When to purchase

[lumberman]

I am planning on purchasing the 160 pts. at either Saratoga or Animal Kingdom and have been reading posts regarding timing and I am hoping to get some clearification and advice.

Why do you care what month you get? Sept/ March?

Also I see everyone talks about 11 months and 7 months for looking for reservations? Is that how long you need to? Is it just a rule of thumb or can you do it on the "fly"? Especially for us driving is not an option and air fares can make or break a trip.

Please advise. Thanks to all on this board since it has made the decision to purchase a lot easier.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

Good Questions.

1. Your UY (Use Year) is two things, it determines when each year you get that years points allocation. The second has to do with other legal things associated with this purchase and property agreement, but doesn't really affect your usage of points. People care as they want to make sure they have points available when they are most likely going to be making reservations. Some don't care at all, its a personal thing.

2. The 11 Month window applies to your chosen home resort. So, if you buy at SSR, that is your home resort. You can then only book at SSR from 11 months out to 7 months out. So, if you want to come to disney for say Xmas, then you have to make sure two things. That in January of that year you have enough points and second you can only book that stay at SSR. So, if you say want to do Xmas at BCV one year and your home resort is SSR, then you won't be able to book that until 7 months out from Xmas. Once you are within 7 months, from your check out date, you can begin to book at any DVC resort, including your home resort. So, obviously the peak times almost require you to book 11 months out, so you want to choose a home resort based on the fact you will likely be staying their for any of your peak reservation requests. If you travel off-peak, then its not as much of an option as there is usually availability for rooms to book almost any time, but never guaranteed.

When we just bought, I wanted this years points and fairly quickly wanted to be getting next years points, so I was looking for a Feb/Mar UY. The deal opened up at AK for Feb UY, I got this years points, plus double developer points and on Feb 1, 2008, I'll get next years points, so it worked out great for me.

Good Luck.

 

[tinapomp]

Question for you scottakamickey - How recently did you purchase your DVC membership and get the developer points? Because my husband and I are looking into getting a membership and the DVC person just called us today and said the developer points aren't being offered. We can get $8 off of SSR or $10 off at AKL (per point).

Thanks!

 

[ScottakaMickey]

Question for you scottakamickey - How recently did you purchase your DVC membership and get the developer points? Because my husband and I are looking into getting a membership and the DVC person just called us today and said the developer points aren't being offered. We can get $8 off of SSR or $10 off at AKL (per point).

Thanks!

We purchased our AKV membership on Saturday July 14th 2007. So, it sounds like the promotion was stopped. However, I would push back and make sure as I saw in another post that the developer point option seems to get discouraged, even the QA person on my contract asked if I was sure I wouldn't rather have the cash discount. You might find it is still available. I also saw on another thread that people bought after me last week and got the double points.

Good Luck.

 

[tinapomp]

^ That's interesting. Ok thanks scott and thanks for the tip!

 

[Mtnman44]

I may be mis-reading your post, but it sounded like you were saying that UY may affect whether or not points are available for a particular reservation time. This is not correct. Points will be available for a member with any UY for a reservation at any time. UY will only determine from what year the points are drawn but will not affect the member's ability to book the reservation. Only the 11 and 7 month windows affect that.

Good Questions.

1. Your UY (Use Year) is two things, it determines when each year you get that years points allocation. The second has to do with other legal things associated with this purchase and property agreement, but doesn't really affect your usage of points. People care as they want to make sure they have points available when they are most likely going to be making reservations. Some don't care at all, its a personal thing.

2. The 11 Month window applies to your chosen home resort. So, if you buy at SSR, that is your home resort. You can then only book at SSR from 11 months out to 7 months out. So, if you want to come to disney for say Xmas, then you have to make sure two things. That in January of that year you have enough points and second you can only book that stay at SSR. So, if you say want to do Xmas at BCV one year and your home resort is SSR, then you won't be able to book that until 7 months out from Xmas. Once you are within 7 months, from your check out date, you can begin to book at any DVC resort, including your home resort. So, obviously the peak times almost require you to book 11 months out, so you want to choose a home resort based on the fact you will likely be staying their for any of your peak reservation requests. If you travel off-peak, then its not as much of an option as there is usually availability for rooms to book almost any time, but never guaranteed.

