Years ago you could "apply" the discount to an existing reservation. You cannot do so any longer, so having a reservation in place is not an advantage unless you need those dates at that resort no matter the discount or lack thereof. I find it more of a problem to be honest. I had rooms booked at the BC because we were going those dates, set in stone. FD was in the works and I heard that resort was not included. It is not fun to make a change from a resort you really wanted to stay at to one you are less enthused about. I could not pass over teh amount of money we would save by changing resorts, but I wish we had not been as invested in our first choice and that we had not solidified it by booking.