All About Fixed Weeks (RIV/CCV/AUL/VGF/POLY/TOWER/VHD/FWC Charts)

[WeIcomeHome]

I think you made a good decision. I don't think I'd be buying cabin points until Lakeside/shore Lodge information is released. Combining those would peak my interest slightly. Only reason I'd buy cabin points is if I planned annual Halloween or Christmas trips which I'd buy a FW for.

Also, I changed my DVC guide after cancelling my initial purchase because of poor communication. Was immediately happy with my decision after my first conversation with my new guide. If a guide isn't a great fit there are plenty more to choose from.

 

[sethschroeder]

I agree. It would be a big change in how fixed weeks work if my guide was right. I have a new guide (new to me and I believe also new to Dvc). Makes me a little nervous If I can even still get yesterday prices and incentives if I switch out. Also kind of irks me that I can’t get whatever extra incentive was for on site current guest was. We left on 1/24/2025. Had I known I was missing out on an additional $600 or something I’d have pulled the trigger while we were there. I’m just trying to decide what the best week to purchase is. I assume it was an additional $600 that I missed out on because guide said the cabins effectively would be $161pp with the magical beginnings, d23 discount and other incentives for 150 points. Afterwards it was $165 pp. that too could have been an error.

Its not going to work like that likely.

Instead they can make an exception to bundle in an extra 5 points but they get used when you use your FW. You however get the full points if you don't use your FW.

I have a week like that but with point adjustments I still come out ahead if I were to use my fixed week at times.

If you get the contract let us know but I would be careful.

 

[sethschroeder]

I think you made a good decision. I don't think I'd be buying cabin points until Lakeside/shore Lodge information is released. Combining those would peak my interest slightly. Only reason I'd buy cabin points is if I planned annual Halloween or Christmas trips which I'd buy a FW for.

Also, I changed my DVC guide after cancelling my initial purchase because of poor communication. Was immediately happy with my decision after my first conversation with my new guide. If a guide isn't a great fit there are plenty more to choose from.

I would never trust a guide personally. The reason for this is what I have seen in my professional life.

I have dealt with some massive contracts and even people that are in a industry/company for years can get things wrong that should be assumed to be common knowledge and when they even ask for clarification they get it wrong.

Your goal with a guide should be getting one that you can address with your wants for the deal and they go back and get it approved. Sometimes having someone new actually is better because they will always ask compared to someone who has been around for years and will just tell you no (while making it look like they asked).

If you need information on the contract this sub is going to be a better spot as you get 100s of eyeballs all with a background with DVC to chime in compared to a single DVC guide who may or may not ask someone else to double check them on what they say.

 

[LadySarathano]

New owner of Riviera Studio Resort (Standard) View, Fixed Week 18

I know it’s not the great bargain Week 39 is, but it’s the one I’m most likely to use and at other resorts I’ve found early May getting challenging in the cheapest point studios. And we will have May the 4th booked more often than not

 

[MagicDVC]

New owner of Riviera Studio Resort (Standard) View, Fixed Week 18

I know it’s not the great bargain Week 39 is, but it’s the one I’m most likely to use and at other resorts I’ve found early May getting challenging in the cheapest point studios. And we will have May the 4th booked more often than not

Congratulations! Sometimes it’s not all about the bargain, but getting the room booked at the time you want it for without rolling the dice with availability at 11 months.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Another PSA on checking your FW reservations. Today I called again (2nd call) in addition

New owner of Riviera Studio Resort (Standard) View, Fixed Week 18

I know it’s not the great bargain Week 39 is, but it’s the one I’m most likely to use and at other resorts I’ve found early May getting challenging in the cheapest point studios. And we will have May the 4th booked more often than not

Congrats!!

 

[LadySarathano]

Congratulations! Sometimes it’s not all about the bargain, but getting the room booked at the time you want it for without rolling the dice with availability at 11 months.

Thank you! And that was my thought exactly, especially with all we don’t know about how resale restrictions may affect booking in the future

I got in before the price increase and topped off with a 67 point to get to the 200 point incentive level. Glad to net direct points for sub $200, even lower with Magical Beginnings, and with a March UY I still have points coming in about a week

 

[BWV Dreamin]

New owner of Riviera Studio Resort (Standard) View, Fixed Week 18

I know it’s not the great bargain Week 39 is, but it’s the one I’m most likely to use and at other resorts I’ve found early May getting challenging in the cheapest point studios. And we will have May the 4th booked more often than not

Congrats! We own two fixed weeks ( CCV and PIT). We love and use our FW. Enjoy!

 

[emchen]

Say I wanna transfer to family or rent out a FW? Is it as simple as asking Member Svcs to do the name changes (as opposed to doing it yourself on the website)?

 

[Flash_Sloth]

Say I wanna transfer to family or rent out a FW? Is it as simple as asking Member Svcs to do the name changes (as opposed to doing it yourself on the website)?

You cannot modify the reservation yourself even to change the names, but you can do an online chat on the DVC website and ask them to change the names. I usually pre-type the name change message in another window, and then copy/paste that into the DVC chat window when they're ready for that.

