Does home resort matter if you never go there?

[crisi]

Keep in mind that the points charts are not set in stone. Disney can (and, per the membership agreement, *MUST*) balance demand throughout the year. They should be pricing their seasons so rooms are equally easy/hard to get at 7 months in October as they are in July.

The fall is severely under-priced in terms of points-per-night right now.

If you are making purchase decisions based of what Disney might do, that is a huge gamble. BWV has been open for 25 years at this point, and F&W has been going on with something close to its "all Fall all the time" season for 20. Yet the BWV/BCV F&W problem has not been addressed at all until this last release of charts - and then wasn't sufficient to change patterns. Had you bought in 2004 with "Disney is sure to change those charts for availability reasons," you'd have had a lot of years of chasing very few rooms.

In the meantime, something we know Disney has done is build more resorts. That means every year there are more people looking to book into "not their home resort" since - as you pointed out, most people do want to sleep somewhere else from time to time. There is only so much property that is in highly desirable locations - walking distance to a park, on a monorail - and most of that property has been built up. Add in that much of that property was built up with lower point charts, which increases the demand for those resorts further.

And, then there are the resale buyers. You would have to believe your fellow owners are stupid to be paying BCV resale prices so they can stay out at OKW or VAKL. You only pay those prices if you will be booking the majority of your stays within your home resort window at your home resort. So each year there are slightly fewer BCV rooms available at seven months as more home resort owners snap them up.

 

[bdphill22]

I agree that it is a significant over exaggeration to say you can't get anything at 7 months. I have been checking availability every day for the 7 month window for years now (kid is almost old enough to start doing big trips) and you can get a lot of different places at 7 months.

Studios are obviously more difficult than 1BR 2BR, but other than times of year (Oct-early Jan) or specific types (BWV Studios, CCV Studios, AKL Value, standard view at the cheap point places) you can get most things.

The only thing home resort matters for is booking between 11 and 7 months. Otherwise it's just cost in terms of purchase price, dues and years left.

 

[Sandisw]

Keep in mind that the points charts are not set in stone. Disney can (and, per the membership agreement, *MUST*) balance demand throughout the year. They should be pricing their seasons so rooms are equally easy/hard to get at 7 months in October as they are in July.

The fall is severely under-priced in terms of points-per-night right now.

Actually, the requirement for the charts to balance out demand is for home resort bookings and not trading at 7 months.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Actually, the requirement for the charts to balance out demand is for home resort bookings and not trading at 7 months.

That's a distinction without a difference really. The dates that are impossible to get at 6 months are the same dates that are tricky to get at 9 months.

 

[Sandisw]

That's a distinction without a difference really. The dates that are impossible to get at 6 months are the same dates that are tricky to get at 9 months.

Maybe, but for new people, I think it is important. BVTC has the authority to have different charts for the 7 month window and it can be different for each resort,

Granted, they never have, but it it allowed. So, people wanting to trade do at least need to be aware of the difference.

 

[CastAStone]

I'm sorry but this is such an over-the-top exaggeration. MOST resorts have some type of Studio availability at 7 months, outside of October/November/December.

(Disney could fix the October/November/December issue by appropriately adjusting their price seasons, but every time they try, the membership throws a temper tantrum.)

Did. Pre-pandemic. Also tell me which statement is a lie - do you think BLT standard studios will be available for a decent length stay at 7 months when the OP goes looking for them? I gave very specific examples.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Keep in mind that the points charts are not set in stone. Disney can (and, per the membership agreement, *MUST*) balance demand throughout the year. They should be pricing their seasons so rooms are equally easy/hard to get at 7 months in October as they are in July.

But also, they can only shift points a certain amount each year, so it is hard to reach equilibrium.

 

[DVCanadian]

Once you hit 7 months is does not matter where you own.

Time of year and room size are the top factors for availability.

We’ve owned for 10 years and never booked more than 7 months out and have yet to be disappointed.

Have stayed at beach club, BLT, Aulani, AK, Poly, OKW, grand Californian, Hilton head (summer), vero beach (summer).

With the exception of 2 nights in a Poly studio have never stayed in studios and don’t go at Christmas or Easter.
Be flexible, be happy. They are all nice resorts.
Good Luck

 

[TCRAIG]

I'm sorry but this is such an over-the-top exaggeration. MOST resorts have some type of Studio availability at 7 months, outside of October/November/December.

