To split or not to split --- Resort purchase

[daver]

Okay, I have read posts on the some good and bad on owning two different resorts and then trying to make reservations.
Can anyone give me their experiences with this?
We normally will only be going to Disney in September/October and January/February time periods, which are lower occupancy times.
As we also use airmiles typically to fly, we sometimes have to book a bit far out, so we don't want to scramble to find a resort at the 7 month point.
Any help out there?
(We own some SSR and are looking at OKW resale points)

 

[Dean]

Okay, I have read posts on the some good and bad on owning two different resorts and then trying to make reservations.
Can anyone give me their experiences with this?
We normally will only be going to Disney in September/October and January/February time periods, which are lower occupancy times.
As we also use airmiles typically to fly, we sometimes have to book a bit far out, so we don't want to scramble to find a resort at the 7 month point.
Any help out there?
(We own some SSR and are looking at OKW resale points)

IMO, it depends on how you'll use them, how many points you're adding and where you'd prefer to stay. Unless you want to add points to use for a 3 BR at OKW, I think you'll find that adding SSR points will give you more flexibility plus the longer expiration assuming none extended points. Unlikely to get extended OKW points cheaper than SSR and price (or the 3 BR option) would be the only reasons to add OKW over SSR in this situation. In short, OKW points give you almost nothing and take away options and flexibility that you'd get with SSR points as an add on. Now if you're adding enough points at a higher demand resort you will use, that could be a reasonable option for many so you can take advantage of the 11 month window at that resort. You'll need to decide whether the higher price and other limitations are worth it to you.

 

[disneynutz]

We normally will only be going to Disney in September/October and January/February time periods, which are lower occupancy times.

IMHO there is no such thing. Disney does a great job at making the whole year peak travel time. Who knows what they will come up with in the future.

What was it like before Food & Wine and Flower & Garden?

 

[Sandisw]

I currently own 50 VWL and 130 BLT.

When you have 2 home resorts, and are planning at 11 months, you know you will be doing a split stay (unless you utilize bank/borrow to alternate resorts each year). The tricky part comes with how many points do you need from each to book what you want at that time.

For example, I wanted to go to WDW in August, 5 nights, 1 bedroom. BLT is 32 per night and VWL is 30. So, for me, it meant booking 4 nights at BLT and only 1 at VWL. While split stays would be okay, I didn't like having to do a 4/1 split so I am selling VWL and will just re-buy all those points at BLT.

So, if you are buying a 2nd resort, just figure out ahead of time, how many at each you would need to make your stays work. As long as each contract has what it needs to make it work, then I think you will be fine!!

Good luck!

 

[daver]

I currently own 50 VWL and 130 BLT.

When you have 2 home resorts, and are planning at 11 months, you know you will be doing a split stay (unless you utilize bank/borrow to alternate resorts each year). The tricky part comes with how many points do you need from each to book what you want at that time.

For example, I wanted to go to WDW in August, 5 nights, 1 bedroom. BLT is 32 per night and VWL is 30. So, for me, it meant booking 4 nights at BLT and only 1 at VWL. While split stays would be okay, I didn't like having to do a 4/1 split so I am selling VWL and will just re-buy all those points at BLT.

So, if you are buying a 2nd resort, just figure out ahead of time, how many at each you would need to make your stays work. As long as each contract has what it needs to make it work, then I think you will be fine!!

Good luck!

We would probably use stay at SSR, book at 11 months and add on days at 7 months with the OKW points, and vice versa.
Looking at the available days charts they post here would seem to indicate that it would not be a major problem getting reservations at either 7 months out.... just trying to see what the consensus is here.
It may be more worthwhile to just get all SSR points, but I am looking at options based on the current price difference between buying both.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I am an owner of points at different resorts but in the scenario you are looking at I would attempt to find an SSR contract rather than to split unless as Dean mentioned you really wanted to use the OKW points for the GV's there.

Since both resorts are large and seem to always have availability at 7 months I think it mostly comes down to ease of use of your points and that will be easier if they are all in one home resorts. This way you can make your full ressie at 11 months and only have to worry about 7 months if you decide to try and switch.

It sounds as if you located an OKW contract that is a much better deal than SSR? If there were a contract that was too good to pass up I wouldn't let the different resort deter me in this case, but I'd actually pay a couple dollars more for a longer SSR contract. And there are lots of good deals on those that rival the OKW non-extended contract prices and you get 15 more years.

 

[daver]

Thanks for the replies all!
I think that based on the posts, I will look at SSR resales to keep all within the same resort. It does sound simpler overall.
Thanx again