Yes, I understand the risks of banking, but this change of plans was not our fault.

[disneygrandma]

There have been so many similar posts on here. I read thru them and get both depressed and defensive. When we bought in to DVC, our WDW vacation month of choice was Sept. However, at that time, our oldest grandchild was only 7 yrs old. Now that our grandchildren are in college and high school, we can no longer travel in Sept due to school sports, all of the different school schedules, after school jobs, etc. So we've had to switch to summer vacations, which require more points than Sept. At the same time, we also need larger accommodations due to the larger number of grandchildren. That also requires more points.

With all of these extra points needed, we now have to bank and borrow. So yes, we do have to travel in the last 4 months of our UY. This Memorial week-end 2020 trip was planned a couple of years ago, and points were banked to make it happen. Our ideal villas were booked, good FP's made, airfare purchased, etc. Christmas gifts involved premium MagicBands, Disney gift cards, Disney shirts, etc.

Then along comes Covid 19. Part of the family is adamant about keeping our plans intact, while the other half is thinking this trip won't happen. We all want this trip to play out just like we planned. So what do we do? We've missed one banking deadline already for an add-on membership, and now our next banking deadline is coming up on April 30th. That membership holds the majority of points. But will we know for sure by April 30th that the parks won't be open? Our fear is that we will cancel and then find out later that WDW opens by Memorial Day and our trip would have happened.

I know there are rules about banking. I know there are rules about borrowing. I know there are rules about vacation club procedures. But I want DVC to come up with a plan to help us out. I would like our April 30th deadline pushed back so I know for sure whether or not a May 24th trip will happen or not. If this trip doesn't happen, I would like future use of all of our points that we stand to lose because of no fault of our own. If we can't use all of our points with DVC, then I would like to be able to use them with other WDW resorts. If we don't get our points back, we've not only lost a great deal of money, but we won't be able to have our next WDW trip for another 2-3 years while we build the points back up again.

We've prepaid for our Disney vacations by paying our yearly MF's. We've invested in Disney with our loyalty as well as our wallet. We're asking Disney to make an exception here and give DVC the same 7 day cancellation, full refund (points), that cash customers are receiving during this pandemic.

Yes, we all know the rules, but during this pandemic, exceptions should be made. Disney is a big company. Disney has the means to make this happen.

 

[zumfelde]

There have been so many similar posts on here. I read thru them and get both depressed and defensive. When we bought in to DVC, our WDW vacation month of choice was Sept. However, at that time, our oldest grandchild was only 7 yrs old. Now that our grandchildren are in college and high school, we can no longer travel in Sept due to school sports, all of the different school schedules, after school jobs, etc. So we've had to switch to summer vacations, which require more points than Sept. At the same time, we also need larger accommodations due to the larger number of grandchildren. That also requires more points.

With all of these extra points needed, we now have to bank and borrow. So yes, we do have to travel in the last 4 months of our UY. This Memorial week-end 2020 trip was planned a couple of years ago, and points were banked to make it happen. Our ideal villas were booked, good FP's made, airfare purchased, etc. Christmas gifts involved premium MagicBands, Disney gift cards, Disney shirts, etc.

Then along comes Covid 19. Part of the family is adamant about keeping our plans intact, while the other half is thinking this trip won't happen. We all want this trip to play out just like we planned. So what do we do? We've missed one banking deadline already for an add-on membership, and now our next banking deadline is coming up on April 30th. That membership holds the majority of points. But will we know for sure by April 30th that the parks won't be open? Our fear is that we will cancel and then find out later that WDW opens by Memorial Day and our trip would have happened.

I know there are rules about banking. I know there are rules about borrowing. I know there are rules about vacation club procedures. But I want DVC to come up with a plan to help us out. I would like our April 30th deadline pushed back so I know for sure whether or not a May 24th trip will happen or not. If this trip doesn't happen, I would like future use of all of our points that we stand to lose because of no fault of our own. If we can't use all of our points with DVC, then I would like to be able to use them with other WDW resorts. If we don't get our points back, we've not only lost a great deal of money, but we won't be able to have our next WDW trip for another 2-3 years while we build the points back up again.

We've prepaid for our Disney vacations by paying our yearly MF's. We've invested in Disney with our loyalty as well as our wallet. We're asking Disney to make an exception here and give DVC the same 7 day cancellation, full refund (points), that cash customers are receiving during this pandemic.

Yes, we all know the rules, but during this pandemic, exceptions should be made. Disney is a big company. Disney has the means to make this happen.

