Advice - borrow to book at 11mth window, or take chance on last-minute booking?

[2Lunds]

Hello all! Need your advice/experience.

Our UY is December.

I'm looking at borrowing our 2023 points to book for Sept 2023 this week. If we had to cancel for any reason (my biggest worry right now is my aging doggo), those points would stay in 2022 UY and expire shortly after in Nov 2023.

Do I: take the chance on borrowing/booking now, hoping that I could quickly rent the points out at the last minute and not have them expire on me?

or

Do I: wait until we're much closer to the departure date and roll the dice on perhaps a split stay?

If you have experience with renting out short notice and/or dedicated reservations, please let me know, and if you've often booked at less than 6 mths out, let me know your experiences there as well?

 

[Unclelude]

Where and category?

i.e. a 1 BR at SSR vs value studio at AKL are different animals.

Personally, if it was a bunch of points and I was unsure, I'd have a hard time borrowing. That being said, I've never rented out my points let alone distressed points... If it's a hard to get category, maybe easier to rent the whole stay vs. distressed...

Do you have any points in '22? Could maybe lock a few days in and hope to fill rest later when more confident.

Good Luck!

 

[2Lunds]

Where and category?

i.e. a 1 BR at SSR vs value studio at AKL are different animals.

Personally, if it was a bunch of points and I was unsure, I'd have a hard time borrowing. That being said, I've never rented out my points let alone distressed points... If it's a hard to get category, maybe easier to rent the whole stay vs. distressed...

Do you have any points in '22? Could maybe lock a few days in and hope to fill rest later when more confident.

Good Luck!

Deluxe studio, standard view, RR.

I'm realizing now that the real problem isn't the borrowing, it's travelling in September with a December UY. Even if we weren't borrowing, we'd always be travelling AFTER our banking window had closed anyway, which means we'll always be in this pickle to some degree

We bought in May, and got 2021 points right away. Seemed amazing at the time because we re-booked ourselves for September (our preferred travel month) using the 2021 pts, and gifted the 2022 pts to family for a trip in January.

In retrospect - we probably should have asked for a June or August UY and forgone those Dec 2021 points.

 

[Sandisw]

As you say, traveling in September with a Dec UY will always pose some sort of risk because you are outside the banking window but also the time left to use the points is a very busy DVC time so securing another trip could be difficult, even if you have to rent, since availability for that time of year is pretty booked up well in advance.

So, I think you will need to roll the dice and hope for the best!!

 

[CarolMN]

Deluxe studio, standard view, RR. Standard studios are unlikely to be available at 7 months. It could be difficult to book one unless you are able to do it as soon as the 11 month window opens.

 

[2Lunds]

As you say, traveling in September with a Dec UY will always pose some sort of risk because you are outside the banking window but also the time left to use the points is a very busy DVC time so securing another trip could be difficult, even if you have to rent, since availability for that time of year is pretty booked up well in advance.

So, I think you will need to roll the dice and hope for the best!!

I think you're right...

 

[2Lunds]

Deluxe studio, standard view, RR. Standard studios are unlikely to be available at 7 months. It could be difficult to book one unless you are able to do it as soon as the 11 month window opens.

So in theory, this would be a higher-demand booking, and likely on the easier side to rent out?

 

[robinb]

Deluxe studio, standard view, RR. Standard studios are unlikely to be available at 7 months. It could be difficult to book one unless you are able to do it as soon as the 11 month window opens.

I was going to say the same thing. That chances that a standard view studio at RIV being available after the 7-month window is somewhere between slim and none. OP, if you really want to stay there, I would borrow the points and keep my fingers crossed. Worse comes to worse you can rent out your reservation

 

[JodyK]

So in theory, this would be a higher-demand booking, and likely on the easier side to rent out?

I was coming to say this I'd probably borrow and book because of location and timing and if I had to cancel I think it would be an easy reservation to rent out. DVC is popular in September with F&W and other things going on.

 

[2Lunds]

You guys are awesome. Thanks so much for the perspective - I booked this morning!