What to do with left-over points?

[francoAlbertan]

My family bought a small contract with intention of banking/borrowing to travel every two or three years. We live far away so have to fly and travel for at least a week when we go. Our flights are booked for a week and we have our initial 7 night booking done for our first post-pandemic trip. So excited!

But I'm realizing that the current borrowing limits are complicating my longer term planning. Without the flexibility to borrow more than 50%, it's more important for us to use a full two-year allocation this trip - without banking a small amount left-over. Banking the small remainder after our current plan this year (9 points) will just mess up our plans for normal travel because it forces a trip the following year without access to fully borrow from the year after that...

Any advice on what to do with a tiny number of points you're looking to keep from going to waste? I'm thinking of changing our plan to a split stay with a couple nights at more expensive resort just to use them - which I think would be fun but may be a bit of work for just a couple nights. Is it possible to rent such a small number of points out?

Full details
2020 - 73 points banked into 2021
2021 - 148 points available - currently booked to use 139 for week at BLT
2022 - trying to avoid banking nine 2021 points into 2022; so that we can bank our 2022 allocation (lol... if that makes any sense!)

 

[BillPA]

There is no limit on banking points, only a bank by dead line.

 

[DSLRuser]

Apparently...it is fashionable to give them to prominent YOUTUBERS

 

[10CJ]

So my understanding is you don't want to bank points into 2022 because you do not want to travel in 2022.

You might be able to get one night for nine points depending on the resort/time of year. Banking them would at least give you more time to try and rent them/give them away. I am just not sure how many rooms you can get for 9 points.

 

[JETSDAD]

If you bank them then you'd also be able to borrow a few points to round out a rental reservation.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Advertise them here on DISBoards as "points available for transfer". You never know, maybe someone could use them to round up enough points to make their reservation. Failing that, bank them into 2022 anyway; you never know, the 50% rule might be lifted and you may end up wanting to go back sooner.

 

[Karl66]

Bank the 9 points and see what happens.

 

[Sandisw]

I would consider maybe buying some additional OTU points to enhance this trip to use them up.

You could buy up to 24 which gives you a total of 33 to add a night, or upgrade view??

 

[DVCanadian]

My family bought a small contract with intention of banking/borrowing to travel every two or three years. We live far away so have to fly and travel for at least a week when we go. Our flights are booked for a week and we have our initial 7 night booking done for our first post-pandemic trip. So excited!

But I'm realizing that the current borrowing limits are complicating my longer term planning. Without the flexibility to borrow more than 50%, it's more important for us to use a full two-year allocation this trip - without banking a small amount left-over. Banking the small remainder after our current plan this year (9 points) will just mess up our plans for normal travel because it forces a trip the following year without access to fully borrow from the year after that...

Any advice on what to do with a tiny number of points you're looking to keep from going to waste? I'm thinking of changing our plan to a split stay with a couple nights at more expensive resort just to use them - which I think would be fun but may be a bit of work for just a couple nights. Is it possible to rent such a small number of points out?

Full details
2020 - 73 points banked into 2021
2021 - 148 points available - currently booked to use 139 for week at BLT
2022 - trying to avoid banking nine 2021 points into 2022; so that we can bank our 2022 allocation (lol... if that makes any sense!)

Bank the points and see what happens to your plans, the banked points have no impact on your 2022 allocation, what you can do with the 2022 allocation or the temporary borrowing rules.

the 9 banked points will need to be used or rented or left to expire in 2022.

Many people do look to rent a single night but at $15 pp that’s not enough money for many to take the time to rent them.

 

[MomOTwins]

Someone on another thread mentioned being able to book all-stars for 8 points a night if you have direct or grandfathered-in points, so that might be an option to add an arrival night stay to your trip.

That said, we're considering risking losing some expiring points this summer if our preferred resort option becomes available which is 5 point lower than what we have booked currently--we have a waitlist set up to make that switch so am committed to it if the waitlist comes through. My attitude is what matters is we would be getting the vacation we want rather than trying to maximize point usage, and a few points is not a huge deal when you look at the lifespan of the contract. As one pp said, the resale value is about $15 pp, so we are talking about less than $200 here. When I think how many $200 mediocre (or in Chef Mickey's case, atrocious) dinners we've had at Disney World, park hoppers we didn't really use, or overpriced impulse merchandise buys that break after a couple of uses (bubble wands/light swords) I really doubt that a few wasted points will be the end of the world to our overall vacation budget. Anyhow, that's just how I see it.

