Can I sell my points back?

[LolaBunny]

After consideration and not getting to use out points when we want to, my husband and I think DVC is not for us. Can we sell and get out of DVC easily?
We wanted to go Dec. 29-Jan. 5 There is no DVC rooms availiable at all anywhere. We could get into POFQ or CS but it has to be a regular hotel room and we have 6 going. Any sugestions on what to do?

 

[Debbie H]

After consideration and not getting to use out points when we want to, my husband and I think DVC is not for us. Can we sell and get out of DVC easily?
We wanted to go Dec. 29-Jan. 5 There is no DVC rooms availiable at all anywhere. We could get into POFQ or CS but it has to be a regular hotel room and we have 6 going. Any sugestions on what to do?

Sorry about not getting in when you want. I think this is going to be a recurring theme. I would suggest talking to your guide or putting it up on a timeshare site for resales.

 

[Disney Doll]

Did you try to plan 11 months in advance??? It seems like it would be pretty unusual not to be able to get something planning 11 months out.

In any event, of course you can sell your points. The Tiemshare Store, which is the sponsor of this site, can help. I am not sure if Disney buys points back directly from members. Your guide could probably answer that question.

 

[browniemtb]

When did you try to book the reservation??? Around Xmas you need to plan way ahead...almost at the 11 month mark. Don't give up on DVC yet...especially when you have AKV coming on line and potentially CRV as well. This means more rooms for DVC inventory I hope.
Brownie

 

[DiznEeyore]

Sorry about not getting in when you want. I think this is going to be a recurring theme.

Can I ask why you think that?

Are you referring to people who try to make plans at less than the 11/7 window, or do you mean even then?

 

[ILuvDVC2]

After consideration and not getting to use out points when we want to, my husband and I think DVC is not for us. Can we sell and get out of DVC easily?
We wanted to go Dec. 29-Jan. 5 There is no DVC rooms available at all anywhere. We could get into POFQ or CS but it has to be a regular hotel room and we have 6 going. Any sugestions on what to do?

So sorry your original request didn't come through. How many variations of your request did you try? The dates you're requesting start during peak season, but end after the peak, so there may be more options to consider.

Do you have enough points to try doing two studios? That's what we did once. What about a couple of nights at POFQ & other available nights at a DVC resort?

Maybe it's worth seeing if MS can figure something out for you if you and your family can be flexible about moving resorts, staying in separate rooms, etc. It may not work for your situation, but it may be worth a shot.

Best of luck!

 

[Chuck S]

In answer to the OPs question, it has been reported by some that DVC will directly buy back points, under normal resale value...like $55 per point or so.

If the OP is seriously considering selling (and since this was just posted, I will assume the OP did not plan well in advance for this peak period) then I suggest they go through a reseller, like the timeshare store. It may take a little longer to close, but you'll likely get much more $$.

The DVC program has always worked best for people than plan well in advance of their trip, and with the fairly liberal cancellation policy, it is pretty easy to modify reservations...but still for peak travel periods you can NOT plan a month or two out and get results.

 

[icydog]

I think the problem is supply and demand. The demand for rooms is not up to the supply at this point. I am not sure of the ratio but I do know that if you don't reserve your vacations at 11 months for heavily traveled months you can forget about a reservation. It didn't used to be this way but this is the way it has been ever since SSR came on board and since so few members give up their points for trades, Concierge, Adventure, or the other collections. I am always stunned that Disney did not anticipate that the vast majority, over 90%, of owners only want to go to Disney World with their points. At seven months you have 7 resorts worth of owners trying to get into 4 resorts. Again, before SSR this worked out because OKW was so big, but now with SSR being as big or bigger, the rooms in the other resorts are gone at 7 months. If you can't get into SSR then the whole place is sold out. Pls practice planning 10-11 months in advance from now on and you will have many wonderful vacations at WDW. It is a way of life with us and I am used to planning a year in advance with my DVC points and my other timeshares as well.

 

[Chuck S]

I am always stunned that Disney did not anticipate that the vast majority, over 90%, of owners only want to go to Disney World with their points. At seven months you have 7 resorts worth of owners trying to get into 4 resorts. Again, before SSR this worked out because OKW was so big, but now with SSR being as big or bigger, the rooms in the other resorts are gone at 7 months. If you can't get into SSR then the whole place is sold out.

Uh, SSR is at Disney World, just like OKW. Currently there are only 2 offsite resorts, VB and HHI.

 

[3DisneyKids]

If you can't get into SSR then the whole place is sold out.

