New Member Questions

[WDWNY]

New member, planning on booking our first dvc trip this month for Feb '17. (11months for our home resort: Poly)

Use year: September

we have 100 points for 2015, and would have to borrow 23 points from 2016.

If we realize down the line in let's say in November that we have to cancel, do we lose the points? From my understanding the points go back to their use year, so would the 100 points basically be wasted since its after the use year?


Also, if at 7 months we decide we want to change resorts, could that be done easily?
The reservation would be for presidents day weekend (and the Thursday and Tuesday after) anyone know how availability might be at 7 months?

Now if we do change resorts and end up needing less points, what happens to the extra points? Would they expire? If so, would we be able to make a new reservation for let's say January instead with the extra points so we don't lose them?

When you call do you call using your guides extension? Or do most people call and wait for someone to take their call?


Sorry for all the questions, but want to make sure I don't mess up the first time!



Thanks in advance!!

 

[disneynutz]

Points need to be available for your stay, not when you book. When you bank and borrow, you move the points to another UY. You can only bank during the first 8 months of your UY, that's why it wise to buy a UY that falls during your favorite vacation dates. Should you have to cancel, you can bank the points and not stress about dealing with the points right away.

Bill

 

[magicaldisney]

First always remember, any borrowed points can not be put back to their original UY. The borrowed 2016 points would stay as 2015 and would need to be used by the end of your 2015 UY. If you have to cancel, only the original 2015 points can be banked.

Switching at 7 months is a 50/50 kind of thing. It really depends on where you want to switch to and size/type or room. If you give us an idea of what you are thinking to switch to we could possibly give you more info.

You do not call your guide for reservations. Just call member services at 1-800-800-9800. You'll need your membership information when you call. Reservations can be made online as well, but for your first time I think you'll feel more comfortable calling member services.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[disneynutz]

A DVC guide is a salesperson, you only deal with them when you are buying. Booking online is usually better than calling MS, I only call when I have to and depending on the reason, I will either call my preferred adviser or just use the cue.

Bill

 

[magicaldisney]

Also.....Welcome to the DIS!!

 

[jerseyduke]

With a September UY, you can bank your 2015 points INTO your 2016 UY. Those points will expire on 8/31/2017. If your Feb '17 plans fall through, you have until 8/31 to use those banked points, or they are gone. (The 2016 points can still be banked)

If you borrow points, they can not be "unborrowed". Since you are talking about borrowing, and Feb of '17, I assume you are talking about borrowing points from your 2018 UY. These points can not be banked. They have been moved to another UY, and will expire at the end of that UY (in this case 8/31/17).

A feb 17 ressie is in your 2016 UY. Those are the safe points. If you cancel (more than 31 days out, so they are not holding points), and you are before your banking dead line, you can bank those points into your 2017 UY. (February is prior to your banking deadline)

If you decide at 7 months to switch (and are able to), and you use less points, you can decide which points get used first. In your case, you would want to use any borrowed or banked points first, and extra points are current UY points. That way, those can be banked into your 2017 UY.

Always use borrowed or banked points first, they expire sooner.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

As mentioned - you won't be borrowing any points. The 2016 points are in the UY that the Feb 2017 reservation will be. Sept 2016 points can be used for stays from 9/1/16 - 8/31/17. You will need to bank the 2015 points into your 2016 UY to make the reservation and that needs to be done prior to booking. If you were to cancel in your Nov example those 100 points are the ones that will need to be used prior to 8/31/17. You would then have until April 30, 2017 to be able to be banked all your 2016 points into your 2017 UY unless you had a wish to use them prior to 8/31/17.

Your timeshare sales person (guide) does not do anything more with you unless you wish to buy more. You will now work with Member Service thru calls or else you can also book online.

 

[WDWNY]

Thank you everyone! So essentially I'll be banking the 2015 points, not borrowing 2016 ones! We would be getting a studio, and don't have a view preference.
When we purchased our membership it sounded like the guide said people call him at 8am 11 months out so he can make their reservations. I must have misunderstood!

 

[Davie Business]

Welcome home!

Id suggest reading one of the UY primer threads. In general, UYs are referred to by when the points become available. Thus I agree that UY Sept '15 pts expire Sept '16 and would need to be banked to use for Feb '17 stay. Then they wouldnt expire until Sept '17 if you cancel. Also note the late cancellation policies.

 

[drusba]

Rule to follow: when determining which points will be your "current" use year and which you may need to bank or borrow, strike from your mind the day you will be making the reservation and look only to the dates you will be at WDW. A Feb 2017 trip is in your Sep 2016 use and those Sep 2016 points will be your "current" use year points, the Sep 2015 points must be banked to use for that trip, and if you need to borrow, it will be from your Sep 2017 use year. To use them when making the reservation, you need to bank those 2015 points before doing the reservation. Also, you must bank them before the end of the eighth month of your use year, which means by no later than April 30, 2016.

