Help a first timer think through first booking on points

[RivGirl]

Hello and thanks for any help and insight!

It seems to me that there are a few different ways of making and managing a booking that you plan/hope to switch at 7mo. I would love for some experienced owners’ input on my situation.

Home resort is Riviera, 150 points, October Use Year. We did not take Magical Beginnings, so we have 2024 points to work with.

Current plan is to use 2024 + 2025 points (and maybe a few 2026 points if nothing but OV is available) for a 2BR at Aulani for Spring Break 2026. (Spring Break happens in March for us.)

My original thought was to just bank my 2024 points and make the reservation at the 7 mo mark.

Then uncertainty crept in for….reasons…. Eg. what if we decide 2026 is not the year to go to Hawaii etc. “Okay, so I’ll go ahead and make a just in case home booking at the Riviera at 11mo.” I’m still a few days away from my 11mo home resort booking window for my spring break dates.

When it comes to modifying at 7mo, what makes for the smoothest modification process? Should I make a reservation at the Riviera for the exact dates I think I want at Aulani, or should I take number of points into consideration? Am I correct in thinking that it’s best to book a reservation with less points required at 11mo than the amount of points I need at 7mo? (That is, is it easier to add points on for a reservation than to put points back in the bank?)

If we were to go to WDW instead of Aulani, I’m not sure I would want the exact same dates. So how easy is it to shift dates around when modifying to a different resort at 7mo?

Am I overthinking all of this? (Probably, definitely…overthinking tends to be my MO.)

I just don’t want to make a beginner’s mistake that comes back to bite me when it comes time to modify.

(And let’s nevermind the voice in the back of my head that takes it a step further and says, “You should make a spring break home resort booking that would be easiest to rent, i.e. studios, instead of 1 or 2 br…in case of real economic doom and gloom…”) That’s probably a different discussion altogether.

 

[JamieKay]

Only book at WDW at 11 mo if that is a viable option that you may use. Once you book points you can't bank them for the next use year, even if you cancel that booking. The points will have to be used during the same use year as the original booking. Having a Riviera booking doesn't affect booking at Aulani at all, so book for the dates/rooms you actually want to use there, not what you want at Aulani.

 

[Sandisw]

I would not borrow points unless you will use them regardless,,,

Definitely book RIV in case…and then go from there.

Switching at 7 months is always going to be based on what is open when you go to switch.

Since your points are direct you have flexibility to book anything that is open.

I only book the rooms I want to stay in and don’t ever think about the what would rent easier.

 

[RivGirl]

Only book at WDW at 11 mo if that is a viable option that you may use. Once you book points you can't bank them for the next use year, even if you cancel that booking. The points will have to be used during the same use year as the original booking. Having a Riviera booking doesn't affect booking at Aulani at all, so book for the dates/rooms you actually want to use there, not what you want at Aulani.

Thanks, that’s a good reminder that my 2025 points would then be unbankable. I’ve mostly been thinking about these 2024 points since they will be expiring and I need to either book or bank them by the end of May.

 

[RivGirl]

I would not borrow points unless you will use them regardless,,,

Definitely book RIV in case…and then go from there.

Switching at 7 months is always going to be based on what is open when you go to switch.

Since your points are direct you have flexibility to book anything that is open.

I only book the rooms I want to stay in and don’t ever think about the what would rent easier.

Believe me, for now I have no intention of wanting to rent out my points! I want to use them. And I know I shouldn’t do any “panic booking.” Just hard to tell that little voice of fear to go away sometimes.

So let’s say, hypothetically, I make an 11mo booking for a Riviera stay Saturday - Wednesday (keeping it under 300 points so I don’t borrow any 2026). Then at 7mo I want to switch to Aulani for Sunday - Friday instead. What does that modification process look like? Is it as simple as logging in, pulling up the existing reservation, choosing “modify,” then choosing what I want from what’s available? And the dates/room type/points associated with the Riv reservation etc don’t matter as long as it all lines up with availability at Aulani and what points I have in the bank? I’m not going to have to “cancel” and make a completely new booking? (Would that even matter or make a material difference to me if I did have to do that?)

