Purchase the 25 as insurance plan?

PSUDinsey

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
little about me first- 160 pts at Aulani resale after the cut off. Myself, wife and soon to be 6 year old. I bought at Aulani because well I love it and also because I found a subsidized contract. We travel to wdw every other year and perfer to use the points at whatever beach resort we can find any opening at. We also own at bluetree in lake buena vista. I don’t really need more points at this time nor have I missed the perks. However, I know I will not buy 75 or more direct in the future. Do I buy the 25 now as more of a just in case?
 
It wouldn’t even be for Aps necessarily but yes maybe some years Ap. I was thinking any random features Disney may add to the direct program.
 
Only if I thought I would need 25 more points and only if I could get them at Aulani, where I already own.
 


little about me first- 160 pts at Aulani resale after the cut off. Myself, wife and soon to be 6 year old. I bought at Aulani because well I love it and also because I found a subsidized contract. We travel to wdw every other year and perfer to use the points at whatever beach resort we can find any opening at. We also own at bluetree in lake buena vista. I don’t really need more points at this time nor have I missed the perks. However, I know I will not buy 75 or more direct in the future. Do I buy the 25 now as more of a just in case?

Since the title of your thread did include the term "insurance", I will look at it in that light. If you consider your upfront cost & annual dues strictly as insurance premiums for potential benefits that you might get in the future, it's not a bad hedge. I think the cost comes out to be about $400 a year (assuming 30-year term). After all, most of us do buy insurance policies for various different things and hope to never use it. Actually, this is in some ways better than other insurance in that you will at least have 25 DVC points to enjoy annually even if you don't end up getting any meaning extra benefits. Plus, you might even be able to recoup some of the cost should you decide to sell before the contract ends.

For the record, I am in a very similar situation as you, but have opted not to buy this "coverage."

LAX
 


Insurance about random marketing spend that can and will be removed depending on policy and the ability to sell more new timeshare, is extremely speculative insurance. Normally you insure against an event you know could happen, and if it does happen, what it could cost you.
Here you are suggesting insuring against an event you don't know about, and do not know the cost of.
However there is also a peace of mind element to this emotional purchase.
 
I would (and did) for one basic reason. After spending a huge amount of money resale (300 points) I could not stand the idea that I would be a 2nd class DVC citizen. As small as the Epcot lounge, member events, AP discounts and the blue card in general seem to some people, my thought was that if I’m going to spend this much to vacation for the next 30 plus years I would be crazy not to spend a little more and have a full blown membership with EVERY perk possible. More of a peace of mind decision than a financial one but now with the price increases it wasn’t a bad deal dollars wise either.
 
I would (and did) for one basic reason. After spending a huge amount of money resale (300 points) I could not stand the idea that I would be a 2nd class DVC citizen. As small as the Epcot lounge, member events, AP discounts and the blue card in general seem to some people, my thought was that if I’m going to spend this much to vacation for the next 30 plus years I would be crazy not to spend a little more and have a full blown membership with EVERY perk possible. More of a peace of mind decision than a financial one but now with the price increases it wasn’t a bad deal dollars wise either.

Whilst you fell for the psychological pressure, it's not a bad decision and you won't regret it.
 
Psychological pressure played no role whatsoever but thank you for your approval Dr.Freud. More importantly I realized that my needs may change in the future and it might be short sighted to eliminate myself from any future possible perks when the buy in was only 25 points. As the original poster referred to it, it is insurance, and a rare policy that you can have, use for 10 years and sell for a profit.
 
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DVD created these extra "perks" to attract new buyers and now to get resale buyers to buy direct to get the "perks". Many of the perks are window dressing and/or you may never use them. In addition these marketing perks are not contractual, when DVD decides that the perks have accomplished their job, they will change or disappear. Like most things Disney, they offer a good deal in the beginning and then raise the cost while removing elements. I expect DVD to do the same, the question is, when and what.

:earsboy: Bill

 
Psychological pressure played no role whatsoever but thank you for your approval Dr.Freud. More importantly I realized that my needs may change in the future and it might be short sighted to eliminate myself from any future possible perks when the buy in was only 25 points. As the original poster referred to it, it is insurance.
Sorry I wasn't trying to be rude. I do think psychological pressure plays a role. You said you had bought because you didn't want to feel like a second class DVC owner. Surely thats the psychological pressure they want to apply- making us resale buyers feel second class. I felt it myself when I went for a 25 pointer albeit I really bought as I needed the points. I'm quite happy to admit it.
 
