We drive, so can go 2-3 times a year and usually stay mod/deluxe. I never pay full rate, since I do bounceback or AP deals. Thanks for any help you can give!
2:18pm on 6/13/26 by
MicheleandtheBeast
I have two direct contracts. I bought CCV when it was first offered (it was what made me want DVC) and added a small direct BWV contract at a time that it was almost the same price as resale. I was considering a 3rd contract, maybe resale.
2:43pm on 6/13/26 by
PrincipalTinker
I will never buy a restricted resale contract.
2:44pm on 6/13/26 by
PrincipalTinker
We purchased 150 pts at SS resale contact from DVC Resale Market. We've stayed there twice and stayed at CC once, Poly once, and poly tower once on these points over the 4 years. We appreciated the price and the 2053 end. We plan to retire near the bubble
3:24pm on 6/13/26 by
IMarriedMyEllie
DH & I had/have four DVC contracts. He passed away last year, so I am learning the ropes of using the points. Due to banking last year's points, I had a lot of points to use, so I went on an ABD trip. When scheduling that, I was told only 3 contracts
4:46pm on 6/13/26 by
anneofcreek
were eligible to use for ABD (direct purchases). So I learned I had enough points left for a 9-day trip to OKW. My younger son turns 30 in September, so I can use all my points after all!
4:51pm on 6/13/26 by
anneofcreek
I'm always very happy to chat DVC if you want to message me in the forum I can discuss in detail. I have helped out other liners before.
7:26pm on 6/13/26 by
Totsypooh
Also, I own both direct and resale contracts and can talk about how to use them in combination
7:26pm on 6/13/26 by
Totsypooh
That said there's also a lot of really good resources out there especially those video bloggers that can explain the 101 of it all
7:27pm on 6/13/26 by
Totsypooh
We bought 150 @ RR IN '22. Doing the math, it basically meant we could stay deluxe @ moderate prices. With 3 kids, value was never an option anyway. We've been able to bless our extended family with stays too.
7:32pm on 6/13/26 by
DestinyCalled
So far, booked @ RR, Grand Cal, Poly, AKL Kidani, BWV, CC, OKW & SSR in Aug.
We bought Direct, but will consider resale for our next contract (fully expect once kids graduate).
We've been very happy. DW & I will do our 3rd "just us" trip in Aug
7:37pm on 6/13/26 by
DestinyCalled
I also own direct and resale including a resale. Honestly didn't do enough research before our first purchase. But I like having some direct pints for benefits and the cost savings of the resale points I have.
8:48pm on 6/13/26 by
VikeQueen
But I love the riviera so would not buy only resale points because I personally would not like being shut out of that resort. Go watch some dvc fan videos for insight.
8:48pm on 6/13/26 by
VikeQueen
One of my contracts is a restricted riviera contract. But I would never recommend that as a first or only purchase.
8:49pm on 6/13/26 by
VikeQueen
@vikequeen, how is availability at 11 months?
9:08pm on 6/13/26 by
maurine08
We are all resale, started before resale restrictions, so we have all benefits with those points. We love Riviera so bought small restricted resale to ensure lower point stays, but would not start or buy restricted if we didn't have full benefits already.
9:09pm on 6/13/26 by
Beautiesandtheb
@maurine, depends what you are going for. Standard view can go quick, lower point and see Epcot. Preferred view available much longer. As more points become restricted, availability, especially for stnd view rooms will become tighter. Why we bought there.
9:15pm on 6/13/26 by
Beautiesandtheb
We own both. We first bought SSR resale to test the water. Then Poly when the tower first went on sale. And.....still don't have enough points. Add-on-itis is real!! Advantage of resale is lower buyin and you can pick your use year (aka month).
9:48pm on 6/13/26 by
hlbyers
Now we use SSR as "sleep around points" to book wherever is available at 7 mo (though we love SSR and stayed there several times). Poly points have been for the poly at 11mo. Like Tootsy mentioned - you'll find passionate DVC folks here. Reach out!!
9:50pm on 6/13/26 by
hlbyers
The one question to ask yourself.....can you book/commit at 11 mo to take advantage of home resort booking window. Or are you more of a last minute planner? If it's the later, buy SSR resale and grab whether is available at 7 mo.
9:53pm on 6/13/26 by
hlbyers
We're resale- Boulder Ridge. Wanted enough points to stay most times of the year in a 2BR if needed- so 300ish pts. We main perks for direct weren't enough to justify the price. "Vacation Club Life" bc they had what we wanted. They were great!
10:01pm on 6/13/26 by
Britgrliam
Bought SSR resale,150 pts, in 2023 after many months of research. Direct benefits weren't important to me, especially saving close to 52% buying resale. Bought from DVC Resale Market with a great experience. Totsy and other Liners were a big help.
10:51pm on 6/13/26 by
allanmayo
...Also, acquired a Disney Visa card which gave me similar DVC direct perks when it came to merch and certain restaurant discounts. Good Luck!
