"Sleep-Around Points" (SAP) - The Thread

[emchen]

I've seen this phrase used a handful of times in my short time on this forum but no official thread on it...despite searching the forums. I'll just humbly submit my personal definition:

Points at a DVC resort that are low cost both on a dollar per point ($/pt) basis and maintenance fee per point (MF/pt) basis. These are more important for those of us who require (>4 family members) or simply prefer to book 1-BR+ villas. Why? Because there is still hope in "sleeping-around" in all the other DVC properties at the 7-month booking window.

How would you define it?

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How do you use your SAP?

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Sure is satisfying when...

My family: Me (51), DW (48), DD1 (18), DD2 (16), DD3 (14).
Dates: 7/2/23-7/15/23.
DVC Resorts: 3 nights 7/2-7/5 Riviera SV 1BR (108 EUP-Exclusive Use Points); 4 nights 7/5-7/9 BCV SV 1BR (146 SSR SAP); 7/11-7/12 for MM at AKV, 1 night SV PVB (20 SSR SAP); 7/14-7/15 1 night BLT SV 1BR pixie dusted to 2BR LV (39 AUL SUBSIDIZED SAP).
Non-DVC Resort: 5 nights 7/9 - 7/14 at J.W. Marriott Bonnet Creek (for DD2's dance convention/competition).

Summary: 108 EUP @ Riviera, 166 SAP from SSR, 39 SAP from AUL
Ratio (SAP:EUP): 2:1

TELL US ONE OF YOUR SAP HEAVY TRIPS!

 

[Cyberc1978]

To me sleep around points is points frequently used at other resorts than home resort.

In practice SSR points are commonly used as “sleep around” points because of the low buyin and the low dues. BLT is/was also used but with the current buyin price most new owners don’t do it anymore.

Switching at 7 month for sleeping around is currently mostly done January-September for studios etc outside that time for 1br’ as studios is not available unless you are lucky to piece together a reservation.

 

[GGGT]

We have points at 4 properties.

Three of the four we usually use for the 11 month window at VGF, PVB, and VWL (BRV). We also have a bunch of SSR points we use as you phrase it: "Sleep around points". We book any and everywhere with these, including SSR.

 

[Cyberc1978]

We uses our SSR and BLT points for sleeping around. Our AKV and BWV points are strictly for value, club level and standard rooms.

So far we have had a 100% luck booking those rooms, should our luck run out we will use our sleep around points and then switch.

Our upcoming VGF points (hopefully it passes ROFR) will also be strictly for VGF.

 

[Sandisw]

I look at the 500 points I own at SSR as my sleep around points. I use them to get a room and then hope to transfer elsewhere at 7 months. My BWV points are used for Food and Wine, Flower and Garden, and for trips that I know others are coming with me.

So I guess I define them as ones I can use to secure a room at 11 months, but ones that will be used to change out at 7 months if I can. Been very lucky so for in 2 years to have been able to do this for my times of travel!!!

 

[emchen]

We uses our SSR and BLT points for sleeping around. Our AKV and BWV points are strictly for value, club level and standard rooms.

So far we have had a 100% luck booking those rooms, should our luck run out we will use our sleep around points and then switch.

Our upcoming VGF points (hopefully it passes ROFR) will also be strictly for VGF.

Haha! We have upcoming VGC points that will also be strictly for VGC.

I think SSR is the obvious best choice (for quite some time through 2019) for members to use as sleep-around points. What are peoples candidate for second best?

I like Aulani even though maintenance fees (MF) are high, the buy-in is among the lowest. Added value is that I live in California so trip to Hawaii is equivalent to flying to FL. If a subsidized MF contract can be found, then it is a no-brainer number-1 for me. Speaking of which, just saw my first subsidy (100pts June UY) on Fidelity that was in "sale pending" status. I asked the broker if I could entice seller to take $1000 more... no go, contract was "very close to completion". I learned today that it would be possible for either party to rescind if < 10 days of signing contract.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

While I don't consider my BLT points as sleep around points, I have slept around quite a bit in my 10 years of owning. We've always booked at BLT at 11 months, but have had success at switching out to GFV, CCV, POLY, & BCV. We also booked two trips to Aulani. My BWV points have only been used to stay there durning F&W and F&G.

Looking back I think I could have bought SSR points and probably ended up with almost the exact same stays....but going forward it seems like switching at 7 months will be tougher and tougher. I think depending on when someone visits the buy where you want to stay motto is even more prevalent than before.

 

[emchen]

I look at the 500 points I own at SSR as my sleep around points. I use them to get a room and then hope to transfer elsewhere at 7 months. My BWV points are used for Food and Wine, Flower and Garden, and for trips that I know others are coming with me.

So I guess I define them as ones I can use to secure a room at 11 months, but ones that will be used to change out at 7 months if I can. Been very lucky so for in 2 years to have been able to do this for my times of travel!!!

Out of curiosity, are those 500 SSR points one big contract? If not, what size tranches and are they the same UY?

