I have a DVC vacation planning question, hope you have a answer:)

[funhouse8]

Hi, I an new to DVC and just came back from a fantastic trip at DL and want to start planning for my first trip home. I want to go to SSR next summer and asked the kids if they would like to go. Their answer is yes but depends on where their life is at at that time. My older son 23 & daughter 20 have to see if they can make it. Between school & jobs. The younger two can come. So my question is should I book a 2 bedroom (6 of us) with hopes that everyone can make it or play it safe and book 2 studios. What happens if I have to cancel one? My use year is Dec. My next question is I have left over points do I bank them first and make this reservation or do I just make the reservation? Please tell me what you think. Thanks, Gina

 

[starbox]

Bank your points first. You can change, but not cancel a reservation without a penalty - my DD7 broke her arm a week ago and a few days ago we switched reservations by cancelling a night a VB and adding on SSR and it was not a problem. SSR seems to have the easiest reservations to get late - so if that is your first choice, you'll be set!

As for a 2bd vs. two studios - with the 2 bedroom you get lots more space, a washer/dryer, a jacuzzi tub, a full kitchen. Even with just four of you, the 2 bedroom is going to be sooooooo nice because the kids will be in a room rather than in the living room. I'd go ahead and decide to enjoy it whether or not all six could make it.

 

[DVCLiz]

As for a 2bd vs. two studios - with the 2 bedroom you get lots more space, a washer/dryer, a jacuzzi tub, a full kitchen. Even with just four of you, the 2 bedroom is going to be sooooooo nice because the kids will be in a room rather than in the living room. I'd go ahead and decide to enjoy it whether or not all six could make it.

If you can bring yourself to do it, I'd have to agree with this. We really love the 2 BR set up!! Last week we were at Hilton Head, with me (48), DD12, DD17 and DD17's friend, who is 18. The two "big girls" had the 2nd BR and they could spread out all their stuff without having to worry it was in someone's way. DD12 and I shared the master BR - easy to do because the bed was king size. If I'd needed her to, she could have slept with her sister in the 2nd BR.

Next week we are going to be at the VWL and we're getting a 2BR. We'll be the three of us plus 2 of DD17's friends. The three "big girls" will share the 2nd BR, and DD12 and I will share the master BR.

It's such a luxury not to have anyone sleeping in the living room. If I wake up earlier than the girls (always!!) I can go out and fix breakfast, watch TV, read, etc. without disturbing anyone.

It does take a lot of points, but not having to worry or fret about who will be there all year would be worth it to me!!

Hope your trip is great no matter who gets to be there!!!

 

[funhouse8]

aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I just got a phone call from my younger daughter and she was talking about going back to the camp she is working at this summer to work there again as a lifeguard. So now I'm down to one child who will come with me. I'm guessing I better wait till I book anything yet. Thanks for your advice. Gina

 

[JimMIA]

Bank your points first. You can change, but not cancel a reservation without a penalty

WHOA!!!! Hold on, that's NOT RIGHT! You certainly can cancel without penalty - unless you cancel <31 days out!

For DVC resort ressies (which is what you are talking about) there is no penalty at all of you cancel 31 days prior to your scheduled arrival. The points just go back into your account like nothing happened. If you cancel a ressie at a DVC resort inside 30 days, the points still go back into your account, but they're in holding status.

 

[starbox]

WHOA!!!! Hold on, that's NOT RIGHT! You certainly can cancel without penalty - unless you cancel <31 days out!

Yes, but you can change reservations within that last month without a penalty and that was my point. We were able to change reservations just five days prior and no penalty, which is nice to know when dealing with the ever-changing lives of young(and not so young) children. You can always simply change your reservation, assuming there is a unit open, and you don't have to worry about the 31 day "deadline" and holding account. If I'd just cancelled that late, it would have been more complicated.

 

[JimMIA]

With a December use year, you only have two dates you need to worry about.

One is the last MS workday in May 2007, which will depend on the date Memorial Day is celebrated. That date is the end of your 100% banking window. If you cancel prior to that date, you still have the option to bank ALL of your points. Your next banking deadline (50%) is at the end of August and presumably would not be an issue.

I would not bank your points until close to your deadline, because banking is a non-reversible transaction. You can't "un-bank" if your plans change.

