Photo by Disney
Effective April 4, 2016, Disney Vacation Club owners purchasing their points via the resale market will no longer be eligible for member discount programs. On the member website, a notice states, “Members who do not purchase their ownership interest directly from Disney Vacation Club will not have access to other Membership Extras, such as exclusive Member experiences and discounts. We see this policy change as a very positive step to ensure that, going forward, our Members who purchase directly from Disney Vacation Club receive a premium advantage – in addition to all the magic that Disney has to offer.”
Some of these perks and discounts include member discounts on Annual Passes, single-day passes to Walt Disney World Resort water parks, merchandise discounts, discounts in restaurants, tour discounts, etc.
I am a DVC Member who purchased on the resale market last year. I am actually surprised they didn’t do this sooner. I think sales may have been harder to make especially with Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. With only studio villas and the very high-point-priced bungalows, there just wasn’t a good happy medium.
I can’t say I blame Disney for this move. It certainly makes more sense than other recent announcements. I’m not sure this would deter me from buying resale though. A lot of the same benefits you can still get from being an Annual Passholder. I purchased my Animal Kingdom Villa points for half of what Disney was selling points directly through Disney Vacation Club. That savings still makes it tough to buy direct. But I do know a lot of people who love the direct-sale benefits of using points for Disney Cruise Line and other places, regardless of the argument of whether it’s a “good use” of points.
I’m curious to see what the future holds for Disney, especially with the announcement that Tom Staggs is stepping down.
So what do you think? If given the choice would you choose Resale or Direct?