For the first couple of years that I had my FWs, when they booked them, they had only me on the reservation and they didn't list my DW even though both our names are on the contract. The FWs booked in late 2023 & 2024 included both of us, which saves me the need to chat with them to add my DW.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

... After looking into it a little more I decided against adding on at the cabins. I ended up switching to some poly points and the old price was honored. We hadn’t even signed the edocs on the other purchase yet. Glad to at least have an 11 month advantage at a mk resort... The cabin price per point was so tempting at 150 points but I was not crazy about the mf’s and other additional costs like $70/day for golf cart. It was just a little bit too risky a move.

I think you made a good decision. I don't think I'd be buying cabin points until Lakeside/shore Lodge information is released. Combining those would peak my interest slightly. Only reason I'd buy cabin points is if I planned annual Halloween or Christmas trips which I'd buy a FW for...

Just want to echo these two posts. I was in the same decision tree in October last year and had already signed the edocs for the CFW fixed week #50 (love the cabins at Christmas time), but got very confused by the Lakeshore Lodge announcement and what it would/could mean for CFW. If Lakeshore Lodge will have cabins that are on the water (early renderings from Reflections press release had them?), I would prefer those to CFW cabins with views of other cabins. So, I switched to a FW #50 at Poly Tower.

 

[pzw90]

Just want to echo these two posts. I was in the same decision tree in October last year and had already signed the edocs for the CFW fixed week #50 (love the cabins at Christmas time), but got very confused by the Lakeshore Lodge announcement and what it would/could mean for CFW. If Lakeshore Lodge will have cabins that are on the water (early renderings from Reflections press release had them?), I would prefer those to CFW cabins with views of other cabins. So, I switched to a FW #50 at Poly Tower.

If they do end up building this, I feel they will be magnitudes more expensive than the CFW cabins points wise. Like CCV cabins if not more.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

If they do end up building this, I feel they will be magnitudes more expensive than the CFW cabins points wise. Like CCV cabins if not more.

Can only guess you're right - a point cost increase for waterfront cabins would be justified and I would book those reservations. But, owning points there? Not sure about that....yet.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

New owner of Riviera Studio Resort (Standard) View, Fixed Week 18

I know it’s not the great bargain Week 39 is, but it’s the one I’m most likely to use and at other resorts I’ve found early May getting challenging in the cheapest point studios. And we will have May the 4th booked more often than not

Congrats, I also really want this week at RIV! Also had difficulty booking early May this year. Managed to scrounge together a tower studio for 6nts since that was strangely more available than the regular studio. When we’re in a place to buy again in the next year or two it’ll be my first consideration!

 

[Flash_Sloth]

New owner of Riviera Studio Resort (Standard) View, Fixed Week 18

I know it’s not the great bargain Week 39 is, but it’s the one I’m most likely to use and at other resorts I’ve found early May getting challenging in the cheapest point studios. And we will have May the 4th booked more often than not

Congrats, and good choice. As one of the currently cheaper weeks, you might be setting yourself up for a win in future years if they rebalance the points charts and make it more expensive. And who wouldn't love having regular May-the-4th-be-with-you vacations?

Yes, with resale restrictions, it is a nice to have a FW. RIV has always had more points declared than sold, and so far only a small percentage of resale contracts that are restricted to RIV only. Once RIV is sold out, and the percentage of resale contracts increases, competition for the more popular times might become more fierce than it already is.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Say I wanna transfer to family or rent out a FW? Is it as simple as asking Member Svcs to do the name changes (as opposed to doing it yourself on the website)?

That simple!

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

PSA: Maybe I’m the only person who didn’t know this but if you have another reservation booked for the same week as your FW (in the same name), MS will automatically not book your FW.

I know that bc of MDE issues, you can’t have overlapping reservations at the time of usage but I was not aware that this was a consideration a year out with respect to FW booking.

 

[JackosinDIS]

PSA: Maybe I’m the only person who didn’t know this but if you have another reservation booked for the same week as your FW (in the same name), MS will automatically not book your FW.

I know that bc of MDE issues, you can’t have overlapping reservations at the time of usage but I was not aware that this was a consideration a year out with respect to FW booking.

I did not know that, but it also isn’t referenced in the FW contract, so I’d like to know on what basis they have decided that is the case!

 

[WeIcomeHome]

PSA: Maybe I’m the only person who didn’t know this but if you have another reservation booked for the same week as your FW (in the same name), MS will automatically not book your FW.

I know that bc of MDE issues, you can’t have overlapping reservations at the time of usage but I was not aware that this was a consideration a year out with respect to FW booking.

Realistically, FW should be booked between 12 and 11 months out, so that should not even be a factor. Currently with FWs at resorts in active sales they have the option to pull from their own inventory if they book FWs after 11 months. I'd be surprised if their system is sophisticated enough to hold back all FW rooms once the 11 month window opens up.

Seems reasonable to allow people to book a second room during the FW perios but not switching names out immediately or with a plan to give the FW to family and booking an alternate room for themselves.

 

[Brian Noble]

Yeah, that makes no sense. If the FW is supposed to be booked before 11 months, there is basically no opportunity to have an overlapping reservation. That sounds like something a vacation counselor made up to explain why a FW was booked late.

After all, nothing prevents you from booking two (or more) reservations in the same name at the same name right now using the "normal" process.