multiple visits a year?

[Mrsjnt083]

My husband and I are thinking of purchasing a large contract via resale.(Either BCV or VGF) By large I mean around 300 points. We are hoping to maybe go on a a few 3-4 day trips a year, as we live within driving distance. For booking purposes, is this possible? Or is DVC meant more for one long trip a year? I wish there was a way to check availability without having to already be a member. That would definitely sway my decision in the amount of points I buy.
Thank you for any input!

 

[JETSDAD]

The points can be used however you please. We have two trips booked for our next UY already. The further out you can book the better the likelihood of getting the room that you want. Last minute trips would really narrow down your options.

 

[supersnoop]

My husband and I are thinking of purchasing a large contract via resale.(Either BCV or VGF) By large I mean around 300 points. We are hoping to maybe go on a a few 3-4 day trips a year, as we live within driving distance. For booking purposes, is this possible? Or is DVC meant more for one long trip a year? I wish there was a way to check availability without having to already be a member. That would definitely sway my decision in the amount of points I buy.
Thank you for any input!

Ideally, you need to plan a year in advance of each trip. Can you do that? If you want to make short-notice or last-minute trips, DVC is not a good option.

 

[kniquy]

DVC is definitely for multiple trips per year, but you need to plan 11 months out if you are looking at late September to marathon weekend in Jan --these are the high demand DVC times and things can book up quick 11 months out. Other times of the year you'd still want to book more than 7 months. If you are considering both those resorts then you might be better off buying a resale contract at each (150 points each -or the points needed for room type you want--VGF costs more point for the same room type at BCV) -- this is for a couple reasons. If you like both resorts having a contract at each ensures you will be able to book 11 months at each, you can only book other resorts at 7 months. There is banking and borrowing of points that you can read up on to see how this would work for you. If or when it comes time to sell your contract you would have a much easier time finding someone that wants/is able to buy a smaller 150 point contract vs a 300 point contract. You could start out with one smaller contract - see how it works for you and add the same UY at the other resort if the system works for you.

 

[Dean]

My husband and I are thinking of purchasing a large contract via resale.(Either BCV or VGF) By large I mean around 300 points. We are hoping to maybe go on a a few 3-4 day trips a year, as we live within driving distance. For booking purposes, is this possible? Or is DVC meant more for one long trip a year? I wish there was a way to check availability without having to already be a member. That would definitely sway my decision in the amount of points I buy.
Thank you for any input!

If by check availability you mean you want to plan short notice trips, I wouldn't buy in. As long as you can plan at least 7 months and be OK with SSR/OKW you should be OK. For the rest you likely should be able to plan 11 months out most of the time. The 2 resorts you note you'll likely need to plan a full 11 months out and reserve a full 7 days then cancel down to the shorter time when you can.

 

[Spartan86]

.......reserve a full 7 days then cancel down to the shorter time when you can.

So, is that sort of a "reverse walk" of a reservation? For example, you want to stay the nights of 5,6,7 so at 7/11 months as appropriate you book 1-7 so as to get a 5 day "jump" on the booking window? And then cancel 1-4?

 

[CarolMN]

I agree with those who say that DVC is not a good choice for anyone who needs to book short notice trips. IMO, he/she will be frustrated more often than not.

Below is a link to a snapshot (from May 29, 2017) of what was available for the next 60 days. This is from the DVC Members' website, but I do not think you have to be logged in to see it. You will see that your choices are very limited at that point. It's isn't unusual to see only SSR 1 bedrooms and a scattered day or two here and there for a few of the other resorts. FWIW, the summer is easier to book than most other times of the year.

Resort Availability: Stays in the Next 60 Days

If you will routinely book less than 7 months in advance, remember that at 7 months, all points are equal. No point to spend more money to get a particular resort.

 

[Popouri DVC]

We have VGF and usually visit at least two, if not three, times a year. We ALWAYS book at 11 months out. Studios are hard to come by, especially in the fall. 300 points is about enough to get two weeks in a standard view studio or one week in a standard view one bedroom depending on the time of year you visit. You can certainly make multiple trips in the same year: not all reservations have to be full week increments, BUT you should always book before seven months out if you want to be staying at The Grand. If you can't book before seven months (ideally right at 11 months) then don't buy VGF as you will very rarely be able to stay at The Grand. Better to buy SSR and hope something else is available or if you wouldn't like to often be at SSR, then DVC is probably not a good fit for you.

 

[disneynutz]

Smaller contracts will sell better later and at a higher price.

