Banked/Current/Borrowed? Two reservations

[pinkxray]

I am confused. I am new to dvc, just purchasing in June. I have been researching for years before buying and I think I have read every thread on these boards 3 times. I thought I understood everything I could.

Of course, now I am starting to plan our first trips using the points and I am getting myself confused

We have 100 SSR points. Use year Oct. We wont be traveling until fall 2021 so I banked our 2020 points.
We will be doing a short Disney trip in either Oct or Dec 2021. Followed with a week long trip in June 2022.
I booked us at SSR for 3 nights in Dec. 78 points. Now, I am starting to second guess myself and might want to go in Oct. That would be 54 points. 2 nights.
Can I just book a backup reservations for Oct since I have 200 pts in that use year? Once I decide I would cancel whichever we didn’t need. So let’s say I cancel the Dec. trip, can I switch it so the Oct. trip uses the banked 2020 points first?

 

[CarolynFH]

So let’s say I cancel the Dec. trip, can I switch it so the Oct. trip uses the banked 2020 points first?

Yes, you can. I haven't done it, but @Sandisw has explained it many times very clearly, so hopefully she'll see this and chime in!

 

[Sandisw]

Since you booked Dec trip first, it used banked points up.
Once you book October, it will finish up with the banked points and use up 2021 UY points to complete it.

If you decide to cancel December...make sure to do it at least 31 days prior to your October trip in case holding is in play again.

Once canceled, just go in and modify October trip and follow through until the end, but don’t change a thing and book it again. The system will now use all banked points and free up the 2021 UY points you used to book it as the back up!

If you get nervous, call MS and ask them to do it for you!! Again, just has to be decided at least 31 days out for October trip!

 

[Sandisw]

Want to add. The reason it has to be done 31 days or more from October trip is because any changes to trips inside that window..assuming holding back in play..will result in a penalty if points are freed up or swapped out.

Some think it is only for full cancels but it’s not. For example, if I have SSR points freed up and want to reallocate into a trip made at 7 months or less to replace my BLT points, if I am within 31 days, those BLT points will be put into holding status..yes, I learned the hard way.

It is also why you never waitlist beyond 31 days prior if the room you want is less points!