BIG problem with one of my vacations (updated 9/11/07)

[pyrxtc]

well, I just bought into AKV's the begining of August. I chose the DDP instead of cash. I moved my December vacation to January where there was actual rooms available to book, actually one room to book for my family, for 10 days. (DH thinks I'm crazy! ) They give me a confirmation number and ask if they can do anything else for me. I ask about booking my vacation at the end of April inot May and they say, no problem. They get my dates and everyones names and put it all into the computer, tell me how many points I have used and how many I have left. After booking my January vacation and my April/May vacation, I have 6 DDP points left.

I start reading on here everyone complaining cuz they can't use their DDP til 7 months out and I don't understand how that can be since I had already booked out further than that. I call and ask about my vacation and MS says that my dates are in there and they just have not put it through yet, since it's manually done, it may take a little longer. She gives me her name and sends me an e-mail guaranteeing my reservations although I do not a reservation # and am a ltitle nervous I hang up after she tells me to call back in a week or so to make sure it has been done.

i'm still nervous after reading about more peole being told they have to wait and seeing all the people who have vacations booked around the same tiem frame I would be going.

I call yesterday and ask about my reservation. She finds it in my notes and a very detailed note from the last person I talked to saying my room was guaranteed and what she told me. But, MS told me yesterday there was a problem ! After reading throgh all the notes and discussing it wiht someone higher up, they cannot guarantee they can hold the room for me ! I can book it using this years points and hope to book again the same dates at 7 months and see if that works. I am upset (sad, unhappy upset). i explain that I have already banked this years points and in no way want to borrow from next year since then I will not be able to put them back into next year and I planned on giving a week at WDW to my brother for his wedding present using those points.

I sit there on hold for at least 10 minutes with her coming back once to make sure I was still there (I was almost enjoying listening to the music). She talked to someone some more and after thoroughly going over all of the notes of the recent weeks, she explains to me what I can do. I can use this years points, they will unbank them for me so I can book the vacation using this years points and hope to be able to cancel it after I have booked with the DDP for the same time period. I ask about banking these points once again after canceling and she says it'a a no go. They will have to be used by the end of this use year. Still doesn't work for me since I need them for next year !

She leaves once more and comes back with a slightly better offer, I will have one month after being able to make my DDP reservation to cancel the regular points resssie and bank those points to next year. I'm still nervous and unhappy but she does agree that I was never told about the 7 month window from them and was told twice that my ressie was already booked with the DDP even though it couldn't be done, they are doing something they don't usually do for me. They know it's not my fault. (I only knew about the 7 months from reading about it here, imagine if I wasn't a member of the board).

So, I do think crazy thing and only option open to me, I let them unbank my points and book my vaca using my regular points. now I will be waiting for the day I can call MS to book it using DDP's and hope that I can still get my dates and cancel my regular point vacation and bank this years points again.

The reason I'm worried about getting this vaca is that I want to stay Concierge at AKV and I know there are not that many rooms and I need a 2 bedroom for the amount of people that are going. My mother is coming with us and she has always refused to go to anything Disney. She decided she wasn't going to go to California with us for 10 days since we might do WDL a day or two. She is only coming this time since we promised we wouldn't make her go to the parks if she didn't want to. I want her to be able to have access to the lounge in case she forgoes coming with us to the parks if we decide to do that one day.

So, is there a way to just switch out the points at 7 months or do I have to try for a new ressie? ugh !! I am so frustrated but I know there is nothing to do until that date.

Also, I am worried that I will be busy on the first date I can book since my sister is coming home from Iraq right around that time and we don't ahve an exact date yet. I may be down at Hanscom AFB waiting for her to come off the plane instead of booking my vaca. (I so choose her over booking) I will not miss welcoming her home to book a vacation!

Aaaaaarrgghhhh !!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

It sounds like you had a very confusing first atempt at making reservations. Take my word for it that it does get easier. I think the developer points make it extra confusing, and I wont even attempt to address that part of it, since I don't have any, and don't need to know about it.

I think booking concierge level with the developer points is going to be difficult at 7 months out no matter what time of year it is. I think the developer points are going to be very difficult for many people to really use, and that is why I often advise people to take the discount instead of the points. If you KNOW you can use the points within the first 7 months after joining, it is probably best, but if you are wanting to book with those points farther out than that, it could be quite difficult.

 

[pyrxtc]

It sounds like you had a very confusing first atempt at making reservations. Take my word for it that it does get easier. I think the developer points make it extra confusing, and I wont even attempt to address that part of it, since I don't have any, and don't need to know about it.

