Adding points

[pequele]

Not that I want to do this now as we just bought our original set in Feb (but can you tell I'm hooked!). But in the future if we want to add points whether our home resort is available or some other resort, do we have to pay the initial fee in addition to the annual dues when we want to add more? We originally bought from DVC so we paid roughly $20k minus the incentives for the 160points....will we wind up paying that again (or I know the going rate I should say)? Maybe I should start saving now?

 

[DMKEDM]

Oops! Think I may have misread your question (the answer below is based on what I thought you were asking--whether you'd get incentives for purchasing points if/when you add on)...

You do "buy" the points...so you pay the purchase price (with or without incentives) AND the annual maintenance fees...

For example, if you decide to add on 100 points, you will pay 100 times whatever the price per point is at the time you decide to buy...

Hope that helps!

And if you were asking about incentives, below is my original response:

Disney's incentives vary...usually they're based on the number of points you buy (whether as a new purchase or as an add-on), and usually are limited to the resorts they're actively selling. They also come and go. I've seen a dozen or more different incentive programs in my six years of ownership...

I've never seen an incentive for points at a sold-out resort (although you definitely can buy points thru Disney at all sold-out resorts--sometimes you have to wait for the points to become available, but you can always buy them). Nor have I seen incentives for purchases of less than 100 points (and most often it's for purchases of at least 150-160, with the incentives getting bigger as the number of points purchased gets bigger).

But that doesn't mean Disney won't offer incentives for smaller number-of-points purchases or at sold-out resorts, just that I've never seen them do it so far...

Remember: incentives are just that: they're designed to persuade you to buy...if there's enough demand for small-point contracts and/or for points at sold-out resorts, there's no real need to offer incentives...

Do "practice" becoming resigned to adding on (I bought 150 points in 2006, and have added on five times since!)...it really does take a while to figure out what your pattern of use will be--especially since it changes once you have DVC (at least for many folks, including me!)...

And also look into resale--there are good reasons (for some people, including me) for buying direct (but they do not include getting any kind of "bargain"), but you can save a ton of money getting your add-on points on the resale market--if you're willing to give up certain things (like, for example, using resale points for Disney cruises; and/or the resale process takes a MUCH longer time and is considerably less easy...but it can save you a whole lot of money...so it's worth looking into)...

Good luck!

 

[chalee94]

But in the future if we want to add points whether our home resort is available or some other resort, do we have to pay the initial fee in addition to the annual dues when we want to add more?

yes, you would have to pay the upfront costs to acquire another contract.

you could add-on by buying a resale contract with the same UY month and titling the deed exactly the same and save considerably (although those pts would not be eligible for cruises or stays at wdw hotels like the poly).

you could also add-on by buying directly from DVC at whatever the current going rate turns out to be. (at this point, BLT is $155 per pt, IIRC. you can find the current rate adjusted for incentives by going to dvcnews.com.)

 

[pequele]

Oops! Think I may have misread your question (the answer below is based on what I thought you were asking--whether you'd get incentives for purchasing points if/when you add on)...

You do "buy" the points...so you pay the purchase price (with or without incentives) AND the annual maintenance fees...

For example, if you decide to add on 100 points, you will pay 100 times whatever the price per point is at the time you decide to buy...

Hope that helps!

hehe yeh that was what my main question was...I know I rambled. Sure incentives are great, I was just trying to say our points cost $20k but we got a discount because of incentives and I couldn't think what it is was...but would I pay the $20k or whatever the price is then if I add on.

So you added on 5x in 5 yrs? Wow, just a few more at a time or a lot? Are they all at the same place of a variety? Do you do it to get into the 11 mo window somewhere? I am wondering what if I bought at another place (after I recoup from buying my original purchase AHAHA!). Ok so I have my 160 at AKV and say my next points are 160 at GF (won't be but just for this example). If I came upon my 11 month window and booked a trip at GF and had nothing more than my 160 pts for GF and haven't yet used my 160 pts for AKV (but I have no banked or points to borrow from next year). What if my trip costs 250 pts at the GF, can I use the extra points from my AKV even though it is more than 7 mo out? I guess I don't understand the buying in at several locals??

