DVC Resale vs. Purchasing Direct from Disney: A 2026 Price Comparison

If you've been researching Disney Vacation Club, you've probably noticed two very different price tags floating around. Disney sells DVC points directly through their sales centers at retail prices, and licensed real estate brokerages like DVC Sales offer resale contracts from existing owners at significantly lower prices. The difference between those two numbers can be tens of thousands of dollars on the same resort, the same room category, and the same vacation experience.

So what's really going on here? And what, if anything, do you lose by going resale?

Let's walk through the actual 2026 numbers.

What Disney Charges for DVC Points in 2026

Disney sets retail prices for each resort, and those prices have climbed steadily over the years. Here's what you'd pay per point if you walked into a Disney sales center today:

• Vero Beach Resort: $150 per point
• Hilton Head Island Resort: $165 per point
• Saratoga Springs Resort: $205 per point
• Old Key West Resort: $205 per point
• Animal Kingdom Villas: $210 per point
• Boulder Ridge Villas: $215 per point
• Grand Floridian Resort: $230 per point
• BoardWalk Villas: $240 per point
• Disney's Riviera Resort: $243 per point
• Polynesian Villas: $243 per point
• Aulani Resort (Hawaii): $243 per point
• Disneyland Hotel: $248 per point
• Copper Creek Villas: $250 per point
• Beach Club Villas: $275 per point
• Bay Lake Tower: $275 per point
• Grand Californian Hotel: $310 per point

For a typical contract of 150 points, you're looking at anywhere from $22,500 at Vero Beach to $46,500 at the Grand Californian. That's a real chunk of money, and it doesn't include the annual dues you'll pay every year to maintain your membership.

You can view a complete breakdown of current retail pricing on our DVC Retail Prices page.

What Resale Contracts Actually Cost

The resale market works the same way as any real estate transaction. An existing DVC owner decides to sell their contract, lists it with a licensed brokerage, and a buyer purchases it at market price. That market price is almost always well below what Disney charges at retail.

How much below? It depends on the resort, but savings of 40% to 60% are common on the older Walt Disney World properties. Even the newer, more popular resorts typically trade at 20% to 35% below retail. For a family purchasing 200 points, the difference between retail and resale can easily reach $20,000 to $40,000.

Those savings are real. They go straight back into your pocket, or into your vacation fund, or into the college savings account you've been meaning to start.

The reason resale prices are lower than retail is straightforward. Disney's retail price includes their sales and marketing costs, the guided tour experience, and the premium that comes with purchasing a brand new product directly from the manufacturer. On the resale market, you're purchasing the same underlying real estate interest from another owner who simply doesn't need it anymore. The product itself is identical. The packaging is different.

Same Points, Same Rooms, Same Resorts

This is the part that surprises most people. A DVC point purchased on the resale market works exactly the same as a point purchased directly from Disney. One point is one point. It books the same rooms at the same resorts on the same calendar.

If you're not familiar with how DVC works, here's the short version. You own a set number of points at a "home" resort. Those points refresh every year on your use year anniversary. You spend those points to book rooms across the DVC system, with different room types and seasons costing different point amounts.

Your home resort advantage is a booking window. At your home resort, you can book stays up to 11 months in advance. At any other DVC resort, you can book starting at 7 months out. That 11 month window is valuable for high demand dates and room types, and it works identically whether you purchased your contract from Disney or from a resale brokerage.

The rooms themselves are the same. A one bedroom villa at the Polynesian is a one bedroom villa at the Polynesian, regardless of how you acquired your points. The front desk doesn't know and doesn't care. Your reservation looks the same in the system.

Annual dues are the same too. Every owner at a given resort pays the same per point maintenance fee, whether they purchased at retail or resale. For reference, here are the 2026 annual dues across the DVC system:

• Grand Floridian: $8.31 per point
• Polynesian: $8.33 per point
• Bay Lake Tower: $8.74 per point
• Copper Creek: $9.02 per point
• Saratoga Springs: $9.19 per point
• Riviera: $9.46 per point
• BoardWalk: $9.67 per point
• Boulder Ridge: $9.77 per point
• Beach Club: $9.81 per point
• Animal Kingdom: $10.16 per point
• Disneyland Hotel: $10.54 per point
• Aulani: $10.96 per point
• Old Key West: $11.21 per point
• Cabins at Fort Wilderness: $12.28 per point
• Hilton Head: $12.86 per point
• Vero Beach: $14.89 per point

You can find a more detailed annual dues breakdown on our DVC Annual Dues page, including historical trends and how dues factor into the overall cost of ownership.

