Confused - DVC booking dilemma

[mummy2emma]

I will try to make this not confusing, LOL!! Ok, so we booked October 17-25 of this year at our home resort Animal Kingdom. I looked online to see if any other resort were available and GF was available from 21-25 and I thought great - i will switch our last 4 days just for something different. I called member services but she told me I couldn't book those until tomorrow because it is not my home resort. She said availability was very high for AK for 21-25 so she suggested I cancel the last 4 days (21-25) and go online tomorrow at 8am and try to book the 21st-25th at GF and if I don't get it just rebook AK. So my question is could I wait list from the 20th - 25th (20th is unavailable but the 21st-25th is available) or does that bump the fact I am still booked for the 20th at AK?

Is there a way around this or should I just wait until tomorrow morning...

Thanks
__

 

[disneynutz]

People who book online will probably get the room before waitlisters.

Bill

 

[rfc0001]

I will try to make this not confusing, LOL!! Ok, so we booked October 17-25 of this year at our home resort Animal Kingdom. I looked online to see if any other resort were available and GF was available from 21-25 and I thought great - i will switch our last 4 days just for something different. I called member services but she told me I couldn't book those until tomorrow because it is not my home resort. She said availability was very high for AK for 21-25 so she suggested I cancel the last 4 days (21-25) and go online tomorrow at 8am and try to book the 21st-25th at GF and if I don't get it just rebook AK. So my question is could I wait list from the 20th - 25th (20th is unavailable but the 21st-25th is available) or does that bump the fact I am still booked for the 20th at AK?

Is there a way around this or should I just wait until tomorrow morning...

Thanks
__

As you found, you can book 7 mos to the day (Oct 20 today), plus 7 total consecutive days up to Oct 20-27, but not Oct 21-Oct 27 w/o Oct 20.

If Oct 20 were available (just reread your post & saw it isn't) I would cancel the last 4 days at AKV & book Oct 20-25 (one day before your reservation) tonight, then call MS tomorrow at 9am & truncate the reservation to Oct 21-25 (if you didn't have enough points for 5 nights, then book Oct 20-24 tonight & call MS at 9am to move the reservation 1 day to Oct 21-25.

However, since Oct 20 isn't available, I'd waitlist Oct 20-25, keeping in mind your only option is to replace your entire AKV ressie w/ the waitlist or borrow points. Alternatively, you could cancel your entire AKV ressie and rebook Oct 17-21 AKV & Oct 21-25 AKV (two separate ressies), then create a waitlist for VGF for Oct 20-25 that replaces the AKV Oct 21-25 ressie, then move VGF to Oct 21-25 if it matches today (make sure to cancel waitlist in the morning).

There is no "bumping" your reservation-you can have as many reservations as you want, so as long as you have points (or borrow points), then can hold on to you home reservation until your new reservation is complete. Keep in mind, borrowing points is fine as long as you do not borrow more point than you plan on using for the remainder of the UY. MS can always swap out current UY points for borrowed points on your earliest reservations (if they fall in this UY), & you can bank your current UY points you swapped out-so no worries unless you end up borrowing more points than you can use this UY (or end up cancelling a current UY reservation using borrowed points), in which case the excess borrowed points will expire this UY & can't be banked.

Also, keep in mind if you have enough points (or borrow points) you could have walked the reservation as far back as 7 days out, so booked Oct 15-22, then called MS each day and moved reservation 1 day (16-23, 17-24, 18-25, 19-25, 20-25, then 21-25). Of course you would need 7 days worth of points to walk a reservation that far out, but it's the best way to guarantee you get the days/resort/room type you want.

Regardless of what you do, don't cancel AKV until immediately before you confirm VGH is available, & do it immediately! If you cancel prior to tomorrow, or prior to your waitlist matching, people can be searching for Oct 18-25 AKV today. Keep in mind, lots of sharks feeding at 8AM, so lots of people will be searching for both AKV and VGF before 9AM, when your only option is catch and release (no MS), so you always run the risk of losing both reservations (which is why borrowing points to book second reservation first is better). Good luck!

