Disney Vacation Club’s point based system provides Members with awesome flexibility in resort choice. When it comes to buying resale DVC points, there are some restrictions you’ll want to know about beforehand to help you find the right fit. If you’re wondering, where can I use points as a resale DVC Member, we’ll explore a few different answers to this question. For starters, it actually depends on where your Home Resort is.
First, let’s look over all of the current Disney Vacation Club Resorts there are to choose from. The following resorts are the Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World: Disney’s Animal Kingdom 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 Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Outside of Orlando there is also Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland Resort in California, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort about two hours from Orlando in Vero Beach, Florida, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii.
If you’re considering becoming a resale DVC Member, here’s where it gets interesting:
Disney Vacation Club shared this in January of 2019: ‘Effective January 19, 2019, only Members who purchase directly from Disney will be able to use their Vacation Points at the 14 existing Disney Vacation Club Resorts or future Resorts—such as Disney’s Riviera Resort or Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge. Resale contracts purchased for the existing 14 Disney Vacation Club Resorts will only be able to exchange Points into those 14 Resorts.
This change does not apply to contracts purchased prior to January 19, 2019. Contracts gifted to family members will continue to have the same Resort access as before the ownership transfer.’
As of February of 2022 the same idea is shared on the official DVC site but in less words and leaving more open: ‘*Effective January 19, 2019, Disney Vacation Club Members who do not acquire their real estate interest directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. will not be able to make Vacation Point reservations at some or all non-Home Resorts.’
Disney Vacation Club also words it this way, ‘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.’
In short, this means that if you are a resale DVC Member you can’t book at Riviera unless it’s your Home Resort. The opposite is also true. If you purchase resale DVC with Riviera being your Home Resort, you can not use your points to book at other DVC resorts. Based on Disney’s wording, it seems this is the new precedent moving forward.
You and your people might absolutely love Disney’s Riviera Resort and dream about days at the Mediterranean themed pools, Skyliner rides, meals at Topolino’s Terrace and nights watching Epcot fireworks from your studio! In this case, if you’re enthused with the thought of only staying at Riviera, buying Riviera resale sounds like a great fit. You’ll get just what you want but for a much better price buying resale DVC points instead of direct.
As for upcoming properties, check each individual new Disney Vacation Club Resort’s specifications moving forward. Disney Vacation Club changes some rules from time to time and you want to make sure the agreement in place at the time works for you. For example, we’ve seen the amount of direct points needed to make Members eligible for Membership Extras rise to the current number of 150. That wasn’t always the case and the Members who purchased when that required number was lower are locked in.
DVC Resale Experts is an independent, licensed real estate broker with a team dedicated to DVC resale. Reach out today for next steps on selling DVC points or buying DVC resale.
