Booking Strategy

[Richard Bruvofetc]

We're looking to book our 10 day holiday in October next year. Our home resort is SSR. However, we would like to book the first 3 days of our holiday in the Animal Kingdom Lodge before returning "home" for our last 7 days at the SSR.

Of course, there is a greater risk at not getting our rooms at the 7 month window, so should we:

1) Book up the full 10 days at the SSR at our 11 month window, then;
2) At the 7 month window try for the 3 days at AKL and then the 7 days at SSR.

and if we're successful with point 2:

3) cancel the 10 day holiday booked at the 11 month window?

I'm just not too sure if it is ethical to book early if we know we're going to cancel should we get into the AKL.

 

[Revtel]

We're looking to book our 10 day holiday in October next year. Our home resort is SSR. However, we would like to book the first 3 days of our holiday in the Animal Kingdom Lodge before returning "home" for our last 7 days at the SSR.

Of course, there is a greater risk at not getting our rooms at the 7 month window, so should we:

1) Book up the full 10 days at the SSR at our 11 month window, then;
2) At the 7 month window try for the 3 days at AKL and then the 7 days at SSR.

and if we're successful with point 2:

3) cancel the 10 day holiday booked at the 11 month window?

I'm just not too sure if it is ethical to book early if we know we're going to cancel should we get into the AKL.

Don't worry - people do this all the time. It's the way DVC works, and you should definitely book your entire vacation at 11 month at your home resort and then adjust at the 7 month window.

 

[scottishsue]

We are going to book SSR at the 11 month window, but at the moment can't get flights to fit in with our dates.

Is it safe to wait until the airline companies allot their dates? At the moment all are saying they cannot book more than 330 days ahead.

 

[TinkTatoo]

1) Book up the full 10 days at the SSR at our 11 month window, then;
2) At the 7 month window try for the 3 days at AKL and then the 7 days at SSR.

That's almost the way to do it.

Book all 10 days at SSR at 11 months so that you have somewhere to stay then at 7 months call MS and tell them you are switching the first 3 nights to ALK. If they have availability they just book the AKL nights and cancel the 3 SSR nights for you. The remaining 7 SSR nights stay on the original booking reference.

As it's December and AKL is a new resort I'd call day by day so on the first day you call tell MS that you want to make a 3 night booking at AKL and that you will call again for the following two days.

Hope that makes sense

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

That's almost the way to do it.

Book all 10 days at SSR at 11 months so that you have somewhere to stay then at 7 months call MS and tell them you are switching the first 3 nights to ALK. If they have availability they just book the AKL nights and cancel the 3 SSR nights for you. The remaining 7 SSR nights stay on the original booking reference.

As it's December and AKL is a new resort I'd call day by day so on the first day you call tell MS that you want to make a 3 night booking at AKL and that you will call again for the following two days.

Hope that makes sense

MAny thanks for the replies.

 

[mikki.young]

Sue, if you have the points book the days you want with some leeway either side. It is a lot easier to cancel unwanted days than get extra days. Having said that you should still be within your priority booking time when the flights come out so for SSR one would hope you would be OK.

 

[brightspark]

Richard, go for it and book at the 11 month window, and make your changes later... it's the way to go!
Sue, I would book as long as you're not borrowing points from the following year, which you would then have to use / rent whether you could get a flight or not!

 

[tubtruck]

I wouldnt worry about flight availability there are flights every day from many uk airports