Developer points and booking?

[Moeluv4u7]

Okay we are waiting for closing- still*
We are receiving 200 Developer points since we bought into AKV w/ the special they are having
My "Q" is If we want to book our trip (which will be at SSR w/ developer points) for late June, when can I make the ressie? Would that be late Nov? or Dec? And what would the likelihood be of us getting a 2 BR villa at that timeframe? We have 12 mos to use these points and we want to make sure we can get the ressie w/o too much hassle since we won't have much time to replan if that ressie won't be available when I call- Also, I am trying to determine the best ressie to use as many of the 200 pts as possible since we can't bank or even transfer them to someone else (to my understanding)
I keep coming out w/ 20 left over ormore if we do change our time to go- any suggestions OR do I have incorrect info and I can transfer the last 20 to someone who can use them?
TIA

 

[vicki_c]

Okay we are waiting for closing- still*
We are receiving 200 Developer points since we bought into AKV w/ the special they are having
My "Q" is If we want to book our trip (which will be at SSR w/ developer points) for late June, when can I make the ressie? Would that be late Nov? or Dec? And what would the likelihood be of us getting a 2 BR villa at that timeframe? We have 12 mos to use these points and we want to make sure we can get the ressie w/o too much hassle since we won't have much time to replan if that ressie won't be available when I call- Also, I am trying to determine the best ressie to use as many of the 200 pts as possible since we can't bank or even transfer them to someone else (to my understanding)
I keep coming out w/ 20 left over ormore if we do change our time to go- any suggestions OR do I have incorrect info and I can transfer the last 20 to someone who can use them?
TIA

You can book developer points 7 months out, unless the AKV offer was something different, but that's normally what it is. And you can book with your developer points right away -- we booked with our developer points the day we received our package in the mail (with our temporary card and all the closing paperwork you needed to sign) -- we weren't closed at that time.

Your other questions - I'm not sure about. I know you can't waitlist with developer points, and can't bank them -- not sure about transferring.

For booking - count back 7 months from your check IN day (by the calendar date, you don't have to count # of days -- so June 20, you could book Nov 20).

 

[Moeluv4u7]

Thanks Vicki- I will find out if we can transfer those points to anyone and if not we may be able to use AKV points to add another night?? If we have 20 pts developer left over and I need 36 pts for one more night- can I add another night using 20 developer and 16 AKV?? I hope we can split like that- Then I can bank the remainder of AKV into 2010 - I am also checking how many points will be used that trip since we can't bank into another year if those are not all used- Wow! I really hope this gets simpler- I don't want to waste points at all!!

 

[disneyistheone]

I agree with your comments except that DVC now goes by check-in day under the new system.

 

[vicki_c]

I agree with your comments except that DVC now goes by check-in day under the new system.

Thanks - I haven't been paying that much attention to the new booking thing since my next trip was already booked when they changed it! Sorry for the misinformation! I'm going to go back and edit that post so I don't confuse anyone more!

To the OP -- yes you can use both developer and your regular points for any trip.

And it will get simpler -- the developer points are just a little extra complication (but a nice problem to have) and figuring it all out when you're new can be difficult. As evidenced by my post -- I already told you something wrong!

 

[GuySmiley]

Okay we are waiting for closing- still*
We are receiving 200 Developer points since we bought into AKV w/ the special they are having
My "Q" is If we want to book our trip (which will be at SSR w/ developer points) for late June, when can I make the ressie? Would that be late Nov? or Dec? And what would the likelihood be of us getting a 2 BR villa at that timeframe? We have 12 mos to use these points and we want to make sure we can get the ressie w/o too much hassle since we won't have much time to replan if that ressie won't be available when I call- Also, I am trying to determine the best ressie to use as many of the 200 pts as possible since we can't bank or even transfer them to someone else (to my understanding)
I keep coming out w/ 20 left over ormore if we do change our time to go- any suggestions OR do I have incorrect info and I can transfer the last 20 to someone who can use them?
TIA

I am also waiting for my AKV papers for closing (234 pts). What was explained to me is that I am getting my 234 pts for this year, AND also 234 pts for SSR. If you got the same deal, and you are talking about your SSR pts, you can book 11 mo. out, since they are SSR pts. Anyone know differently? Or maybe I'm really special and others didnt get this offer