10:53pm on 6/13/26 by
allanmayo
Andy Berry from DVC Resale market is a great one to work with. I started with a bigger resale contract but then bought a bunch of smaller direct contracts after. Bec i like the new resorts. Have been able to stay in every DVC resort in about 5 years
1:16am on 6/14/26 by
Totsypooh
When you identify what resorts you are interested in I would set up a search on
https://www.dvcforless.com/
That is a liner's website. You can get email alerts to get an idea of contracts/prices across multiple DVC resale companies.
6:48am on 6/14/26 by
PrincipalTinker
One thing I don't see mentioned much, make sure you are looking at how many points are available. One reason many people buy newer resorts direct is often they come with more years of points than resale and the cost per point is closer.
6:58am on 6/14/26 by
PrincipalTinker
We bought direct at GFV when they had the fire sale so it wasn't much more than resale. When we were ready to add on I was watching for CCV resale but only for a good price on my sane use year. I'm not a haggler so I wanted one of the red hot deals from..
7:58am on 6/14/26 by
popupcamper
....DVC resale market. One with my use year and the points I wanted didn't come on the market before Poly direct had a sale that was also not too much more than resale so we bought direct again. On direct you can charge it so get credit card points too.
8:00am on 6/14/26 by
popupcamper
I like direct because we do get the DVC AP so that saves some money, and I want to be able to use my points at the new resorts. If I were to add on now though it would probably be SSR resale as I have a good amount of direct points.
8:03am on 6/14/26 by
popupcamper
@Principal - great point. The long term cost of annual dues over the length of the contract is critical. So don't buy Vero Beqch thinking you've made some great deal. Those dues will eat up the buy-in "savings" pretty quickly.
8:18am on 6/14/26 by
hlbyers
Thanks so much for all of the replies! I will probably have more questions soon!
11:48am on 6/14/26 by
MicheleandtheBeast
Sfl
12:24pm on 6/14/26 by
GoldenDreams
3 resales: SSR has best point and dues cost balance. BR because I love that resort. Riviera b/c hub loves altho we will have to see if worth keeping after our first upcoming stay. We use BR &SSR at Aulani and CC cabins. Cont.
2:39am on 6/18/26 by
hangthecode
Cont: we can't afford with a family of 6 cash stays( esp. at CCCs) or direct purchases. Direct perks arent an incentive to us as we can only get to World every 2/3 years. Aulani makes sense b/c we live in AK. Different situations:different right choices.
2:51am on 6/18/26 by
hangthecode
We bought BCV resale for a few reasons: WDW Rep did not seem the least bit interested in finding us points at BC, we saved a ton of money buying resale, and we did not think we'd use the extras. The only extra I miss is TotWL. We had that for a while and
8:55am on 6/18/26 by
evamarie320
then WDW restricted it further.
8:55am on 6/18/26 by
evamarie320
We bought a SSR resale contract because I have a very hard time justifying paying direct prices for the benefits especially for a large contract like we wanted at the beginning. I maaayyy add on a small direct Poly contract for the benefits eventually.
10:02am on 6/18/26 by
HalfBludPrincess
And Poly is the only publicly/officially sold one I'd consider because of the resale restrictions on newer resorts. The resale value of newer resorts just plummets because of the restrictions.
10:03am on 6/18/26 by
HalfBludPrincess
Thanks for the input! We are leaning direct w/ 150 points w/ maybe resale add-on later! It's just DH and me w/ no kids,so looking at BWV, BCV, BRV for shorter contracts (we are 60ish) or SSR for good deal. Any thoughts among those?
10:46am on 6/18/26 by
MicheleandtheBeast
@Michele, it is often advised to buy resale first, and then add on direct. Most people like having the same use year. If you buy resale 1st, Disney can match use years. If you buy direct 1st you need to find the right resale resort, points, UY.
11:09am on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
@HalfBud, all resorts from CCV and earlier would be available direct from Disney.
11:10am on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
Are there any big reasons not to buy the restricted contracts if you truly don't care about resale value?
11:11am on 6/18/26 by
Ali Ababwa
I can't think of any reason @Ali. Restricted contracts are the same for the original owner. @Michele, the amount of money it'll cost you to buy those 4 direct from Disney instead of resale is ALOT. 150 points direct from Disney at Boulder Ridge will...
11:35am on 6/18/26 by
popupcamper
....cost almost $18,000 more. That's over $1,000 a year to have direct benefits. You almost certainly won't make that money back in direct perks. If you want a 2042 contract I highly recommend resale. Here's a great resource from DVC Fan.
11:37am on 6/18/26 by
popupcamper
https://forums.dvcfan.com/ DVC Tools on the left then DVC Price Comparison. To be fair they are sponsored by DVC Resale Market but I do think they do a fair job of being transparent about when direct makes sense.
11:38am on 6/18/26 by
popupcamper
Yes @Ali if it is a new one (direct or resale). Resale (after CCV) you can only book where you buy. If something happens and you have to cancel, if there are no new rooms available before the points expire, you lose that year's points.
