Banking points - what did I do wrong?

[Lesley Wake]

So I'm only 1.5 yrs into DVC so I'm just trying to understand if I made a mistake somewhere or what. My contract is 160 points at AKV, Use year February.

Banked 2019 points to 2020: 147 points
2020 points: 160
2020 points borrowed to 2019: 15 (realized I needed to add a night to trip after I banked points)

So Total points at start of 2020 use year: 292.

In 2020, I used:
Stay 1 - 139 points
Stay 2 - 26 points
Total - 165

So that would mean I had 127 points leftover. However, I was only able to bank 101 points. Which leaves me 26 points that expire at the end of January (current plan is to do a 1-night staycation at Grand Californian, but I don't know if that will end up happening due to availability/reopening timeline, and I would much rather have those assigned to 2021 since I have 3 DVC trips planned then).

At no point did I borrow from 2021 points or cancel under 30 days. I did have a lot of book/cancel situations when I tried to piece together a longer trip for Stay 1, but the transactions still work out that I used the 139 points from 2020 and my point balance never went to 0.

Did I do something wrong or is this a DVC glitch? I can try calling member services, but I want to make sure there's not an obvious mistake I made first!

 

[cmrdgrs]

So I'm only 1.5 yrs into DVC so I'm just trying to understand if I made a mistake somewhere or what. My contract is 160 points at AKV, Use year February.

Banked 2019 points to 2020: 147 points
2020 points: 160
2020 points borrowed to 2019: 15 (realized I needed to add a night to trip after I banked points)

So Total points at start of 2020 use year: 292.

In 2020, I used:
Stay 1 - 139 points
Stay 2 - 26 points
Total - 165

So that would mean I had 127 points leftover. However, I was only able to bank 101 points. Which leaves me 26 points that expire at the end of January (current plan is to do a 1-night staycation at Grand Californian, but I don't know if that will end up happening due to availability/reopening timeline, and I would much rather have those assigned to 2021 since I have 3 DVC trips planned then).

At no point did I borrow from 2021 points or cancel under 30 days. I did have a lot of book/cancel situations when I tried to piece together a longer trip for Stay 1, but the transactions still work out that I used the 139 points from 2020 and my point balance never went to 0.

Did I do something wrong or is this a DVC glitch? I can try calling member services, but I want to make sure there's not an obvious mistake I made first!

It's hard to say how it happened, but my guess is somewhere along the way you used current UY points instead of banked points.

In most cases for me, this happens when I book reservations in my future UY before I bank my points from my current UY. You can do this, but you have to be careful once you do bank that you reallocate your banked points for those upcoming reservations in your current UY.

For example: Back in 2019 you banked forward 147 points by your deadline in October. But, let's say in May of 2019 you made a reservation in your owner window you made a reservation in March of 2020 (but you didn't bank any points yet). What would happen is you would be able to make the reservation, but you would be using your Feb 2020 UY points. If you didn't call DVC MS (or use the RAT) and reallocate your banked points for that trip, those banked points would not be used and you would end up using 2020 points before your 2019 banked points.

Do you think it's possible something like that could have happened?

 

[Lesley Wake]

It's hard to say how it happened, but my guess is somewhere along the way you used current UY points instead of banked points.

In most cases for me, this happens when I book reservations in my future UY before I bank my points from my current UY. You can do this, but you have to be careful once you do bank that you reallocate your banked points for those upcoming reservations in your current UY.

For example: Back in 2019 you banked forward 147 points by your deadline in October. But, let's say in May of 2019 you made a reservation in your owner window you made a reservation in March of 2020 (but you didn't bank any points yet). What would happen is you would be able to make the reservation, but you would be using your Feb 2020 UY points. If you didn't call DVC MS (or use the RAT) and reallocate your banked points for that trip, those banked points would not be used and you would end up using 2020 points before your 2019 banked points.

Do you think it's possible something like that could have happened?

Yeah maybe. Ok, thanks for explaining and I'll need to keep track of reallocations and stuff for the future!

