Can I Change Resort Points Allocated to Trip @ 7mo Window?

[JeffPort]

I'm looking for some help ...

I have a trip planned to BWV in October -- I booked for 6 nights in a Standard View room in the 11-month window.

I recently purchased an add-on contract at VB which included a significant number of banked points. Since we are not going to take another vacation to WDW this year, I called right at the 7 month window to try to reallocate a portion of my planned trip from my BWV points over to my VB banked points.

When I first called Member Services and explained my situation and my desires, the lady told me, "No Problem" (there was still some availability for some of the nights in the STD View rooms), but that I had to wait for the last day of my reservation to open up in the 7 month window before my original reservation could be altered.

When I called back later in the week, the new Member Services representative I spoke to was MUCH less cooperative. She flatly told me that she was prohibited from re-allocating any of the points in the existing reservation from BWV to VB points because the reservation was originally booked in the 11-month window. She said the only option was to cancel the original reservation and to create another one, but that since every night was not available (there was only one day in the middle of the reservation that was filled), that I could not take that option either.

I was persistent, but she would not budge. The lady just wanted to get me off the phone. I ended up forcing her to book me 2 new reservations using my VB points (1 reservation for the first night, and another for nights 3 & 4). I then had her waitlist me for the missing 2nd night.

If that 2nd night waitlist comes through, then I'm all set. I can then shorten my original reservation down to nights 5 & 6 only. I'll then have 3 reservations that span the entire 6 nights. However, I need that waitlist to come through in the next 2 months so I can then bank my now-unused BWV points -- I'm leery that it won't happen.

This whole exercise seems crazy to me -- I'm holding onto 3 Std View BWV reservations right now (taking space away from other members) when all I want to do is allocate the points I have in reservations 2 & 3 over to the original reservation.

Has anyone done something similar before? Is it worth it for me to re-contact Member Services and plead my case again in an effort to get the points re-allocated in the original reservation?

 

[bobbiwoz]

I've changed the home points on a ressie and every time the original ressie has had to be cancelled because otherwise I would have been able to get an 11 month advantage with different resort points.

I hope the waitlist comes through for you.

Can you cancel all days except the one you "need" (night 2)with the original ressie and then have the ressies linked. Yes, you wouldn't be using your VB points for that one night, but if you waitlist for that night you may still get it with the VB points, and you can bank whatever BWV points you can right now.

Bobbi

 

[CarolMN]

To just reallocate would not be fair to other BWV owners who may be on the waitlist for some or all of the nights you currently have booked. If you hadn't used BWV points to make that reservation in the 11 month window, other BWV owners would/could have gotten those days. Just re-allocating/substituting points would defeat the purpose of the home resort advantage. The only right way to "substitute" non home resort points is to cancel the original reservation, check the waitlist and then if htere is availability, re-book using the non-home resort points.

IMHO, the second MS rep was correct - you need to cancel and re-book (if there is availability) to use VB points for that BWV SV reservation.

I don't have a problem with what you asked the rep to do - book the available nights with VB points and waitlist for the night(s) that were not available. It is your choice to hold the orginal reservation until the waitlist comes through.

AFAIK, you can do what Bobbi suggests - drop the nights you don't need on the original reservation and then link the remaining night's reservation to the reservations made with the VB points.

Hope it works out for you.
Best wishes -

 

[JeffPort]

I think the previous 2 posters are missing a key point ... I only asked to re-allocate the nights where there was STILL availability at the 7-month window. I wasn't trying to get an unfair advantage over other BWV owners -- I completely realize that if none of the nights were available at 7-months, I would have no recourse. However, that was not the case -- All nights I wanted to reallocate (except 1) were still available. The problem was that the 1 night was in the middle of the reservation.

They let me create a new set of reservations for those nights using the VB points, but they wouldn't let me re-allocate the original reservation for the EXACT same nights.

I could get the same result as the re-allocation if MS would let me cancel nights 1, 3, and 4 in the original reservation -- but they tell me that the reservations system limits cancelations to the beginning or end of a reservation only (ie: they cannot split an original reservation into two stays).

