Contracts at same home resort, different UY

[Kuzcotopia1]

I've been a lurker of this forum on and off for about 3 years. I still have yet to take the DVC plunge but I'm getting closer. Money saved, check! Researching resorts, check! Knowing what initial use year I want, check! But now I have a question I can't check off and it's mainly because I'm not a member and don't understand how the system 100% works.

My husband and I are interested in starting relatively small - 50/60 points - with the possibility of adding on in the future. We want to get our feet wet before taking a bigger plunge. We typically visit every other year in September (which I just learned is high time for DVC because of the "cheap points" [thanks!]), so having that 100 or 120 points works for now. In the years to come, I anticipate visiting during other months but since our daughter is only 1 year old I have no school commitments to worry about yet. Also, I am the mom who would consider taking her young child out of school for a week.

I understand the logistics of home resort (11 months) vs. non-home (7 months).

But what if:

• I purchased 75 points at BWV for a UY of September and later purchased 75 more points at the same resort but a February UY. I want to book for September (ex. at BWV 2016, studio preferred 107 points weekly). Am I only able to book up to the first 75 points because of the September UY and then in February switch over/update it to the weekly rate when points become available?

Personally, I am thinking if we purchase the home resort we love and want to add on I would purchase the same resort again. Having too many home resorts to juggle and worry about 11 months vs. 7 months gets me all anxious (as someone who has no clue yet).

DVC is complicated for me because I learn by doing, not by research alone, so I hope that question makes sense and it's not truly as stupid as it looks after I reread it.

 

[CMNJ]

I've been a lurker of this forum on and off for about 3 years. I still have yet to take the DVC plunge but I'm getting closer. Money saved, check! Researching resorts, check! Knowing what initial use year I want, check! But now I have a question I can't check off and it's mainly because I'm not a member and don't understand how the system 100% works.

My husband and I are interested in starting relatively small - 50/60 points - with the possibility of adding on in the future. We want to get our feet wet before taking a bigger plunge. We typically visit every other year in September (which I just learned is high time for DVC because of the "cheap points" [thanks!]), so having that 100 or 120 points works for now. In the years to come, I anticipate visiting during other months but since our daughter is only 1 year old I have no school commitments to worry about yet. Also, I am the mom who would consider taking her young child out of school for a week.

I understand the logistics of home resort (11 months) vs. non-home (7 months).

But what if:

• I purchased 75 points at BWV for a UY of September and later purchased 75 more points at the same resort but a February UY. I want to book for September (ex. at BWV 2016, studio preferred 107 points weekly). Am I only able to book up to the first 75 points because of the September UY and then in February switch over/update it to the weekly rate when points become available?

Personally, I am thinking if we purchase the home resort we love and want to add on I would purchase the same resort again. Having too many home resorts to juggle and worry about 11 months vs. 7 months gets me all anxious (as someone who has no clue yet).

DVC is complicated for me because I learn by doing, not by research alone, so I hope that question makes sense and it's not truly as stupid as it looks after I reread it.

I personally don't think I would want 2 different UY at the same resort due to the extra work involved in using the points together. I'm also not sure what you mean about the "weekly rate". The point chart booking the 7 nights separately vs 1 week all at once is the same. You have to have the points avail to you at the time of travel not at the time of booking. So using your fall 2016 example you could use the following points to book Feb and/or Sept 2015 UY banked into 2016 UY, Feb and/or Sept 2016 UY points or Feb and/or Sept 2017 UY borrowed into 2016. The issue with having 2 UY is that you cannot use points from both UY to book a single night. You have to do a transfer from one contract to the other in order to book a single night using both contracts and you cannot book online to do so (only over the phone with member services). You will also have 2 banking deadlines to contend with (Sept 30th for Feb UY and April 30 for Sept UY). This can be confusing if you are transferring points since you will not see them online especially if you cancel a reservation (and could affect ability to bank or use those points depending on when you cancel and what contract they came from).

 

[CarolMN]

If you haven't already, read through the explanation of use year in this thread:

Understanding Use Year

I agree with CMNJ - two use years will result in two different memberships and will complicate booking, especially if you want to book online and snag those standard and Boardwalk view villas. IMO, those complications will far outweigh any advantages there may be to having different use years (such as two more waitlist entitlements, different banking deadlines for your points, which may or may not be an advantage). Point cost of the rooms and booking windows are exactly the same for all use years.

 

[Kuzcotopia1]

I personally don't think I would want 2 different UY at the same resort due to the extra work involved in using the points together.

I agree with CMNJ - two use years will result in two different memberships and will complicate booking

This is what I was also thinking. Sure, we want to start small... but is it worth it to maybe up the points to 100 on a single contract rather than two separate. Thanks for the feedback and UY link, I'll continue reading up!

 

[Marionnette]

This is what I was also thinking. Sure, we want to start small... but is it worth it to maybe up the points to 100 on a single contract rather than two separate. Thanks for the feedback and UY link, I'll continue reading up!

Yes, it would be worth it.

• You will only pay closing costs once. It's more expensive, per point, when you close on two contracts.
  
• The seller's price per point for a 100-pt. contract will be slightly less than for 2 50-pt. contracts.
• All your points will be under a single contract and membership number.
  
• You will be able to book that September week in a studio at BWV and only need to borrow a few points from next year's points vs. trying to manage the points in each contract and formulate a plan for their use a year or two in advance.
• If you end up wanting to book a week in a larger unit, it would be more difficult to do with two separate memberships.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I've been a lurker of this forum on and off for about 3 years. I still have yet to take the DVC plunge but I'm getting closer. Money saved, check! Researching resorts, check! Knowing what initial use year I want, check! But now I have a question I can't check off and it's mainly because I'm not a member and don't understand how the system 100% works.

