The DVC Resale Experts blog has many articles to help you learn, plan and play. One of our most visited topics is the perks and benefits of Disney Vacation Club resale and direct and the differences between the two. It’s probably the main aspect many will want to consider in deciding whether to purchase resale DVC, direct DVC from Disney or a little of both. So what is the benefit of buying DVC direct versus resale? What are the DVC direct vs resale benefits? Should I buy Disney Vacation Club from Disney directly? What will I miss out on with resale DVC?
In the past, there were physical Disney Vacation Club Membership cards used to confirm eligibility for the following benefits. The blue card signaled that a Member was eligible for the benefits and extras we’re talking about below. Disney Vacation Club Membership cards went digital starting in 2022. Now Members use the My Disney Experience app to show their digital Membership card when needed for verification.
DVC Direct vs Resale Benefits
Buying Disney Vacation Club directly from Disney ensures Members can receive all the perks and extras that come with DVC. The amount currently needed to qualify for all of the benefits is 150 points purchased directly from Disney. These can be purchased separately. Let’s say you have a 50 point contract you bought direct from Disney long ago. You can purchase more points from Disney to get to 150 and still qualify for the Membership Extras and other perks. If you want additional points beyond that, definitely consider buying resale DVC since you’re already eligible for perks.
Note that Disney Vacation Club says Membership Extras are ‘incidental benefits subject to availability, change or termination and may require a fee.’ These perks may be exciting but they aren’t guaranteed, even if you purchase direct from Disney.
The main things you get with direct but not resale are:
- discounts
- Member events
- Disney Vacation Club Member lounge access
- Booking at all other DVC resorts
We’ll explore these benefit categories below. When you’re considering the DVC direct benefits, remember you can usually save a lot of money with resale. Do the DVC direct vs resale benefits make it worth it to you?
DVC direct comes with discounts.
For starters, DVC discounts are a highlight for many. If you have a Disney Annual Pass or Disney Visa card, you may already have access to comparable discounts though. You’re not able to combine these discounts so having one is good enough.
There are shopping, dining and recreation discounts with DVC. Discounts can change any time but let’s look at what eligible Members can get.
- Disney Private VIP Tours are 20% off.
- Members might also be able to save $10 on tickets to special events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Disney Jollywood Nights. The discounted nights are usually for select, early dates.
- DVC dining discounts could look like 10% off at 1900 Park Fare or Be Our Guest Restaurant among a long list of others.
- DVC shopping discounts could include 15% off at Basin White at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
While these discounts aren’t available with resale DVC, the amount you save upfront on resale points could exceed your expectations.
The park ticket discount may have been the most exciting and valuable DVC discount. The former Disney Annual Pass structure has since been dismantled for both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. A new DVC Annual pass for Disney World has been introduced in the current annual pass system. It offers far less of a DVC discount benefit than before.
DVC Member events are exclusive to eligible Members who purchase direct.
Member exclusive special events are an exciting perk with DVC that isn’t available with resale. These aren’t guaranteed, though, and attending often has other hoops to jump through. You have to land a spot at events with limited capacity. You may also need a room reservation on points at the time of the event.
Some DVC events include:
- Moonlight Magic
- Member Disney Vacation Club Cruises
- Welcome Home Weeks
Buy DVC direct to be able to enjoy DVC lounges.
The collection of Disney Vacation Club lounges continues to grow. Members are only able to visit these exclusive spaces if they have the right kind of Membership card due to purchasing direct. Inside you may find complimentary snacks or a menu to order from depending on the location.
- Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge at Epcot
- Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Star View Station – a Member Lounge at Disneyland
- Newly announced DVC Lounge coming Magic Kingdom
- Gateway to Discovery – A Disney Vacation Club Welcome Home Center at Disney Springs
Those who buy DVC direct can use their points to book more flexibly at all DVC resorts.
Booking restrictions are another thing to consider, especially with Disney’s Riviera Resort and home resorts built after it. When you buy direct, you can use your points to stay at all of the other DVC resorts based on availability. Those who purchase resale DVC at Riviera can only book there and if you have any other home resort you can’t book Riviera with resale points. This applies to The Villas at Disneyland Hotel and The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort as well.
All Disney Vacation Club resorts:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
- Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort*
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel*
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
- Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort*
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
*Notes which properties have the most resale restrictions. The rest of the properties here are the original 14 DVC resorts which work differently. Resale Members can buy at any of those original 14 properties and book at any of the others in that category. If you want to buy with Disney’s Riviera Resort as your home resort and use those points to stay at other properties, you’ll need to buy direct.
Resale DVC points aren’t eligible for booking Adventures by Disney or Disney Cruise Line. The math doesn’t usually make financial sense to book with these with points though. Overall, there is more flexibility with booking and using points when you buy direct.
Do the DVC direct vs resale benefits change your mind?
If any of the above perks mentioned are a must for you, at least consider the resale savings before making a final decision about how you’re going to buy. In 2024, we’re seeing prices like $275 per point direct from Disney at Bay Lake Tower but $130 per point on the resale DVC market. That’s a significant difference. This resale number changes based on how many points you buy. Smaller contracts may have higher per point prices. We often see the prices change on the resale market and pricing depends on the seller too.
Consider DVC Direct vs Resale Prices
Disney Vacation Club makes annual stays at Deluxe Disney resorts much more affordable than booking them individually each year. With resale DVC, the savings are even more profound. It’s common for DVC contracts to cost thousands less on the resale DVC market. See DVC Average Resale Price 2023 for a look at last year’s per point prices overall. It’s hard to pass on how much money you save by buying resale DVC.
For an updated list of DVC benefits at any time, see this page highlighting perks included with buying direct and resale restrictions.
DVC Resale Experts Can Help
Are you thinking about joining Disney Vacation Club? The DVC direct vs resale benefits can help you decide how to buy. DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. Whether you’re adding on points, buying or selling Disney Vacation Club, the Experts can help you find the right price to place a bid with or list your contract for. Our independent, licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. They have decades of pixie dusted experience selling DVC and delight in providing excellent service to their clients. The Experts have seen it all and are happy to answer your questions throughout the process.
See our resale DVC listings listings for a look at real time availability and pricing.
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