Have you ever ‘lost’ points?

[lmhall2000]

I’m trying hard to figure out how many points we’ll need. Right ‘now’...we anticipate staying in a 2BR every 2 years. For the resort we want (CC), that is about 205-240 (we’ll probably stay 5-7 days). So, if I get a contract for 175, that should easily cover our needs. But, inevitably, there will be stray points leftover.
Do you just upgrade your view to use points when you can’t bank them? Just use them on RCI bookings for short stays elsewhere? What are other creative ways you avoid losing any points?? Thanks!!

 

[CraigInPA]

On an every other year basis, with a 240 need, you should be looking for a contract closer to 125 points. If you plan on doing bank-trip-trip-bank-trip-trip-etc..., you'd be fine with a 175 contract.

But, of course, once you have points, you'll find the need to extend your trips, or upgrade your view, or book other trips, in order to use them up. And, if you just can't use all of them, you can always rent them.

 

[bumbershoot]

In ten years of ownership I’ve lost 2 points.

I have 160 points, I’ve gone at least yearly, I bank and borrow, I do split stays with changes...to have lost only 2 imo is pretty impressive of me lol.

 

[Marionnette]

I’m trying hard to figure out how many points we’ll need. Right ‘now’...we anticipate staying in a 2BR every 2 years. For the resort we want (CC), that is about 205-240 (we’ll probably stay 5-7 days). So, if I get a contract for 175, that should easily cover our needs. But, inevitably, there will be stray points leftover.
Do you just upgrade your view to use points when you can’t bank them? Just use them on RCI bookings for short stays elsewhere? What are other creative ways you avoid losing any points?? Thanks!!

We lost a couple points early on in our ownership. I keep better track of them now and haven’t lost any since then.

If you find yourself with a surplus of points you can upgrade your view, stay longer, plan another trip, or rent them out. With an every-two-year plan, you should not run into a situation where you have points that cannot be banked very often. Just be careful about borrowing points into a UY if there’s a chance that you will downsize you reservation to a smaller villa, shorter stay or a cheaper resort. Borrowed points cannot be unborrowed and it could leave you with current UY points to bank into the next year (when you have no plans to travel).

 

[jerseyduke]

A. 175 seems to be a lot of points when you "need" 230 every 2 years

With what you are doing (and how I am thinking) you are better off borrowing the points into the year you need them than you are banking them into a future year for use. With your 175 example, and saying you need 230 a year:

year 1 - 175 (+ 55 borrowed from year 2) = now you have 120 in year 2.
Bank 120 into year 3 use 110 of year 3 - take trip. bank 65 into year 4
year 4 is an "off year" with 65 points that will expire at the end of the year. That is a lot of points to let expire!

With the 175 number, I think you have to plan an extra trip every 4th year, or rent them out or something.

Like @CraigInPA said...125 would be a much better area to look. Otherwise, plan on going more often.

I personally would not buy 50 extra points with the intent on trying to figure out how to use them unless an additional trip (or longer or upgraded view - but that isnt a thing at CCV). was the most likely choice.

 

[Deb & Bill]

In 22 years, we've lost zero points. We plan our trips out a year in advance (right now I'm working on F&W for next year). When we purchased a small resale about 19 years ago, it had seven points that would have expired a few months later. We just added another night to our trip with those points.

 

[lmhall2000]

It’s as if there is a DVC math curve I need to learn My husband wants us to pop in once every couple of years for a quick 3 day getaway..he ‘says’ this..but actually making it happen is tough. We just took our first trip without the kids and our youngest is 20
I had to laugh on the bank-trip-trip-bank-trip-trip-bank- I had the conga line going with my hips popping out on every bank
We have 2 kids in college not far from Disney- so they could even run down for a quick stay. When I read regrets- most say they wished they’d had more points..we see this as the sweet spot- kids all will be graduated in 18 months- the next 15 years will hopefully welcome grandkids and we want as many lures as possible to entice some family fun
All of this really helps!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

It’s as if there is a DVC math curve I need to learn My husband wants us to pop in once every couple of years for a quick 3 day getaway..he ‘says’ this..but actually making it happen is tough. We just took our first trip without the kids and our youngest is 20
I had to laugh on the bank-trip-trip-bank-trip-trip-bank- I had the conga line going with my hips popping out on every bank
We have 2 kids in college not far from Disney- so they could even run down for a quick stay. When I read regrets- most say they wished they’d had more points..we see this as the sweet spot- kids all will be graduated in 18 months- the next 15 years will hopefully welcome grandkids and we want as many lures as possible to entice some family fun
All of this really helps!!

