DVC Strategy: Multiple home resorts vs One home with many points

[Skicks35]

We originally had 275 points at VGF (75 direct and 200 resale; purchased in 2019). Adding on at BCV or BWV would be amazing in order to have basically guaranteed split stays with walkability to three parks, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on a 2042 resort.

So when VGF2 sales opened up, it was too good to pass up, and ended up adding 125 more there. So to answer the question, by circumstance we ended up with many (relatively) points at one home.

 

[TCRAIG]

Since I have 8 home resorts and 17 contracts - I think it’s pretty easy to see that I like having multiple. I like to go multiple times a year and (for instance) always want to stay at VGF in May but prefer WLV/BR in December…so multiple homes gives me my 11 month advantage for each combination of resort/time of year.

 

[Pens Fan]

I totally agree. Plus being there for that long in-room laundry and real cooking facilities probably help as well. Heck, I do laundry almost every day in Disney but that’s because my kids are messy.

My family laughs at me (in the kindest way) because having the ability to do laundry is key to me. Not just Disney - we travel a lot and if a place has a W/D onsite it's always going to be a thumbs up for me!

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

I wanted an EPCOT area resort and a MK area resort to split our time, so we have RVA and BLT points. My ideal trip is 3-4 nights BLT then 5-6 RVA.

Just curious, does your strategy change now that DVC won't connect split stays for dining reservations or do you make do with what you can get for the second booking window?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Just curious, does your strategy change now that DVC won't connect split stays for dining reservations or do you make do with what you can get for the second booking window?

Nope, strategy doesn't change. If there's something we really want to have, we'll try to get it during the first booking window first. But there are many restaurants we like and not all of them are super hard to get. And we like trying new stuff, so we're flexible enough that it's not a huge issue. Also, I'm good at stalking availability for the hard to get ones, and we've been lucky with walk-ups

 

[awestbrook23]

We have 4 home resorts so far. AKL, BLT, and BRV all in the same use year, and BCV in its own use year. We consider BCV to be high-value points bought at a premium for specific location and time of year, so since they are never going to be combined with our other points anyway, we are fine - and almost prefer - having a separate use year for them. 90% of the time, I am happy I have small to mid-size contracts at several properties. But when I feel like I want to splurge and treat extended family to 5 nights in a 3-BR, I sometimes wish I had all my points at one resort.

Ultimately, though, spread out points is what works best for us. I want to add on at Poly tower if it is the same association, and I wouldn't mind eventually trading out our BRV for CCV depending on how the BRV renovation goes. But at this rate, the BRV contract may expire before that beloved resort finally gets its long-delayed reno.

 

[zavandor]

It really depends on what strategy you're following.
If you're buying Sleep Around Points (SAP), then you'll buy the cheapest resort, usually SSR, or the cheapest resort where you don't mind being stuck at (AKV and BLT are other good options).

If you're buying where you want to stay, in order to get the 11 months windows, then it depends if you really like one resort or prefer to have multiple 11 months opportunities.
A mix of the two might work as well. I currently have all my points at SSR, because I enjoy to stay at a different resort every time and I travel during slow DVC times. However I'm thinking I might sell my smaller contract to buy 50 points at the new DLT to get priority booking at DLR.

 

[ArmyChaplain Matt]

5 contracts across 4 home resorts and 3 UY, started direct CCV April, resale BWV June and SAP at SSR FEB, just added on at RIV for April UY to take advantage of last years points and the add on sale

 

[kanerf]

I own at AKL, BLT, BRV, BWV, OKW and RIV. All are June except for BLT which is Feb (bought for the price). Recently bought another BLT in Feb as well. I like the variety with all the different resorts.

 

[ciaoaloha31]

3 Resorts, 2 Use Years, 4 Contracts
FebUY - CCV50, CCV75, VGF75
AugUY - SSR50

Bought 50 resale at CCV in 2019 because it is my favorite regardless of the time of year and FebUY just made it easy to keep track of when points would be "deposited' each year as a newbie. Then added on direct in January so I could have enough for a week in a studio each year (5 out of 7 travel periods, the other 2 travel periods you would have to pay me to spend a full week in that chaos lol) and easy use year match.

Added VGF this month because the new resort studios are perfect for a quick runDisney weekend trip (hello monorail to the start of the longer races staged in the EPCOT parking lot ) They can sleep 5 which makes it easier to split a stay with other adults with 3 separate sleeping surfaces. Just an added bonus to have the blue card. Stuck with the FebUY to make it easier to combine at 7 months if I ever feel the need to stay at Riviera more than 1 night.

Wasn't originally planning on buying the SSR contract but there were great resale deals to be had for a small point contract during summer 2020. They are late summer/fall 3-4 night sleep around points. Luckily they had already started the refurb before the shutdown and liked what I saw enough to be ok staying there if I couldn't switch at 7 months. If there is new resort I ever become interested in or there are financial reasons, this is the contract getting the axe and put up for resale. Would add direct first to match the UY before listing of course.

