Borrow points or hope for the best? Opinions needed

[Flora Fan]

I am a member @ BLT and won't have points until Dec 2014. My DH and I would like to take a week vaca in late June 2015. (Our 30th anniversary) In order to get a week with our points we would need to get a studio either standard or lake view. There is some uncertainty with a few family members in our lives which is why I am a little reluctant to borrow points and be stuck to a date/trip.

What do you think are the chances of being able to make a ressie in Dec for our June get away? Thanks in advance for your help/opinions.

 

[abdgeek]

While one would hope there would still be studios available at BLT when you book in Dec., there's no guarantee. If you know now that you want to go in June I would suggest booking the studio at 11 months and then changing to a larger accommodation if you find you need it in Dec--keeping in mind that BLT may not be available. Remember that everyone else who wants to book BLT but doesn't own there can do so 7 months out, so you'll be competing with them for any available rooms.

I own at BLT and have had years when I didn't decide until close to 7 or less months out that I wanted to go to WDW where there's been no studios available( I usually travel during summer and holidays). After a couple times of that happening, I learned to book 11 months out. Since you're going doing summer, it should be easier to get a ressie but a lot depends on what else is going on at WDW or ESPN.

 

[wdrl]

I am a member @ BLT and won't have points until Dec 2014. My DH and I would like to take a week vaca in late June 2015. (Our 30th anniversary) In order to get a week with our points we would need to get a studio either standard or lake view. There is some uncertainty with a few family members in our lives which is why I am a little reluctant to borrow points and be stuck to a date/trip.

What do you think are the chances of being able to make a ressie in Dec for our June get away? Thanks in advance for your help/opinions.

Let me make sure I understand your situation. You own at BLT and you want to book a studio at BLT for late June 2015. Your Use Year is December. Correct?

If that is the case, then you can book your late June 2015 trip as soon as the 11-month window opens in July 2014. The points you'll receive in December 2014 can be used to book a reservation that occurs anytime during your 2014 Use Year. You will not have to borrow points from your 2015 Use Year (which starts on 12/01/2015) unless your stay will require more points than what you receive each year.

 

[Msmithmd]

I see in the OP question a common misconception. You don't "get your points" in a December UY on December 1. Your contract already has the points for 2014, 2015, and on into the future already there.

So you don't (AND SHOULD NOT) need to wait until your UY begins to book. UY governs which points get used; it has nothing to do with when you can book.

You can book a late June 2015 trip at your home resort in late July 2014. If you have a December UY, you will be using 2014 points (plus any banked or borrowed needed) for that trip.

So there will be plenty studios left for June if you book when you can with home advantage. And possibly none if you misunderstand and wait to book until December.

 

[Flora Fan]

Thank you everyone for the help. My DH and I reviewed your responses and will call DVC next month. We very much appreciate your input.

 

[abdgeek]

Thank you everyone for the help. My DH and I reviewed your responses and will call DVC next month. We very much appreciate your input.

Given the wait times for MS that people are experiencing, you may want to call MS now just to get your questions answered and then book your trip online at the DVC website. Booking a WDW resort is easy and the website walks you through the process. You could do a trial run now by just searching on what is available for 11 months from today. Unless things have changed, when you book online you get to book an hour earlier than people calling in to make reservations do.

 

[Flora Fan]

Thanks abdgeek. Great advice. I didn't realize there was an hour "head start" on the website. I'll definitely take advantage of that.

The DIS boards are awesome. Giving advice where you can and getting help when you need it.