I mean at this point, why is anyone buying direct?

[AstroBlasters]

My wife and I are purchasing today and are purchasing direct - it is just not worth the headache. We are in our mid-late 20s and plan on using this for at least another 30+ years. What happens in 19 years when we can no longer go to 5+ resorts because they have been flipped to the new association.

We are also big fans of Riviera - but wanted the option to MAYBE stay elsewhere. Buying Riviera resale came with the restriction to only stay there. The perks were not the reason for us to buy direct - it was protection from whatever Disney may do to resale buyer restrictions in the future.

Welcome home!

 

[JoeyPeligroso]

I'm a recent purchaser and went direct. I had spent years crunching the numbers (2018-2022), and had been planning on resale for most of that time. Once VGF was (re)offered, it started to make more sense to go direct for our particular situation. It gave me a long remaining contract at a highly desirable monorail property that suited how we vacation. Going direct probably cost my family an addition $4000-5000 dollars. But it yielded a much easier transaction experience, an immediate ability to use those points for a planned December 2022 vacation (which saved us about $3000 right there), and gave my spouse peace of mind wrt DVC perks being "assured" (such as TotW Lounge and the DVC discount), and I could use those points at future resorts.

If we ever decide to purchase additional points we would probably select resale, since the benefits of direct are now diminished.

In the end, I was more comfortable making this particular purchase direct. It was a gut feeling. I felt no sense of regret, even as I watched the resale VGF price drop down by several dollars per point this spring and summer. Got to make a decision you can live with, and the metrics are different for different people/families.

This is exactly what I did in recent purchases….twice for VGF (darn addonitis).

I feel absolutely great about my decision and was happy to have this option (twice )

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Hassle free
Sign and drive
No waiting for ROFR
No waiting for points to be loaded.
No shady sellers or agents.

Oh and you can usually talk them into giving you last years points too….

But I only lease new cars.
Never keep them until the contract ends.

 

[AstroBlasters]

This is exactly what I did in recent purchases….twice for VGF (darn addonitis).

I feel absolutely great about my decision and was happy to have this option (twice )

Just to confirm: (does not include RIV resale)

So the majority of the worry about restrictions of currently available properties is centered RIV, EPCOT properties post 2042, and most likely VDH?

For the next 19 years, resale points can stay at any of the current resorts that have availability except RIV?

All of our points work exactly the same at every non-home resort (except RIV) for the 7 month booking window?

Resale points are good at VGF until 2064, AKV until 2057, PVB until 2066, and CCV until 2068 ( or whenever the contact expires)?

 

[tom1944]

Just to confirm:

So the majority of the worry about restrictions of currently available properties is centered RIV, EPCOT properties post 2042, and most likely VDH?

For the next 19 years, resale points can stay at any of the current resorts that have availability except RIV?

All of our points work exactly the same at every non-home resort (except RIV) for the 7 month booking window?

Resale points are good at VGF until 2064, AKV until 2057, PVB until 2066, and CCV until 2068 ( or whenever the contact expires)?

Also I have seen that a few of the resale brokers have established swap programs that make resale Riviera points able to be swapped

People will find a way around the restrictions

 

[JoeyPeligroso]

Just to confirm: (does not include RIV resale)

So the majority of the worry about restrictions of currently available properties is centered RIV, EPCOT properties post 2042, and most likely VDH?

For the next 19 years, resale points can stay at any of the current resorts that have availability except RIV?

All of our points work exactly the same at every non-home resort (except RIV) for the 7 month booking window?

Resale points are good at VGF until 2064, AKV until 2057, PVB until 2066, and CCV until 2068 ( or whenever the contact expires)?

To clarify, my purchase decision was not based upon the fear of restrictions regarding Riviera or future resorts. Specifically, I felt very good about the direct purchase process, the price, and the efficiency for my VGF purchases. I suppose not having restrictions is a potential benefit, but it was not part of the consideration. The price difference between direct and resale at the time of my purchases (based upon the size of my purchases and my add-on status), made the advantages of direct purchases, in my opinion, an easy decision.

 

[tom1944]

To clarify, my purchase decision was not based upon the fear of restrictions regarding Riviera or future resorts. Specifically, I felt very good about the direct purchase process, the price, and the efficiency for my VGF purchases. I suppose not having restrictions is a potential benefit, but it was not part of the consideration. The price difference between direct and resale at the time of my purchases (based upon the size of my purchases and my add-on status), made the advantages of direct purchases, in my opinion, an easy decision.

I can see the benefit of both types of purchases

I think if I was 30 direct would make more sense than now that I am 65

 

[davidhr]

Eight pages later this is my conclusion:

Direct buyers are happy they have unrestricted points and are saving some money.

