Question about renting one-time-use points through Disney

[Anthony Vito]

So, I understand you can rent up to 24 points through Disney for $19/pt. I'm trying to understand the logistics. Background: we're considering a trip with the kids the first week of February (kids are off from school 2 days that week). Right now my wife and I are still piecing together a kid-free long weekend in October by grabbing single days and waiting for more to open to try to piece together something coherent that we want. Because of that, I don't actually know how many points we're going to have yet. We just bought into CCV in April, and because it's an Oct UY, we have our 2018 points now banked and our 2019 points available. Because we bought a Guaranteed Week for December, which will first take effect for that week in December 2020, I do NOT want to borrow points from our 2020 UY, since that could screw up our GW.

Depending on what is still available in about 4 weeks when the 7-month window opens for 2/1/20 will impact which resort we end up going with. So because we don't know what's available yet, and because we don't know how many points we'll actually have until we nail down our October trip, I'm trying to have a plan right now for multiple possibilities.

Several possibilities have it that we might be anywhere from 1 to 13 points short, so renting one-time-use ("OTU") points seems to be the way to go. First, can this be done if we have points that could be borrowed, but I simply do not want to do so? In other words, do all points have to be used before renting the OTU points. Second, can this be done online or only through Member Services? If through Member Services, is there a more logical or efficient way to approach it by first booking online or booking a portion of the trip online to try to grab the dates as soon as they open?

Any input on this would be appreciated.

 

[Bing Showei]

You can buy OTUPs regardless of how many points you have available. Disney would be happy to sell them to you at any point after 7 months to secure a booking. You have to do it all on the phone. Nothing online.

Given that you're piecing together an October trip (well within 7 months), why not call up and buy OTUPs to replace 2019 points used in any of those bookings. That would free you up to grab any days that pop up online with the points you can see and book with, plus it would allow you to jump on right at 8am when the 7-month opens on your February booking as opposed to waiting for MS to open at 9am.

 

[CarolMN]

.........(snip).........
Several possibilities have it that we might be anywhere from 1 to 13 points short, so renting one-time-use ("OTU") points seems to be the way to go. First, can this be done if we have points that could be borrowed, but I simply do not want to do so? In other words, do all points have to be used before renting the OTU points. Second, can this be done online or only through Member Services? If through Member Services, is there a more logical or efficient way to approach it by first booking online or booking a portion of the trip online to try to grab the dates as soon as they open?

Any input on this would be appreciated.

Yes, you can buy OTU points even if you have the ability to borrow. (I agree that borrowing from 2020 is NOT a good idea because you want the option to keep guaranteed week).

You can only buy OTU points via a phone call with MS.

Yes, I highly recommend booking online as many nights as you can with your available points as soon as the 7 month window opens at 8 AM Eastern. THen call MS at 9 AM Eastern to complete the reservation. If you need to cancel the reservation, know that the OTU points will expire at the end of your use year, OTU points will NOT ever show up in your online account and you must call MS to reuse the OTU points for another reservation.

Good luck!

 

[crvetter]

You can buy OTUPs regardless of how many points you have available. Disney would be happy to sell them to you at any point after 7 months to secure a booking. You have to do it all on the phone. Nothing online.

Given that you're piecing together an October trip (well within 7 months), why not call up and buy OTUPs to replace 2019 points used in any of those bookings. That would free you up to grab any days that pop up online with the points you can see and book with, plus it would allow you to jump on right at 8am when the 7-month opens on your February booking as opposed to waiting for MS to open at 9am.

Wait I thought you could only buy OTUPs at the time of making a reservation? Thus if I had a reservation already using points they wouldn't let me buy any.

 

[Bing Showei]

Wait I thought you could only buy OTUPs at the time of making a reservation? Thus if I had a reservation already using points they wouldn't let me buy any.

Last time I bought them, the CM let me buy OTU points to free up a <7 month reservation (not circumventing home booking window), I don't think the room was still available (so it wasn't a cancel/new booking).

 

[TheMick424]

You can only buy OTU points via a phone call with MS.

Yes, I highly recommend booking online as many nights as you can with your available points as soon as the 7 month window opens at 8 AM Eastern. THen call MS at 9 AM Eastern to complete the reservation.

How does this work exactly? Would MS be booking the last night? I thought you would have to wait until 7 months prior to the last night to do that, but are you saying that as long as the first night is within the 7 month window, MS can extend the reservation to include the last night for which you need OTUP? I'm sorry for any confusion. I'm in a similar situation to the OP and don't know how to manage this without losing my existing reservation at my home resort when trying to "switch". I currently have a week booked at my home resort, but am debating switching to 6 nights at another resort which I would need to purchase 2 OTUP to complete that reservation. How do I best manage this?

 

[CarolMN]

How does this work exactly? Would MS be booking the last night? I thought you would have to wait until 7 months prior to the last night to do that, but are you saying that as long as the first night is within the 7 month window, MS can extend the reservation to include the last night for which you need OTUP?

Yes, as long as the first night is within the 7 month window, you can book up to a total of 7 nights. That means, for eample, that MS can extend a 6 night reservation to 7 nights. MS can combine your points with OTU points to book that last night.

I'm sorry for any confusion. I'm in a similar situation to the OP and don't know how to manage this without losing my existing reservation at my home resort when trying to "switch". I currently have a week booked at my home resort, but am debating switching to 6 nights at another resort which I would need to purchase 2 OTUP to complete that reservation. How do I best manage this?

