Buying extra points from member services?

[DJJimmy9]

OK - I am about to take the plunge on a resale contract. I believe I am buying the points I need, but of course no one has a crystal ball. I have read that you can buy up to 24 points from member services to make a reservation. My question is this...

Do I have be 100% out of points including the exhaustion of points available for borrowing to be able to buy the 24 points from MS? Or could I buy 24 points to complete a first trip while saving my other points for a 2nd trip already planned?

I know if I end up needing the extra 24 points frequently, I should just buy the extra points. But I just want some clarification on this benefit so that I am fully aware.

 

[drusba]

You can purchase up to 24 points for one reservation per use year made partly with other points at or after the 7 month window. You cannot get them at 11 months out. You do not have to be out of current use year points or have borrowed next years points. You just need a reservation that includes points from your own accoint, i.e., you cannot just make a reservation using only the 24 points.

 

[wdrl]

Just to add to what drusba posted about One Time Use points: They cannot be used to fill a wait list. Also, keep in mind that One Time Use points are like a perk that can be modified or withdrawn at any time. Disney could raise the price of each point, increase or decrease the number of points that can be purchased, or eliminate OTU points altogether.

 

[jerseyduke]

If you are at the 11 month window (for your home resort) and need points, you have to pay cash.

At the 7 month window, you can buy the 24 'One-time' points.

They are restricted, if you cancel that reservation, I think they are gone...I am not really sure, i was not paying attention to what they said there when I did it, because it did not matter to me.

If you are constantly booking at the 7 month mark, then buying points often is not totally horrible.

Example....VGF...150 per point....20 points is 3000. After 20 years (assuming 5.50 MF annual on those fees, with NO INCREASE) comes out to 5200 for those points

assuming no increase in the one time fee (15$) its 300 a year, 20 years, 6000 dollars.

if the rate per point goes up at about the same rate as the MF, its not horrible....but they are only good at the 7 month mark.

All in all you will lose in the long run (particularly if you are buying resale), but short term, I would not be too concerned with it. If you decide you need more points, look for a 50 point contract with the same UY over the next year or two, or you could even add on 25 points or so buying direct

 

[wdrl]

They are restricted, if you cancel that reservation, I think they are gone...I am not really sure, i was not paying attention to what they said there when I did it, because it did not matter to me.

No, One Time Use points are not "gone" if you cancel the reservation. They are still available for booking and will not expire until the end of the buyer's Use Year. The OTU points may not appear on your online account and may not be available for reservations made via the Online System. However, Member Services can see them and can book a new reservation using those OTU points.

 

[Sandisw]

You can purchase up to 24 points for one reservation per use year made partly with other points at or after the 7 month window. You cannot get them at 11 months out. You do not have to be out of current use year points or have borrowed next years points. You just need a reservation that includes points from your own accoint, i.e., you cannot just make a reservation using only the 24 points.

I was not allowed to buy them when I still had current UY points to use. Things may have changed but I was told that I had to use up those points first. I had wanted to save them for an 11 month booking, but was told I could not.

 

[CarolMN]

I was not allowed to buy them when I still had current UY points to use. Things may have changed but I was told that I had to use up those points first. I had wanted to save them for an 11 month booking, but was told I could not.

This is my understanding as well. However, MS does not require you to borrow points before you can purchase OTU points.

Seems like a silly rule as it is easy to get around. You just make a dummy reservation (one that you have no intention of using) with the points you want to save for an 11 month booking. Then you purchase the OTU points. After that is set, you can cancel the dummy. Be sure to make the dummy for a stay at least 31 days away so that you can cancel without penalty (points going into holding).

 

[DJJimmy9]

OK. I think I got it. But I don't think what I want to do will work based on all of your feedback.

Here is what I want to do...

Lets say I have 250 pts. So from banking, current year, and borrowing I have access to 750 pts. If I want to use 600 of the pts for 1 rez at the 11-month mark I won't have access to the one time use (otu) pts. And once I borrow the 100 pts to make my rez, I could call back to get 24 otu pts at the 7-month mark. But now it's pointless because I wouldn't be able to unborrow 24 pts would I?

But maybe this whole issue doesn't matter at all because one of you presented another option...paying cash. For the above scenario, could I bank 250 and combine with my current year 250 to book as many nights as I wanted and then pay cash for an extra 2-nights all at the 11-month mark? This way I could save the next years pts for another trip instead of borrowing them.

Would that work? And would the combo of cash and points be on 1 rez?

 

[ITGirl50]

And would the combo of cash and points be on 1 rez?

Each night has to be cash or points. You can't split the night into both. Cash and point reservations are seperate reservations, but you can ask that they be linked so that you don't have to move. You will have to get new room keys when you move from a cash night to a point night. Also, cash rooms are not cheap. Look at the rack rates and you get 20% off for a DVC discount IF the room is available to rent through DVC cash rate.

 

[Msmithmd]

DJjimmy- since you haven't purchased yet, there is an easier answer. Buy 5-10% more points than you think you need when you purchase. It's easy to bank your excess year to year. When you make a reservation in the new use year, you always use the banked points first.

If you accumulate a big total over a decade, then you can rent or take an extra trip. Way easier to do this than hoping to count on OTU points. Now I'm not saying buy 100 points more tha you need. But how about, say, buy a cushion of 24 points so you always have that.

And FYI once you are an owner, dvc will sell you an add-on of as little as 25 points at any resort- in case you can't find a right-size resale contract. You might have to wait list for these extras but that would be well worth it to finish out the savings of a mostly-resale purchase...

 

[DJJimmy9]

MsSmith, thanks. Yes I understand what you are saying. I am planning on buying about 25 pts more than I think I need for our normal trips. However, there are a few special occasions that would require far more pts than I would typically need. So my questions regarding OTU pts and combining cash and points are still open if anyone has some advice.

 

[Fantasia79]

Sorry if its explained earlier, how much is it to buy extra points?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Msmithmd]

$15/point. Max 24 points per year. And they have to be used at 7 months, you can't use them for an 11 month reservation. And Disney can withdraw the points offer or change the price at their discretion.

And Jimmy, the post from crbruce above my previous one explained cash vs points as well as it can be stated I hope...yes you can bank and borrow, but the cash versus points res are separate.

 

[DJJimmy9]

Oops! Sorry MsSmith. I missed that - thx!