Disney Vacation Club Point Extension & Borrowing Limit

Disney Vacation Club has released new policy updates, including point extensions and borrowing limitations to address the DVC “Point Pool Problem” we recently discussed that has resulted from the closure of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and standalone DVC resorts. That article detailed how the problem could continue to play out in the months to come.

It also touched upon the DVCMember.com Travel Alert that includes “Temporary Updates to Our Cancellation Policy.” In said alert, Disney Vacation Club indicated that it would be evaluating the banking and expiration policy and the use of certain points impacted by the closures.

Disney Vacation Club stated that it would need to consider the impact any changes could have on future inventory availability for the membership overall. As such, a decision would be made once there’s a better understanding of how future operations will be impacted. Well, we just received an email from Disney Vacation Club with the updated policy, which follows…

Until the decision is made as to when the Resorts will reopen, all reservations scheduled for arrival during the closure time will be automatically cancelled by Disney Vacation Club on a week-by-week basis. Members do not need to cancel the reservation online or contact Member Services. Vacation Points returned due to a cancellation of a Resort reservation will not be placed in a holding account and will be returned to the current Use Year.

This applies to all reservations checking in within the next 30 days. When a reservation involving Borrowed Points is cancelled, the Borrowed Points will be returned to the Use Year they were borrowed from regardless of arrival date. Please allow up to 15 business days for this process to be completed. Reservation Points returned due to a cancellation of a Disney Collection or a Concierge Collection reservation will be returned as Reservation Points in the current use year.

Some Members had reservations for Disney Vacation Club Resort stays during the closure period using Points that are set to expire. 2019 Use Year Points for April and June that are set to expire in 2020 and that were used for these reservations will be extended for one year from the current expiration date.

2018 Use Year Points for April and June that were banked into 2019 and used for these reservations will be extended for six months from their current expiration date. Please note this temporary policy only includes expiring Points that were used to book a stay between March 12 and the end of the closure period and that involve a reservation cancelled after February 29. In addition, to better support Member availability, Disney Vacation Club will not extend the life of expiring developer Points.

In light of this and to help with Resort availability in the coming year, beginning today, Members who want to borrow Points to complete a reservation will temporarily only be able to borrow up to 50 percent of their future Use Year Points per contract, as permitted by your Home Resort Rules and Regulations.

Doing this will help manage inventory and accommodate more Members who want to schedule their vacations once the Resorts reopen. Points already borrowed for a stay outside the closure period will be honored, even if they are above the 50 percent threshold. Disney Vacation Club will continue to monitor point inventory and re-evaluate, with the goal of returning to the standard policy as soon as it is appropriate to do so.

Finally, some Members have had questions about how the closure is affecting their association’s annual dues. While lower operating costs are anticipated for each condominium association because of the closures, there are many unknowns ahead as the resorts return to operation.

Disney Vacation Club’s commitment to guest and Cast Member safety remains the top priority, and changes may be implemented to the way DVC operates, which may add some new costs. Given the unique circumstances of this situation, the proposal is to issue a credit to Members in mid-December as part of the distribution of Annual Dues Statements for 2021 if their association has an operating surplus (as opposed to rolling all surpluses into reserves).

These changes should provide helpful support to the entire membership as DVC’s team works toward making Disney magic for you and your loved ones just as soon as possible. Disney Vacation Club will continue to evaluate the situation, make changes to policies as they become necessary, and keep you updated.

In our view, this is a good start that addresses current concerns about what will happen with points right now while also put some smart limits on usage. However, it also probably kicks the can down the road to some degree when it comes to the point pool problem. We’re not going to rehash all of those issues or potential solutions thereto here, as we already did that in our previous lengthy post. (The article is worth a read if you haven’t already.)

In fairness to Disney Vacation Club, kicking the can down the road is a workable interim solution. There are still so many unknowns in terms of a reopening date and roadmap for operating the resorts, as well as what guest demand will look like. This at least answers one question, and leaves the door open to address ways to address inventory at a later date. Hopefully that actually ends up happening–we’ll keep you posted!

Thinking about joining DVC? First be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” and rent points from DVC Rental Store. If you are convinced a membership is for you, check out the discounted options at DVC Resale Market. Planning a Walt Disney World trip? For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know.

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think to Disney Vacation Club’s extension Use Year Points for April and June? What about the limitation on borrowing points? Do you have any ideas as to other possible solutions to this Disney Vacation Club point pool problem? Think DVC will do something to remedy this issue? Had trouble finding DVC availability for later this year? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? If you’re an existing Member, what do you think? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!

29 Responses to “Disney Vacation Club Point Extension & Borrowing Limit”
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