Cash night -- do I have this right?

[colleen costello]

Hi all. We will be staying at the Lodge this summer after a conference with DH's work brings us to Orlando. I have enough points for 6 nights but unfortunately the conference ends on a Friday morning. I have booked Saturday through Thursday with points and need to make a reservation for that first Friday with cash.

How do I guarantee that I don't have to switch rooms? If I am willing to move, I can probably get an AP rate on the Lodge side, but I DON'T want to move. If I try to get an AP or Member-discounted rate for the Villas side, can I "stay put?" I know this has been posted here before but I have forgotten the details. If there is any chance I'll have to pack up, I'll just stay in the Lodge, but I would like to check into the Villas and stay put for 7 nights...

Also: Does paying cash for the first night make me any more likely to get the dumpster view?

 

[floridafam]

Can't they link your points and cash reservations?

I was going to suggest booking the LAST night with points but it looks like you can't do that because it would use more points than what you have.

Call MS, ask if a cash rate is available and ask if the member discount is available. I believe they can link this to your points ressie. I was told by MS they could link my VB points and cash reservations.

It may work to your advantage if you have to move. What if you do get the dumpster view the first night and get to move to a non dumpster view for the point nights? I wouldn't worry too much.

Let us know what they say.

 

[colleen costello]

"Failure is not an option" meaning I won't TAKE the dumpster view! I am armed with my lists and photos from these Boards... I will show up early and annoy the person at the front desk with reminders that I accept no room with a number higher than #55!

Thanks -- I'll call member services tomorrow. Best get moving before there's "no room at the Inn!"

 

[RobDoc]

If you book the cash night thru MS, it will be linked to your point reservation as one stay (you may have to check-in again for the last day, but won't have to move).

If you reserve the cash night thru CRO, they will note the request but will not guarantee the same room for that night.

Good luck!

 

[kda]

I just booked a weekend night with cash. MS told me if I booked through them, the reservations would be noted to be "continued" and it was guaranteed that I wouldn't have to move. I swear that the CM said it was guaranteed if I booked through them ---- don't know if there's anyone out there who has had a different experience.

BUT, if I booked through CRO, it could NOT be guaranteed. I could request that CRO and MS put a note on each reservation with the other reservation # and requesting that we not move, but it couldn't be guaranteed. Again, I don't know what others have experienced when they actually did this. I can't recall reading too many posts about having to move, but perhaps those cash ressies were mostly done through MS.

The 25% members discount was available, which is great. If an AP discount is available for that time, I'm thinking of trying for it, but deep down I'll probably stick with what we have because I'm chicken. Our cash night is in the middle of a 9 night stay (not enough points available to do it all on points), and we're already hoping to be able to stay in the 1 BR when our friends leave the studio part.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

If you don't want to move, book through MS, especially for only one night on cash. We booked 4 nights on CRO cash at BCV (40% off) followed by a points stay. We did all the notes on each reservation and still had to move.

Also, MS told me that if you book a 2-BR on cash, it will be a dedicated. The do not book 2-BR lock offs on cash. Make sure your points stay room type matches your cash stay room type.

 

[Mickey527]

I don't mind moving when I am at WDW so I would switch rooms if I had my choice.
I would go for something nice at the lodge, maybe consierge for the first night. Pack a small bag with clothes for that one night and put everything else in the big bags. Then enjoy the lodge and when you are ready to check out call the bell captain and let them lug your bags from one room to the next.
But if they can promise you the same room it's worth a try. I can honestly say it only happened to me once when I stayed a week and just couldn't leave so I called down and stayed one extra night in the same room for cash. I think they knew that I wasn't leaving so they couldn't put someone else in the room, I claimed squatters rights for the night. All the other times I tried to do one night as cash they told me I would be in a totally different room so I wound up staying at another resort and splurging. Peggie

 

[colleen costello]

Thanks everyone. I thought going through Member Services was the way to go. I wouldn't mind moving EXCEPT that we'll have just moved over from the convention hotel the night before. That's too much... Especially since I am the primary packer for hubby and the 2 kids as well!

 

[karebear1]

Can you reserve a cash room through MS using your AP- or can you only reserve through them using the DVC discount?

 

[colleen costello]

I called and made the reservation. The woman who helped me was very nice and said the reservations are linked so I should be able to stay put. She said they are now ONE reservation... I got the member rate of $235.