I had a May trip planned and then banked my leftover points. Now rescheduled to July and needed some of those points because points needed are higher in July. DVC refused to let me un bank those points that I needed. They expect us to bank before even knowing when the shutdown will be over. Just not right.

 

[DebbieB]

I had a May trip planned and then banked my leftover points. Now rescheduled to July and needed some of those points because points needed are higher in July. DVC refused to let me un bank those points that I needed. They expect us to bank before even knowing when the shutdown will be over. Just not right.

Can’t you borrow 2020 or 2021 (depending on use year).

 

[Darklord77]

I'm with you on this one. However, some people will try to tell you this is your fault for using your points late in the use year. They probably will say you should have been aware something like a global pandemic would happen. You obviously should have used your points within the first 3 weeks of the use year in the very likely event a global catastrophe took place. You should have saw this coming! I mean everyone saw this pandemic coming and no one should have made reservations March 2020 - sometime in 2022.

 

[Cyberc1978]

You are in a hard spot and I know that it’s not easy not knowing If you are going or not.

I dont think parks or resorts will be reopen by May 24th. Even if they are open do you really want to go? I‘d cancel and bank whatever Points you can.

Remember that Disney and DVC are not the same. DVC is a timeshare nothing more nothing less. Disney rent out cash rooms DVC don’t.

The corona virus is not your fault but nor is it DVC. DVC have to follow the rules and laws regarding timeshares. When you bought a timeshare you accepted certain risks this is one of them.

im sorry this is happening but remember even if you are not going this year you will return to Disney for years and years to come.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I'm with you on this one. However, some people will try to tell you this is your fault for using your points late in the use year. They probably will say you should have been aware something like a global pandemic would happen. You obviously should have used your points within the first 3 weeks of the use year in the very likely event a global catastrophe took place. You should have saw this coming! I mean everyone saw this pandemic coming and no one should have made reservations March 2020 - sometime in 2022.

a good use of your points means not using them after banking deadline as that gives you little time to reschedule or bank.

of course no one could foresee a pandemic but EVERYONE knew that if you needs to cancel for any reason Less than 4 months prior to points expiration then you have a very little time to reschedule. With that in mind me and a lot of others decided to not care about the risk and booked anyway.

In the years to come picking a UY which fits your travel habits will become even more important than ever. If you have a UY which is not the most optimal for your travel habits you might need to get a new or change your habits.

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm usually an optimist. We had an early June trip, with an August use year. On March 30, I banked all points, cancelling the trip. We live in Virginia, and our state has restrictions in place til June 10. I predict the earliest Busch Gardens or Kings Dominion could open is 2 weeks later. And that is probably very optimistic. I worked at KD all through high school and college. I remember how long hiring/training took. Now WDW doesn't have those issues, because they are year round. But I'm hesitant about any large venues being able to open before July. And I love theme parks, zoos, the beach, baseball, the Y, swimming pools etc. We visit them all summer.

I think you need to plan on having to bank. And I really hate to say this, but at some point the system will be overloaded with so many people banking.

 

[starry_solo]

Cancel and bank.

 

[Sandisw]

I do think by the end of April we will have a better idea of opening. Universal just announced closing through May 31st.

I also think by then we will have more information from DVC in terms of whether or not they have come to solutions for those with banked points or beyond their banking window.

 

[LAX]

You are in a hard spot and I know that it’s not easy not knowing If you are going or not.

I dont think parks or resorts will be reopen by May 24th. Even if they are open do you really want to go? I‘d cancel and bank whatever Points you can.

Remember that Disney and DVC are not the same. DVC is a timeshare nothing more nothing less. Disney rent out cash rooms DVC don’t.

The corona virus is not your fault but nor is it DVC. DVC have to follow the rules and laws regarding timeshares. When you bought a timeshare you accepted certain risks this is one of them.

im sorry this is happening but remember even if you are not going this year you will return to Disney for years and years to come.

I know I am going to get flamed for this. It's not anyone's fault, so who should be taking the losses? If you don't have comprehensive coverage on your car and a hail storm damages it, who is going to compensate you? If your house is rendered uninhabitable for some odd reason that's somehow not covered by your home insurance policy, who is going to compensate you? I am not even talking about taking risks in general by traveling late in UY using banked points. It's more about running into bad luck and having to deal with the consequences. Of course, if a resort is closed after it's burned down because of some poor electrical wiring that DVD had neglected to rectify, sure it should reimburse or reaccommodate you at its expense.

Maybe it's just me, but I would not expect others to compensate me for my misfortunes when it's also out of their control although I would be very grateful if they are able to extend some assistance as a gesture of goodwill/generosity.

