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Should new Disney Vacation Club resale members be concerned with the limitations on membership extras? Should you, a potential DVC buyer, still opt for a resale contract? How can buying resale through DVC Resale Experts still work out as a better deal for you?
What Exactly Are DVC Membership Extras?
First, we need to look at the Disney Vacation Club membership extras resale contracts may not have. There have been three updates so far to these DVC resale restrictions: first, on March 21, 2011, second, on April 4, 2016, and third, on September 17, 2019.After the last update, the membership extras that new DVC resale members are no longer entitled to include discounts on dining, shopping, member-exclusive events, and some unique membership offers. Points from resale contracts are also not eligible for redemption at Disney Hotels that are beyond the list of DVC resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, and the Concierge Collection options. However, these booking restrictions have not been a disadvantage for resale members, as points are not a good value when booking these options. A lot more points are needed for these options than for DVC resorts. For all DVC members, whether direct or resale, the better option is to rent out your points, then use that cash to book any of these options. So really, these resale restrictions aren’t costing DVC resale members to miss out on these options at all.Additionally, if you’re willing to just own and maintain a minimum of 100 points, purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc., you’ll have access to these membership extras, even with a resale contract.So then, you might wonder, why not purchase a direct contract from Disney to simplify the process? Well, when taken at face value, it might seem like buying direct would save you the hassle. However, the monetary savings you can accrue just from buying resale more than makes up for any discounts provided to a direct DVC member. On top of that, these membership extras are considered incidental benefits (as evident in the last three iterations), and can still be taken away from a DVC member at any time, whether you purchased direct or resale.During the first iteration of the resale restrictions, which took effect for Disney Vacation Club resale contracts purchased on or after March 21, 2011, Disney stated that the only restrictions for resale members are that Vacation Points are not eligible for redemption at Disney Hotels that are beyond the list of DVC resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, and the Concierge Collection options. So, if you purchased a DVC resale contract on or after March 21, 2011, but before April 4, 2016, this is the only restriction that applied to your resale membership.DVC members who purchased during this timeframe still have access to discounts on dining, shopping, member-exclusive events, and some unique membership offers, as those resale restrictions only took effect for members joining on or after April 4, 2016.DVC resale members who purchased during the above timeframe also still have access to Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower in Disney’s Contemporary Resort (for members staying at the Walt Disney World), pool hopping privileges, and waived nightly rental fee for DVDs. The DVC Home Resort Priority benefit still applies and access to the 14 DVC resorts are still unfettered. DVC resale members can also still book stays through RCI and the Buena Vista Trading Company.So the timing of your resale contract purchase decides what resale restrictions your contract abides to. This used to matter, but as explained before, there is a silver lining for the resale restrictions, and maybe, buyers shouldn’t be too concerned with the incidental benefits, because those can be taken away at any time, whether you purchased DVC direct or resale.
Why DVC Resale is Still a Better Deal Despite Limited Membership Extras
- DVC Membership extras, also known as incidental benefits, can be changed or removed by Disney Vacation Club at any time. This is part of the terms & conditions (T&C) that applies to all Disney Vacation Club members, whether you buy direct or resale, and Disney has the right, at any time, to decide what benefits are incidental and what are not. One good example is its complimentary valet service, which used to be available to all DVC members, but has also been removed.
- Discounts previously afforded to DVC members who purchase direct no longer apply anymore. Due to the fact that the 14 classic Disney Vacation Club properties are now considered sold-out resorts, Disney has been increasing the price of their Vacation Points, instead of allocating discounts like they have in the past. It is now a more obvious choice to purchase resale, and to get the savings and access you desire. Let’s say, you are looking to purchase 200 Vacation Points at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. As of October 31, 2019, Disney Vacation Club’s direct price per Vacation Point for Saratoga Springs is $165 per Vacation Point, which makes your purchase price $33,000. However, if you look at the resale market today, the contracts for 200 Vacation Points average at $21,000.
- Your Disney Vacation Club membership purchase should be focused on what is guaranteed to be yours. Your decision to purchase a DVC membership should be premised on the home resort you intend to vacation in, as well as your access to the rest of DVC’s classic resorts. That is the core of your membership. While you’re also able to book with RCI’s network of properties worldwide, whether you purchased your membership direct or via resale, it shouldn’t be the main reason for your purchase decision. Disney can, at any point, decide to trade with a different timeshare network company. As a matter of fact, before partnering with RCI, Disney used to trade with Interval International, which offered a whole different network of international resorts. Plus, these trading companies are not owned by Disney and can, at any time, decide to change their terms and conditions, so your decision to purchase a DVC membership shouldn’t be solely driven by the membership extras or incidental benefits.
- There are other ways to get Disney-related discounts. A Disney Visa credit card or an annual pass to parks will grant you many of the same discounts DVC members currently receive, without having to make the high financial commitment one would make by being a direct DVC member. If you’d still like to be eligible for the Disney-related discounts and have access to member-only events, you’ll need to purchase at least 100 points directly from Disney and the rest via resale to benefit from the savings. If you purchased your contract prior to February 25, 2018, you only had to purchase at least 25 points directly from Disney and the rest via resale. If you purchased your contract prior to September 17, 2019, you only needed to purchase at least 75 points directly from Disney and the rest via resale.
- Disney Vacation Club member events are subject to change. As emphasised throughout this article, Disney reserves the right to alter the terms or remove any incidental benefits or membership extras that have been allocated. The frequency, the cost, their availability can be updated as and when Disney wants to. Therefore, these membership extras or incidental benefits should never be the sole deciding factor of whether you want to be a DVC member or not.
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