The One Resort Where Resale Is Different

There is one significant exception to the "same points, same access" rule, and it's important to understand before you make a decision.

Disney's Riviera Resort, which opened in 2019, was the first DVC property sold under a modified resale policy. If you purchase a Riviera contract on the resale market, you can only book stays at Riviera. You cannot use those points to book at other DVC resorts through the standard exchange system.

This is a meaningful restriction. For buyers who love Riviera and plan to vacation there every year, it may not matter much. But for families who want flexibility to bounce between the Polynesian one year and Beach Club the next, a resale Riviera contract doesn't offer that.

For every other DVC resort in the system, resale contracts carry full booking rights across all DVC properties. A resale contract at Saratoga Springs, for example, can book at Bay Lake Tower, the Grand Floridian, Aulani, or any other resort in the DVC network at the 7 month window. And at Saratoga Springs itself, you still get the full 11 month home resort booking advantage.

This distinction matters because it directly affects the value proposition. If you're considering Riviera, purchasing direct from Disney gives you system wide booking access that you wouldn't get on resale. For all other resorts, the booking access is functionally identical.

What Direct Purchasers Get That Resale Purchasers Don't

Beyond the Riviera booking restriction, there are a few perks that Disney reserves for direct purchasers. These are worth knowing about, even if they don't change the math for most families.

Direct purchasers can access discounts on dining, merchandise, and recreation at Walt Disney World through a program Disney calls "Member Extras." These discounts change periodically and aren't guaranteed, but they can include things like 10% to 20% off at select restaurants and shops. They're a nice perk, though most members report using them only occasionally.

Direct purchasers also have access to certain exchange programs and special booking collections that Disney offers from time to time. These have included the ability to book rooms at non DVC Disney hotels using points, as well as occasional "adventures" and unique experiences.

Are these perks worth $20,000 to $40,000? For most families, the honest answer is no. The core value of DVC membership is the ability to book spacious villa accommodations at Disney resorts for decades, and that core value is identical on resale. The perks are extras, not essentials.

Running the Numbers on a Real Example

Let's look at a concrete comparison using one of the most popular DVC resorts: Saratoga Springs.

Disney's 2026 retail price for Saratoga Springs is $205 per point. A 200 point contract purchased directly from Disney would cost $41,000 before closing costs.

On the resale market, Saratoga Springs contracts regularly trade at prices well below that retail figure. The exact price depends on the contract details (use year, available points, loaded vs. stripped), but the savings are substantial. A purchaser who saves even 40% on a 200 point contract is keeping $16,400 in their pocket.

And here's what that purchaser gets for 40% less: the same 200 points per year, the same 11 month home resort booking window at Saratoga Springs, the same 7 month booking access to every other DVC resort, and the same annual dues of $9.19 per point.

The only things that purchaser doesn't get are the Member Extras discounts and a few special booking collections. For a family that vacations at Disney every year or two, those extras rarely add up to anything close to the amount saved on the purchase price.

The Closing Process: What to Expect

Purchasing a DVC resale contract is a real estate transaction, and it follows a structured process. After you find a contract you like, you make an offer, the seller accepts (or you negotiate), and then the contract goes through Disney's Right of First Refusal (ROFR) process. Disney has the option to step in and purchase the contract themselves at the agreed upon price. If Disney passes, the sale moves to closing.

The buyer pays a $500 Disney Administration Fee as part of the closing, and the seller pays a $150 Disney Estoppel Fee. These are standard costs on every DVC resale transaction and are set by Disney, not by the brokerage.

The entire process from accepted offer to closing typically takes 30 to 60 days, with the ROFR review accounting for most of that timeline. Once closing is complete, Disney transfers the contract into the buyer's name, and you're a DVC member with full access to the reservation system.

