Ready to buy, a few last questions...

[jennz]

Hello!

I think we're ready to buy into DVC, but have a few last questions...we go to WDW and stay onsite about once/year and love staying on-property. I don't see us going twice/year though (although that might change!). We are interested in DVC also because of the opportunity to stay in other places. We love Hilton Head and beach areas, but Vero would be too far for a "second" trip.

Okay - my questions are:

Is it easy to switch resorts - for HH in early/late summer or a non-Disney resort in general?

Do the DVC properties tend to sell out (have no rooms left)?

Our use year would begin 6/1. I'm a little confused on the banking points issue.... From what I gathered, if it's 10 months out and you haven't banked your points you lose them. Is that correct or am I missing something?

Thanks for your help! All comments are appreciated!

 

[RobDoc]

Many have had great success making non-home reservations within 7 months. There are times of the year (and room types) that do tend to be more difficult to find a few months before (all GV's are tough most of the year, BWV standard and BW view rooms and HH during the summer months), but with the waitlist, some flexibility and a little patience, most dates can be secured.

Members have 6 months to bank up to 100% of their points. The bankong deadlines are cumulative, meaning that if you have already banked 50% of your points, no more may be banked after the 100% deadline. No points may be banked during the last 2 months of your Use Year. These must be used or they will be lost. A little planning will keep that from happening. If there is any doubt, bank your points within the first deadline. If you later find that you do want to make a reservation within that Use Year, you can still borrow points from the next Use Year.

With a June Use Year, you have until November 30 to bank up to 100% of your points, until February 28 to bank up to 50% and until March 31 to bank up to 25%. As already noted, these totals are cumulative. If you own 200 points and banked 100 on November 30, no more may be banked for the year since the 50% threshhold is already reached.

Enjoy!

 

[jennz]

Thanks! That explanation is extremely helpful! One clarification though...what is a GV?

 

[RobDoc]

GV= Grand Villa found at OKW, BWV, SSR, HH and VB (but called Beach Cottage).

Enjoy!

 

[FamilyGuy]

Members have 6 months to bank up to 100% of their points. The bankong deadlines are cumulative, meaning that if you have already banked 50% of your points, no more may be banked after the 100% deadline. No points may be banked during the last 2 months of your Use Year. These must be used or they will be lost. A little planning will keep that from happening. If there is any doubt, bank your points within the first deadline. If you later find that you do want to make a reservation within that Use Year, you can still borrow points from the next Use Year.

With a June Use Year, you have until November 30 to bank up to 100% of your points, until February 28 to bank up to 50% and until March 31 to bank up to 25%. As already noted, these totals are cumulative. If you own 200 points and banked 100 on November 30, no more may be banked for the year since the 50% threshhold is already reached.

Enjoy!

Being new to DVC myself, I understand how the policy works, but still am trying to understand why it was instituted? I guess it simply is there to encourage members to make plans with their points earlier in their use year. Is this correct? What other reasons, if any, are there for this policy to be in place? And has this policy been in place since the beginning?

Thanks in advance for the info....

 

[RobDoc]

Yes, the banking policy has been in effect since the beginning. I have not ever seen any "official" explanation for most of the components of the DVC contract (POS), but I think it was instituted so that DVC has a feel for the number of points active within the system at any given time. With banking and borrowing options, it's possible that the system could be overwhelmed if all members banked this years points and then wanted to make a reservation for next year borrowing points from the following year. In that case, there would be lots of very disappointed members.

DVC can suspend banking and borrowing at any time (although it's never happened) and these deadlines help as a planning tool. Most timeshares have no mechanism to allow such options - since each member owns a specific, full week each year. They have no practical means to bank that week into another year. Points based timeshares like DVC offer much flexibility, but also require some measure of control to allow the system to remain in balance.

 

[FamilyGuy]

thanks for the additional info and explanation doc.