December 2028 Trip

[IsDVCForMe?]

Hello all you Disney lovers. Been researching DVC, especially resale, and considering purchasing a contract.

We have a plan to go this year already and paid by family, but would like to go at least once every 3 years beginning in 2028.

If we’re planning to go in December 2028, when would be the best time to buy a contract? Would like to bank the points from 2027 and borrow from 2029. Thinking our use year would be October.

 

[airjay75]

If you buy resale points, you'll want those points loaded and ready to go before the 11-month window opens up. And, if you're attempting to do something like say, a studio, a BLT resort view room, or a 2 BR lock-off, you'd probably want those loaded several months before to try and "walk" the reservation since December reservations can be pretty difficult to get. Personally, I'd want those points loaded no later than November of 2027.

It can take 2-3 months for the resale process to play out and have the points loaded to your account. So, I'd be looking to purchase no later than the end of summer 2027.

You can bank 2027 points into 2028, but you really wouldn't want a contract with 2026 points on it (or 2026 points that are banked into 2027). You can find contracts that don't have any 2025 or 2026 points on them now (and probably even some that have been stripped of 2027 points) - but, make sure you don't agree to pay dues on any points you won't be receiving. If 2027 points are gone, demand a credit of some sort for the dues on those points. You an sometimes get pretty good deals on stripped contracts, but you're also rolling the dice a little bit because that is a long time before you'll have points to use, and anything could happen to the resale market between now and when you actually have points to use.

Note that buying direct points is a whole different game. There, you can have member services book a "welcome home" stay for you, and a great use of that would be a December stay.

 

[IsDVCForMe?]

If you buy resale points, you'll want those points loaded and ready to go before the 11-month window opens up. And, if you're attempting to do something like say, a studio, a BLT resort view room, or a 2 BR lock-off, you'd probably want those loaded several months before to try and "walk" the reservation since December reservations can be pretty difficult to get. Personally, I'd want those points loaded no later than November of 2027.

It can take 2-3 months for the resale process to play out and have the points loaded to your account. So, I'd be looking to purchase no later than the end of summer 2027.

You can bank 2027 points into 2028, but you really wouldn't want a contract with 2026 points on it (or 2026 points that are banked into 2027). You can find contracts that don't have any 2025 or 2026 points on them now (and probably even some that have been stripped of 2027 points) - but, make sure you don't agree to pay dues on any points you won't be receiving. If 2027 points are gone, demand a credit of some sort for the dues on those points. You an sometimes get pretty good deals on stripped contracts, but you're also rolling the dice a little bit because that is a long time before you'll have points to use, and anything could happen to the resale market between now and when you actually have points to use.

Note that buying direct points is a whole different game. There, you can have member services book a "welcome home" stay for you, and a great use of that would be a December stay.

This is good information. How difficult is it to get a studio at OKW or SSR between October and December?

 

[airjay75]

This is good information. How difficult is it to get a studio at OKW or SSR between October and December?

https://dvcfieldguide.com/availability-tables

The tables at that website are a great way to familiarize yourself with what availability looks like at different times. Those two resorts are going to be two of the easier resorts to get during that time, especially if you own there. You might even be able to piece together a stay at SSR if you bought points at a different home resort if you're willing to do some stalking and waitlisting.

 

[CarolynFH]

would like to go at least once every 3 years

Be aware that going every three years can easily lead to stranded (lost) points, because a given reservation is unlikely to require exactly three years worth of points, and you can’t move points more than one year forward or backward. So points management can be tricky and detailed planning is necessary, not to mention hoping that when DVC reallocates the points charts to manage demand as they’re required to do, they don’t completely mess up your plans.

Going at least every other year is much easier to manage. And in actuality, many DVC owners find themselves going more frequently than they originally planned, so the issue works itself out. And they’re here asking for advice related to adding on!

 

[Chili327]

So, I'd be looking to purchase no later than the end of summer 2027.

In order to be ready to book for your Dec 2028 trip.

Be aware that going every three years can easily lead to stranded (lost) points, because a given reservation is unlikely to require exactly three years worth of points, and you can’t move points more than one year forward or backward.

This is good info, I originally had planned to go every 3 years, but even though that wasn’t going to be enough, I had to change plans regardless because of wasted points or hassle of being in need of more points each trip. I think once every other year is about the least you can go to make the best use of D\/C. You can always borrow or bank when needed.

 

[airjay75]

In order to be ready to book for your Dec 2028 trip.

Yes, agreed. My thinking was you want a good amount of buffer room to make sure you get those points loaded into your account by early to mid-November at the latest. And, for OP's benefits, if your contract doesn't close until mid-November or December, the processing of resale contracts gets a little funky during that time and you may not have your points loaded until January (if you close after a certain date, you have to pre-pay the next year's dues at closing, and there is a blackout period in December where they don't process resale transfers at all). And, if, for example, you were buying CCV and targeting a studio in December or, BLT and targeting a resort view room, you're going to want to start a walk to get those rooms well before the 11-month window opens up.

 

[IsDVCForMe?]

Be aware that going every three years can easily lead to stranded (lost) points, because a given reservation is unlikely to require exactly three years worth of points, and you can’t move points more than one year forward or backward. So points management can be tricky and detailed planning is necessary, not to mention hoping that when DVC reallocates the points charts to manage demand as they’re required to do, they don’t completely mess up your plans.

Going at least every other year is much easier to manage. And in actuality, many DVC owners find themselves going more frequently than they originally planned, so the issue works itself out. And they’re here asking for advice related to adding on!

Not that I want to lose any points, but I figured that would happen regardless. Doing the math, it seems we’d still make out.

It’s hard to determine how many points to get because the point system changes, right?

 

[Sandisw]

Not that I want to lose any points, but I figured that would happen regardless. Doing the math, it seems we’d still make out.

It’s hard to determine how many points to get because the point system changes, right?

The points can be shifted around to balance demand.

For example, they have increased fall and lowered summer back in 2022 and 2023.

So, if you plan to go every three years at the same time, you have to think about that.

If I had to guess what time period we might see some changes in the future, would be early December.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Not that I want to lose any points, but I figured that would happen regardless. Doing the math, it seems we’d still make out.

It’s hard to determine how many points to get because the point system changes, right?

It can change. Rather than lose points once in a while, I recommend that you consider buying a little extra as a buffer. You can rent out the unused points or transfer them to another member.

 

[bakerworld]

How difficult is it to get a studio at OKW or SSR between October and December?

In our experience, easy to get with DVC. My sister has consistently found access to SSR via her RCI.

 

[IsDVCForMe?]

In our experience, easy to get with DVC. My sister has consistently found access to SSR via her RCI.

I think we’d like to stay at different resorts and it seems it may be tough to get some of the other ones. Will keep doing my research.

 

[Add-On-Itis]

It can change. Rather than lose points once in a while, I recommend that you consider buying a little extra as a buffer. You can rent out the unused points or transfer them to another member.

There are never too many points! You can always add a day. Upgrade to 1 bedroom / 2 bedroom / 3 bedroom. Upgrade the view. Point heavy resort like GF or Poly.

We started with 160 points. The plan was to stay in the studio once a year. DVC will ruin you once you try a one bedroom.