Cash night, 1-time use points and switching???

[kristenrice]

I am planning WAY ahead to 2013. We (the immediate family of 4) will be traveling to HHI over spring break, arriving on March 31. We would like to invite my parents to come along so we would need to book a 2BR.

Barring any more reallocations, we will need a total of 157 points for that stay. Here's what we will have available...
...3 AKV points banked from 2012...
...50 HHI points banked from 2012...
...50 HHI points from 2013...
...50 borrowed points from 2014...

So, we would need to buy (assuming they are still available) 4 of the "one-time" use points. (**TRANSFERRING IN IS NOT AN OPTION**)

Based on 2011, the "season" changes on April 1. Again, assuming this stays the same, our arrival night (Easter Sunday) falls in the "lower" season. Now, here's where I need advice...

In order to "guarantee" that we get all 5 nights, I want to book one night on cash along with 4 on points at the 11-month mark. (Yes, I know that will take two phone calls) The cash price difference between March 31 and April 1 is $150! So, I'd like to book the first night on cash and then the remaining 4 nights on points...but...with our first night being Easter, I'm thinking that the next 4 will be booked up by people calling the day before to book the whole week.

So, let's assume that I book the FIRST 4 nights on points and the LAST night on cash, to make sure we get all 5 nights. When the 7 month window opens, can I change my cash night over to points (assuming that there is availability) and buy the additional 4 points at that time? I wouldn't have to cancel the cash night first since there would be no points that I'd need to "free up". Assuming a 2BR is available, I could just buy the 4 extra points, book the room on points and then cancel the cash night, correct?

Does my question make sense? What would be my best plan of attack in a situation like this? I usually take about 2 years to save up for my vacations so I plan WAY ahead. I'd like to get a ballpark idea of how much $$$ I will need to save up.

 

[marie1981]

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[Sandisw]

I would probably book the 4 nights on points and the last night on cash so that you have your reservation.

You can always call back the next day and then if both the first night is still available on cash, change it then--since you will be still ahead of the 11 month window for that last night, you would still be okay.

If that first night is not available for cash any longer, then leave it as is.

 

[kristenrice]

I would probably book the 4 nights on points and the last night on cash so that you have your reservation.

You can always call back the next day and then if both the first night is still available on cash, change it then--since you will be still ahead of the 11 month window for that last night, you would still be okay.

If that first night is not available for cash any longer, then leave it as is.

OMG!! That never occurred to me! I figured I was going to have to fork over the big bucks to book our last night on cash. Thank you so much! That is the perfect solution!

 

[Hopefully]

I am planning WAY ahead to 2013. We (the immediate family of 4) will be traveling to HHI over spring break, arriving on March 31. We would like to invite my parents to come along so we would need to book a 2BR.

Barring any more reallocations, we will need a total of 157 points for that stay. Here's what we will have available...
...3 AKV points banked from 2012...
...50 HHI points banked from 2012...
...50 HHI points from 2013...
...50 borrowed points from 2014...

So, we would need to buy (assuming they are still available) 4 of the "one-time" use points. (**TRANSFERRING IN IS NOT AN OPTION**)

Based on 2011, the "season" changes on April 1. Again, assuming this stays the same, our arrival night (Easter Sunday) falls in the "lower" season. Now, here's where I need advice...

In order to "guarantee" that we get all 5 nights, I want to book one night on cash along with 4 on points at the 11-month mark. (Yes, I know that will take two phone calls) The cash price difference between March 31 and April 1 is $150! So, I'd like to book the first night on cash and then the remaining 4 nights on points...but...with our first night being Easter, I'm thinking that the next 4 will be booked up by people calling the day before to book the whole week.

So, let's assume that I book the FIRST 4 nights on points and the LAST night on cash, to make sure we get all 5 nights. When the 7 month window opens, can I change my cash night over to points (assuming that there is availability) and buy the additional 4 points at that time? I wouldn't have to cancel the cash night first since there would be no points that I'd need to "free up". Assuming a 2BR is available, I could just buy the 4 extra points, book the room on points and then cancel the cash night, correct?

Does my question make sense? What would be my best plan of attack in a situation like this? I usually take about 2 years to save up for my vacations so I plan WAY ahead. I'd like to get a ballpark idea of how much $$$ I will need to save up.

It is very likely that if your first night is Easter Sunday, then that is going to be a different point requirement than you see for that date in 2011. Isn't Easter a "higher" season? Look at the points required for Easter in 2011 to see and to plan

 

[DMKEDM]

Also, note that you can't use your banked AKV points for a reservation made at the 11-month mark at HHI...of course you can use those 3 points at the 7-month mark, and that's the soonest you could do the one-time points "buy" from Disney, so it's probably irrelevant for your planning purposes...but at 11 months, you're 7 points, not 4 points, "short" of the points you need...

 

[kristenrice]

It is very likely that if your first night is Easter Sunday, then that is going to be a different point requirement than you see for that date in 2011. Isn't Easter a "higher" season? Look at the points required for Easter in 2011 to see and to plan

The seasons at HHI are different than the ones at WDW. The previous points charts have not shown Easter to be in a different season. It has been March 1-31 in one season and April 1-30 in another without regard for when Easter falls. Of course, that could definitely change.

Also, note that you can't use your banked AKV points for a reservation made at the 11-month mark at HHI...of course you can use those 3 points at the 7-month mark, and that's the soonest you could do the one-time points "buy" from Disney, so it's probably irrelevant for your planning purposes...but at 11 months, you're 7 points, not 4 points, "short" of the points you need...

I would book the 4 nights for 132 points. Then, at 7 months (which is when I can buy the extra points), I would combine the bought points with the AKV points to book the last night. When I was originally making the plans, I totally forgot I'd even have those three little AKV points leftover.