There will still be some risk. This is what I would recommend: Use the Modify feature of the online system to modify your home resort reservation to the 5 night reservation at the resort you prefer. Do this right at 8 AM Eastern. Then at 9 AM Eastern, call MS and ask to add the 6th night by purchasing the OTUPs you need. The risk is that someone who owns at the preferred resort will book the night you need before you can call MS (although that risk is small, IMO). Obviously, do not do this if the entire 6 nights you want is not available when your 7 month window opens.

Good luck!

 

[Anthony Vito]

Given that you're piecing together an October trip (well within 7 months), why not call up and buy OTUPs to replace 2019 points used in any of those bookings. That would free you up to grab any days that pop up online with the points you can see and book with, plus it would allow you to jump on right at 8am when the 7-month opens on your February booking as opposed to waiting for MS to open at 9am.

This is super helpful and a great idea. What would happen though if I did this and ended up not needing the points? I would be able to use the OTUP on the Oct reservation and bank my unused 2019 points still, right?

Based on our Oct possibilities, we're expecting to have 163 or 164 points. The most likely reservations we're looking at for Feb are 150 (Riviera), 145 (BWV), 164 (BLT), although we'd also consider GFV or Poly at 177. If we're able to get Riviera, we'd actually not need the points. However, if not, it seems like BLT at 164 might be our most realistic best shot, and we might actually only need the one point. So if I bought some OTUPs to make sure we'd have enough, but then end up getting Riviera or BWV, we'd have points to spare. I'd be able to use the OTUPs for the Oct reservation still, right? Then I'd have extra 2019 points that could be banked for 2020?

 

[Anthony Vito]

Yes, as long as the first night is within the 7 month window, you can book up to a total of 7 nights.

So for some reason I didn't realize about the 7 nights limit - I had seen references somewhere to booking up to 30 consecutive days, so I just never noticed the 7 night limit when booking when the window opens. If we want to book 8 nights (we're planning on doing Sat - Sun), would I be able to add the 8th night the day after the window opens for the first day of the trip - i.e., looking at 2/1/20 - 2/9/20, so 7-month window opens 7/1/19 - book 2/1 - 2/8 on 7/1, then add 2/9 on 7/2? Or would I have to wait until 7/9 to add 2/9?

 

[crvetter]

would I be able to add the 8th night the day after the window opens for the first day of the trip - i.e., looking at 2/1/20 - 2/9/20, so 7-month window opens 7/1/19 - book 2/1 - 2/8 on 7/1, then add 2/9 on 7/2? Or would I have to wait until 7/9 to add 2/9?

You would add the 8th night on 7/2 in your scenario. You can just modify the reservation you would have made on 7/1 to extend the extra day.

 

[TheMick424]

Yes, as long as the first night is within the 7 month window, you can book up to a total of 7 nights. That means, for eample, that MS can extend a 6 night reservation to 7 nights. MS can combine your points with OTU points to book that last night.

There will still be some risk. This is what I would recommend: Use the Modify feature of the online system to modify your home resort reservation to the 5 night reservation at the resort you prefer. Do this right at 8 AM Eastern. Then at 9 AM Eastern, call MS and ask to add the 6th night by purchasing the OTUPs you need. The risk is that someone who owns at the preferred resort will book the night you need before you can call MS (although that risk is small, IMO). Obviously, do not do this if the entire 6 nights you want is not available when your 7 month window opens.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice! Is the risk between 8am and 9am just owners at the preferred resort, or other non-owners also trying to do the same thing as me? FWIW, this is for check-in starting the Sunday of the Princess Half in February. Seems like there is decent availability now, but I'm sure that will change as we approach 7 months.

 

[crvetter]

Thanks for the advice! Is the risk between 8am and 9am just owners at the preferred resort, or other non-owners also trying to do the same thing as me?

Its most likely the owners at the resort you are switching into. But it could be, depending on room counts, from those switching into the resort too.

For instance consider this scenario

2 Rooms open for the first 5 nights
1 Room open for the 6th night

Say you book 1 room for the first 5 nights, that leaves a room still available that can cover the 6 nights. So if someone wants 6 nights they could book it. Though in my watching of the availability it seems that usually the checkin day disappears first which makes it impossible at the 7 month mark for others to book any rooms down the line (unless they already reserved the check in day).

Hopefully that answers your questions.

 

[TheMick424]

Its most likely the owners at the resort you are switching into. But it could be, depending on room counts, from those switching into the resort too.

For instance consider this scenario

2 Rooms open for the first 5 nights
1 Room open for the 6th night

Say you book 1 room for the first 5 nights, that leaves a room still available that can cover the 6 nights. So if someone wants 6 nights they could book it. Though in my watching of the availability it seems that usually the checkin day disappears first which makes it impossible at the 7 month mark for others to book any rooms down the line (unless they already reserved the check in day).

Hopefully that answers your questions.

Thanks! I guess I'll just have to decide how much risk I'm willing to take when the time comes. I suppose there is always a waitlist for the last night too...sigh.

 

[CarolMN]

IMO, if you get the first 5 nights and the 6th is available at that time, the risk of someone else getting that 6th night before MS opens is very small. It could happen, but is most unlikely.

 

[TheMick424]

IMO, if you get the first 5 nights and the 6th is available at that time, the risk of someone else getting that 6th night before MS opens is very small. It could happen, but is most unlikely.

Your strategy worked perfectly. Thanks for the advice!