Booking First DVC Points Stay - Questions

[disneymath]

The time for me to make my first call to MS to book my 1st Trip Home is quickly approaching. We plan to stay at BLT in a 2BR SV for the first four nights and in a GV LV for the last three nights - so 7 nights total. Our trip will start during the Columbus Day Weekend. (We have a few back-up plans ... Plan B is to book 1 2BR SV the first and last nights and 2-2BR SVs the middle 5 nights.)

That said, I have some questions:

1. With the NEW reservation system, will I be able to book all 7 nights at once (two segments), or will I still have to wait and make a second call a few days later for the GV portion?

2. Assuming I have to call back - should I go ahead and book "Plan B" during my first call and then cancel the one 2BR entirely and modify the other from 7 to 3 nights when/if we get the GV?

3. If I end up with "Plan B" b/c a GV isn't available, I am considering waitlisting for the GV. The problem is that I would not have enough points to cover the GV without first cancelling the 2nd 2BR and the last 3 nights of the 1st 2BR. Can this type of instruction be included with a waitlist request? If so, are such instructions reliably followed?

Thanks in advance for any advice. (I don't intend to try to walk this reservation b/c I just don't have the flexbility in my workday to make frequent calls to MS. If the GV is not available, and doesn't come up through waitlist, then I guess it just wasn't meant to be this trip.)

ETA: Just realized I posted this in Mousellaneous and not Planning ... oops!

 

[Deb & Bill]

You will have to call 11 months out for each of the two reservations since they are different types of lodging.

I'm not sure how they would handle the points and cancellations.

 

[RescueRanger]

The time for me to make my first call to MS to book my 1st Trip Home is quickly approaching. We plan to stay at BLT in a 2BR SV for the first four nights and in a GV LV for the last three nights - so 7 nights total. Our trip will start during the Columbus Day Weekend. (We have a few back-up plans ... Plan B is to book 1 2BR SV the first and last nights and 2-2BR SVs the middle 5 nights.)

That said, I have some questions:

1. With the NEW reservation system, will I be able to book all 7 nights at once (two segments), or will I still have to wait and make a second call a few days later for the GV portion?

2. Assuming I have to call back - should I go ahead and book "Plan B" during my first call and then cancel the one 2BR entirely and modify the other from 7 to 3 nights when/if we get the GV?

3. If I end up with "Plan B" b/c a GV isn't available, I am considering waitlisting for the GV. The problem is that I would not have enough points to cover the GV without first cancelling the 2nd 2BR and the last 3 nights of the 1st 2BR. Can this type of instruction be included with a waitlist request? If so, are such instructions reliably followed?

Thanks in advance for any advice. (I don't intend to try to walk this reservation b/c I just don't have the flexbility in my workday to make frequent calls to MS. If the GV is not available, and doesn't come up through waitlist, then I guess it just wasn't meant to be this trip.)

ETA: Just realized I posted this in Mousellaneous and not Planning ... oops!

Call and talk to your guide. If this is your first reservation, your guide will possibly be able to help you get what you want. Disney gives the guides a little leeway when its a new owners first reservation. They are sometimes able to pull out of cash inventory and DVD inventory that normally are not available for point stays.

 

[disneymath]

You will have to call 11 months out for each of the two reservations since they are different types of lodging.

I'm not sure how they would handle the points and cancellations.

Thanks, I figured this would still be the case. I guess I'll ask about the points when I call.

Call and talk to your guide. If this is your first reservation, your guide will possibly be able to help you get what you want. Disney gives the guides a little leeway when its a new owners first reservation. They are sometimes able to pull out of cash inventory and DVD inventory that normally are not available for point stays.

I asked about this when I made my required call to Quality Assurance when I received my paperwork. Apparently, the booking assistance only applies if your "first points stay" is witihin 30 days of purchasing. It was prior to my 11 month window when I bought in, no special help for me.

 

[RescueRanger]

Thanks, I figured this would still be the case. I guess I'll ask about the points when I call.



I asked about this when I made my required call to Quality Assurance when I received my paperwork. Apparently, the booking assistance only applies if your "first points stay" is witihin 30 days of purchasing. It was prior to my 11 month window when I bought in, no special help for me.

Not true. Talk to your guide, not QA. When we purchased, it was in March. We got our assistance for our upcoming Thanksgiving trip. There still is no guarantee they will be able to help you, but it is your guide who will be able to tell you yes or no. Good luck.

 

[disneymath]

Not true. Talk to your guide, not QA. When we purchased, it was in March. We got our assistance for our upcoming Thanksgiving trip. There still is no guarantee they will be able to help you, but it is your guide who will be able to tell you yes or no. Good luck.

Hmmm ... okay, well it can't hurt to ask, so I will contact my guide this week. (When I bought in, I wasn't at all sure when our first trip would be, only that it would not be in the near future, so it wasn't really something we discussed.) Thanks for the suggestion. I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving stay!