The other critical date is 31 days prior to arrival, as mentioned above. Cancel prior to that and it's as if nothing ever happened.

The thing that might be difficult, however, is availability if you try to switch from a two-bedroom to a studio late in the game. You might have trouble getting a studio.

One fix for the availability issue [assuming a) you have enough points, and b) you don't fall asleep at the switch] is to reserve both and cancel the one you don't need.

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, but you can change reservations within that last month without a penalty and that was my point. We were able to change reservations just five days prior and no penalty, which is nice to know when dealing with the ever-changing lives of young(and not so young) children. You can always simply change your reservation, assuming there is a unit open, and you don't have to worry about the 31 day "deadline" and holding account. If I'd just cancelled that late, it would have been more complicated.

I think what's happening, in that particular scenario (which is MUCH more narrow than OP's initial question) is that you are technically being penalized.

The points do go into holding, but your new ressie meets the criteria for holding points...so there is no practical effect to you because you're booking <60 days in advance. You don't come out of that series of transactions with points in holding, but they were there until the CM hit "Enter,"

 

[Dean]

What's best depends on your preferences and how many points you have. Certainly bank any points now that are in your 2005 use year. If you have enough points and assuming a travel party of 3 or 5, I'd do this. Book either a studio or 1 BR depending on your preferences for the 3. Then book either a second studio or a 2 BR for the 5. I'd go with the 2 BR. You can hold both reservations until you know more then cancel the one you want. If you need to reallocate the points to use up banked or borrowed points, you should have no problem doing so in this situation.

 

[starbox]

I would not bank your points until close to your deadline, because banking is a non-reversible transaction. You can't "un-bank" if your plans change.

The banking thing is the most confusing aspect of DVC to me, so would you mind explaining this scenario? It seems like the OP was in a similar situation to ours.

We came back from our big summer trip after purchasing DVC, so I had the extra 06 points (Feb use ear). Because of school schedules, I knew that there was no possible way to use the balance of those points until summer of 07. When I called MS and told her I would need to bank my points, she had me do the banking transaction first, so that my first 07 reservation used banked points.

So, my question is, if you know that you can't use any more points during the current UY and you are making 11 month ressies for the following UY, is it necessary to bank the points BEFORE you make the reservation? In other words, if I had not banked my 06 points first, would the 07 ressie have used up 07 points even if I banked later?

Did that make sense?

 

[JimMIA]

The banking thing is the most confusing aspect of DVC to me, so would you mind explaining this scenario? It seems like the OP was in a similar situation to ours.

We came back from our big summer trip after purchasing DVC, so I had the extra 06 points (Feb use ear). Because of school schedules, I knew that there was no possible way to use the balance of those points until summer of 07. When I called MS and told her I would need to bank my points, she had me do the banking transaction first, so that my first 07 reservation used banked points.

So, my question is, if you know that you can't use any more points during the current UY and you are making 11 month ressies for the following UY, is it necessary to bank the points BEFORE you make the reservation? In other words, if I had not banked my 06 points first, would the 07 ressie have used up 07 points even if I banked later?

Did that make sense?

Yes, that makes sense, but remember the 11-month window has nothing to do with use year.

My point was you gain nothing by banking earlier than you have to, unless you are afraid you might forget. Especially if you know you are making one, and only one trip next use year, you would definitely want to bank prior to making ressies (which you could do in the same phone call).

But banking limits your flexibility at some point. Maybe not this year...maybe next year.

Here's what could happen if you bank early and your plans change. Lets say you have 200 points. You bank all of them, giving you 400 points available during your next UY.

Then your plans change and you decide to take a trip in the current UY after all. You can do that, but you can't un-bank, so you have to borrow from next year's points. The ressie is 140 points.

Okay, now you have 260 points remaining for use next UY. BUT...200 of those are "use or lose" - they're banked from this year and can't be banked again. You have to use them, rent them, or lose them.

If you'd waited to bank, you might have used 140 points from this year, and only banked 60. Next year, you'd have the same 260 points available -- but 200 of those would be next year's points, all 200 of which would be available for banking forward into the following year.

Waiting just gives you more flexibility ...as long as you don't forget!