Wanting to add-on, but need advice please!!

[MUDisneyCouple]

We currently have 160pts at BLT, and were hoping to add-on some pts at an Epcot resort, but have a lot of questions that we were hoping all you vets could answer for us:

1. Our UY is Feb, should we wait until Feb to add-on?

2. Is there ever a time when we can use the add-on pts to help cover our BLT pts? For example, if we bank our add-on pts, can we use them the next year to stay extra days at BLT?

3. We primarily want to add an Epcot resort for F&W...should we purchase in Oct for that reason?

4. Should we just add-on at BLT (if there are any left) and be happy with being on a monorail for F&W?

5. We want to add-on so we can, every other year, stay a week in a 1BR at BLT...does it make more sense to add-on at BLT?

6. Finally, where can we find the most up-to-date price/pt info?

Any suggestions are most appreciated!!! TIA!!!!

 

[ELMC]

We currently have 160pts at BLT, and were hoping to add-on some pts at an Epcot resort, but have a lot of questions that we were hoping all you vets could answer for us:

You've come to the right place as you will get a lot of great information here. Here are my opinions...

1. Our UY is Feb, should we wait until Feb to add-on?

I'm not seeing the connection between use year and the time of year you purchase. If you want to purchase a FEB use year then that will be more convenient for you, but you don't need to wait until February to complete the purchase. Also, FEB is not a good use year if you want to plan trips for Food and Wine Festival as your banking deadline will be September 30. If you ever booked a trip for F&W and had to cancel you would run into problems with banking those points.

2. Is there ever a time when we can use the add-on pts to help cover our BLT pts? For example, if we bank our add-on pts, can we use them the next year to stay extra days at BLT?

Points from two different home resorts can be combined at the 7 month window (7 months to the day from the date of your reservation). Prior to that you may only use home resort points to book a reservation.

3. We primarily want to add an Epcot resort for F&W...should we purchase in Oct for that reason?

Again, I don't see the connection between use year and when you want to purchase. If I'm missing something, please explain it to me. If you're buying a contract specifically for use at F&W, then AUG or SEPT would be your ideal UY followed by JUN or APR.

4. Should we just add-on at BLT (if there are any left) and be happy with being on a monorail for F&W?

The monorail from BLT to Epcot can take as long as 45 minutes, and then it puts you at the opposite end of the park from the F&W festival. Compare that to a 5 minute walk to Beach Club Villas and an 8 minute walk to Boardwalk Villas. It's a big difference. If you plan on visiting F&W Festival every year (or every few years), then there is no comparison to owning at BCV or BWV.

5. We want to add-on so we can, every other year, stay a week in a 1BR at BLT...does it make more sense to add-on at BLT?

Right now you have enough points to do that for every time of year except for Premier Season. Personally, based on what you have said here, I would strongly recommend that you purchase at one of the Epcot DVC resorts.

6. Finally, where can we find the most up-to-date price/pt info?

The most recent direct purchase prices can be found here:

http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions

But to see what kind of deals you can get by buying resale, check out this thread that has recent resale purchase prices.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2661661

You should at least consider buying resale as the savings can be tremendous. If you discover that it's not for you then that's cool, but at least look into it.

Any suggestions are most appreciated!!! TIA!!!!

Good luck with your decision. Keep asking great questions!

 

[vicki_c]

We currently have 160pts at BLT, and were hoping to add-on some pts at an Epcot resort, but have a lot of questions that we were hoping all you vets could answer for us:

1. Our UY is Feb, should we wait until Feb to add-on?

2. Is there ever a time when we can use the add-on pts to help cover our BLT pts? For example, if we bank our add-on pts, can we use them the next year to stay extra days at BLT?

3. We primarily want to add an Epcot resort for F&W...should we purchase in Oct for that reason?

4. Should we just add-on at BLT (if there are any left) and be happy with being on a monorail for F&W?

5. We want to add-on so we can, every other year, stay a week in a 1BR at BLT...does it make more sense to add-on at BLT?

6. Finally, where can we find the most up-to-date price/pt info?

Any suggestions are most appreciated!!! TIA!!!!

1. Don't understand this question. I'm going with no.

2. Yes, at the 7 month booking window.

3. Similar to question 1. This doesn't make any sense. You would want to purchase early enough that your points would be available to you at the 11 month window.

5. If you plan on booking at 11 months out, yes. If 7 months or less, then it doesn't matter where you own the points.

6. Try dvcnews.com.

 

[BestDadEver]

We currently have 160pts at BLT, and were hoping to add-on some pts at an Epcot resort, but have a lot of questions that we were hoping all you vets could answer for us:

1. Our UY is Feb, should we wait until Feb to add-on?

2. Is there ever a time when we can use the add-on pts to help cover our BLT pts? For example, if we bank our add-on pts, can we use them the next year to stay extra days at BLT?

3. We primarily want to add an Epcot resort for F&W...should we purchase in Oct for that reason?

4. Should we just add-on at BLT (if there are any left) and be happy with being on a monorail for F&W?

5. We want to add-on so we can, every other year, stay a week in a 1BR at BLT...does it make more sense to add-on at BLT?