If you cancel a reservation 31 days or more days from date of arrival, all points go back to your account in the same status they had while sitting in the reservation: "current" use year points remain current use year points, banked points remain banked points and any borrowed points remain borrowed. If you cancel 30 days or less from date of arrival all points go into a holding account, they must be used by the end of the use year you are in at the time of cancellation, and you can make a reservation only at 60 days or less before arrival.

At 11 months (and 7 months) out, your first opportunity to reserve is online at 8 a.m. eastern. MS phone lines do not open until 9 and there are times when it is necessary to book online because something open at 8 a.m. can be gone before 9.

For the reservation you want in Feb, you are likely to find the following studios unavailable at the WDW resorts at 7 months out: AKV value or club level, BLT standard view, VGF, BWV standard and boardwalk view. You probably have a 50% chance for BCV or BLT theme park view. You will have close to a 100% chance of finding the following open: AKV standard and savanna view, BLT lake view, VWL, BWV pool/garden view,SSR, and OKW (Poly will likely still be avaialble at 7 months out for that time also).

 

[bumbershoot]

When we purchased our membership it sounded like the guide said people call him at 8am 11 months out so he can make their reservations. I must have misunderstood!

No, I'm sure he said it. I'm also sure he does NOT get those sorts of calls.

 

[WDWNY]

What is the guide exactly for then? Is it just for the sale? I've seen people post saying they've got calls because their guide left and they got a new one...

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

What is the guide exactly for then? Is it just for the sale? I've seen people post saying they've got calls because their guide left and they got a new one...

Yep, just timeshare sales people. Guide is a misnomer done by Disney to make them seem less timeshare or like you're being sold on something. It sounds nicer doesn't it? Some people may get notified by a newly assigned "guide" just in case they might ever consider adding on so they'll know who to contact.

 

[WDWNY]

Thank you! Also... is there a timeframe we can book our first trip? We purchased direct.. haven't closed yet but have had our member id #'s..

 

[drusba]

Thank you! Also... is there a timeframe we can book our first trip? We purchased direct.. haven't closed yet but have had our member id #'s..

You can reserve now as long as you do not not need to use banked or borrowed points and the trip is to take place after closing. Call your sales rep (guide) to arrange reservation.

 

[bumbershoot]

What is the guide exactly for then? Is it just for the sale? I've seen people post saying they've got calls because their guide left and they got a new one...

The guide is the person that gets commission if you ever buy direct.

Our guide left and not we have a new one. He used to call, he emailed a bit longer. Now he does neither, LOL.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You can reserve now as long as you do not not need to use banked or borrowed points and the trip is to take place after closing. Call your sales rep (guide) to arrange reservation.

I'm afraid I don't understand this.

If the OP has their membership numbers they should be calling MS to book the reservation. They also would be able to use banked or borrowed points if that is needed. Also, the Disney closing date is not important. They would be able to take a trip tomorrow should they wish.

 

[drusba]

I'm afraid I don't understand this.

If the OP has their membership numbers they should be calling MS to book the reservation. They also would be able to use banked or borrowed points if that is needed. Also, the Disney closing date is not important. They would be able to take a trip tomorrow should they wish.

Have things changed? In the past, you could make a reservation right after purchasing and anytime before closing but it could not be for a time before closing and it could not use banked or borrowed points. The reason, obviously, is that closing might not actually occur -- the buyer could back out, the buyer could die, anything else that could prevent closing, with the result that the buyer would never actually have any rights to use the timeshare.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Have things changed? In the past, you could make a reservation right after purchasing and anytime before closing but it could not be for a time before closing and it could not use banked or borrowed points. The reason, obviously, is that closing might not actually occur -- the buyer could back out, the buyer could die, anything else that could prevent closing, with the result that the buyer would never actually have any rights to use the timeshare.

I never did this but any direct purchase paperwork I received had a clause in it that if you cancelled and had already used points you would need to repay them. There never was any restriction from booking with banked and borrowed points that I was aware of or experienced and I'm referring back to 2009 on forward. But I'm not certain I ever booked with either banked or borrowed prior to closing either.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I also don't understand the reasoning that using banked or borrowed points would be any more of an issue than current? I know that others have spoke of buying DVC way back when while on a trip and turning points back over to Disney to "pay" for the trip they were on. I'd have to pull out an old contract to see if there was any verbage in there that I don't recall about this.