What does your "Home" signify? What advantages?

[jaybird]

OK... Still very much considering... But two more questions... Yes, I did order the i nformation packet but as any Disney Addict will tell you, I WANT THE INFORMATION NOW!! LOL!!

1. What is the significance of your home base? Do you get vacations there easier? It is harder to try a different villa or are you not even allowed to switch from your home?

2. I see that people get excited about adding on points from different villas... How does that work and do they now have TWO homes? Can they stay at either or do they have only so many points at one and so many points at another?

Here is a simple question... If I bought 200 points at BCV this April,say, How many points would I have available to me in June 2003? Would I have to stay at BCV or could I stay at WLV?

Now, since 200 points would get me a Sunday - Thursday Two Bedroom at BCV in June/July (based on the point calculator), what would you do for the weekend? Switch to a regular resort (ouch!) or stay off property? Go on a cruise?

Speaking of Cruise... approximately how many points to do the Cruise?

Well, as you can see, I want some answers!! I am so confused... You all seem to have it under control!!

Thanks for any help... Mostly, I want to know about the home base and what happens when you add on points at another villa...

Thanks!
Karen

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

Your home resort advantage is the ability to book 11 months before your stay, as opposed to 7 months for DVC members with other home resorts. For popular seasons, ofen 11 months is needed to get the desired dates.

Your other questions, along with more on this, can be found in the DVC FAQ - you'll likely find answers to questions you haven't thought of yet!

 

[kem330]

Your home resort is where you own the real estate interest. You have a 4 month reservation priority at your home resort over the other DVC resorts and can make reservations 11 months prior to your check out date. You may make reservations 7 months in advance of your stay at any DVC resort other than your home resort. This is why many advocate buy where you plan to stay, because you have the 11 month booking window. When you do an add on at another resort, you have an 11 month priority at that resort ONLY for the points you own at the resort. For example, I own 200 points at BWV and 150 points at BCV. I want to make a reservation at BCV that costs 250 points. My choices are to borrow 100 points from next year, or make ressies with the 150 points and then 7 months in advance, hope I can use the BW points for the rest of the stay. Or you could split your stay between resorts and book part at each at the 11 month window.
Re points for an April purchase: You would most likely get a March use year which means you would receive points on March 1, 2002 which would expire on Feb 28, 2003. Then another 200 on March 1, 2003, etc. You are allowed to bank and borrow points from year previous and year ahead so with a 200 point purchase, you could have 600 points available in 2003. Availiblity depends on what season you are looking at holidays, and other peak DVC times can be very difficult to get into another resort.

 

[Terry S]

If you had points at 2 home resorts you would have the 11 month window for 2 home resorts for those points only. Say you had 200 pts at BCV and 100 at VB. You would have the 11 month window for your 200 at BCV points and for 100 at VB. You do always have the option of banking and borrowing. Say you got 100 VB points in April 2002, you could bank those 100 points and borrow 2004 points so in 2003 you would have 300 points to use from VB at the 11 month window.

In your scenerio of 200 points in April at BCV. Assuming at that time they were selling April use year and you didn't use any points at all in 2002, you could bank those points and use them in 2003 so in June 2003 you would have 400 points. You could book VWL if it was available at the 7 month window.

As far as the cruise goes, it depends on the time of year and the number or people, also if there are kids what are their ages. The last question I would need answered to give you a good answer would be are you aksing about the 3,4 or 7 day cruise?

 

[jaybird]

Most likely the 7 day cruise, 2 adults and 3 children (all over 3 by then!!)...

Thanks to everyone for helping me out here...

One last question... Do you usually bank and borrow or go every year?!?

Karen

 

[HookdonWDW]

Let me try to answer your questions in order:

1. Your Home is the DVC resort you actually own shares of. You are allowed to make ressies at your home resort 11 months in advance. You can make ressies at any other DVC resort 7 months in advance.

2. If you buy points at multiple homes, you will have an 11 month window at each home resort. BUT... you can only use the points you have at that resort to make ressies at the 11 month window.

Example: You own 150 points at BCV, and 200 points at VWL. You can't use your 200 points at VWL to book a room at BCV until 7 months out. However, you can borrow all or part of next year's points at BCV to make your ressie, or you can split your reservation between the two resorts, spending some time at each.


3. If you buy 200 points at BCV in April, how many points you have next June will depend on your use year. If you get a February/March use year like most people are receiving right now, you will have 400 points available. You will need to bank your 200 points from 2002, and you will receive 200 more points in 2003. This will give you enough points for a 2 BR for a week during June/July If that is not enough points, you could also borrow your points from 2004, for a total of 600 points.

4. What you do for the weekend is up to you. Some people just go down for Sun - Thurs., others stay off site. Some people bank or borrow points.


5. Points for cruises vary based on time of year/type of cruise picked. You can use a combination of points and cash.

Now, I know that I have probably confused you more than I have helped

 

[kem330]

I can give you cruise point if you give me a time frame. And what category- Range is 228-302/person for Cat 4 ( dlx family stateroom with veranda), 123-179 for cat 11(standard inside) and kids are 53-102 points each (ages 3-17) 18 and over 78-127, under 2: 18 points. Members do all kind of things: Some go 3-4 times /year others go every other year, it depends on what works for you.

 

[Terry S]

You would need 760 points for a Catagory 4 (Deluxe Family Stateroom with Verandah) in the regular season for the 5 of you. There is one season that is a little lower and 2 seasons that are a little higher. Catagory 4 is the highest catagory a DVC member can book on points. Check the www.disneycruise.com website for descriptions of catagories.

On the boards here there is a real variety of how people go, some bank and borrow and go every 3 years some go 4 time a year.

Personally we fell in love with Disney the first time we went, but then the first time we went with our childern it was even more magical so we have decided to go twice a year.

 

[jaybird]

Can you split the bill/ half points half cash?

 

[Terry S]

I beleive from reading these boards that you can split you stay with cash and points, but I don't have any experience doing this.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Terry S
I beleive from reading these boards that you can split you stay with cash and points, but I don't have any experience doing this.

You must pay for at least one adult (per cabin) with points. You can pay cash for the other adults and children. You cannot mix points and cash for the same individual. You book through MS.

Although I am not 100% positive, I believe that the "cash rate" (for mixing cash & points) is not necessarily the DCL cash rate, but a cash rate that DVC negotiates with DCL at the same time it negotiates the point cost.