 

[mummy2emma]

So excited - I got the 4 days at Grand Floridian!! So now I have two ressie's - Oct 17-21 at AKV & Oct 21-25 at GF. I wait listed the first 4 days at GF so maybe I will get lucky and get my whole vacation there but if not I have 4 days at AKV with a Savanna view so either way we are one lucky family!!!!

Thanks so much for the great advice and explaining - I feel like I might be an old pro at this one day

 

[bobbiwoz]

So excited - I got the 4 days at Grand Floridian!! So now I have two ressie's - Oct 17-21 at AKV & Oct 21-25 at GF. I wait listed the first 4 days at GF so maybe I will get lucky and get my whole vacation there but if not I have 4 days at AKV with a Savanna view so either way we are one lucky family!!!!

Thanks so much for the great advice and explaining - I feel like I might be an old pro at this one day

Sounds like a great stay! Those are 2 great resorts, and oh, so different!

 

[ngchiro]

If you can do all this finagling what's really the point of their limitations. I don't understand.

 

[moreisgood]

As you found, you can book 7 mos to the day (Oct 20 today), plus 7 total consecutive days up to Oct 20-27, but not Oct 21-Oct 27 w/o Oct 20. If Oct 20 were available (just reread your post & saw it isn't) I would cancel the last 4 days at AKV & book Oct 20-25 (one day before your reservation) tonight, then call MS tomorrow at 9am & truncate the reservation to Oct 21-25 (if you didn't have enough points for 5 nights, then book Oct 20-24 tonight & call MS at 9am to move the reservation 1 day to Oct 21-25. However, since Oct 20 isn't available, I'd waitlist Oct 20-25, keeping in mind your only option is to replace your entire AKV ressie w/ the waitlist or borrow points. Alternatively, you could cancel your entire AKV ressie and rebook Oct 17-21 AKV & Oct 21-25 AKV (two separate ressies), then create a waitlist for VGF for Oct 20-25 that replaces the AKV Oct 21-25 ressie, then move VGF to Oct 21-25 if it matches today (make sure to cancel waitlist in the morning). There is no "bumping" your reservation-you can have as many reservations as you want, so as long as you have points (or borrow points), then can hold on to you home reservation until your new reservation is complete. Keep in mind, borrowing points is fine as long as you do not borrow more point than you plan on using for the remainder of the UY. MS can always swap out current UY points for borrowed points on your earliest reservations (if they fall in this UY), & you can bank your current UY points you swapped out-so no worries unless you end up borrowing more points than you can use this UY (or end up cancelling a current UY reservation using borrowed points), in which case the excess borrowed points will expire this UY & can't be banked. Also, keep in mind if you have enough points (or borrow points) you could have walked the reservation as far back as 7 days out, so booked Oct 15-22, then called MS each day and moved reservation 1 day (16-23, 17-24, 18-25, 19-25, 20-25, then 21-25). Of course you would need 7 days worth of points to walk a reservation that far out, but it's the best way to guarantee you get the days/resort/room type you want. Regardless of what you do, don't cancel AKV until immediately before you confirm VGH is available, & do it immediately! If you cancel prior to tomorrow, or prior to your waitlist matching, people can be searching for Oct 18-25 AKV today. Keep in mind, lots of sharks feeding at 8AM, so lots of people will be searching for both AKV and VGF before 9AM, when your only option is catch and release (no MS), so you always run the risk of losing both reservations (which is why borrowing points to book second reservation first is better). Good luck!

Is there a preferred method of "catch and release" or any tricks?

 

[rfc0001]

Is there a preferred method of "catch and release" or any tricks?

Sorry, just realized I never replied. If it's prior to 9AM, and you can't call MS, and have the points to borrow (you can borrow as many as you plan on actually using this UY--can always reallocate borrowed points to existing reservations), then book the new ressie before cancelling the old one (to swap resorts, walk a ressie, etc). If can't borrow, then you are forced to cancel your old reservation before booking your new one, which is risky business. To be honest, I don't know that it is any less risky when an MS does it -- you always risk an available unit goes out from under your nose, and by the time you rebook your old ressie, it's gone as well.