Can anyone provide more insight on this?

 

[Beca]

Hmm...it's interesting, but it doesn't sound wrong. Why not cancel nights 3&4 of your ressie, then call back at a different time to see if they will let you cancel night 1 later. I really don't see how they could prevent that.

Let me know if it works,



Beca

 

[CarolMN]

It's true that you can only drop nights at the beginning or end of a reservation if you want to keep the original reservation/confirmation. I did miss that you started with a 6 night reservation, but am not sure I understand the problem.

Sounds like you want to use VB points for 4 of the 6 nights. If only night 2 was "filled", why wouldn't MS let you you make the VB reservation for nights 3 -6 and keep just 1 & 2 of the original reservation? Did the availability change between the first and second call to MS? Or are some of the nights weekend nights and you don't have enough VB points to cover them?

In any case, it is true that MS won't allow you to drop/cancel nights in the middle of a reservation unless you cancel the original reservation and re-book. And of course, you can't rebook if there is a waitlist for some or all of the days you want to keep.

Best wishes -

 

[LIFERBABE]

Sounds like both reps were right for the situation you encountered.

You were trying to blend 2 different ressies, 1 made at the 11 month and 1 you made with the first rep, to make a complete ressie.

MS will not do that.

The first rep was right and she didnt really do a swap out, she booked a new ressie for you because there was availability and cancelled your old one.

What you wanted the second rep to do, she could not.

 

[JeffPort]

UPDATE:

I just checked my 3 reservations on-line and my waitlist already came through (in 1 week). I can now call MS and cancel nights 1-4 in the original reservation and link up the 3 different reservations. (Gotta love the new on-line visibility!)

Anyhow, I still think I bring up a good point. Why not allow members to re-shuffle points on the original reservation at the 7-month window --Provided-- that the specific day(s) equating to the re-allocated points still show availability? I think that still follows the terms of the 11/7 month windows and avoids DVC's current system limitation that prohibits members from canceling dates in the middle of a reservation (thereby splitting an existing reservation into two).

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm glad you got the waitlist! I like the on line viewing too!

Bobbi

 

[DBBN]

When I first called Member Services...but that I had to wait for the last day of my reservation to open up in the 7 month window before my original reservation could be altered.

I believe the first MS Representative was wrong - MS could have booked at least the day or days that were available at the begining of the reservation that were inside the 7 month window with your VB points and cancelled the corresponding day or days that were booked with your BWV points. Then waitlisting the remainder of the days starting from the first day that was not available to and including the last day of your stay. Waiting until 7 months from your check-out date rather than booking days that were available created the situation you're in. This in no different that if you had enough VB points for only the first day of your stay. Would have MS asked you to call back 7 Months from the check-out day? No. They would have booked that one first day with your VB points and all would have ended well.

I believe the second MS Representative was correct only because by that time availability had changed from the time when you placed your first call.

Whether either or both of the MS Reps you spoke with was right or wrong is immaterial at this point. Rather than risking the waitlist not clearing or worrying about my vacation I would consider booking a preferred view if it was available. That is unless I had plans to use the banked VB points before the expired on another vacation. Good luck.

Well I just noticed your update that your waitlist cleared congrats! I guess that's what I get for taking a break in the middle of responding to a post.

 

[byoung]

Glad you got what you wanted.

 

[Dean]

Actually the first one was partially right and the second one wrong. The only problem with the first rep is that you would not have to wait until 7 months out from the reservation but only 7 months out from the day you wanted to change. You can cancel individual days, rebook them with the VB points and link the reservations. There is no requirement, nor should there be, that any reservation made with 11 month priority can't be rebooked on other points at the 7 month window. Now if those nights were not available, simply subbing the points would not be right, nor within the rules as I understand them, no matter the home resort of the points you wanted to use. This is one of the areas DVC has been inconsistent with. I'm glad it worked out and that you had the foresight to book the other days as available and wait list the days in question, good job.