UY/Add-On Question

[ut*disney]

Our real estate agent told us ALL about the Rule of 4, all of the resorts where we can use our 648 points before they expire, which includes the Disney Cruise Line. I am not talking about that.

Someone posted and said if I add-on, I would loose my points. I don't understand this and have yet to find someone that can explain it to me.

 

[5forDiz]

Poster wdrl had stated that if you make a reservation and then find you need to cancel during last 4 months of your UY then you are past your banking deadline so, therefore, if you could not book another reservation for a trip at a DVC Resort or a Disneyland resort hotel that would take place before the end of that UY then you would " lose " those points, ie those points would expire at the end of that UY ( because you are beyond your banking deadline; those points need to be utilized before the UY ends ). So yes points can be lost; your annual allotment of points each UY must be used by end of that UY or those points need to be banked into next upcoming UY by the banking deadline and if you borrowed points from next UY they must be used during the UY you borrow them into (borrowed points can't be put 'back' into UY they were originally from.

As Sandisw correctly points out in her reply to Toddylu you MAY both book and travel during the last 4 months of your UY to a DVC Resort (or Disneyland resort hotel) so last minute bookings to re-use your points from a canceled reservation are certainly a possibility before your UY ends subject to availability of course; but if you wanted to travel during last 4 months of UY to other non-DVC resort options then you would need to book that option during first 8 months of your UY only.


With an October UY your banking deadline is May 31 ( always ). If your travel dates are during last 4 months of UY ( June, July, Aug or Sept ) and you canceled reservation after May 31 then you need to find a way to use those points before September 30 (end of UY) or those points will expire/points will be lost.

In my first post on this thread I went on to expand a bit more on what some alternatives may be available to you should you ever find yourself in the situation where you cancel a reservation during the last 4 months of your UY and need to re-use those points before UY ends or lose them. Those alternatives could be transferring current UY points used in the canceled reservation to another DVC member and/or renting a reservation that will take place before the end of UY to a member or non-member that uses those points from the canceled reservation, and possibly depositing the points from the canceled reservation into RCI for a future trip via their offerings.

Don't worry, it seems overwhelming at first, but you will get the hang of things and these boards are a great place to get answers for any questions that you may have so keep asking away

 

[ut*disney]

All 648 points are in reservation status. They HAVE to be used by Sept. 30 at a NON-DVC resort, (Disney's Port Orleans, Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, The Contemporary, Disney's Yacht Club, Polynesian Resort, Grand Floridian, Carribean Beach Resort, Coronado Springs, Disney's Paradise Pier Ca., Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian, Disneyland Resort Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort and the Disney Cruises).

Because the original owners previously had reservations, banked 2008, 2009 and borrowed 2010 points, then cancelled their reservations, we have to use these points BEFORE Sept. 30, 2010 or they will be gone. We know this. This is not my question.

My question is about adding on with Disney.

If I buy direct through Disney at AKV, they will give me an October UY. They are offering 2009 and 2010 points right now.

How will my October UY affect 2009 points given in an add-on package? Will it affect the 2010 points in an add-on package? Our current contract is with SSR.

 

[5forDiz]

If I buy direct through Disney at AKV, they will give me an October UY. They are offering 2009 and 2010 points right now.

How will my October UY affect 2009 points given in an add-on package? Will it affect the 2010 points in an add-on package? Our current contract is with SSR.

It will not have any affect. Only the previously mentioned points that you said are in Reservation Status have that status and must be used according to those rules so those would be the only points carrying those restrictions.

As for the add-on: The 2009 allotment of points from add-on purchase may be banked by May 31 into 2010 UY making them valid Oct 1 2010 through Sept 30 2011; also if you purchase after the banking deadline of May 31 it is possible that Member Services would still allow those 2009 points to be banked to 2010 UY but you need to confirm this with your guide. The 2010 UY allotment of points would be valid for use Oct 1 2010 through Sept 30 2011. So you can use both 2009 & 2010 UY points as you wish.

 

[ut*disney]

5forDiz YOU ROCK!!!!

Thank you for answering my question!

One more question. When would I be able to use the AKV add-on? When would I be able to make a reservation?

For those of you wondering...I am not blonde.

 

[5forDiz]

When you add-on through Disney and they have the points immediately on hand (which usually is the case) then those points usually will show up in your member account within hours and then you can go ahead and book with them following the usual booking rules - you can call Member Services as early as 11 months before check in date you'd like for the DVC resort those points are from ( I think you mentioned AKV ) or call at 7 months before for all other DVC resorts.

Good luck

 

[ut*disney]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!! Now I'll just keep waiting...just keep waiting...just keep waiting. We went to Disney for ROFR on March 19, so I have quite a ways to go.

 

[Sandisw]

Our real estate agent told us ALL about the Rule of 4, all of the resorts where we can use our 648 points before they expire, which includes the Disney Cruise Line. I am not talking about that.

Someone posted and said if I add-on, I would loose my points. I don't understand this and have yet to find someone that can explain it to me.

What they were probably talking about was that if you don't book something with the 648 points that are "reservation" points by April 30th for travel before they expire on September 30th, you will loose them as you can't book AND travel in the last four months (only travel) of your UY.

As far as adding on new points through Disney, you will receive your 2009 points and they will be current UY points with no restrictions. You will have until May 31st to bank. If you add on after May 31st, Disney will still allow you to bank as they have been allowing it for new contracts.

Good luck!

 

[ut*disney]

Sandisw "What they were probably talking about was that if you don't book something with the 648 points that are "reservation" points by April 30th for travel before they expire on September 30th, you will loose them as you can't book AND travel in the last four months (only travel) of your UY."