EDITED to kill rumors

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I am also waiting for my AKV papers for closing (234 pts). What was explained to me is that I am getting my 234 pts for this year, 234 developer pts, AND also 234 pts for SSR. If you got the same deal, and you are talking about your SSR pts, you can book 11 mo. out, since they are SSR pts. Anyone know differently? Or maybe I'm really special and others didnt get this offer

I could be wrong, but I think you've added one too many points into your equation. I believe the current deal is you buy your current points for whatever use year and then receive 234 Developer points which can only be used at SSR or transferred into Interval Internation. You do not receive two sets of "free" points, developer and SSR, only one which can be used at either.

 

[Moeluv4u7]

Wow Guysmiley! If that is what you got - way to go! But I think jlewisinsyr is right- I asked my Guide- He said he isn't aware of any SSR points over the developer points used for stay at SSR and if another Guide could do it so could he... His way of putting it-
The only thing I am not getting due to the fact I don't have a Disney Visa is the $500 gift card- & I would have signed up right away except that he said we had to have had it for awhile beforehand- I asked him and he wasn't sure of exact time frame but I read about it elsewhere later (don't remember where that was) I am still wondering if I should apply for one (got rid of all CC's years ago) just for the rewards and savings for the trip I think it may be worth it-
I am thinking now if we should do a second trip, use the remainder of the developer points w/ our AKV pts and then bank whatever is left and then in 2010 just do one trip- bank what is left from 2010 points and so on- kind of having more than 200 every year as long as we use them- & I am sure we will! My husband and I are now even talking of our 20 yr anniversay being at Disney! That would be so cool- We never had an actual Honeymoon! We could even choose VB or HHI or go II w/ our pts for the 2 of us and still have plenty left for our family trip the same year- I am so boiled over w/ excitement and anticipation it is insane!
Congrats on your purchase Guysmiley! We are soon to be neighbors!

 

[GuySmiley]

Wow Guysmiley! If that is what you got - way to go! But I think jlewisinsyr is right- I asked my Guide- He said he isn't aware of any SSR points over the developer points used for stay at SSR and if another Guide could do it so could he... His way of putting it-
The only thing I am not getting due to the fact I don't have a Disney Visa is the $500 gift card- & I would have signed up right away except that he said we had to have had it for awhile beforehand- I asked him and he wasn't sure of exact time frame but I read about it elsewhere later (don't remember where that was) I am still wondering if I should apply for one (got rid of all CC's years ago) just for the rewards and savings for the trip I think it may be worth it-
I am thinking now if we should do a second trip, use the remainder of the developer points w/ our AKV pts and then bank whatever is left and then in 2010 just do one trip- bank what is left from 2010 points and so on- kind of having more than 200 every year as long as we use them- & I am sure we will! My husband and I are now even talking of our 20 yr anniversay being at Disney! That would be so cool- We never had an actual Honeymoon! We could even choose VB or HHI or go II w/ our pts for the 2 of us and still have plenty left for our family trip the same year- I am so boiled over w/ excitement and anticipation it is insane!
Congrats on your purchase Guysmiley! We are soon to be neighbors!

Im probably misunderstanding then, I've been known to do that, but Im still really excited! Hi neighbor!

 

[magicaldisney11]

I was told it is a $500 Visa gift card - you don't have to have a Disney Visa card to get it, but you can have it added to a Disney Visa card if you do have one.

 

[Moeluv4u7]

We got the "gift card" that was used for the downpayment minus the $500 we paid ourself and our closing costs of $3xx.00 don't remember exactly how much closing was but that is the range- We were going to just pay full 10% and keep gift card but figured we would only be shuffling money from one place to another and it's all going to the same place so let it be applied to downpayment- We did do financing for now and will have it paid off soon- Only chose that route because we did this as a fast decision- only since I started researching for vacation next year and it kind of jumped out at us and we feel it's a great deal- & we can afford it (7member family so our vacations are always pricey) I was told the $500- gift card additional was only if you used Disney Visa to do downpayment balance- but we also got, of course, the developer points that matches the points we bought- YAY! I am excited too! Seems now that next year is not coming fast enough- LOL My kids even asked if we can go this year anyway- LOL