Help me Strategize

[wmm1126]

Hello all and thanks in advance for the help.

We are currently waiting for our first DVC contract to go through ROFR. (SSR 200, Aug UY, All points intact) We are hoping to have an answer by mid to late September and hopefully points in our account by mid Oct.

Here is the dilemma. We have a planned vacation for Disney World Jan 23-31. I would LOVE to use my points on the stay for this trip but I know we are very late to the game since we are way past the 7 month-out mark.

We are willing to stay anywhere, split stays could also be an option for us. But just 1 transfer max.

I know SSR & OKW will most likey (if at all) be the available options.

So this is where I need the help: How should I go about doing this? Am I crazy thinking anything will be open at that point? Should I waitlist, how, and to what resorts?

Any help is greatly appreciated. If all else fails we will be happy staying at POFQ (I mean who wouldn't) but we would like to save the extra $$.

 

[intamin]

Hello all and thanks in advance for the help.

We are currently waiting for our first DVC contract to go through ROFR. (SSR 200, Aug UY, All points intact) We are hoping to have an answer by mid to late September and hopefully points in our account by mid Oct.

Here is the dilemma. We have a planned vacation for Disney World Jan 23-31. I would LOVE to use my points on the stay for this trip but I know we are very late to the game since we are way past the 7 month-out mark.

We are willing to stay anywhere, split stays could also be an option for us. But just 1 transfer max.

I know SSR & OKW will most likey (if at all) be the available options.

So this is where I need the help: How should I go about doing this? Am I crazy thinking anything will be open at that point? Should I waitlist, how, and to what resorts?

Any help is greatly appreciated. If all else fails we will be happy staying at POFQ (I mean who wouldn't) but we would like to save the extra $$.

What room type are you going for? It will likely be hard given the short notice and duration of the stay. The way I'd do it would be to waitlist 2-3 days at the beginning of your trip, and then do the same at the end of your trip. And I'd also set up the waitlist to expire 7 days before the trip for the start of the trip, 31 days for the end so that way your points aren't taken and you're not able get a refund on the end of the trip. Pretty sure for cash cancellations you can cancel up to 5 days before without penalty. This way if the waitlist comes through, you can modify your trip and spend either the beginning or end of your trip at SSR and the rest of the trip on cash. It's more likely for 2-3 nights to pop up than the full 7. Even SSR starts to get booked out by then if it hasn't already. Maybe in a 1BR but I'm not sure. But definitely keep the cash reservation at this time for insurance in case the waitlist doesn't come through.

 

[Genie+]

Any help is greatly appreciated. If all else fails we will be happy staying at POFQ (I mean who wouldn't) but we would like to save the extra $$.

If you don’t mind transfer once during the trip, you might be able to find a block of days bookable with DVC and then you can shorten you POFQ days. So even if you find something DVC for the whole stay this may work.

 

[wmm1126]

What room type are you going for? It will likely be hard given the short notice and duration of the stay. The way I'd do it would be to wait list a 2-3 days at the beginning of your trip, and then do the same at the end of your trip. And I'd also set up the waitlist to expire 7 days before the trip for the start of the trip, 31 days for the end so that way your points aren't taken and you're not able get a refund on the end of the trip. Pretty sure for cash cancellations you can cancel up to 5 days before without penalty. This way if the waitlist comes through, you can modify your trip and spend either the beginning or end of your trip at SSR and the rest of the trip on cash. It's more likely for 2-3 nights to pop up than the full 7. Even SSR starts to get booked out by then if it hasn't already. Maybe in a 1BR but I'm not sure. But definitely keep the cash reservation at this time for insurance in case the waitlist doesn't come through.

We are a family of 5 with 1 of those being a baby. So we can stay at pretty much any DVC room.

The half cash and half DVC is great idea! How does that work for dining reservations? Would you have to book 2 times since it’s 2 different 60 days out? Also what about tickets? I know the more days worth of tickets you buy the cheaper they are. I would hate to spend more on tickets just because of split stay.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[wmm1126]

If you don’t mind transfer once during the trip, you might be able to find a block of days bookable with DVC and then you can shorten you POFQ days. So even if you find something DVC for the whole stay this may work.

The half cash and half DVC is great idea!

 

[intamin]

We are a family of 5 with 1 of those being a baby. So we can stay at pretty much any DVC room.

The half cash and half DVC is great idea! How does that work for dining reservations? Would you have to book 2 times since it’s 2 different 60 days out? Also what about tickets? I know the more days worth of tickets you buy the cheaper they are. I would hate to spend more on tickets just because of split stay.

Any help is appreciated!

Correct you would have to book dining twice. 60 days out from the start of each stay at a new resort. Tickets won't change, you can buy the full week or however many you need and it won't affect the price. Just make sure you buy the full amount of days you need under one ticket and not split up. Disney knows plenty of people book split stays like this so it won't be an issue

 

[eticketplease]

We are a family of 5 with 1 of those being a baby. So we can stay at pretty much any DVC room.

The half cash and half DVC is great idea! How does that work for dining reservations? Would you have to book 2 times since it’s 2 different 60 days out? Also what about tickets? I know the more days worth of tickets you buy the cheaper they are. I would hate to spend more on tickets just because of split stay.

Any help is appreciated!

As long as the baby is under 3 you would be able to stay in any accommodation.

Yes you would have two 60 day windows for dining reservations unfortunately.

Tickets should not matter as long as they will be good for x amount of days based on how many you purchased ie 7 day tickets you can use over a 10 day period.

If tickets were part of a package I would definitely get the cash room on the front end with DVC at the end.
Also this way you would have access to the free laundry at the end of the trip

 

[eticketplease]

Does anyone know if resale members get a "Welcome Home" stay? If so Member services might be able to work some magic to get OP in somewhere.

 

[RoseGold]

If you're willing to spend for 1BRs, you might get lucky. If you keep stalking, and don't mind moving a bunch, I bet you can piece something together. Stuff does pop up at 30 ish days out.

 

[intamin]

Does anyone know if resale members get a "Welcome Home" stay? If so Member services might be able to work some magic to get OP in somewhere.

No welcome home stay for resale members. This is strictly a new direct member perk and even then nothing is guaranteed.

 

[achinforsomebacon]

Find a friend with DVC to book the room for you now and then transfer your points to them once you have them to pay them back? It's a longshot for the stars to align and everything work out but you never know. If you could then get what you needed on your own, they could also just cancel and you wouldn't even need to transfer points.