Does anyone not bank their points?

[nerdboyrockstar]

I banked the rest of my points for this year at the cutoff for December UY which was July 31st. I'm a FL resident so last-minute Disney trips are an option for me and have been. Even if I need to use points before they expire, pretty sure I can just run up and use try to use them before I lose them.

My friend decided on a bday trip to WDW last minute this month... I didn't have the points anymore so couldn't snag anything with DVC. I even tried taking advantage of my BOGO one-time-use points with Beyond but that process sucks since the only way to grab something so last minute is to book it as soon as you see it. Not wait on hold for 10 minutes for member services, talk to a CM, etc.

Turns out I'll be in LA next month and have some free time.. can't grab a last minute room in DLR using my points either.

Obviously there's a risk but I don't think I liked this banking business. Is there a world where I just don't bank points going forward? Does anyone else not bank either?

 

[Wedgeout]

But you still have the option to borrow for those last minute trips. Those banked points will still be there for that next UY booking.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

But you still have the option to borrow for those last minute trips. Those banked points will still be there for that next UY booking.

Ah yes. Except my next year's points are currently tied up right now in some hard-to-get bookings. Beach Club, Riviera, Cabins at Fort Wilderness.. if you know, you know.

 

[muppets3d]

I wait until the last day to bank my points just in case I decide to book something, but I always bank what I haven't used by my banking deadline. If I book something last minute (which I've been known to do), I'll just borrow.

 

[Wedgeout]

I wait until the last day to bank my points just in case I decide to book something, but I always bank what I haven't used by my banking deadline. If I book something last minute (which I've been known to do), I'll just borrow.

Be cautious though ‘Rouge 1’. That Shield Gate may not be down if the website or Member Service takes the day off.

 

[PrincessKL]

Ah yes. Except my next year's points are currently tied up right now in some hard-to-get bookings. Beach Club, Riviera, Cabins at Fort Wilderness.. if you know, you know.

Won't you be able to reallocate your banked points for these reservations and then free up the points for next year so that you can borrow them?

 

[Judique]

My banking date is end of May, and I rarely go anywhere near Disney before October which is my use year. I've used points at Hilton Head in summer years ago. If necessary I would borrow.

 

[Sandisw]

One option to consider next year is to do the BOGO OtU, assuming it’s still part of the program, for a fake night and then cancel it.

You’d have them to use last minute this way.

 

[GoingSince1990]

I wait until the last day to bank my points just in case I decide to book something, but I always bank what I haven't used by my banking deadline. If I book something last minute (which I've been known to do), I'll just borrow.

I'm too much of a coward to wait until the last day, being terrified that I might forget, and do it like 2 weeks ahead of the deadline.

 

[AstroBlasters]

ABB= Always Be Borrowing

 

[zavandor]

The goal of the current rules for banking and borrowing is for members to lose points.
I own another timeshare, all my points are in my account and they expire after 6 years. No banking and borrowing, when I book a reservation points stay in the account and when I checkin points are used automatically from older to newer.
There is really no reason why DVC couldn't use a more flexible system than the current one.

 

[Cyberc1978]

The goal of the current rules for banking and borrowing is for members to lose points.
I own another timeshare, all my points are in my account and they expire after 6 years. No banking and borrowing, when I book a reservation points stay in the account and when I checkin points are used automatically from older to newer.
There is really no reason why DVC couldn't use a more flexible system than the current one.

What happens if you book more reservations than your points allow for? Because that seems like a potential flaw in that system.

It might be that the ultimate goal is for members to lose points, but the system does provide flexibility as you Afterall can move your points forward.

 

[zavandor]

What happens if you book more reservations than your points allow for? Because that seems like a potential flaw in that system.

It might be that the ultimate goal is for members to lose points, but the system does provide flexibility as you Afterall can move your points forward.

I can book as many reservations I want up to the total of points currently in my account. But, for example, it's not true that my 2020 points are tied to the first reservation I book and my 2021 points to the second one. So if I cancel one I don't have to worry about reallocating the older points to the remaining reservation.

Also, the same system has an online marketplace for members to sell points to other members. If I don't use my points I can put them on offer at a price I decide (they leave my account only if bought and money go towards MF). When I book a reservation, if I'm short on points I can buy online points from those available (I can buy up to twice the points I own in my contract every year). Great system that I'd love to be implemented for DVC.

 

[Judique]

I'm too much of a coward to wait until the last day, being terrified that I might forget, and do it like 2 weeks ahead of the deadline.

Everything important goes on my calendar on my phone to remind me.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Won't you be able to reallocate your banked points for these reservations and then free up the points for next year so that you can borrow them?

You might be on to something here, Princess. Let me try.

 

[Maleficent's Dad]

ABB= Always Be Borrowing

This!!!

Bank points?!?! Never! We're almost always well into next year's allotment!!!

 

[han22735]

ABB= Always Be Borrowing

Same...lol what's banking??

 

[Moonspinner]

We never bank. Just borrow.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

For the first time in five years, I will not be banking. I've borrowed a fair share of points from my next UY and even bought OTUP for the first time. I've got reservations booked for 2026 and we have no plans to go in 2027. I'll probably go back to banking points after next year's trips.

 

[zackiedawg]

I generally bank after I book my last trips for the use year, which tends to be sometime between April and late June - September is usually my last trip each use year, and as soon as I book that, if I have points left, I bank. I do 4-5 trips a year, so I come pretty close to using all my 440 points - most years I may have 15-30 points left to bank, on rare occasions I've had as many as 80...other times I used up every point and had to borrow 10-15 points from the next use year - it's not very often, though it happened this past use year as I had some extended length trips - so this point year I was just over again and borrowed 2 points from 2026. I've booked my December and February trips for the next use year, and since I still need to book a June and a September trip, I've decided to save on points a bit and book Fort Wilderness Cabins for both February and June - that leaves me plenty of points to book a Boardwalk September stay and likely have a few points left to bank again - putting things back to normal.

The only time it got really weird was during the pandemic when I had a huge glut of points from skipping out on any trips between my Feb 2020 and June 2021 stays...probably the longest gap of time I ever went without a Disney vacation. For the next year and a half, I was booking 2-bedrooms when I didn't even need them, or booking more expensive resorts because of the excess points that I'd likely lose if I didn't figure out a way to use them all before they expired.