Points? Already?!

[Entropy]

Hi Boys and Girls,
We just joined DVC a few weeks ago and today our PINs came in the mail. I went online and poked around until I got to the points screen. I was surprised to see that we have 150 points currently available from 2005. Our year begins on 12/1. They don't seem to be available for banking so I was thinking of trying to use them before 12/1 by taking a quick trip to Disneyland (we live in CA). According to a note on the main DVC page, the 60 day blackout is lifted for trips to the Disney Collection so it looks like I can use these points before 12/1. We haven't even closed yet so I'm thinking that this is too good to be true.
Is this for real? Are these real points or some sort of computer glitch? If so, hellooooooo Grand Californian!

Thanks,
Mickey M

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

Mickey,
This sounds like you have points that will expire on 11/30/2006. Unless you have a trip planned where you can use those points between now and then, you need to call and find out about banking those points so you can use them next year ASAP. I know you are way past the banking deadlines, but because you just purchased the contract, they will make an exception and allow you to bank them. I have heard that this usually happens when people are buying points now with use years that have not started yet. Their contracts come with 2005 points which is a nice bonus.

Welcome Home!

 

[CarolMN]

But if you want to go to Disneyland and stay at one of the Dl Resorts, you can do that, too. IMHO, the DL resorts are a pretty good deal on points right now -especially for you, since you live in CA and don't have to travel as far as some of us to get there!

I'm sure the points are "real" and since you bought from Disney, you can use them to make reservations right away - even if you haven't closed yet. (You might have to wait until after closing to actually take the trip - I'm not sure, but MS will know when you call to make the reservation).

Let me clarify the 60 day rule for you. Even if hadn't been suspended for the DL resorts, you could still go to DL and stay there during the last 60 days of your use year. You just have to actually make the reservation before the last 60 days of your use year.

So since you have a December use year, you just need to make your non-DVC reservation prior to the end of September - plenty of time left to plan a trip to DL or any other non-DVC destination in the Disney, Adventurer's or Conceirge Collection. The only glitch might be availability at the destination resort.

Anyway, since the 60 day rule has been suspended for the DL resorts, you don't have to worry about making the reservation before the end of September. All you have to worry about is availability -I hear the DL resorts are popular in the fall, too!

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME HOME!

 

[Inkmahm]

Hi Boys and Girls,
We just joined DVC a few weeks ago and today our PINs came in the mail. I went online and poked around until I got to the points screen. I was surprised to see that we have 150 points currently available from 2005. Our year begins on 12/1. They don't seem to be available for banking so I was thinking of trying to use them before 12/1 by taking a quick trip to Disneyland (we live in CA). According to a note on the main DVC page, the 60 day blackout is lifted for trips to the Disney Collection so it looks like I can use these points before 12/1. We haven't even closed yet so I'm thinking that this is too good to be true.
Is this for real? Are these real points or some sort of computer glitch? If so, hellooooooo Grand Californian!

Thanks,
Mickey M

You should be able to bank those points- check with MS. They waive the banking timeframes for new purchases.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Welcome to another CA DVCer! I went to high school just up the road from you in Hayward, but that was a long time ago!

We bought points from Disney last year and were able to bank more than the rules would have otherwise allowed us to when we first bought. Like you, we thought we would burn them at DL if we couldn't bank them, but because we tend to go to WDW for longer stays, banking was the better option for us. Also, we can often get deals at DL hotels or we just stay within walking distance off-property when we can't.

With banking, our first DVC trip we used almost 2 full years of points to splurge on 10 nights BW view 1BR for the 2 of us. Perfect!

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[MAGICFOR2]

hellooooooo Grand Californian!

We just stayed at GC with our 2005 bonus points - joined Jan 2006!!
It was great! We loved the back entrance to CA, and the pool was a nice break from the August heat! We had a standard room and even had robes in the room! Our DGS thought the best thing was watching the monorail come through the center of the courtyard We didn't spend the extra points for a park view. We banked the extra for AKL next year for an extra two days for my DH and I. Welcome Home!

 

[paults]

 

[tkd lisa]

And once you book any trip, they automatically bank the remainder of the 2005 points. That one caught me by surprise.

I bought the end of August, and called MS to book a room at AKL on points for our December surprise trip. Then when i got back from our Labor Day trip, I called MS to book our Food and Wine Festival trip, and was shocked when she said "I assume you want to borrow from your 2006 points?" I said "I thought I had plenty of 2005 points left, I've only used 33 of them." She went off to check and told me that once I booked, they automatically banked the remaining 2005 points into 2006, and so I would be borrowing from the banked points. Seemed weird to me, but I still have the same amount of points so I was okay with it.