Help me plan for next year, please

[TexasErin]

Okay, just got back yesterday and already planning next year's trip, lol!

We usually go around 5/26-6/4 every year- as soon as school gets out and spend 9 nights. We have been discussing having our next two trips be approximately 50 weeks apart so we could take advantage of getting APs next year and getting 2 trips out of the deal (our 2013 and 2014 trips), rather than buying 10-day MYW tickets each trip. And btw, would 6/9-6/18 be a lot more crowded than 5/26-6/4?

Our plan was to go 6/9 to 6/18 next year. First two nights at GF with cash reservation. Then seven nights AKV 1 BR concierge (if we lucked out and were able to get it) starting 6/11. We will have 323 AKV points. Problem is that moving our trip ten days later throws us into a different DVC season and we would need 327 points- CRUD! If we kept our usual days each year, it would only be 292 points for that week. So by moving our trip to get 2 trips out of an AP, we will be four points short. I know I could rent four points from DVC, but they would not have the 11-month advantage....

What would you do? Not try to move dates and keep the same week as usual around May 25- June 4? Or stick with our plans and go ten days later to squeeze out two trips to be able to get APs? I could do that and book the first six nights concierge (if I'm able to score it) and book the last night as a 1 BR savannah view- and at 7 months, rent the four points from DVC and try to switch the 1 BR savanah to a concierge if it's available????

Suggestions?

 

[AllieV]

Two questions (one for you and one for an AP expert): What's the earliest date you can possibly go? Does an AP necessarily expire exactly 364 days after first use? I thought I remembered reading that a pass is good for your length of stay so long as it begins on a date where it would be good.

 

[CarolMN]

Okay, just got back yesterday and already planning next year's trip, lol!

We usually go around 5/26-6/4 every year- as soon as school gets out and spend 9 nights. We have been discussing having our next two trips be approximately 50 weeks apart so we could take advantage of getting APs next year and getting 2 trips out of the deal (our 2013 and 2014 trips), rather than buying 10-day MYW tickets each trip. And btw, would 6/9-6/18 be a lot more crowded than 5/26-6/4?

Our plan was to go 6/9 to 6/18 next year. First two nights at GF with cash reservation. Then seven nights AKV 1 BR concierge (if we lucked out and were able to get it) starting 6/11. We will have 323 AKV points. Problem is that moving our trip ten days later throws us into a different DVC season and we would need 327 points- CRUD! If we kept our usual days each year, it would only be 292 points for that week. So by moving our trip to get 2 trips out of an AP, we will be four points short. I know I could rent four points from DVC, but they would not have the 11-month advantage....

What would you do? Not try to move dates and keep the same week as usual around May 25- June 4? Or stick with our plans and go ten days later to squeeze out two trips to be able to get APs? I could do that and book the first six nights concierge (if I'm able to score it) and book the last night as a 1 BR savannah view- and at 7 months, rent the four points from DVC and try to switch the 1 BR savanah to a concierge if it's available????

Suggestions?

We plan to get 2 or 3 visits with each AP purchase. Tickets are expensive!

I'd just borrow the 4 points from the next use year and book the whole AKV portion at 11 months. Even if that means you have to borrow again for the next year's trip, so what? It will take several years of borrowing 4 points at a time before you have to skip a year or buy more points. Lots of things might happen before that "skip a year" even arrives.

Have fun planning.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Two questions (one for you and one for an AP expert): What's the earliest date you can possibly go? Does an AP necessarily expire exactly 364 days after first use? I thought I remembered reading that a pass is good for your length of stay so long as it begins on a date where it would be good.

APs expire one year from the date of first use. Disney actually gives you 366 days, since you can still use it on that day. We will be doing just that this year. We first used our current passes on Dec. 6, 2011, so our last day this year will be Dec. 6, 2012. We're getting every last day out of these passes!

