SAP+ ?

[BrianLo]

I have so many questions!!



YES!!



Agree, i love that aspect. I'm not sure the benefit for WDW to do that, but i love that they do!!



So your 175 of direct gets you benefits right? (even though none are 100 or bigger, which i think is a new rule)



What kind of issues or speedbumps have you run into when booking with a bunch of small contracts.? I'm well on my way to a basket full of 25, 50 & 75 point contracts, but I'm starting to think I may need bigger ones for ease of booking, just not sure I'm seeing the issue yet (except for my wasted 4 points from VGC this year. lol)

Correct, I have direct benefits. I wasn’t super motivated to be a direct member and probably wouldn’t if it was a completely non restricted pre 2019 system. But I knew I was getting VDH and strategically picked my other two resorts accordingly. Mostly three resorts I know I’ll hold onto for a while and have very long expirations.

Incidentally I have used the benefits more than I would have expected to (dining and merch discount, sparkly Aulani Bands and a AP since I had two WDW trips in a year).


I don’t think I’ve had too many speed bumps other than I’ve sometimes had to borrow a few points to get a room with a preferred view and then downgrade. Since I can’t walk into the early December window when I booked two weeks. Also 50 pts banked/borrowed is a lot more than 25. My split stays are 4 nights at VGF, 5 RIV, 2 AK SV (hopefully) and 3 SSR, but it will be 5 SSR if I can’t switch at 7mo, which is fine.

But quite the contrary, because I have multi home resort priority in a tricky window (early December) with both RIV and VGF. I was able to roll with the punches a bit more (ie try for both a RIV duo studio and a VGF standard view), once I picked up the pieces from walkers I had my ideal trip in a hard window together, but it felt like I had two opportunities to fill in the blanks.

I will say I had an idea that one could only use their points every three years, fully banking and borrowing… but that seems prone to having wasted points if things don’t go perfectly, which they probably won’t. At least every 2 years you need to rotate an Aulani / WDW stay and that keeps things humming for me.

 

[Chili327]

I will say I had an idea that one could only use their points every three years, fully banking and borrowing… but that seems prone to having wasted points if things don’t go perfectly, which they probably won’t. At least every 2 years you need to rotate an Aulani / WDW stay and that keeps things humming for me.

Yup, I was setting it up to be enough WDW points for me to go yearly solo, or every other year with friends (in 2 studios) or to go every 3 years with friends in 2bdrms. (my VGC is set up similarly)
It seems like the reality will be to bank one year to use 2 years worth, & only borrow from 3rd year if any extra points are needed, & I'm wondering the downside of that when leftover points get too low to make a difference on the next trip, & how to deal with that, but we'll see.

I think my plan is mostly DLR every other year & WDW every other year. (or Aulani)

 

[ClaraOswald]

Wait...if you have several small (under 100pt) direct contracts that add up to 150...they don't qualify for the direct benefits??

@BrianLo are those all the same UY?

For those who do multiple split stays, are you just "live out of the suitcase" type of people? I used to be that way but these days, I completely unpack the first night and make myself at home.

 

[Sandisw]

Wait...if you have several small (under 100pt) direct contracts that add up to 150...they don't qualify for the direct benefits??

@BrianLo are those all the same UY?

For those who do multiple split stays, are you just "live out of the suitcase" type of people? I used to be that way but these days, I completely unpack the first night and make myself at home.

I pack in such a way that one side of suitcase is for resort one and one side is resort two. So, I unpack one side and put the suitcase away

I have my owners locker for the staples we’d need…toothbrushes , make up, hair dryer and straighter, etc.

So, it’s like I am fully unpacked! When I used to go with my kids, we’d pack suitcases like that so one for each stay. Before owners locked, I would even go to our dollar store and by two sets of toothbrushes, etc so I could just throw away when we left the first resort.

 

[Chili327]

Wait...if you have several small (under 100pt) direct contracts that add up to 150...they don't qualify for the direct benefits??

I thought it was a new rule that when you buy direct that any contract had to be 100minimum or it didn't count towards benefits, so three 50pt contracts wouldn't get you benefits. (of course if you already qualify nothing changes)

 

[davidhr]

For the benefits the contract size doesn’t matter. What matters is having 150 points total.

The 100 point value is the smallest contract they’ll sell to a new member, but as add-ons you’re able to buy smaller contracts that will qualify.

 

[tom1944]

Wait...if you have several small (under 100pt) direct contracts that add up to 150...they don't qualify for the direct benefits??

@BrianLo are those all the same UY?

For those who do multiple split stays, are you just "live out of the suitcase" type of people? I used to be that way but these days, I completely unpack the first night and make myself at home.

We are doing our first split stay in August and our plan is pack each carry on for one part of the stay and the under seat bag for the other.

Do wash the day before we switch rooms

 

[Chili327]

For the benefits the contract size doesn’t matter. What matters is having 150 points total.

The 100 point value is the smallest contract they’ll sell to a new member, but as add-ons you’re able to buy smaller contracts that will qualify.

Good to know.!!

 

[kmc8826]

I thought it was a new rule that when you buy direct that any contract had to be 100minimum or it didn't count towards benefits, so three 50pt contracts wouldn't get you benefits. (of course if you already qualify nothing changes)

I had a BLT resale and then over two years bought 2 40 point contracts and 2 35 points. When I bought the last small contract I was direct benefit again and it showed almost immediately. (I had been “blue card” before but had sold that contact in 2021 because I didn’t love the resort).

