Multiple Home Resorts???

[ScottJ]

I have a question.

If a person bought home resorts for 100pts each. I know you have to use them at the 11 month mark separately and cannot be combined till the 7 month mark. But if you borrow & bank to make it work at the 11 month mark, every 3 year you end up with a ton points on one home resort with only a portion bankable.

I am over thinking this too much.

 

[rowbear]

Nevermind. I just reread what you said and you are correct. I apparently need more coffee.

 

[disneynutz]

People buy at multiple resorts to guarantee the 11 month booking advantage. Getting reservations at 7 months is becoming more challenging and will get worse not better.

You are correct that with banking and borrowing, you can double and sometimes triple you available points. Your contract sizes should take that into account.

 

[ScottJ]

I guess I didn't really ask a question. But don't you get to a point with two home resort with smaller point contracts, you end up losing points? I know optimizing points become an art but I'm just trying to figure things out.

Since you brought it up, how hard is it to get a booking at 7 months.

 

[disneynutz]

I guess I didn't really ask a question. But don't you get to a point with two home resort with smaller point contracts, you end up losing points? I know optimizing points become an art but I'm just trying to figure things out.

Since you brought it up, how hard is it to get a booking at 7 months.

Haven't lost any yet, but we go two or three times a year and stay for a couple of weeks each time.

Availability at seven months depends on the type of room, location, and time of year. DVC now has over 300,000 members and it continues to grow, plus there are cash rooms and RCI trades. The most popular resorts can be hard to book.

 

[bobbiwoz]

first year: 100 bank...............100 use and borrow so spend 200
second year: 200 use.................0
third year: 100 bank...............100 use and borrow so spend 200
4th year: 200 use..................0

I think if you begin by using, borrowing and banking your respective contracts, you'll be OK. Of course, maybe I'm wrong.

Bobbi

 

[photobob]

I guess I didn't really ask a question. But don't you get to a point with two home resort with smaller point contracts, you end up losing points? I know optimizing points become an art but I'm just trying to figure things out.

Since you brought it up, how hard is it to get a booking at 7 months.

I'll address the seven month window portion. The simple answer is it depends on when you want to travel and where you want to stay. Christmas holidays it is extremely difficult to find anything at seven months. The key to me with DVC is make sure you lock in the time you want before the seven month window at your home resort. Once the seven month window opens try to make reservations at another resort if you choose to do so. If you have one particular resort that you really want to stay often, then buy there.

I have had luck at the seven month window with the exception of HHI. I called the morning the window opened trying to get a studio for my son's honeymoon which starts one month from today. I have since found out how few studios they have. I waitlisted and it didn't come through, but I was able to get Vero Beach for them which I am sure they will enjoy.

I have gotten and 1 bdr and a 2bdr standard view on separate occasions at the 7 month window for early June at BWV. I've gotten Vero Beach two bdr for early June at the 7 month window.

 

[chalee94]

historically, DVC is extremely busy from late november all the way through the first part of january.

certain resorts are tougher in certain times - BWV and BCV during F&W at epcot, for example. or certain room types, like concierge rooms at AKV.

BTW, i would agree that using an every-third-year banking/borrowing plan does subject you to a higher risk of losing pts (especially if point charts are reallocated). every other year is probably safer. (but DVCMike is the expert in juggling multiple home resorts).

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I have a question.

If a person bought home resorts for 100pts each. I know you have to use them at the 11 month mark separately and cannot be combined till the 7 month mark. But if you borrow & bank to make it work at the 11 month mark, every 3 year you end up with a ton points on one home resort with only a portion bankable.

I am over thinking this too much.

If you bank and borrow to use your home resorts points every third year, you should only buy 1/3 of the number of points you need for the ressie.

On year #2 (the year you would take your trip), you will have three years of points accessible to you.
The points you banked on year #1
The points in current use year #2
The points borrowed from year #3

So, if you didn't need to use three years worth of points in year #2, just don't borrow as many from year #3. In addition, if you still have too many you can still bank year #2 points into year #3.

MG

 

[chalee94]

So, if you didn't need to use three years worth of points in year #2, just don't borrow as many from year #3. In addition, if you still have too many you can still bank year #2 points into year #3.

i think the concern is that by year #5 when you take your second trip, these points banked into year #3 will be long expired... sad1

 

[Maistre Gracey]

i think the concern is that by year #5 when you take your second trip, these points banked into year #3 will be long expired... sad1

I have reread it several times and still don't see it that way, but if the OP is afraid of having too many points he can just buy fewer at the start.
Am I missing something??