I think booking concierge level with the developer points is going to be difficult at 7 months out no matter what time of year it is. I think the developer points are going to be very difficult for many people to really use, and that is why I often advise people to take the discount instead of the points. If you KNOW you can use the points within the first 7 months after joining, it is probably best, but if you are wanting to book with those points farther out than that, it could be quite difficult.

That's the point, I did know since I was told it was booked and didn't know about the 7 month out thing at the time. That's why I took the points, extra vacations and no money up front for them VS our cash vacaction for December.

 

[bwvBound]

Also, I am worried that I will be busy on the first date I can book since my sister is coming home from Iraq right around that time and we don't ahve an exact date yet. I may be down at Hanscom AFB waiting for her to come off the plane instead of booking my vaca. (I so choose her over booking) I will not miss welcoming her home to book a vacation!

Can't help you with the DDP issue ... but I fully understand the "Aaaaaarrgghhhh !!! " of your last paragraph. When my brother was in Iraq our entire family spent the time in "worry" mode. It felt as if we had been trying to hold our breath for the entire deployment. (Related to the butterfly effect.) It was thoroughly exhausting.

Military "exact dates" are always last-minute news. Near the end of my brother's deployment we had a family weekend planned at a nearby timeshare resort. He wasn't expected home until (maybe) sometime December and the dates we booked were for mid-November, the weekend just before Thanksgiving. We had three large units booked and were expecting a total of 15 people. Everyone was ready for the trip, the suitcases were packed, children's activities planned, the food purchased ... and Mom received the (very good) call, "We'll arrive Phoenix airport this weekend."

Activate Plan B. Eight from the group hit the road to Phoenix that afternoon. We notified my brother-in-law's family of the changed plans and asked them to invite friends to fill the other 2, now-empty, units. Reservations were in our names - so we checked in at the resort, greeted BIL's family and their friends, unloaded all the food (!) and spent the first night with them. The newly formed group enjoyed a huge feast that evening; we sped out for Phoenix early the next morning.

True Thanksgiving more than compensates for (very minor) loss. Our last-minute arrangements in Phoenix hotels were cramped compared to 3BR ocean-view units we gave up ... but nobody noticed. The joyful return of my brother and his troop was well celebrated. We joined others filling the airport arrival area; we shouted, cheered, laughed and cried (all at the same time); we attended the chaplain's message to the returning men and women and the award dinner. We truly celebrated Thanksgiving.

Hugs to you. Hang in there. Yes, your sister's return comes first ... and everything else will work itself out. Give it to God, pray, breathe.

 

[LIFERBABE]

If you have not closed, I would call my guide and cancel the DDP's and take the money instead.

I've said my piece on DDP's and it is completely frustrating to use them. MS doesnt even know how to use them and they are not dependable.

Good luck with working everything out, but Im afraid you will be hard pressed to get AKV Concierge for that many days in a row in Value season and the waitlist many not be of much help either. '

Totally unsat!

 

[KevGuy]

I agree with the above poster if you haven't closed yet, get the discount, save your self some money and aggravation.

 

[pyrxtc]

but then I lose my January vacation too since i still need this years points for next year.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I would call my guide. You could take the $8 a point and try to get the discounted rate thru MS or even CRO with less aggravation and stress.

Also, do not be afraid of the B-word. Borrowing! A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. (A little AKV humor!)

 

[Princess Roo]

I haven't dealt with developer points before, but I think you realize it is going to take nothing short of a miracle for you to get concierge at 7 months, so I think you need to just assume that you won't get it and decide what your next best option is. Along with the option of taking the incentive instead, another option is that I think you'll have a decent chance of being able to get a regular 2BR at that point. I understand the desire to have the concierge lounge for you mom, but there are lots of great places besides that to hang out at AKL/AKV watching animals, etc. And the cost of purchasing extra food for her instead of getting it free from the lounge will be small compared to the cost of the whole trip.

 

[pyrxtc]

I will still be going if I don't get concierge. The I could have a 2 bedroom for all of my days instead of switching to a 1 bedroom for the last night. I just am upset cuz they told me I was booked, and then in my next call, guaranteed the booking but in my last call to get the #, they told me it could not be done.

 

[LisaS]

I will still be going if I don't get concierge. The I could have a 2 bedroom for all of my days instead of switching to a 1 bedroom for the last night. I just am upset cuz they told me I was booked, and then in my next call, guaranteed the booking but in my last call to get the #, they told me it could not be done.

