New banking guidelines...

[flyerron]

Is this effective now, or Jan 2008?

I have about 30 points to bank (UY FEB), so am I just SOL? I sure would liked a little warning. Actually if it's effective today, I will be pretty peeved that the rules were changed without any notification. 30 points lost!!

I've always known Disney to give notice for their policy changes. I'm sure you can bank your 30 points.

 

[Poohs Pal]

Sorry I haven't responded but our small town turned into tornado alley last night. It was so bad a curfew had to be impossed. We live in the out skirts of town so we were narrowly missed. DD was on here way home from work at the hospital and the tornado went by about a mile from her and she didn't even know . until she got home. The whole area including the rural area are with out power. We have a commercial generator and it has been running since 6pm last night. Ok back to what I posted. My understanding is you will have 8 months to book 100%(it will no longer be broken down) of your points and after that if not banked they will be lost.......... I just added on with AKV and have a Feb. use year and was told that for this my banking of these points will be extended until October which is my closing. Susan

 

[Enna]

We got a copy of the Vacation Magic magazine in our contract package. The new banking guidelines to use or book the points by 4 months before the end of the use year is published.

There's also information about the new booking category near the HH at OKW.

My least favorite change is that starting 1/08 there will be a $95 transfer fee to use points at ANY non-DVC resort other than the hotels at DisneyLand. One of the reasons we were considering DVC was to book our choice of hotel rooms as a pre or post-cruise stay using points. It makes the whole DVC package less appealing if I'd need to pay $95 for each of those nights.

 

[IndianaMouseLover]

The "Old" banking rules were not that difficult to understand if you are using Caskbill's Tracker program. It tells you the banking guidelines based on the use year you have entered.

 

[johde]

As others have said, Disney is normally good about giving notice before changing policies. It would surprise me if the policy comes into effect starting January 1 for your 2008 use year. In other words, 2007 use year would be old rules, 2008 use year would be new rules. As far as the change, right now, It doesn't make much difference to me.

 

[jarestel]

A gain of 2 months in which to bank 100% of our points versus a loss of 2 months of ability to bank 25% sounds like a reasonable compromise. It's difficult to please everyone in every circumstance, but I suspect the majority of members will be happy with this.

 

[flyerron]

A gain of 2 months in which to bank 100% of our points versus a loss of 2 months of ability to bank 25% sounds like a reasonable compromise. It's difficult to please everyone in every circumstance, but I suspect the majority of members will be happy with this.

If this is true, it makes sense. Actually this system should work better for disney & us.

 

[casper]

I'm not sure if I will like this new plan or not. But like with all things new, it takes some getting use to. I have a Dec use year and one of my trips is in Nov. Now I guess I will have to be really sure I'm going 4 months out. Or else it is time to start using the trip insurance more often. But if this is their new policy, well, it is what it is. I guess I will have to adapt.

 

[Lady V]

I like the change...much easier to remember...

 

[flyerron]

This brings the banking process in line with most other timeshare programs that have been around for a much longer time than DVC. I have 2 others that require 6 or more months out for banking & in fact the ressies must be made 6 months prior to the trip. So all in all this is still a better program.

 

[jodifla]

We got a copy of the Vacation Magic magazine in our contract package. The new banking guidelines to use or book the points by 4 months before the end of the use year is published.

There's also information about the new booking category near the HH at OKW.

My least favorite change is that starting 1/08 there will be a $95 transfer fee to use points at ANY non-DVC resort other than the hotels at DisneyLand. One of the reasons we were considering DVC was to book our choice of hotel rooms as a pre or post-cruise stay using points. It makes the whole DVC package less appealing if I'd need to pay $95 for each of those nights.

I can work with the banking guidelines...but the $95 for everything other than DVC is TERRIBLE!

That's not what I bought, and makes the whole program way more restrictive, IMO.

 

[cobbler]

Seems like UY will become a little less important. I have a June UY so I would have to decide by November 30th if I needed to bank all my points or not, now if I have until the end of January, it would give me a little more flexibility.

However, if I have to decide by the end of September, that will really put me in a pinch.

ETA:
I find it weird that they will waive the fee for DL hotels but not WDW hotels. Maybe it is because occupancy is up at WDW and they would rather have cash guests then DVC guests in the rooms. Because most will book a regular room than a DVC room -cheaper.

Not a big fan of that implimentation but oh well.

 

[flyerron]

I can see your point, however the use of DVC points was & is still best for the DVC properties. The other uses make the point system very expensive. The purchase of DVC points really should be based with the idea of using the DVC properties.

 

[Dean]

I doubt the fee will apply to WDW non DVC resorts and would anticipate that it applies only to what is now either $75 or $95 and it all would become $95.

 

[javamom]

It makes the whole DVC package less appealing if I'd need to pay $95 for each of those nights.

Is it per night? I thought it would be per ressie, like a booking fee??

 

[goalie5hole]

I still say all points should be good for two years no matter what you do with them. IMHO

 

[yitbos96bb]

I'll be interested in seeing poster reaction to this. If true, I wouldn't particularly care for this change at all. The 100%, 50%, 25% windows aren't really difficult to understand. Moreover, an all or nothing 8-month window would add an addtional planning complication for switching resorts at the 7-month window.

Agreed... Now a 10 month 100% window... THAT I can support fully.

 

[squirrlygirl]

If I don't book a vacation or bank my points by 4 months before the end of my UY, I just lose my points? They don't get to stay in my account until the end of the UY and then expire?

 

[drusba]

If I don't book a vacation or bank my points by 4 months before the end of my UY, I just lose my points? They don't get to stay in my account until the end of the UY and then expire?

The points would still be good for use until the end of the use year and you can call to book in the last four months for any part of that four months subject to availability.

 

[squirrlygirl]

The points would still be good for use until the end of the use year and you can call to book in the last four months for any part of that four months subject to availability.

Then why does the rule say to "book or bank by four before" instead of just "bank by four before"? I couldn't read the whole thing (on another thread there's a picture of the page talking about the pages, and by golly I'd post a link if I knew how ) but I thought it said you could still travel in the last 4 months, but you had to book the trip before then.