When we just bought, I wanted this years points and fairly quickly wanted to be getting next years points, so I was looking for a Feb/Mar UY. The deal opened up at AK for Feb UY, I got this years points, plus double developer points and on Feb 1, 2008, I'll get next years points, so it worked out great for me.

Good Luck.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

I may be mis-reading your post, but it sounded like you were saying that UY may affect whether or not points are available for a particular reservation time. This is not correct. Points will be available for a member with any UY for a reservation at any time. UY will only determine from what year the points are drawn but will not affect the member's ability to book the reservation. Only the 11 and 7 month windows affect that.

Yea, I didn't mean to imply that, but it is certainly a view point of this whole thing that can come into play. Ultimately its how you consider your points. You can pretty much make a reservation any time, but the end result may mean you need to borrow from a year to make the reservation even though that reservation is in the next year. Here is my example. I am in 2007, all of my points are gone for this year. My UY is Feb. So, on Feb 1, 2008 I get my points. But, as I understand it. If I want to make a reservation, say May of 2008 and I want to do that now at my home resort. And the reservation needs, say 100 points. When I make the reservation today, the system will borrow the 100 points into 2007 to secure the reservation, even though the reservation is actually in my 2008 UY. Now, again as I understand it, if I then cancel that reservation, those 100 borrowed points are now in 2007 and have to be used. Or do they return to the UY they came from. Not sure. I am actually going through this right now and MS wasn't clear what was going to happen to the points I borrowed. So, I agree with your comment, but its a very grey area depending on perspective, IMHO.

 

[Mtnman44]

That is not correct. If you make a reservation for May '08 and you have a Feb UY, that means the reservation is in your '08 use year and thus will use '08 points. Even though you are actually calling and booking the reservation in your '07 use year, this really doesn't matter. A reservation in the '08 use year, uses '08 points period. A cancellation would return those points to the '08 use year. Now, If you need more points for the reservation, you may have to either bank '07 points or borrow '09 which would make them '08 points.

Use Year has nothing to do with making reservations.

Yea, I didn't mean to imply that, but it is certainly a view point of this whole thing that can come into play. Ultimately its how you consider your points. You can pretty much make a reservation any time, but the end result may mean you need to borrow from a year to make the reservation even though that reservation is in the next year. Here is my example. I am in 2007, all of my points are gone for this year. My UY is Feb. So, on Feb 1, 2008 I get my points. But, as I understand it. If I want to make a reservation, say May of 2008 and I want to do that now at my home resort. And the reservation needs, say 100 points. When I make the reservation today, the system will borrow the 100 points into 2007 to secure the reservation, even though the reservation is actually in my 2008 UY. Now, again as I understand it, if I then cancel that reservation, those 100 borrowed points are now in 2007 and have to be used. Or do they return to the UY they came from. Not sure. I am actually going through this right now and MS wasn't clear what was going to happen to the points I borrowed. So, I agree with your comment, but its a very grey area depending on perspective, IMHO.

 

[dunkie7557]

Was down at WDW this past weekend. SS is at Feb UY which is a good deal as you get those back points. AK was at March UY but expected to go to april or more. There still was developer double point incentives. Disney always has the rights to change month to month the incentives. they can get better or worse depending upon what you are looking for. By the way the SS incentive is $10.00per point and the AK is $8.00. Dues higher in AK too and rumor is that complex will have higher maintenance in general due to the animals and their upkeep expense of them and the grounds. Be aware that there will be at least 2 more years of active construction there so it is noisy and dirty in the area they are building and it is a very large area. SS is much more centrally located much more open, bright and airy. I think much more family orientated too.

 

[fletch1027]

Was down at WDW this past weekend. SS is at Feb UY which is a good deal as you get those back points. AK was at March UY but expected to go to april or more. There still was developer double point incentives. Disney always has the rights to change month to month the incentives. they can get better or worse depending upon what you are looking for. By the way the SS incentive is $10.00per point and the AK is $8.00. Dues higher in AK too and rumor is that complex will have higher maintenance in general due to the animals and their upkeep expense of them and the grounds. Be aware that there will be at least 2 more years of active construction there so it is noisy and dirty in the area they are building and it is a very large area. SS is much more centrally located much more open, bright and airy. I think much more family orientated too.