 

[Brian Noble]

s it as simple as logging in, pulling up the existing reservation, choosing “modify,” then choosing what I want from what’s available?

Unfortunately, no. You can only modify a WDW reservation to another WDW resort, VB, or HHI. You cannot modify a WDW reservation to any of: VDH, VGC, or AUL.

 

[JackosinDIS]

Only book at WDW at 11 mo if that is a viable option that you may use. Once you book points you can't bank them for the next use year, even if you cancel that booking. The points will have to be used during the same use year as the original booking

I don’t think you have the correct information here. If you cancel a reservation more than 31 days out and are still in the banking window (which would be the case for a March stay with OCT UY) then the points are still bankable.

 

[RivGirl]

Unfortunately, no. You can only modify a WDW reservation to another WDW resort, VB, or HHI. You cannot modify a WDW reservation to any of: VDH, VGC, or AUL.

Thank you! This was a missing piece of the puzzle in my brain.

Soooo….If I make a home resort booking at 11mo, at 7mo I would…cancel and book Aulani?

Does this argue for the side of “just bank the points and book Aulani at 7mo, don’t mess with 11mo Riv reservation”?

 

[Brian Noble]

If they are both for the same time, why would you bank for one and not the other?

 

[RivGirl]

If they are both for the same time, why would you bank for one and not the other?

Well…I would be making the home resort booking a month+ before my banking window ends. So I guess I would still be banking, but it would happen at the same time as the booking, instead of banking ahead of time for the 7mo reservation.

Is there any downside to consider with making and cancelling the Riv reservation? Does it slow down my Aulani booking at 7 mo or mess up my points in a way I’m not currently aware of?

Like I said, I’m sure I’m overthinking this, but there is quite a bit of fine print with DVC, so I don’t want to make a first timer mistake.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I guarantee the best advice you will receive and also DVC prefers
Please call member services before you create a problem that they can not resolve . I understand it is easier to ask us but we can not fix any advice that we offer.
They are always glad to help make it easier for their members .

 

[Brian Noble]

Points are used based on check-in day, not the day you make the reservation. If the reservation is for the same March week, the points would come from the same Use Year, whether at your Home resort, or any other.

For an October UY. your 2024 points can be used for any vacation checking in on or after 10/1/2024 and checking out on or before 9/30/2025. If you want to use them for a vacation that checks in on or after 10/1/2025 (say, in March of 2026), you will need to bank them. It does not matter when you make the reservation. What matters is when you would check in.

 

[RivGirl]

Points are used based on check-in day, not the day you make the reservation. If the reservation is for the same March week, the points would come from the same Use Year, whether at your Home resort, or any other.

For an October UY. your 2024 points can be used for any vacation checking in on or after 10/1/2024 and checking out on or before 9/30/2025. If you want to use them for a vacation that checks in on or after 10/1/2025 (say, in March of 2026), you will need to bank them. It does not matter when you make the reservation. What matters is when you would check in.

Thanks. I know that I would be using banked points regardless. Just saying that if I wait to make the Aulani reservation at 7mo, then I would probably wait to bank my points until May 31, just in case. If I make the Riv reservation first at 11mo (which would be just a few days from now), I would [obviously] bank the points at the time of reservation, a month and change before my banking deadline.

This thread is turning in circles, which is something I have a knack for, just ask my spouse.

Let me put it another way: Who here would make a “just in case” 11mo home resort reservation at WDW, even if they knew their desired plan was to go to Aulani instead? Would anything about that (or its opposite scenario) give you pause?

 

[DL1WDW2]

I would and it wouldn’t be the first time I have made a just in case at 11 months.

 

[sndral]

…Once you book points you can't bank them for the next use year, even if you cancel that booking. The points will have to be used during the same use year as the original booking…

I’ve never heard this & maybe I’m misunderstanding. If you make a reservation using current use year points & then cancel that reservation the points you used go back to your current use year & can be banked as long as you are before your banking deadline (can’t bank in last 4 months of use year) & cancelled before holding kicked in (31 days before arrival.)
If you banked or borrowed points to make your original reservation & cancel then those banked/borrowed points are stuck in your current use year & must be used by the end of that use year.

