DVC Right of First Refusal Report (ROFR): January 2025

Grand Californian

DVC Exercises Right of First Refusal (ROFR)

Year-to-date (YTD), Disney has exercised their right of first refusal (ROFR) on 9 Disney Vacation Club (DVC) contract, and DVC Resale Market (DVCRM) has sold 462, resulting in a 1.9% buyback rate (Contracts Bought Back in 2025/Contracts Sold in 2025). The 2025 waiver rate is 98.1%.

Key ROFR Updates

I think the ROFR gods mainly just wanted to see if I remembered how to edit my spreadsheets this month because the buyback of Grand Californian threw us all for a loop!

On the whole, January 2025 marked the most ambitious start to the year for ROFR buybacks since 2022. Disney is continuing to use ROFR strategically, taking contracts where it best serves their needs. But let’s be honest—while there was a solid amount of buyback activity across multiple resorts, all anyone wants to talk about is Grand Californian.

Grand Californian Buyback: A Fluke or a Wake-Up Call?

So, let’s get into it—Grand Californian got ROFR’d.

  • Was it a fluke?
  • Was it a one-off?
  • Or, as Roz from Monsters, Inc. would say, is Disney “Always Watching”?

As funny as it sounds, I personally like to think it’s the latter—and as a Grand Californian owner, I kind of hope so.

Amy and I bought our Grand Californian contract back in 2022 at $299 per point via resale. Since then, we’ve watched its resale value drop dramatically, something I never thought I’d see happen at one of the most exclusive resorts in the DVC portfolio. But now, this 210-point contract was bought back at $221 per point, and I can’t help but wonder—is DVC finally stepping in to stop the slide?

If so, this could be a major moment for Grand Californian owners who have been watching their resale values sink. Maybe this is a reminder that Disney will intervene when needed to maintain the prestige and value of their most coveted properties.


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 January 2024 to January 2025:

Jan. ’24 Feb. ’24 Mar. ’24 Apr. ’24 May ’24 June ’24 July ’24 Aug. ’24 Sept. ’24 Oct. ’24 Nov. ’24 Dec. ’24 Jan. ’25 Highest 
Animal Kingdom n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a $100 $103 $130 $120 $90 $138 $138
Old Key West n/a n/a n/a n/a $75 $78 $80 $78 $78 $89 n/a $82 $73 $89
Grand Floridian  $137 $148 n/a n/a $144 $148 $145 n/a n/a $145 n/a n/a $131 $148
Grand Californian n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a $221 $221
Polynesian n/a n/a $135 $144 $162 n/a $154 $154 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a $162

*n/a: no buybacks for that resort for that month. Also, no buybacks of Aulani, Bay Lake Tower, BoardWalk, Beach Club, Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek, Hilton Head, Riviera Resort, Saratoga Springs, and Vero Beach in rolling calendar year.

Disney Vacation Club Resort Resale Contracts Bought Back in 2025

The graph below shows the total amount of buybacks at each DVC resort for contracts sold by DVC Resale Market in 2025:

Number of ROFR Contracts YTD - January 2025

Average Right of First Refusal (ROFR) Timeframe for January 2025

In our continuous effort to provide transparent and useful insights to our clients at DVC Resale Market, we have compiled data to establish an average timeframe for contracts to pass through the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) process. It is important to understand that this duration is an average, indicating that some contracts may be processed more quickly while others might take a longer period. Keep in mind that various factors can influence these timeframes, and this average serves as a general benchmark for your expectations when navigating the ROFR process with us.

Buy Back Rates for Disney Vacation Club Resorts in 2025

The table below shows the percentage of buybacks for the resorts that have had at least one contract bought back in 2025. Note, there have been no buybacks of the following resorts in 2025: Aulani, Polynesian, Riviera Resort, Bay Lake Tower, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek, Disneyland Hotel, Saratoga Springs, Vero Beach, and Hilton Head.

Resort Buybacks Number Sold % Bought Back
Animal Kingdom 5 55 9.1%
Grand Californian 1 8 12.5%
Grand Floridian 2 31 6.5%
Old Key West 1 33 3.0%

 

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

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