LAX

 

[CastAStone]

And I really hate to say this, but at some point the system will be overloaded with so many people banking.

They have some levers they can pull to prevent this if the closure is a couple months. But one of them - probably the biggest one - is expiring unused points.

If it’s 6 months there’s nothing they can do to catch people up short of like buying Floridays or Grand Cypress Villas. Which come to think of it isn’t the worst idea.

 

[Bullseye]

We canceled May trip for October even though our youngest will be starting college this fall. Normally we wouldn't travel during school year either, but May trip was a graduation trip and a huge disappointment to cancel. I find it hard to believe that teachers/schools aren't going show some compassion (for a while anyway) regarding students missing classes after everything the world has been through when this thing finally ends. If WDW is still closed in October, then I will lose the points and just have to bite the bullet as my banking deadline will be long past
OP, wait until the end of April and if it isn't looking good, cancel and bank.

 

[Matty B13]

I wonder if DVC would ever let owners change their UY month on an annual bases to let you change it to one that lets you better manage your points? They already let themselves break up the points in contracts they ROFR now. I understand the UY is stated in our deeds, but is there a reason that they couldn’t let owners do this?

 

[ivanp91]

I wonder if DVC would ever let owners change their UY month on an annual bases to let you change it to one that lets you better manage your points? They already let themselves break up the points in contracts they ROFR now. I understand the UY is stated in our deeds, but is there a reason that they couldn’t let owners do this?

How would something like this work in practice though? So, if someone says "I want an April use year for 2020, but an August use year for 2021"... does that mean that their April 2020 points are valid for 16 months, through to August 2021 (which will become an easy way for people to rort the system and extend how long their points are valid for), or does it mean they simply have a 4 month break between April and August 2021 wherein no reservations can be made (which could create issues with dues as that is a quarter of a calendar year in which the membership isn't technically valid)? Additionally, it would create a variety of problems with banking and borrowing due to either overlapping use years or extended gaps between. It just isn't feasible.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I wonder if DVC would ever let owners change their UY month on an annual bases to let you change it to one that lets you better manage your points? They already let themselves break up the points in contracts they ROFR now. I understand the UY is stated in our deeds, but is there a reason that they couldn’t let owners do this?

It is my understanding that there are only a certain number of points available per UY.

 

[ColonialMouse]

We’re also September UY. There’s no perfect UY. We’ve gone in Sept/Oct (not as much with kids now entering HS), December/January, March, June, August. Some of those would always be in the last 4 months.

We had a vacation booked for March 21 this year. Obviously that’s gone. At this point we have booked a vacation in early August, though if they do manage to open in June, we may be able to move it to then at the last minute.

All of the analysts I’ve seen have predicted VERY slow return of crowds once they reopen. Disney will have every incentive to get DVC members there to spend money and not just waste their points. I could be wrong, but unless they are actually able to sell the hotel inventory, I would expect them to work hard to get DVC members into the unused hotel rooms to boost attendance, including extending points for at least that use. I recognize they are technically separate companies and there are some complications here, but I think they will have every incentive to do it.

Bruce

 

[Sandisw]

I wonder if DVC would ever let owners change their UY month on an annual bases to let you change it to one that lets you better manage your points? They already let themselves break up the points in contracts they ROFR now. I understand the UY is stated in our deeds, but is there a reason that they couldn’t let owners do this?

They would have to file a new deed in order to do it. Once they acquire via ROFR, they are the owner again, and for them to be able to sell, they have the ability to change,

My understanding is that the UY were decided by DVD or DVC, and thus didn’t necessarily have to be decided in any certain way, which is why they have the ability to change them before a sale,

 

[zumfelde]

Can’t you borrow 2020 or 2021 (depending on use year).

I have already borrowed from next year for a last minute trip that was booked after the May trip was set I need what is left from next year plus the banked ones.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I think DVC is going to stick to the rules until they know how this plays out. What they can offer affected members is going to largely depend on how long this goes on. If they open the resorts June 1 they might be able to offer more accommodating options than if they are closed until October 1. I don't think they can really give an answer one way or another until they know exactly when they will open. If they make an exception for the OP then they need to make an exception for everyone and that could put intense strain on the system if this situation drags on.

I really feel bad for the OP and the many stories I've read on the boards the past few weeks. Hopefully things work out in the end.

 

[Matty B13]

My understanding is that the UY were decided by DVD or DVC, and thus didn’t necessarily have to be decided in any certain way, which is why they have the ability to change them before a sale,

maybe they could let owners file a new deed with a changed UY... for a small fee.