New Owner Needs Bank/Borrow Wisdom

[melomouse]

I am trying to figure out if I have this right, so bear with me and help me out if you experts can..!

Just bought SSR 225 points.Have 160 bonus referral points to be used by Jan. 09 and 225 developer points to be used by January '10. 225 "real" points coming in my use year June '08. I think I have this right so far.

Okay - I am planning 2 trips - one off season August and one early December OKW. I should bank my "real" 225 UY points before Jan.'09, right?

This is where I get jammed up, because I can't plan ALL that far ahead. I also don't want to get caught up in the "addonitis" trip just because they have thrown 385 bonus points at me the first year - I want to stretch them out.

What happens on my 3rd trip, when would I have access to those "banked" points again, or do I "borrow" them if I choose to go back before June '09? Or if, after December, I don't return til August '09, do I have a total of 450 again available to me?

Sometimes it seems simple, sometimes it's clear as mud. How have you longterm owners managed to maximize thru the "baking and borrowing" feature?

Thanks so much!
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[dianeschlicht]

You will not be able to use your "bonus" points until 7 months ahead of your planned trip. Unfortunately, that puts you at risk of not getting your choice for December, since that is a very high demand time that often gets fairly heavily booked before the 7 month window.

Remember that WHEN you book a trip has nothing to do with your use year. The only thing that matters is the checkout date of your reservation. If you have a June use year, the reservations you book for trips between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 will come out of your 2008 use year. If you are not currently planning to use any of those points for trips occuring in that time period, then (and only then) should you bank those points. Since you are planning an August trip and a December trip, both in your 2008 use year, you should use those "bonus" points for the August one right now, and use your regular points RIGHT NOW to book that December trip. The December trip should be done now with regular points to assure you getting what you want at your home resort. If you are planning a trip for a resort other than your home, you will have to wait until the 7 month window to book that, and then you could actually use either points from your bonus points and/or your regular points for that. Just make sure that if you have any points left over in your June '08 use year by the time your banking window is coming up, that you bank the residual points into the next use year.

REMINDER: FOR RESERVATIONS FROM JUNE 1 THROUGH MAY 31 YOUR POINTS COME FROM YOUR '08 USE YEAR. FOR RESERVATIONS FROM JUNE 1, 2009-mAY 31, 2010, THEY WILL COME FROM YOUR '09 USE YEAR!

 

[RobDoc]

...
Just bought SSR 225 points.Have 160 bonus referral points to be used by Jan. 09 and 225 developer points to be used by January '10. 225 "real" points coming in my use year June '08. I think I have this right so far.​

I think you have a general understanding, but your terminology may be a little confused. Unless I misunderstand, most likely your 160 "bonus referral points" are actually Developer Points which must be used within a year (January,09) and only for reservations within 7 months. It sounds like you have purchased 225 points with a June Use Year - and currently have 225 points from the current (2007) Use Year and will have another 225 points on June 1, 2008. The "current" (07) points may be banked to extend their use thru 5/31/09. As of right now, you would have access of up to 935 points to use for a reservation after June 1 and within 7 months of today. (225 current points banked into 2008, 225 points from your 2008 Use Year, 225 points borrowed from your 2009 Use Year and 160 Developer Points.)

Okay - I am planning 2 trips - one off season August and one early December OKW. I should bank my "real" 225 UY points before Jan.'09, right?

If you mean August, 2008 - you can reserve that right now using the Developer Points (you are within 7 months) and can also use points from the 2007 Use Year which have been banked.

The December, 2008 trip can be reserved using banked points from 2007 and points from the 2008 Use Year (but it's too early to use the Developer Points for that trip - You'd need to wait until May to use those points in December).

This is where I get jammed up, because I can't plan ALL that far ahead. I also don't want to get caught up in the "addonitis" trip just because they have thrown 385 bonus points at me the first year - I want to stretch them out.

What happens on my 3rd trip, when would I have access to those "banked" points again, or do I "borrow" them if I choose to go back before June '09? Or if, after December, I don't return til August '09, do I have a total of 450 again available to me?

