DVC Right of First Refusal Report (ROFR): August 2023

DVC Exercises Right of First Refusal (ROFR)

Year-to-date (YTD), Disney has exercised their right of first refusal (ROFR) on 7 Disney Vacation Club (DVC) contracts, and DVC Resale Market (DVCRM) has sold 3,347, resulting in a 0.2% buyback rate (Contracts Bought Back in 2023/Contracts Sold in 2023). The 2023 waiver rate is 99.8%.

Key ROFR Updates

August 2023 marked a notable shift in the DVC landscape, with the first Right of First Refusal (ROFR) activity recorded in seven months. In an unexpected move, the Disney Vacation Club bought back three contracts, sparking a flurry of speculation and curiosity among DVC members and prospective buyers. We highlighted these updates in a mid-month ROFR Report blog that you will definitely want to go back and read if you missed it!

This sudden resurgence of ROFR buybacks, however, came to a halt as quickly as it started. After the initial three contract buybacks in early August, no further ROFR activities were observed for the remainder of the month. This has left many in the DVC community wondering about the motivations behind these specific buybacks and their implications for future trends.

One of the most notable purchases was a contract for the Grand Floridian Villas – currently an actively selling direct resort with Disney Vacation Club. With DVC recently announcing that prices are set to rise for the Grand Floridian, this buyback has undoubtedly caught the attention of many

Why did the Disney Vacation Club decide to buy back the Grand Floridian contract at this particular time? As speculated in our latest episode of The DVC Show, one potential reason could be Disney’s strategy to control inventory and influence sales as the Grand Floridian gets closer to selling out of direct points later this year. However, this remains purely speculative, and only time will reveal Disney Vacation Club’s true intentions.

Looking ahead, the key question on everyone’s mind is, “Will DVC restart the ROFR engine as they enter their first fiscal quarter of 2024?” Disney’s fiscal year begins October 1st and usually triggers some interesting activity. These recent ROFR buybacks certainly add an interesting twist to the DVC narrative, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on developments in the coming months.

What is Right of First Refusal (ROFR)?

For those new to the concept, Right of First Refusal is the option Disney Vacation Club has to purchase any resale contract after a sales price has been agreed upon, and the contract has been executed. Each contract must be forwarded to DVC for review.

DVC typically takes no more than 30 days to review the contract. At their discretion, Disney may step in and purchase the property themselves at the terms agreed upon by the seller and original buyer. DVC then becomes the buyer, and the purchase is complete. Once DVC is the buyer there is not an opportunity to come back with a better offer in hopes of still purchasing the contract.

Highest Monthly Buy Back Numbers by DVC Resort

Highest Buyback Price Per Point by Resort from August 2022 to August 2023:

Disney Vacation Club Resort Resale Contracts Bought Back in 2023

The graph below shows the total amount of buybacks at each DVC resort for contracts sold by DVC Resale Market in 2023:

Buy Back Rates for Disney Vacation Club Resorts in 2023

The table below shows the percentage of buybacks for the resorts that have had at least one contract bought back in 2023. Note, there have been no buybacks of the following resorts in 2023: Aulani, Grand Californian, Riviera Resort, Polynesian, Bay Lake Tower, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Boulder Ridge, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Vero Beach, and Hilton Head.

Access all DVC resale listings and learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.