Use Year and Resort Questions

[jupers]

Hi, I have some questions.

Considering resale DVC. Not really worried about March 20, will probably wait till after to see what happens with prices.

Anyway, Thinking about 2 75 point contracts at different resorts. My question is can all these points be pooled so if we ever wanted to go to Hawaii I would have 450 points available? Am I better off to buy at one resort? Also, I'm a teacher which limits my vacationing ability. We would typically vacation as a family in April or August. What use year would be best? Am I better off just buying 150 points at one resort?

Not really worried about resale because if I do this I don't intend to sell. Considering SSR because as the kids get older I think it would be more practical and the prices seem right, as well as my dream to stay in a treehouse. If I bought at SSR and another resort could I use the other resort points to book a treehouse?

By the way, just want to thank everyone on the boards, because no matter what I decide everyone has been so helpful and I know I'll be making an educated decision.

 

[vicki_c]

If you purchase at multiple resorts, you can only use all your points pooled from the different resorts at the 7 month booking window, not at the 11 month booking window. Each resort's points maintain their home - so if you owned BLT and AKV, you could use BLT points at 11 months to book BLT and AKV points at 11 months to book AKV.

Owning at more than one resort only makes sense to me if you plan on using banking/borrowing to switch off going to BLT one year, AKV the next year, BLT the next time, etc. Or if you own enough points at each resort to cover your entire vacation every time.

For using different resorts points to go to Aulani - if you don't own at Aulani - you could pool all points from any other resorts, but you wouldn't be able to book until the 7 month window.

 

[disneynutz]

Under todays rules, you can pool your points for reservations made 7 months before your vacation. Points at your home resort can be used 11 months before your vacation. Disney can change the rules at anytime and booking at 7 months is getting more difficult as additional members are added. Seasons and the popularity and size of the resort are additional factors.

My advice is take a chance and buy anywhere or buy where you love to stay and have less disappointments with your purchase.

Bill

 

[drusba]

1. If points at different resorts are in same use year under one member number, at 7 months out they can be combined to reserve at any resort including Aulani.

2. If points are in different use year, there will be two different and separate member numbers and they are not combinable to reserve at one resort at 7 months out but you can reserve some nights with one contract, the remaining nights with the other and then link the reservations into one. You could also transfer points from one contract to the other and then the points would be combinable for one reservation but you are allowed only one trnasfer per use year.

Either way you cannot use them together at 11 months out. If purchasing two resales and they have the same use year, you need to inform DVD that you want them under one member number to have it happen before DVD assigns a member number. If you don't you will end up with two member numbers and point 2 above will apply. It may be safer to make that happen to buy one contract and then wait to buy other so you can get a member and then just have the second contract added to it.

 

[vicki_c]

drusba - good info on the 2 membership #s and pooling vs. having separate reservations; I hadn't really considered that aspect of it.

 

[palaemon]

drusba - good info on the 2 membership #s and pooling vs. having separate reservations; I hadn't really considered that aspect of it.

Also, there are only 60 (?) THV and availability at 7-month window might be difficult - also having only 75pts (up to 225 w/ banking & borrowing) is not enough for a week in a THV in any season. So, either more points at SSR or a split stay.

 

[Sandisw]

Given your travel times, I would suggest an April UY. Having a UY that falls right before typical vacations allows for the most flexibility, IMO.

You have through the 8 month of your UY to bank points so when you travel during this time, if you have to cancel a trip, change at trip to less points, or use borrowed points and have to cancel, you have time to still bank points that can be banked, or book another trip to use up points that will expire.

As far as resort, I would recommend buying at one resort, unless you really feel there are two that you want to guarantee yourself the ability to book there 11 months out on a regular basis.

Since you would be buying resale, you want to make sure, if you do go with different resorts, that they are the same UY and titled the same way. This way, you can use them all together at 7 months. If they are different UY's, then they are different memberships and you have to transfer to combine points for a single night.

Good luck!

 

[khmiller]

What if you transferred the points? For example, say I have 100 points at SSR and 50 points at BLT. Can I transfer my SSR points to the BLT points and book at 8 months out with all 150 points?

 

[palaemon]

Nope. Points retain originating home resort and use year.