\nThe Johnson Family's Two-Resort Problem
\nThe Johnsons had been DVC members for a few years when they picked up a second contract. They already owned 200 points at the Polynesian Villas and loved every stay. When their kids got older and started asking to see the animals, they bought 200 points at Animal Kingdom Villas. Made sense on paper: two great resorts, 400 points total, and a lot of flexibility.
\nThen the oldest said she wanted two full weeks at the Polynesian for her high school graduation trip. Nothing else. Just two weeks watching fireworks from the monorail level, two weeks walking to Magic Kingdom, two weeks in the same resort her family had been visiting since she was small.
\nThat is when they hit the wall. They called Member Services 11 months out to book both weeks at the Polynesian and were told what every two-resort owner eventually learns: your Polynesian contract gives you 11-month priority at the Polynesian. Your Animal Kingdom Villas contract gives you 11-month priority at Animal Kingdom Villas. There is no way to use both of those windows at the same resort simultaneously.
\nWeek 1 at the Polynesian locked in instantly. Week 2 would have to wait until the 7-month window, when every other DVC member could book that same inventory. For a peak summer week, that was a real problem.
\n\nCan You Combine Points from Two Different DVC Resorts?
\n\nIf you own at Polynesian and you are thinking about buying a second contract at Animal Kingdom, here is the question most people ask first: can I pool all my points together and use them for one long stay at whichever resort I want?
\n\nThe short answer: your points are all in your account, and Disney will let you use them together in one reservation. The catch is the booking window. You get the 11-month home resort priority for each contract only at that resort. You cannot use both resorts' 11-month windows at the same resort at the same time.
\n\nIn practical terms, if you want two full weeks at Polynesian, only the first week can be locked in at 11 months using your Polynesian home resort priority. For the second week at Polynesian, you would be waiting until the 7-month window opens, competing with every other DVC member for whatever is left.
\n\nThere is a proven workaround for this. Experienced DVC members call it the dual home resort booking strategy.
\n\nThe Strategy: Use Both 11-Month Windows, Then Consolidate
\n\nInstead of trying to book both weeks at your preferred resort from the start, you book each week at each home resort during the 11-month window, then try to consolidate at the 7-month mark.
\n\n- Book week 2 at Resort A immediately
- Cancel your Resort B reservation
- Both weeks now at your preferred resort
- Keep your Resort B reservation as fallback
- Add yourself to the waitlist for Resort A
- If the waitlist comes through, switch and cancel Resort B
- If not, you still have a great stay at Resort B
Why This Works
\n\nThe strategy works because you never give up a confirmed reservation without something better already in hand. You walk into the 7-month window holding two secured weeks. You are not gambling on availability, you are trying to upgrade from a great fallback to a preferred option.
\n\nThe worst outcome is that week 2 at Resort A is fully booked at 7 months, and you spend week 2 at Resort B instead. That is a comfortable fallback, not a disaster. The best outcome is that week 2 opens up at Resort A, you consolidate, and both weeks are at your preferred resort.
\n\nFull Timeline at a Glance
\n\n| When | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 11 months out | Book Week 1 at Resort A (e.g. Polynesian) | Confirmed - home resort priority |
| 11 months out | Book Week 2 at Resort B (e.g. Animal Kingdom) as fallback | Confirmed - home resort priority |
| 7 months out | Check Resort A availability for Week 2 | Open to all DVC members now |
| Best case | Book Week 2 at Resort A, cancel Resort B | Both weeks at preferred resort |
| Fallback | Keep Resort B. Join waitlist for Resort A Week 2. | Confirmed stay + waitlist chance |
The Waitlist Is Worth Using
\n\nDVC does have a waitlist system. When members cancel, the waitlist fills those openings in order. It is not guaranteed, but for members who booked their fallback resort and are hoping for Resort A at the 7-month mark, activating the waitlist the moment you find week 2 unavailable is worth it.
\n\nCheck availability at Resort A again in the weeks following the 7-month mark. Cancellations do happen, and inventory that was fully booked at 7 months sometimes opens back up.
\n\nWhich Resorts Need This Strategy?
\n\nThis strategy matters most at high-demand resorts during peak seasons. At resorts where the 7-month window routinely has good availability, like Saratoga Springs or Old Key West, you may find week 2 open without needing the fallback. At resorts that book out quickly, like Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, and BoardWalk, having week 2 secured somewhere else before the 7-month window opens is a smart hedge.
\n\nIf you are thinking about which second resort to buy, our team can help you think through the booking dynamics. Reach out here and we can help. You can also browse all available contracts to see what is on the market at your preferred resorts.
\n\nHow It Worked Out for the Johnsons
\nAt 11 months out, they locked Week 1 at the Polynesian using their Polynesian home resort priority. Same morning, they also locked Week 2 at Animal Kingdom Villas using their Animal Kingdom Villas home resort priority. Both weeks confirmed. The graduation trip was going to happen one way or another.
\nFour months later, the 7-month window opened. They called Member Services that morning and checked availability at the Polynesian for the second week. There was one studio available in their preferred category. They booked it on the spot, then canceled the Animal Kingdom Villas reservation.
\nBoth weeks at the Polynesian. The graduation trip the oldest had asked for. And it happened because they never walked into the 7-month window empty-handed.
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