 

[cmrdgrs]

Yeah maybe. Ok, thanks for explaining and I'll need to keep track of reallocations and stuff for the future!

I'm thinking that your stay #2 for 26 points used current UY points over your banked points.

IMO, the "old" system (that you never saw because you haven't been an owner as long as I have) was much clearer about banked and current UY points. The way the system is now it doesn't really clearly show you what is banked. It is all lumped together like they are current UY points when they are not.

I own 13 contracts at 4 resorts. I've started to keep a spreadsheet of every reservation I have. After I book a reservation, on the last page, there is a link to show you how your points were allocated from each contract on the reservation. It shows you each contact, how many points, and if the points were current UY or banked. I review that screen and put all that information in my spreadsheet. It's honestly the only way I keep it straight. You can also go into the details screen of your contract and look at all the details for reservations, but again, this screen does not spell out banked points either. You just have to keep track of it to be sure you have used your points the way you wanted to use them.

I don't know why Disney can't lay this out more clearly, but they don't.

Sorry that happened to you. The VGC has had a lot of movement with cancellations due to Covid. Hopefully you can pick something up. I'd open a wait list and see if it fills -- I had a wait list fill for me recently, so you never know.

 

[sethschroeder]

Easiest solution is when you get your reservations all set you go in to each one to modify the dates. Don't change anything just book it again.

The system will automatically take points expiring first and I assume take borrowed first as well.

 

[Lesley Wake]

I'm thinking that your stay #2 for 26 points used current UY points over your banked points.

IMO, the "old" system (that you never saw because you haven't been an owner as long as I have) was much clearer about banked and current UY points. The way the system is now it doesn't really clearly show you what is banked. It is all lumped together like they are current UY points when they are not.

I own 13 contracts at 4 resorts. I've started to keep a spreadsheet of every reservation I have. After I book a reservation, on the last page, there is a link to show you how your points were allocated from each contract on the reservation. It shows you each contact, how many points, and if the points were current UY or banked. I review that screen and put all that information in my spreadsheet. It's honestly the only way I keep it straight. You can also go into the details screen of your contract and look at all the details for reservations, but again, this screen does not spell out banked points either. You just have to keep track of it to be sure you have used your points the way you wanted to use them.

I don't know why Disney can't lay this out more clearly, but they don't.

Sorry that happened to you. The VGC has had a lot of movement with cancellations due to Covid. Hopefully you can pick something up. I'd open a wait list and see if it fills -- I had a wait list fill for me recently, so you never know.

Thanks, yeah I can't imagine that complexity with so many contracts!

I do have a night booked in September, but I'm not confident the hotel will be open... so I'll just wait and see (I've already modified it a few weeks later 3x but I don't have specific dates).

Easiest solution is when you get your reservations all set you go in to each one to modify the dates. Don't change anything just book it again.

The system will automatically take points expiring first and I assume take borrowed first as well.

Thats a good tip. But it also makes me wonder because I know I changed up things (reducing the Stay 2 by a night) but I must have done that right before I banked things? If DVC website stops giving me errors I'll be able to double check that.

 

[Mathmagicland]

IMO, the "old" system (that you never saw because you haven't been an owner as long as I have) was much clearer about banked and current UY points. The way the system is now it doesn't really clearly show you what is banked. It is all lumped together like they are current UY points when they are not.

The one place I’ve found to see the UY points broken out is on the Dashboard. It has shown me my banked Available points, current UY Available points, and next UY points. I don’t know if it will also show borrowed points broken out as I’ve not yet borrowed.

 

[cmrdgrs]

The one place I’ve found to see the UY points broken out is on the Dashboard. It has shown me my banked Available points, current UY Available points, and next UY points. I don’t know if it will also show borrowed points broken out as I’ve not yet borrowed.

