amending booking/wait list options?

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi all

Sorry to bother you, but I generally stay at my home resort and don't get involved in too much 7 month window hopping or wait lists, so I'm not sure that I understand how it all works. So I was hoping I could run my situation past you and if you could explain my options please?

I've currently got 7 nights booked in a Aulani DVC hotel room (which was booked yesterday right on the 7 mth window as nothing else was available) but ideally I want to book a split stay - first three nights in the hotel room (to save points) and then 5 nights in an ocean view studio.

I realise I can't do this on line - so at the moment I'm waiting until I reach the 7 month point for 'change over day' and then hope to swap the last few nights to the ocean view studio through MS, leaving the first few nights of the hotel room stay intact - can I do that?

Additionally, at the moment it looks a though all of the rooms are going during the earlier online reservation slots, so if I'm unfortunate and need to wait list, am I able to wait list for part of my stay? Eg if I have 8 nights in a hotel room, can I just wait list the last 5 nights for the ocean view, or have I got to swap the whole block booking?

Sorry I always rather over complicate things in my head!

 

[CarolMN]

Hi all

Sorry to bother you, but I generally stay at my home resort and don't get involved in too much 7 month window hopping or wait lists, so I'm not sure that I understand how it all works. So I was hoping I could run my situation past you and if you could explain my options please?

I've currently got 7 nights booked in a Aulani DVC hotel room (which was booked yesterday right on the 7 mth window as nothing else was available) but ideally I want to book a split stay - first three nights in the hotel room (to save points) and then 5 nights in an ocean view studio.

I realise I can't do this on line - so at the moment I'm waiting until I reach the 7 month point for 'change over day' and then hope to swap the last few nights to the ocean view studio through MS, leaving the first few nights of the hotel room stay intact - can I do that?

Yes. MS can drop the last nights of your DVC hotel room reservation and book the ocean view room for you on the day the window opens for the ocean view reservation. Of course that assumes the ocean view reservation is availalbe.

Additionally, at the moment it looks a though all of the rooms are going during the earlier online reservation slots, so if I'm unfortunate and need to wait list , am I able to wait list for part of my stay? Eg if I have 8 nights in a hotel room, can I just wait list the last 5 nights for the ocean view, or have I got to swap the whole block booking?

Sorry I always rather over complicate things in my head!

Yes, you can waitlist for the ocean view reservation and ask MS to set up the waitlist such that it cancels the corresponding nights of the hotel room reservation. Just be very clear that you want to keep the 1st 3 nights.

Good luck! Hope you get it. Aulani sounds fantastic!

P.S. You aren't bothering anyone.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Yes. MS can drop the last nights of your DVC hotel room reservation and book the ocean view room for you on the day the window opens for the ocean view reservation. Of course that assumes the ocean view reservation is availalbe.

Yes, you can waitlist for the ocean view reservation and ask MS to set up the waitlist such that it cancels the corresponding nights of the hotel room reservation. Just be very clear that you want to keep the 1st 3 nights.

Good luck! Hope you get it. Aulani sounds fantastic!

P.S. You aren't bothering anyone.

Thank you so much Carol (as usual) for all of your help that's a lot clearer

One more question if I may - I have enough points available to book two extra nights in an ocean view studio. If I am online at 8am tomorrow and am fortunate enough to get the room, am I allowed to temporarily have two reservations in the same name? Just thinking I could then move the ocean view reservation along, to get to 'swap over day', and then simply cancel off the first three hotel room nights and add three nights to the end of the ocean view booking with MS? Is my thinking correct?

I realise it's not as secure as doing so at the 11 month window, as I know owners can still sweep in at the last minute and take the extra nights, but wouldn't this option at least make me ahead of other 7 month folk?

 

[Dean]

Hi all

Sorry to bother you, but I generally stay at my home resort and don't get involved in too much 7 month window hopping or wait lists, so I'm not sure that I understand how it all works. So I was hoping I could run my situation past you and if you could explain my options please?

I've currently got 7 nights booked in a Aulani DVC hotel room (which was booked yesterday right on the 7 mth window as nothing else was available) but ideally I want to book a split stay - first three nights in the hotel room (to save points) and then 5 nights in an ocean view studio.

I realise I can't do this on line - so at the moment I'm waiting until I reach the 7 month point for 'change over day' and then hope to swap the last few nights to the ocean view studio through MS, leaving the first few nights of the hotel room stay intact - can I do that?

Additionally, at the moment it looks a though all of the rooms are going during the earlier online reservation slots, so if I'm unfortunate and need to wait list, am I able to wait list for part of my stay? Eg if I have 8 nights in a hotel room, can I just wait list the last 5 nights for the ocean view, or have I got to swap the whole block booking?

Sorry I always rather over complicate things in my head!

If you don't have other waitlists, I'd probably WL the entire 5 nights plus maybe the last 2 or 3 (that way one isn't orphaned moving twice). The if you match, change your WL accordingly with one a single night that matches and the other WL for the rest of the time needed.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

If you don't have other waitlists, I'd probably WL the entire 5 nights plus maybe the last 2 or 3 (that way one isn't orphaned moving twice). The if you match, change your WL accordingly with one a single night that matches and the other WL for the rest of the time needed.

Thanks Dean, I hadn't thought of that - that's a great idea!

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean, I hadn't thought of that - that's a great idea!

I didn't want to get too wordy and give every option but did want to get the principle in there in case you hadn't thought of it. Ultimately you've got to decide what your best options are and what your goals are as well as your risk tolerance. And since there are 4 views, that limits you even further. I don't personally know all the answers you need but what you should do is investigate what is the most likely room type that fits your needs that you'd be happy to get and consider it worth changing. Then you could wait list as I mentioned for the entire studio stay plus a smaller segment since they won't hold the days for you otherwise if they can't match your WL completely. Another approach that improves your chances of success, but increases risk, is do WL 1 or 2 days at a time or just smaller segments putting in new wait lists as you get portions. Then once you get what you need, you can put for what you want also such as an even better view.

I'm actually just about to do this same thing right now for the Marriott Aruba Surf Club. I got an oceanside exchange for 7 nights in a 2 BR which will cover part of my planned trip there. I then reserved the following week in ocean view (lower cat than OS) for a 1 BR. With that setup I'll have to either move villas or they'll have to upgrade me to stay in the same villa (all lockoff's so moving from 2 to 1 BR isn't that big of a deal). I altered my second Interval search to just that week and if it matches for St.Thomas, St. Kitts or Aruba, I'll cancel my direct points reservation. I'm also going to wait list the 2 higher categories of OS and OF which with Marriott means committing points to the wait list above my current reservation. All of my points are the same expiration and situation so it won't matter which ones I use or cancel but if the points freed up were less valuable in some way, I could always substitute them back into the new reservation.