"Alternative to Banking"

[nezy]

I just read my new Member Guide Book and I read something re; an alternative to banking points that involves "depositing" the points to use at a World Passport Resort for 2 yrs. Does anyone know the inns and outs of this and is it a good idea. I guess it would be if you absolutley know you will not use your points for a while.

Can you bank 2 yrs. in a row to book 2 weeks somewhere?
How far ahead can you make the ressie for the WP Resort w/ thse points?
Is this new, because I am not at all familiar w/ this alternative.
Thank you for anything you know.

 

[Doctor P]

Actually, if I understand it correctly, you actually bank an actual reserved week at one of the DVC resorts and then have up to two years to find an exchange at a World Passport destination--you are putting the week into the II system before you have actually found an acceptable exchange (rather than putting the week in after DVC has found you an exchange).

 

[Doctor P]

I might add that the advantage to this is that you can, with proper planning, use points that are going to expire for this option. You are not really banking the points, but rather using them for a reservation that gives you a "credit" in the exchange system, if you will.

 

[Dean]

It's a great option but only for those that understand the exchange system thoroughly. For example, if you deposit HH off time, you will not get a prime area/time of year. You therefore must guage your deposit based on what you want to use it for. OTOH, you could deposit HH studio off season for 55 points and use it at the 60 day window for any resort in the system.

 

[ng6ny]

According to the member guidebook on page 163 regarding regular deposits, it states "You may deposit your Disney Vacation Club Resort accommodation (one-bedroom or two-bedroom/seven-night stay) into the Interval International system..."

It doesn't look like member services will let you pre-deposit a studio.

Last year, I did read about a DVC member who exchanged into a Four Seasons Aviara lockoff for 55 points which is the equivalent of a HH studio during low season. But that was not a pre-deposit from what I gather.

 

[Dean]

You should know that the studio exchange option was added much later, I think it was in 1998 or so. It was the same time as they started giving up the cheapest week instead of the home resort. I'm pretty sure they'll let you deposit a studio but your options will be much less if you do so. As I hinted, one must understand the full extent of the system before depositing. One must know what is expected in return before you decide about a deposit. I'd deposit much differently for a January HH exchange than I would a Xmas Cancun exchange.