 

[BrianLo]

Wait...if you have several small (under 100pt) direct contracts that add up to 150...they don't qualify for the direct benefits??

@BrianLo are those all the same UY?

For those who do multiple split stays, are you just "live out of the suitcase" type of people? I used to be that way but these days, I completely unpack the first night and make myself at home.

They are, but yes you just need to add up to 150. I bought resale first so that I could add on my direct contracts in small aliquots.

I don’t think most people go resale first and then direct, I probably wouldn’t have pre-2019. I’d be all in resale.

I do just live out of my suitcase in general. But I use packing cubes and then a laundry bag, so they can just pop out and pop back in again.

I imagine split stays with little kids would be more annoying. But the trade off is also my hotels are always in the area for the parks I’m going to. Wasting time on long transport is also a time sink. Especially end of day.

 

[Chili327]

Getting back to SAP+…

BLT
CCV
Poly
VGF

Out of all 4 of them, I’ve been really focusing on CCV, but more for personal reasons as I believe BLT is the better deal/value, but since it is essentially SAP, 7 month availability should be the deciding factor. Standard view is hard to get at BLT, but not Lake view, so that should make CCV the choice if you don’t have preferences right?

 

[Sandisw]

I thought it was a new rule that when you buy direct that any contract had to be 100minimum or it didn't count towards benefits, so three 50pt contracts wouldn't get you benefits. (of course if you already qualify nothing changes)

That is only for a new buyer since they must buy 100 point minimum to start.

If you are already an owner, you can add on to a membership in smaller increments. If a current owner wants a new UY, they require the 100 point contract.

 

[Chili327]

That is only for a new buyer since they must buy 100 point minimum to start.

If you are already an owner, you can add on to a membership in smaller increments. If a current owner wants a new UY, they require the 100 point contract.

Yea, i knew about the 100pt minimum for new owners, but i thought there was something that said any new purchase that was less than 100 didn't count towards benefits. (it sounds crazy saying it now, but it's what i thought i read/heard)

 

[Sandisw]

Yea, i knew about the 100pt minimum for new owners, but i thought there was something that said any new purchase that was less than 100 didn't count towards benefits. (it sounds crazy saying it now, but it's what i thought i read/heard)

I do remember that but i think it was misinformation the person got.

 

[aammtt20]

That is only for a new buyer since they must buy 100 point minimum to start.

If you are already an owner, you can add on to a membership in smaller increments. If a current owner wants a new UY, they require the 100 point contract.

If you only own resale contracts and you wanted to make your first direct purchase, do you know if they would require the 100 pt minimum for that?

 

[Sandisw]

If you only own resale contracts and you wanted to make your first direct purchase, do you know if they would require the 100 pt minimum for that?

No, you can add on in smaller increments, depending on the minimum for the resorts.

You still need 150 for membership extras, but can work your way up to that.

CCV, RIV, VDH abd CFW are 50 point minimums even for current owners but the rest are 25

 

[ClaraOswald]

Getting back to SAP+…

BLT
CCV
Poly
VGF

Out of all 4 of them, I’ve been really focusing on CCV, but more for personal reasons as I believe BLT is the better deal/value, but since it is essentially SAP, 7 month availability should be the deciding factor. Standard view is hard to get at BLT, but not Lake view, so that should make CCV the choice if you don’t have preferences right?

If it's just for things at 7 months, does it really matter where the points are from at all then? Or am I misunderstanding?

 

[Chili327]

If it's just for things at 7 months, does it really matter where the points are from at all then? Or am I misunderstanding?

Nope it does not, which is why SSR is the better choice for SAP.
BUT… SAP+ adds the factor of a situation where you get “stuck” having to stay at your home resort, and that’s where the + comes into play.
CCV is $10-$40 per point more to purchase, but cheaper dues so the question is how badly do you NOT want to be stuck at SSR. (not saying there is anything wrong with SSR, just using the term “stuck” to explain) Which is also why a lot of people would rather just buy SSR as their SAP points.

 

[CarolMN]

If you only own resale contracts and you wanted to make your first direct purchase, do you know if they would require the 100 pt minimum for that?

No, you can add on in smaller increments, depending on the minimum for the resorts.

You still need 150 for membership extras, but can work your way up to that.

CCV, RIV, VDH abd CFW are 50 point minimums even for current owners but the rest are 25

The only exception would be if you wanted a different use year (or wanted to title the new contract differently than your current membership is titled). That would require the new contract to be a different membership and AFAIK, that means you would have to purchase the minimum nuber of points required for a new membership.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Nope it does not, which is why SSR is the better choice for SAP.
BUT… SAP+ adds the factor of a situation where you get “stuck” having to stay at your home resort, and that’s where the + comes into play.
CCV is $10-$40 per point more to purchase, but cheaper dues so the question is how badly do you NOT want to be stuck at SSR. (not saying there is anything wrong with SSR, just using the term “stuck” to explain) Which is also why a lot of people would rather just buy SSR as their SAP points.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for explaining.

Personally, I'd go with CCV over BLT, just because the grounds at WL are so nice. I haven't stayed at SSR yet. It actually looks really nice but I think the multiple bus stops seems like it could be annoying.