It’s no secret that DVC resale costs much less than buying Disney Vacation Club direct from Disney in most cases. It’s possible to save thousands when you go the resale route. You can also choose to dedicate your original budget to purchasing even more points. DVC does come with some perks, like discounts, but not all of those perks are available to resale Members. Let’s go over the benefits of Disney Vacation Club Membership. What perks do I lose buying DVC resale? How is resale different than direct? Does resale DVC get discounts? We’ll also weigh the details of the DVC perks. Then you can consider if they are actually a loss to you or not. Some aren’t really a big deal considering how much money you can save with resale.
Compared to Direct What Perks Do I Lose Buying DVC Resale
When considering the perks lost with resale DVC contracts, it’s good to remember that perks and extras are incidental benefits. They are “subject to change or termination without notice.” This means even if you spend the extra money to buy direct and access these perks, they could be discontinued anyway. Membership Extras also “may require the payment of a fee and cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions.” Some of the special offerings for DVC Members aren’t free and require purchase.
DVC discounts are for direct Members only.
DVC comes with discounts on theme park tickets, shopping discounts, recreation discounts and dining discounts. Unfortunately, resale Members are not eligible for these. Note these discounts aren’t available all the time. For example, some restaurant discounts might only be available during certain hours.
Also note, many DVC Members are Disney fans and already have access to similar discounts. You can get the same kinds of discounts through your Disney Chase Visa or Disney Annual Pass.
DVC resale Members don’t have access to the DVC annual pass.
Members used to have fantastic discounts on annual passes. Now, Members are instead given access to purchase a pass comparable to a Florida resident annual pass.
For a while, Disney tried to promote the idea that it was a privilege to be able to purchase an annual pass. This was around the pandemic when sales of these kind of tickets were paused for a while. During this time, Members were promised more access to be able to purchase an annual pass than others. Sales for annual passes have not been paused since then though.
No Moonlight Magic: What perks do I lose buying DVC resale? Member Events
Exclusive Member Events are also not included if you buy Disney Vacation Club resale. With some Member Events it’s necessary to have a room booked at the time of the event. This means these will have to line up with your trip or you’ll have to have a stay booked, even if you’re local, to be eligible to attend. Member Events aren’t a given for everyone that attempts to sign up as they do sell out. These events can seem exciting. However, with the amount of money you save buying resale, you can have your pick of the many Disney special events. And on a day that works for your travel party!
Resale Members can’t use their points at certain resorts.
Part of the fun of DVC for some people is the flexibility of using your points to book stays at different Disney Vacation Club Resorts. Regarding resale and booking different resorts, DVC says, “Access may vary”.
The original 14 DVC resorts are the most flexible. When you buy at one of them, you can use your resale points to book there and at the other thirteen.
There are some restrictions pertaining to Disney’s Riviera Resort resale and properties built after it. That includes The Villas at Disneyland Hotel and The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
From the DVC site:
‘Effective January 19, 2019, Disney Vacation Club Members who do not acquire their real estate interest directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. will only be able to make Vacation Point reservations at Disney’s Riviera Resort if it is their Home Resort.’
Also on the topic of Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney Vacation Club states this:
‘Members with an ownership interest at Disney’s Riviera Resort who did not purchase directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. may only use those Vacation Points for reservations at their Home Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, and the World Collection.’
DVC resale points can’t be used to book certain things.
When you buy resale DVC there are some booking restrictions. For example, you aren’t able to use points to book Disney Collection Resorts. These are Disney resorts outside of Disney Vacation Club. Resale Members also can not use points for Disney Cruise Line. Using points for Adventures by Disney trips or the Concierge Collection is also not an option for resale owners.
Resale Members can’t book Member Cruises on Disney Cruise Line.
Resale DVC points can’t be used to book Disney Cruise Line and that includes Member Cruises. In addition, resale DVC Members aren’t eligible to book Member Cruises at all. These designated sailings often come with special perks for Members. They can be pricey though.
Resale points don’t give you access to DVC lounge spaces.
Disney Vacation Club Members who purchase through resale no longer have access to the exclusive Top of the World Lounge. This is a chic and elegant bar and lounge setting on the sixteenth floor of Bay Lake Tower. Top of the World Lounge has an observation deck and incredible views of Florida’s sunsets and Magic Kingdom fireworks. This is a neat perk but may not be important to those interested in seeing nighttime spectaculars from inside the park. See other Disney Vacation Club lounge venues.
What Perks Do I Have Access to When Buying DVC Resale
DVC Members who purchase resale points have access to the World Collection through exchange provider Interval International. This allows Members to use Disney Vacation Club points to book stays elsewhere around the world.
Resale DVC Members also received complimentary resort parking when Disney charged for it. This brought great savings at Deluxe tier resorts. All DVC Members, including resale, avoided the $25.00 per night fee. Disney reversed the decision to charge resort guests for parking. Resort guests now park for free again. If this were to change in the future, DVC Members will expect to continue to park for free still.
The eleven month out Home Resort booking advantage is an excellent perk, giving you first access to the resort of your choosing.
Remember the real point of Disney Vacation Club is to enjoy incredible savings on Disney vacations year after year. On top of the already great investment into your future hotel stays, resale makes Disney Vacation Club even more enticing price-wise.
Direct DVC Points, DVC Resale Membership Eligibility and Perks
There are two other things to consider regarding DVC resale, perks and Membership eligibility.
Many DVC Members own more than one contract. When you love the magic, you keep coming back for more. You may have purchased a contract long ago that made you eligible for Membership Extras. Some of these won’t be affected when you add on resale points. For example, if you take a trip booked with your resale DVC points, you’ll still be able to use your DVC discount by showing your digital Membership card when shopping. You still would not be able to use those resale points to book a cruise though. Depending on the DVC lounge and requirements, you would still be able to visit if you’re eligible even though you own resale too.
Also, if you purchased points when the eligiblity requirements were different, you may have a different set of rules than what we’ve gone over here. We’re mostly discussing how things work for new Members purchasing their first contract or adding on now.
What Perks Do I Lose Buying DVC Resale? DVC Resale Experts Can Help
If it looks like resale DVC is the way you want to go, the Experts are here to help.
If you still have questions about perks you lose buying DVC resale, the Experts can help with that too.
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.
Get in touch for a complimentary valuation of your specific contract to sell DVC.
