Advice

[Catira]

Hi, we are considering DVC and understand the points and MF. Now, a couple of questions.
1. Home resort has 11 month priority others will be 7 months?
2.Will SSR have access to treehouse villa?
3.What are the benefits of buying two different resorts, such as AKV 150pts and SSR 150pts?
4. If my use year is December, does that mean we have access to home resort during that month, or only if available?

Thanks so much.. I own other timeshares but obviously learning how DVC works

 

[browniemtb]

1. Home resort has 11 month priority others will be 7 months?

Yes.....

2.Will SSR have access to treehouse villa?

Yes...

3.What are the benefits of buying two different resorts, such as AKV 150pts and SSR 150pts?

The on;y benefit is being able to book each resort at the 11 month mark. But the unfortunate thing is you can't use the other points until 7 months. Personally I haven't figured out the benefit of multiple ownerships yet.

4. If my use year is December, does that mean we have access to home resort during that month, or only if available?

You have access to you home resort anytime, if there is availability. DECUY is when you will get a new alotment of points. It also is the basis for banking as well.

 

[ammo]

2.Will SSR have access to treehouse villa?

Every DVC member will be able to book at THV, but only SSR owners will enjoy the 11-month home resort booking priority.

 

[chalee94]

changed your example a little...

3.What are the benefits of buying two different resorts, such as AKV 150pts and VWL 150pts?

AKV concierge is tough to book if you don't own at AKV and book it at 11 months out. so you can use pts from your AKV contract at 11 months to book AKV. let's say you book 2009 for a week in a 1BR in may...which would take around 300 pts and require you to use current year pts and borrow from your next UY.

if you also wanted to stay at VWL during early december, you will probably need to own there as well, so you could use pts from the VWL contract to book a 2BR in december 2010...which would take around 300 pts and require you to use current year pts and borrow from your next UY. in 2010, your pts from the AKV contract would be used up, but you could resume the pattern every other year...which would be a lot more difficult if you didn't own at each home resort.

but you would not be able to use AKV pts to book VWL until the 7 month mark and similarly you would not be able to use VWL pts to book AKV until the 7 month mark.

it works for some people. it's more trouble than others care to deal with...

(edited to note: BTW, i did not use a december UY in the above example.)

4. If my use year is December, does that mean we have access to home resort during that month, or only if available?

UY month tells you when your pts are valid - and december can be a little tricky to keep up with. for example, your 2008 UY pts could be used to book a reservation from 12-1-2008 through 11-30-09. (UY has nothing to do with when you can book a reservation, though, so you can call in early january to book a reservation in december.)

also, your UY month tells you when your banking window closes. if you decide not to book a reservation between 12-1-2008 through 11-30-09 with your 2008 pts, you would have till the end of july 2009 to bank them into the next UY - 12-1-2009 through 11-30-10. (and if you don't use them by the end of 11/10, they will expire.)

here is more info about UY if you want it.

 

[backyardponder]

In deciding whether you want all your points at one resort, or split them up, it really depends on your vacation habits.

In our case, we plan on doing a big family trip every few years. We will need, at a minimum, one 2BR and two Studios. We will be doing at least 10 nights. We have all our points at one resort so all this can be booked at the 11 month window. We are at BWV and I'm hoping for standard view rooms.

 

[Catira]

Thank you for answering my questions. We will be traveling to disney world this June, and since we are staying off site, I want to possibly tour DVC. I have the video my guide sent me, but wanted to have some clarification on the DVC system. Then, we are back for Christmas week at Saratoga Springs. I prefer to visit Disney during christmas because of the cooler weather.

 

[backyardponder]

When you tour DVC, in addition to the sales tour you can take, I urge you to visit all the resorts on your own. This is easiest to do if you have a car since resort to resort travel by bus requires a transfer.

Plan on spending a few hours at each resort. Stop at the front desk and ask for a map. Also ask for a suggested route to wander around the resort. They might have a room available you can also see. Each resort is so different. Get a good feel so you can decide on a home resort.

Good Luck!

 

[5forDiz]

For your Home Resort you may always call as early as 11 months before the check-in date you'd like to reserve....you do not have to "wait" for your Use Year (month) to come around :

ie ~ your UY is June, you'd like a ressie at your HR for Feb 25 2010 so you would call MS on Mar 25 2009 (11 months before check-in date) to request reservation - you would not wait until June 1 2009 which is first date of your 2009 Use Year to make this reservation even though this reservation falls within dates of 2009 UY (6/1/2009-5/31/2010).
~ This Feb 25 2010 ressie would utilize points from 2009 UY allotment of points unless you have points banked from 2008 UY into 2009 UY, in which case those banked 2008 points would be applied to this ressie first & then any additional points needed would come from 2009 UY allotment and, if additional points are still needed, MS would borrow those points into 2009 UY from your 2010 UY allotment.

Contracts split between 2 resorts, as other poster's have stated, can be helpful to alternate stays between resorts EOY. Also, contracts with smaller point amounts usually are easier to sell if in the future you decide you don't need as many points, you can sell off a contract (or should you decide you don't want to own at a resort anymore ).