I would be upset too in your situation! If you don't get concierge then I hope you can get a savanna view 2BR. Your mom would have plenty of space to relax right in your room and could watch the animals from the balcony. With Concierge, you could end up with a pool view and she would have to go elsewhere to see the animals.

With a full kitchen, you can make sure she has whatever she needs while you are at the parks, though I hope you can convince her to join you at least some of the time! My mom is in her 80s and we took her with us in May 2006 and she just loved all the flowers and topiaries at the Flower & Garden festival in Epcot. She rode Soarin' and Maelstrom and a few others. In AK, she enjoyed the Safari ride, "It's Tough to Be a Bug" and just walking the trails looking at the animals. In MK we took her on several rides including Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents, Tomorrowland Transit, and Carousel of Progress. We took things at a slower pace, and spent fewer hours in the parks than we normally would, other than the MK day when we stayed for Spectromagic and Wishes (both of which she really enjoyed).

I really hope things work out and that you can make things as comfortable as possible for your mom and everyone else who is joining you on this trip.

 

[Sammie]

I am confused, the DDP is usually the Disney Dining Plan, is this what we are discussing.

 

[DVC Mike]

I am confused, the DDP is usually the Disney Dining Plan, is this what we are discussing.

DDP is also Double Developers Points.

 

[Sammie]

DDP is also Double Developers Points.

Ok thanks, we might have to make that one DDPts.

 

[pyrxtc]

well, my mother loves amusement parks and all the rides associated with them, but will not do anything Disney. She's only 57 yrs old and very active. The only thing she doesn't like is coasters and she wouldn't have to worry too much there. She just doesn't like to flip upside down. She even has a seasons pass to 6 flags with us.

I'm hoping that once we get her there, we can get her to go into one of the parks and she'll want to come with us next time. Nobody in her family can tell me why she doesn't like Disney??

 

[LisaS]

well, my mother loves amusement parks and all the rides associated with them, but will not do anything Disney. She's only 57 yrs old and very active. The only thing she doesn't like is coasters and she wouldn't have to worry too much there. She just doesn't like to flip upside down. She even has a seasons pass to 6 flags with us.

I'm hoping that once we get her there, we can get her to go into one of the parks and she'll want to come with us next time. Nobody in her family can tell me why she doesn't like Disney??

At 57, she would have grown up with the original Mouseketeers. She's part of the very first Disney generation! She grew up watching Walt on TV every Sunday. Has she ever been to either DL or WDW before? I hope that once she gets there, she has a change of heart.

 

[pyrxtc]

she didn't watch TV growing up, parents didn't have one for a very long time. She was one of 8 kids growing up in an apartment with only 4 rooms, one was added on later but still, a 5 room apartment for 11 people? We didn't even get to watch the Sunday disney shows growing up now that I think about it. I have seen a lot of pictures of her house growing up (my aunt still lives in the apartment) and I never remember seeing a TV. As far as I know, there has never been a tv bigger than 19 inches in the place til my grandmother passed away and my aunt moved in. The kids didn't suffer, but no TV.

No, she has never been to either place.

 

[pyrxtc]

Really good news, I called MS today to get my pin number to log onto the website since my DH got his weeks ago and I have not seen mine yet. they gave it to me and then I asked them to see if there were any rooms available for the time in April/May I wanted. I told them I knew I couldn't book until the 25th but I wanted to know if I should even try since I needed to make alternative date options if I couldn't go that week.

They told me there were rooms and we talked and I explained why I was asking and she put me on hold, skimmed my notes and came back and told me I had the reservation already. I said somehting about the developer points and if I could switch it out to use them or if I would have to rebook completely.

She asked me to hold again and then comes back on wiht, "This resservation is using developer points!" It turns out the ressie I booked wiht my regular points was canceled/denied after reading the notes and they gave me it using my developer points after all the trouble. I told her i just received my confirmation yesterday and told her the number. She politely replied that it was the one that had been canceled and I would be getting my new confirmation in the mail shortly.

What a relief it is not to have to worry about the days anymore and wonder if I'll still be able to go when I want to. I know it was full blunder of mess ups and I didn't expect anything more after the last call but I'm so happy it tunred out this way. I tried explaining it to my DH but he had no clue what I was talking about so I knew I had to talk to people that would understand a word I was saying. Yay us!!

 

[Doctor P]

Glad you got your reservation!