(Hopefully) New Members with Expiring Points

[CheapRunnerMike]

Hi folks! We entered ROFR on Aug 1, so still a ways to go before we get our hands on our membership and any of the points associated with it, but looking for some advice regardless.

Our contract is a Dec UY and there are 98 points that need to be used up by Nov 30. These are banked points from 2012. We also have 320 points coming through on Dec 1 (160 banked points from 2013 UY as well as our 160 points for the Dec 2014 UY). My concern is with the 98 expiring points from 2012.

We would love to be able to use the points up, but by the time we are able to book anything I'm guessing our options will be extremely limited. We already have a 6-night trip booked at Coronado Springs from Oct 30-Nov 5, but we could add a single night stay on the front end as we are arriving in Orlando a day before our WDW trip really begins...but that is the only flexibility we have on that trip.

I have read on these boards that MS will occasionally allow new resale members to bank points they have acquired but do not have time to use up (certainly not a policy, but a general kindness on their part...I understand that this cannot be counted upon), but does anyone know if this would even be possible with an exception from MS as these 2012 points have already been banked before? Of course, you cannot bank banked points.

Our last options would be to rent the points for peanuts or ideally find a friend or family member that would be able to use them before they expire, but the problem remains that the booking window is very small.

Any advice for a (hopefully) new DVC member that is currently toiling in ROFR with too many scenarios running through his head???

Cheers, and thanks in advance!

 

[lovin'fl]

Congrats!!! And good luck in ROFR!!

MS won't allow banking of already banked points.

Trying to add to your Oct 30-Nov 5 trip will be nearly impossible as that is F&W and has been booked solid for sometime now. You could wait list but I am sure those waitlists are long already. Your best bet is to try for a time between F&W and Thanksgiving. Another possibility is Vero Beach...maybe HHI. I have been looking because we are likely going to cancel 1 night of our upcoming HHI trip and will have 41 holding points to use by the end of July 2015...holding points can only be used 2 months out from trip so I am looking at the fall to see what's open and not much is.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Thanks, that's what I had figured. We had booked early because we could hit on F&W, MNSSHP and free dining...popular time of year for sure. It would be nice to get back down again, but we are up in Canada, so it's a long haul for us.

With a hold on points, how long do you have to use them up? Does it have to be during that UY?

 

[supersnoop]

Holding points have to be used within the use year and can only book reservations within 60 days. They can't be used to plan any farther in advance than that.

I was in a similar situation earlier this year; banked points expiring on a resale purchase. I gained access to the contract with only two weeks before 64 points expired. I pretty much just gave the points away on here to anyone who could use them. I think I got $5-$6 per point for a few of them. I figure I didn't really pay for them because I knew I wouldn't be able to use them, so it wasn't a big deal to just get rid of them.

 

[lovin'fl]

What resort are you buying...just curious???

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Well I guess holding isn't any sort of an option then, just grasping at straws at this point. We knew going into the purchase that we likely wouldn't be able to use the points, just seems a shame to let them go entirely.

We bought at Saratoga Springs lovin'fl

 

[lovin'fl]

Well I guess holding isn't any sort of an option then, just grasping at straws at this point. We knew going into the purchase that we likely wouldn't be able to use the points, just seems a shame to let them go entirely.

We bought at Saratoga Springs lovin'fl

SSR...good deal...was looking at resales at SSR just today.

Holding points is when you cancel a resie 30 to 1 day before check in. We check in at HHI on Aug 17 and I may cancel the last night sometime in the next few days (since it's less than 30 days before check in, the points go into holding for us to use before end of UY...Aug is our UY).

You may have to try and book something between F&W and Thanksgiving week and try to rent it out.

 

[Hydrabob]

I'm in the same situation...just had a contract accepted and will be rofr waiting by Friday. Contract has 200 points banked from 2013 and 2014...April uy. Can disney somehow allow those points to carry over a few extra months since I'll be right under 7 month booking with those this summer?

 

[CarolMN]

Don't give up on using the 98 points until you have to - as soon as you get your log-in info, start trying to find something. Use the waitlist and check the website as often as you can. I was able to get some nights at the BWV for the first week of December (a very tough time to book) doing those things. The new Resort Availability Tool is very helpful with that task.

If you are unsuccessful by the time of your scheduled trip, call MS and ask if there are any options to use the points with RCI. You will have to pay a $95 fee and you may have to add some points to the 98. However, you may find something you (or a family member or friend) can use.

Good luck with ROFR and then using the expiring points.

 

[Msmithmd]

I'm in the same situation...just had a contract accepted and will be rofr waiting by Friday. Contract has 200 points banked from 2013 and 2014...April uy. Can disney somehow allow those points to carry over a few extra months since I'll be right under 7 month booking with those this summer?