Brokerage commissions vary widely in the DVC resale market. The industry average sits around 9.5%, and that cost is typically paid by the seller, not the purchaser. At DVC Sales, our commission is 6.9%, which means sellers keep more of their sale price and contracts can often be listed at more competitive prices.

How to Think About the "Direct vs. Resale" Decision

This isn't a one size fits all answer. Some families genuinely benefit from purchasing direct, and others would be throwing money away by not going resale.

Purchasing direct from Disney makes sense if you specifically want the Riviera Resort and need the ability to book at other resorts. It also makes sense if the Member Extras perks are genuinely important to you, or if you want the experience of the Disney sales process and the ability to finance through Disney's own lending program.

Purchasing resale makes sense for everyone else. If you want any resort other than Riviera, the booking rights are the same. The rooms are the same. The annual dues are the same. And the purchase price is significantly lower.

Many experienced DVC members actually own a mix of direct and resale contracts. They might have purchased a small direct contract to access the Member Extras, and then added resale contracts for the bulk of their points. This "hybrid" approach gives them the perks they want at a fraction of the all direct cost.

A Word About "Loaded" Contracts

One advantage of purchasing on the resale market is the ability to find "loaded" contracts. A loaded contract is one where the seller hasn't used some or all of the current year's points, meaning the buyer inherits those points at closing.

This can be a significant bonus. If you purchase a loaded 200 point contract and receive the current year's 200 points, you effectively have 400 points available in your first year of ownership. That's enough for a very generous DVC vacation right out of the gate.

When purchasing direct from Disney, your first year's points are prorated based on when you close, and you don't get the same kind of windfall. This is another area where the resale market can offer real value beyond just the lower purchase price.

You can browse currently available contracts, including loaded options, on our resale listings page.

Annual Dues: The Ongoing Cost That's Identical Either Way

Regardless of how you purchase your DVC membership, you'll pay annual maintenance fees (called annual dues) every year. These cover the resort's operating costs, property taxes, insurance, and reserve funds for future refurbishments.

Annual dues are the same for every owner at a given resort. Disney doesn't charge resale owners more or direct purchasers less. A point is a point, and the maintenance obligation is shared equally.

Dues do increase over time, generally tracking with inflation and the cost of maintaining world class resort properties. When comparing resorts, the dues per point should factor into your decision alongside the purchase price. A resort with a lower purchase price but higher annual dues may not be the better deal over a 20 or 30 year ownership period.

For buyers who want to understand the full picture of DVC ownership costs, our market report tracks pricing trends, transaction volume, and other data points that help put these numbers in context.

Financing a Resale Purchase

Disney offers financing directly to retail purchasers, which is convenient but comes at interest rates that are typically higher than what you'd find through a third party lender.

Resale purchases can also be financed. Several lenders specialize in DVC timeshare loans, and interest rates vary. Some buyers choose to pay cash for smaller contracts and finance larger ones. Others use home equity lines of credit or personal loans with lower rates than dedicated timeshare financing.

If you're considering financing your resale purchase, we have information about available options on our DVC financing page.

The Bottom Line

For the vast majority of families interested in DVC, purchasing on the resale market delivers the same vacation experience at a meaningfully lower cost. You get the same points, the same rooms, the same home resort booking advantage, and the same annual dues. The savings can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, money that can go toward actual vacations instead of a higher purchase price.

The exceptions are narrow. If Riviera is your must have resort and you need system wide booking access, purchasing direct is the way to go. And if the Member Extras discounts are genuinely valuable to your family's travel habits, a small direct contract might be worth considering alongside a larger resale position.

But for the family that wants to stay in a spacious two bedroom villa at the Polynesian, or a studio at Bay Lake Tower with views of the Magic Kingdom, or a one bedroom at Beach Club steps from Epcot, the resale market offers the same experience for a fraction of the retail price. That's not a gimmick or a loophole. It's just how real estate works.

DVC Sales has closed over 10,000 contracts in more than 25 years of operation. If you have questions about whether resale is the right fit for your family, our team is here to help you work through the numbers and find a contract that matches your vacation goals.