Owning at more than one resort question.

[palaemon]

If you have more than one home resort, I know that you have the 11 month advantage at each home resort but only for those points.

I also know that you may combine all points at the 7 month window.

My question is how is this advantageous?

General rule of thumb is:

own where you want to stay the most
book at the 11 month window

So, I wonder if "multiple home" people are:

a) booking smaller trips more than once a year (ie one for each resort owned)
b) booking a larger trip split a different resorts (ie 3 days BWV & 2 days VWL)

I have never stayed at any of the resorts, although I have toured the DVC models once at the BCV and once at SSR.

If I had to purchase right now, It'd be kinda difficult because:

BCV has SAB and is right next to EPCOT (my fave) also is always high demand (resales are highest for BCV, except AKV which is not sold out). Of all the resorts, this is the one that my DMIL & DH would enjoy. They just love the beach.

SSR was so beautiful. I love the look/feel of the grounds and rooms. We drive, so the proximity to the parks is moot. It's so cheap in resales and right now seems to be so easy to book (eg "You want to stay when? No way you'll be able to get in a room, well except SSR, they always have rooms.") They are the largest, so maybe rooms may never be as much of a problem as BCV. Also, DtD is my 2nd fave (love that Earl of Sandwich) Also low MF for now.

AKV is all the rave right now with the 100 point minimum + incentive. The rooms also seem beautiful (never toured though). It seems as though you could get a heck of a deal with beaucoup points (if you get Oct UY, that's 100 07 points that you can bank, 100 08 points, and I know there's an incentive with SSR developer points that expire in 12 months - not sure if that's available with 100 point buy in.) Not to mention the animals and the savannah.

What are your thoughts?

Palaemon

 

[Caskbill]

One reason to own two or more home resorts is to have the 11-month booking window at each.

Suppose you owned 100 points at SSR, another 100 at BCV, and another 100 at VWL.

You balance it by banking/borrowing to have 300 points at each resort every 3rd year. One year you use 300 SSR points (banked, current, borrowed). The next year you have 300 BCV points. The 3rd year you have 300 VWL points to use. Then you repeat the pattern.

 

[palaemon]

OKay, that's reasonable. I guess I could look at that on a smaller scale. 200-300 points purchased in smaller increments over time fits more with our budget.

sounds like it could get messy though. (banking & borrowing among 3 contracts)

Palaemon

Too bad your planner doesn't run on a Mac.

 

[nyck]

I bought BCV first not know how often I would use it, but I had wanted to stay over there so bad but couldn't afford it. Yacht and Beach had always been my favorite since I was a kid because I loved how it looked. And now looking back on it I am soo glad I bought 300 points there. Now I just bought SSR last Dec for 1 reason, to have more points. Personally I do not like SSR. It is too far from everything and the 1 time I did stay there it was horrible. But I had started using my points for the concierge collections in NYC and Chicago, so I was eatting up my BCV points too quick and I usually go there every 4-6 months. So I bought 200 points at SSR because it was cheaper than AKV and the resale market, I could keep my BCV points for itself and the 11 month booking window, and use SSR points for anything outside my WDW vacations. I would buy were you want to stay. I do not like waiting 7 months out and getting put on waiting lists and that sort of stuff. I want stress free vacation planning and have not regretted any of my decisions.

 

[Laneychris]

Good to know. I have been thinking about buying additional points and wasn't sure about owning at more than one resort.

 

[Kmango]

OKay, that's reasonable. I guess I could look at that on a smaller scale. 200-300 points purchased in smaller increments over time fits more with our budget.

sounds like it could get messy though. (banking & borrowing among 3 contracts)

Palaemon

Too bad your planner doesn't run on a Mac.

It can get a little messy (we have 3 resorts over 4 contracts). To keep track of it I have a pretty nifty planning spreadsheet/calculator that DOES work on a Mac. If you want it, PM me and I'll send it to you.

 

[Inkmahm]

So, I wonder if "multiple home" people are:

a) booking smaller trips more than once a year (ie one for each resort owned)
b) booking a larger trip split a different resorts (ie 3 days BWV & 2 days VWL)


Palaemon

Yes, both of those. We have split stays in Dec (one night AKV and 5 nights VWL) and next March (3 nights concierge AKV and 4 nights VWL) but then we will be on a pattern of VWL for December, AKV for spring and BWV for October. Unless we do another large family gathering and I end up pooling points for a couple years at one of the resorts (family is split between loving BWV and AKV). Or maybe I'll just split the family next time! LOL

I have a rather large excel spreadsheet that extends out about 5 or 6 years to do the planning for the points. That's one of the reasons that I finally did about a year of transition to get us to the point where we are staying at one location for each trip for 3 trips per year. Less hassle in planning!