Multiple home resorts

[onehecticmom]

I need help understanding multiple home resorts. We currently have 2 100 point contracts at SSR, Sept UY. We want to add on but have not decided if we will stick with SSR or get another resort. We would consider WLV, looking at 150 points.

We want to stay at all resorts, so fall within the points is points category, but would like the option of WLV during December & think the 11 mos booking window would be needed. How does that work though? I think it would be easy to alternate visits, but that's not what we want to do.

We want to stay dec 2012. We will be adding on now, so will get 150 points for 2011 & 2012. I would bank my 2011 points, then would need to borrow 2013 points as well. What do I do with my SSR points then? Can I re-allocate my 2012 points at the 7 month window? This would allow me to use 2012 SSR points and then bank my WLV points. Is that how one manages 2 home reorts? Worried we would lose points if we had 2 home resorts.

[Mbarnick]

From what I know, everything you have said makes sense. It depends, however, on how many points you need if there is enough to bank and borrow. Technically, I believe you have to cancel your reservation and then re-book to use your SSR points at 7 months. You would obviously have points left over (either SSR or VWL) if you didn't use them all for December so what to do with them????? - take another trip.

[Goofygrl]

You are not allowed to reallocate your SSR points to any reservation that was made during a home priority booking period. That would be circumventing the home resort priority. You can always try and book a new reservation with your SSR points and cancel the one with your VWL points.

What most people do who own multiple resorts is use banking/borrowing to reserve at one resort one year and then do the same with the other resort the next year or however often you've bought to go to WDW. Or wait to combine points at 7 months and book at whatever resorts are available.

[DVCERSINCEDAY1]

Originally Posted by Goofygrl

You are not allowed to reallocate your SSR points to any reservation that was made during a home priority booking period. That would be circumventing the home resort priority. You can always try and book a new reservation with your SSR points and cancel the one with your VWL points.

What most people do who own multiple resorts is use banking/borrowing to reserve at one resort one year and then do the same with the other resort the next year or however often you've bought to go to WDW. Or wait to combine points at 7 months and book at whatever resorts are available.

this is the score, on the money, etc.

[onehecticmom]

So for someone like me who doesn't care where they stay (at least not yet) doing an add-on at another resort would not be beneficial. It would make it more complicated.
Am I missing something?

[jedwards]

Originally Posted by onehecticmom

So for someone like me who doesn't care where they stay (at least not yet) doing an add-on at another resort would not be beneficial. It would make it more complicated.
Am I missing something?

I own points at BLT and VWL. I bought one direct and one resale. I took alot of MO's advice and made sure the two contracts had the same use year. That was good advice. It hasn't made a difference where my points are, because I use them to stay at different resorts. They are all on the same membership number. You say that you don't care where you stay, so it shouldn't make a difference. The only way it would matter is if you needed the total number of points and needed to book 11 months out, in which case, I would book half at VWL and half at SSR at the 11 month mark. Then at 7 months, try to switch one half over....if you can't, then waitlist it.

[onehecticmom]

I never thought of that... a split stay wouldn't be bad if nothing else became available.
I would do the same use year as well. I don't want to tempt fate, I am bound to screw up somewhere along the lines & lose points. That would be blasphemy

[AnnaS]

WLVs for Christmas might be hard to get at the 7 month window. You can always waitlist of course.

We bought OKW first and later on BCV. There are many times I wish my points were all at the same resort. Easier to book when you need multiple rooms/larger accommodations.

[Mbarnick]

I'm just like jedwards - one resale, one direct, one VWL, one BLT - both with the same UY. Although a tad bit more complicated I like having the two resorts as I like having a choice at 11 months out if I like. I am hoping to do the same thing as OP wants to do - book VWL at 11 months out for Christmas. I used my 11 month window for BLT to book for us and friends for October 2012. Of course it depends on how many points you have at each to do so.
If you truly don't care where you stay, you should go for the cheapest contract with the lowest MFs. But you've started already to do the Disney Dream of specific resorts for specific seasons. You can always say a little prayer for lots of pixie dust at 7 months after making a home resort ressie at 11 months.
I am still new with discovering what we really like at WDW so I think things can change as we learn but whatever you decide, it's WDW, not a bad place to be at any resort.

[bubster]

[quote=Mbarnick;594828]
If you truly don't care where you stay, you should go for the cheapest contract with the lowest MFs.

I am really wanting to add on but am struggling to decide about resorts. Do we REALLY need the 11 month booking window? Right now we own all 310 points at BLT (lowest MFs, highest price). When we bought there were no bargains with resale for BLT and a bonus is that we would love to stay there anytime.

So far we have managed to stay at 5 of the 7 on-property DVC resorts, all but OKW and VWL. Even snagged coveted BCV during opening week of Food & Wine. Proving that at 7 months all points are equal (that, and a little pixie dust). Christmas at VWL could prove to be more difficult. There's always the wait list.

People say that multiple resorts are not hard to manage especially if you have the same UY. Frankly, I think about this stuff WAY too much already and not sure I want to add another wrinkle to it. I think I just talked myself out of adding another resort.