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

This isn't something I had considered. I can see the appeal of doing a couple smaller contracts to have that 11 month window.

 

[What-r-ya Goofy?]

We wanted to be able to to have two trips per year, one at a MK area resort and the other in the Epcot area.

RIV was a no brainer for our EPCOT area resort with it's lower cost and expiration date advantage over BC and BW, and for what we feel are superior accommodations. It also became clear that we would need to own there to be able to reserve the rooms we wanted at the 11M window. We use our RIV points only at RIV.

We also own smaller contracts at BLT and SSR. We have been able to combine points from those contracts for annual MK area stays at either BLT or at the Polynesian. Who knows, maybe the 7M window at the GF will open up for us with the increase in the number of studios that will become available with that expansion.

 

[bwvBound]

Put me down for "Multiple" -- but know that my husband and I have only one DVC Home Resort/Membership. Rather, we own a few different timeshare products. Currently, we have 3 timeshare; our high point was 5 different products.

If I could go back in time and purchase DVC from scratch, I might have split my points across two different resorts with different UY. I'd repeat our initial purchase from 2004 (SSR, 150 pts, OCT UY) but defer our add-ons until 2009 to purchase VGC with an April UY. Living on the West Coast, we enjoy both VGC and Aulani -- but our Pacific travel windows don't line up well with the Oct UY of our WDW points. Oh, well -- seeing the future of 2009 (VGC) and 2011 (Aulani) from 2004 would have been an amazing thing, huh?? LOL -- we make the best decisions we can with the (limited) info available to us at that time.

 

[chalee94]

This isn't something I had considered. I can see the appeal of doing a couple smaller contracts to have that 11 month window.

It looks like you are relatively new, so just to clarify in case you or someone else reading this thread misunderstands: buying multiple home resorts does not give you the 11 month window at all resorts for all points owned.

If you own 300 SSR pts and add-on a 50 pt contract at AKV and want to book AKV at 11 months out, you can only use pts from the 50 pt AKV contract for that booking. At 7 months, you can use SSR pts if there is still availability at AKV (not counting the AKV villa you booked with AKV pts - as swapping the points would defeat the home booking advantage, which is not allowed.)

Just FYI.

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

It looks like you are relatively new, so just to clarify in case you or someone else reading this thread misunderstands: buying multiple home resorts does not give you the 11 month window at all resorts for all points owned.

If you own 300 SSR pts and add-on a 50 pt contract at AKV and want to book AKV at 11 months out, you can only use pts from the 50 pt AKV contract for that booking. At 7 months, you can use SSR pts if there is still availability at AKV (not counting the AKV villa you booked with AKV pts - as swapping the points would defeat the home booking advantage, which is not allowed.)

Just FYI.

Ah, ok. This makes a huge difference. So, if you wanted an 11 month advantage at two resorts, you would need to purchase enough at each to book the room and days you want.

 

[RichVIII]

So we have multiple contracts for one resort and just added a small contract at another (all same UY).

With borrowing restrictions and only 50 points, I can't put on many spec reservations or have much flexibility at all without putting points at risk or borrowing at the 7-11 month window. Like others, I may try to treat that as its own bucket of points and plan very carefully. That said, with more points, it certainly gives us more flexibility during the year at 7-11 months and more at the 7-month window to book 1BRs which are historically easier to get at resorts. Even being able to hold an extra day or two until we finalize is nicer since we have more points. Since COVID, split stays are less desirable for us (being homeless for a day and no cold grocery transfer has changed that for us).

If I had known about Poly2 and if it was confirmed the same association, I might be amassing more there. I want more points for flexibility at home and 7 months' trade and me personally, think that is easier with more points in a few places. I am jealous of many OPs who have many resorts and many points!

 

[Minniesgal]

Two resorts for us. We like to book at 11 months and rarely change

 

[LisaDKG]

3 resorts (with 1 being at VGC) - we love split stays, we love both WDW and DL and I only wish that I didn't have a Sept UY as resale contracts are harder to find!

 

[chalee94]

Ah, ok. This makes a huge difference. So, if you wanted an 11 month advantage at two resorts, you would need to purchase enough at each to book the room and days you want.

Right.

Some people might want to split stay (spend the first few nights of a trip at RIV or BCV for access to DHS and Epcot and then move to VGF or BLT for a few days focused on MK or something like that.)

Some people might be happy with SSR if they mostly travel in the summer or non-holiday February times (low demand) where they can often trade SSR for other locations. But if they have hit a wall for booking BWV for Epcot Food and Wine during Fall Frenzy in October, then they might pick up a BWV contract specifically for those Fall trips.

But mixing points at 11 months out is not an option. You need the right currency to book specific resorts: BLT for BLT and AKV for AKV and so on...

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

Some people might want to split stay (spend the first few nights of a trip at RIV or BCV for access to DHS and Epcot and then move to VGF or BLT for a few days focused on MK or something like that.)

Ok. I can see that as a pretty good strategy too! Thanks!