Borrowing Question

[Vernie822]

Hi everyone, so I have been following along on this board for a few months. We finally got our membership number today and I am able to enter the system and see how everything works.

I just want to be sure that I am understanding this correctly.

We have 150 points at SSR w/ a use year of Oct.

We have 48 points left from 2015 - it says 38 must be used by 9/30/16 so I am assuming that they banked 38 of those points?

We have 150 points coming in Oct 2016.

We are planning to book our honeymoon in February for September. We will use 150 points at Aulani and 56 at GCV if all goes as planned.

My question is.. Will all of that work? Our broker assured me that we'd have enough points, but I just want to be sure that I can borrow the additional 8 points (have 198, need 206) from October 2017, even though in Sept 2016 we will not yet have reached our Oct 2016 UY?

I could just be crazy confused. Thanks for all of your help so far!

 

[supersnoop]

September is in your 2015 use year. You can use the 48 points and borrow all of the 150 points, but that's it. Since you're booking at 7 months, however, you can purchase up to 24 one-time-use points at $15/point from Member Services. But you have to do that by phone, and you need to book VGC before the phone lines open.

So, no, you don't have enough points. But you might be able to still make it work.

 

[Vernie822]

September is in your 2015 use year. You can use the 48 points and borrow all of the 150 points, but that's it. Since you're booking at 7 months, however, you can purchase up to 24 one-time-use points at $15/point from Member Services. But you have to do that by phone, and you need to book VGC before the phone lines open.

So, no, you don't have enough points. But you might be able to still make it work.

Well, crap! Thank you for the quick response. I'm a little frustrated at myself since I told the broker EXACTLY what we needed (dates and everything and he said we'd be fine. My fault for not confirming at 100% but good to know that it's a possibility. Thanks!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Buy the 8 points for your Aulani part of the transaction. You need to call to do that so you have to wait until 9am eastern. VGC is small and if there are rooms available you want to be online booking right at 8am. For Aulani I don't know what room you are view you are looking at but be aware that the lowest cost rooms can be unavailable at 7 months. Not always, but they are popular for point savings.

 

[Vernie822]

Buy the 8 points for your Aulani part of the transaction. You need to call to do that so you have to wait until 9am eastern. VGC is small and if there are rooms available you want to be online booking right at 8am. For Aulani I don't know what room you are view you are looking at but be aware that the lowest cost rooms can be unavailable at 7 months. Not always, but they are popular for point savings.

Thanks! I was hoping we could do that for the first reservation. We are planning deluxe oceanview so I'm hoping the availability for that is there (though a split stay would be fine if we had to do that). I was really hoping to jump on and get VGC the minute I could so it's great to know we can do the extra points with the first reservation.

 

[supersnoop]

The concept of use-year can be confusing, even to a broker. Your trip would be in the last month of your use year, and that can make it risky and confusing.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

I would suggest booking all but the last day at Aulani at 8AM eastern. Then call member services to buy the 8 points and add the last day at 9am eastern . Then when you are 7 months out from the GCV date, be online at 8AM with full points. Good luck, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage.

 

[Vernie822]

I would suggest booking all but the last day at Aulani at 8AM eastern. Then call member services to buy the 8 points and add the last day at 9am eastern . Then when you are 7 months out from the GCV date, be online at 8AM with full points. Good luck, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage.

Thanks a lot! That's quite helpful - I know for a fact I want to be up and at 'em on the first day we can get our Grand Californian reservation. Never thought to add our last Aulani day, is that ever an issue, changing the reservation? As long as there is availability? And thank you!!!

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Thanks a lot! That's quite helpful - I know for a fact I want to be up and at 'em on the first day we can get our Grand Californian reservation. Never thought to add our last Aulani day, is that ever an issue, changing the reservation? As long as there is availability? And thank you!!!

There is always a chance that there will not be availability to add the last Aulani day at 9AM. However, if that were the case, you would also have trouble booking the whole reservation at 9AM through MS. Your odds are better by locking down the first few days.

Since this is important to you, I suggest that you call member services, tell them your plan, and ask them if it would work - sort of a dry run. If you call in the afternoon when they are less busy, they should be happy to help you.

 

[pmaurer74]

Thanks a lot! That's quite helpful - I know for a fact I want to be up and at 'em on the first day we can get our Grand Californian reservation. Never thought to add our last Aulani day, is that ever an issue, changing the reservation? As long as there is availability? And thank you!!!

I have only been a DVC member for a few months but I have had to change my reservations three times already and they have been great about buying, banking, borrowing, and moving my points around the reservations. I agree with the PP. Do the first part of the Aulani trip and then call. I had to do something similar last week.