I've been lurking/researching a while, now I have questions.

[jennymouse]

I'm hoping to buy into DVC this year so I've been trying to learn as much as I can. Some of it is quite confussing to me. Thanks in advance for your help.

* When you make a ressie, do you make the ressie for the points you WILL have available at your ressie time, or does it have to be with points you have available when you call to make your reservation?

* To decide how many points I need to buy, I've been playing with the point calculator, but it would be helpful if I knew what/when the "DVC seasons" are.

* If it is the end of your use year and you have points you need to bank because you haven't used them, do you have to actually make a call to MS, or do they get automatically banked?

* How tough is it to get a 2br at your home resort for the week leading into and including Christmas?

* My mother isn't expected to be with us very long (cancer) and I would love to get Dad & our family to WDW for Christmas 2003....you know, first Christmas without her and all. If I purchase DVC in the spring, what would you think our chances of getting a 2br for Christmas 2003 be? Slim to none?

Thanks again!

 

[JimC]

You make reservations with the points you have, have banked or can borrow.

Seasons at WDW DVC are approximately as follows. January Value, First two weeks of February Dream, Third week of February to week prior to Easter Magic, Week either side of Easter Premier, Week after Easter week period to end of April Magic, May to first week of June Dream, 2nd week of June to Mid August Magic, Last two weeks of August Dream, September Adventure, October to Thanksgiving Week Choice, Thanksgiving Week Magic, First two weeks of December Adventure, Third week of December Choice, Christmas week Premier. Those are approximate. Use these links to download two programs that are very useful in working through DVC points. They have exact point charts for resorts, seasons, etc.

http://hometown.aol.com/dmfredrick/Download.html

http://www.seidata.com/~wneth/id57.htm

You must call to bank points and you must meet the banking deadlines.

The last two questions I can't answer, but I am sure others will add in and help with those. I do know that some have indicated that they have gotten one bedroom and studio combinations as a slightly more point alternative to a 2 bedroom.

Best wishes during your Mom's illness and good luck with your DVC decision.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

IU'll give it a shot on some of these:

* When you make a ressie, do you make the ressie for the points you WILL have available at your ressie time, or does it have to be with points you have available when you call to make your reservation?
--It's the points you will have available at the time of your reservation.

* To decide how many points I need to buy, I've been playing with the point calculator, but it would be helpful if I knew what/when the "DVC seasons" are.
-- Check out the point charts at http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/dvc/

* If it is the end of your use year and you have points you need to bank because you haven't used them, do you have to actually make a call to MS, or do they get automatically banked?
-- You have to make the call, and there are deadline dates I think are at the quarter year mork where you have to bank 50%, 25% etc. of your points.

* How tough is it to get a 2br at your home resort for the week leading into and including Christmas?
-- Your home resort with the 11 month advantage should work out fine. We just did this with no problem. The 7 month window can be much less likely.

* My mother isn't expected to be with us very long (cancer) and I would love to get Dad & our family to WDW for Christmas 2003....you know, first Christmas without her and all. If I purchase DVC in the spring, what would you think our chances of getting a 2br for Christmas 2003 be? Slim to none?
-- I'm sorry to here about your family situation. If you wait until the 7 month window, it will be less likely, it also depends on the resort you are trying to reserve at, some have more availability than others. but I'll let more expreienced folks answer this one. One possibility might be for you to rent points to make the reservation now, then take your time shopping for the points and home resort you want. Just an idea.

 

[mbhoxsie]

Jenifer,

1) You can make the ressie will the points you will have by the time you go... For example, my "Use Year" is June, so if I go on vacation anytime after June, then I can use I will have after that... Booking restrictions are stictly based on whether you're booking at your Home resort or not...

2) Well... The actual dates of the seasons can change because of holidays and the such, and which resort you are staying at... I would download the DVC Point Manager at http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/dmfredrick/Download.html and play with that a bit... (The seasons for each resort are defined a bit better in there..

