Question about multiple contracts

[fixerupper]

Ok this is something I am trying to wrap my head around still. For those of you who have several small contracts (especially the ones less than 100!) at different resorts, how do you use them? If you can't combine the points til 7 months, you really lose out of the 11 month advantage. Am I making sense?

Do you take several short trips? Alternate where you are staying? Book at 7 months and hope for the best?

I was looking at getting 250-280 points, but thinking about doing it in two contracts -
*Make it easier to afford one at a time
*Opportunity to have advantage at two resorts
*Possibly buy 100 direct
*easier to downsize if we want/need to

But if I buy at two resorts, then I am cutting down the points I have to use at one time.

 

[Great3]

I would use the two home resorts contract separately, not try to combine points. Bank and borrow to make one long reservation at each home resort. If you have 125 points contract, with banking and borrowing, you have 375 points to book at your home resort, which is usually enough for most reservations. Alternative the years which home resort you are booking. That way you can take advantage of the 11 months booking window for both home resorts.

Hope that makes sense.

Great3

 

[MICKIMINI]

"*Make it easier to afford one at a time
*Opportunity to have advantage at two resorts
*Possibly buy 100 direct
*easier to downsize if we want/need to"

Those are all valid points...perhaps buy an uneven amount meaning more at the resort you will most likely stay at. Split stay are also a great way to go if you strategize, for instance, stay Sunday through Friday in the more expensive resort OR in a larger villa and save weekends for the cheaper resort in a smaller villa. For us it might mean Friday and Saturday in a studio and then move a 1 BR for Sunday through the rest of the trip. It is nice to change it up a bit but always stay in the better digs on the tail end of the trip!

 

[Sandisw]

You are right that you can only use each resorts points at 11 months. So, the less that you have, the more creative you need to be,

As mentioned, one way is to book a split stay at 11 months at each home resort, Then at 7 months, try to change so you have a complete stay at one resort,

The other option is to use the every other year model and simple book using one contract one year, and the other one the next. This requires you to use banking and borrowing,

I love split stays and almost always stay a few nights in the MK area, and then a few nights in the Epcot area, Gives me easy access to 3 of the 4 parks. When we visit AK, we always use Lyft to take us there in the morning. To visit DS, we do the same thing and use Lyft.

There are definitely benefits of having different home resorts.

 

[stuartsong]

It will be easier to bank and borrow to use the home priority rather than waiting at 7 month to complete the reservation. Having two different home resorts give you flexibility on where to stay, but it can be a hassle if you are not on top of your points.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We take shorter trips now, but we do have one really small contract that is the same resort as our largest one. Just a different UY, so we either have to transfer the points or book separate nights.

 

[aokeefe]

We alternate trips using points from one contract (so we can have a combo if needed of banked, current and borrowed) At the 7 month mark, if we are changing resorts we may combine points (if there are any banked or current) so we are assured we don't lose any points. We have the same UY for both contracts.

 

[fgaini]

Two or more contracts give you flexibility.
Try to have the same Use Year as it makes things much easier whan you want to combine points for a 7 month reservation.