6. Finally, where can we find the most up-to-date price/pt info?

Any suggestions are most appreciated!!! TIA!!!!

You can use extra points form the other resort to book blt but only at the 7 month mark ,and only if they have the feb UY .

I don't think you would need anymore points to go blt for a week if you are going to bank or borrow .

Also keep in mind that the experation of BCV and BWV are way sooner then BLT .

 

[Missyrose]

You can use extra points form the other resort to book blt but only at the 7 month mark ,and only if they have the feb UY .

Actually you can make reservations using contracts with two different UYs. There's two ways to do this (and both only work within the seven-month window if the contracts are at different resorts) You could transfer points from one contract to another. Or you could book nights 1, 2, 3 and 4 with contract No. 1 and nights 5, 6 and 7 with contract No. 2.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

In your case since a main goal is to be able to book at BLT in a 1BR I'd lean towards purchasing BLT. And then the odd times you want to go during F&W just try and switch at 7 months. It can be done just don't assume it is a definite.

I'd also stick with the Feb UY. I am a proponent when initially purchasing of choosing a UY that provides the most leniency if you need to cancel but since you already have a Feb UY (and I think should probably buy BLT) I'd recommmend buying a Feb UY. You want to do this prior to Feb unless you have some financial reason to wait. And that isn't a bad UY anyways for F&W during Sept or Oct since your banking deadline is Sept 30 and you'd need to cancel an Oct reservation by that date anyway or your points would go into holding.

 

[MUDisneyCouple]

I've always misunderstood the UY concept, apparently. When we first bought in, we bought in Feb, so that's when our UY is...so I think I've just assumed that if we add-on in Aug, that Aug would be our UY. I'm guessing that's not right? I think we were too excited to question that stuff when we first bought in.

Either way THANK YOU all for the helpful info. I think we're going to look at BW and BC, there was a good point about them expiring sooner, though. My DH thinks that since the F&W trips would be primarily adult trips that we could be more flexible with our transportation and length of time at Epcot; thus adding on at BLT may make more sense. Great suggestions DISers...we appreciate it!!

 

[ELMC]

I've always misunderstood the UY concept, apparently. When we first bought in, we bought in Feb, so that's when our UY is...so I think I've just assumed that if we add-on in Aug, that Aug would be our UY. I'm guessing that's not right? I think we were too excited to question that stuff when we first bought in.

Either way THANK YOU all for the helpful info. I think we're going to look at BW and BC, there was a good point about them expiring sooner, though. My DH thinks that since the F&W trips would be primarily adult trips that we could be more flexible with our transportation and length of time at Epcot; thus adding on at BLT may make more sense. Great suggestions DISers...we appreciate it!!

Good luck with your decision. There are two things I would highly recommend doing prior to making another purchase. First off, do your research about the resale market and see if it makes sense for you. The savings can be upwards of 60% off of direct prices. Secondly, whether it be by reading the threads on here or discussing it with your salesperson, educate yourself about use year and how it affects your use of points at certain times of the year.

One last piece of advice, please don't be fooled by the random post from someone saying that they were able to get Beach Club for Food and Wine at 5 months out. Yes, these success stories do exist. But for every person who shares this wonderful experience there are many more who get shut out because the dates and room types they want are booked. Besides Christmas (and possibly Thanksgiving and Easter weeks) Food and Wine Festival at BWV and BCV is one of the highest demand times of the year. If you want to be able to book trips during this time and stay at BCV or BWV, you really should own there. Good luck!

 

[DougEMG]

One last piece of advice, please don't be fooled by the random post from someone saying that they were able to get Beach Club for Food and Wine at 5 months out. Yes, these success stories do exist. But for every person who shares this wonderful experience there are many more who get shut out because the dates and room types they want are booked. Besides Christmas (and possibly Thanksgiving and Easter weeks) Food and Wine Festival at BWV and BCV is one of the highest demand times of the year. If you want to be able to book trips during this time and stay at BCV or BWV, you really should own there. Good luck!

For this years F&W at 4 months out just about every single room for evey single night at BWV and BCV was booked.

 

[chalee94]

I've always misunderstood the UY concept, apparently. When we first bought in, we bought in Feb, so that's when our UY is...so I think I've just assumed that if we add-on in Aug, that Aug would be our UY. I'm guessing that's not right?

that is not right. UY month is not related to when you buy.

and technically, if you "add-on" then that is referring to adding on to your original membership. if you buy a contract with an aug UY (or any UY other than feb), you would be adding pts but buying a completely separate membership. it's a little more complicated to manage and you'd need to be more organized to avoid losing pts.

if you wanted to add-on to a feb UY, it's ideal to do so in dec/january since you will get 2012 pts (which are bankable if purchased directly, even if you are past your banking window) plus 2013 pts again in feb. (this assumes they have pts available in your UY.)

buying pts in a separate UY for a travel during a different part of the year can be a good thing, but you would need to have enough BWV pts to book BWV for food&wine at 11 months as you cannot combine BWV with BLT until the 7 month window (as already stated).