How You Are Notified About Disney's ROFR Decision
After your DVC resale contract is submitted to Disney for their Right of First Refusal review, there is a waiting period of up to 30 days before you hear back. During that window, neither the buyer nor the seller can do much except wait. DVC Sales monitors every ROFR submission and notifies both parties as soon as Disney's decision is received. You do not need to contact Disney directly, check in with the title company, or follow up with us repeatedly. We handle the communication on your behalf and reach out the moment we have news.
How the Notification Works
When Disney makes their ROFR decision, that determination is communicated directly to DVC Sales. As soon as we receive it, we send an email to both the buyer and the seller with the outcome. You will also see the updated status reflected in your DVC Sales account dashboard under the transaction details for your specific contract.
Most ROFR decisions arrive within 20 to 28 days of submission. Some come earlier, particularly when Disney is processing a lighter volume of contracts. Others take the full 30 days. There is no way to predict with certainty when within that window your specific decision will arrive, and there is no mechanism for requesting an expedited review or checking on the status mid-review. The 30-day window is Disney's and they use it as they see fit.
If Disney Waives ROFR
The majority of DVC resale contracts pass through the ROFR period without Disney exercising their right. When Disney issues a waiver, the transaction moves immediately to the title company for closing. The title agent will contact both parties with the next steps, including any remaining documentation requirements and the expected closing timeline. From ROFR waiver to deed recording and ownership transfer, the closing process typically takes two to four weeks.
As a buyer, receiving the ROFR waiver notification is the moment you know the transaction is proceeding toward completion. There is nothing you need to do immediately except respond promptly when the title company reaches out with closing requirements. As a seller, the waiver means your proceeds are on the way. Cooperating quickly with title company requests during the closing phase is the best thing you can do to keep the process on schedule.
If Disney Exercises ROFR
Disney exercises ROFR on roughly 15 to 20 percent of contracts submitted to them. They tend to target contracts priced well below the current market rate for that resort, because exercising ROFR allows them to acquire inventory at below-market pricing. If your transaction was priced at or near fair market value, the odds of Disney stepping in are relatively low, though it is never zero.
When Disney exercises ROFR, they purchase the contract at the exact price the buyer and seller agreed to. For the seller, the financial outcome is identical: you receive the agreed sale price, paid by Disney instead of the original buyer. The sale completes, and your proceeds arrive through the normal closing process with Disney as the buyer.
For the original buyer, a ROFR exercise is a frustrating outcome but not a financially damaging one. Your deposit is held in escrow by the title company, and you receive a full refund when the ROFR exercise is confirmed. There is no penalty and no loss of funds. You are simply released from the agreement and free to pursue other listings.
What to Do While the ROFR Review Is in Progress
During the 30-day ROFR window, both parties should keep their contact information current in their DVC Sales accounts so they receive email notifications without delay. Beyond that, the main responsibilities are straightforward.
As a buyer, do not contact Disney about the contract. Disney does not discuss ROFR status with buyers or sellers directly. If you have questions about where the review stands, contact DVC Sales. Also avoid making major changes to any financing arrangements during this period if you are financing any portion of the purchase.
As a seller, do not make any new reservations using the points on the contract that is under review. The contract is effectively committed to the pending transaction from the moment the purchase agreement was signed. Using those points for new reservations during the ROFR period could create complications if the transaction moves to closing and the new reservation conflicts with the buyer's intended use of the points.
Why ROFR Exists and What It Means for Pricing
Disney has held the Right of First Refusal on DVC resale contracts since the program launched. It is a structural feature of DVC ownership written into every deed. Disney's motivation for exercising ROFR is to acquire resale inventory at below-market prices when the opportunity presents itself, which they can then re-sell at retail prices.
The practical implication for resale buyers and sellers is that contracts priced significantly below current market value carry higher ROFR risk than contracts priced at or near market. If a seller accepts a very low offer hoping to close quickly, they may find that Disney steps in and takes the contract at that price, leaving the original buyer without the contract they wanted.