Nope, points banked forward can only be used in the subsequent UY, and then they expire.

Your options for those 200 points are to find a vacation that you want to go on that finishes by March 31, 2015; to rent them; or to deposit them with RCI, which then would get you another 20 months to use them for a vacation, just not within DVC.

This is one of the very few times that an RCI exchange might be a great idea, as likely your resale won't have completed transaction until the end of October. Worth looking into, at least.

On the other hand, the time after the marathon in January is a relatively low demand period for DVC. It is likely you could piece together a vacation at 4-5 months if you're flexible on resort and room type, and are willing to do a split stay. It really comes down to whether you are able and desire to put together a DVC vacation in that time period. If not, do something else with those points as soon as you get access to your new account- the clock will be ticking. 200 points is well worth your effort to find a way to use!

 

[crisi]

Nope, points banked forward can only be used in the subsequent UY, and then they expire.

Your options for those 200 points are to find a vacation that you want to go on that finishes by March 31, 2015; to rent them; or to deposit them with RCI, which then would get you another 20 months to use them for a vacation, just not within DVC.

This is one of the very few times that an RCI exchange might be a great idea, as likely your resale won't have completed transaction until the end of October. Worth looking into, at least.

On the other hand, the time after the marathon in January is a relatively low demand period for DVC. It is likely you could piece together a vacation at 4-5 months if you're flexible on resort and room type, and are willing to do a split stay. It really comes down to whether you are able and desire to put together a DVC vacation in that time period. If not, do something else with those points as soon as you get access to your new account- the clock will be ticking. 200 points is well worth your effort to find a way to use!

That many points and that much lead time is rentable - at least at a cost to cover dues if not at full cost.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Don't give up on using the 98 points until you have to - as soon as you get your log-in info, start trying to find something. Use the waitlist and check the website as often as you can. I was able to get some nights at the BWV for the first week of December (a very tough time to book) doing those things. The new Resort Availability Tool is very helpful with that task.

If you are unsuccessful by the time of your scheduled trip, call MS and ask if there are any options to use the points with RCI. You will have to pay a $95 fee and you may have to add some points to the 98. However, you may find something you (or a family member or friend) can use.

Good luck with ROFR and then using the expiring points.

Thanks CarolMN, I will be crossing all my fingers and toes and working hard to find something the minute my login comes through! I'll waitlist like crazy and hope for some good luck...and maybe a little Disney magic

The RCI option was something I had thought of as well, but not sure what the options would be. I'll have to see if I can find what 98 points would get you through RCI to see if it's worth our while.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

I'm in the same situation...just had a contract accepted and will be rofr waiting by Friday. Contract has 200 points banked from 2013 and 2014...April uy. Can disney somehow allow those points to carry over a few extra months since I'll be right under 7 month booking with those this summer?

Good luck with those points, don't let them go to waste! At the least you should be able to rent them out, you have some time. It really doesn't sound like Disney will let you carry over points that have already been banked though. I think the only way we will really know for sure is by calling MS as soon as we get our logins and pleading our cases, hoping for some grace. Go in expecting nothing and realize that anything Disney offers will be a bonus.

 

[skier_pete]

I don't quite get the advice, If you JUST entered ROFR on August 1st, you likely won't even GET the points until mid-October by the time you get through the whole purchase closing and get it all hooked up at member services.

By that point, you would have less than 45 days to use them. While you MIGHT get an extra night stay SOMEWHERE using the points, it would be pretty iffy. You certainly wouldn't be able to rent them out.

As long as you didn't pay for them, you probably shouldn't sweat it and just assume they are lost points.

 

[supersnoop]

I don't quite get the advice, If you JUST entered ROFR on August 1st, you likely won't even GET the points until mid-October by the time you get through the whole purchase closing and get it all hooked up at member services.

By that point, you would have less than 45 days to use them. While you MIGHT get an extra night stay SOMEWHERE using the points, it would be pretty iffy. You certainly wouldn't be able to rent them out.

As long as you didn't pay for them, you probably shouldn't sweat it and just assume they are lost points.

I had less than two weeks and managed to rent out 64 points. Granted, that was at $4-$8 per point in three or four separate reservations. With that lead time, you'd be renting to people who are extending their trip one or two days because they can do it on the cheap with your distressed point rate. So, while I agree that the points should be considered lost and not count on anything, I do believe they could be rented or given away so they don't go to waste.

 

[Hydrabob]

Is rfi still an option? Can i rfi into a universal studio hotel? I would have nov-march 31st most likely with those points.