Advice on BCV Add-On

[mapny]

We just returned from a fabulous week's stay at OKW, our home resort. I noticed that a model at BCV was available and talked DH into viewing it. Quite surprisingly, DH was very impressed with BCV (he who loves the isoation of OKW and can only tolerate short, infrequent visits to the parks) and is quite interested in doing an add-on. We decided not to make any decisions while on vacation. Well, when we got home, we had a message on our answering machine from out guide explaining that BCV was now open for purchase to NY residents with some special pricing available. Am I crazy to think that this is a "message to buy"? I am pretty convinced that we should, but don't understand how the two home resorts would work. We want our next trip to be two weeks, but wouldn't want to move during that time. If I book a week at each resort 11 months out, could I then try to switch a week to the other resort at 7 months out? or could I book at one resort at 11 months out using all my points? Is having two home resorts a problem? Finally, is owning only 100-150 points at BCV make sense? Any advice would be much appreciated...

 

[mrace]

Mapny,

I currently own OKW & BCV (220 points each). Both have the August use year. I enjoy the BCV the best because of the walking distance to Epcot and Boardwalk. For my long range plans I like to book BCV (7 months +) and haven't had a problem yet in obtaining the times that I need. For my short range plans (I have even booked 3 days before I was going to be there) I use my OKW points. They are also good anywhere else for that matter up to 7 months. Sometimes, I have even stayed at VWL, VB and BWV at 7 days or less notice.

If you were going to do this, I recommend you stay with your current use year month. Different contracts really don't make any difference - except when booking a ressie for longer than 7 months.

I have made a ressie to BCV in the 7+ month window and tried to move it to my OKW account. They wouldn't do it - unless I cancelled the ressie first and re-booked it with the OKW. The gal advised me NOT to try this because all of the "wait list" people would move up one notch and someone would immediatly take this ressie from me. Hope that answers your question.

Mike

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[SlyHubby]

When you get a call from a salesperson, isn't it always a "message to buy"?

First, don't feel you have to rush into anything - good move not to make a decision on first sight while you were down there. There is still plenty of BCV to go around, and considering the problems that Disney is having turning in good earnings along with the poor economy, I am sure the call with the "message to buy" is no small coincidence.

>
I am pretty convinced that we should, but don't understand how the two home resorts would work
>

Same rules apply. If you just have enough BCV points for one week per year and are looking to stay for 2 weeks, I'd just borrow from next year instead of playing games trying to work the OKW points in there. If you are set on combining points, you might look at how you can stagger the use years so 11 months out on your BCV matches up with 7 months out at your OKW.

>
Finally, is owning only 100-150 points at BCV make sense?
>

You need to look at the point chart for BCV and determine what you would need to stay the number of nights you'd like in the accomodations you'd like. We were looking to do an add-on of 75 points at BCV (a year before it started selling - circumstances changed since). We always stay in a studio, off peak time of year, Sunday - Thursday. We figured 75 points was more than enough to take care of our needs. For now, we're just sticking to our 150 OKW points and making reservations for BCV 7 months out - no problems yet.

Good luck however you decide.

 

[BrianBWV]

Depending on your vacation needs, splitting points between resorts can make good sense. We just bought 120 points at BCV so that every three years we could do a 360 point BCV stay at the 11-month window, completely separate from our BWV plans. The banking and borrowing guide explains this procedure in much better detail than I am able to.

Say you were to purchase 120 BCV points now with a December use year. You could bank 100% of these BCV points to December 2003 when you get them in December 2002, keep your 120 BCV points when you get them in December 2003, and borrow 100% of your 120 BCV points from December 2004. This would give you 360 points to use in the December 2003 use year.

There are many different ways to use a lower number of points, but this is one example of how you can get creative with them.

BrianBWV

 

[mapny]

Thanks all for the great advice/info. It helps me put things in perspective and gave me a better understanding of how we'd use the two sets of points. Overall, we'd like to purchase additional points and really loved the BCV - closer to the action, but not frenetic. I think we're likely to go ahead with a purchase!!!

 

[nisiemouse]

We purchased 70 points at BCV to ensure a stay at BCV every 3 years. With banking and borrowing it gives us 210 which is enough for a Sun-Thurs in a 2 bedroom or 6 nights in a one bedroom. Hopefully can use OKW points if I want to pick up another weekend night at 7 months. After visiting BCV we are very glad we added on.

 

[newarknut]

We did a 130 point addon at BCV. We can bank and borrow our way to a week or more every year and a half.

Go for it!

Newarknut

 

[mapny]

I just talked to our guide today and we've decided to definitely add-on at BCV!!! This will give us more flexibility with WDW, but also the option of using interval and concierge. (We've already stayed at The Plaza and Shelburne Murray Hill in NYC and would like to do The Grand Hotel in MI.) I'm ready to plan another trip to BCV right now, but will probably exchange this year's points for a lower price per point. Thanks again for the advice.