Is there a Best Time to Add On?

[bblanch]

I realize that adding on through Disney you are at the mercy of what's available, but...

I thought I recall reading that if you add on on the month of your use year or just before or after it , you get 2 years worth of points. How does that work?

 

[Cajun28]

The best time is the month before your UY. I did that last year. I have a DEC UY and I added on in Nov 08. I received 2007 points which they allowed me to bank and then on Dec 1, I received 2008 points. I only paid 1 month of additional MF's and received a full year of points. This will only work, obviously, if DVC has points available at the resort you want and the UY you have.

 

[LisaS]

Disney gives you current Use Year points with your add on. Let's say you have a June UY and you purchase an add-on no later than the end of May 2009. You would still be in your 2008 UY at that point so your first set of points would be the June 2008 UY points. If you waited until on/after June 1, 2009 to purchase the add on you would be in your 2009 UY so your first set of points would be your 2009 UY points.

Your dues are pro-rated based on the later of your purchase date, the start of your initial UY and the occupancy date of the unit you purchased. If you are purchasing an add on where the occupancy date is not a factor, then your dues would start with your purchase date. If you wait until the last month of your UY to make your purchase you get the maximum points for the minimum first-year dues. MS has been letting people bank that first set of points even if you are past your banking deadline. So you end up with two sets of points to use at the start of your next UY.

The problem with trying to optimize by waiting until the end of your UY to purchase is that you risk Disney running out of current UY points and having to wait until your next UY begins to purchase the add on. And if you are trying to purchase a resort where you normally have to wait for points in your UY to become available (BCV, BWV, VWL) then you should start the process a few months ahead of the end of your UY (and even longer in the case of BCV).

 

[bblanch]

Thanks Cajun and Lisa. It's clear now.

Lisa, the problem you mention is the one I'm facing as I'm looking to add on a small amount at BCV. I guess I shouldn't try to play the game and just start the process asap.

 

[Figment1990]

Is this true of initial purchases also (not just add-on)? If I purchased Kidani right now, direct from disney and got a december UY, would I get 08 and 09 points or just 09? Or are those developer points/"free" vacation in lieu of my 08 points?

 

[LisaS]

Is this true of initial purchases also (not just add-on)? If I purchased Kidani right now, direct from disney and got a december UY, would I get 08 and 09 points or just 09? Or are those developer points/"free" vacation in lieu of my 08 points?

Kidani is a special case since it is still under construction. If I recall correctly, if you have a Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct or Dec UY your initial UY is 2008. If you have a Feb, Mar or Apr UY then your initial UY is 2009 due to the earliest occupancy date being May 1, 2009.

With a Dec UY, if you purchased any time between now and Nov 30, 2009 you should get 2008 points with your purchase. The points can be used for stays beginning May 1, 2009.

ETA: Just be sure to check these details with your guide prior to purchasing. I haven't followed Kidani sales that closely so I may not have the details correct re: which UYs get 2008 points.

 

[Disneycouple99]

As long as they still have points left, correct? What happens if they don't have any points left?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thanks Cajun and Lisa. It's clear now.

Lisa, the problem you mention is the one I'm facing as I'm looking to add on a small amount at BCV. I guess I shouldn't try to play the game and just start the process asap.

We have a March UY and we did get 25 BCV points in December that we were able to bank! THe process didn't take 2 days even, as far as getting the points. What UY are you?

Bobbi

PS. If they don't have points in your UY you go on a waiting list.

 

[bblanch]

We have a March UY and we did get 25 BCV points in December that we were able to bank! THe process didn't take 2 days even, as far as getting the points. What UY are you?

Bobbi

PS. If they don't have points in your UY you go on a waiting list.

Hey bobbi. Our use year is December.

 

[Chereya]

I have been doing a lot of thinking about buying DVC and what our needs would be. I need to blurt out some thoughts here and see if this scenario is feasable. Someone tell me if I have got this right or where I'm wrong

I want to buy my main points at BLT but 200 points would be too many for our needs. If the minimum is still at 160 and the incentive was REALLY good, I might be convinced to buy direct. I don't have my own guide yet but have a referral for a guide at the Doorway to Dreams store which I understand sometimes has its own separate incentives. I am waiting to see if they come out with a Friends and Family referral incentive this year and how that would compare with my current spreadsheets so far!

Due to various circumstances, we would likely not be looking at going back to WDW until 2010 at the soonest. Maybe not even until 2011.

Otherwise, I'd like to get a small SSR contract for 25-50 points via resale for a Sept UY. A somewhat stripped contract without 2008 or 2009 points would be ok with me since I would only plan to use these SSR points at the 7 month mark to add days to a BLT ressie. Ideally I would start shopping around for a suitable resale contract in early 2010 and allowing 2-3 months for ROFR and closing, make an offer on something in April or May at the latest.

Assuming I'm in the system as a full member in August 2010, and the min for add-ons hasn't increased, I could then do a 100 pt BLT add-on contract. I'd receive 2009 points, banked into 2010, and when Sept 1 rolled around, the 2010 points. Which means I'd have 200 points avail to be used through Aug 2011? I'd be paying partial/pro-rated calendar year MFs for 2010 on the BLT points and whatever MFs were agreed upon with the seller of the SSR contract. I would pay full MFs for both contracts in 2011. If down the road the SSR wasn't working out for me, I could sell it on the resale market.

I would have to use or rent the 100 banked 2009 points by Aug 2011 but I could bank the 2010 points (by the end of May 20011?) and give myself 200 points to use between Sept 2011 and Aug 2012. (I know about borrowing, too, but I'm assuming here that my vacation needs wouldn't exceed 200 pts per trip.)

