Scheduling Trips when owning Points from two properties

[Pyersin]

I'm sure this has been talked about before, but I was wonder if any DVC owners out there that own points from two or more DVC properties and can share tips on what options can be used when booking trips 11 months out.

For Example.

You own 150 Points at BWV and you own 100 points at BC, if you want to book a room 11 plus months out for BWV you will have no problem with MS with the 150 points, but if your trip at BWV requires more then 150 points and you want to use some or all of the 100 points from BC; can you still book this portion of the stay with these BC points 11 plus months out? Or do you have to wait until 6 months out to use the BC points at the BWV? I know the rules state you have to wait until 6 months out for non-home DVC properties, but what are the best ways to handle this situation.

I sure DVC'ers have learned the best way to handle this and any help/tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking about buying additional points for BC and the use year will be the same for me, however I need to understand better how difficult the planning will be with using points from two different DVC home properties and trying to use them to book one of them from a months out perspective.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Paul
______
DVC Member since 98

 

[Peter Johnson]

We have the same problem, being owners at OKW and VB. You can only use your home resort points at the 11 month window. You would have to reserve as much of your vacation as you can with your home resort points, then add on to it at the 7 month (not 6 month as you said) window using your other points.

(As an aside, the first few years we owned at VB, we were allowed to use those points at the 11 month window for OKW stays.)

When you make the 11 month portion of the ressie, ask MS how busy the time you're booking is, so that you have a feel for how easy/difficult an add-on will be.

Call each day of the add-on, right at the 7 month window, rather than waiting till the end of the whole add-on. You'll have the best chance of getting your reservation each day, since many others will be calling as their 7 or 11 month window opens.

You may also have to get on the waitlist if it's really busy. We've only been waitlisted once, and it came through, so our luck has been excellent.

Ah, for the good old days when we could book two or three months in advance, and get it every time

Hope this helps, and good luck!

 

[DisneyKidds]

We just purchased BWV (175) and VWL (150) contracts. While we will be ok in a studio for the next few years, after that we will need a 1 or 2 br which requires more points than either individual contract has. What we will do (and is common in such a case) is use banking and borrowing, with alternating trips to VWL and BWV every other year.

For example. Say this year we wanted to go to VWL in a 1 br. We would use this years VWL points and borrow next years VWL points so we have enough to cover the reservation. We wouldn't need our BWV points this year so we bank them. Next year we would stay at BWV using our banked BWV points from this year and the allotment of BWV points we get next year.

Repeat the whole process in year three, and so on. Takes a little point management but works well.

You don't really want to have to use points from 2 different location for one reservation unless you have to. You would have to either split up the reservation, making part at 11 months and part at 7 months, or transfer points between contracts and make one reservation at 7 months. You only get one transfer per year.

 

[CRobin]

The above posters are correct with their advice, with one clarification. If you own two contracts with different use years (as I do), you don't have to do a formal "transfer" under the DVC-defined rules. Just tell them when making your ressie (within the allowed booking window), how many points you want to use from contract A and contract B.

They've always figured out how to do it.

 

[Peter Johnson]

We've never had to do a formal points transfer either, and all our contracts are the same use year. We simply tell MS which points we want used, and they do it. In fact, I hadn't heard about the "transfer" requirement until this thread.

 

[Laurabearz]

How about this......

You have 150 OKW points and 150 BWV points(same use years). Can you offically transfer the 150 points into the BWV contract then book the whole 300 pts at the 11 months window for BWV???

Hmmmmmmmm

 

[DVC1996]

Originally posted by Peter Johnson
We've never had to do a formal points transfer either, and all our contracts are the same use year. We simply tell MS which points we want used, and they do it. In fact, I hadn't heard about the "transfer" requirement until this thread.

Ditto! I know how many total actual points I have left in my March 2003 use year but I don't know how many are at Vero and how many are at OKW. As you can see....I like to "borrow" pts.
I guess I need to check on this the next time I make some ressies. Although they automatically do the transfer....I think it would be wise to always keep track of what your pts balance is in each contract!

 

[DisneyKidds]

That's good to know that you don't have to make a formal transfer. Thanks.

If you do make a transfer I believe the points retain their original priority. That means, if you transfer OKW points into your BWV account you can not use those transferred OKW points to book at 11 months at BWV.

 

[Pyersin]

Thanks for all your help; I see that we have a few options. I especially like the one suggestion about banking and borrowing on one contract one year and next year on the second contract.

Thanks again all.

Paul