According to DVCNews.com, a new ruling means that Disney Vacation Club members must purchase a minimum of 100 points direct from DVC in order to fully qualify for the club’s Membership Extras.
This news marks more than a huge 30% increase over the previous minimum purchase requirement of 75 points, which was put in place last year. This came from an even bigger jump from the original minimum of “only” 25 points, made effective from 2016. The most likely reason for this new demand looks like a further combat towards the high number of owners joining DVC by buying points from the resale market.
The new restriction will take effect from September 17th, and will effect all Membership Extras, which include discounts, access to lounges, special evening events, and more. From the membership website, the terms and conditions state:
Membership Extras, such as vacation options in the Disney and Concierge Collections, certain discounts, offers, and special events are incidental benefits. These incidental benefits are subject to change or termination without notice, may require the payment of a fee and cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. Membership Extras are also subject to availability and block-out dates may apply, including high periods of demand such as Christmas and New Year’s Day. To receive any Membership Extras, purchasers must present a valid Disney Vacation Club Membership Card along with a corresponding valid photo ID. Effective Sept. 17, 2019, to obtain a Disney Vacation Club Membership Card, Members must accumulate a total of at least 100 Vacation Points purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. Disney and Concierge Collections options are not available for ownership interests not purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. after March 21, 2011, and, effective April 4, 2016, Members who have not purchased an ownership interest directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. will not have access to Membership Extras.
Back in January, new limitations were placed on DVC owners who had joined via the resale market, meaning that the members were restricted to the original DVC resorts and couldn’t transfer points over to the upcoming Riviera Resort or Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Resort. It does seem to be less and less attractive to be purchasing resale points at this time, especially with all the new offerings and experiences coming to the Disney parks in the upcoming months.
What are your views on this matter? Do you buy resale points? Let us know!
I am conflicted on this one. On one hand, I don’t have a problem with it. You should have to go through proper channels (or at least set up channels) to benefit from something like this. My issue is the cost. For me DVC has always been the chicken or the egg. They keep building DVC buildings and increasing their pricing to pay for those buildings. And the constant addition of people without actually adding capacity all that much (a discussion for another thread – suffice to say, demo and replace is just not enough) is simply boggling to me.
DVC was already fairly unlikely for us, though it’s something we’ve toyed with. Not being able to enter via the resale market is pretty much the nail in the coffin for any chance of me becoming a DVC member.
It’s also not even just a matter of resale. If the resale market is less attractive, then the points straight from Disney are less attractive, because it’ll be harder to unload if circumstances change. It also shows that they’re willing to change the rules at any time and screw you over. Seems too risky to become a member now.
I have direct points and also resale. I still feel that people don’t need to be a disney direct dvc member. At least not yet. If you’re a serious disnerd you’re going multiple times a year. That means that you are going to get season passes. Passholders get the same discounts on food and merchandise that dvc members do. The only thing that really stands out are the lounges and the moonlight magic events. Those are nice but I don’t see them being worth an extra $9000. I understand that disney needs to make the direct points more attractive. I this they made a mistake with the Riviera resale restrictions. People like to know that they can easily sell a contract when the no longer want it. Why would I buy Riviera when it will be difficult to sell when I’m too old to go anymore.
One of the major selling points for new DVC memberships is the high resale value, unlike most time shares. New rules like this decrease the resale value, which over time makes selling DVC directly by Disney less desirable. Disney is becoming increasingly focused on their short-term benefits and ignoring the longer term. And frankly these recent changes are starting to resemble some sort of high-pressure sales tactics.
There appears to be a drop in park attendance in recent months and with the recent and announced cutbacks to park entertainers along with various new discounts and offsetting price increases Disney is starting to look desperate. Looks like Eisner wants to go out at a peak (which benefits his separation benefits). I’d hate to be the person following him.
Frankly it will be easy to follow Mr. Eisner. Rollback the tremendous increases in ticketing and resorts which inversely increase occupancy of the parks/resorts, CEO success. They’ve done this a few times in the past when offerings did not equate to actual values. Even tourist know when they are being taken for every penny. I believe Disney has temporarily completed the easy task of squeaking out quarterly profit increases for the last few years through closing perceived loopholes in almost every program, cutting employees, closing non-profitable resort options and increasing ticketing/resort pricing, they have wrung the dishtowel dry…
I’m a DVC member. I sold 250 of my Aulani points through the Timeshare Store to a SoCal couple. They didn’t mind not having the “extra” perks because resale is much cheaper. With the money I got from that, I bought directly from Disney, 100 points into Old Key West so now I have two contracts, 100 at Aulani still and 100 at OKW. I love being a DVC member. My only issue will be if they keep going up with their property dues each year in December. I’ve been a member since 2012 and the reason I sold my larger contract w/ Aulani was because of the expense of the dues. I can manage 100×2 w/ locations. They don’t talk much about the responsibility of dues after the purchase. They need to slow down a bit. If it continues to expand in that area, I will sell everything but so far, I’ve enjoyed being a member and I love going home!
Resale only on a trip by trip basis… getting into DVC last couple of years, and especially now, isn’t worth it. Crunched the numbers myself about a year ago at this point… I was trying to talk myself into it, its like that shiny thing “i want it”.. but came to my senses and moved along.
It really just makes me less attracted to disney .. sad to day.
I do not agree with Disney’s upping the points to 100 due to the fact that you can purchase enough points for a one week stay, in ten different, for less than 100 points. Even in their newest resort, The Riviera, they have rooms starting at 81 points for a one week stay and Animal Kingdom (which you can still buy direct through Disney) starts in the 60’s for a one week stay. So why make people buy more than they need? This is just Disney continuing to nickel and dime people to death. I am a DVC member and I love Disney, but honestly, I am begining to love it less and less. And DVC is truly beginning to loose it’s luster by continuously adding new rules. When is it going to stop?
As long as they are getting their “maintenance fee” paid annually the holder of the points should reap the benefits no matter how they obtained them! Technically they are DVC members!
It’s part of the continuing money grab from Disney especially that creep a Eiger. Walt is spinning in his grave Eiger is sucking dry the original meaning of Disney. Disney has become a big turn off for me. I guess I’m being a crabby old dude but been going there since it opened and it’s just not fun or worth it anymore.
I just bought 80 points from Disney 2 years ago and they are changing the rules to box me out already? I hope this doesn’t affect those of us who did just buy from Disney direct cause if it does I’m really going to be very upset!!!!
same here, I bought 75 two years ago.
Timeshare: Where you overpay for real estate you don’t own and someone else gets to make all of the decisions for you.
I do agree, that for the extra perks, you should buy from DVC. That being said, we have been on a wait list for Beach Club for almost 2 years, and finally last spring(being tired of waiting) bought them from the resale market. We Own other Properties, that we bought from DVC (360 points), But the resale was a lot easier, and cheaper too!! Since we have no interest in the upcoming resorts, we will probably just buy resale if we need more points.
When we originally bought in ’09, the minimum you could do for your first purchase was 160. I believe before that it was 210 at one point. The only thing the lower minimum purchase amount has done is make studio demand skyrocket – not many options out there if you only own 50 points.