11:40am on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
11:43am on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
Oh yes @PT makes a good distinction. My answer was for direct. I just assumed that's what you were asking about.
11:44am on 6/18/26 by
popupcamper
Restricted direct can book anywhere but value is less if you decide to sell.
11:44am on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
So if we buy resale first and then add on a direct at some point, what is the minimum points to get direct benefits? I already get an AP and have Disney Visa discounts, so it would just be so I could see TotWL one day!
11:54am on 6/18/26 by
MicheleandtheBeast
You need 150 for direct benefits, today. That may increase.
11:57am on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
It's currently at 150 points @Michele.
11:57am on 6/18/26 by
popupcamper
You can do that 150 in smaller chunks (50 at a time) if you already have a resale contract BUT you would loose direct incentives that often come with 100 or more points.
12:04pm on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
I don't think even the biggest TotWL fan would advise buying direct just to get in. ;). Esp if you are thinking of one of the "early" expire places you might want to look harder at resale. Maybe calculate how much of a discount you'd get in your annual
12:34pm on 6/18/26 by
evamarie320
passes. Two of those discounted every year for next 15 yrs bec you buy direct may make direct a decent deal.
12:35pm on 6/18/26 by
evamarie320
Yes, my Sorcerer pass renewal has been under 1k (usually). Membership magic with discounted 1 time points and other benefits. DVC discount in resort store (does AP discount work on toothpaste?).
12:40pm on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
Why would you buy DVC for TotWL access? Just stay on rented points and head on up
1:24pm on 6/18/26 by
Fatty McButterpants
:-)
1:33pm on 6/18/26 by
TumbleMonkeys
I will go whenever you go a @Fatty! And of course resale is the smart choice. I will continue the research.
2:29pm on 6/18/26 by
MicheleandtheBeast
@popup, thanks for the resource. It is great and I hadn't seen it yet.
2:33pm on 6/18/26 by
MicheleandtheBeast
Both direct and resale are smart choices when it comes to DVC. Probably the only timeshare in existence that holds its value or increases and has a robust resale market. But do the math to decide if resale or direct is best for you.
2:36pm on 6/18/26 by
evamarie320
I just discovered yesterday that the DVC chat bot is probably the BEST in the business. I asked for a comparison quote for AKL and it was answered in seconds AND sent to my email.
2:46pm on 6/18/26 by
Ali Ababwa
What @evamarie stated. I listed pros and cons of both and then asked myself what was most important for my family. Since we live in NH, access to lounges, Moonlight Magic, and APs weren't high on our list of importance. Staying at original 15 resorts was.
3:36pm on 6/18/26 by
allanmayo
If I was buying today, especially CCV or before resort, I would definitely buy resale. My DS likes the direct points for the flexibility to book anywhere but our direct points were purchased years ago and BWV will expire soon.
3:47pm on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
One quick point on buying direct for a restricted resort. At one point there will be a big enough body of resale owners that MUST book at 11most and cant switch out at 7mos. So 11 mo booking will get tighter. I often wait to book at 7 mos bec i know i
5:43pm on 6/18/26 by
Totsypooh
Dont want to stay at my home resort. So if you can book at 11mos always thats fine but booking less than 11 mos out might become increasingly challenging
5:44pm on 6/18/26 by
Totsypooh
For me the main benefit of direct points is access to future resorts (avoiding the 2042 cliff) and AP discount. Member magic beyond has also been super valuable. We love the lounges, the OTU points pays for itself. And photopass.
5:46pm on 6/18/26 by
Totsypooh
We also lucked out with timing as far as moonlight magic and other special member events. My favorite was the Disney cookbook launch / author signing and fireworks dessert party at Epcot. Sooo fun.
5:47pm on 6/18/26 by
Totsypooh
I agree. DVC discount on resort store groceries often beats out inflated Publix delivery prices.
5:49pm on 6/18/26 by
Totsypooh
For those with access: do you use the DVC lounges?
1. Top of the World Lounge
2. ImaginAtrium
3. McKim's Mile House
4. Gateway to Discovery
6:18pm on 6/18/26 by
Ali Ababwa
Imagination is the only one we've used. We don't go to Disney springs, haven't been outside of the parks at night when staying at a MK resort for the TOTWL, haven't wanted to wait in MK even though I'm MMB still had waits 3 times we asked.
6:31pm on 6/18/26 by
popupcamper
I have not been to the DS lounge but I have been to all others. I tend to stop into the EP lounge every EP day. I like TotW but prefer fireworks views from other locations.
6:32pm on 6/18/26 by
PrincipalTinker
@ali, how does one access the DVC chatbot you raved about?
7:16pm on 6/18/26 by
evamarie320
I think it's an actual human, but you never know. It's just the chat function on the Disney DVC home page, try it and see! Not sure if it's only business hours.
7:37pm on 6/18/26 by
Ali Ababwa