Confused about what MS was trying to tell me (long).

[becca-becca]

See if you might be able to clarify this for me:

Today we got our member number. I immediately called MS because I was hoping to get a 2 bedroom and 1 studio at AKV during Christmas which I thought was virtually impossible.

I got a very helpful CM. She banked all of my UY 07 points (December) into 08 (which was fine, except I have 6 points in there I probably can't use) and then got me a 2 bedroom standard and a 1 bedroom studio. This left my point balance at 6 for UY '07 which were banked into '08 and 225 for '08. We also have 160 developer points.

We plan to bank the '08 points when we get them to use on a cruise in 01-2010.

After I got off the phone with her, I started worrying I had not been clear about using the banked points first, so I called back to check my points balance. I told the CM on the phone my DH and I are thinking of taking a cruise on our Developer's points. She said I potentially could have messed my points up by doing it the way I did.

I asked her to explain. It was something like if we have to cancel the cruise, our points go somewhere and I should have used some different points. I said I didn't realize I did it wrong. She said I didn't do it wrong, but I could possibly cause myself a problem.

How else could I have done it? I had to use regular points in order to book at 11 months out instead of wait until 7 (where I am most sure a 2 bedroom AKV would not have been available). We are only going on the cruise becuse of the Developer's points. I am confused as to what I did wrong. Please help me!!! What did she mean. She said I should always tell them of all of my plans when I call in the future, but the cruise is speculative, not for sure and I am not ready to book yet.

 

[RobDoc]

If the banked points from 2007 were used for your Dec.08 reservation, then you should be OK since they will expire on 11/30/09 and could not be used for a cruise in 2010.

Your problem is that the Developer Points are good for one year - they will expire within the next 12 months and cannot be used even in 2009 - and they couold not have been used to make the AKV reservation until 7 months ahead.

So, you still need to make some plans to use those Developer Points within the year and it sounds as though you will have access to another 231 points (besides the Developer Points) during your 2008 Use Year (12/01/08 - 11/30/09) unless you bank 225 into 2009 (12/01/09 - 11/30/09).

Good luck and Happy Planning!

 

[DISNEY FIX]

Is it a standard practice that MS will always use banked points first?

 

[DVC Mike]

Is it a standard practice that MS will always use banked points first?

The answer is Yes. They just select your contracts and the system will select the banked points first.

Developer points are handled manually.

 

[wildernessDad]

One cannot bank developer's points and they have to be used within a year. Also, there is no 11-month advantage with developer's points.

So it looks like you will not be able to use those developer's points for a trip in January of 2010.

You could try to check AKV availability at the 7-month point (May) and use developer's points if they can cancel and rebook your December vacation, but the likelihood of having availability for December at that point is slim. If MS did have availability and you used developer's points on part of your December vacation, then the home resort vacation points that you got back could be banked as you would not be outside of your banking window.

Those 6 banked 2007 UY points must be used by December 1, 2010 or they will be lost.

 

[Claire L]

Those 6 banked 2007 UY points must be used by December 1, 2010 or they will be lost.

I thought 07UY banked points would have to be used by Dec 1 2009?

Claire

 

[wildernessDad]

I thought 07UY banked points would have to be used by Dec 1 2009?

Claire

Gaa, you are correct. They would need to be used by December 1, 2009. Sorry about that.