Poly at 7 months in dec?

[3 DD love princesses]

so hoping this is the right place to post. If not please let me know where I should post it.

Would like to do a two week trip next dec 7-21, 2016. I should have 320 points and can book home resort at blt from the 7-17. What are the chances of being able to get poly for 5 nights for the beg or end and blt the rest of stay? Need a one bed at blt and studio at poly. Just trying to see what the best way is to try to get reservations without borrowing points but guarantee we have a monorail room for our stay. Thanks

 

[drusba]

Poly has not yet established clear patterns for last quarter of the year including Dec but be aware you are talking about a high DVC demand time of the year (that second week of Dec is in the top three highest demand weeks of the year). Typically, studios at VGF, BLT, BCV, BWV, and VWL have been gone before 7 months out for that second week in years past and even AKV and OKW may have a day or two missing. Third week is somewhat better, but even then near park resorts may be missing some nights and five nights in a row can be difficult. Poly has the risk of following the same pattern as the other near park resorts but if chances exist for five nights it would more likely be at the end of your trip not beginning.

Also be aware that BLT standard, if you are considering that, has a risk of disappearing even before 11 months out for that second week of December and other views may not survive long past the 11 month window so you best be prepared to do your BLT booking at exactly 11 months out. The method I would likely employ, assuming rooms are available, is to book online BLT for 7 nights, Dec 7-14, at 11 months out on January 7, then before Jan 14 call and add the nights of Dec 14 and 15 to that initial reservation so its period become Dec 7-16. Then on Jan 16, I would do a new BLT reservation for five nights, Dec 16 to 21, and do NOT link that reservation to the first one before 7 months out. That way when you switch, you can cancel just the Dec 16 to 21 reservation to change to Poly and can do the cancellation and new order online at 8 a.m. If you were to link the two reservations before making that change, you could not make the swiotch to Poly until you call MS and unlink the BLT reservations. Moreover, if you were to set up one long reservation from Dec 7 to 21 at BLT, you could also not make the change of the last five nights to Poly without calling MS, meaning you lose the one hour reservation advantge that you get by doing it online.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Book your home resort at 11 months out and see what you can get at seven months out.

 

[disneynutz]

DVD has only released 1/3 of the studios for DVC bookings as of today, that will have a major impact.

Bill

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Thanks everyone. Would you recommend just making two reservations for as many nights as I can with my points and then at 7 mo trying to switch resorts to gain a couple extra nights or should I borrow points to just make the reservation for two weeks?

 

[Missyrose]

Thanks everyone. Would you recommend just making two reservations for as many nights as I can with my points and then at 7 mo trying to switch resorts to gain a couple extra nights or should I borrow points to just make the reservation for two weeks?

Just be aware that borrowing is a final transaction, you can't put those points back once you've borrowed them.

 

[ziravan]

For this Dec, Poly was booking up at 8am most days at the 7 mo. mark. If you want to book Poly at 7 mos in Dec, I'd plan to walk that reservation.

 

[DenLo]

DVD has only released 1/3 of the studios for DVC bookings as of today, that will have a major impact.

Bill

It is true that DVD declared a specific number of studios and bungalows. However, DVC could have all of the DVC availability be studios or list a few bungalows and the rest studios or the other way around more bungalows. It strictly based on the total points and what DVC decides what will be the demand for DVC and for cash rentals. If DVC thinks it will make more money renting the most of the bungalows for cash, they will do that. As long as the total number of points used match those in the declaration. 40% of the total points were declared and that is the amount of points that can be booked.

But between now and December 2016 DVD could do another declaration for the Poly and even more rooms will be come available.

 

[disney54us]

Don't know what next year will bring, but I booked the bungalow using my Poly banked 14 points and 2015 points for a split stay early December. For the third night I was less than 20 points short. At the 7 month mark there was no availability, I'm waitlisted. December is a popular time for members, I wouldn't chance the 7 month mark.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Thanks to all. Sounds like if we want a reservation best to do it at our home resort. Does anyone know how fast standard 1 bed at blt reservations go?

 

[skier_pete]

In December, I would never count on availability anywhere outside of my home resort. except maybe OKW and SSR at 7-months. One bedrooms are slightly easier than studios, but you are talking the single most popular two week period of the year. I would expect the Poly to be unavailable at 7-months or at best to be swooped up at 8:01 AM at 7-months. (The Poly is somewhat unpredictable because it is in the process of being sold/declared.) Therefore, unless you have enough extra points, you would have to first cancel your existing BLT reservation to free up the points to get the room at the Poly. The risk being that someone might swoop in and get your cancelled room, while your expected Poly rooms disappears from beneath your feet.

However, the risk would be somewhat mitigated at the end of your trip. Once you hit December 15th, the point requirements go up on that date, and that week (15th to around the 22nd) is the LEAST popular of the Christmas holiday times.

So - If I were in your shoes, I would book my dates for BLT in January. Then as May 15th approaches, I would monitor the Poly availability closely. If it looks like there is availability for your dates beyond 8:01 AM - call MS at 9 AM and have them switch you to the Poly. (I wouldn't risk cancelling and rebooking on-line at 8 AM - again you could end up with nothing, which would totally suck.)

 

[skier_pete]

Thanks to all. Sounds like if we want a reservation best to do it at our home resort. Does anyone know how fast standard 1 bed at blt reservations go?

IDK about 1-bedrooms - but the standard studios are snatched up very quickly the day of. With 1-bedrooms - you should be fine if you book right at 8 AM on your 11-month mark on January 7th.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

thanks. another question is how does transfering points work if I could find someone to transfer me points who has poly as a home resort? If I have done the math correctly I could use 318 of my blt points to book dec 10-21 and then rent or transfer poly points for 7-10 at 51 points. I have a Feb. use year not sure if that makes a difference. or if I could trade someone with poly 152 how could that work if I did find someone? would I be able to receive poly points by Jan and then come Feb I could transfer that person my blt points for 2016?

 

[skier_pete]

Just my opinion - not an expert: Finding Trade partners for points is tricky. For one, you are only allowed one transfer per UY, so you need to find someone willing to sell you the exact # of points you want. (You can't really do a swap because you are only allowed ONE transfer - that's either in or out of your account, so swapping points would require TWO transfers.)

If you want to do something like this - you might be better off trying to rent the 51 points from a Poly owner, either on the rent/trade boards, or you could use a DVC rental service.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Just my opinion - not an expert: Finding Trade partners for points is tricky. For one, you are only allowed one transfer per UY, so you need to find someone willing to sell you the exact # of points you want. (You can't really do a swap because you are only allowed ONE transfer - that's either in or out of your account, so swapping points would require TWO transfers.)

If you want to do something like this - you might be better off trying to rent the 51 points from a Poly owner, either on the rent/trade boards, or you could use a DVC rental service.

thanks. started looking at the cost of just booking a room at por for those couple days to help decrease the extra cost.