About to Join...Maybe

[antnyh]

Hello everyone. We took the BLT DVC tour last week during our visit. I have to say that it was a pleasant experience. We signed up down there in order to get 2009 points. We were given a UY of June. I don't know if a June UY is good or not, but it was very hard not to sign up and get a total of 420 points immediately! We are not rich, but we are not hurting either. We take annual trips and always stay in deluxe resorts. I guess financially it could be justifiable if you pay the entire amount up front. If you finance I just don't see the benefit. So we plan on paying the entire amount up front, I digress. Some questions to help put our mind at ease.
1. No daily maid service is a real bummer for us. I feel that if I am on vacay I shouldn't be requested to do my own laundry. I think that is silly. Question is, do you get charged if you ask for clean towels? I don't have a problem with using the same sheets for three days, but I will need more towels.
2. The June UY. Is that good for a family that would typically travel in either May or October? We have kids and that will be the travel months for the next 15 years.
3. The feeling of being "in Disney." Is that still there? That feeling is why we stay at the deluxes. We love being right in the middle of the monorail system and MK. Hence the desire for BLT.
4. We told the rep that we were recommended to join by some friends that are members. He told us we would get a little extra benefit as would our friends. I didn't notice that in the package. What is a typical friend referral benefit? I haven't had a chance to call MS yet, so please excuse my ignorance.

Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[Chic]

You may get charged for extra towels but you can just wash your own. There has been a big discussion regarding towels on these boards titled "towel thief" but a lot of people just go to the pool and grab clean towels there. Your use year is really of no concern if you only travel to Disney once a year. As far as the "magic", my family still gets excited during each trip. We visit 6 times a year and are nowhere close to burnout. Since we can stay at any DVC resort, each trip can be a new experience. Due to the fact that we have two very young children, we have been staying at Bay Lake Tower during the past and upcoming vacations. All of the DVC resorts are spectacular and have their own unique features so you can't go wrong regardless of where you stay. We joined DVC in July 2007 and have been very pleased with our decision to purchase. Member referrals can earn special rewards which vary so you will need to contact your DVC Guide for clarification.

 

[princessbride6205]

Welcome! Great idea to come and ask questions before making this purchase.

* Maid service is not at all a concern of ours - in normal hotels we frequently put the "Do Not Disturb" sign out. I don't use a new towel every day at home, so it doesn't bug me to reuse at DVC. I think there is a towel charge of $10? Or did I make that up? (Someone else is sure to chime in!)
* Use year - June is the worst use year (UY) for May travel. There are lots of threads here that explain UY, so check those out to fully understand. The short answer is that there are restrictions to banking points or canceling a trip in the last 4 months of your use year. An October UY may work for you, that way you can still get 2009 points, if purchased before this October.
* We definitely feel like we are still in Disney - we are relatively new members, but have stayed at Animal Kingdom Villas (AKV) and Beach Club Villas (BCV) so far. If you felt the Disney magic while touring BLT, I'd stay you will feel like you are "in Disney."
* I think the current referral offer is a $25 gift card. Your guide will be able to tell you exactly what incentives you are eligible to receive.

 

[Mtnman44]

#1 - The no maid service issue is a personal preference. I don't mind it at all. In fact, I perfer not having to worry about having someone in my unit every day. Have you stayed in a DVC or timeshare condo before? I think you'll find the the benefits compared to a hotel room far outweigh the houskeeping thing. You can always pay more for daily housekeeping if you want to. Running a load of towels a couple times takes only minutes. Just throw them in on your way out the door.

#2 June is a poor choice for May vacations but decent choice for October vacations. As you will learn here and in the Use Year Faq thread, this all revolves around the banking window, should a trip need to be cancelled. A trip occurring in the first 8 months of your Use Year can be cancelled and the points are still bankable to the next use year (or you still have some time to use them in the current use year). It is difficult to get a Use Year that is ideal for both May and Oct trips so you may have to choose which month will be used for vacations the most. However, OCT is probably the best UY choice for you.

#3 The disney feeling is subjective, but yes I think you do get the benefit. Sometimes I don't want the "disney feeling", like when waiting for busses.

#4 The ones referring usually get a small gift card. The buyers sometimes qualify for a referral pricing, but I don't know if there is any particular incentive pricing for referals right now.


**Note that since we are in June now, a purchase would only include 2010 points, no 2009 points. To get 2009 points, you'd need to purchase
an Aug, Sept, Oct, or Dec UY.

 

[twinboysmom]

We have the same use year and travel mostly in October and May as well. No problems with the use year so far and we have owned for 6 years. The housekeeping is not an issue with us but I do know other people with timeshares that have no housekeeping at all. Welcome to DVC.

 

[antnyh]

**Note that since we are in June now, a purchase would only include 2010 points, no 2009 points. To get 2009 points, you'd need to purchase
an Aug, Sept, Oct, or Dec UY.

I was told by the guide that since we signed up in May that he would set the UY to June and give us 2009 points. I have reviewed our contract and see that we have 210 points from '09 and an additional 210 from 2010. Am I reading something wrong? I am a newbie afterall....

 

[DebbieB]

I was told by the guide that since we signed up in May that he would set the UY to June and give us 2009 points. I have reviewed our contract and see that we have 210 points from '09 and an additional 210 from 2010. Am I reading something wrong? I am a newbie afterall....

It only becomes an issue if you make a reservation for May and then cancel it in the last 4 months of your use year (Feb - May). The points could not be banked and would expire 5/31. If you had an April use year, you could cancel it more than 30 days ahead and have until 11/30 to bank.