 

[princessaloha]

SNIP

Ok so I have my 160 at AKV and say my next points are 160 at GF (won't be but just for this example). If I came upon my 11 month window and booked a trip at GF and had nothing more than my 160 pts for GF and haven't yet used my 160 pts for AKV (but I have no banked or points to borrow from next year). What if my trip costs 250 pts at the GF, can I use the extra points from my AKV even though it is more than 7 mo out? I guess I don't understand the buying in at several locals??

Aloha, I'm a newbie and am testing my limited knowledge on your post, mainly to make sure that I understand the rules. Hope you don't mind and hope I get it right.

I believe you can ONLY book your home resort and home resort points 11 months out, then try and combine other points you may have at the 7 month mark. In the scenario you provided, you would ONLY be able to book 160 pts at the GF at the 11 month mark. Then you would have to wait until the 7th month window to try and add on your 160 AKV points.

ETA: re: "why buy at several locales": I think there are many reasons why. One example I can think of that I would consider for my family is that we are a family of 5 and need a 2bdrm for a week so we would initially get enough points for 1 week 2bdrm at (hypothetically) AKV (kiddies love animals). However DH and I also want a quick weekend jaunt to F&W in October which is popular in the DVC universe. It would just be the two of us so a studio would work. So to have a better chance at booking a studio, close by in Oct for F&W we would buy a smaller contract (enough to guarantee that booking) at BCV or BWV (I think those are the closest to Epcot) to guarantee us the ability to book at the 11th month window.

 

[chalee94]

What if my trip costs 250 pts at the GF, can I use the extra points from my AKV even though it is more than 7 mo out?

no.

as princessaloha said, until you get to the 7 month window, your GF contract is completely separate from your AKV contract for booking at VGF.

what some people do is buy 150 pts at AKV and 200 pts at BLT...then they use 150 current AKV pts and 150 borrowed AKV pts to book AKV at 11 months out for 2012 - and they bank their 200 BLT pts.

then in 2013, they use 200 banked BLT pts +200 current BLT pts to book BLT at 11 months out...and alternate between staying at AKV one year on AKV pts, and staying at BLT the next year on BLT pts.

some prefer to split stay. they book 4 nights at 11 months out in AKV with AKV pts, then call back in a few days to book 5 more nights at BLT with BLT pts. that seems like kind of a hassle to me but some people like it...

but you can never book BLT at 11 months out with AKV pts - you need BLT pts (the right "currency" as some posters put it.) you can use BLT pts that have been banked, borrowed, or transferred from another BLT owner...but only BLT pts. (and vice-versa.)

 

[pequele]

I believe you can ONLY book your home resort and home resort points 11 months out, then try and combine other points you may have at the 7 month mark. In the scenario you provided, you would ONLY be able to book 160 pts at the GF at the 11 month mark. Then you would have to wait until the 7th month window to try and add on your 160 AKV points.

that was what I was thinking, just wanted to be sure! I have no intent on buying more points anytime soon but doesn't hurt to start figuring this stuff out huh haha.

no.

as princessaloha said, until you get to the 7 month window, your GF contract is completely separate from your AKV contract for booking at VGF.

what some people do is buy 150 pts at AKV and 200 pts at BLT...then they use 150 current AKV pts and 150 borrowed AKV pts to book AKV at 11 months out for 2012 - and they bank their 200 BLT pts.

then in 2013, they use 200 banked BLT pts +200 current BLT pts to book BLT at 11 months out...and alternate between staying at AKV one year on AKV pts, and staying at BLT the next year on BLT pts.

some prefer to split stay. they book 4 nights at 11 months out in AKV with AKV pts, then call back in a few days to book 5 more nights at BLT with BLT pts. that seems like kind of a hassle to me but some people like it...

but you can never book BLT at 11 months out with AKV pts - you need BLT pts (the right "currency" as some posters put it.) you can use BLT pts that have been banked, borrowed, or transferred from another BLT owner...but only BLT pts. (and vice-versa.)

AHHHH now THAT makes sense...gives you a bit of variety! I like that idea! Ok Ok it is time to start saving I guess