All About Fixed Weeks (RIV/CCV/AUL/VGF/POLY/TOWER/VHD/FWC Charts)

[sethschroeder]

I’m a little confused. When I purchased my FW I paid for 10% amount in points from the point chart. It has worked out great as the points chart has increased over the years. If the points chart exceeds my premium paid, I am good and don’t incur any extra costs no matter what the points chart goes to. Has something changed with this? Can you post this new Favorite week points chart? Also, my week is no longer offered as it doesn’t meet the 150 pt membership point requirement.

New point charts are posted on the first post regarding what people turned in.

It does not impact you now it just impacts someone new buying as their 10% premium is based off new base point charts not the charts from when the resort was announced.

 

[Flash_Sloth]

I thought that they adjusted & updated the charts every year. When I bought my RIV FWs over the summer of 2021, this was what they used for FW points at that time:

Please note, that was from 2021 and those values are no longer current. I think that I've seen a more current one, and it included an option for Tower Studio FWs which was not available in 2021.

 

[Lorana]

I thought that they adjusted & updated the charts every year. When I bought my RIV FWs over the summer of 2021, this was what they used for FW points at that time:
View attachment 837657
Please note, that was from 2021 and those values are no longer current. I think that I've seen a more current one, and it included an option for Tower Studio FWs which was not available in 2021.

They do now (under the Favorite Week program), but they didn't originally when they first introduced them as "Guaranteed Week." They were set based on the original points chart of the resort. I suspect they may have seen messages like this board advocating for buying FWs because of the value and fixed that nice loophole.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

The original Guaranteed Weeks pricing was based off the point charts released when the resort first opened. This meant that as Disney adjusted the point charts, the cost to buy a GW/FW remained based on the original charts, which made some of the fall weeks a true bargain to buy as a fixed week.

For example, Copper Creek opened in one of those few years where Thanksgiving was week 46 instead of 47 (where it most often lands), so I was able to secure a FW 47 for 118 points (the cost + 10% of week 47 when it opened), while the week now costs 127 points.

So my advice is - yes, secure a week that is higher value that you might want to use in the future. We don’t plan to go every year over Thanksgiving, but we wanted the convenience of having it when we DO want to go over Thanksgiving week.

Yes I purchased my second week in Dec week 49 at Copper Creek. The points chart at the time was 107, we paid the 10% premium and the FW sold at 118 points. Now this week can not even be sold as a FW because DVC won’t sell weeks under 150 points on the point chart. A steal I say!!

 

[intamin]

Yes I purchased my second week in Dec week 49 at Copper Creek. The points chart at the time was 107, we paid the 10% premium and the FW sold at 118 points. Now this week can not even be sold as a FW because DVC won’t sell weeks under 150 points on the point chart. A steal I say!!

When did that happen? Sorry I’m ootl but I just bought a FW50 contract at RIV with 135 points on it

 

[pianomanzano]

When did that happen? Sorry I’m ootl but I just bought a FW50 contract at RIV with 135 points on it

I believe they're referring to the CC FW chart specifically. Only a couple weeks are available to be purchased, weeks 51-52 and I think spring break weeks?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

When did that happen? Sorry I’m ootl but I just bought a FW50 contract at RIV with 135 points on it

Unless there have been changes again, you could not buy a fixed week that totaled less than 150 points ( total required for membership benefits). Has the number for benefits dropped? Last I inquired I could not purchase my same FW. It was not available as it didn’t meet the required 150 point minimum.

 

[FFMickey]

Unless there have been changes again, you could not buy a fixed week that totaled less than 150 points ( total required for membership benefits). Has the number for benefits dropped? Last I inquired I could not purchase my same FW. It was not available as it didn’t meet the required 150 point minimum.

I believe they changed the minimum for new members to 100 points, while still leaving the 150 minimum for Membership Extras. It looks like they changed it about a year ago.

 

[intamin]

Unless there have been changes again, you could not buy a fixed week that totaled less than 150 points ( total required for membership benefits). Has the number for benefits dropped? Last I inquired I could not purchase my same FW. It was not available as it didn’t meet the required 150 point minimum.

I bought a 135 pt FW in addition to a 50 pointer to qualify for the 150 point discounts but I didn’t need member benefits since I was already a full member. The number for member benefits is the same (150) but they do allow you to buy a 100 point you’re a brand new member or a 25/50 (depending on resort) pt contract if you’re a current member.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Ok will have to see what a Poly2 FW is gonna run me…..

