Last Updated on June 29, 2021 by Kimberly Stroh

Disney Vacation Club Resale VS Direct Buy

For many people a vacation in Walt Disney World seems like a once in a lifetime thing. It’s very possible that for some of them, that may be true. They might never consider returning, or if they do it will be several years later. However, there are other people who can’t get enough. They start immediately planning their next trip to Disney as soon as they get back. Of course there are all sorts of people in between. One thing that unites them, is that whenever they were at Walt Disney World, they were probably made aware of the Disney Vacation Club, and they may have heard a little about Disney Vacation Club resale.

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is intriguing and mysterious. It’s easy to find information on the club, but it can be a little hard to follow. It’s also difficult to ask for help, or information on the subject. You may fear of being relentlessly pursued by marketers and persistent sales people. If you tend to visit Disney properties a lot, DVC may be something of interest to you; even if you aren’t yet quite sure how to broach the subject.

Unfortunately, what the Disney Vacation Club technically is is a timeshare, which doesn’t do anything to help it’s cause. However, this timeshare is flexible and at its most basic premise, it essentially allows you to buy a lifetime of vacations and lock in today’s rates. When you buy Disney Vacation Club, you are buying a piece of whatever resort you purchase as your home resort. This resort is your first and best chance at booking. However, after a few months any other DVC resort will become available for you until everything becomes booked.

Related: Why We Became Disney Vacation Club Members

 

DVC Resale VS Buying Direct Through Disney

Disney Vacation Club Pros and Cons

Disney Vacation Club can be a great value if you are a specific type of Disney guest. It’s not limited to Walt Disney World, but as an example, if you were to visit Walt Disney World yearly, It might make sense for you. Something to note about DVC is that all of the DVC properties are at Deluxe resorts. The price is based on these resort costs which are substantially different from moderate and value resort hotels. If you usually stay at Non Disney resorts, DVC is most likely not for you.

Disney Vacation Club Pros

The positives of DVC are the locked in rate on future vacations. Eventually these trips pay for themselves. You own a piece of Walt Disney World and as an owner you can resell the contract. DVC have some benefits such as access to exclusive lounges and member discounts, but what you are really buying is protection against price hikes. Disney Vacation Club points also work for Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Aulani, Adventures By Disney and a couple of other non Disney destinations. DVC gives you arguably less expensive access to larger accommodations like suites and villas.

Disney Vacation Club Cons

The cons of Disney Vacation Club is that it is a pretty big commitment and a lot of money, so it’s a serious decision to make. When you buy DVC you buy points which are what you use for your nightly stays. Each resort charges its own point value per night depending on the accommodations. Buying too many points can make keeping your contract troublesome, buying to few means you may need to supplement your points with rented points, or bank points and take fewer vacations. Another thing that I would call a con is that while your lodging is covered under your membership, your park tickets are not. A bigger con is that you have to pay an additional maintenance fee each year on top of your Membership fee.

Disney Vacation Club New VS Resale

When you buy DVC direct you are entitled to certain benefits like discounted park tickets, exclusive events, Disney Cruise Line, etc, but when you buy resale a lot of those benefits are not transferred, However certain hotels around the world are available to resale purchasers, as is access to the exclusive Top of the World Lounge on the Bay Lake Tower. Although certain benefits are withheld when you buy resale, that doesn’t make it a bad deal.

Buying DVC through the resale market can save you thousands of dollars. There is often a difference of over $80 per point that you could save when you purchase resale. You still get to enjoy the benefits of your home resort and many of the other resort properties, though you may be excluded from newer Disney Hotels. You can determine the final price point of resale and determine if it is the right deal for you by comparing the quotient of the contract price and the price of points for the duration of the contract.

Where to Find Disney Vacation Club Listings

Finding DVC Resale listings is easy. There are plenty of sites devoted to reselling DVC contracts. As with buying direct through Disney this is a big commitment and you should be certain about the integrity of the site you trust to do business with you. One of the nice things about buying direct through Disney is that you know it is on the up and up. Anything that can save you money, brings with it a certain amount of risk if you don’t do your diligence to find a company you know is trustworthy.

There are a few things to look for when determining a good resource for DVC Resale contracts. First off, a good strong indicator is the companies standing with the Better Business Bureau. You will also want transparency about dudes, closing costs, etc. and certain verifiable information like a commercial office.

You don’t have to be skittish about the websites that pop up in a Google search, just be sure to verify before you commit. DVC resales are like any other business, some companies are just better than others, while others are just plain poor. One of the most reputable resale sites is The Timeshare Store aka DVCStore.com. also Fidelity Resales is a solid choice. If you do a thorough job, Buying DVC through resale can be very rewarding.