 

[Cyberc1978]

Haha! We have upcoming VGC points that will also be strictly for VGC.

I think SSR is the obvious best choice (for quite some time through 2019) for members to use as sleep-around points. What are peoples candidate for second best?

I like Aulani even though maintenance fees (MF) are high, the buy-in is among the lowest. Added value is that I live in California so trip to Hawaii is equivalent to flying to FL. If a subsidized MF contract can be found, then it is a no-brainer number-1 for me. Speaking of which, just saw my first subsidy (100pts June UY) on Fidelity that was in "sale pending" status. I asked the broker if I could entice seller to take $1000 more... no go, contract was "very close to completion". I learned today that it would be possible for either party to rescind if < 10 days of signing contract.

You are right and I actually would have to change my previous statement. The cheapest and best points to sleep around with be Aulani subsidized points. There is one caveat and that is you can’t book any wdw resorts before 7 months. If you are okay with that then aulani subsidized points would be my first choice.

 

[js]

I have 420 SSR points, purchased resale in 2009 and we are grandfathered in and they are looked at as direct.

In the 10 years we have owned, we have "slept around" quite a bit and go to Disney 1-2 times a year, never less than a week. In those ten years, we purposely booked SSR twice, one time between Christmas and New Years in a Treehouse for my family of four and one time in a GV for my family, my sister's family and my mom for three nights, pre cruise. Oh, also my dd and her bf stayed at SSR a couple of years ago for five nights so they could play golf and walk to DTD in the evenings.
All the other times, we have stayed many times at Poly, GFVs, BLT, BWVs. We have a two bedroom at GFVs booked for ten nights in September and I love knowing my $67 per point contract is giving us our stay there.

However, if we had to stay at SSR, we would be very happy too. It would be nice to have DTD for the evenings without relying on transportation and I enjoy the feel of the resort. But, I will keep trying to use the points elsewhere while I can since I think in the next few years, it will be harder for me to sleep around, even though our main stays are usually the week after Labor Day.

 

[emchen]

I have 420 SSR points, purchased resale in 2009 and we are grandfathered in and they are looked at as direct.

In the 10 years we have owned, we have "slept around" quite a bit and go to Disney 1-2 times a year, never less than a week. In those ten years, we purposely booked SSR twice, one time between Christmas and New Years in a Treehouse for my family of four and one time in a GV for my family, my sister's family and my mom for three nights, pre cruise. Oh, also my dd and her bf stayed at SSR a couple of years ago for five nights so they could play golf and walk to DTD in the evenings.
All the other times, we have stayed many times at Poly, GFVs, BLT, BWVs. We have a two bedroom at GFVs booked for ten nights in September and I love knowing my $67 per point contract is giving us our stay there.

However, if we had to stay at SSR, we would be very happy too. It would be nice to have DTD for the evenings without relying on transportation and I enjoy the feel of the resort. But, I will keep trying to use the points elsewhere while I can since I think in the next few years, it will be harder for me to sleep around, even though our main stays are usually the week after Labor Day.

As I look at your 420 SSR points (at 67/pt) with envy, I realize how much added value you've gotten already by "sleeping around" as the years have gone by. I did a quick calculation for the SSR points I am buying today for $94/pt (if it passes ROFR) and see $1.69 / pt added value in using SSR points for a 1-BR VGC room during low season (based on June 2019 "Economic Resort Ranking"), and salivate at what you are actually receiving... a whopping $3.21 per point! In 2020, that means you save $100 a nite (Sun-Thur) over a resale VGC owner who bought resale points today.

 

[Sandisw]

Out of curiosity, are those 500 SSR points one big contract? If not, what size tranches and are they the same UY?

They are in two different UY.s. I have 300 in my August UY and then 200 in my Dec UY, which also has 150 BWV points. My June UY has my other 150 BWV points.

 

[emchen]

They are in two different UY.s. I have 300 in my August UY and then 200 in my Dec UY, which also has 150 BWV points. My June UY has my other 150 BWV points.

3 different UY? Difficult or..."not a problem, barely an inconvenience"?

I wonder if members see any drawbacks in having designated sleep-around points? I'm having trouble identifying any.

 

[CarolMN]

..........(snip)...........I wonder if members see any drawbacks in having designated sleep-around points? I'm having trouble identifying any.

For me, it would be the stress of waiting for the 7 month window and not getting what I want for the dates I prefer to travel. Have never enjoyed the "best deal game". Airfare is too expensive to take much of a chance on waitlisting, and I am one who would feel "stuck" if I had to stay at a home resort I didn't love.

For me, vacation planning should not add extra stress to my life!! But I sure understand how "sleep-around" points can work well for those who enjoy the game and are more willing to take "booking risk" than I am.

 

[sethschroeder]

Airfare is too expensive to take much of a chance on waitlisting

For me personally I don't own yet but I travel a ton and personally find the best deal 2-3 weeks out from travel is not much different than booking months out and watching the prices daily.

