Transfer points - newbie question

[simmons_m]

I posted this question as a response to a current thread, but thought it might fit better as a new thread.
We just past ROFR
Our points have a March use year. If we wanted to book a vacation for October 2009, and we need an additional 40 points to reserve the room we want for the length of stay we want, what are our options?
Can we rent points from a member at our home resort and still make the reservations 11 months in advance?
Should we book the sunday through thursday dates, and pay cash for the weekend dates, while we try to rent points/receive them via transfer?
Thanks for any help and advice.
Mike

 

[simmons_m]

one more comment - We would prefer to receive points via transfer, so that we are in control of the reservation.
Thanks again, we have been racking our brains on this one.
Mike

 

[dianeschlicht]

Do you need 40 additional points even with borrowing? If not, I'd borrow from your next use year first. To hold the same value, you really need to have points transfered from someone with your same use year and resort so you get the same home resort advantage.

 

[CarolMN]

I agree with Diane. My first choice would be to use either banked or borrowed borrow points if you have them available.

With a March use year, an October 2009 vacation falls within your 2009 use year (which runs from 3/1/2009 - 2/28/2010).

Did you get any 2008 use year points with your resale contract? If so (and if you don't have other plans for them), you can bank them. After banking, they would be good for vacations in your 2009 use year.

Assuming you didn't have points to bank or had other plans for them, you could just borrow points from your 2010 use year. That is very easy - MS will do it for you when you make the reservation. You can't actually borrow points unless you are making a reservation that will use them.

Of course, you could also find someone to transfer points to you. Transferred points retain their original home resort and use year when transferred, so if you want to book your home resort prior to the 7 month window opening, you will need to find someone with the same home resort who is willing to transfer you points.

Transfers are limited to one per use year - that's either one into your account or one out of your account, but not both ways in the same use year. You may find it a challenge to find someone willing to use up their once per year transfer on 40 points.

Transfers are completely between members and they are final transactions. Disney will not get involved if there is a dispute.

Should have said this first - CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME HOME!

 

[simmons_m]

Thank you for the quick response. Yes the points are in addition to banking and borrowing.
If we rent points from someone, do they still have control of the reservation, even if we are members?
My understanding is that if we get a transfer, we are in control of the points. I wonder if it might make since to request a transfer for a higher level of points, and then only borrow enough points to cover the trip. It seems like a little bit of a shell game. Then again, we may opt to pay for some nights, and remove the need to request to transfer.
If we borrow points to cover the reservation at the 11 month wondow, then transfer points at the 7 month wondow, and end up with more points than we need. can we then bank the current use year points?
This seems like one of those word problems i loved in grade school.
Thanks for the help.
Mike

 

[Caskbill]

Thank you for the quick response. Yes the points are in addition to banking and borrowing.
If we rent points from someone, do they still have control of the reservation, even if we are members?
My understanding is that if we get a transfer, we are in control of the points. I wonder if it might make since to request a transfer for a higher level of points, and then only borrow enough points to cover the trip. It seems like a little bit of a shell game. Then again, we may opt to pay for some nights, and remove the need to request to transfer.
If we borrow points to cover the reservation at the 11 month wondow, then transfer points at the 7 month wondow, and end up with more points than we need. can we then bank the current use year points?
This seems like one of those word problems i loved in grade school.
Thanks for the help.
Mike

Keep in mind you don't actually 'rent' points. You rent a reservation that someone else makes using their own points. The person you 'rent' from controls the reservation. The 40 points are not combined with your points in any way. The member you rent from would reserve 'x' number of days. You would use your own points to reserve the other days. You then need to link the two reservations. There is always the possibility you would need to change rooms.

In your situation, you absolutely want to 'buy' the points from someone and have them transferred over to your account. They then become your points and you can do anything you want with them. It is completely under your control. You combine the 'transferred' points with your own points and make your reservation.

Keep in mind that for both yourself, and the person you get points from, that both of you would be using your single one time per year transfer. Neither of you would be able to transfer points (either in or out) for that use year again.

If you decide to use the rent/trade board, be sure you select the category "Point Transfer Wanted" if you elect to go this route.

If you borrow points and make a reservation at 11-months, and get points transferred at 7-months, you could only switch your original points for the transferred points if the transferred points have the same home resort you used at the 11-month window. You cannot use points from a non-home resort to switch points used to make a home resort reservation at 11-months. If this were allowed then effectively it bypasses the 11-month priority window.

Keep in mind, if you transfer more points than you need, you can bank the transferred points themselves. You do not need to switch with your current points and then bank your current year points.

Good luck with finding your points.

 

[simmons_m]

Thanks, so it sounds like i could transfer the points anytime in the next year, and use them in 2009 as either transfered or transfered than banked. Do the points transfered to us become associated with our use year?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Caskbill]

Thanks, so it sounds like i could transfer the points anytime in the next year, and use them in 2009 as either transfered or transfered than banked. Do the points transfered to us become associated with our use year?
Thanks,
Mike

No, all points, when transferred, retain their original home resort and use year. If you need to have home resort priority you would want someone's points from the same home resort as your own. Depending on the date you want for your reservation, you may need to get points from a specific use year month, or a use year month close to your own.

 

[spaddy]

How many points are the weekends? How much would the weekend cost with cash?

I have transfered to people twice and it was a little more complicated the first time then the second time. The first time I transferred to someone with MarchUY (I have October) and it had to be overriden by MS because it was in the 07 UY and I was transferring 06 points. That time the points actually changed to March UY. The second time I made sure we were trasnferring in the same UY and then the points stayed October and the person I transferred to combined their March 08 points with my October 07 to book in the summer.

I would just do a cost comparision using $10/point. I would also add hassle factor in your calculation.