Resale buyers are happy because they're saving a lot of money and the restrictions are not a big deal.

Seems everybody is happy. Let's enjoy our vacations!

 

[icharis]

The restrictions was our main reason to go Direct.

 

[Nursemanit]

I am just happy I bought RR instead of NFT's

 

[icharis]

that made me laugh pretty hard

 

[intamin]

Eight pages later this is my conclusion:

Direct buyers are happy they have unrestricted points and are saving some money.

Resale buyers are happy because they're saving a lot of money and the restrictions are not a big deal.

Seems everybody is happy. Let's enjoy our vacations!

Bah I say to your voice of reason! Let's continue fighting!

But in all seriousness I own both direct and resale but am strongly considering more direct for my next contract after which I *think* will be my last one.. if PVB2 is ends up being a new association I'll likely end up getting 300 points direct hopefully when there are good incentives going on for the same reasons above due to resort restrictions. I want to pair my direct RIV points with my other 300 direct to be able to book 2BRs consistently at the 7 month mark most of the time.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I am just happy I bought RR instead of NFT's

 

[DVC4]

Everyone makes decisions for their own reasons. I had a direct VGF contract and just added a 50 point direct contract with VGF. This may be an anomaly, but the 50 point contract price was nearly identical to some recent current listings on DVC Resale Market. As a younger member, I paid a few extra hundred dollars to go direct.

 

[mike314]

I just got a direct for VGF but now that I understand more of the resale market my next contract will absolutely be a resale....Totally happy with my purchase but if the restrictions don't bother you, go resale.

 

[tom1944]

I just got a direct for VGF but now that I understand more of the resale market my next contract will absolutely be a resale....Totally happy with my purchase but if the restrictions don't bother you, go resale.

If the swapping programs the brokers are offering works than the restrictions become meaningless

If you purchased Riviera resale and I purchased a different resort resale the broker program allows a swap for us to go around the restrictions

 

[AstroBlasters]

If the swapping programs the brokers are offering works than the restrictions become meaningless

If you purchased Riviera resale and I purchased a different resort resale the broker program allows a swap for us to go around the restrictions

The free market is designed to find inefficiencies and then make them more efficient, if enough of a profit can be made (ROI).

Disney is effectively using point restrictions to create a market for restricted accommodations or points then third-party companies will monetize.

The brokers make about ~$3pp on the spread of rentals right now. You can also use points to swap for cruises or vacation homes. There is no reason they couldn’t keep an inventory of points and do something similar.

The trick is that they’d have to sell a subscription/membership and/or segregate some of the points to sell for cash rentals. I’m not sure that’s worth the business risk if people are willing pay a $3pp rental arbitrage.

 

[tom1944]

The free market is designed to find inefficiencies and then make them more efficient, if enough of a profit can be made (ROI).

Disney is effectively using point restrictions to create a market for restricted accommodations or points then third-party companies will monetize.

The brokers make about ~$3pp on the spread of rentals right now. You can also use points to swap for cruises or vacation homes. There is no reason they couldn’t keep an inventory of points and do something similar.

The trick is that they’d have to sell a subscription/membership and/or segregate some of the points to sell for cash rentals. I’m not sure that’s worth the business risk if people are willing pay a $3pp rental arbitrage.

I believe I have seen at least 2 brokers advertise a swapping program. I did not look at the details beyond saying it would allow Riviera resale buyers to stay at other resorts and all other resale buyers to stay at Riviera.

It might not be the most efficient use of points but it does circumvent the restrictions Disney has put in place

 

[JZ_LBNY]

Just do both! We bought resale BWV then 150 pts at VGF in Nov when the incentives were pretty good (before the price went up). Best of both worlds.

 

[Sandisw]

If the swapping programs the brokers are offering works than the restrictions become meaningless

If you purchased Riviera resale and I purchased a different resort resale the broker program allows a swap for us to go around the restrictions

The way to swap is that you agree to rent a reservation for someone and they agree to rent you one at RIV or future resorts restricted.

So, the only difference the broker is providing is that there is not an exchange of money.

But, you still need to book a trip for the other owner and they you. And the risk is still there as you are essentially a renter.

Now, they could facilitate a transfer but with the one per UY, one owner would be waiting to use the points.

So, this isn’t anything that doesn’t already exist but rather just a chance to have access to more owners.

The thing is that other than RIV resale points, there will a lot more owners who are restricted from the new resorts than their will be resale owners stuck at just one resort or direct owners at those resorts offering points for rent.