmarket.com and www.dvcstore.com are good brokers with good sites with lots of good information. Check out their FAQ's sections, it will answer a lot of your questions. Most of these resale brokers employ former Disney Vacation Club sales people so if you get to a point you want to talk to someone I am sure they would be very helpful with answering your questions. I also recommend watching various utube channels that feature DVC content, dvcfan is a good channel with lots of good information.

I don't believe you will find any deals with the direct DVC sales reps, for the most part they all will have the same pricing. Once in awhile they will have incentives but they all will offer the same thing.

As far as how many points, I always hear buy where you want to stay! Figure out which resort you mainly would want to stay at year after year and then research how many points it will take to stay there for a week. The point total for a week can vary greatly depending on the resort and what time of year you want to visit.

IF after buying a resale contract and down the road you want to get the DVC Blue Card for the DVC Member benefits you can always buy additional add on points directly from DVC. Even if a resort is considered “sold out” DVC usually has points to sell at those resorts, just have to ask for them.

Hope this helps a little and good luck with your research and decision!

There is something special about hearing the "Welcome Home"

This is VERY helpful thank you!

[Jimoxenford]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

We bought resale. We don't live close enough or go often enough to take advantage of the AP or special events. We bought BLT and we can use it at all resorts except Riviera. We bought planning on going about once every two to three years. If you think that you would use the Gold AP passes or go to the special events, direct might be a better option for you. Direct members also have access to all resorts and future resorts. Direct members also receive discounts on dining and purchases.

How many points depends on which resort you want, type of room and time of year, I would look at the point charts and see how many points you need for a week. Don't base the points on the cheapest category. Value rooms at AKL and standard views at BLT are hard to get, even at the 11 month mark. Also the point charts can change. DVC tries to allocate points to even out the seasons. The total points won't change but they may add points or reduce points for certain time periods. For 2022 the summer rates went down and the fall and spring rates went up. You can buy up to 24 points per year if you are a little short.

If you are partial to a resort that tends to book up quickly, I would buy there. We wanted to be on the monorail and BLT made the most sense for us. The points were cheaper and the points needed for a room are less too. Even though the Poly is my absolute favorite resort they don't have any 1 or 2 bedroom villas.

Also search youtube for videos in DVC room tours. That helps you see what the rooms are like.

Thank you! Very helpful information.

[Jimoxenford]

We have been thinking about getting a DVC for YEARS!
The entire process feels a bit daunting though.

Questions:
Resale or direct from Disney?
Do you get a better deal from the reps on property?
How many points? We like to go at least once per year for a week.
Thank you Hoppers!

I have 2 contracts. The first I bought resale at Boardwalk. The second, I bought last year at Old Key West direct from Disney.

To be honest, I don't know that the "perks" are worth the extra money I spent to get the add-on contract from Disney. The real reason I bought direct is that they now have restrictions on the resorts you are able to book on resale contracts. So, on resale, if you buy at, lets say, OKW as I did, you would not be able to book Riviera or any new DVC resort they open in the future. You are locked into the original resorts. That may not be a deal breaker for a lot of people since you will still have plenty of options, but it WAS a deal breaker for me.

You won't get a better deal from reps at the parks vs calling them directly. I do believe that there are additional incentives to buy if you are on a Disney Cruise and you purchase while still on the ship.

After the recent restrictions put on borrowing points from one year to another, I would say to make sure you buy enough points to cover your needs from year to year if you go once a year. It seems like 150 point contract would be good if you are just looking at a studio for a week. And in the current system, you could borrow up to 75 points if you need more.

Thank you for the information. It's is helpful!