How important is matching use years?

[dbs1228]

I just put in for my second contract at AKV with a different UY (Dec) than my original BCV (Feb) and all this UY talk has me nervous.

For example if I'm booking any DVC resort within the 7 month window and availablity is there I can use points from either contract?

Let's say I have 80 points left on this years AKV contract and all 150 points from BCV's next year contract. I want to book a stay at AKV and availabilty is there and I need to 100 points to complete the stay.

There is no problem going and getting the 20 points from the BCV contract to complete the reservation is there?

Just trying to understand. I never could do math word problems in school.

This is where it gets tricky. You have 2 options

1) book 2 reservations at AKV one using 80 points from your AKV contract and the other using BCV contract and have MS link the reservations. I think if you do this you will still have to go to front desk and switch keys on the last night of the stay but would not have to move rooms.

2) you would have to wait until MS opens and call to transfer the 20 points you need from the BCV account to the AKV account and then book the entire stay. Keep in mind you are only allowed 1 transfer in OR out of your accounts per UY so if you did this your transfers would be done on both contracts for that UY. You could transfer ALL points up front ahead of time knowing you will be using at the 7 month window but you would still have to call MS to book the reservation since transferred points do not show online.

Its not horrible but I did sell our 130 point SSR because of different UY. When I was looking for BWV I was not opposed to a different UY since I knew I was buying a larger contract and I am planning on using those points at the 11 month window for BWV stays. I am more then happy to say I did find the perfect BWV contract with my UY and I was willing and did pay more for it just to simplify the process and I know down the road DH and I may book some spontaneous trips at or under 7 months.

Good luck

 

[dcfromva]

But with multiple contracts at multiple resorts, there should be no need to waitlist at all.

I was just thinking how nice it would be if I never needed a WL. But actually, I use a WL quite often even with reserving at 11 months. Just this year I had to use a couple WLs to get my Std view studio at BWV for early Dec (at 11 months). I suspect that part of this was due to folks walking reservations because the WLs came through in just a few days. I booked the dates that were available and WL'd the intervening dates that were not available (which was just about every other day). When I was done, I had about 5 reservations to cover a week. (Member services combined them into one reservation so I wouldn't have to keep checking in and out.)
I also had to use a WL for BLT std view room at 11 months (for a Nov reservation). It's doubtful this WL will come through, but I figured worth giving it a try.
I have also found over the years that random life events come up from time to time which have blown my carefully planned reservations out of the water and I have been glad there was a WL available.

And you can only use the points from that UY to meet the waitlist. You can't substitute or transfer to the other to get the waitlist unless you are sure you are getting that waitlist and you do it ahead of time.

This would only come into play for a WL at the 7 month point. I suppose I would look at the options to see if I could accomplish what I wanted to do by using a transfer. I could see allocating transferred points for a room that was currently available and then putting a WL with other points from the current UY. (I've never tried this, so I don't know if it is technically feasible. I suspect this would have to be watched carefully as there might be a high risk of goof up.)
But, I really don't like to do point transfers. I would borrow points before I used a transfer--which is about all we have had to do. In 11 years of membership, we have only done a transfer twice. One transfer was essentially a point trade with a family member. We made ressies with our points at one resort for them and they transferred in some of their points into another contract of ours (that had the same resort/UY). Another transfer was done because we wanted to sell a contract, but we wanted to use the points about 11 months into the future and we didn't want to have a delayed closing.

The transferred points that were the same resort/same UY were a breeze to keep track of and could be managed online. The transferred points that were different resort/different UY required member services intervention to be used.

But this all goes back to how the OP is planning to use the points. If they are smaller contracts that the OP is quite often planning to combine in order to use then I would say it would indeed make more sense to have the same UY.

 

[BlazerFan]

I understand it's much easier to have the same UY but also see the benefit to protect against cancellations to have different UY. We have a June use year at VGC and Aulani and usually travel between Sept and Jan so it works great as we need to bank by Jan 31. We used to travel to DL before DVC in May for the west coast Food and Wine festival that went away during DCA construction. If it comes back it makes me nervous to make May reservations with a June use year in case something happens so I'd like to add some points with a different use year to use for this purpose.

 

[MickeyT]

Thanks to you all for helping me understand .

I will definitely fall into the category mentioned earlier about using the two contracts for two entirely different purposes. We use all our BCV points now and end up booking cash trips to other resorts during the year. I bought the AKV contract for a particular purpose (AKL CL) so I could book with those points at the 11 month window. Just like I purchased the BCV points for the 11 month window there. I had banked points in my AK contract that I have to use by December this year so just trying to construct a trip.

I do see where this could be like many issues on the DIS. Personal situations dictate directions......