If you want to make a third reservation for a date after January, 2009 - you would not be able to use the Developer Points since they expire in Jan., 09. You can use the banked 2007 points thru 5/31/09 and the 2008 points thru that same date - unless you choose to bank them into 2009 (making them usable thru 5/31/10). You could also borrow points from your 2009 Use Year for a trip between 6/1/08 and 5/31/09.

Enjoy! ​

 

[funatdisney]

I'm new to DVC myself and I have learned an so much through this board. I do have a question: I have a June use year. too. I currently have 128 unused points from my June 2008 points. Do I need to bank these points by Jan. 31, 2009 (the 4 month window)? If I do not bank them by this date, what is the status of these points? Thanks for your help. I'm getting it, and I have already booked two vacations so far and have used my developer points. too. So no worries there.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

If you dont bank your points then they will have to be used by May 31st 2009 or you will lose them.

I'm new to DVC myself and I have learned an so much through this board. I do have a question: I have a June use year. too. I currently have 128 unused points from my June 2008 points. Do I need to bank these points by Jan. 31, 2009 (the 4 month window)? If I do not bank them by this date, what is the status of these points? Thanks for your help. I'm getting it, and I have already booked two vacations so far and have used my developer points. too. So no worries there.

 

[funatdisney]

Thank you. luvindisneyworld! I so appreciate the time it took to answer my question.

 

[melomouse]

Wow - my head is spinning - but thank you!

Diane - I understood your response,I think! - but are you saying I should make the ressie for December '08 right now at my home resort SSR just to reserve the space and them SWITCH it to OKW when I hit the 7 month window?

Webmaster Doc - I just signed last month - January - and am awaiting closing docs - so I will get my FIRST points 225 on June 1, 2008.So my total after that will be 610 points - (225+160+225)."Developer points" and "referral points" - yes.

Now... what was I saying????

 

[luvindisneyworld]

I would definetely bbok at your home resort now and then switch at the 7 month mark.December is a busy time for DVC.
If you have a June use year then you have the 07 points which would be the 225 and then you have the 160 developer points and then you will have another 225 coming on June 1.So yes you have 610 points than can be used.You already have points thats availible from 07.

Wow - my head is spinning - but thank you!

Diane - I understood your response,I think! - but are you saying I should make the ressie for December '08 right now at my home resort SSR just to reserve the space and them SWITCH it to OKW when I hit the 7 month window?

Webmaster Doc - I just signed last month - January - and am awaiting closing docs - so I will get my FIRST points 225 on June 1, 2008.So my total after that will be 610 points - (225+160+225)."Developer points" and "referral points" - yes.

Now... what was I saying????

 

[Mtnman44]

You'd better double check. If you bought direct from DVC, your June UY contract should have 225 2007 points right now, with another 225 coming this June. DVC does not sell contracts with no current UY points (not that I've heard of anyway). This is in addition to any bonus or developer points.

Wow - my head is spinning - but thank you!

Diane - I understood your response,I think! - but are you saying I should make the ressie for December '08 right now at my home resort SSR just to reserve the space and them SWITCH it to OKW when I hit the 7 month window?

Webmaster Doc - I just signed last month - January - and am awaiting closing docs - so I will get my FIRST points 225 on June 1, 2008.So my total after that will be 610 points - (225+160+225)."Developer points" and "referral points" - yes.

Now... what was I saying????

 

[melomouse]

OOOOH!!!

So I will call MS, but the website indeed shows that I already HAVE those 225 points from 07, even though I bought in January!!!!

So NOW I already HAVE the 610 total, with another 225 in June.

Okay - now by when do I have to "bank" the existing points '07? And by when for the June '08 points? And then... I don't get to use the banked ones until...?

Great! More points than I ever dreamed! And STILL stumbling..

Thank you so much for your patience!

 

[Mtnman44]

Just make sure that your 225 points that you thought were developer points are not really your 225 '07 points. I think you maybe probably have 225 '07 points and 160 developer (bonus points). You may be double counting those 225 points.

Your '07 points can be banked during the first 8 months of your use year, so thru January 31st if I'm not mistaken. however, It's my understanding that DVC ususally allows new purchasers to bank their new points, even if it's after the normal banking deadline.

Banked points go into your next use year, which begins June 1, 2008 and lasts until May 31, 2009.