Attended WDW Owners’ Update - Encore Package offer (is it worth it?)

[Work hard to play harder :)!]

We attended the owners’ update. Thank goodness they didn’t bother to try and get us to buy into Flex. However, when the next person came in to give us our 25K Bonvoy points for attending the update they offered us an Encore Package. Is it worth it to get more Bonvoy Points?

4nts at WDW or WMH, 1 bd premium to stay in the next 18 months + 100K or 200K points.

$99 activation fee +
$995 paid over 10 months for 100K points or
$1,695 paid over 10 months for 200K points

Also must attend update during future stay.

Is this a good deal for Bonvoy Points?

100K = 99+995 = 0.01094 per point
200K = 99+1695 = 0.00897 per point

Third, they claimed that the points don’t expired for 6 yrs. I thought points never expire as long as you have Bonvoy activity within 24 months.

Our goal is to save points in order to exchange them for a stay at a category 8 hotel (such as Bora Bora, Maldives, etc).


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[robertk2012]

We received the package for much cheaper.


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[Work hard to play harder :)!]

How many points came with yours, and was it for the same resorts? How much were you able to get it for? How long ago did you purchase the package?


[mention]robertk2012 [/mention]

 

[dioxide45]

We received the package for much cheaper.


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Can you provide more details?

 

[dioxide45]

Third, they claimed that the points don’t expired for 6 yrs. I thought points never expire as long as you have Bonvoy activity within 24 months.

There is a clause in the Bonvoy T&C that points from Vistana transactions are only good for six years. This goes back to the old SPG days. However it has been stated and from experience that Marriott doesn't really have any way to track this and if you book and cancel a bunch of stays, they really don't know what is what and they never expire as long as you meet the stipulations to have them never expire. YMMV.

 

[robertk2012]

Can you provide more details?

Yes. I have to find the paperwork…it was around 699.


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[dioxide45]

We bought an Encore packages a while back in Orlando at SVV. I wouldn't do it again. You can get a chunk of points for free by attending a couple owner updates. No need to pay for them. We have earned about 400,000 in the past 12 months doing this. YMMV. The only time one should consider it is if you plan in some way to pair it with a developer purchase, which usually isn't recommended anyway.

 

[Work hard to play harder :)!]

We bought an Encore packages a while back in Orlando at SVV. I wouldn't do it again. You can get a chunk of points for free by attending a couple owner updates. No need to pay for them. We have earned about 400,000 in the past 12 months doing this. YMMV. The only time one should consider it is if you plan in some way to pair it with a developer purchase, which usually isn't recommended anyway.

How did you attend that many updates? Did you visit several resorts this year? How many points did you receive per update? We received 25K for this update as we stayed for the weekend.

[mention]dioxide45 [/mention]

 

[dioxide45]

Yes. I have to find the paperwork…it was around 699.


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Of course, the devil is in the details. Ho many Bonvoy points? Where was it purchased? When was it purchased? How many nights and for what resorts?

 

[robertk2012]

Premium 1BR at the same resorts same time. 695. 50,000 points

 

[dioxide45]

How did you attend that many updates? Did you visit several resorts this year? How many points did you receive per update? We received 25K for this update as we stayed for the weekend.

[mention]dioxide45 [/mention]

We have done six tours in 2021 so far. THough two of those we took DC points. Of the four we took Bonvoy on, we have earned over 100,000 this year. We did nine owner updates in 2020. Last year it seemed they were desperate to get people through the floor, so Marriott was inviting us on just about every stay. They have since stopped. I think they have reinstituted the one every x months rule as when we were recently at Shadow Ridge, we signed up only to be called back a half hour later to tell us we weren't eligible since we toured in May. We also own with Vistana and they seem to treat Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club separate. So we toured at Westin Desert Willow. When we got to Westin Kierland Villas, they said since we didn't go to an update yet in Arizona, we could. Then when we got to Sheraton Desert Oasis, we could again because it was a Sheraton. That is 85K right there in just a few weeks for only about three to four hours of our time. Much cheaper than $1000 for an Encore.

 

[DanV]

Just returned from a WKV owner update for 30k Bonvoy points. At the very end, check out gentleman offered Encore vacation package: 18 months to return for a 4 night, one-bedroom villa stay, any season (except month of March). Surcharge of $300 for special events and holiday times. Must attend sales presentation. Receive 50k Bonvoy points or $250 Visa gift card. Cost: $695 plus activation fee (which I think was $99?). Could pay in installments. If make a developer purchase, amount is credited to purchase price.

 

[DanV]

For reference, I find that most "professional point nerds" value Marriott Bonvoy points at about .7 or .8 cents each. In California, I typically get slightly better than .5 cents each at "standard" properties. I suspect you may get better value at higher end properties.