 

[Mtnman44]

The issue is that the June 2009 use year is over. We are now in the June 2010 use year. I know that they often allow new purchasers to bank current points, even after the banking deadline. However, I did not know that would allow you to bank expired points. Better double check that before you sign anything.

I was told by the guide that since we signed up in May that he would set the UY to June and give us 2009 points. I have reviewed our contract and see that we have 210 points from '09 and an additional 210 from 2010. Am I reading something wrong? I am a newbie afterall....

 

[Elise79]

On the house keeping you can pay for extra as detailed below:

Housekeeping Services
Trash & Towel Service
For stays of seven or less nights, Trash & Towel Service is provided on day four, regardless of whether you're using Member-discounted cash, Vacation Points or a combination of both.
With Trash & Towel service, Housekeeping will:
Empty trash and replace liners in trash bins.
Provide fresh bathroom linens.
Replace shampoo, facial soap and bath soap.
Replenish facial tissues, paper towels and toilet paper.
Replenish coffee, sugar, cream and sweeteners.
Replenish dishwashing liquid, dishwashing detergent, sponges and laundry detergent as needed in one-, two- and three-bedroom Vacation Homes.
Full Cleaning Service
For stays of eight or more nights, Full-Cleaning Service is provided on day four and Trash & Towel Service is provided on day eight. After that, the cycle begins again on day 12, regardless of whether you're using Member-discounted cash, Vacation Points or a combination of both. With Full-Cleaning service, Housekeeping will provide everything included with the Trash & Towel Service, plus:
Change the bed linens.
Vacuum and dust the Vacation Home.
Clean the bathroom(s).
Clean the kitchen/kitchenette and wash the dishes.
Pay As You Play
With Pay As You Play service, you'll be provided with the following amenities free of charge at the start of your stay. After that, you may purchase more for the following fees:
Toiletries Package, $5.00 - 1 facial soap, 1 bath soap, 1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 shower gel
Coffee Package, $3.00 - 1 package of coffee, 8 sugars, 8 creamers, 8 artificial sweeteners
Towel Package, $6.00 - 4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths, 1 bath mat
Laundry Detergent (only in One-, Two-, and Three-bedroom Vacation Homes), $1.00 - 1 box
Additional Full - Cleaning Rates:
Studio/Inn Room - $30.00 per day requested
One-Bedroom - $45.00 per day requested
Two-Bedroom - $60.00 per day requested
Three-Bedroom - $75.00 per day requested
Additional Trash & Towel Rates:
Studio/Inn Room - $15.00 per day requested
One-Bedroom - $20.00 per day requested
Two-Bedroom - $25.00 per day requested
Three-Bedroom - $35.00 per day requested
Note: Rates are subject to change

We were surprised but we didn't miss daily housekeeping and we don't have fresh sheets and towels every day at home and I don't need them on vacation.

If you want it though you can pay for it

Like OP I suggest you look into the use year more closely.

 

[DebbieB]

On the house keeping you can pay for extra as detailed below:


We were surprised but we didn't miss daily housekeeping and we don't have fresh sheets and towels every day at home and I don't need them on vacation.

If you want it though you can pay for it

Like OP I suggest you look into the use year more closely.

I thought the same thing on my first stay 10 years ago. I found that I didn't miss it, I actually prefer it. No one coming into the room everyday. Now I usually stay in a 1 bedroom so I usually wash towels after 2 uses. Put them in the washer before leaving the room and throw them in the dryer later.

If daily housekeeping was included, dues would be through the roof. It's only fair that only those who want the extra service pay for it, not everyone.

 

[Sandisw]

I was told by the guide that since we signed up in May that he would set the UY to June and give us 2009 points. I have reviewed our contract and see that we have 210 points from '09 and an additional 210 from 2010. Am I reading something wrong? I am a newbie afterall....

If you signed up for DVC in May, you were still in the June 2009 UY and were indeed given 2009 points. For new purchases, DVC does allow points to be banked beyond your banking deadline. What I would make sure, though, is that it was done since we did start the June 2010 UY just this week.

Typically, you will have to bank by January 31st. In terms of UY, I think June is the worst possible one you can get for a May vacation. While cancellations and changes can be rare, you are putting your self at risk of losing a lot of points if you ever had to cancel (or even change) one of those May vacations.

For example, say you book 1 week in a 2 bedroom to bring along friends to your May trip. You end up having to use banked, current UY, and borrowed points to complete this reservation. Then, in April, the friends cancel out on you and you realize that a studio would work fine.

However, since you are beyond your banking deadline at that point, and banked and borrowed points will be expiring on May 31st since you have a June UY, you would be stuck having to keep that 2 bedroom.

Now, say you have an Oct UY (which would still give you those 2009 points) and make this same May trip. Same thing happens in April. You call and are able to change your reservation to a studio. At this point, since you have not passed your banking deadline for Oct UY (which is May 31st), you ask them to use the banked and borrowed points first, bank the current UY points, and then have from May until September 30th, to use up any extra banked/borrowed you still have.

Good luck!

 

[blondietink]

We have never missed the maid service and find we love not having to be up and out of bed in time for the maid to come. Towels as I said in another post can be found in several DVC resorts somewhere around the first floor of the building. Also if you see a maid out and about and need to get more towels, just ask. We have never been charged.

 

[ToddyLu]

Cool I saw your towel post on another thread and thought there might be a pool cart somewhere. DH and I do not swim at Disney since we go in the Fall/winter. I didn't want to walk up to an unassuming cart and take towels if that wasn't right.