And thanks again for the tools. I've always been the geek with spreadsheets and information galore so the more tools the better!

 

[cajunprincess]

Question: if I am buying two separate contracts at two different resorts with same UY, am I understanding correctly that you can only book at 7 months out if you are using points from both contracts?

 

[dcfromva]

Question: if I am buying two separate contracts at two different resorts with same UY, am I understanding correctly that you can only book at 7 months out if you are using points from both contracts?

Yes, that is true. If you combine points from two different resorts to make a reservation you will only be able to book at 7 months out.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

...

2) you would have to wait until MS opens and call to transfer the 20 points you need from the BCV account to the AKV account and then book the entire stay. Keep in mind you are only allowed 1 transfer in OR out of your accounts per UY so if you did this your transfers would be done on both contracts for that UY. You could transfer ALL points up front ahead of time knowing you will be using at the 7 month window but you would still have to call MS to book the reservation since transferred points do not show online.

...

MS has been allowing owners to transfer points between multiple memberships without using the one-transfer-per-year option. I have done it at their suggestion when reserving at 11 months using Home Resort points from two different memberships when both already had made transferred for that Use Year. It is certainly an unwritten policy and could be denied depending on the CM you get, but the computer will allow it as it did not require any special intervention from a supervisor or IT staffer.

 

[cajunprincess]

Yes, that is true. If you combine points from two different resorts to make a reservation you will only be able to book at 7 months out.

So would it not make sense for me to do a split contract (aside from maybe a better price) if I want to stay at BLT? And if/when our needs change, then buy an add-on at a different resort or even sale that contract and get a new one for the resort we prefer later? I am wanting BLT right now since we have little ones and will be spending more time at MK and needing to take naps. However, once they are older we may like being closer to EPCOT.

If the 11 month booking advantage is as important as I read, then would that be the best bet for our family (as it stands right now).

 

[Missyrose]

So would it not make sense for me to do a split contract (aside from maybe a better price) if I want to stay at BLT? And if/when our needs change, then buy an add-on at a different resort or even sale that contract and get a new one for the resort we prefer later? I am wanting BLT right now since we have little ones and will be spending more time at MK and needing to take naps. However, once they are older we may like being closer to EPCOT.

If the 11 month booking advantage is as important as I read, then would that be the best bet for our family (as it stands right now).

Since you're not totally sure where your ultimate home base will be eventually, I'd stick to one contract at one resort for now. Use it for a few years, stay at the different resorts. That way you can determine if you want more points at your original resort or if you want a second home resort.

 

[disneynutz]

Since you're not totally sure where your ultimate home base will be eventually, I'd stick to one contract at one resort for now. Use it for a few years, stay at the different resorts. That way you can determine if you want more points at your original resort or if you want a second home resort.

I agree, how can you pick a home resort if you haven't stayed there. What if you really don't like the resort that you bought. What if you don't like the DVC, dealing with MS, the rules, policies, and restrictions.

People will post in defense of DVC that DVC is a timeshare so you shouldn't expect the same level of service as a cash room. Wear and tear and the occasional room not cleaned properly is to be expected. Will that be acceptable to you?

Bill

 

[dcfromva]

So would it not make sense for me to do a split contract (aside from maybe a better price) if I want to stay at BLT? And if/when our needs change, then buy an add-on at a different resort or even sale that contract and get a new one for the resort we prefer later? I am wanting BLT right now since we have little ones and will be spending more time at MK and needing to take naps. However, once they are older we may like being closer to EPCOT.

If the 11 month booking advantage is as important as I read, then would that be the best bet for our family (as it stands right now).

I think you are asking some good questions. Maybe you might want to rent points in order to get a better idea as to what will work best for your family before you commit to a purchase?


One thing about buying/selling contracts is that you (usually) have to pay closing costs on contracts you purchase and a 10% brokers commission on contracts you sell, so it makes it pretty expensive to change home resorts later on. The 11 month booking advantage could be important depending on the time of year and booking category you are planning to use. Or, it could turn out not to be as big of a deal as you may have thought....

 

[cajunprincess]

I think you are asking some good questions. Maybe you might want to rent points in order to get a better idea as to what will work best for your family before you commit to a purchase?

One thing about buying/selling contracts is that you (usually) have to pay closing costs on contracts you purchase and a 10% brokers commission on contracts you sell, so it makes it pretty expensive to change home resorts later on. The 11 month booking advantage could be important depending on the time of year and booking category you are planning to use. Or, it could turn out not to be as big of a deal as you may have thought....

Thanks. We are planning to rent when we go in 2015 at BLT. I'm just starting to gather info and since I'm a planner, I'm gathering info now so hopefully we make the best decision for our family.