Buying more points... ?

[I take the Ferry]

Can someone give me an overview of the process of buying additional points? Some specific questions:

What resorts still offer the opportunity to add points?

Is there a discount? If so, how much?

Can you add points at a resort other than your home resort?

Thanks for you help!
I take the Ferry!

[DVC Mike]

What resorts still offer the opportunity to add points?

You can add-on points at any DVC resort. Sometimes DVC may not have the points immediately available and you'll have to go on a waitlist. If they are available, the points are usually in your account that same day.

Is there a discount? If so, how much?

DVC typically provides discounts only on the resorts they are currently marketing.

Can you add points at a resort other than your home resort?

Of course!

[I take the Ferry]

DVC typically provides discounts only on the resorts they are currently marketing.

Anyone know what kind of discount they typically offer? Like, percentage-wise?

Sorry for all the qq's... just trying to make the big decision!!

[andywicks]

Can you add points at a resort other than your home resort?

I think that you need to know that If you buy points at a second resort, you will then have two different and completely separate "home" DVC resorts AND the points accounts are managed as such by DVC (though obviously under your one DVC membership account.)

For example, if you had 100 points at VWL and 100 points at VAKL and you wanted to book a stay costing 150 points at VAKL, you could not book this 11 months out using your current use year points from both of your home DVC resorts. Options would be:

1. If you had 50 VAKL points banked you could book 11 months out
2. or borrow 50 VAKL points from the next year (once they are borrowed you can't put them back and swap for the VWL points!)
3. or wait until just 7 months out and use any of your current use year points
4. or if feasible, book smaller accommodation for your party for the correct length of stay using your <100 VAKL. This secures a resort stay at least and you can then try to upgrade to the accomodation that you reallly want at 7 months out using your current use year points from VWL

I do think with so many Saratoga owners apparently now looking to try stays at other resorts, you really do need to buy where you want to stay now. We always book at 09:00 on the first eligible booking day for any stay and I suspect that there wil be many other DVC'ers that do this and Saratoga owners phoning on that first eligible day, 7 months out! (BTW, I am staying at Saratoga at Christmas and I am not criticising the place!)

Another example is that we have never been able to get a booking at the Beach Club Villas trying 7 months out as this not our home resort and it is very popular!

My suggestions are:

1. Buy points with the same "use year" (i.e starting month) as this makes it easier to manage and plan
2. Buy only where you want to stay - so that you can book this 11 months out
3. if you are happy with you current home resort and want mostly to stay there, then get waitlisted for more points at the same resort with the same starting month - these will become available at some point on resale through DVC and this will make planning and booking much simpler!
4. Either talk to your appointed DVC (SALES!) 'representative' and get on a waitlist or try external resales, I have not bought outside DVC directly yet but there is a thread on Intercot talking about any potential pitfalls.
5. If you are buying from Disney and not at the Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge - I'd ask them what sort of deal you can get? In times of recession they get more desperate and may be able to offer something - "if you don't ask - you don't get!"
6. We bought 120 more points at VAKL a few weeks ago and the offer was: I think $8 per point discount on purchase price per point and if you buy over 100 points we got some money on a pre-loaded Visa card ($500?) and also we got addition equivalent (120) "bonus / incentive" points for use in the first year only - that can only be used at Saratoga Springs or the Disney Cruise (+ one other??)

I do hope that this is helpful and doesn't cause greater confusion! I also hope that you or a loved one is good with spreadsheets because this really helps to when you are trying to keep track of points at multiple home resorts!

I am no expert but feel free to private message me if I can help you any more!

[I take the Ferry]

Awesome! Thanks for answering questions that I didn't even know to ask!!