 

[dianeschlicht]

By the way, I agree with Carol (we Minnesotans all think alike anyway). There is no harm in borrowing those 4 points. We sometimes have banked and borrowed points for the same ressies. I always figure borrowed points work just as well as current ones. This year I'll be borrowing almost my whole allotment just to go to Aulani. No matter...I'll just borrow fewer the next year and only do one week at WDW, and by the time the second year rolls around, I'll be caught up and back to current use year points.

 

[TexasErin]

I should have mentioned that the 323 points is with banking and borrowing. We bought 160 AKV points. The 323 points is 3 banked points remaining from our December 2011 UY, 160 points December 2012 UY, and borrowing 160 December 2013 UY.

(We also have an 113 points BLT contract which we will use to bank and borrow and have 339 points to stay at BLT every third year. This is why I'm depleting all of my AKV points since I will be staying at BLT summer 2014. Unfortunately with DVD reallocating points, I am now like 3 points short of having my 1-week in a 1BR Theme Park view that were enough points when I first bought it, but that's another issue....)

Am I correct that if we rent 4 points from DVD to give us the needed 327 points that they won't have the 11-months home advantage?

 

[chalee94]

Am I correct that if we rent 4 points from DVD to give us the needed 327 points that they won't have the 11-months home advantage?

right, you'd have to wait till the 7 month window to get the one-time-use pts from disney.

 

[goofydad99]

Have you considered dropping the concierge portion off your trip at some point to lower your point costs?

Maybe add the dining plan to your cash reservation and then maybe have the first night in a non concierge room if you are adamant about having concierge.

 

[TexasErin]

I was afraid that points rented from DVD couldn't be used at eleven months.

And, yes, we really wanted concierge for the whole week- we're already going to be changing resorts once and we hate to have to pack up all of our stuff again. DS9 wakes up starving and can't wait until late morning for breakfast, which is what we like to do so that we can hit the big rides at rope drop instead of eating right then. And I love those chocolate chip croissants that AKV concierge has- the only other place I've seen them is at Boma, but my family would probably revolt if I booked Boma every morning for breakfast, lol. Plus, we like the location of AKV concierge, as we know that we will not have to walk miles down a hallway to get to our room, like we just did at Kidani last week.

So, is my only option to book six of the nights at 11 months and then rent four points from DVD at 7 months and hope that I can get another concierge night then to complete our week?

Thanks,
Erin

 

[CarolMN]

......
So, is my only option to book six of the nights at 11 months and then rent four points from DVD at 7 months and hope that I can get another concierge night then to complete our week?

Thanks,
Erin

How about 3 nights at the GF (cash) and the last 6 nights in AKV concierge?

Or, you could try to find someone willing to transfer some AKV points into your account. Could be a challenge though, since many will not want to use their one transfer per use year allowance for such a small amount. But sometimes, a member will have just a few left and be willing to help out a fellow member. Perhaps you could buy more than you need to increase your chances of finding someone and also to have more of a "cushion" for future trips.

Another option is to rent a one night concierge reservation from a fellow AKV owner and have that reservation linked to yours. Concierge reservations are hard to come by so that might also be a challenge.

FWIW, I don't think the chances of getting an entire week in concierge at 11 months are all that great anyway. You have to be somewhat lucky and also be able to use the online system, which is available an hour prior to MS opening. Getting a particular night at 7 months will truly be a long shot. Keep in mind that you cannot waitlist if you have to buy points to complete the reservation. Perhaps you could try for concierge at 11 months and if you don't get it, then book savanna view.

Good luck!

 

[TexasErin]

If I could find someone to transfer some points to me, would they retain the 11-month booking advantage????

I'm glad you told me that you can't waitlist if you have to buy points. I had no idea about that- nor did I know about online starting an hour prior to MS opening.........looks like I need to spend more time on this board and less time on the Theme Parks board, lol.

Thanks,
Erin

 

[CarolMN]

If I could find someone to transfer some points to me, would they retain the 11-month booking advantage????

Yes. Transferred points retain their original use year and home resort designations

 

[TexasErin]

Awesome! And I like that idea of transferring extra to be able to have a cushion, as you said.

Thanks everybody for all your help..........now just crossing fingers for the next few weeks hoping I can score the coveted concierge!