 

[ShaneDJ]

Ok will have to see what a Poly2 FW is gonna run me…..

We're waiting for that too!

 

[intamin]

Ok will have to see what a Poly2 FW is gonna run me…..

Hrmm maybe I'll do a FW 48 or 49 at Poly..? Or maybe I should diversify since I already have a FW 50.. July 4th maybe? NYE and Christmas week are too expensive of a week.. don't really care to buy it around runDisney events.. hrm.. decisions decisions..

 

[Lorana]

Hrmm maybe I'll do a FW 48 or 49 at Poly..? Or maybe I should diversify since I already have a FW 50.. July 4th maybe? NYE and Christmas week are too expensive of a week.. don't really care to buy it around runDisney events.. hrm.. decisions decisions..

I have a week 47 and 48, so I'm tempted to pick up week 49 just so in the future we could do 3 weeks straight if we truly desired to.

That said, July 4 week (depending on views) and President's Day week are two weeks I'd consider. Admittedly President's Day week is also a runDisney week, but as it is school vacation week here, I see it of being of value to us going forward.

 

[intamin]

I have a week 47 and 48, so I'm tempted to pick up week 49 just so in the future we could do 3 weeks straight if we truly desired to.

That said, July 4 week (depending on views) and President's Day week are two weeks I'd consider. Admittedly President's Day week is also a runDisney week, but as it is school vacation week here, I see it of being of value to us going forward.

I’m thinking of doing 49 as well just to have those 2 weeks straight although it’s unlikely we’ll use them like that.

 

[FFMickey]

I’m thinking of doing 49 as well just to have those 2 weeks straight although it’s unlikely we’ll use them like that.

We're also looking at wk 49 or 50. Do they match your UY to keep it all in the same membership even with a FW?

 

[intamin]

We're also looking at wk 49 or 50. Do they match your UY to keep it all in the same membership even with a FW?

I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to but yes they kept my week 50 FW in the same UY as my other contracts with that home resort.

 

[FFMickey]

I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to but yes they kept my week 50 FW in the same UY as my other contracts with that home resort.

Good to know, we wouldn't be using our FW every year and would like to combine with our other points.

 

[PolyRob]

We're also looking at wk 49 or 50. Do they match your UY to keep it all in the same membership even with a FW?

I think the only exception would be if the FW you picked did not land well in your UY. For example Favorite Week 48 would not work well with a December UY. That reservation would span 2 UYs and would possibly leave points stranded if you needed to cancel. IDK if DVC would just warn you of this or refuse to sell it. I know when I inquired about certain weeks my guide mentioned there are "preferred" UYs for certain weeks.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We're also looking at wk 49 or 50. Do they match your UY to keep it all in the same membership even with a FW?

Yes. I have a Sept UY but my FW is in Dec week 49. If I cancel the week, all the points go back into my Sept UY.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I think the only exception would be if the FW you picked did not land well in your UY. For example Favorite Week 48 would not work well with a December UY. That reservation would span 2 UYs and would possibly leave points stranded if you needed to cancel. IDK if DVC would just warn you of this or refuse to sell it. I know when I inquired about certain weeks my guide mentioned there are "preferred" UYs for certain weeks.

So I'm having a similar dilemma - would love everyone's thoughts.

Right now we travel pretty exclusively in December and August (what can I say - I love the heat!) My first/primary UY was June and worked well for both dates given Jan 31st banking deadline. Then I stumbled upon a resale December FW and jumped - it has a Dec use year but that was not an issue since I do intend to use it exclusively for that FW.

Now I'm looking into buying a second FW - direct this time - for Jan. And while down the road I will use it for that week, that won't be for awhile. I should also add that both FW (along with my other points) are at 3 separate resorts.

Scenario 1: FW 1 | June UY | Will initially use points in August | Banking Deadline Jan 31 (Ideal scenario now but if I ever had to sell, seems like an odd pairing though you'd still have 3 weeks to bank if trip fell through)

Scenario 2: FW 1 | Dec UY | Will initially use points in August | Banking Deadline July 31st (Not a great scenario now, but ideal for later/if I had to sell)

Help!!