Can you swap reservation points at 7 months?

[Geyser Gazer]

Suppose I made a VWL reservation at 11 months. Could I later ask MS to use SSR (or other resort points) instead at 7 months?

 

[Terry S]

Well, that would be nice, but no, that is not allowed! The only thing you could do at that point is check to see if there is availability and cancel your original reservation and book a new one with SSR points.

 

[DebbieB]

Only if there is still a room available with your dates at 7 months. If there is a waitlist, they will not do it (unless you want to get on the waitlist).

 

[belle3]

I also have that same question...I just reserved at SSR today, but really want BC or BW, and thought I could call back at the 7 month window and hopefully transfer the reservation, keeping in mind the points will not be exact and I will most likely need a few more points to complete the transfer. If the resorts are sold out, at least I have the backup already reserved...can this be done???
Also, if someone can give me the link to the website for the 11/7 month date calculator, I would greatly appreciate it. I know it's been in many of the posts, but I keep forgetting to bookmark the site.
Many thanks!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Belle3,

There's no problem with what you described. You would just cancel your SSR reservation and book BW or BC (if available). If it wasn't available at 7 months, you could waitlist.

 

[CarolMN]

belle3 - just adding to DebbieB's explanation:

You can do what you want to do because you are making the reservation at a non-home resort at the 7 month window. That is the same time other members who don't own at that resort can make reservations. All have the same chance at availability.

The problem with Geyser Gazer's example is that the original reservation would be made with home resort points (to take advantage of the 11 month reservation window). If MS just substituted non-home points for the same reservation, it wouldn't be fair to other members.

For one thing, it would mean than non-ownerws of that resort would never even have a chance at that reservation even though non-home points were used to make it. For another, any owner of that resort who happened to be on the waitlist for that time (and thus should have priority until 7 months ahead of time) would not have any chance at it ahead of someone using non-home points. It would be giving someone using non-home points a priority over an owner. That's not right.

So the only way you can legally "substitute" non-home points for home points for the same reservation is if there is still availability. As already posted by others, MS would actually be cancelling the original reservation and making another reservation. Anyone on the waitlist would get the room before you would.

HTH explain why the two situations are different.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Geyser Gazer
Suppose I made a VWL reservation at 11 months. Could I later ask MS to use SSR (or other resort points) instead at 7 months?

I would agree with most above but the reality is you can usually do this. If any days are available at the time you want to switch, they can switch just those days. You can even do the wait list for the other days and switch those later if you wish if they become available. This is a great way to preserve high demand points you may want to use again. While it may not be in keeping with the intent of the system, it is within the rules as written. OTOH, if there are no rooms available for the room type in question, they will not sub the points and they should not.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

We have done this several times in order to conserve a certain home resort's point pool for a premier season booking or for booking a GV (or for whatever reason). At 11 months you can often hold a full week including a fri and sat night. At 7 months you can change those two weekend nights to non-home resort points (if available). You will end up with two reservations one for the Sun-Thurs (booked at 11 month window w/home resort pts.) and a new one for the Fri-Sat (booked at the 7 month window w/non-home resort pts.). MS can then link reservations together for a continuious stay.

There are many point combinations you can do like this.