…
Let me put it another way: Who here would make a “just in case” 11mo home resort reservation at WDW, even if they knew their desired plan was to go to Aulani instead? Would anything about that (or its opposite scenario) give you pause?

I’m a planner, waiting to book until 7 months would give me pause, however, my default position in your shoes w/ your October use year would be if I didn’t get what I wanted at Aulani I’d pivot to planning a summer vacation at WDW when I would still have home resort booking priority at Riv if nothing better was available at WDW @ 7 months.

 

[PolyRob]

Let me put it another way: Who here would make a “just in case” 11mo home resort reservation at WDW, even if they knew their desired plan was to go to Aulani instead? Would anything about that (or its opposite scenario) give you pause?

If you don't plan on traveling between now and 9/30/25 I would just bank the points. Life gets in the way. Websites go down. Calls to MS take time.

If you think there is even a SLIGHT chance you would want spring break at RIV book it in your 11-month home booking window. There would be no penalty to cancelling the reservation for Aulani and you could do it the night before you plan to book Aulani in the 7-month if you know the Hawaii plans are more solid than WDW at that time.

You can't go back in time and get a RIV standard view once it's gone and may be kicking yourself if that's what you end up wanting/needing for the spring.

 

[D-Trick]

Half serious but not-- you need to buy more points.

I'm trying to comprehend how you're planning your first DVC booking to be Aulani using potentially 3 years worth of RIV points. How did you come to the decision to purchase? Correct me if there's something I overlooked.

 

[RivGirl]

If you don't plan on traveling between now and 9/30/25 I would just bank the points. Life gets in the way. Websites go down. Calls to MS take time.

If you think there is even a SLIGHT chance you would want spring break at RIV book it in your 11-month home booking window. There would be no penalty to cancelling the reservation for Aulani and you could do it the night before you plan to book Aulani in the 7-month if you know the Hawaii plans are more solid than WDW at that time.

You can't go back in time and get a RIV standard view once it's gone and may be kicking yourself if that's what you end up wanting/needing for the spring.

This is exactly the experienced member clarity and kick I needed. Thank you!

 

[PolyRob]

This is exactly the experienced member clarity and kick I needed. Thank you!

No problem! Four months is a long time and plans change based on flights, financials, life in general, etc.

WDW may be easier to get to than Hawaii and you want those banked 150 points used up!

 

[RivGirl]

Half serious but not-- you need to buy more points.

I'm trying to comprehend how you're planning your first DVC booking to be Aulani using potentially 3 years worth of RIV points. How did you come to the decision to purchase? Correct me if there's something I overlooked.

More points is definitely part of the plan, and could happen as soon as next year. Hoping to get another 150 direct, probably at Riviera again.

My purchase journey and thought process was well documented in another thread. Short version is that we were planning to purchase 300 points in February before the price hike and take Magical Beginnings. Then our 13yo daughter decided that she would like a finished basement after all. (I say that tongue in cheek; full story upon request.) So we had to take a hard look at numbers and go for a compromise. 150 points now + a finished basement. We refuse to finance and we also want to keep lots of cash on hand, yada yada yada. We plan to add on 150 more points within the next 1-3 years, which should be doable outside of complete economic collapse or other personal hardship, in which case I think we would be glad we had less points and not more.

The Aulani booking would be no more than 316 points for OV (4 nights in a 2br); hoping for IG view which would allow us to go for 5 nights for 310. Looking at the historic 7mo availability chart for 2br in March it seems like I have a decent shot at that. By having and banking 2024 points for our 2026 trip (and dipping slightly into 2026 points), and by borrowing October 2027 points ahead of our March 2027 trip (combined with the bulk of 2026 points), we will be able to get through at least Spring Break 2027 before we hit total point poverty, and by then we hope to have added on anyway.

(Edited bc it had been a minute since I looked at Aulani points chart and I had to refresh some details.)