cash ressies: can you switch to use points instead?

[disneyberry]

if i booked a cash ressie 11mos out at a non-home resort through MS, could i later call MS to switch the ressie to use points instead of cash?

(i'm dubious about this... as it seems like it could be a way around the 11mo booking priority, and thus not be allowed. i thought i would check w/ the experts here on this.... )

what about if i booked a cash ressie 11mos out at one of my home resorts? then is the "switch" allowed?


also, a somewhat related question: what's MS's cancellation/change policy for cash ressies?

 

[InstImpres]

Cash ressies come from a different "pool of avail". So yes, you could change to points if avail but the fact that you have a room with cash does not mean that room can be converted to a points room. Sorry, no way around the system.

Cash ressies must cancel 48 hours in advance. This is why if you do a waitlist within 30 days of your trip, the cash ressie should be made with MS, they will auto confirm the points room if it becomes avail. and auto cancel the cash room.

Hope this helped,
Sandy

 

[RobDoc]

Originally posted by disneyberry
if i booked a cash ressie 11mos out at a non-home resort through MS, could i later call MS to switch the ressie to use points instead of cash?

(i'm dubious about this... as it seems like it could be a way around the 11mo booking priority, and thus not be allowed. i thought i would check w/ the experts here on this.... )

what about if i booked a cash ressie 11mos out at one of my home resorts? then is the "switch" allowed?

You can't book a non-home cash reservation thru MS until 7 months. For most dates, you can't even book a cash reservation at your home resort 11 months ahead, since MS first priority is to book DVC rooms using points. Until MS is certain a room isn't likely to be reserved using points, it won't be made available for a cash reservation.

You can book thru CRO at 11 months (or earlier), but that reservation can't be switched to a points reservation later.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by InstImpres

Cash ressies must cancel 48 hours in advance. This is why if you do a waitlist within 30 days of your trip, the cash ressie should be made with MS, they will auto confirm the points room if it becomes avail. and auto cancel the cash room.

Cash reservations must now be cancelled 5 days in advance. I have 2 nights booked for the end of next week (yes! ). They follow CRO rules, which used to be 48 hours but is now 5 days.

 

[disneyberry]

thanks for the info, everyone.
ok, so let me sum up what i gather from your replies, just to make sure i understand it:

1) home resort priority applies also to cash reservations: i.e. if you own at BWV, you can't book a cash ressie at VWL until you are in the 7mo window.

2) you can't really change a cash ressie to use points. you could in effect accomplish this ?, but technically you'd be booking a brand new points ressie dependent on availability; and then you'd be cancelling your old cash ressie.

3) cash ressies are very limited when trying to book far in advance through MS.

4) cash ressies follow the same cancellation policies as CRO ressies: you must cancel 5 days prior to arrival. (actually wasn't this increased to 6 days prior to arrival at some point?)

please clarify, or correct me if any of this seems inaccurate. thanks!

 

[Jimbo]

I think that #1 is incorrect. When you're booking a cash reservation with MS, home resort doesn't come in to play at all.

But #1 is irrelevant anyway, because cash reservations from MS aren't usually available until 60 days before your stay (or less). As Doc stated, MS will always make rooms available for points first. Only when it's obvious that no one will use their points on the room do they start to offer these rooms for cash. And that would never happen before the seven month deadline.

In practice, these cash rooms with the 25% discount are fairly rare under any circumstances. It happens, but it's a mistake to rely on it.

 

[DVC-Don]

Here's what happened to me in 2001.

In April (or so) 2001 I had no points and called MS to make a cash ressie at BWV (home then was VWL) at the end of August. Made the ressie at rack rate. In June at the 60 day mark, I called again and got the 25% members discount.

Now it gets complicated. In July I did an add on at VWL. Called MS and told "no go" on converting to points. Doc probably remembers me whining about that here then. ( I had a different log in name in those days. Had to change it when I went into the wittness protection program). But I kept calling back and about 30 days out MS let me convert 2 of the 3 nights to points. Then about 2 weeks out, I got the last night converted to points. I do not know why, but it got done. I just kept calling back and was pleasant on the phone.

 

[disneyberry]

hmm.. Don, maybe it just happened that some rooms opened up?
and technically you were making a new points ressie, and cancelling your old cash ressie?

btw, do rack rate cash ressies have more availability far in advance than member discount cash ressies?

 

[Deb & Bill]

AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!! That word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[disneyberry]

hey, i actually typed the whole word once in my post above. wow.

(btw, ever since people have been complaining about the abbrev, i'm noticing it more and more. i mean, i started using "ressie" the same as how i'd use any other abbrev like Poly or VWL... never really thought about it before... until now that is. maybe i'll start weaning myself off it... haha, maybe i shouldn't use contractions either )

anyway. back on topic, anyone?