What would you do?

[TexasErin]

So I have mentioned on here that we like to do 10-day Disneyland trips, which allow us a really relaxing vacation and an off-day to go to Griffith Observatory and visit other things. Our wish is to have ten nights in a 1BR VGC.

We have three DVC contracts. BLT and AKV under one member number bought direct. The other is VGC bought resale in 2015 or 2016 with a different member ID and UY (blue card). We usually have one big trip each summer. Our plan when we bought was to alternate resorts each year. So we would bank and borrow and use three year’s worth of points since we have three contracts. Needless to say, the 50 percent booking restriction really threw those plans out the window. Not complaining, since I totally understand.

We just got back on Tuesday from WDW which was originally going to be Disneyland, but with all of the uncertainty with when out-of-state visitors would be allowed, we canceled that many months ago and used those VGC points to stay at Riviera and BRV. We are now seriously wanting to go to Disneyland next summer, even though it should be our AKV year.

So we only have enough points to be able to book five days worth of VGC.

So our options are either:

1) Renting out our AKV points and using that money to book a regular reservation either at VGC or the Disneyland Hotel, which I honestly hate to rent points due to all of the questions you get with potential renters asking for impossible reservations at the last minute or not getting back with you.
2) Booking the last half of the reservation using our VGC points and then trying to get the first half by walking (maybe starting at 8.5 months??)
3) Booking the first half of the reservation using my VGC points and then trying to modify the trip seven months after the reservation starts to add the last five days using our AKV points. And if we are not successful, back to renting out our AKV points and using that money to book a reservation at the Disneyland Hotel.
4) Or making a reservation for a hard to get category at AKV and then trying to rent that reservation out and using that money to book 5 days at the Disneyland Hotel. Again, I hate renting.

Any recommendations? Any other options that I am not seeing or something that I have missed? Any guidance is most appreciated!

 

[jlb727]

That’s tough! I would do #3. To me, it looks like the easiest option for you and the most risk free.

You could try renting the points to someone you know to eliminate some of the risk. We are doing that in October. I’m renting points to a trustworthy friend who I knew loved Disney, and I explained everything about DVC before I booked so she kind of knew not to ask for outrageous, impossible things. I am not charging her what I would get through a rental site, but I know there won’t be any hassle (which is why I asked if she wanted to rent our points when she brought up a post-pandemic Disney trip!) It’s something to think about.

 

[Sandisw]

Option 3 would probably be my choice as well.

 

[TexasErin]

On option #3, would I be able to add all five days at the 7-month mark if it’s available? So for like 8/4/22- 8/14/22 trip, book 8/4-8/9 on 9/4 with VGC points. Then on 1/4/22, modify using my AKV points with a different member number/different UY to add 8/9-8/14? Am I going to be able to modify online using two different member numbers and two different UYs? If so, I like this option because it would give me at least a five day jump at the seven month mark.

 

[Sandisw]

On option #3, would I be able to add all five days at the 7-month mark if it’s available? So for like 8/4/22- 8/14/22 trip, book 8/4-8/9 on 9/4 with VGC points. Then on 1/4/22, modify using my AKV points with a different member number/different UY to add 8/9-8/14? Am I going to be able to modify online using two different member numbers and two different UYs? If so, I like this option because it would give me at least a five day jump at the seven month mark.

The two different UYs mean you can not book one reservation unless you transfer points from one to the other.

If you do that, then you would be able to book together. However, if you want to book at exactly the 11 or 7 month window, you are limited to 7 nights total.

So, if you did transfer the AKV points…which you have to be sure that you can use them for the trip without needing to borrow them as once transferred you can not…you would only be able to add 2 more nights at the 7 month mark with those points.

You would then need to modify and add nightly to get to 10.

If you don’t transfer, then you have to book the extra 5 nights starting the 7 month window for the 9th on the AKV membership, then ask MS to link and note on each it’s a continuous stay over the two memberships so you don’t have to change rooms.

 

[TexasErin]

The two different UYs mean you can not book one reservation unless you transfer points from one to the other.

If you do that, then you would be able to book together. However, if you want to book at exactly the 11 or 7 month window, you are limited to 7 nights total.

So, if you did transfer the AKV points…which you have to be sure that you can use them for the trip without needing to borrow them as once transferred you can not…you would only be able to add 2 more nights at the 7 month mark with those points.

You would then need to modify and add nightly to get to 10.

If you don’t transfer, then you have to book the extra 5 nights starting the 7 month window for the 9th on the AKV membership, then ask MS to link and note on each it’s a continuous stay over the two memberships so you don’t have to change rooms.

So it doesn’t sound like there is any benefit to transferring the points since they retain the seven months. Is that correct? Sorry, but I have never transferred points before. Sorry so many questions....

 

[Sandisw]

So it doesn’t sound like there is any benefit to transferring the points since they retain the seven months. Is that correct? Sorry, but I have never transferred points before. Sorry so many questions....

The only benefit for the transfer is so you can book it with the other points at 7 months (assuming different resorts) and end up with one single reservation. But, there are rules for the transfer and so you have to be strategic.

I have 2 UY's and pretty much never transfer. I simply book different trips on different memberships. If I have trip that is going to use some points from one membership and some from the other, then I just book it that way. For example, last year, I booked one night at BLT on my August membership and one on my December membership. I think just had MS note it.

This has sometimes meant borrowing points for one when I had them on the other, but I'd rather do that (just did that today). But, transferring does not change the points in anyway. They retain the same home resort and the same UY so they have the same use as if they were kept in their own membership.

 

[TexasErin]

The only benefit for the transfer is so you can book it with the other points at 7 months (assuming different resorts) and end up with one single reservation. But, there are rules for the transfer and so you have to be strategic.

I have 2 UY's and pretty much never transfer. I simply book different trips on different memberships. If I have trip that is going to use some points from one membership and some from the other, then I just book it that way. For example, last year, I booked one night at BLT on my August membership and one on my December membership. I think just had MS note it.

This has sometimes meant borrowing points for one when I had them on the other, but I'd rather do that (just did that today). But, transferring does not change the points in anyway. They retain the same home resort and the same UY so they have the same use as if they were kept in their own membership.

I see. So like if I wanted four nights at a non-home resort so I didn’t care about an 11-month booking window and had enough points for 2 nights from one membership and 2 nights from another membership.
I will definitely keep that in mind for the future! We have been booking our resorts much like you describe that you have been doing.