No worries. The real psychological pressure that indirectly set in for me was add-onitis. The points were not just for the perks, they will get used and I added at Poly which we LOVE! So I feel we payed a little extra (direct pricing) for points we’ll use at a place we love and got locked into member benefits as a bonus.
 
I briefly thought about buying more because my "qualifying contract" is a 2042 exp. But I don't even know how they'll work that (if I did an add-on somewhere with a later exp). They may disqualify when the master contract ends anyway, so...... future problem I guess.
 
DVD created these extra "perks" to attract new buyers and now to get resale buyers to buy direct to get the "perks". Many of the perks are window dressing and/or you may never use them. In addition these marketing perks are not contractual, when DVD decides that the perks have accomplished their job, they will change or disappear. Like most things Disney, they offer a good deal in the beginning and then raise the cost while removing elements. I expect DVD to do the same, the question is, when and what.

:earsboy: Bill

I initially bought into DVC (resale, of course) for what it is (deluxe accommodations at affordable costs) and never really cared for any perks that might be offered (primarily can't take advantage of any of them). That's why I haven't bothered with a 25-point add-on since my purchase more than a year ago (but after the resale restriction). I did crunch some numbers shortly after I closed to see if it would make any financial sense (for my family), but I couldn't make them to work. Hence, if I couldn't make them work back then, I sure won't be able to make them work after the price increase. I supposed if DVD ever enhances the perks to something that I wish I have access to, I would still have the consolation of a few extra grands of cash in my bank account!

LAX
 
This insurance may seem expensive now. But if your travel plans change and you may possibly take advantage of benefits (including AP, merchandise, and dining discounts, and access to the member cruises, which you can pay for in cash, and other member events) in the future, and you can afford it, then why not?

And, now that it looks like Disney has a perpetual plan to continue building and selling DVC for the foreseeable future, they will highly likely continue to offer incentives or benefits for direct buyers to help push sales. So, your insurance will, in all likelihood, provide benefits (many new ones yet to be seen) for many years to come.
 
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This insurance may seem expensive now. But if your travel plans change and you may possibly take advantage of benefits (including AP, merchandise, and dining discounts, and access to the member cruises, which you can pay for in cash, and other member events) in the future, and you can afford it, then why not?

And, now that it's looks like Disney has a perpetual plan to continue building and selling DVC for the foreseeable future, they will highly likely continue to offer incentives or benefits for direct buyers to help push sales. So, your insurance will, in all likelihood, provide benefits (many new ones yet to be seen) for many years to come.

Call me crazy but this is actually my thinking on perks, too. As the push comes to market new resorts, the divide between direct and resale will widen to make that huge direct buy in more appealing.

Now mind you, I bought SSR direct when it was the "new" resort and bought direct again when I wanted a small add on to match a use year. But I have also bought and sold resale and been very happy. I don't buy for the perks, I buy for the accommodations. On the other hand, I have been able to take advantage of ticket promotions, discounts and special events that I would not have been eligible for without the direct contract. Epcot lounge, meh, it's OK but nothing special.

If they suddenly stopped the perks today, I'd be fine with that... but my take is that this won't happen. So I'll go against the flow and say if you can, buy the 25 pts for insurance on what may come in the future.

And for the record, I really couldn't give a rat's behind about being in a "club" LOL Maybe it's my age speaking but the whole concept just sounds so incredibly juvenile. I do, though, love the idea that because of my membership, I can plan to go to Moonlight Magic at Epcot in August. :teeth:
 
And for the record, I really couldn't give a rat's behind about being in a "club" LOL Maybe it's my age speaking but the whole concept just sounds so incredibly juvenile. I do, though, love the idea that because of my membership, I can plan to go to Moonlight Magic at Epcot in August. :teeth:

You can only do that as a club member, though, so you must care at least a little about being in the club.
 
You can only do that as a club member, though, so you must care at least a little about being in the club.

Nope, you'd need to know me though... the "club" idea as it is bandied about here I find hilarious. It's a Disney marketing ploy that I guess appeals to people who want to be a part of what they paint as "exclusive". Look at me, I'm special!

Moonlight Magic is an additional benefit of a timeshare that I bought in 2005 solely for future accommodations. Didn't even consider that I was buying anything else, didn't think about resale value, etc. Disney's marketing strategy has worked to my benefit... certainly not part of my plan. As an old f*rt, I loved the Downtown Disney location and wanted SSR... that was what they were selling so I bought it. Hard to believe, but it was years and years before Disney made any distinction between direct and resale... so frankly, the thought really never crossed my mind. I will say, however, that I thought that if price per point ever got over $100, people would stop buying... just goes to show what I know! LOL
 

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