While this was once the case, it is not always an accurate prediction any longer. When we recently tried to book (not for Christmas week), we could not get SSR, but OKW and BWV were both available.

To the OP--Play with your dates a bit. I am willing to bet that you can the first few days one place and the rest of your days elsewhere. This close to the holidays, you may not be able to get your entire stay all in one location...but if you are flexible, it will likely work out. Then, go on the waitlist and there is a good chance you will be able to get everything at one resort.

As others have said, this is THE peak week at WDW...you generally need to do advance planning to book this week.

Good luck!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Hey now, this lady asked for a little help. The answers seem a little rough for a newbie.

LolaBunny, you picked kind of a bad year to go because the 1st falls on a Tuesday and enough schools probably decided to give students off from the 24th to the 6th. This period is then followed by the marathoners coming in early right after New Years. However...some schools and most jobs start on the 2nd anyway. What I would try is asking MS if there is availability anywhere for the 1st thru the 5th, take that and waitlist for the remainder. If the remainder doesnt come through I'd take two POFQ rooms and then move to my DVC two bedroom on value season points.

Now if you have to fly this gets quite a bit harder to do. You either have to go for it or not. I would say if you are flying, trying to get flights now for Christmas might also be waiting towards the end of the last minute for the cheapest fares. I used to book my flights in September for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As for selling. How easy it is to get out of depends on what you paid for it and how much of that you are willing to lose. Click on the timeshare store logo at the top of the page to get a feel for what's moving and what's not. The numbers on the lefthand side of the units are the dates they were listed for sale. Let me suggest that you express a little bit more whats happening with your DVC get some feedback on how you might anticipate using it beyond this holiday & how early you can make reservations and so forth.

Let me add that you don't have to make reservations at the 11 month window to get into dates after 12/24 but you do if you want dates in the low season of December. You probably would want to make Christmas holiday reservations before the end of summer. You may not get a reservation immediately but odds are the waitlist will come through. We are still under the old cancellation rules so people can cancel with not necessarily bad penalties up to 31 days in advance...so they will procrastinate hoping they can still go.

 

[JimMIA]

After consideration and not getting to use out points when we want to, my husband and I think DVC is not for us. Can we sell and get out of DVC easily?
We wanted to go Dec. 29-Jan. 5 There is no DVC rooms availiable at all anywhere. We could get into POFQ or CS but it has to be a regular hotel room and we have 6 going. Any sugestions on what to do?

From posts I've seen, you can possibly sell your points back to DVC at about $55 per point. Selling through a resale broker would be a much better option, although depending on when you bought and what you paid, you may still lose money.

The ressies you wanted are very difficult, and require a lot of advance planning. If you are only now trying to get ressies for New Years Eve, that is really not realistic.

You can waitlist for your dates, but before you do that, please be sure you really thoroughly understand the waitlisting process...or you'll be wanting to sell even more.

 

[Debbie H]

Can I ask why you think that?

Are you referring to people who try to make plans at less than the 11/7 window, or do you mean even then?

We have not experienced that but I know of 2 people that did have the problem at the 11 month window.

 

[Debbie H]

The DVC program has always worked best for people than plan well in advance of their trip, and with the fairly liberal cancellation policy, it is pretty easy to modify reservations...but still for peak travel periods you can NOT plan a month or two out and get results.

Chuck,
I think this is the problem, people making ressies, just in case, hoping to be able to get off work, etc, and then canceling. You are right though, it does work better 11 months in advance.

 

[AKV707]

To the OP, I am sure that your decision to join DVC was a well informed, and thought out one. You are obviously Disney fans and love going to WDW. As has been pointed out,the first few days that you are seeking are in very high demand. If you have tried to recently book these dates,that can be tough.

I would say to give DVC a chance. Are you new members? If you can plan 10 or 11 months out, you should be fine. And take the advice that others have given and use the waitlist.

I wish you all the best with your decisions.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

After consideration and not getting to use out points when we want to, my husband and I think DVC is not for us. Can we sell and get out of DVC easily?
We wanted to go Dec. 29-Jan. 5 There is no DVC rooms availiable at all anywhere. We could get into POFQ or CS but it has to be a regular hotel room and we have 6 going. Any sugestions on what to do?

Sorry about not getting in when you want. I think this is going to be a recurring theme. I would suggest talking to your guide or putting it up on a timeshare site for resales.

After reading the following thread is the OP really wrong? Link: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1602769

I love my DVC but if this is the way it is heading..........

 

[dianeschlicht]

I hope the OP didn't get scared off by some of the posts. I also hope the OP wasn't just posting something to get folks riled up around here...Yep, it happens.

