Cash Ressie up until 7 mo window - then cancel?

[saintstickets]

My situation - We have enough points on our VWL contract to book 3 nights in a 2br at the 11 month window and we have done that for May, 2012. We want to book 2 additional nights at the 7 month window using a different DVC contract. I don't want to do a split stay if the 2 nights aren't available and would prefer not to change resorts for the entire 5 night stay. Therefore, we made cash ressies for the 2 additional nights just in case. Disney processed the deposit (50% of total cost or one day - not sure which) the next day. In addition, a refurb is supposed to begin Feb, 2012 for WL (VWL too?) so room availability might be tight.

My question - When the 7 month window arrives, I will call DVC for the 2 additional nights using points from a different contract. If it is available, I will cancel the cash ressie. How long does it take to get a refund on the cash ressie? My pessimistic optimism also wonders if a room would not be available if they know I have a cash ressie (and they will know because the cash and DVC ressies are linked).

Anyone else do this? Any suggestions?

 

[mdsd8700]

We had a similar situation as that we had a cash reservation for just one night as we decided to add a night to our November trip and there was no DVC 2 bedrooms available. I keep calling MS to check and see if anything opened up and it did, so I cancelled the cash reservation. Now I actually waited a while to cancel, just beause things kept getting in the way. I canceled just last week and the credit is already on my credit card. The CM told me it would take longer than it actually did, but I am sure they do that as a precautionary measure.

As far as MS being able to see another reservation because they are linked I am not sure. Someone else will have to chime in about that. However I don't think that MS would not offer you a room they see available just because you have a cash reservation. Although I don't have a ton of experience, the MS people I have talked to are pretty happy when they can get me what I want.

Good Luck and enjoy your vacation!

 

[saintstickets]

Thanks mdsd8700. Anyone else want to weigh in on the subject?

 

[Sammie]

Not sure what you mean about the cash reservation affecting the points reservation.

the inventory is not the same so one does not influence the other.

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip)......My question - When the 7 month window arrives, I will call DVC for the 2 additional nights using points from a different contract. If it is available, I will cancel the cash ressie. .......... My pessimistic optimism also wonders if a room would not be available if they know I have a cash ressie (and they will know because the cash and DVC ressies are linked).

Anyone else do this? Any suggestions?

Truly, the CMs do not care if you already have a cash reservation for the nights you are requesting. If there is a room available for points when you call, they will happily make the points reservation for you and then cancel the cash back up reservation.

You are not the first to make a back up cash reservation and then cancel it when a waitlist come through. Lots of members do that.

Hope your plan works perfectly. Good luck!

 

[saintstickets]

Truly, the CMs do not care if you already have a cash reservation for the nights you are requesting. If there is a room available for points when you call, they will happily make the points reservation for you and then cancel the cash back up reservation.

You are not the first to make a back up cash reservation and then cancel it when a waitlist come through. Lots of members do that.

Hope your plan works perfectly. Good luck!

Thanks so much for the info. Just what I wanted to hear!

 

[crisi]

The one thing to know is that the room you booked for cash will not become available for points when you release it - i.e. this isn't a way to hold a room. But if A room is available for points, you can cancel your cash reservation and take the point room. If a room is NOT available for points then you can choose to hang onto your cash reservation (or do something else, like choose a different DVC resort).