I think we are talking about the same place to figure out quickly if you have banked points on a contract -- the manage points section? (my DVC -> my dashboard ->manage vacation points) if you are in the first 8 months of your UY at the top of the screen you will see the two boxes VACATION POINTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE and VACATION POINTS AVAILABLE TO BANK. If the numbers in these two boxes don't match, a member knows that they have points that will expire at the end of their current UY (i.e. unused banked points) on their contract(s). Once you bank and are past your banking window this screen changes slightly.

On this screen, if you scroll down to see your contract(s) you can see more details about your contract and look at the COMPLETE ACTIVITY STATEMENT. This gives you details on all your activity for that contract. Unfortunately, when you look at this activity, if banked points are used on a reservation, it doesn't notate those banked points here. The DVC programmers lump banked points in on this screen with current UY points. So you can't see the details here if you are trying to sort through what reservations your various banked points have been used on.

I have complained to Disney multiple times about not showing the details of banked points, but I don't think most people have a complicated membership. Thankfully I only have one UY. Managing contracts with multiple UY and transferring points between them must be a whole 'nother level of complicated.

 

[cmrdgrs]

I just sent another email to DVC requesting an easy way to find banked points used on a reservation. I continue to try and get a better solution to this. Even DVC CMs do not have a good tool for this information. I cannot tell the number of times I have been given wrong information from DVC CMs on this subject.

 

[Sandisw]

I have gotten in the habit of taking a screen shot of the points summary on the last page when booking so I can remember what has been used for a reservation.

I just had to do a bunch of modifications to get my newly added points that were banked into trips to free up the regular UY points for that trip. One other way I know for sure is to look at how many points are still bankable and to make sure it seems correct...

 

[Mathmagicland]

I think we are talking about the same place to figure out quickly if you have banked points on a contract -- the manage points section? (my DVC -> my dashboard ->manage vacation points) if you are in the first 8 months of your UY at the top of the screen you will see the two boxes VACATION POINTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE and VACATION POINTS AVAILABLE TO BANK. If the numbers in these two boxes don't match, a member knows that they have points that will expire at the end of their current UY (i.e. unused banked points) on their contract(s). Once you bank and are past your banking window this screen changes slightly.

Yes, we are sort of in the same place. I was looking at My DVC/My Dashboard - the box in the left corner before clicking the Manage Your Points will show the summary of points available by UY, and will separate out available banked points.

Thanks for emailing MS about changes to better show which points are used by UY for booked and completed reservations. I’ve had to move several around this year, and have had to email MS to figure out where my banked points are to be sure I get them used before I lose them. Hopefully when things are more back to normal they’ll have resources to get that change scheduled.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Yes, we are sort of in the same place. I was looking at My DVC/My Dashboard - the box in the left corner before clicking the Manage Your Points will show the summary of points available by UY, and will separate out available banked points.

Thanks for emailing MS about changes to better show which points are used by UY for booked and completed reservations. I’ve had to move several around this year, and have had to email MS to figure out where my banked points are to be sure I get them used before I lose them. Hopefully when things are more back to normal they’ll have resources to get that change scheduled.

I don't have any banked points right now, so I'm not clear what this looks like, I'll check it out the next time I have banked points.

Which brings me to another frustration: Why do the screens / verbiage on the screens change? Why doesn't DVC just leave the screen the same and simply put a 0 in that spot if there are not any banked points? I guess DVC/Disney IT thinks it's cleaner to not present things that don't apply, but it would be better IMO if they just left the look of it consistent and simply fill in the place with a 0 if it doesn't apply to the member.

Oh how I would love to be a user tester for Disney DVC IT. I could make so many suggestions that would improve the member experience and help DVC Cast Members.

 

[heapmaster]

I don't have any banked points right now, so I'm not clear what this looks like, I'll check it out the next time I have banked points.

Which brings me to another frustration: Why do the screens / verbiage on the screens change? Why doesn't DVC just leave the screen the same and simply put a 0 in that spot if there are not any banked points? I guess DVC/Disney IT thinks it's cleaner to not present things that don't apply, but it would be better IMO if they just left the look of it consistent and simply fill in the place with a 0 if it doesn't apply to the member.