This is one reason why competitive but not rock-bottom pricing tends to work better for both parties in DVC resale. The seller still gets a fair price. The buyer still gets a good deal relative to Disney's retail pricing. And the transaction moves through ROFR and into closing without Disney exercising their right. For a deeper explanation of how ROFR works and what factors influence Disney's decision-making, our how DVC works page covers this topic in full detail.
How ROFR Submission Documentation Works
When DVC Sales submits your contract to Disney for ROFR review, the submission includes the executed purchase agreement, proof of the escrow deposit, and the estoppel request. Disney reviews this package and verifies that the transaction meets their requirements before making their ROFR decision. Errors or omissions in the submission documentation can cause Disney to return the package for correction, which restarts the 30-day review clock. DVC Sales handles the submission process and reviews the package for accuracy before submitting, so this situation is uncommon in properly managed transactions.
The submission itself happens within a few business days of the executed agreement and deposit being received. DVC Sales confirms submission to both parties by email and updates your account dashboard to reflect the ROFR submission status. After that, the waiting period begins.
What Determines Disney's Decision
Disney does not publish a formal set of criteria for when they exercise ROFR. Based on patterns observed across thousands of DVC resale transactions, the primary driver appears to be price relative to current market value. Contracts priced well below what comparable contracts at the same resort are trading for draw Disney's attention. Contracts priced at or near market value typically do not.
Point count and resort also appear to factor in at times, though less predictably than price. Disney has periods where they seem more interested in accumulating inventory at specific resorts, and during those periods they may exercise ROFR at prices closer to market value than they would during other periods. There is no reliable way to predict these patterns, which is another reason why fair market pricing is the best strategy for both buyers and sellers.
The type of use year, the number of available points, and whether the contract includes banked points are also potentially relevant factors since they affect the value Disney would be acquiring. But these are secondary to price in most observed outcomes.
Common Misconceptions About ROFR
One misconception buyers sometimes have is that Disney being interested in a contract means there is something uniquely valuable about it that they should be excited about too. That is not quite right. Disney exercises ROFR on contracts they can acquire cheaply and resell at a higher price. A ROFR exercise is not a signal of exceptional quality. It is a signal that the agreed price was significantly below market value from Disney's perspective.
Another misconception is that ROFR is somehow negotiable or that buyers can ask Disney not to exercise it. Disney's ROFR right is written into every DVC deed and cannot be waived by any party to the resale transaction. It is not subject to negotiation. The only way to reduce ROFR risk is to make sure the agreed price is in a range that Disney does not find worth stepping in on.
A third misconception is that ROFR can be triggered multiple times on the same contract if it comes back to market. It can. Every DVC resale transaction goes through ROFR, including one that comes back to market after a prior buyer defaulted or a prior ROFR exercise put it back in circulation. There is no history attached to a contract that affects how Disney reviews it on a subsequent submission.
After the ROFR Decision Arrives
When you receive the ROFR notification from DVC Sales, the next steps depend on the outcome. If Disney waived ROFR, stay responsive to communications from the title company. That closing process moves at its own pace, and both parties being prompt with document requests and responses keeps it on track. If Disney exercised ROFR, contact DVC Sales to confirm your options as a buyer or the next steps as a seller.
For buyers who have just been through a ROFR exercise, browse the current active listings at the same resort to find comparable contracts that are ready to go. New listings come onto the market regularly, and a ROFR exercise does not mean the resort or point count you wanted is unavailable. It just means you need to find a different contract to target.
For sellers whose contract was purchased by Disney under ROFR, the financial outcome is the same as a normal sale. You receive the agreed price, paid through the title company, and the transaction completes. You are free to relist another contract if you choose, though most sellers in that situation simply bank the proceeds. The ROFR exercise is not a negative outcome for sellers, only for buyers who were counting on that specific contract.
Questions at any stage of the ROFR or closing process can be directed to our team through the contact page. We track every transaction from offer through deed recording and are available to help both buyers and sellers navigate the waiting and the process. You can also browse our active listings to see what is currently available across all DVC resorts.
