What ROFR is, how often Disney takes contracts, how to price your offer to pass, and what happens if your contract gets taken.
Right of First Refusal is Disney's contractual option to step in and buy any resale contract at the exact price the buyer and seller agreed to. Once you sign a purchase agreement, the contract enters a 10-business-day ROFR window during which Disney reviews the offer. If Disney waives, the sale proceeds. If Disney exercises ROFR, they take the contract at the agreed price and your offer is dead — the broker refunds your deposit and you start over.
ROFR rates vary by year, resort, and price. Historically Disney takes roughly 10–20% of resale contracts, but spikes occur — in 2021 and 2022, ROFR rates at popular resorts exceeded 40% as Disney rebuilt inventory after pandemic-era contract returns. The current 2026 environment is much quieter. Most contracts pass ROFR easily, especially at non-resort-restricted properties priced near recent comparable sales.
Track recent ROFR results at sites like the DVC Resale Market ROFR thread, DISboards ROFR thread, or DVC Shop's ROFR tracker. These crowdsource real outcomes by resort, price, point count, and loaded status. Offer at or above the recent "taken" threshold. A common rule of thumb: $5–$10 per point above the cluster of recently taken contracts gives you a high pass probability without overpaying.
If ROFR is exercised, you lose nothing financially — your deposit is refunded — but you've spent 2–3 weeks waiting. The broker can help you find another comparable contract quickly. Some buyers actually appreciate ROFR rejection because it signals their offer was below market. The seller, however, is forced to sell at the agreed price even if higher offers later appear, which is why some sellers price contracts to discourage ROFR.
Disney exercises ROFR most aggressively at resorts where they want to rebuild direct inventory — historically that has included Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Beach Club. Older, slower-selling resorts like Vero Beach and Hilton Head rarely see ROFR action. Riviera resale, because of the resort restriction, is almost never taken. Knowing the current ROFR mood at your target resort matters more than knowing the historical average.
Some buyers submit lowball offers hoping Disney will take the contract so they can then make an offer to Disney directly. This rarely works — Disney doesn't sell ROFR'd contracts back at the same price. A better strategy is patience: submit a fair-market offer, accept the small ROFR risk, and move to the next listing if Disney steps in. The resale market sees new listings every day.