Adding on to a Fixed Week?

[J-Dog]

Well, we just bought our first contract and are already thinking about adding on...

Question, though: Our current contract is a FW at Riviera. If we were to buy a small resale contract, with the sole purpose of adding days to our FW, would that work? I am worried because the FW points are not equivalent to adding points "normally", so if we transferred points, I'm thinking that would be an issue and would basically cancel our automatic FW booking - correct? or not?

Or alternatively, could we just book a day immediately before or after the FW using the add-on contract points, and then call MS to make sure we got the same room for the entire 8 days - would that work? or would they still not be okay with it since the FW is a "firm" 7-day booking?

Any advice? Thanks!

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

If you bought resale with the same Resort and same use year, you could add on days and let Member Services know that you have a continuing reservation and ask them to link it. If that fails, you can ask the same thing onsite. The Resort Staff would likely be able to keep you in the same room.

The other thing you can do is to check at 11 months out if your Fixed Week is available to book. If so, you can book it and cancel your fixed week. By doing this, you get back the “extra points” (if any) that your fixed week costs over the normal booking points. (I say ”if any” because in some situations, Disney has raised the point costs where the Fixed Week is actually cheaper. ). Also, now it becomes easy to extend your stay yourself. I would do this through Member Services so you don’t unintentionally lose your week.

 

[J-Dog]

If you bought resale with the same Resort and same use year, you could add on days and let Member Services know that you have a continuing reservation and ask them to link it. If that fails, you can ask the same thing onsite. The Resort Staff would likely be able to keep you in the same room.

The other thing you can do is to check at 11 months out if your Fixed Week is available to book. If so, you can book it and cancel your fixed week. By doing this, you get back the “extra points” (if any) that your fixed week costs over the normal booking points. (I say ”if any” because in some situations, Disney has raised the point costs where the Fixed Week is actually cheaper. ). Also, now it becomes easy to extend your stay yourself. I would do this through Member Services so you don’t unintentionally lose your week.

Thanks. It sounds like your first option would be feasible for us. That would probably be our plan - to just add a day and then hope they will keep us in the same room. I have no experience, but I have read that they will tell you that this isn't guaranteed, but is almost always granted. Hopefully that's correct(?).

As of the 2023 point chart, at least, it costs us less for the FW than that same week using points, so canceling and then rebooking wouldn't really be an option.

 

[Royal Consort]

I have a fixed week at Riviera and a separate 50 point add on contract. I either add days before or after the fixed week and let member services know.

If you are wanting to add on Riviera resale, try to find one with the same use year. Recognise also that the resale Riviera cannot be used outside Riviera. So you may use your fixed week direct points to stay at other resorts but not your resale contract. In this case I would avoid resale Riviera and add on direct points so you can use the whole lot at any other resort. It also allows you to add points to your current use year and choose exactly how many points you want to add on. Can't easily do that through resale.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks. It sounds like your first option would be feasible for us. That would probably be our plan - to just add a day and then hope they will keep us in the same room. I have no experience, but I have read that they will tell you that this isn't guaranteed, but is almost always granted. Hopefully that's correct(?).

As of the 2023 point chart, at least, it costs us less for the FW than that same week using points, so canceling and then rebooking wouldn't really be an option.

I book rooms on two different memberships all the time and they note them. We have yet to not be in the same room. But I always check when I get there to be sure because if we were not, that would be the time for them to try and fix it!

 

[J-Dog]

I have a fixed week at Riviera and a separate 50 point add on contract. I either add days before or after the fixed week and let member services know.

If you are wanting to add on Riviera resale, try to find one with the same use year. Recognise also that the resale Riviera cannot be used outside Riviera. So you may use your fixed week direct points to stay at other resorts but not your resale contract. In this case I would avoid resale Riviera and add on direct points so you can use the whole lot at any other resort. It also allows you to add points to your current use year and choose exactly how many points you want to add on. Can't easily do that through resale.

That's pretty much our plan exactly.

I appreciate the advise about resale vs direct. I understand the resale restrictions and in this case am okay with them, but I looked at the "add-on tool" on the DVC website, and it would only be roughly $1100 more for direct. So I might just consider that. Thanks!

 

[J-Dog]

I book rooms on two different memberships all the time and they note them. We have yet to not be in the same room. But I always check when I get there to be sure because if we were not, that would be the time for them to try and fix it!

Thanks! That helps with that worry.

 

[lisaviolet]

I have no experience, but I have read that they will tell you that this isn't guaranteed, but is almost always granted. Hopefully that's correct(?)

Yes.

I am forever piecing vacations together in chunks of days. I have never had to move.

All the best.