Buying DVC Resale: A Balanced Look at the Pros and Cons
Buying a Disney Vacation Club membership through the resale market is a legitimate and popular choice for buyers who want the DVC experience without paying what Disney charges for new memberships. But like any major purchase decision, it comes with genuine advantages and real tradeoffs. This page gives you an honest look at both sides so you can decide whether the resale route is right for your situation.
There is no single right answer here. What makes resale a great choice for one family might not work as well for another. The goal is to give you the information you need to evaluate the decision clearly.
If you want to see what is currently available, browse current DVC resale listings to get a feel for the market.
The Pros of Buying DVC Resale
Lower Purchase Price Per Point
This is the primary reason most buyers choose resale. DVC contracts on the secondary market consistently sell below what Disney charges for new memberships. The exact discount depends on the resort, the market conditions, and the specific contract, but the savings are real and can be substantial.
On a 150-point contract, the difference between a resale price and Disney's current retail price can add up to several thousand dollars. On larger contracts, the gap widens further. For buyers who do not need the extra perks that come only with a direct purchase, that is money that stays in your pocket.
You can see exactly what Disney charges for new contracts at the DVC Retail Prices page and compare it directly to current resale listings.
Same Core Booking Experience
Resale owners book DVC resort villas the same way direct buyers do. You use the Disney Vacation Club reservation system, you call Member Services or book online, and you have access to the same inventory of DVC resort rooms. The 11-month Home Resort booking window works the same way. The 7-month window for non-home resorts is the same. Banking and borrowing points works the same.
For most families, this is the complete DVC experience. They purchased DVC to stay in beautiful deluxe villas at Disney resort properties, and resale delivers that completely.
No Buyer Commission at DVC Sales
When you purchase through DVC Sales, you pay no buyer commission. The seller pays the 6.9% commission. Your costs as a buyer are limited to the contract price, closing costs, and the $500 Disney Administration Fee.
Existing Resorts with Proven Track Records
Resale inventory spans all the established DVC resorts, including properties that have been operating for decades. You know exactly what you are getting. The resort exists, the rooms are built, the experience is documented by thousands of owners and guests. There is no uncertainty about whether the property will be as good as a sales presentation made it sound.
Faster Equity Position
Because you paid less per point, your breakeven on value is faster. If you ever decide to sell, you are starting from a lower cost basis, which means you are less likely to take a significant loss. Resale values for DVC contracts have historically held reasonably well compared to many vacation ownership products, and entering at a lower price per point reduces your downside exposure.
Flexible Options Across All Resorts
The resale market spans every established DVC resort, giving buyers real flexibility to choose the Home Resort that fits their vacation habits. Whether you want to be at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or Aulani in Hawaii, there are resale options at all of these locations. You can review all the resort options at the DVC Resorts page.
The Cons of Buying DVC Resale
Loss of Disney Collection Access
This is the most significant limitation of resale contracts purchased after January 2019. Resale buyers lose access to the "Disney Collection," which allows owners to use DVC points to book standard hotel rooms at non-DVC Disney properties. If you wanted to use your DVC points to stay at a regular hotel room at the Grand Floridian or book a Disney Cruise Line voyage using points, that option is not available with a post-2019 resale contract.
For many buyers, this never mattered. They purchased DVC specifically to stay in DVC villas, and the Disney Collection perks were always a secondary consideration. But if using your points across all Disney properties, including non-DVC hotels, is something you specifically want to do, you need to buy direct.
No Disney In-House Financing
Disney offers financing for direct purchases through their own lending program. Resale purchases are not eligible. Third-party lenders who specialize in vacation ownership loans do exist, but their rates are typically higher than Disney's promotional financing. If financing is important to you and you qualify for Disney's program, that is a meaningful advantage to a direct purchase. More about third-party financing options is at the DVC Financing page.
Newer Resorts May Only Be Available Direct
Disney sometimes makes newly developed resorts available exclusively through direct purchases for a period of time after opening. If you specifically want to own at the newest resort that just came online, resale may not be an option yet. The secondary market typically develops for any resort once existing owners decide to sell, but that can take time.
ROFR Risk
Disney has a Right of First Refusal on every resale transaction. They can choose to buy any contract at the agreed price rather than letting the sale proceed to the outside buyer. This adds about 30 days to the transaction timeline and introduces some uncertainty. Most deals pass through ROFR without issue, but occasionally Disney exercises this right, particularly when market prices fall below their expectations. If your deal is taken by ROFR, you need to start over.
Longer Transaction Timeline
The resale process takes longer than walking into a Disney sales center and signing up for a new membership. From accepted offer to active membership, expect 60 to 90 days, largely because of the ROFR review period and the transfer processing time. If you want to use your points for a trip that is coming up in the next few months, a resale purchase might not get you booking access in time.
Due Diligence Required
Buying resale requires more homework than buying direct. You need to understand point availability, use years, deed terms, and annual dues. You need to compare contracts on a per-point basis and understand how the ROFR process works. None of this is extraordinarily complicated, but it is more involved than the Disney direct process where everything is standardized.
Honest Summary: Who Should Buy Resale?
Resale makes the most sense for buyers who:
- Want to stay in DVC villas and do not have strong interest in the Disney Collection non-villa booking perks
- Have time in their timeline for the 60 to 90 day closing process
- Want the best price per point and are willing to do the research to find it
- Do not need Disney's in-house financing or qualify for better rates through other sources
- Are not specifically targeting a brand-new resort that is not yet on the resale market
Direct makes more sense for buyers who:
- Specifically want the Disney Collection perks, including non-DVC Disney hotel bookings
- Want Disney's financing program
- Are interested in a newly opened resort only available direct
- Want the simplest possible purchasing process without secondary market research
For many families, the resale math is compelling. But it is a real decision with real tradeoffs, and you should make it with full information about both sides.
Annual dues are an ongoing cost on any DVC contract. Check current rates at the DVC Annual Dues page before finalizing your evaluation of any specific contract.
And if you have questions about what the resale process actually looks like in practice, the DVC Sales team is available seven days a week to walk you through it with no pressure and no obligation.
