A Question I've Been Dreading to Ask

[ABE4DISNEY]

Hi all-
Long story as short as possible--We have a vacation planned for mid-November and my mother has just been given "weeks to months" to live. Okay, obviously our vacation is not that important--however, we just need some facts on the cancelling policy with Disney. Our plan right now is to leave the reservation standing until the week before we leave. If she is extrememly ill, then we will probably cancel and try to reschedule. We did buy insurance for our plane flights so I think we are okay there. It is just a horrible situation to be in and having to plan around it sounds so trivial--but that is one aspect of having points and not losing them before February. If you have any first hand experiences or advice, all would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[LIFERBABE]

I am extremely sorry to hear about your Mother.

You could try to rent your existing reservation, but a week's notice may not work for a rental.

Holding points can also be transferred, but they remain holding points and retain the same UY.

It's just between now and February, availability at DVC resorts is going to be pretty spotty and the 60 day window is another obstacle, so you will have to look at all your options should you need to cancel.

You could also call MS and ask for an exception to stated policies.

Here's some cancellation info from www.dvcmember.com

Disney Vacation Club Resorts


Changing a reservation 31 or more days prior to check-in:
If the new reservation uses fewer Vacation Points than the original reservation, the remaining Vacation Points will be returned to your account in the Use Year in which the reservation falls.


Changing a reservation 30 days-1 day prior to check-in:
All Vacation Points will be placed in the Holding Account. If the new reservation uses fewer Vacation Points than the original reservation, the remaining Vacation Points will stay in the Holding Account until the end of your Use Year.

What you need to know about using Holding Account Vacation Points:
You can use these Vacation Points for a new Disney Vacation Club Resort reservation during your current Use Year as long as you book the reservation 60 or less days before the new check-in date.


These Vacation Points can be used for an exchange during your current Use Year in two ways:
For The Disney Collection (except Disneyland® Resort hotels in California), Concierge Collection or Adventurer Collection if you're making the reservation more than 4 months before the end of your Use Year for a check-in date that is 60 or less days away.
For Disneyland Resort hotels in California and the World Passport Collection as long as the reservation is booked 60 or less days before the new check-in date.
These Vacation Points cannot be banked or borrowed.
These Vacation Points must be used to complete travel by the end of the Use Year or they will expire.




Changing a reservation on the check-in date:
If the new reservation uses fewer Vacation Points than the original reservation, the remaining Vacation Points will be forfeited.


Cancelling a reservation 31 or more days prior to check-in:
All Vacation Points used to make the reservation will be restored to your account in the Use Year in which the reservation falls.


Cancelling a reservation 30 days-1 day prior to check-in:
All the Vacation Points used to make the reservation will be placed in the Holding Account in the Use Year in which the reservation falls.


Cancelling a reservation on the check-in date:
All the Vacation Points used to make the reservation will be forfeited.

 

[DiznyDi]

So sorry to hear of your situation. to you and your family. I hope it all works out for you.

 

[Chuck S]

Unfortunately, all we can really do here is advise you of the oficial cancellation policies. But Member Services has been known to be generous in emergency situations, so I wish you the best and hope they will allow you to at least get them out of holding status, I doubt they will let you bank them, but I would certainly ask for supervisor and explain the situation.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

Thank you all so much for your concern and valuable information. It is so nice knowing that you can always find friendly and helpful people on the Disboards. And it is such a relief to cut through all the time it would take for me to find it on my own. You are all the best!

 

[Disney Princess]

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. We're praying everything works out in a manner that is easy for you!

 

[Sandisw]

Thoughts and prayers to you and your whole family.

 

[Crystal_27]

Oh my goodness, I'm so, so sorry for you and your family. I agree that a call to MS might be in order, but you might also want to call your Guide. I only tell you this because when we took our tour in March, 2009, our Guide specifically said that if we ever run into a situation where we had a vacation booked and someone got sick at the last minute to call him and he would do whatever he could for us. I don't know if that was salesman speak or if there is genuinely something he could do, but, a call to your Guide certainly wouldn't hurt.

Hang in there and sending some to you.

 

[Micca]

Hoping things will work out for the best

 

[FoodLover]

But Member Services has been known to be generous in emergency situations...

They sure weren't in our experience. My FIL passed away while we were at WDW, staying at BWV on DVC points. I called the front desk to let them know that we'd had a death in the immediate family, needed to depart for the funeral and would be checking out immediately.

I didn't ask for anything, or expect anything, as far as salvaging the rest of our vacation. The front desk CM launched into a lecture about how our points would be forfeited and we would not be getting them back. I kept saying, "I know, I know... we just wanted you to be aware that we're checking out early so you can re-sell the villa if you want." All I got was another nasty lecture about how our points were now lost. There was not one single syllable of sympathy or compassion expressed in the whole conversation.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I called back and asked to speak with a supervisor, because I was shocked at the unkind tone of the first conversation and wanted management to know about it. I got the same totally unsympathetic lecture from the supervisor about how we were losing our points and tough luck!

