Cancel tomorrow or take a gamble?

[Corwin]

We bought into DVC earlier this year. My wife has always wanted to go to WDW at Christmas, so we booked a trip way back in April.

Both of us put in vacation requests at work and got them approved. In late October, my wife had scheduled surgery. She was only supposed to be out for 4 weeks, but due to complications this has stretched out to 7 weeks, meaning she's now in a "leave without pay" status. She's due to go back to work the week after next.

For the last few months, her boss has been telling her not to worry about her Christmas vacation request, even though she's been out longer than expected. Worst case, she was told, she might have to take a few days without pay.

However, there has been some management changes higher up, and now she is being told that her Christmas vacation request might be turned down.

We have very expensive non-refundable plane tickets (on Southwest) that have to be used by June of next year, or the money will be lost. We have DVC reservations for which the cancellation date is tomorrow (and our banking deadline is next week). If we do cancel, the only other time we could go is February (during my son's winter break), but there's no guarantee my wife will have built up enough vacation by then, either.

All my wife needs is four days off between Christmas and New Year's. She is willing to take it without pay.

I'm so ticked that her work would pull this at such a late date, when it's virtually impossible to cancel and reschedule.

I've gone to so much effort to plan this vacation, including sitting on the wait-list for months back in April and May to get the dates we wanted, getting all of our ADRs, and sitting on the phone for hours to get Candlelight Processional reservations at Le Cellier. Heck, I called every day at 7 a.m. the whole week at Boy Scout camp in July because it was rumored that the dates for CP were going to open up any day.

Now after all that time and expense, to have to cancel at the last minute?!

Well, since the only other time we could go before losing the plane tickets is February, I'm probably going to hope that her vacation gets approved. If it's not, we'd have to cancel and hopefully reschedule for February, using holding points. Checking the Southwest website, though, I see that most of the flights for that week are already sold out.

What a mess!

 

[Rob S.]

I would take the gamble. How would you feel if you canceled your DVC reservation and then your wife's vacation is approved? I can't imagine a new boss coming in and pi$$ing someone off from the beginning by not allowing a pre-planned non-refundable vacation. Most business are very slow during that time period anyway. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[Plutofan]

I have heard that there is a one time exception so that if you kept the reservation you may still be able to salvage the points. I would call MS today (they are closed tomorrow) to ask if they still have the one in a lifetime exception.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'd take my chances and keep the reservation. The worst case scenario would be that she's have to take a few days without pay, but in the long run, that's still probably less economic impact than losing the whole vacation.

 

[edk35]

I'd take my chances and keep the reservation. The worst case scenario would be that she's have to take a few days without pay, but in the long run, that's still probably less economic impact than losing the whole vacation.

YEP I agree. Keep it. Hopefully you will be able to take the vacation!! Remember life is short.. tomorrow is never promised. GO FOR IT. I bet she gets approval.