What happens when you own two resorts and want to combine their points?

[humormeeee]

My DH and I are seriously considering buying and I was wondering what happens if you own two DVC contacts at two different resorts and want to combine the points for your stay. Is it possible? Difficult/easy? Also, do you only get the 11 month advantage if ALL of your points come from that resort? Or for example, could you have a low point contract for GF, and combine it with points from a different resort to exercise your 11 month advantage at GF but with the benefit of having a lower buy in fee of buying more points, at say, AKL or SSR? Does that make sense? In short, is there any benefit to having a lower point contract at a better resort and a higher point contract at a cheaper resort, and under what circumstances. Input greatly appreciated!

 

[LisaS]

If you want to book a stay more than 7 months from check-in, only points from the resort you want to book are accepted as payment. For example, if you want to book VGF 11 months out, you must have enough VGF points to pay for that stay. You can bank and borrow your VGF points if you need more than one year's worth of points to pay for your reservation. You can not use non-VGF points to book VGF until you are 7 months or less from check-in.

 

[humormeeee]

If you want to book a stay more than 7 months from check-in, only points from the resort you want to book are accepted as payment. For example, if you want to book VGF 11 months out, you must have enough VGF points to pay for that stay. You can bank and borrow your VGF points if you need more than one year's worth of points to pay for your reservation. You can not use non-VGF points to book VGF until you are 7 months or less from check-in.

Okay, I see. So basically there is no benefit to having a lower point contract, unless you just wanted it to bank those points and stay for shorter periods of time.

 

[LisaS]

Correct. Some people own small-ish contracts at a resort that is hard to get at 7 months (an Epcot resort so they can stay there during F&W for example) and either use them for short stays or every other year or for a split stay. I don't like split stays but some people don't mind them. The problem with buying a small contract at VGF is that it is one of the most expensive resorts so that small contract won't go very far.

 

[Minniesgal]

We own points at 2 resorts at WDW and use them to book a split stay at 11 months.

 

[crisi]

Okay, I see. So basically there is no benefit to having a lower point contract, unless you just wanted it to bank those points and stay for shorter periods of time.

Some people will own points at a cheaper resort for flex points - i.e. while you want BWV points if you are going to stay there for Food and Wine, for much of the year you can book a preferred pool view room at seven months without a problem with much cheaper buy in and much cheaper dues SSR points. So if you are flexible with where you want to stay some of the time, buying a less expensive resort is worthwhile.

Other people buy points at multiple resorts because they want - say - BWV for Food and Wine, but they also want Hawaii in June, Hilton Head in the Summer, or to be sure to get BLT Standard View rooms. Those reservations are hard to get at seven months, so some people own multiple contracts, banking and borrowing so they can book eleven months out every other or every third year.

 

[tarzanman]

We like to stay at a variety of locations, so having a small ownership at VB to allow us to do small stays every couple of years (banking and borrowing), and larger contracts at AKV & VWL works for us. Think about how you want to use the points for vacations. Points can be combined when booking RCI.

 

[okw2012]

Another reason to own at multiple resorts could be for portfolio divertsification. You're in for decades, who knows what will happen that might affect maintenance fees, booking opportunities at 7-mo? Things could go sour at Hilton Head due to sea level rise (unlikely before 2042), a major hurricane could hit VB, the AKV savannah could prove very expensive to maintain as the animals become older, airfare to Hawai or cost of living could increase dramatically, making Aulani difficult to fill up which would sure affect MF but also the level of service... Each of these scenarios is unlikely but I prefer not to have all of my eggs in the same basket, and be at ease with the fact that at some point (especially when we get closer to 2042) I might only be able to book at my home resorts.

 

[nalajms]

My DH and I are seriously considering buying and I was wondering what happens if you own two DVC contacts at two different resorts and want to combine the points for your stay. Is it possible? Difficult/easy?

It's doable sometimes. I booked VGF at 11m for 5n. At 7m, only the first and second nights were open. I booked those with my SSR points, then called to take the first 2 nights off of the other reservation and free up VGF points. It's hit or miss. I had enough VGF points for the whole vacation, but freeing up 2n worth of points lets me bank or book another VGF reservation at 11m.

 

[River Country]

I own at SSR and I am always thinking of adding on and with the new resorts buying through Disney seems crazy. for example PVB is selling for $165/point with a min. of 25 points=$4,125.00. We have all seen the point charts and if I stayed there in a std studio for a weekend Fri, sat, sun it would be 54 points in the lowest season so for me and this may not be true for everyone if I were to add on it would be either my existing Home of SSR or I would buy at the BWV or BCV via resale for a lot less per point and be able to book the in demand rooms for a lot less points per night in the in demand DVC season, i.e. F&W at the 11 month mark.

 

[humormeeee]

It's doable sometimes. I booked VGF at 11m for 5n. At 7m, only the first and second nights were open. I booked those with my SSR points, then called to take the first 2 nights off of the other reservation and free up VGF points. It's hit or miss. I had enough VGF points for the whole vacation, but freeing up 2n worth of points lets me bank or book another VGF reservation at 11m.

If you do that, is the reservation department savvy enough to be able to combine your contracts so that you aren't moving rooms during your stay? I'm assuming so. It would be an enormous pain to switch rooms mid stay.

 

[nalajms]

If you do that, is the reservation department savvy enough to be able to combine your contracts so that you aren't moving rooms during your stay? I'm assuming so. It would be an enormous pain to switch rooms mid stay.

My SSR is a different UY, so I had to call and ask for the reservations to be "linked". I still had to stop at the front desk to check out/in and got 2 separate bills, but stayed in the same room. I did get house keeping on the 3 day, full cleaning!

If I had used points from the same UY, it would be 1 reservation.