MG

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I guess I didn't really ask a question. But don't you get to a point with two home resort with smaller point contracts, you end up losing points? I know optimizing points become an art but I'm just trying to figure things out.

Since you brought it up, how hard is it to get a booking at 7 months.

You could end up losing points if you have bought too many (or in reverse, if you aren't going for stays long enough to use them all), but the same thing would happen even if you had the same number of points at only one resort.

Your question about 2 home resorts is kind of difficult b/c you don't also reference how often you would be going etc. Perhaps you're getting confused by thinking that both the contracts start at the same time? If that were the case in then in the first year you need to bank from one contract and then use only the current year points from the other and that will get you on an alternating schedule.

 

[ScottJ]

We've been on the fence about buying for a long time. (We should just take the plunge.) Anyway, it seemed like starting with one resort at 160pts is too limiting. So, DW & I were discussing two 100pts home resorts, BLT & either AKV or BCV. We were thinking of getting the same month for use year. We'd buy AKV or BCV used then add on BLT thru DVC.

Here is how I figured the breakdown would be:

BLT AKV
Year 1 100 100
borrow from Year 2 then bank the rest, will round up to 160pts used at BLT.
Year 2 40 200
borrow from Year 3 then bank, 160pts at AKV.
Year 3 140 140
In year 3, I would have to use up the 140pts from BLT & borrow 20pts from year 4. We would have to go on a second trip or lose 40 from AKV. In this scenario, eventually we would either lose points or go into a borrowing deficit from the future.

Am I over thinking this too much?

Thanks for every-one's input so far.

 

[Disney Doc]

It seems clear - if you're only going to take 160 point vacations every year, don't buy 200 points... You pretty much have to "splurge" for more expensive trips every few years in your scenario.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It seems clear - if you're only going to take 160 point vacations every year, don't buy 200 points... You pretty much have to "splurge" for more expensive trips every few years in your scenario.

This is what I was going to say - you're not over thinking, you're over buying. If you only plan on taking trips that use 160 points every year then that is the total number you need and you should be looking at something more along the lines of a 80/80, 90/70 etc. if you are going for two home resorts. But I have to add that you also need to look at the point charts to see how many it takes for the accomodations you want - if your talking BLT stays every other year you probably need more points there than your second resort.

With 2 home resorts and plans for yearly trips the thought is that you will either do split stays using the current year points, or alternate resorts every other year and use two years points from that resort each trip.

For example:
BLT AKV
80 80

Use current 80 + borrow 80 from BLT for your first trip and bank current AKV.

Second year, use banked points from AKV and current year points from AKV. (and you have nothing current from resort BLT b/c you borrowed.

Third year - you now have current points for BLT and would borrow the next years points for you trip. You will also have current points from AKV that you will bank.

Fourth year - Use banked and current points from AKV. Again - you have no current points from BLT.

and so on.......

In your scenario in year two you mention banking 160 pts from AKV but that's impossible if you only own 100 points and also throws off how your looking at it. Points can only be banked once.

 

[ScottJ]

it seems clear - if you're only going to take 160 point vacations every year, don't buy 200 points... You pretty much have to "splurge" for more expensive trips every few years in your scenario.

wow!

 

[rowbear]

The only way it works and pays for itself is through careful point management. If you start burning points every few years you are losing money. It took us nearly 3 months to decide on the number of points we would need (300) but that number has served us well for 8 years so we must have gotten it right.

 

[WDW Enabler]

The problem with only buying 60 or 80 points is you do not get home resort privliges.

Maybe because of living so close to WDW I have a hard time only needing 200 points

In the last 4 years, I have only had 2 times i was not able to get a room when I waanted. Both times was calling on a Wed or Thurs trying to get a room for fri and sat.

Now mind you, I am not to particular when it comes to where I stay on short notice short duration trips. Like my dad always said, "Beggers can not be choosers"

The real question we need to know to help you (you may have already said but I am way tired) Is how often do you plan on staying? If you are doing one vacation a year at 160 pts, then by buying (2) 100 pt contracts you can allow yourself to get a bit larger of a room on every other stay or allow for growth.

Our initial purchase was 300 pts in 2 contracts both a SSR. The next year we added 2 more contracts at AKV each was 100 pts. Finally we added 2 contract for a total of 250 pts.

and we still have to borrow points.

Mike

 

[rowbear]

The problem with only buying 60 or 80 points is you do not get home resort privliges.

I didn't know there was a min amount of points needed for HRP.

 

[chalee94]

I didn't know there was a min amount of points needed for HRP.

there is not a minimum. what the poster presumably means is that you only get the HRP for THOSE 60-80 pts, which may not be enough for their purposes even with banking and borrowing.