Best airfare for our upcoming Disney trip was had at roughly 50 days out but I could still get tickets for about $25 more per ticket today at a month out.

I fly Southwest though so it's very flexible with changes. I am also very lucky to fly from where I do as it seems cheaper than what others report on this board.

 

[KPeterso]

My original 150 points that I bought in 2007 for SSR are definitely Sleep Around points. I have never actually stayed at SSR. Am not opposed to doing so, but have always gotten in other resorts.

My VGC points (some direct bought in 2010 and some resale bought in 2017) are for VGC and VGC only! It is so hard to get in there that I added on twice to be able to stay there a couple night a couple times a year (I live locally and like a couple mini staycations in between WDW trips).

My AKV points (1 direct from early 2018 and 1 resale earlier this year) are kind of split. I have used some for AKV and some for other resorts too (depends on what I have available and banked and how long I am booking a trip for). I think this will continue to be the trend for my AKV points.

 

[glamdring269]

Our upcoming trip will be our 3rd visit on our BRV contract that we purchased back in 2011/12 time frame.

First trip: the impossible to get BWV Studio 1st week of October during F&W
Second trip: AKV + BRV (Christmas)
Third trip: BWV 1BR Boardwalk View --- Upcoming week of Oct 6th (we could have chosen BCV at the time as well but I actually prefer BWV)

So I get the idea of sleep around points because i'm basically doing it with a contract I never intended to use that way. But I also seem to continue to find these unicorn level reservations which is a huge plus.

 

[crisi]

For me, it would be the stress of waiting for the 7 month window and not getting what I want for the dates I prefer to travel. Have never enjoyed the "best deal game". Airfare is too expensive to take much of a chance on waitlisting, and I am one who would feel "stuck" if I had to stay at a home resort I didn't love.

For me, vacation planning should not add extra stress to my life!! But I sure understand how "sleep-around" points can work well for those who enjoy the game and are more willing to take "booking risk" than I am.

That and expectations. If you buy to sleep around, and are fine with what you can get when you can get it.....no harm. They people who are disappointed are either like you and I - planners who get stressed about it and want to stay in a place they want to stay at - or they are people who bought to sleep around, and then are disappointed when they can't get that VGF studio in December or the BCV studio over Spring Break.

(I envy people who live in good airfare cities. You and I also don't have THAT advantage, and unless you fly out of MSP, you probably don't have a clue about it. We have a GREAT airport, but airfare out of here is never cheap and seldom last minute - especially to MCO which I never fly to for less than $400 per person - I did get a decent last minute deal to Boston to get my daughter into her dorm room.)

 

[emchen]

That and expectations. If you buy to sleep around, and are fine with what you can get when you can get it.....no harm. They people who are disappointed are either like you and I - planners who get stressed about it and want to stay in a place they want to stay at - or they are people who bought to sleep around, and then are disappointed when they can't get that VGF studio in December or the BCV studio over Spring Break.

(I envy people who live in good airfare cities. You and I also don't have THAT advantage, and unless you fly out of MSP, you probably don't have a clue about it. We have a GREAT airport, but airfare out of here is never cheap and seldom last minute - especially to MCO which I never fly to for less than $400 per person - I did get a decent last minute deal to Boston to get my daughter into her dorm room.)

I think most who buy points to sleep-around let the availability predictor by @skier_pete guide our decisions. I for one looked at them and saw availability at 7-months out to be still reasonable for 1-BR villas. For a family of five like mine, we would need that room type for most DVC resorts anyways. On top of that, I’m on the West Coast, and our visit frequency to FL is every-other year at the most. So buying low-maintenance, low cost 200 SSR resale points to use for low-season 1BR at VGC and Aulani made a lot of sense.

Exclusive-use points are DRR 75 direct and VGC 160 resale for peak 11-m scheduling.

 

[crisi]

I think most who buy points to sleep-around let the availability predictor by @skier_pete guide our decisions. I for one looked at them and saw availability at 7-months out to be still reasonable for 1-BR villas. For a family of five like mine, we would need that room type for most DVC resorts anyways. On top of that, I’m on the West Coast, and our visit frequency to FL is every-other year at the most. So buying low-maintenance, low cost 200 SSR resale points to use for low-season 1BR at VGC and Aulani made a lot of sense.

Exclusive-use points are DRR 75 direct and VGC 160 resale for peak 11-m scheduling.

I think using skier_pete's charts to make those decisions is not wise unless you don't mind staying at your home resort or whatever is available when you book. Skier_pete's charts are excellent, but they are a snapshot in time - and over the fifteen plus years I've owned, those patterns have changed drastically. I don't know what they will look like five or ten years from now - nor does anyone else. DVC is for the long term - buying a resort now because its cheap and you never intend to stay there and one bedrooms are always available at seven months when you travel won't work if five years from now one bedroom points are lowered to increase demand for those units and Disney puts an event smack dab in your favorite season.