Bill

 

[Marriedbythemouse]

We live in Tampa and this is what we do. We bought BWV so we could book Boardwalk for Food and Wine, and you have to book 11 months out for that time of year. But most of the year we can get a room a few weeks out. Depends on what you want and how you plan. The longer you have to plan the more choice you have.
We bought 200 pts and now have bought another 200 pts. We prefer 1 bedrooms so we wanted more points.
Good luck!!

 

[ldo]

1st, if you are going to be booking under 7 mths out, buy one of the cheaper resales, such as SSR, AKV, BLT, as BCV and VGF are unlikely to be available to book many times. Assuming you have some flex in your dates and can book at least 3 mths out, you will usually be able to get something--not at Christmas or a few other prime times. If you are mainly booking last minute, then no timeshare system is for you.
IMHO, I would buy a 160 point contract at above DVCs and see how it works for you. You can borrow to get 300 points for your 1st year, if needed. If after a year, you find the availability works for you, then add another contract. As PP said, the smaller contracts will be MUCH easier to sell, if you find that DVC does not work for you in a few years.

 

[supersnoop]

So, is that sort of a "reverse walk" of a reservation? For example, you want to stay the nights of 5,6,7 so at 7/11 months as appropriate you book 1-7 so as to get a 5 day "jump" on the booking window? And then cancel 1-4?

That's not a "reverse." That's pretty much the definition of walking. It's just a single-step walk.

 

[Spartan86]

That's not a "reverse." That's pretty much the definition of walking. It's just a single-step walk.

Ok thanks. I've always pictured walking as stepping a Rez forward one day at a time, but I see the technique has different iterations.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

We have points at VGF and have already been 3 times this year. Highly recommended if you can plan ahead.

 

[OKW Lover]

Been a DVC member since 1995. Before moving to FL 3 years ago, we did multiple trips each year. Some for a week, some for just a few days. Never had a problem finding a place to stay (often not our first choice though) when planning trips 30+ days out.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

My husband and I are thinking of purchasing a large contract via resale.(Either BCV or VGF) By large I mean around 300 points. We are hoping to maybe go on a a few 3-4 day trips a year, as we live within driving distance. For booking purposes, is this possible? Or is DVC meant more for one long trip a year? I wish there was a way to check availability without having to already be a member. That would definitely sway my decision in the amount of points I buy.
Thank you for any input!

Can you book multiple trips? Yes. It's a point system and you can book whatever you want that is available and that you have the points for.

Since you are looking at BCV or VGF I'd guess that those are the locations you want to stay. BCV is the most expensive 2042 resort and VGF is also one of the more expensive options for buy in and especially point requirements. If spending the top dollar for the resale then you also want to book in the home resort priority window to make those contracts worth the purchase. Otherwise, if yo are looking at short trips booked at less then seven months you would have to be flexible and you might as well buy the contract that gives the most value which is SSR. Hard to say how satisfied you be though in searching down last minute reservations. I'd likely skip the aggravation although it is possible to pick up cancellations but it can take some time searching and waiting for them to appear. And if that's the thought then don't buy BCV or VGF to use those expensive points with a plan for last minute bookings.

 

[Mrsjnt083]

I work for a school, so luckily, my calendar is pretty well set. I know what 3 or 4 day weekends we have and other breaks well in advance, as they do not change by that much. So planning in advance isn't too big of a problem. I just wanted to make sure it was feasible. Most articles I have read mention something like, DVC is great if you want to go at least once a year or every other year. I wasn't sure if it just stayed so booked up that it is hard to get more than one reservation a year, if that makes sense.
Thank you for all of the feedback, as I am just now getting seriously started at looking at contracts. I have casually looking for a few years, but we are finally in a position to buy, and resale will definitely be the way we go!

 

[Dean]

So, is that sort of a "reverse walk" of a reservation? For example, you want to stay the nights of 5,6,7 so at 7/11 months as appropriate you book 1-7 so as to get a 5 day "jump" on the booking window? And then cancel 1-4?

It is a form of walking and I feel they should make every change a cancelation and rebooking esp for this situation. But as long as it's allowed, those are the rules the members have to play under.

 

[Spartan86]

It is a form of walking and I feel they should make every change a cancelation and rebooking esp for this situation. But as long as it's allowed, those are the rules the members have to play under.

Thanks Dean

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean

Sure.

One thing to note in this situation is I assume one is looking mostly at weekends. The current spread of weekend vs weekday points is very favorably but it hasn't always been so and many, myself included, suspect the pendulum will swing back the other way at some point increasing the weekends points. Under the old points charts buying for weekends was cost prohibitive/unreasonable.