Confused on cancel policy

[texansue]

I have a reservation booked in November at my home resort using 2008 points. If I cancel that reservation now, do those points return or are they stuck in 'holding'? I'm wondering if I cancel the reservation, if I can then bank them and use them in 2009 or if they are lost. I'm confused how the cancel policy works.

Thanks so much!

 

[Chuck S]

If you cancel at least 31 days prior to your scheduled arrival, and the reservation is not using banked or borrowed points, the points will return to their use year as regular points, and you can use them or bank them, as long as you are within your regular banking window. If borrowed or banked points are used, the points can not be returned to their original use year, as banking and borrowing are final transactions.

 

[LisaS]

The holding account only comes into play if you cancel a reservation 30 days or less from your check-in date otherwise the points go back into your account with no restrictions on their use during that Use Year. Unless you have a December UY (in which case you borrowed points for that reservation), a reservation in November is in your 2008 UY so those points will be bankable provided you are within your banking deadlines at the time you cancel the reservation. You can bank points any time during the first 8 months of your UY.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

When you cancel a reservation, the points will always be "locked" into the use year that reservation was in. As already mentioned, this is because banking and borrowing transactions are final.

If you cancel more than 30 days before check-in, your points remain as vacation points, and can be used without restriction. Points that were from the current use year (e.g., haven't been banked or borrowed) can be banked and borrowed.

If you cancel on your check-in day, are a no-show, or check out early, your points are lost.

Holding accounts come into play if you cancel a reservation in the period between the two scenarios above; anywhere from 1 to 30 days before check-in. Holding account points have some special restrictions associated with them. They can't be banked, borrowed, or transferred. You cannot book a vacation with them more than 60 days in advance.

Holding account points can be used for any category of reservation (DVC Resort, Disney Collection, Concierge Collection, World Passport Collection, Adventures by Disney). However, you need to remember the rule of four -- it's particularly important for holding account points. The rule of four is that for point uses at any location other than DVC Resorts (and Disneyland hotels in the Disney collection), you cannot book and travel in the last four months of your use year. You can travel in the last four months, you just need to make the reservation more than four months from the end of your use year. Why is this special with holding account points? Because the two rules combined (can't book more than 60 days in advance & can't book and travel in the last four months of your use year to non-DVC resorts) essentially mean that holding account points can't be used for non-DVC resort vacations in the last two months of your use year.