What is a week? and other questions

[jkscpa]

My wife and I are considering becoming members of DVC, and will probably join when we are at WDW in October. I want to go in knowing about how many points I want to purchase.

What is considered a week for the weekly rate? Do the point calculators that I have seen take this into consideration?

If I am buying in late October/early November, what use year can I expect to be offered? Is this negotiable? What is the effect on the bankind deadlines for the first year? Do I need to make the decision to bank almost immediately?

If down the road, I decide to add points, but my home resort is 'sold out' do I add from an open resort, and then do I have two "home resorts." What are the effects on the booking (11/7) windows?

Thanks from a newbie, and I hope to be hearing "Welcome Home" real soon.

 

[Doctor P]

There is not a weekly rate, per se. You just add up the points for each individual night you stay. So the weekly rate is the sum of the points for seven nights including a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. There is no specified night on which you need to start or end your DVC stay, whether it is a week long or some other length of stay. This flexibility is one of the selling points of DVC. Good luck!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Basically, a week is 7 consecutive nights. Friday and Saturday nights "cost" more points than Sunday thru Thursday nights. A week in a 2 bedroom at BCV would be 270 points during adventure season (least points neede) and 462 points during premier season (most points needed). Decide which size unit you are most likely to stay in, which resort and what time of year. Plan your point purchase accordingly. We started with 230 OKW points and added on another 150 a year later. We like OKW best, and like the lower point schedule there. If you have not stayed at any of the DVC resorts, I reccomend you tour each before making that decision. Resales are avaliable for all the resorts no longer for sale by Disney.

BTW, since you will probably travel only once per year, most of us stay for longer than a week. We looked at it as a week at a time, but in reality, we usually stay for 10 nights.

 

[drusba]

[What is considered a week for the weekly rate? Do the point calculators that I have seen take this into consideration?

Go to the following to see point charts for the year http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/dvc/7_DVCCharts/pointcharts.htm (Note the site does not have the BCV points up yet but they are exactly the same as VWL.) You use points to go whatever part of the year or week you want -- some seasons are higher than others and Fri and Sat nights are higher than the rest of the week. Points needed for any night do not change from year to year except that the higher Easter and Thanksgiving seasons change dates each year.

If I am buying in late October/early November, what use year can I expect to be offered? Is this negotiable? What is the effect on the bankind deadlines for the first year? Do I need to make the decision to bank almost immediately?

In October/November they likely will be selling a June and possibly August use year (there is no July). You can get other month. But be aware that your use year has nothing to do with when you can go (which is any time of year) or when you can call to reserve (always up to 11 months in advance at home DVC resort and 7 at others). Use year does determine your banking dates. To bank all points from one use year into the next you need to do so by the end of the 6th month of your use year (after that you can still bank some by certain dates but not all).


If down the road, I decide to add points, but my home resort is 'sold out' do I add from an open resort, and then do I have two "home resorts." What are the effects on the booking (11/7) windows?


If the resort and your use year is sold out you cannot add on through Disney although there is a resale market. If another resort is being sold you can add-on there but for reservation window, points are particular to resort. For example if you have 150 at BCV and 100 at OKW, then at BCV you can only use the 150 at 11 months out to reserve and at OKW only the 100 to reserve 11 months out; you cannot combine both to make a ressie 11 months out at one resort. At 7 months out all points are usable for ressies at any resort.