3) For any point transaction, including banking, MS has to be either phoned or emailed... Keep in mind though, that if you wait until later in your use year to bank your points, that chances are you'll only be able to bank a small percentage of your points.. (IE. the earlier you bank, the less points you'll be penalized for waiting..) If you wait too late, you won't have any points to bank.

4) If you start calling at the beginning your booking window for your home resort (which is 11 months out), and book it day by day, you should be ok... If there is a situation where the demand is too great for rooms, DVC will start a lottery for the right to make ressies... (For example, a coworker of mine is a DVC member, and wanted to go to Vero Beach for the Millenimum Celebration.. He had to enter the lottery, and won the right to book..)

If you are able to keep your options open at the time of booking, you should be ok.. I just tried to book a 2BR Standard View at Boardwalk for the first week in December.. Unfortunately, the first day that we will be there, only 2BR-Preferred views were available... (The rest of the days of our stay were available for the 2BR-Standard.) So I booked a 2BR Preferred the first night, and then after that we'll switch to the 2BR-Standard from that point on... I did waitlist myself on the 2BR-Standard in case it comes available though...

5) No doubt, it will be difficult.. Over X-mas is premimum time at WDW. I'd think you might have better luck booking something off WDW property like Vero Beach or Hilton Head, and then waitlist yourself for one of the WDW resorts... (I'd really recommend Vero Beach...) My family stayed there at end of December last year, and it was wonderful... We still had to get the park fix though, and drive the 2 hours each way to the Magic Kingdom just for one day.. We had a great time....

I hope this wasn't too confusing..

Congrats on your decision to join!

 

[jennymouse]

Thanks for the info and the links are just what I needed. I just don't know what to do about this Christmas....I just hate the thought of spending it at home.

 

[ncligs]

Jenifer,
Just in case your thinking about VB, here is a link for you.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/sue_holland/vbr_activities.htm

 

[mbhoxsie]

Jenifer,

While I don't know the details of your situation, I can certainly appreciate it...

My grandmother died of ovarian cancer 4 years ago on Thanksgiving day...

My grandfather died of a heart attack, the following year on of all days.. Thanksgiving Day...

While, we can't always travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, we usually are travelling shortly before or after it...

That being said... I'd have to agree with CaptainMidnight... If it is important to you and your family to be travelling at x-mas, rent the points now, or get a cash ressie.... Either on property, VB, or Hilton Head...

As you've seen on the this board, VB has some excellent Inn Rooms with awesome views of the ocean... They have that great Disney service, and a lot of activities planned to keep everyone entertained...

I'm really partial to VB because of that... If you need to the time to relax, reflect, and meditate, VB is awesome.. Low key.. No pressure...

If you feel the need to be busy, and stay active... There are always plenty of things going on... Jet skiiing, bingo, campfires, swimming, etc..

I'm sure that Hilton Head offers everything that I mentioned about as well... (I just haven't stayed there yet, and can't offer any advice..)

Best wishes
Matt

 

[crisi]

Sorry to hear about your mom.

Rent the points for Christmas now. Then when you close on your contract, rent your points - the ones you would have used if you would have had them - to someone else - it will be a wash - except for the effort.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I'm sorry to hear about your mom: we are in a similar situation with my dad.
I am now making ressies for Christmas 2003 at BWV, and when I called on Friday I could have gotten a 1 bedroom in EITHER standard or preferred view, which was a shock to me, since I have never gotten a standard view in all the vacations I hav e taken there. I ended up taking preferred anyway, but it was nice to have a choice Our ressies were for Dec. 20-24. Monday I can call for 25-27 of December. Ressies have worked out well at Christmas within the 11 month window; last year at 5 months they were totally booked, even for cash. If you can't purchase a contract soon, you might want to rent the points so you will get your trip at Christmas. Otherwise, you will need to wait until summer to get a regular hotel room with some kind of a deal. I stayed last Christmas at BC for $195 per night (that's a GOOD price!), but I had to be there by Dec.24 to take advantage of it; on Dec. 25 or 26 I would have had to pay $395 per night.