Cancel ressie to use holding points?

[saintstickets]

I need the advice of veteran DVCers. Last month, I had to cancel a reservation at HHI inside of 30 days from the beginning of the ressie so the points were put into a holding account with an August UY. I understand those points cannot be banked, borrowed or transfered and will expire 7/31/12 due to the Aug UY. In addition, to use the points, the reservation window is reduced to 60 days from the desired reservation date. We have a scheduled trip at VWL (2br) for 5/20-5/25/12. I would like to use those points in holding to add a day at the beginning of the May, 2012 trip. As it stands, I would have to wait until 3/19/12 to try and get the extra night using the points in holding. I suspect the odds of getting a 2br for the extra night at the 60 day window would be slim. Here is what I was thinking about doing and where I need advice.

I want to use some other Aug 2011 UY points to go ahead and make the reservation now. Then at 3/19/12, call to cancel the extra day and rebook it using the points in holding or just swap the points if that is an option.
- Can this be done or would they tell me they could not guarantee to be able to rebook the extra day once the current reservation was canceled?
- If this is okay, do the points used 1st to make the extra day reservation, return to the Aug 2011 UY and can be banked?

Will this work? Is it feasible? Any advice will be appreciated? TIA

 

[Sandisw]

If you book it now and call on it in March, they will only let you use holding points if the room is still available.

They will not let you use "holding points" to cover a room that was booked prior to 60 days out.

If you do book now and then it is still available, you can cancel and re-book. You would be able to bank the points since you would still be within your banking window.

 

[A&M's Mommy]

MS will only let you use the holding points if the same room type/resort is available. If it isn't, the points can't just be "switched" b/c that would be circumventing the holding points policy of booking at 60 days or less from check in. You're better off waiting until 60 days out and seeing what is available. Why tie up other '11 points if your goal is to use the holding points?

 

[DenLo]

I'm just doing some extra thinking here. I don't believe you can reallocate holding points with regular DVC point reservation. From the Home Resort Rules and Regulations -

Holding Account Vacation Points can only be used to book reservations within sixty (60) days of check in.

Since the reservation will be already made you can't reallocate the holding points into the current reservation.

So your only option is that the additional day's reservation will have to be cancelled and the CM grab it again using the holding points before another member comes in and gets it. I think it's doable, but risky. But in the end you're no worse off than trying to make the reservation at the 60 day mark with your holding points. Good luck!

 

[RobDoc]

I'm just doing some extra thinking here. I don't believe you can reallocate holding points with regular DVC point reservation. From the Home Resort Rules and Regulations - Since the reservation will be already made you can't reallocate the holding points into the current reservation.

So your only option is that the additional day's reservation will have to be cancelled and the CM grab it again using the holding points before another member comes in and gets it. I think it's doable, but risky. But in the end you're no worse off than trying to make the reservation at the 60 day mark with your holding points. Good luck!

If there is already a waitlist for those dates, the Holding Account points may not be allowed to replace the cancelled reservation. The Holding Account is really a penalty for cancelling on short notice and typically won't be allowed to circumvent the normal waitlist policy.

It may be worth a try, but don't count on that as a successful way to make Holding Account points good.

 

[disneynutz]

You might what to plan to just add a day or two at SSR to use the holding points.

Bill

 

[saintstickets]

Sighhhh...I expected it to be the case that there are no guarantees that I would be able to "swap" the regular points and use the holding points. One can only hope, right? I had even heard where some people said that MS (in the past) called them up at the 60 day window to remind them about their holding points and they were able to exchange the points. No such luck for me though. I'll wait until March and then hope for the best. If nothing is available, at least I will have until 7/31/12 to allow someone to use those points and hope they will be gracious enough to send me a gratuitous green paper thank you? I'm not talking about selling points here because we KNOW that is not allowed!

 

[juncker]

I'm just doing some extra thinking here. I don't believe you can reallocate holding points with regular DVC point reservation. From the Home Resort Rules and Regulations - Since the reservation will be already made you can't reallocate the holding points into the current reservation.

So your only option is that the additional day's reservation will have to be cancelled and the CM grab it again using the holding points before another member comes in and gets it. I think it's doable, but risky. But in the end you're no worse off than trying to make the reservation at the 60 day mark with your holding points. Good luck!

If you do decide to go this route, I wouldn't call when they open in the morning. That is the busiest time where a lot of people are on the phone trying to get reservations. I would do it later in the day to increase your odds. Good Luck!

 

[BrerNashville]

But if you go ahead and reserve what's available now, won't you still give yourself an advantage? Sure, if someone creates a one night waitlist covering that night, then you would lose it to them when you tried to rebook. If the only waitlists covering that night were for more than one night, and those other nights still weren't available, you'd clear the reservation, right? Whereas if you wait, someone may book that night as part of a larger reservation that they may not have been able to make if you had booked the night.

It's certainly no guarantee, but it seems to me you're better off trying that than just waiting, unless you need those points elsewhere or are jeopardizing banking them.

 

[A&M's Mommy]

But if you go ahead and reserve what's available now, won't you still give yourself an advantage? Sure, if someone creates a one night waitlist covering that night, then you would lose it to them when you tried to rebook. If the only waitlists covering that night were for more than one night, and those other nights still weren't available, you'd clear the reservation, right? Whereas if you wait, someone may book that night as part of a larger reservation that they may not have been able to make if you had booked the night.

It's certainly no guarantee, but it seems to me you're better off trying that than just waiting, unless you need those points elsewhere or are jeopardizing banking them.

This is still trying to get around the 60 day booking rule for holding points, though. Which, not to be snarky or anything, really shouldn't be encouraged because those are the rules we all agree to when we cancel a reservation less than 31 days from check in. If people are continually trying to find ways around the rules, DVC will likely change them, and not to our benefit.

 

[Sandisw]

This is still trying to get around the 60 day booking rule for holding points, though. Which, not to be snarky or anything, really shouldn't be encouraged because those are the rules we all agree to when we cancel a reservation less than 31 days from check in. If people are continually trying to find ways around the rules, DVC will likely change them, and not to our benefit.

Not really if the person plans on booking that night somewhere, regardless of whether or not the holding points can be used for it.

If I need a room for a specific night, there is no harm in my reserving it with my regular points and then call at the 60 day mark to see if it is still available for booking. If it is, I book with holding and cancel the original one.

If not, then I have two choices--keep what I have (since I need the night) or gamble, cancel and try to rebook immediately in hopes that there is not a waitlist that takes it.

 

[cel_disney]

I agree with Sandi - I would book the entire trip with your regular points and then call at the 60 day mark to see if you can swap any night(s) to holding points and then bank your current points! I dont think I would wait for March - what if you gamble on the 'wrong' night to make your holding points reservation...

I dont see how this is skirting the rules at all!

Hope you are successful!