New to DVC - How to add on?

[Ratpack]

We just bought last month at AKV and we have enough points for now, but with all the talk of adding on, I was curious to how this process works.

Thanks!

 

[Chuck S]

You call your guide and tell him/her you want an add on. They have to be at least 25 points, 50 points if you want to finance.

Legally, they will be separate contracts that can be sold separately in the future, if the need arises. But for all practical purposes, if you buy the same resort (as an add-on through Disney will be the same use year) it will be treated as one contract for booking, banking, etc. If you buy a different resort, it will still be the same use year, but you will only have the 11 month priority booking window for the points you own at each resort.

 

[LisaS]

When you purchase an add-on, Disney gives you points for the current Use Year. So let's say you purchased an add-on today (Aug 7, 2007). If you have a UY of August or earlier, your add-on would start with your 2007 Use Year points. If you had a Use Year of September or later, your add-on would start with your 2006 Use Year points *** for resorts other than AKV which does not have 2006 points (thanks, CarolAnnC for catching this!!! ***). Disney has been allowing people to bank that first allotment of points even if they are past all banking deadlines. So if you are contemplating an add-on and you are near the end of your UY, you definitely want to purchase before the end of your UY rather than a few days into the next UY.

Dues on an add-on are pro-rated from the day your points are placed into your account (usually within 24 hours of making your payment) but you will not be billed until closing, which takes several weeks. So for example if you purchased an add-on on Sep 30th and got the points on Oct 1st, you would (eventually) be billed for 91 days worth of dues for the current calendar year. You would be billed again in January for the full annual dues for next year.

 

[JBCP]

Thanks for the clear and detailed info, Lisa! (You always have good info for us newbies.)

You got me thinking, though...

I have a Sep UY. So if I were to follow your advice, it would make sense for me to add-on (if I were to do it direct through Disney), right now.

I'm currently an owner at AKV, but we were thinking we might want to get something at one of the Epcot resorts. If, say, BCV was available for my UY, and I bought 50 points, it would sorta kinda be like I was getting developer points. Because I'd get 50 2006 points immediately, then 50 on 9/1 for 2007.

If indeed they would allow me to bank those 2006 points, would I be able to swap those in for some 2007 points I am already using for a ressie in Feb?

Thanks!
Julie

 

[LisaS]

I have a Sep UY. So if I were to follow your advice, it would make sense for me to add-on (if I were to do it direct through Disney), right now.

I'm currently an owner at AKV, but we were thinking we might want to get something at one of the Epcot resorts. If, say, BCV was available for my UY, and I bought 50 points, it would sorta kinda be like I was getting developer points. Because I'd get 50 2006 points immediately, then 50 on 9/1 for 2007.

Yes! It's a good deal, especially since MS has been letting people bank the points even very late in the Use Year. Just be sure you confirm with your guide that you will get the 2006 points because I've heard of at least one case where someone added on late in their UY and were told there were no current UY points left.

If indeed they would allow me to bank those 2006 points, would I be able to swap those in for some 2007 points I am already using for a ressie in Feb?

I have no experience with point swapping so I hope someone more experienced will jump in here to explain your options, but I think the answer is "it depends". If the original reservation is at AKV and was made in the home resort booking window (prior to the 7-month window) then I believe you cannot swap the points -- you have to book a new reservation (subject to availability) with the new points and then cancel the original reservation. If the original reservation was made 7 months or less in advance at AKV or any other resort (in other words, you did not use your priority booking window to make the reservation), then the answer is "maybe". I've read posts where people claim that MS swapped the points and others where people say they had to cancel and rebook. So it may be one of those things that comes down to which MS CM you get. If there is still availability for those dates, then no problem -- just book the new reservation with the newly banked points and then cancel the original reservation.

 

[JBCP]

Thanks, Lisa. I did book in the 7-month window because I used developer points for about 2/3 of the ressie.

I'll check it out!

Of course now I'm thinking, hmmm... maybe I should get SSR instead and get what feels like TRIPLE dev points.

 

[CarolAnnC]

If you are adding onto your AKV points, there won't be 2006 use year points from the developer as AKV did not exist then. This may be the case though with SSR add ons only, your guide will be able to give you correct information as applicable to your needs.

 

[LisaS]

If you are adding onto your AKV points, there won't be 2006 use year points from the developer as AKV did not exist then. This may be the case though with SSR add ons only, your guide will be able to give you correct information as applicable to your needs.

Thanks for posting this important info!! I just updated my post, since I neglected to mention that there are no 2006 points at AKV.