Quick stays might never happen. Especially during Fall Frenzy. You need to plan those short stays just like you have to plan those longer stays. We plan all our stays a year in advance. When 11 months comes around, I'm online booking a stay. At seven months out, if I have enough points without borrowing, I might try to swap my 11 months booking for a different non-home resort. We live three hours away.

 

[TCRAIG]

We’ve been owners for almost 10 years - now have over 1000 points - maybe lost 2 points total -

 

[lmhall2000]

Quick stays might never happen. Especially during Fall Frenzy. You need to plan those short stays just like you have to plan those longer stays. We plan all our stays a year in advance. When 11 months comes around, I'm online booking a stay. At seven months out, if I have enough points without borrowing, I might try to swap my 11 months booking for a different non-home resort. We live three hours away.

That’s a great point, last minute travel happens for us...is it possible to find a room with just two week’s notice (avoiding peak season)..for just 2-3 nights? I like to get a mother/daughter getaway whenever fares drop low...or have ff miles we need to burn before they expire..I guess I just assumed with 14 properties, a room or hotel room might be available for 30-50 points?

 

[Marionnette]

That’s a great point, last minute travel happens for us...is it possible to find a room with just two week’s notice (avoiding peak season)..for just 2-3 nights? I like to get a mother/daughter getaway whenever fares drop low...or have ff miles we need to burn before they expire..I guess I just assumed with 14 properties, a room or hotel room might be available for 30-50 points?

Just to give you an idea of last-minute availability, take a look at what’s available in the next 60 days.
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/resort-availability-stays/
Of course, this is the height of Fall Frenzy but this is an example of what can be booked in the next two months. Forget getting studio with 2-weeks notice. There isn’t one available for the next two months!

 

[lmhall2000]

Just to give you an idea of last-minute availability, take a look at what’s available in the next 60 days.
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/resort-availability-stays/
Of course, this is the height of Fall Frenzy but this is an example of what can be booked in the next two months. Forget getting studio with 2-weeks notice. There isn’t one available for the next two months!

I think I need to investigate the high seasons! Fall Frenzy? Never heard of it! We usually always travel the last week of February or 2nd/3rd week of September...where can I find a calendar of events? I knew about Food Festival and flower festival, and Halloween stuff..

 

[lmhall2000]

Just to give you an idea of last-minute availability, take a look at what’s available in the next 60 days.
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/resort-availability-stays/

The link says what is available is just a sampling...Id be very curious to see what actually is open for 1 br units.

 

[crisi]

Eventually you'll have an extra "years" worth of points. You can either rent them, or treat friends - we've done both. Or you can book a Grand Villa and spread out.

But DVC is for planners. Last minute trips are not going to work, and are going to put points at risk since you need to plan what you are doing with them before banking deadlines and expiration.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The link says what is available is just a sampling...Id be very curious to see what actually is open for 1 br units.

They update that weekly. So the list is probably shorter as the week period goes by.

Fall Frenzy starts about Mid-Sept and runs until after the Marathon in January - Halloween parties, Food & Wine, Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Jersey Week, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, low points requirements. Then it's busy for every Run Disney Event (Princess Half Marathon, Star Wars Half Marathon), Spring Break, Easter, Jewish holidays. Not quite as busy for early to mid-May and then summer after Memorial day excluding Fourth of July. So non-peak DVC season is not very many days out of the year. Pretty much your hot, rainy days in the summer.

 

[crisi]

Oh, and a quick look - no one bedrooms are available on property for the first week of November for more than a single night.

 

[lmhall2000]

Thanks so much for the specifics! Learning a lot

 

[lehrsj]

Purchased in 1993. In all that time one time I was going to lose 2 points. Kind of funny though because we had 2 nights booked in a 1 bedroom and they upgraded us to a 2 bedroom so I figure I never lost any points.

 

[paults]

we have been members since 2002 and have never lost a point.

 

[skier_pete]

We "Lost" 3 points the year we bought (124). We had like 127 points we couldn't bank because they were already banked - we closed in May and the points had to be used by end of November. We booked 4 nights at an SSR 1-bedroom and spent 124 of the 127 points. Of course, we also didn't pay dues on those points.

Since then, we've never lost points. We did book a night for a friend to use up our BWV banked points last year. I shouldn't brag, but I spend a lot of time on planning, and also we've been more likely to run out of points.