I was just on the phone with my sales person. We have not bought yet, as I was having him answer several questions that I had. Anyway, the UY for SS is currently Feb, and the UY for AKL has indeed bumped to April. As of this afternoon, the developer point deal is still in effect.

Barring any huge developments, we plan to buy at SS and go the developer point option as opposed to the per point discount...

 

[ScottakaMickey]

That is not correct. If you make a reservation for May '08 and you have a Feb UY, that means the reservation is in your '08 use year and thus will use '08 points. Even though you are actually calling and booking the reservation in your '07 use year, this really doesn't matter. A reservation in the '08 use year, uses '08 points period. A cancellation would return those points to the '08 use year. Now, If you need more points for the reservation, you may have to either bank '07 points or borrow '09 which would make them '08 points.

Use Year has nothing to do with making reservations.

Let me try a slightly different example. 50 points left in my 07 UY, which is Feb. I want to make a reservation in Feb 3 to 9. This reservation requires 60 points, just an example. MS says that I will need to borrow 10 points from my 08 UY to make this reservation. I make the reservation and it completes in the system. I then call back a week later and cancel that reservation. My 50 points return to 07 UY for use and the 10 points I just borrowed are now in 07 as borrowed points can't be returned. This is the grey area that I was referring too.

 

[dunkie7557]

As of today July 24th, disney has extended the develop double points use to one year! Previously it had to be used by 7 months.

Remember every complex will have higher dues each year adjusted for inflation. But AK will be hit the hardest as the upkeep there will be more due to the cost of the animal upkeep. Now for some people who have extra money and don't have that worry, it won't matter what the cost of the dues is.

 

[Mtnman44]

You've got it backwards. If you have a Feb UY and you want to make a reservation for next Feb 3 - 9, that will be in your 2008 UY and will need 2008 points. IF you want to use your 2007 points for that reservation AND assuming you are within the banking deadlines, you can BANK your 50 '07 points into your '08 use year and apply those to the reservation.

Let me try a slightly different example. 50 points left in my 07 UY, which is Feb. I want to make a reservation in Feb 3 to 9. This reservation requires 60 points, just an example. MS says that I will need to borrow 10 points from my 08 UY to make this reservation. I make the reservation and it completes in the system. I then call back a week later and cancel that reservation. My 50 points return to 07 UY for use and the 10 points I just borrowed are now in 07 as borrowed points can't be returned. This is the grey area that I was referring too.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

You've got it backwards. If you have a Feb UY and you want to make a reservation for next Feb 3 - 9, that will be in your 2008 UY and will need 2008 points. IF you want to use your 2007 points for that reservation AND assuming you are within the banking deadlines, you can BANK your 50 '07 points into your '08 use year and apply those to the reservation.

I think we may need to start our own thread.

If I have it backwards, then so does Disney as I just did that very thing and they borrowed points from 08 to move them into this year, so that I can book a reservation. So, it appears to me that it does have to do with both what points you currently have available and when you make your reservation. They were very clear that I was using current year points and borrowing from 08 for the needed balance. The transaction hasn't finalized just yet as there are some developer points thrown in this, but that is what Disney said. So, they are either missing the fact that my UY is Feb and should be telling me that I need to bank my current year points to complete the reservation, but two agents both said that I had to borrow from next year to complete the reservation even though that reservation was after my Feb 1, 2008 UY of points coming.

 

[Mtnman44]

There was some mis communication somewhere as you don't need ANY 2007 points to make a reservation for a stay in your 2008 use year. For example I have NO 2006 points available right now (OCT Use Year). If I wanted to call right now and book a stay for after OCT this year (my 2007 use year), I would NOT have to borrow any points into my current use year (2006).

Are you sure they are not having you bank current year points into next year for the reservation? Now that would make sense.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

The mis-communication was my fault. I changed the scenario mid way through our conversation, but I do think there is still a gap in understanding exactly how this should be handled.

All I know at this point is the MS CM, two of them as I had to make the reservation twice, told me that they had to borrow 4 points to complete my reservation. I am going to post my scenario as main topic to see if others will comment.