Things I learned on my Fall vacation (OTU points and Poly)

[ljmiii]

(Well...really things I learned while planning our Fall vacation).

First of all I learned that for reasons unknown and unknowable, if you modify a reservation OTU points are the last to be used and the first to be returned. And the usual ability to choose which contract you want to use in a reservation is blocked online (a cute padlock appears) and so you have to call DVC and have them do the modification for you (I overheard the CSR saying, "Oh...OK...I guess I have to reorder the contracts" as they were doing it). It took all of 5 minutes tops (most of which was spent answering automated questions) since I called at 9:00:00 AM...but it's odd that they force 99% of the people modifying a reservation with OTU points to waste a CSRs time.

I also learned that DVC (or at least my CSR) was happy to allow me to use my Membership Magic Beyond benefit and buy 24 OTUs for the price of 12 even though the membership I was buying them for is not the one that gives me the ability to get Membership Magic Beyond. No idea if that's official policy...but if any of you run into trouble I would suggest trying HUCA.

As for Poly, it will be the first time we will be staying at PVB. After doing a bit of research I found that we wanted to stay in an original Preferred View studio...which thankfully I was able to book. But I learned that despite all the warnings I've read about connecting rooms being difficult to get, there are all of two non-connecting villas at PVB (on the ground floor of Tokelau). If you want connecting villas the trick is to begin your stay on a day with lots of turnover...but of course we want the opposite (and won't get it since we're in Moorea).

 

[heathpack]

The OTU points seems to be a jury-rigged system that maybe grew to be bigger than DVC originally intended? My impression is that the behind the scenes "accounting" for these points is onerous and manual. DVC probably just needs to build a computerized management system for OTU points. Maybe it will be easier with the new trust- it seems like part of the difficulty is having small numbers of OTU points that are associated with other contracts, and trying to combine them with your existing contract(s).

Enjoy Poly. I am still wanting to go back there once we get to our new Annual Pass cycle which will start Dec 2027. My thoughts for that year are:
Dec-- VGC
Mar-- Poly- second choice Jambo
Sept-- Beach Club Villas
Dec-- Copper Creek

 

[ljmiii]

The OTU points seems to be a jury-rigged system that maybe grew to be bigger than DVC originally intended?

I did see something that I never had before (in the all of two times I've purchased OTU points). One set of 12 points was just called 'OTU Points' instead of being from to a particular resort (the previous time I bought OTU I had two different resorts of 12 points each and this time one 'OTU Points' and one resort).

Enjoy Poly. I am still wanting to go back there once we get to our new Annual Pass cycle which will start Dec 2027. My thoughts for that year are:
Dec-- VGC
Mar-- Poly- second choice Jambo
Sept-- Beach Club Villas
Dec-- Copper Creek

Sounds wonderful! I have no idea what Poly availabity looks like in March but for weekdays in mid-October I could choose any original or tower studio I wanted (though none were available on the weekends). I could also have chosen VGF or BLT preferred (though not resort or theme park view).

 

[bnoble]

if you modify a reservation OTU points are the last to be used and the first to be returned. And the usual ability to choose which contract you want to use in a reservation is blocked online

I don't think either of these are universal. I know I modified a reservation with OTU points, and was able to to re-order the contracts myself.

 

[ljmiii]

I don't think either of these are universal. I know I modified a reservation with OTU points, and was able to to re-order the contracts myself.

Yeah...a moderator on the 'boards wrote that some OTU reservations are padlocked and others aren't and while padlocked contracts are more likely for reservations on the cusp of the 7 month window there really isn't any rhyme or reason to it.