OK, I know you are all going to kill me, but now I am thinking of a different plan. See, $235 is a lot of money to me. I am a "moderate" girl who is used to adding a night at Riverside or Coronado for the AP rate of around $80... So I got to thinking that if I was spending over $200 -- a "splurge" -- that I should go somewhere NEW... SO: can I get a critter-view room at AKL for $200 or so? The kids have always wanted to stay there. Is one night on the savannah worth it? I dread to move an additional time, but I am THINKING about it. Of course my hubby is rolling his eyes because I usually change my mind like this so much that he forgets where we wind up... That's my new question: is one night at the AKL worth the hassle of relocation?

Thanks!

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by colleen costello
I called and made the reservation. The woman who helped me was very nice and said the reservations are linked so I should be able to stay put. She said they are now ONE reservation... I got the member rate of $235.

OK, I know you are all going to kill me, but now I am thinking of a different plan. See, $235 is a lot of money to me. I am a "moderate" girl who is used to adding a night at Riverside or Coronado for the AP rate of around $80... So I got to thinking that if I was spending over $200 -- a "splurge" -- that I should go somewhere NEW... SO: can I get a critter-view room at AKL for $200 or so? The kids have always wanted to stay there. Is one night on the savannah worth it? I dread to move an additional time, but I am THINKING about it. Of course my hubby is rolling his eyes because I usually change my mind like this so much that he forgets where we wind up... That's my new question: is one night at the AKL worth the hassle of relocation?

Thanks!

It wouldn't be for me! I'd keep the cash ressie at VWL and consider myself lucky to have gotten a Member Discount and not have to move. The cash discounts for members are not all that easy to get anymore!

We do visit the AKL almost every trip, though. It's an awesome place, IMHO.

Why not plan a meal there and allow time to explore the resort? We like all three options - Boma, Jiko and the Mara Food Court.

There are several animal viewing areas in the resort that are available to the "general public". No need to stay to appreciate the resort or the animals. If you only stay one night, how much time will you have there anyway? You'd be sleeping (or packing & unpacking) for most of your stay, wouldn't you?

 

[colleen costello]

CarolMN, of course you are right... I was just worn down by the kids' nagging after watching the latest WDW special on the Travel Channel. We always eat at Boma, and last sumemr we spent time at the Lodge and did go traipsing through the halls and out to visit the animals. The pool is neat, too, although my children want to personally try out every pool at WDW! We are trying to accomplish this before DVC turns mean and restricts pool-hopping...

In any case, we'll stay at the AKL sometime but probably not THIS visit as we are already moving once (from the Marriott) and that's ENOUGH!

 

[westjones]

Last year we stayed one night at AKL (it was the first night of our trip) and then moved to OKW and finished our trip there.

We LOVED our 1 night at AKL, but we did not go to the parks that day. It was the day we arrived (got there around 1:00 pm). We spent the day enjoying the resort. We had lunch at Mara and dinner at Jiko. We used the pool in the afternoon, and that night we went to the fire side storytelling and the 'night viewing' program (they have programs at AKL and they are listed on the back of your resort map).

We had a savannah view and just loved it. But that was our 'entertainment' for the day. Enjoying that wonderful lodge.

If we had gone to the park that day, I would have felt it was a waste. But it was a WONDERFUL way to start our trip. The next day we went to MK and that afternoon we went and checked in at OKW.

I laughed that I used as many points to stay in that small room at AKL compared to my 1 bedroom at OKW, but we all agreed.....it was worth the experience! We loved it, and want to do it again sometime. BUT I would do the same thing, make it our first night's stay and then move for the rest of our trip.

DJ

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

My first reaction is no it isn't worth it. Then my second reaction is still no it isn't worth it...if you are going to move over to akl why not stay two nights...otherwise just make a trip over to see it...the pool isn't anything special...its just the only one so that's the reason for that ban. The hot tubs are quite nice, the restaurants spectacular ...the public viewing areas are sufficient.

 

[makelab]

so, does that mean a person renting points (hopefully me) has no way of guaranteeing (is that a word?) not moving if they have some nights on cash reservations?

 

[HookdonWDW]

Originally posted by makelab
so, does that mean a person renting points (hopefully me) has no way of guaranteeing (is that a word?) not moving if they have some nights on cash reservations?

That's correct. You can request that they notate that you have two back-to-back reservations, and though they will try to accomodate your request, there is no guarantee.