Thought process

[Tiger 1057]

I now have a cognitive impairment which affects my short term memory and what I refer to as issues with my thoughts process where I don’t always consider all the options and issues. I would be grateful if someone could take a look at what I am considering.
I intend purchasing a DVC resale contract at SSR. Ideally I need at least 300 points for the type of stay that we would like. However I was considering buying a contract around 150 points at SSR and then buying a contract of about 150 points at AKV with a same use year. My thoughts are then I have twO Home resorts for the 11 month booking period. I realise there is a difference in dues but I may fancy the treehouse villas or concierge at AKV one year. Eventually I would probably add a 75 point direct contract purely for the merchant, TIW and ticket discounts.
All opinions greatly received and I realise it is I who makes the final decision.

[MrsBrown]

Do you know that you can only use the points linked to the home resort at 11 months so could only use 150 points at 11 months then have to wait until 7 months to book using remainder 150 points?

[Tiger 1057]

There is an example of my memory. I did know that but totally forgot about it. I take it I could book both at 11 months and have a split stay?

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by Tiger 1057

There is an example of my memory. I did know that but totally forgot about it. I take it I could book both at 11 months and have a split stay?

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Absolutely yes. Also, you could bank and borrow to access more than one year's worth of 11 month's home advantage in one go.

[Tiger 1057]

Thank you for that useful tip. I hadn’t even considered that. Use as alternate years if we don’t fancy a split stay.

[YorkshireT]

Buying at two different resorts to always use combined points can be a bad idea- if you ever wanted to travel in peak DVC times- Sept to first week in Jan, you would possibly need to book at 11 months. Not a deal breaker though as you could book a split stay.
So we have more of an idea of your objectives, please answer the following:

1) What type of room are you after.
2) When do you envisage staying.
3) For how long?

[Tiger 1057]

@YorkshireT
Thank you or taking the time to reply. To answer your questions we ideally like to stay Nov/Dec excluding Thanksgiving. The room type would depend upon who was travelling but I suspect a 1 bed villa would be the norm and our usual length of stay is just two weeks.
I realise the number of points required is dependent on all three of those factors and for the moment I would just like to buy enough to get by on to see how I manage.
Kind regards

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by Tiger 1057

@YorkshireT
Thank you or taking the time to reply. To answer your questions we ideally like to stay Nov/Dec excluding Thanksgiving. The room type would depend upon who was travelling but I suspect a 1 bed villa would be the norm and our usual length of stay is just two weeks.
I realise the number of points required is dependent on all three of those factors and for the moment I would just like to buy enough to get by on to see how I manage.
Kind regards

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Ok, November and December are peak DVC times. Thus the usual advice is buy where you want to stay at that time of year as to be certain of booking you have to be booking 11 months out. That is 100% the case for a studio, the good news is that you want a 1 bed which has much better availability. I have looked now, for November. Virtually every resort has gone for the 9th, but plenty are available for the 10th onwards in 1 beds This means the first day is likely go bang on 7 months- and you would need to be on booking at 8am ET to secure a 1 bed anywhere but SSR and OKW which do not go immediately.
Please be aware the 1 bed availability today is not necessarily what it will be in a year or 2 years. I would be very confident that in non peak DVC times being able to book 1 beds no problem at 7 months for the foreseeable future. At peak season it may not be possible, or not possible for the future. However, we haven't so far seen 1 bed demand go up like it has for studios- I think because of the DVC price, more people only buy enough points for studios now, putting ever increasing demand on them.
So what does this mean? Well buying two resorts may mean making 2 bookings and having a split stay- but that may be a good thing. Alternatively at the moment you 'may' be able to transfer your Saratoga booking to AKV (Kidani probably) bang on 7 months. You will likely always for the foreseeable future be able to transfer your AKV booking to SSR bang on 7 months because SSR shows no sign yet of disappearing bang on 7 months.
The alternative would be to bank or borrow each resort every year. For example if you are starting off with full points for both resorts in 2019, borrow AKV points from 2020 into 2019 and book AKV on 11 months in 2019. Bank the 2019 SSR points into 2020 and book SSR at 11 months in 2020- rinse and repeat.
As stated though, you may not be even limited to just these two in a 1 bed. As I say, there is possibly availability at the moment bang on 7 months so you may be able to get various resorts (book home resorts at 11 then transfer at 7 months using two browser method- which you would have to use google it). It is just at that time of year it is much tighter and I cannot say it will be possible for the foreseeable future or even definitely possible now. As stated though travel outside non peak periods in a 1 bed and my advice every time is just buy SSR as you can book anywhere at 7 months (I know I am like a stuck record on that one, but it is true).
So you can make 2 resorts work no problem utilising the above methods and you may get lucky in any given year and getting a 1 bed at Boardwalk etc if you ever wish to stay there or transferring your SSR booking to AKV.

As an aside I wouldn't worry about TIW in your thought process at the moment. Unless you drink a lot you will never make it pay in 2 weeks as it is only really 10% off food as with a DVC discount you would get buying direct, you would get 10% off most places anyway.

I have heard numerous reports of white card holders calling up TIW and asking for it to be delivered and some even picking it up, and them not insisting on a blue card for TIW, but not sure if that is because you don't really need a blue card, or because of mistakes.

[Tiger 1057]

@YorkshireT
Thank you very much indeed for the very detailed strategy and th thoughts behind it. I really am very grateful. I feel quite confident now as to the way forward and I will keep your post as a reference when the brain goes hazy.
In the past I have made decisions and five minutes later I realise that I have made a mistake because I didn’t consider all my options because I couldn’t remember some of the necessary detail 😂
Once again thank you so much for putting the time and effort in to answer my question so thoroughly.

[Tiger 1057]

Thanks everyone for your input. I had an offer on a contract ar SSR accepted last night. Just have to wait for some paperwork then off to ROFR we go

Just a little edit for an update. I received an email today stating that the contract has been sent to Disney for ROFR.
From what I have been reading SSR and AKV appear to be the contracts most snapped up by Disney recently but I’m not too concerned as there are more from where this one came from