Cancelling DVC Room-Will I Lose FPs?

[DisneyStarWisher]

I am about one month away from making FPs. I have a split stay: 2 nights at SSR and 5 nights at AKV. There's a chance I may need to cancel the SSR portion plus the first night at AKV. I know I need to cancel 31 days before to avoid points going into holding. But I'm wondering if I do cancel after making FPs, will I lose them? Is it less dangerous to cancel after the 60 day mark but before the 31 day mark? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Marionnette]

I am about one month away from making FPs. I have a split stay: 2 nights at SSR and 5 nights at AKV. There's a chance I may need to cancel the SSR portion plus the first night at AKV. I know I need to cancel 31 days before to avoid points going into holding. But I'm wondering if I do cancel after making FPs, will I lose them? Is it less dangerous to cancel after the 60 day mark but before the 31 day mark? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You will lose any FPs which were made during the 60-day onsite booking window if there are no longer any onsite reservations associated with those dates. IOW, you could change onsite resorts for those nights and keep your FPs but if you are not staying in a Disney hotel for those nights, you will lose those FPs. Disney closed that loophole this past spring.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

You will lose any FPs which were made during the 60-day onsite booking window if there are no longer any onsite reservations associated with those dates. IOW, you could change onsite resorts for those nights and keep your FPs but if you are not staying in a Disney hotel for those nights, you will lose those FPs. Disney closed that loophole this past spring.

Ok, to be safe, I plan on making the FPs for 60 + 3 and so on. So I'm not starting the FPs until 60 days before the day I know I will be able to arrive. Would I be safe cancelling the DVC reservations after that 60 day mark?

 

[DaveNan]

My understanding is you should lose the FP on all days you no longer have an on-site reservation. You should lose the FP's for the 2 days you are at SSR and cancel as well as day 1 for the AKV stay. You should modify that reservation (not cancel the first day). It should keep the same reservation number, and no one can "take the room from you". If you are still going to be in Orlando, and hope to still use the FP's, my understanding is they are supposed to automatically get cancelled.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Ok, to be safe, I plan on making the FPs for 60 + 3 and so on. So I'm not starting the FPs until 60 days before the day I know I will be able to arrive. Would I be safe cancelling the DVC reservations after that 60 day mark?

Theoretically that should be ok.

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, to be safe, I plan on making the FPs for 60 + 3 and so on. So I'm not starting the FPs until 60 days before the day I know I will be able to arrive. Would I be safe cancelling the DVC reservations after that 60 day mark?

You will lose any FPs that are on a day when you do not have a Disney Resort reservation. It won’t matter that you made them at 60+3 or right at 60 days. No hotel reservation = Cancelled FPs.

People used to do exactly what you are proposing. They would make a reservation then at 60+ days out, they would grab FPs for their entire “stay”. Then they would cancel the reservation and stay offsite. Disney cracked down on it this past spring. You should get an email letting you know that your FPs will be forfeited within 24 hours of canceling your hotel stay unless you book a new reservation. But, even if you don’t get the email, those FPs will disappear into the ethernet.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

You will lose any FPs that are on a day when you do not have a Disney Resort reservation. It won’t matter that you made them at 60+3 or right at 60 days. No hotel reservation = Cancelled FPs.

People used to do exactly what you are proposing. They would make a reservation then at 60+ days out, they would grab FPs for their entire “stay”. Then they would cancel the reservation and stay offsite. Disney cracked down on it this past spring. You should get an email letting you know that your FPs will be forfeited within 24 hours of canceling your hotel stay unless you book a new reservation. But, even if you don’t get the email, those FPs will disappear into the ethernet.

But I will have a Disney resort reservation even after cancelling what I'm thinking about cancelling. In fact, I will have three AKV value studios booked. Let me explain a little more clearly. This is what I have booked right now:
2 nights at SSR (Nov. 24-25)--This was booked when I thought my DH and I would be able to go down earlier than the rest of our family.
5 nights at AKV (Nov. 26-30)--1 Value Studio
4 nights at AKV (Nov. 27-30)--2 Value Studios
We know we will be there Nov. 27-30 so I am planning on making FPs just for those days. Those are the most important days since our whole family will be there. If my DH and I decide to keep the extra days at the beginning of the vacation, we are ok making FPs later because we won't be picky about what we get. So I plan on making FPs just for Nov. 27-30 on Sept. 25 (60 days before my first check-in on Nov. 24) and then either cancelling the SSR reservation and modifying the one AKV studio to just four nights OR keeping them and making FPs. I'm just trying to figure out when I will be safe to cancel and modify if that is the route we go. I don't want to lose our FPs from Nov. 27-30.

 

[Marionnette]

But I will have a Disney resort reservation even after cancelling what I'm thinking about cancelling. In fact, I will have three AKV value studios booked. Let me explain a little more clearly. This is what I have booked right now:
2 nights at SSR (Nov. 24-25)--This was booked when I thought my DH and I would be able to go down earlier than the rest of our family.
5 nights at AKV (Nov. 26-30)--1 Value Studio
4 nights at AKV (Nov. 27-30)--2 Value Studios
We know we will be there Nov. 27-30 so I am planning on making FPs just for those days. Those are the most important days since our whole family will be there. If my DH and I decide to keep the extra days at the beginning of the vacation, we are ok making FPs later because we won't be picky about what we get. So I plan on making FPs just for Nov. 27-30 on Sept. 25 (60 days before my first check-in on Nov. 24) and then either cancelling the SSR reservation and modifying the one AKV studio to just four nights OR keeping them and making FPs. I'm just trying to figure out when I will be safe to cancel and modify if that is the route we go. I don't want to lose our FPs from Nov. 27-30.

What you are describing was referred to as a “leading reservation”. Again, this was the practice of making a reservation that lead up to the period during which a person intended to stay solely for the purpose of obtaining an added advantage. Those guests would make their FPs at 60+ for the leading reservation then cancel the resort stay that they never intended to keep. Disney has taken steps to end this practice.

Just make the FPs at the 60+ mark for Nov. 27-30 and you won’t have to worry about whether they will get canceled.