My husband and I are interested in starting relatively small - 50/60 points - with the possibility of adding on in the future. We want to get our feet wet before taking a bigger plunge. We typically visit every other year in September (which I just learned is high time for DVC because of the "cheap points" [thanks!]), so having that 100 or 120 points works for now. In the years to come, I anticipate visiting during other months but since our daughter is only 1 year old I have no school commitments to worry about yet. Also, I am the mom who would consider taking her young child out of school for a week.

I understand the logistics of home resort (11 months) vs. non-home (7 months).

But what if:

• I purchased 75 points at BWV for a UY of September and later purchased 75 more points at the same resort but a February UY. I want to book for September (ex. at BWV 2016, studio preferred 107 points weekly). Am I only able to book up to the first 75 points because of the September UY and then in February switch over/update it to the weekly rate when points become available?

Personally, I am thinking if we purchase the home resort we love and want to add on I would purchase the same resort again. Having too many home resorts to juggle and worry about 11 months vs. 7 months gets me all anxious (as someone who has no clue yet).

DVC is complicated for me because I learn by doing, not by research alone, so I hope that question makes sense and it's not truly as stupid as it looks after I reread it.

First - late September has gotten to be a "busier" time but if one is going to book at 11 months you still will not have an issue getting a room. It's always been prudent to not count on getting the lowest point accommodations as many people buy for that category or anything specialty like AKV concierge but I think that the answers about Sept came off as it being more difficult than it is. Booking right at 11 months you will possibly be able to get a standard studio and if one of the preferred views is the plan, which seems to match up with your point purchase, then you will be fine. So I don't know if that changes your thoughts about needing to visit other times of the year but thought I'd mention it.

And is that perceived need to switch the time you visit why you think you'd need more points? If so then I would not worry and would just look to buy the 50-60 right now and see if DVC does work for you the way you think it will.

But to your question - the ideal IMO would be to have all points in the same UY and if you did think you needed more points at a date in the future I'd try to add on to the original UY. However, when your UY is does not affect when you can book. If you did end up with 2 UY's you could actually work with transfers between the accounts so you could book a stay all at once and I have done that once or twice but my preference is just to book nights in each UY and have MS link them for a continuing stay. So say you wanted to stay Sept 2-9, 2017 (7 nights) and you had points for the first 4 nights in your Sept UY and the points for your other 3 nights in your Feb UY. On Oct 2nd you could book the nights of Sept 2-5 (check out on the 6th) using any banked 2016 points, current 2017 points or borrow 2018 points in your Sept UY. Then on Oct 6th you would book the nights of Sept 6-8 (check out on the 9th) with your Feb UY. You would book that using any banked 2016 points, current 2017 points or borrow 2018 points. You would then call or email MS to have them link the 2 reservations together. All UY's are able to book a room at the exact same time and the only difference is what UY the points are eligible from to use although in your scenario it ends up being the same even with a Feb and Sept UY.

 

[drusba]

Don't know where you got the info about Sep being a high demand time. That is true only for the last five nights or so of Sep. Rest of the month (including Labor weekend time) is a moderate DVC demand time when you will find many things at near park resorts open at 7 mlnths out.

As to size of contract, you should buy one with the number of points you desire unless going very high on points. One sale has one set of closing costs, why double them without good reason? The only good reason involves possible later resale. Lower point contracts, e.g., 100 points or lower are generally easier to resell later than higher point contracts, e.g., 250 and above; between 100 and 250 is phases from easier to somewhat harder. And if you do not plan to resell for 10 years, it is something of little to no consideration, particularly because in 10 years different issues will be setting in, e.g., BWV will have only 15 years keft before termination of all contracts and thus selling even small BWV contracts at a desired high resale price rather than quite low resale price may be very difficult.

 

[Dean]

I've been a lurker of this forum on and off for about 3 years. I still have yet to take the DVC plunge but I'm getting closer. Money saved, check! Researching resorts, check! Knowing what initial use year I want, check! But now I have a question I can't check off and it's mainly because I'm not a member and don't understand how the system 100% works.

My husband and I are interested in starting relatively small - 50/60 points - with the possibility of adding on in the future. We want to get our feet wet before taking a bigger plunge. We typically visit every other year in September (which I just learned is high time for DVC because of the "cheap points" [thanks!]), so having that 100 or 120 points works for now. In the years to come, I anticipate visiting during other months but since our daughter is only 1 year old I have no school commitments to worry about yet. Also, I am the mom who would consider taking her young child out of school for a week.

I understand the logistics of home resort (11 months) vs. non-home (7 months).

But what if:

• I purchased 75 points at BWV for a UY of September and later purchased 75 more points at the same resort but a February UY. I want to book for September (ex. at BWV 2016, studio preferred 107 points weekly). Am I only able to book up to the first 75 points because of the September UY and then in February switch over/update it to the weekly rate when points become available?

Personally, I am thinking if we purchase the home resort we love and want to add on I would purchase the same resort again. Having too many home resorts to juggle and worry about 11 months vs. 7 months gets me all anxious (as someone who has no clue yet).

DVC is complicated for me because I learn by doing, not by research alone, so I hope that question makes sense and it's not truly as stupid as it looks after I reread it.

IMO I'd just wait and buy more what I wanted at one time either now or later. Generally it's better to buy say 150 needing 50 than do buy 50-75 and try to add on later.