Cash Ressies & DVC

[Buckeye Fan]

An acquaintance of mine just made an offer (which was accepted) on a SSR contract. She is planning a March trip. I'm not 100% sure of her travel dates, but since the original owner can't secure the ressies for her in advance (my understanding is that once a contract is sold all future ressies from the previous owner are cancelled) and the contract may not close until January/February, is there ANYTHING she can do ahead of time secure reservations that she can then switch to points?

She said that there was availability at Beach Club in a "deluxe" room, but I told her I didn't think those rooms were part of DVC, but part of the BC Resort (like Boardwalk Inn). Even if her points come through, she couldn't use them to pay for that type of room.

It makes her sick to spend the $$$ when she'll have points available. Would me, too, but I'm not sure what to tell her. Any words of wisdom on what her best option(s) would be? Thanks, all!

 

[mikesmom]

The only strategy I can think of (and it's pretty far fetched) would be to get on the Rent/Trade Board, have an owner there make her a ressie, have her pay in cash and then rent out her points when they came available OR instead of paying cash, offer to transfer points when her points came available.

I say it's far fetched because:
1 - the strategy is pretty convoluted
2- an owner would have to REALLY trust her to accept points that were coming later, and
3- you said her offer was accepted and that does NOT mean that she will get the deal unless the offer already got past ROFR.

You were right that a deluxe room at the BC is not part of DVC, but making a ressie there now would at least guarantee she would have a room. Easter is in March this year, so the chances of her getting something as those dates get closer gets a lot slimmer.

Unfortunately, when you go resale you can usually save some money, but you have to get in the parade somewhere, and that may mean "wasting" some money on a trip that doesn't time itself just right.

 

[disneynutz]

The only strategy I can think of (and it's pretty far fetched) would be to get on the Rent/Trade Board, have an owner there make her a ressie, have her pay in cash and then rent out her points when they came available OR instead of paying cash, offer to transfer points when her points came available.

I say it's far fetched because:
1 - the strategy is pretty convoluted
2- an owner would have to REALLY trust her to accept points that were coming later, and
3- you said her offer was accepted and that does NOT mean that she will get the deal unless the offer already got past ROFR.

You were right that a deluxe room at the BC is not part of DVC, but making a ressie there now would at least guarantee she would have a room. Easter is in March this year, so the chances of her getting something as those dates get closer gets a lot slimmer.

Unfortunately, when you go resale you can usually save some money, but you have to get in the parade somewhere, and that may mean "wasting" some money on a trip that doesn't time itself just right.

A word of caution. I would not count the deal as done until escrow closes. The seller can still back out. Legally she is the new owner when the deed is recorded by the county.

 

[shellbelle1971]

I'm not sure what to tell her.

One possibility is to book an offsite resort before she closes on her DVC contract. (She should be able to get something pretty nice for not a lot of $$.) Once she closes, she can waitlist for onsite accommodations. If they come through, she can cancel the offsite nights. If not--oh well, it's hardly any money, and she can save the points she would have used for the future.

Or she can book onsite the same way, it will just cost more if she ends up paying cash for it.

 

[ldo]

There are so many Spring Breaks in March, and Easter is in March and BCV is such a small resort and so popular, that I would wonder if she could even get DVC at BCV for her dates, and certainly, by the time she closes, it will be slim pickings.
As another poster recommends, she might book a cash "room only" reservation at an off-site hotel, or a WDW moderate, value, etc. which cost less money. Then if she can acutally get a BCV reservation, she can cancel. WDW hotels allow cancellation 6 days out without any penaly.
Also, she might not realize that DVC inventory (rooms that are available) are NOT the same rooms that show up on WDW website for booking with cash.

 

[icydog]

There are so many Spring Breaks in March, and Easter is in March and BCV is such a small resort and so popular, that I would wonder if she could even get DVC at BCV for her dates, and certainly, by the time she closes, it will be slim pickings.

This is absolutely correct. Right now BCV is sold out for March. I would suggest she either hold off her closing until after March,which is probably impossible now, or bite the bullet and pay for her vacation with cash for 2008. She will have a lot of time to plan her '09 vacation and many more after that.
As another far fetched idea, If the owner has more points at another resort she can reserve space for your friend for March of 2008 with those points. Then when the contract closes your friend could pay her back. But I would have this all in writting in an addendum. I did this when I sold my BWV property but luckily my contract closed in enough time for my buyer to get her vacation dates.