I later complained to MS about the lack of sympathy and nasty tone I had experienced. They blew me off completely... no response at all.

So to the OP - I'm very sorry about your mother and hope you can find a way to use your points, but don't count on Disney or MS helping you.

Mary

 

[Chuck S]

They sure weren't in our experience. My FIL passed away while we were at WDW, staying at BWV on DVC points. I called the front desk to let them know that we'd had a death in the immediate family, needed to depart for the funeral and would be checking out immediately.

I didn't ask for anything, or expect anything, as far as salvaging the rest of our vacation. The front desk CM launched into a lecture about how our points would be forfeited and we would not be getting them back. I kept saying, "I know, I know... we just wanted you to be aware that we're checking out early so you can re-sell the villa if you want." All I got was another nasty lecture about how our points were now lost. There was not one single syllable of sympathy or compassion expressed in the whole conversation.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I called back and asked to speak with a supervisor, because I was shocked at the unkind tone of the first conversation and wanted management to know about it. I got the same totally unsympathetic lecture from the supervisor about how we were losing our points and tough luck!

I later complained to MS about the lack of sympathy and nasty tone I had experienced. They blew me off completely... no response at all.

So to the OP - I'm very sorry about your mother and hope you can find a way to use your points, but don't count on Disney or MS helping you.

Mary

I'm sorry you received poor service, it is common with front desk people. In fact, you may not have even talked to the front desk, phone calls are normally routed to a virtual front desk, which is often off-site, maybe even a contract call center out of state.

Resort personnel will mess things up whenever they become involved in point transactions. You really need to speak directly to Member Services, and if necessary ask for a Member Services supervisor. The resort people go by the book, and sometimes they have to re-book a reservation when they make a mistake (it happens, both cash and points) and they always seem to throw the points into holding accounts and borrowing when there is no need to do so.

 

[eporter66]

I am sorry to hear about your mother.

We had a similiar situation a few years back. A week before our vacation to WDW, my grandmother began to fail and we knew she was in her final days. I wish I still had the address (I will look for it), but someone had posted an email address for member services.

I wrote them an email about our situation and recieved a call on my cell phone that day. Long story short, they allowed us to bank our points (I cancelled 4 days before our vacation). So, we did not lose our points, but had to use them within our use year. So they basically waived the cancellation policy for us.

I will try to find that email address for you - hopefully someone else has it.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

I am sorry to hear about your mother.

We had a similiar situation a few years back. A week before our vacation to WDW, my grandmother began to fail and we knew she was in her final days. I wish I still had the address (I will look for it), but someone had posted an email address for member services.

I wrote them an email about our situation and recieved a call on my cell phone that day. Long story short, they allowed us to bank our points (I cancelled 4 days before our vacation). So, we did not lose our points, but had to use them within our use year. So they basically waived the cancellation policy for us.

I will try to find that email address for you - hopefully someone else has it.

Thank you so much! If you can't find it, I'm sure I can. Thanks!

 

[toniosmom]

I am so sorry that you and your family are experiencing this heartbreaking time. I pray that you all find some peace among the sadness.

If no one gives you any satisfaction, my advice is that you write a letter to the "top honcho" at Member Services, if possible. (I don't know who that is.) It is much easier to get something done when the request is flowing down, instead of up. I hope they are sympathetic to your situation.

 

[FoodLover]

I'm sorry you received poor service, it is common with front desk people. In fact, you may not have even talked to the front desk, phone calls are normally routed to a virtual front desk, which is often off-site, maybe even a contract call center out of state.

Resort personnel will mess things up whenever they become involved in point transactions. You really need to speak directly to Member Services, and if necessary ask for a Member Services supervisor. The resort people go by the book, and sometimes they have to re-book a reservation when they make a mistake (it happens, both cash and points) and they always seem to throw the points into holding accounts and borrowing when there is no need to do so.

Yes, I'm well aware of how the front desk phone system works. I could not call MS because they were closed that day. This was back when there were no weekend hours.

The point I was trying to make to the OP is this: be prepared to lose your points and be treated shabbily if an emergency with your mother occurs while you're on property. (And I pray it does not.)

When I complained to MS about how I had been treated -- in writing, by snail mail -- no one responded. So while I'm glad Disneys sometimes handles this sort of situation in a kind and decent fashion, I would not count on it.

Mary

 

[Bekky2]

So sorry to hear about your mother. I would call MS and see what they can do if anything to help you out. I hope it works out for you in the end.