Booking 3rd week of Dec. at VWL at 7mo?

[Lesley]

Okay, we had such a good time this weekend that we want to go again around the same time next year. We've been saving up our miniscule VWL add on to stay there for next years' visit.....but won't have enough points for a full 5 days in a 1br. We'll be 19 points short....and we can easily borrow those from our BWV contract...but we won't be able to book the last night until the 7 month window because of this.

So anyway, any guesses on how risky of an attempt this is? I don't want to end up at a different place for our last night (though I guess cutting the trip short wouldn't be out of the question.....) The final night would be December 16th. I know the first two weeks book up very quickly and its likely I would be out of luck....but this is the third week after the season changes to "choice". We definitely need a 1br...we'll be a party of 5, the 5th being a baby of about 9 months (give or take a few weeks...due in March...) and I feel having the washer and dryer and kitchen are necessities! With kids its often easier to eat in than out.

Sort of answering my own question, I suppose I'll book all I can at 11 months...then get on the waitlist if I have to at 7 months for the last night. Am I right in guessing that if I am going to be using borrowed points for a waitlisted night and the waitlist doesn't come through those points stay in their original use year (ie. they aren't taken out until the reservation is actually made)? That's almost an advantage in this case!

Anyway, I'd appreciate any additional input....and second guessing of my strategy for this! Thanks!

 

[spiceycat]

go post on the rental/trade site - trade with someone who owns VWL your BWV points for this

you make his reservation using your BWV and he makes your VWL reservations (must be at least one night)

then you get member services to link your reservation - also make sure that the front desk knows that you don't want to change rooms....

 

[Lesley]

Unfortunately I don't think that will work...because the night I need will be using points from both VWL and BWV. If I leave points in my next use year, it will mess up the planning for the next 3 years (since the add on is so small that I need to bank one year and borrow the following year for a decent stay).

I think when it becomes feasible I just need to put my name on the waiting list for more VWL points! But we have to buy a house and probably put a new roof on it before then.

 

[WDWguru]

FYI, you can't use points from two different resorts for the same night.

 

[Lesley]

Yes, you can....as long as you're booking at the shorter booking window. You can't book a VWL night at the 11month window using any BWV points though...have to wait for 7 months.

How do I know? I just spent Saturday night at OKW on both BWV and VWL points. Perhaps if they were different contract #'s I couldn't, but the VWL is an add on to my original BWV contract.

 

[WDWguru]

Wow, I had no idea! Everything I've read up to this point always said you can't combine points for the same night. Good to know!

 

[karebear1]

If you don't want to move the LAST day of your trip- then make the waitlist day the FIRST day of your trip- that way you can settle in for the end and get the moving (if you have to) done in the beginning. You could just pack an overnight suitcase so that was all you had to bring into the resort for that first night- and then first thing the next morning just move over to the villas of your choice. Good luck!

 

[LisaR]

Originally posted by Lesley
Perhaps if they were different contract #'s I couldn't, but the VWL is an add on to my original BWV contract.

Even this is okay because I have done it twice now!

Lisa

 

[Lesley]

"Even this is okay because I have done it twice now!"

Cool! That's good to know in the event we ever buy a resale. I thought that maybe you had to actually transfer the points and that you couldn't transfer points from one resort to another. But I can see where they could just link everything up and make the reservation using two separate contracts too. Perhaps the trading points thing would work that way too....hmmmm.

Honestly, I don't know if I even want the last day if I have to move.....same if it were our first day. But I guess as long as I'm okay with making the visit shorter, its not a big problem. Perhaps if it doesn't come through I could manage to get a night at Hilton Head on the way home....we were actually discussing doing that as we drove home yesterday!

 

[nisiemouse]

Good luck with the last night. We may try VWL for 3 nights during the 3rd week and I also wondered how hard it would be at 7 months.
I am glad you have not had any trouble combining points for a night. We have a small 70 point add on at BCV and this was one thing I asked about before we added on. I was worried about losing those small leftover points.
I would think you would have a good chance for just one night.

Denise

 

[Lesley]

Thanks for sending some good wishes our way..I'll do the same for you. See you at VWL next year!

Yeah, try having a 38 point add on....LOL. Its not the most workable thing on earth, I'll tell you that! But at least I know I can manage my points so that I don't lose any. I definitely would like to round out that number in the future! Especially since in 3 short years we'll need a 2br for every trip!