(Disney could fix the October/November/December issue by appropriately adjusting their price seasons, but every time they try, the membership throws a temper tantrum.)

It’s still hard to get a whole week in a studio without waitlisting except SS and OKW and maybe AKL

 

[sethschroeder]

I'm sorry but this is such an over-the-top exaggeration. MOST resorts have some type of Studio availability at 7 months, outside of October/November/December.

(Disney could fix the October/November/December issue by appropriately adjusting their price seasons, but every time they try, the membership throws a temper tantrum.)

1) Cast was correct the most sought after rooms are gone. Specifically at BLT those Standard rooms will be gone.

2) Yes there is something but not always longer continuous avaliablity. If you are fine with a bunch of splits stays you can make it work. Also when in the 6 month area you book with be a big shift for more or less options for BLT Lake View specifically. Flexibility is then the key.

3) Membership should throw a fit when total points at the resorts are going up and they are not simply shifting point requirements. Both this time and the last time 2 years ago have rightly caused fits and Disney even retracted because it last time.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hurricane Season is the reason I can book early Sept for the fewest number of points if I need to evacuate SW Florida.

 

[Cbaur88]

Great info in this thread. Is it true if I book my home resort 11 months out then switch into another resort (lower valued points) at the 7 month mark I'll lose those points? Hope that makes sense....

 

[havoc315]

I'm sorry but this is such an over-the-top exaggeration. MOST resorts have some type of Studio availability at 7 months, outside of October/November/December.

(Disney could fix the October/November/December issue by appropriately adjusting their price seasons, but every time they try, the membership throws a temper tantrum.)

Might partially be the point crunch from Covid, but lately there has been very little standard studio availability at 7 months.

You may be able to piece together some split stays, but it really is very slim pickings.

 

[havoc315]

Great info in this thread. Is it true if I book my home resort 11 months out then switch into another resort (lower valued points) at the 7 month mark I'll lose those points? Hope that makes sense....

No, you don't lose them. You keep the difference. You can use those extra points for another trip in the same use year, or you can bank them for 1 year. Or you can rent them out.

 

[Cbaur88]

No, you don't lose them. You keep the difference. You can use those extra points for another trip in the same use year, or you can bank them for 1 year. Or you can rent them out.

Thanks so much for that info. I swear we had this issue one year where we booked our home base and transferred into another resort OKW which was lower in points and was told those points where lost because everything is automated or something along those lines. I'll be sure to double check this....

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks so much for that info. I swear we had this issue one year where we booked our home base and transferred into another resort OKW which was lower in points and was told those points where lost because everything is automated or something along those lines. I'll be sure to double check this....

It depends when the change happened. If you were beyond your banking window, or let the change happen close to the end of your UY, or within 31 days of the trip, points would become restricted and expired.

But, if you change a trip for less points at least 31 days out from the trip and you are still within banking window, those points are returned for future use.

 

[Cbaur88]

It depends when the change happened. If you were beyond your banking window, or let the change happen close to the end of your UY, or within 31 days of the trip, points would become restricted and expired.

But, if you change a trip for less points at least 31 days out from the trip and you are still within banking window, those points are returned for future use.

Great info thank you! I find it all so confusing still!

 

[crisi]

You don't want to change to a cheaper point vacation once your booking window has passed. Just keep that rule in mind.

(If you are going to take another trip during your use year, you might get to use those points, but with availability being what it is, its probably just best to not make changes after your banking window has passed)

 

[mustinjourney]

I'm trying to get a better understanding of home resorts.

Let's say I always want to go to BLT, but for whatever reason go with something other than BLT (and plan to keep it until the deed ends).

If that was the case, would it matter which resort I bought as my home resort? From my understanding, with any other resort, I could book at the 7 month mark, and so it shouldn't matter much which I got. Am I right in my thinking?

Related, let's again say I always want to go to BLT (and plan to keep it until the deed ends), but would never know when my trip would be until 6 months before I took it -- would there be any advantage to any home resort (BLT included this time) over another?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-bd-charts-september-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/
problem with your thoughts is that some resorts are very very very hard to get into during certain times of the year if you do not own there. Especially studios. 1 BRs are not as hard -- but they are a really big point jump compared to studios.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Thanks so much for that info. I swear we had this issue one year where we booked our home base and transferred into another resort OKW which was lower in points and was told those points where lost because everything is automated or something along those lines. I'll be sure to double check this....

You can't un-borrow the points and put them back in their original use year, if that's what you're remembering.