Renting/buying extra points for large trip- how does it work?

[Kwaschitz]

I'm not sure what the right way to go on this would be or how it would work, so hopefully someone can explain it to me (in simple terms - we've only just taken our first trip home since buying our points). We have 100 points at VGF.

Several years ago, I made a promise to my nephew and my dad that we would make a large family trip. We started a savings canister in my house with all of us kicking in and we outlined how we would all add to it.

Since then, my dad passed away from cancer so I'm determined to do this for him. I counted how much is in the canister and it's getting close, especially if we use our DVC points to offset.

We would be traveling as a group of 9, hopefully for 5-7 days, most likely in dream season unless I can convince my brother and his wife to take the kids out of school and it works with my niece's college schedule so we can go in adventure season.

What would be the easiest way to get extra points? If we were to rent, would they have to be same home resort? Or would we be able to transfer them? I'm assuming that we would *not* be able to purchase enough extra points from member services. What would be the best bet? We'd really rather not borrow our next year's points as we try to go with our small family of 3 at least once a year and we wouldn't want to knock that out for one trip.

 

[disneydenisel]

The easiest way to book your home resort for extra nights/people (if you don't want to borrow your own points) would be to rent or transfer points from another DVC member with the same home resort preference. Then you can link the reservations together if you are all staying in one villa so that you wouldn't have to change villas. If you are booking separate villas, then rent points for the second villa and use your points for the first villa.

I have rented a couple of times because I ran out of points for our BCV vacations (and that was after borrowing from myself!). It has worked out great to have the reservations linked.

DVC will only let you "buy" up to 24 extra points at the 7 month window for $15/pt. So you wouldn't guarantee your home resort preference that way, even if you only needed 24 points.

 

[Kwaschitz]

Thank you Denise! Now to crunch lots of numbers to see how much $$ we need to have to get enough points to make this trip a reality!

 

[Msmithmd]

For a group of nine, I would suggest you rent points at OKW for the two bedroom. Not only is the room much larger than a two bedroom at VGF, you also benefit in that a two bedroom at OKW costs less points than a one bedroom at VGF, in every season.

Not at all to say the two resorts are equivalent; rather simply that you get more space at dramatically lower cost if you go OKW. I've stayed at both accommodations and while VGF is "nicer," the frugal side of me would likely go with OKW for the large family trip you are proposing.

I would suggest you rent for that entire reservation and use your own points for a "your small family" additional trip home to VGF next year.

 

[magicaldisney]

For a group of nine, I would suggest you rent points at OKW for the two bedroom. Not only is the room much larger than a two bedroom at VGF, you also benefit in that a two bedroom at OKW costs less points than a one bedroom at VGF, in every season.

Not at all to say the two resorts are equivalent; rather simply that you get more space at dramatically lower cost if you go OKW. I've stayed at both accommodations and while VGF is "nicer," the frugal side of me would likely go with OKW for the large family trip you are proposing.

I would suggest you rent for that entire reservation and use your own points for a "your small family" additional trip home to VGF next year.

I agree with this. Yes, VGF has a different feel to it, but is it worth the extra points you would need to come up with? OKW is a beautiful resort and if this is your nephew's first visit to WDW, it's going to be all about the parks and he won't know any different if he is at OKW instead of VGF.

 

[crisi]

I agree - I'd rent points for an OKW large group vacation - which will be affordable - and then save your points for your family. You have a small number of points - and family trips can be stressful - saving your points for "in a year we will be back for our little family" when your brother in law is complaining about the cost of food can be a vacation saver.