Resale vs Direct (Trips Every 3 Years)
I am planning to buy a contract and am debating whether to get an Aulani Resale (200) or a VDH Direct (150).
We are located in Southern California so go to Disneyland and Aulani more than WDW. This is what I would like to do:
Priority #1 Travel every 3 years to WDW or Aulani
Bonus - Birthday stay at VDH or GC
I am thinking that even with resale I could do a rent swap to stay at VDH. However, I just don’t know if the juice is worth the squeeze considering that VDH would give me access to all. I know the idea of more points sounds great, but the initial up front and dealing with dues makes it less inticing. Also more than likely we would be doing more Aulani trips than WDW.
What would you choose?
The initial upfront favors Aulani though right? I would start with the Aulani resale. If you are local and can be flexible you may be able to get the odd short stay at VGC which would be a huge bonus.
I'd be all in on the resale option there - your priority of WDW or Aulani means the points are just as flexible for WDW with the exception of Riviera and Cabins / Lakeshore leaving plenty to choose from. Aulani points will give you a much better chance at 11 months to get what you want, especially the less pricey categories to maximize your points. 50 extra points at more than $10K less up front is, well I was going to the cherry on top but it's basically like a whole second sundae!
Another factor - if things change for you 5-10 years out and DVC is no longer a good fit, I think you have a lot better recovery potential with Aulani points in terms of holding their value. You'd be buying at the current resale market price, whereas a direct purchase of VDH you'd be underwater right away - even with Visa savings and Magical beginnings you're over $200/pt vs resale that this site estimates at $150/pt.