Fixed Week Question

[MountainMouse]

Can you buy a fixed week during the Easter timeframe? If so, how does it work when the high point week falls on your week (every 6 years...guessing here)?

 

[Dean]

Can you buy a fixed week during the Easter timeframe? If so, how does it work when the high point week falls on your week (every 6 years...guessing here)?

If you use our week, the costs are fixed and the points really don't come into play so no savings when it's not Easter and no penalty when it is. Just remember that they use the standard timeshare calendar so the dates of the fixed week can vary.

Here are the next few years for Easter based on the standard timeshare calendar for a Sunday start day starting on Easter Sunday. Note that week 1 will always start the first Sunday of January. For the years where that would not be true, an extra week is thrown in usually called week 53, to adjust the calendar accordingly. That adjustment happens the end of 2016 and roughly every 5-6 years with the next occurrence being 2022. If one wanted Easter consistently, they'd need to buy a week 12 or 13 and a week 14 or 15 depending on whether they wanted to check in or out on Easter Sunday. To have Easter consistently and not have to check in or out that day, one would have to buy week 12-15 and even then you'd be checking out on Easter a couple of years.

Easter
3/27/2016 - Week 13
4/16/2017 - Week 15
4/1/2018 - Week 13
4/21/2019 - Week 16
4/12/2020 - Week 15
3/27/2021 - Week 13
4/16/2022 - Week 15

 

[wdrl]

Yes you can buy a Guaranteed Week for the timeframe in which Easter usually falls. However, you still have to choose a specific week, which is usually Week #12, #13, #14, #15, or #16. This means that some years your Guaranteed Week will include Easter, but in other years you will miss the holiday.

Since Easter moves around on the calendar, your Guaranteed Week could be in the Premier Season some years and in the Magic Season in other years. It appears that DVD has determined the point cost for Weeks 12-16 by averaging the actual weekly point costs over several years. Using traditional points, a PVB Lake View studio during Premier Season costs 269 points, but it costs only 199 points if it falls completely within the Magic Season. Currently, Guaranteed Week deed for a PVB Lake View studio for any of those weeks cost 250 points, which includes the 10% GW premium.

Another thing to consider about Easter and a buying a Guaranteed Week deed: All DVC Guaranteed Week deeds run from Sunday to Sunday. That means you will be checking in or checking out of your Guaranteed Week reservation on Easter Day, assuming Easter falls during your week.

 

[MountainMouse]

Thanks for the replies and information. Looks like with the premium they charge (250 points) it would be a significant overcharge most years and moderate discount when you actually fall on Easter. In my opinion, it's only worth it if you want to regularly use your points to stay at a different time of year for more than a week or in a higher category. When you actually fall on Easter week you have the option of getting the moderate discount there and no stress with the booking.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for the replies and information. Looks like with the premium they charge (250 points) it would be a significant overcharge most years and moderate discount when you actually fall on Easter. In my opinion, it's only worth it if you want to regularly use your points to stay at a different time of year for more than a week or in a higher category. When you actually fall on Easter week you have the option of getting the moderate discount there and no stress with the booking.

In principle it should be 10% more points than just reserving on points on average. For Easter it depends in part of how you use it and in part on which week. For the fixed week points (250 for a LV) week 16 would end up being the most expensive compared to the points to reserve and the other 4 weeks in that block (of weeks 12-16) roughly about the same. My view for one interested in this plan and who wanted to maximize the value, is to use two approaches. Those are to get ahead by a year for some years so you're reserving the fixed week on points for lower points times (then taking points on the fixed week) and using the fixed week itself on years it'd be more expensive on points. Using a specific fixed week as an example for weeks 12-15, the average should be in the range of roughly 230 pts per week over a longer period to reserve on points. Due to the way Easter is calculated, it's almost impossible to know exactly but it should be just a little less than the average between Magic and Premier Seasons. It looks like it will be week 16 for only about 5 times in the next 36 yrs. So using that data, if I wanted week 16 I would not buy fixed for that week (likely would another though) but likely would for weeks 12-15 though I might takes points on some years when it's not easter.