 

[Yinn]

Someone on another thread mentioned being able to book all-stars for 8 points a night if you have direct or grandfathered-in points, so that might be an option to add an arrival night stay to your trip.

That said, we're considering risking losing some expiring points this summer if our preferred resort option becomes available which is 5 point lower than what we have booked currently--we have a waitlist set up to make that switch so am committed to it if the waitlist comes through. My attitude is what matters is we would be getting the vacation we want rather than trying to maximize point usage, and a few points is not a huge deal when you look at the lifespan of the contract. As one pp said, the resale value is about $15 pp, so we are talking about less than $200 here. When I think how many $200 mediocre (or in Chef Mickey's case, atrocious) dinners we've had at Disney World, park hoppers we didn't really use, or overpriced impulse merchandise buys that break after a couple of uses (bubble wands/light swords) I really doubt that a few wasted points will be the end of the world to our overall vacation budget. Anyhow, that's just how I see it.

Lowest I see right now for All Stars is 10 points right now:
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.g...s/2021_Web_WDW_Pt_Cht_FINAL_Update_041320.pdf
If you have enough points, you could also borrow from your future self to rent out. I've done this on occasion since I generally have more points than I use in a year. You lose out on some availability in the future but this way you don't waste any points. The money you make from the rental could also pay for rental points if you need in the future.

For example, renting out 9 (current) +5 (borrowed) points for a 14 point stay @ $16/pt = $224
When you need points, rent 5 OTU points. The direct pricing is what? $20/pt? That makes it $100 total.

So not only do you prevent wasting points, you make $124 in the process.

 

[akk]

If you can post it far enough in advance I agree borrow a few points, book one night. If you can rent it for $15 per point it is worth it. Just book a Saturday night on a popular weekend. It should rent easily.

 

[Disneypapa]

I concur with Yinn. Bank the points with intent to rent out. May require borrowing a handful of points to get someone one night rental.. Always someone on rent/trade board looking to add one night to their existing rental and not having enough points to do so. You have options.

 

[Brian Noble]

Any advice on what to do with a tiny number of points you're looking to keep from going to waste?

I would offer them for transfer until your banking deadline, then bank them. The 50% restriction may be lifted by then, your plans may change leading you to want to take a smallish trip that year, who knows?

If in the limit you have to let them expire, they are worth at most $200, and that may not that big of a deal.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

What are "left over" points?

 

[Yinn]

What are "left over" points?

It's when you make a reservation that costs less than what you have a available. Those points are "left over" and typically in an amount that's too small to do anything with.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

It's when you make a reservation that costs less than what you have a available. Those points are "left over" and typically in an amount that's too small to do anything with.

Yeah. I'm not familiar with those.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Yeah. I'm not familiar with those.

Yeah, like when people talk about giving the "leftovers" to the dog. We don't have leftovers. We eat our food.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

My family bought a small contract with intention of banking/borrowing to travel every two or three years. We live far away so have to fly and travel for at least a week when we go. Our flights are booked for a week and we have our initial 7 night booking done for our first post-pandemic trip. So excited!

But I'm realizing that the current borrowing limits are complicating my longer term planning. Without the flexibility to borrow more than 50%, it's more important for us to use a full two-year allocation this trip - without banking a small amount left-over. Banking the small remainder after our current plan this year (9 points) will just mess up our plans for normal travel because it forces a trip the following year without access to fully borrow from the year after that...

Any advice on what to do with a tiny number of points you're looking to keep from going to waste? I'm thinking of changing our plan to a split stay with a couple nights at more expensive resort just to use them - which I think would be fun but may be a bit of work for just a couple nights. Is it possible to rent such a small number of points out?

Full details
2020 - 73 points banked into 2021
2021 - 148 points available - currently booked to use 139 for week at BLT
2022 - trying to avoid banking nine 2021 points into 2022; so that we can bank our 2022 allocation (lol... if that makes any sense!)

OP, I like your idea of doing a split stay for a couple nights at a more expensive resort to use them. I would do that. If you can, make it at the start of your stay, so when you move to the second, you are done until you leave. Another option, as suggested, if another night is available, at the start of your vacation, book it and buy OTU points to finish it. Of course, that is if it is not too many points.
That is the problem with buying with intent to go only every 2 or 3 years. It is quite difficult to make it work consistently, using all your points, without acquiring more. Especially since the annual point creep.

 

[sugliac]

Yeah uh... don't give them to youtubers please. I wish there was an option to "donate" them to Make a Wish or something that would be really nice.