Questions, questions, questions....

[TXFamily]

We've been thinking about purchasing DVC for about a year now, and I think we just need a little push! We love Disney and love staying on property. We've got a couple questions (long) about DVC however:

1) How long do your banked points last? I really see us as taking a Disney vacation every other year. We already own at Hyatt High Sierra Lodge (in Lake Tahoe) and plan on using it (or exchanging) every year. I'm thinking a good option for us would be buying a minimum amount of points and then banking every other year for the following year, but I'm concerned about banking restrictions, etc.

2) I understand you buy into a "use month", but are you obligated to use that month? If not, do you have any problem exchanging for another time period? Are you guaranteed to get a reservation at your home resort?

3) Is DVC a member of any other exchanges besides Interval International? We are a member of Interval (through our Hyatt purchase) already. It seems like I've seen other properties mentioned on this board that aren't Interval.

4) What about allowing others to use your points? Is there a fee involved?

I think that is it for now. We really appreciate the input from these boards! Thanks!

 

[Lew]

1. Banked points must be used prior to the end of the use year they were banked into. If you have a May use year and bank your 2002 points into 2003, you must use them prior to May 1, 2004.

2. The month your use year begins is referred to as your "use year." You could have a February, March, May. etc use year. This is when you receive your allotment of points for that use year. They can be used anytime during that use year, banked into the following use year, or borrowed into the prior use year.

3. DVC is a member of Interval International. There are numerous other exchanges that can be made also.

4. You can allow others to use accomodations paid for by your points. There is no fee involved for this.

 

[PamOKW]

but are you obligated to use that month? If not, do you have any problem exchanging for another time period? Are you guaranteed to get a reservation at your home resort?

There are no commitments to length of stay, time of year, size of accomodations. It's much more like booking a hotel stay and then "paying" with your points. Reservations can be made 11 months from the date of check-out. Only "home resort" owners can make reservations from months 11-7. At the 7 month mark, DVC members are on equal footing for booking any and all DVC resorts. There is no guarantee that you will get exactly what you want when you want it but experience is that a satisfactory solution is usually found. You have your best chance of a "guarantee" if you book at the 11 month mark.

One nice feature is that there are many non-timeshare options. There are exchanges with many fine inns and hotels around the country that can be booked for as little as one night. There are also "adventure" programs such as safaris, bike trips, etc.

 

[Lisa P.]

We love Disney and love staying on property.
Good start for a DVC member. Banking changes your points reservation options from one year into the next. So if you could use your points for reservations between Oct '02 and Sep '03 and you bank them, they may then be used for reservations between Oct '03 and Sep '04. They may only be banked one year.

I understand you buy into a "use month", but are you obligated to use that month?
It's just the annual anniversary date on which your yearly allotment of points is added to your account and previous, unbanked points expire.

Are you guaranteed to get a reservation at your home resort?
No. But if you call to reserve during the Advance booking window (between 11 months ahead of travel and 7 months ahead of travel), you have an excellent chance of getting what you want.

It seems like I've seen other properties mentioned on this board that aren't Interval.
The other large exchange company is RCI. RCI used to be the exchange company for DVC but they switched to II. Each time their contract comes due for renewal, there is always a possibility they will choose a different exchange company. Separately, DVC has contracts with some individual hotels, B&Bs and private tour groups to offer other options to DVC members in exchange for points. These are all subject to change. Don't buy due to exchange possibilities, only buy if you would be satisfied with DVC options.

Since you are considering an every other year stay on Disney property, it may be a good fit. Possible reasons to reconsdier might be if you only planned to use the points for Christmas/Easter stays, only for long weekends and/or for frequent stays outside DVC.