 

[MountainMouse]

Hopefully quick question. Does the 10% premium you pay for the fixed week go into points? My assumption was that it did. For example, if the price for a week is 200 points and you purchase that week as fixed (pay for 220 points), on the years that you opt not to use your fixed week do you then get 220 points to use on floating dates?

 

[Dean]

Hopefully quick question. Does the 10% premium you pay for the fixed week go into points? My assumption was that it did. For example, if the price for a week is 200 points and you purchase that week as fixed (pay for 220 points), on the years that you opt not to use your fixed week do you then get 220 points to use on floating dates?

That is correct, you get 10% extra points. The problem with Easter esp and other holidays that might fall in different timeshare weeks is that they have to average it.

 

[wdrl]

Hopefully quick question. Does the 10% premium you pay for the fixed week go into points? My assumption was that it did. For example, if the price for a week is 200 points and you purchase that week as fixed (pay for 220 points), on the years that you opt not to use your fixed week do you then get 220 points to use on floating dates?

Yes, that is how it works.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Hopefully quick question. Does the 10% premium you pay for the fixed week go into points? My assumption was that it did. For example, if the price for a week is 200 points and you purchase that week as fixed (pay for 220 points), on the years that you opt not to use your fixed week do you then get 220 points to use on floating dates?

Yes, you buy the approx 110% in points so if you cancel that is what you will have to use. To know what # of points they are charging for a fixed week you need to review their chart. I didn't study it thoroughly but for example you probably can't look at the point requirements for week 15 of this year and throw on 10% to calculate. You need the sales chart to verify.

 

[MountainMouse]

That is correct, you get 10% extra points. The problem with Easter esp and other holidays that might fall in different timeshare weeks is that they have to average it.

So does Thanksgiving fall in different timeshare weeks? I had thought that it wouldn't but I guess that it would. Does any holiday fall on the same week every year?

 

[Dean]

So does Thanksgiving fall in different timeshare weeks? I had thought that it wouldn't but I guess that it would. Does any holiday fall on the same week every year?

Mostly week 47 but occasionally week 46.

 

[DenLo]

Thanksgiving moves less between two weeks. Eight of the next 11 years are the same week, which matches this year. Christmas like most fixed day holidays moves because of the leap year calendar and 7 does not divide equally into 365, 9 of 11 years it is in week 51 and 2 of the next 11 years it is in week 52. Think about it, Christmas falls on different days of the week, and when it falls on Sunday it always moves to week 52. New Year's Day is the same. In fact New Year's Eve and New Year's Day can be in different weeks, when New's Day is on a Sunday.

I think every holiday whether is it a specific day or based on the 3rd Monday of the month, would fluctuate because of the calendar.

 

[MountainMouse]

I think every holiday whether is it a specific day or based on the 3rd Monday of the month, would fluctuate because of the calendar.

It absolutely would, I just didn't understand how "timeshare weeks" were calculated. I had an unvalidated assumption in my head that they would adjust to the holidays when that's not the case and not even possible...really I'm smarter than this. No harm no foul though, glad I learned before I jumped in on a fixed week. Even with this new knowledge I think if I purchase direct, which is a longshot in itself, a fixed week would be the way to go.

Thanks all for the replies and information.

 

[Dean]

It absolutely would, I just didn't understand how "timeshare weeks" were calculated. I had an unvalidated assumption in my head that they would adjust to the holidays when that's not the case and not even possible...really I'm smarter than this. No harm no foul though, glad I learned before I jumped in on a fixed week. Even with this new knowledge I think if I purchase direct, which is a longshot in itself, a fixed week would be the way to go.

Thanks all for the replies and information.

IMO, anyone who's going retail and can match a week to around the number of points they want should get a fixed week even if it's not a week or unit type they think they'd use. It potentially adds value with no cost if it matches those assumptions.

 

[MountainMouse]

Thanks all for the replies and information.

IMO, anyone who's going retail and can match a week to around the number of points they want should get a fixed week even if it's not a week or unit type they think they'd use. It potentially adds value with no cost if it matches those assumptions.

As long as the category of room and time of year that you want are at least 10% above the lowest room/time there would be no reason not to get a fixed week. Supplement with an additional small contract if necessary.