Oh how I would love to be a user tester for Disney DVC IT. I could make so many suggestions that would improve the member experience and help DVC Cast Members.

I think they actually make it this way on purpose and want you to keep track of it all correctly. In this day in age they could make a great interface to see how your points are being used and what not, but they dont. Thats why I built web based software to keep track of my points and contracts, makes it so easy, software or spreadsheets are needed just due to their system being simple/basic and at times confusing. Whats odd is not even MS has easy access to stuff, which means they dont care in any aspect. They give us just the basics and the ability to reserve, modify, cancel reservations and WL access, maybe thats all they are required to do, so they do the bare minimum.

 

[cmrdgrs]

I think they actually make it this way on purpose and want you to keep track of it all correctly. In this day in age they could make a great interface to see how your points are being used and what not, but they dont. Thats why I built web based software to keep track of my points and contracts, makes it so easy, software or spreadsheets are needed just due to their system being simple/basic and at times confusing. Whats odd is not even MS has easy access to stuff, which means they dont care in any aspect. They give us just the basics and the ability to reserve, modify, cancel reservations and WL access, maybe thats all they are required to do, so they do the bare minimum.

I feel this way too. I don't think DVC IT or management cares at all about the member experience on the website, if they did, it would be better. Whoever creates the ideas and implements the ideas for the DVC website clearly is not an owner.

Do share! a web based software that does this? where do I sign up?

 

[cmrdgrs]

I have gotten in the habit of taking a screen shot of the points summary on the last page when booking so I can remember what has been used for a reservation.

I just had to do a bunch of modifications to get my newly added points that were banked into trips to free up the regular UY points for that trip. One other way I know for sure is to look at how many points are still bankable and to make sure it seems correct...

I used to take a screen shot. But, sometimes you can't see the whole activity on the screen, then you need two screen shots, yadda, yadda.... oh problems, problems, right? I just settled in to the spreadsheet idea. With 13 contracts it took me a while to get my numbers accurate, but now they are correct and I just keep it up to date. In 14 years I've never had to do this, but all the cancellations, banked points and changes due to Covid right now it's just too complicated to keep all this in my head.

 

[Sandisw]

I used to take a screen shot. But, sometimes you can't see the whole activity on the screen, then you need two screen shots, yadda, yadda.... oh problems, problems, right? I just settled in to the spreadsheet idea. With 13 contracts it took me a while to get my numbers accurate, but now they are correct and I just keep it up to date. In 14 years I've never had to do this, but all the cancellations, banked points and changes due to Covid right now it's just too complicated to keep all this in my head.

Really? I’ve never had trouble getting it all. It’s the Poibts Summary you click on as soon as you book. It’s not part of the dashboard.

At least it helps me to know what was used as I modify a lot!

 

[cmrdgrs]

Really? I’ve never had trouble getting it all. It’s the Poibts Summary you click on as soon as you book. It’s not part of the dashboard.

At least it helps me to know what was used as I modify a lot!

It is possible for me to literally use all 13 contracts on one reservation, so yes my summary page can be very long at times. I know, my situation is not typical, with Covid it is giving me a headache.

 

[heapmaster]

Really? I’ve never had trouble getting it all. It’s the Poibts Summary you click on as soon as you book. It’s not part of the dashboard.

At least it helps me to know what was used as I modify a lot!

Ya, thats a start for disney IT, but really wish they would expand upon it and make it easy. Digging through data on the manage vacation points section and other places they hide it, is not user friendly.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Really? I’ve never had trouble getting it all. It’s the Poibts Summary you click on as soon as you book. It’s not part of the dashboard.

At least it helps me to know what was used as I modify a lot!

I realize it's not part of the point summary page. It's only shown at the completion of making a reservation. It's a link at the bottom of the screen. That's what you're talking about, right?

 

[Sandisw]

I realize it's not part of the point summary page. It's only shown at the completion of making a reservation. It's a link at the bottom of the screen. That's what you're talking about, right?

Yes. I missed you have 13 contracts! I only have 2!