Lola Bunny, you don't say when you tried to book your January ressies. Suffice it to say, if you did not try to book at least 7 1/2 months ahead, I'm not surprised you had difficulty. When you book a holiday season at ANY flexible timeshare, you have to be, shall we say, FLEXIBLE? Disney will be even more so than many others. Holiday times are when most everyone can travel. Supply and demand dictates that you must make your holiday travel plans earlier and earlier, even in the non-timeshare world. Just yesterday I heard a talk radio show about holiday travel, and they said just booking airfares for holiday times should now occur at least 5-7 months ahead.

I would hang onto your DVC assets a bit longer and see if you can't figure out how to work the system. You might be very pleasantly surprised. We go to great pains to try and plan as far ahead as possible. While it's true that we need to be more conscientous about that than we did when DVC was a lot smaller, it is still possible as long as you always book before 7 months out.

 

[CarolMN]

The problem was almost surely New Year's Eve, 12/31. That night is arguably the most demanded night of the year. Those who want to be sure of getting in for that night must book at 11 months. Often, even waitlisting doesn't work for that one night.

To the OP - sorry you couldn't get into a DVC resort for your dates. DVC may not be for you. It works best for those who can plan more than 7 months in advance. If you often visit during peak times, you'll need to reserve as soon as your 11 month window opens.

 

[DMKEDM]

Our DVC ownership is now 15 months old...in that time, we have booked 7 trips and done 3 add-on's (takes "addiction" and "addonitis" to new heights!)...we've used the wait list 3 times (altho not since the new automatic system when into effect)...two T-giving trips, two trips that included Marathon weekend in January (the rest were "easy" times...May, January (not marathon), August & Labor Day. We've stayed at SSR, BWV, BCV, & OKW...

We bought in June 2006 and my first booking was T-giving...had to W/L, but it came through early enough that I didn't break a sweat worrying about where we'd stay on site...

I've only done two reservations earlier than 7 months out...most have been five (or so)...one trip, I added on two days at the front of the trip (which turned out to be marathon days) within two weeks of the trip...got one night on points, one on an AP-discounted cash CRO reservation...had to switch resorts that trip...it was an adventure and we enjoyed it and learned that we prefer not to move during our trip...

So, why all this history?

We have not found we have to book 11 months out. The closer the travel dates are, the more flexible we have to be in terms of which resort, and use of the W/L...but we've never been shut out.

OK, maybe I've just been lucky. Or maybe the people who could get nothing at all or nothing that would work w/their plans were unlucky. I don't pretend to know. But I do know that the "you have to book at 11 months (or at least before 7 months)" mantra is probably true only if you're not able to be flexbile or if you're traveling at super-high-occupancy times -- and that's true for cash reservations through CRO, too (as I learned the hard way one pre-DVC ownership trip!)...

I am bothered by the many posts that "warn" about no availablility at 7 months or at 6 months or at 5 months...I fully agree that the longer you wait, the more likely you are to run into a need to change dates or resorts or villa sizes or to use the W/L...but reading this thread one gets the impression that availability is considerably tighter than I've found it to be.

Of course, even back in the day when I didn't have DVC I knew that getting a week at Disney that included Christmas or New Years Eve would require a long lead time and lots of advance planning...and I understand that getting my preferred villa for my first choice dates at VWL or BCV needs either luck or the longest possible lead-time. And certainly in general the further out I can make my reservation, the more likely it is that I'll get exactly what I want...

But we have found that it really isn't a situation where if we can't make a home resort reservation at 11 months out we'll get absolutely nothing...

Good luck w/your decision to either sell or try again, OP...certainly I can sympathize w/the "shock to the system" of discovering availability issues...I know I simply didn't believe my guide when he told me, at our initial purchase, that I'd have issues w/availability at T-giving (we "always" go to Disney for T-giving--that makes it easy to book 11 months out, of course...but I'd never booked thru CRO earlier than 4-5 months out, so I simply didn't believe I'd have a problem...took me a while (and reading the DIS) to figure out that CRO inventory is totally unrelated to DVC inventory!)...

Good luck!

 

[stlrod]

To the OP,

Persistence patience pays off when trying to book over the holidays. We just made a decision to go this week and I was able to get a 1BR at SSR for 12/25-28 and a Savannah view studio at AKL 12/28-30. I was bothered that I had waitlisted for the 25-28 and when I called back to find expand the waitlist found out my dates were available and it had not automatically been put through as DVC is supposed to do. Just keep trying and be flexible. It can happen w/o booking at the 11th or even or even 7th month.