DVC'rs advise please?

[BeverlyJ]

DH, DD3 and I are DVC members and are planning a visit in May 2005 with SIL, BIL and DN2.

We don't have enough points left to book a 2 bed for 14 nights. We are considering various options:

1. Stay at AKL (we would like to try sometime) for 7 nights in 2 rooms, paying cash (with DVC? discount) then moving to a 2 bed at BCV for the remaining 7 nights on our points. Is there a DVC discount?

2. Book a one bed, then either (a) rent points for a studio or (b) pay cash for a studio and then link the reservations. Would MS do this to allow us to have a 2 bed in effect?

3. Book a 2 bed for 7 nights on points, 7 on cash and link the ressie.

Are there any other suggestions? What should I do? I could borrow the following years points, but that would mean future plans bbeing spoiled.......Arghh!

Could you lovely DVC members offer advise/suggestions on my options and ideas? BTW - we regularly travel with this part of our family and it works really well. There are excellent benefits gained when your best friend marries your husbands brother!!!

HELP!

PS SIL and BIL are seriously considering DVC and this is their 'try it' visit. Although we'd like them to join before we go!!!

 

[PamOKW]

The DVC discount only applies at DVC resorts (when a villa is available). And when you use the discount at a DVC resort, the member has to be physically staying in the unit. (For example, you could not use the discount to rent 2 villas because you would only be able to be staying in one at a time yourself).


Which DVC resort are you planning to stay at? If you spent some time at either SSR or OKW with the lower points, could you do the trip with only borrowing a portion of next year's points?

If you started the vacation on a weekend and spent that time on cash, would that bring the points down to a mangeable amount?

 

[CarolMN]

Consider renting the extra points you need to stay in a 2 bedroom for the entire 14 nights. Shouldn't be too much if your SIL/BIL would share the cost.

Best wishes -

 

[WDWguruDH]

I like option #1. AKL is our favorite resort, you should give it a try. If you are going to be there 14 days, I assume you are getting at least one AP, thus you could hunt for an AP rate at AKL. I normally don't like moving around from resort to resort, but for 7 days at a time, that shouldn't be too bad. We are also very leery of borrowing points, we want to always points for future vacations.
Second choice would be to try and rent enough points to make up the difference...this would probably be cheaper than the AKL stay and you wouldn't have to move.

 

[momsully]

We did a large family trip this year. I rented points from another member and had them transferred into my account. It worked great because once the points were transferred I did not have to worry about having a third party involved.


As PamOKW says what about paying cash for the weekend nights. That should lower the points needed and if you have the reservations linked you should not have to move.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Are there any other suggestions? What should I do? I could borrow the following years points, but that would mean future plans bbeing spoiled

Not necessarily, you just borrow the next year's points. That's what they are for, to use. At some point in the future it is likely that you will not be able to get to WDW during a given year. At that point you will catch up. If not, then your contract runs out in 37 years instead of 38 (or if you own at SSR 49 instead of 50).

I say borrow the points and save the money it would cost.

Have fun.

HBC

 

[ripleysmom]

How about 2 studios? have you considered that?

 

[fkj2]

What about using a cash discount for the Fri-Sat nights of both weekends and using the points saved for the next Sun-Thu nights?

 

[BeverlyJ]

Thanks very much for your advise. We have considered all the options again, and for ease we will probably opt for ripleysmom's suggestion.

We have offered BIL and SIL a week in a studio at BCV, we will also stay in a studio. I know I will be spoiled by the 1 bed in October, but having our best friends along with us to share the magic will be worth the sacrifice (a week in a BCV studio - sacrifice!! LOL!).

We will spend the other week at AKL. Hopefully we will get AP discount so this will help to reduce the cost. SIL has suggested giving us a contribution to AKL cost as a thank you for the BCV studio. What AP discounts are likely at end April/early May? When will be able to book at AP rates? I haven't done this before, so any suggestions would be appreciated!!!

We didn't plan to be back at WDW less than 7 months after our October visit, but one of our Disney friends is getting married at Cypress Grove in early May and we want to be there to share their wonderful day.

Gosh, enough rambling! Can't believe I am about to have 2 countdown timers for WDW!!! Yippee!