Ok, that really helps to write it out and allow me to kind of "think out loud". Someone tell me if I am imagining things correctly or where I am going wrong!

 

[dancrystal]

I have been doing a lot of thinking about buying DVC and what our needs would be. I need to blurt out some thoughts here and see if this scenario is feasable. Someone tell me if I have got this right or where I'm wrong

I want to buy my main points at BLT but 200 points would be too many for our needs. If the minimum is still at 160 and the incentive was REALLY good, I might be convinced to buy direct. I don't have my own guide yet but have a referral for a guide at the Doorway to Dreams store which I understand sometimes has its own separate incentives. I am waiting to see if they come out with a Friends and Family referral incentive this year and how that would compare with my current spreadsheets so far!

Due to various circumstances, we would likely not be looking at going back to WDW until 2010 at the soonest. Maybe not even until 2011.

Otherwise, I'd like to get a small SSR contract for 25-50 points via resale for a Sept UY. A somewhat stripped contract without 2008 or 2009 points would be ok with me since I would only plan to use these SSR points at the 7 month mark to add days to a BLT ressie. Ideally I would start shopping around for a suitable resale contract in early 2010 and allowing 2-3 months for ROFR and closing, make an offer on something in April or May at the latest.

Assuming I'm in the system as a full member in August 2010, and the min for add-ons hasn't increased, I could then do a 100 pt BLT add-on contract. I'd receive 2009 points, banked into 2010, and when Sept 1 rolled around, the 2010 points. Which means I'd have 200 points avail to be used through Aug 2011? I'd be paying partial/pro-rated calendar year MFs for 2010 on the BLT points and whatever MFs were agreed upon with the seller of the SSR contract. I would pay full MFs for both contracts in 2011. If down the road the SSR wasn't working out for me, I could sell it on the resale market.

I would have to use or rent the 100 banked 2009 points by Aug 2011 but I could bank the 2010 points (by the end of May 20011?) and give myself 200 points to use between Sept 2011 and Aug 2012. (I know about borrowing, too, but I'm assuming here that my vacation needs wouldn't exceed 200 pts per trip.)

Ok, that really helps to write it out and allow me to kind of "think out loud". Someone tell me if I am imagining things correctly or where I am going wrong!

This all sounds great if you never plan on using a two bedroom villa. We bought in at 200 because children were getting older and did not think they would be able to go with us. I thought every couple years we may want disney, but wanted the points for other vacation transfers. We are stuck on the two bedroom villas with a full kitchen and cooking and relaxing not always running to disney. This year I may need to rent more points for a three bedroom and researching the most reasonable way to do that. I would think 200 would be a minimum unless you already have other points, you know your needs best. Just my thoughts.

 

[Chereya]

This all sounds great if you never plan on using a two bedroom villa. We bought in at 200 because children were getting older and did not think they would be able to go with us. I thought every couple years we may want disney, but wanted the points for other vacation transfers. We are stuck on the two bedroom villas with a full kitchen and cooking and relaxing not always running to disney. This year I may need to rent more points for a three bedroom and researching the most reasonable way to do that. I would think 200 would be a minimum unless you already have other points, you know your needs best. Just my thoughts.

Thanks for your response! I've done some point cost calculations and with 200 points used only for Sun-Thur nights and cash for Fri/Sat nights I figured I could do:

Adventure Season
Stand 1BR 8 nights - 192 pts
Lake 1BR 7 nights - 189 pts
MK 1BR 6 nights - 192 pts
Stand 2BR 6 nights - 192 pts
Lake 2BR 5 nights - 180 pts

Choice Season
Stand 1BR 7 nights - 182 pts
Lake 1BR 7 nights - 196 pts
Stand 2BR 6 nights - 198 pts
Lake 2BR 5 nights - 185 pts

I dunno, it seems like there is enough flexibility on 200 points depending on who was coming with us and what room type we'd need. I anticipate sometimes needing a 2BR if we had a grandparent or uncle along. These low point seasons are when we would normally be travelling hence deciding on getting a Sept use year.

 

[csmommy]

We went the stripped down route, purchased 70 pts Feb UY at OKW which gives us 140 pts for when we go every other year & stay in a studio. This has worked FABULOUSLY for us. Now DS is 13 & DD will turn 11 when we go this August & we think we need to purchase more pts so we can book a 1 bedroom for our 2011 trip. We want to puchase somewhere else, but the whole UY thing makes me CRAZY! Since it is not OKW we want to purchase at when should the UY fall so we can book a vacation & use all the pts? I suppose we should purchase at OKW & just deal with the 7 month window all the time. <sigh> Too confusing for me.

 

[bblanch]

I just heard from my guide about my 25 pint BCV add on inquiry. They do have points available, but she quoted me a price of $2650. Did the price go up to $106/point? or do they charge a $50 fee for something?

 

[LisaS]

I just heard from my guide about my 25 pint BCV add on inquiry. They do have points available, but she quoted me a price of $2650. Did the price go up to $106/point? or do they charge a $50 fee for something?

There was a price increase on Jan 15th. I haven't seen any posts about exactly which resorts were affected. I know AKV went up quite a bit ($104 to $112 I think). It wouldn't surprise me if BCV went up as well given the high demand to add on there. Based on that price quote it sounds like it went up from $104 to $106.

 

[bblanch]

There was a price increase on Jan 15th. I haven't seen any posts about exactly which resorts were affected. I know AKV went up quite a bit ($104 to $112 I think). It wouldn't surprise me if BCV went up as well given the high demand to add on there. Based on that price quote it sounds like it went up from $104 to $106.

Thanks Lisa. All I've read about were AKV price increase and BLT point increase, so it was kind of surprising.