1st Time Booking Help

[sfaillajr]

Hello Everyone

I have been reading these boards for a long time. My family and I finally became DVC members this week as two small contracts we purchased finally closed.

Here's my question. What is the best way to book our first reservation?? Here are the details:

- We are planning to vacation Aug 25 - Aug 31. We would like to stay at BWV and all nights are currently available.

- Contract 1 (OKW) 50 points with 50 points banked from 2012 (100 total) Aug UY

- Contract 2 (OKW) 70 points with 9 points banked and 61 in "holding status" (140) Feb UY


We know that the 61 holding points need to be booked at the 60 day out mark so that is not the issue. If still available the Thurs and Fri of our stay are 61 points. We also know we can't transfer the banked points so it appears that we will need to make 2 reservations and try to link them. Of the remaining points on the two contracts what would be the most efficient way to transfer points from one to another? Should I transfer 2013 points from the Feb contract to the Aug contract or vice versa. The 6 nights a BWV are 173 points. Am I right to assume I can book for nights now and then wait until the 60 day mark to book with the holding points.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

sfaillajr

 

[disneynutz]

I would book what you can now using the banked points, then regular.

Realize that if you have to cancel your vacation for any reason, your points will be forfeited.

I hope that you took into consideration which UY's to buy and the added complexities of having multiple memberships and UY's.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

Hello Everyone

I have been reading these boards for a long time. My family and I finally became DVC members this week as two small contracts we purchased finally closed.

Here's my question. What is the best way to book our first reservation?? Here are the details:

- We are planning to vacation Aug 25 - Aug 31. We would like to stay at BWV and all nights are currently available.

- Contract 1 (OKW) 50 points with 50 points banked from 2012 (100 total) Aug UY

- Contract 2 (OKW) 70 points with 9 points banked and 61 in "holding status" (140) Feb UY


We know that the 61 holding points need to be booked at the 60 day out mark so that is not the issue. If still available the Thurs and Fri of our stay are 61 points. We also know we can't transfer the banked points so it appears that we will need to make 2 reservations and try to link them. Of the remaining points on the two contracts what would be the most efficient way to transfer points from one to another? Should I transfer 2013 points from the Feb contract to the Aug contract or vice versa. The 6 nights a BWV are 173 points. Am I right to assume I can book for nights now and then wait until the 60 day mark to book with the holding points.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

sfaillajr

First of all, congratulations and welcome home!

IMO, it doesn't matter which way you transfer the points. Transferred points retain their original resort and use year tag when transferred.

Assuming you will take the vacation no matter what, my advice is to book all the nights now. Use up the banked points first, then as many current use year points as it takes to finish booking the reservation.

Make two reservations - one for the first 5 nights and one for the last 2 nights. This will make it easier to use the holding points later. Be sure the reservations are for the exact same booking category - all Pool/Garden or all Boardwalk view, etc.

You can only use the holding points if there is still availability for the last two nights at 60 days. At 60 days, make the reservation with the holding points. Then cancel the reservation you originally made for those two nights.

At this point, you can call MS and ask them to combine the two reservations so that it appears to the resort as one continuous reservation. Then you will not have to change rooms (very unlikely anyway) and you will not have to get new room keys between the two reservations (likely if the reservations are not combined). You can easily do a dining plan or ME at this time if you so choose.

You may want to call MS to use the holding points (although you can do it online). If you do, be sure to ask the CM to do a review of your points before you hang up so that you know it is exactly the way you expected it to end up

Good luck!

 

[sfaillajr]

Thank you for the advise. Went ahead and booked all the nights. Will try and make the changes using "holding points" at the two month mark.