Strategy for pooling points between 2-3 families?

[bigredbeta]

Tried a search but clearly couldn't get my search terms correct to find what I was looking for...

We're sold on DVC but awaiting proper cash flow to buy (gotta pay off those student loans). Have a couple friends already in DVC and the wives got to talking about a joint vacation when all the infants are ready for a proper "mega" vacation. All told assuming no new additions, it'd be 6 adults and 5 kids...

What would be the best way to manage the transfer limitations so that a blow out, mega vacation in a GV would be in reach? Yes I realize this is not the optimal strategy, just what got chosen as the goal...it was pointed out at the time that everyone would be able to stay longer if separate accommodations were booked and everyone just banked/borrowed as needed. However the wives as very old friends couldn't escape the idealized/overly romanticized image of all the kids getting up and having breakfast together each morning, movie night slumber parties, etc, etc....

From what I've read, a single member can only be a part of a transfer (either in or out of their account) one time per Use Year (not calendar year), and that transferred points can be banked (but must be done before the transferred points UY expires). But it seems like there are limitations on transferring banked or borrowed points. Please correct me if I'm wrong about this

How many years of points can one person actually manage to get? By my count getting to 5 is easy but could there be a way to get more depending on how the UY's fall? Just trying to maximize the absolute number of points possible

Family A (whoever has the most points) banks and borrows all of their points for a trip to take place in year 2 (years 1 and 3 moved to year 2) - 3x as is readily apparent
Family B (next most points) transfers their points from UY1 to Family A just before A's UY expires, those points are banked immediately - 4x
Family B transfers their points from UY2 to Family after A's UY resets - now we're up to 5x

Is there anything for family C (least number of points) to do? Does it matter if everyone's UY start at the same time or would it be better if they were staggered? I can't come up with a way to make any other transfers work out with the UY limitations but as the newbie am also by far the least knowledgeable (and can you guess that it's my wife driving the dreaming for the other 2?)

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Comedy other option: Don't pool the points.

Family A: Books X nights based on points they have.
Family B: Books the next Y nights.
Family C: Books the last Z nights.

Stay equals X+Y+Z nights.

Call MS and have them labeled continuing.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We shared a GV in Aulani with a DCuz who also owns DVC. We did a conference call, I booked 5 nights, she booked 2. We did not have to move, they did give us new room keys. The stay was never completely in either of our reservation list, but it worked beautifully.

No transfers involved. We did it at 7 months since neither of us owns at Aulani.

 

[crisi]

Consider not getting the GV. When the infants are ready for a proper mega vacation you may discover that other people's child rearing habits - while not wrong - will drive you bonkers and you'll want your own space to get away from other people and their kids. We used to do three families in a house every year, and I hated that vacation and wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been for the strength of my husband's attachment to his friend. What happens if one kid picks on another constantly? Or if one set of parents has very different disciplinary standards, What happens if they apply those standards to your kid? What if one kid is at the stage where they are intolerable to anyone but their parents? (This happens several times in child development - there is often a tantrum prone toddler stage, a smart mouthed late elementary stage, and a "boy, I'm glad eventually I'll be able to send you off to college" middle school or high school stage. - and it happens even with good parents).

I'm an introvert, so the idea of that many people in a space for a vacation is really stressful to me. And introverts aren't likely to say "this idea makes me really uncomfortable." That many people means at least one person is going to be stressed out an anxious. Be careful.

 

[Mickey of the Villages]

Rent the points don't buy them.

See if this still seems like a good idea in 3-5 years.

If it does still seem like a good idea then each couple buy 100 points at OKW. Use the strategy mentioned above to get it for a week (which you can do at OKW with 300 points). 100 points at OKW is about $9,500 (resale).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The other thing to keep in mind about doing it just as sequential reservations, not trying to transfer, is I'm betting everyone's UY and home resort don't match.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The biggest issue with a GV is who gets the master bedroom with the king bed and luxurious bathroom. And who has to take the smaller rooms with the two queen beds (that means the kids sleep in your room). Since you would all be on points stays with your own points, you could pool hop (to some of the pools as allowed by the rules). Or everyone books a villa at the same resort and request that they be close to each other.

 

[Donna M]

We travel with another family frequently. I will get 2 nights and they will get the next 2 nights, or whatever. We use a 3 way call, easy peasy, no transfering.

Your situation is very different. First problem I see is that you aren't equally using points. Family A might resent being asked to use more points than Family C, and then not getting the master, but there would be no place for the kids since there is only one bed in there. My suggestion is to plan a vacation to WDW for the same time and same resort, but each get the unit that fits the family best. If one family has a lot of points they might want a 2 bd, or save some of their points for another vacation, while a family with a limited amount of points makes do with a studio. Meet for movie night, have sleep overs if breakfast is important. There is all day to hang out together, but being able to go "home" in the evening and relaxing with just your family and your own routine is what you'll need after a long day.

Maybe 2 days in a GV would be ok, but a whole week could be too much togetherness, even for the best of friends.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

We travel with another family in a GV for 7 nights (and have stayed together for other non-Disney trips as well), we've had no problems with any friction between us, so it's no forgone conclusion that you're going to have some sort of problem with the other family, but of course it depends on each individual situation. We usually just split the reservations, we book half and they book half. It doesn't come out exactly 50/50 since depending on when we go and how many points everyone has, but it doesn't really bother us, just depends on what kind of relationship you have with the other family. We don't keep track really, so I have no idea who has spent more points so far.

 

[Castillo Mom]

As others have mentioned, you're probably better off doing a three-way call with MS rather than pooling points. Even if you own at different resorts and have to wait until the 7 month mark, you should be ok as GVs don't typically book as fast as other villa categories.

On a side note, the best extended family vacation was when we all shared a GV. All twelve of us have fond memories of that amazing trip, and many of them were of us spending time together in the villa just as your wife described.