Changing at 7 months online?

[grace&philipsmom]

Hello everyone,

I booked 2 nights at my home resort for the week after Easter 2013. I am hoping to change it to BLT at the 7 month mark. Is the only way to do this through calling MS or is it possible to do online (assuming there is availability)? How would I go about doing this?

TIA,
K

 

[DVC Mike]

I think you can only book new reservations online, and not make changes. You should call MS.

 

[disneynutz]

Either way if you don't have enough points, you will need to cancel the existing reservation before booking the new. There is a possibility that the new inventory can be taken by someone else while you are making the reservation.

That happened to us while booking Club Level at Jambo through MS.

Bill

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

As I'm sure you realize, there's actually no such thing as changing resorts on a reservation. What you're actually doing is cancelling your existing reservation and creating a brand new booking at BLT.

If you plan to cancel an entire reservation, you can do that online. If you only want to remove certain nights from a reservation, you must do that through Member Services.

As a previous poster indicates, you're vulnerable during the period between when you cancel your existing reservation, and when the new room is booked. If other members jump in at just the right time, the room you want could disappear between the time you see it's available, and the time it takes you to cancel your existing room and get back to book it. The room you cancel could also disappear if it matches someone's wait list request. While it can happen with either MS or online, it's less likely to happen when you deal with MS. In fact, it's probably very rare to lose a booking with MS. Online, you have no way to know if the room you're looking at is the "last one." Member Services can see that.

 

[RachaelA]

Can I add a question to this post?

Can MS change how my points are used (as long as I'm not borrowing more points) if I book a new reservation online and then cancel the exisiting one? I have X amount of banked points from 2011 moving into 2012 (December use year). I'm booking in our 11 month window for May and September of next year. I'm assuming when I book a new reservation at the 7 month window for September (in February), I'll end up using all current points and then once I cancel the old reservation, I'll have banked points available. Can MS switch how the points are used (using up all banked points first, then current points) if I call later that day?

Does what I asked even make sense?

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Can I add a question to this post?

Can MS change how my points are used (as long as I'm not borrowing more points) if I book a new reservation online and then cancel the exisiting one? I have X amount of banked points from 2011 moving into 2012 (December use year). I'm booking in our 11 month window for May and September of next year. I'm assuming when I book a new reservation at the 7 month window for September (in February), I'll end up using all current points and then once I cancel the old reservation, I'll have banked points available. Can MS switch how the points are used (using up all banked points first, then current points) if I call later that day?

Does what I asked even make sense?

The answer to this question is "it depends."

Member Services will usually help you to change out points on a reservation so long as what you're doing doesn't in any way seem to circumvent the home resort booking priority. For example, if your home resort is BLT and you book a room there using your BLT points at the 11 month point, they will not allow you to call at the 7 month point and switch that reservation to use points from another non-BLT contract. In that case, you would have to cancel the booking and re-book using the non-home points.

If, however, you have a booking that you made in the 7-month window and call to swap points, they will most likely work with you on that.

That said, with the specific situation you describe (making the reservation in the morning then calling to change the points later in the day), I'd really recommend just calling MS and doing it all at once.

 

[DizDays]

I thought I read somewhere that the system was fixed to allow the MS CM to put a "hold" on the new room (at 7 months) while the other was canceled to make the points available to get past the vulnerability problem. Is that not true?

 

[Pirate Granny]

I switched from BCV to VWL a couple of weeks ago, and although the CM was very nice, she was slow and actually had to start over as she was talking and made a mistake. I changed my dates by one day to get the five nights together without wait listing, and it was the last studio available (or so she said). I felt like sceaming...MUST GO FASTER. (I love that movie ). It is a bit nerve racking...I didn't worry about losing a reservation as OKW my other home was still available and we love it there...just wanted to have hubby experience the LODGE. (would like to convince him for a small contract there).

 

[disneynutz]

I thought I read somewhere that the system was fixed to allow the MS CM to put a "hold" on the new room (at 7 months) while the other was canceled to make the points available to get past the vulnerability problem. Is that not true?

I was told that not all CM's have the ability to hold inventory, that may have changed with one of the recent software upgrades or maybe it will change with this weeks upgrade.

Bill

 

[n2mm]

OP, I've booked a new reservation online while having a current one. Once the new one was booked, I canceled the old one. Obviously you have to have enough points to do this. So that's an option too. Having that extra hour can determine whether you get a reservation or lose it.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I guess since I wouldn't have enough points to do a new reservation and then cancel the old, I'll have to call MS and hope for the best.

Thanks!

 

[Chase'n'Ciera]

I thought I read somewhere that the system was fixed to allow the MS CM to put a "hold" on the new room (at 7 months) while the other was canceled to make the points available to get past the vulnerability problem. Is that not true?

I was told just this week that I may possibly lose the room during the change over

FWIW