HUH?

Are you saying if I don't BOOK a reservation BEFORE APRIL 30th, I will loose my points that are in reservation status? We are not set to even CLOSE on this until APRIL 28TH. How is that even POSSIBLE???? ARE YOU SERIOUS???? IF THIS IS TRUE....I AM FIGHTING MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Someone posted and said if I add-on, I would loose my points. I don't understand this and have yet to find someone that can explain it to me.

NO ONE said this. This is what happened:

For example, with your October UY, you can bank your points up until May 31st of each year. Lets assume that on 10/5/2010, you book a trip at SSR at the 11-month window for 9/5 - 9/12/2011, and you are using your 2010 points . But on 6/1/2011, you realize you need to cancel the trip and can't return to WDW until January 2012, at the earliest. Since you are passed your banking window for your 2010 October UY points, you will lose all of those points.

That was an example of what would happen if you only had ONE use year, booked something that would be at the end of your UY, after your booking window, and then had to cancel and could not book something else before those points expired.

No one here knew at the time that all of these points were already reservation points, so this was just an example to illustrate the one pitfall you can encounter, if you book at the end of your UY, if you cancel, and if you can't travel before they expire. LIke what could happen with us, if for some reason we had to cancel our trip this year (Feb UY, using banked, borrowed, and current points for a December trip...if we cancel, it will all go kablooie if we can't rebook and travel before Jan 31).

The OP would not necessarily lose all those points; and since OP is new, want to point out:

That poster was referring to the assumptions and example being given. NOT to anything happening in reality, and not anything having to do with an add-on. None of this has to do with an add-on. The add-on doesn't mess with your points. This was solely to explain UY issues since that was part of your question...

I am COMPLETELY LOST!!!! What do you mean I would loose all of my points?

You got worried here, that you would lose your points, when it was all just discussion of examples.



I hope that helps...adding on won't cause your points to expire.

 

[dbs1228]

Well put Bumbershoot!

I have a question since I am kinda new to this why does ut*disney points need to be used at a NON DVC resort? That part I do not understand, I get all the other UY stuff. I would be excited to try to use 648 points, but cannot figure out the non dvc part. Just curious for my future reservations and dvc membership

 

[Sandisw]

Sandisw "What they were probably talking about was that if you don't book something with the 648 points that are "reservation" points by April 30th for travel before they expire on September 30th, you will loose them as you can't book AND travel in the last four months (only travel) of your UY."

HUH?

Are you saying if I don't BOOK a reservation BEFORE APRIL 30th, I will loose my points that are in reservation status? We are not set to even CLOSE on this until APRIL 28TH. How is that even POSSIBLE???? ARE YOU SERIOUS???? IF THIS IS TRUE....I AM FIGHTING MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is my understanding, but I could be wrong, so please contact your broker and ask them to explain the rule of 4 and whether it will apply to those "reservation" points that you have. You will definitely not be able to use those points at any of the DVC resorts, or the World Passport collection.

"Reservation" points comes from trips that were booked outside the DVC resorts and then cancelled. So, since the rule of four applied to the original booking, I was told it would also apply to the points for cancellations.

Here is the language from the member book:

You cannot book and travel on Disney Collection (excluding Disneyland Resort hotels in California), Concierge Collection, and Adventurer Collection vacations within the last 4 months of your Use Year. However, you can travel in the last 4 months of your Use Year as long as you've booked your stay MORE than 4 months before the end of your UY.

Here is some pixie dust that I am wrong, and that you will at least be able to book after May 1st.

 

[Sandisw]

Well put Bumbershoot!

I have a question since I am kinda new to this why does ut*disney points need to be used at a NON DVC resort? That part I do not understand, I get all the other UY stuff. I would be excited to try to use 648 points, but cannot figure out the non dvc part. Just curious for my future reservations and dvc membership

Because "reservation points" are points that were traded from DVC for booking something like the Disney Cruise, Concierge Collection, etc.

Once points are converted for those types of trips, they can not be returned as "regular" points.

 

[Dean]

I don't think the restrictions for the last 4 months of a use year will apply in this case since the points are already in reservation statuts.

 

[Sandisw]

I don't think the restrictions for the last 4 months of a use year will apply in this case since the points are already in reservation statuts.

Thanks Dean. It sounds that my information is wrong (which would be great for the person who is getting those points).

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean. It sounds that my information is wrong (which would be great for the person who is getting those points).

The reason behind the rule is to give them time to convert the DVC points into cash through rentals. DVC & DVD have to go by the same rules the rest of us do when using points for such options thus the limitations on time. In this case the points have already been converted to cash so no reason for that restriction. They should be able to use the points for any item up until the end of the UY. The real question is wether they can be used to pay for items that occur into the future like a cruise that occurs after the end of the UY but is "paid for" during the UY in question. I'd certainly ask DVC this question and a supervisor if the answer was no. For many cruises using DVC points, the cruise occurs after the UY in which a cancelation might occur. On a side note, if one has a reservation using such reservation points and has the opportunity, it would generally be a good idea to wait until a new UY has started before canceling any such reservations. Unfortunately this is an issue where you're likely to get different answers from different people, for that many points I'd push pretty hard to schedule a cruise say next year that is paid for now.

 

[ut*disney]

Bumbershoot:

We are in the middle of preparing for trial…I am trying to grasp all of this (DVC) and get everything done at work too. I’m trying to read and understand all I can, but it gets to be extremely overwhelming. Thanks for the clarification.