Convert an existing reservation to Points?

[dphie28]

We have a trip planned for May and are now about to make an offer on a DVC resale. We are worried that our contract will take a while to be final, so we have made a cash reservation. Does anyone know if we can conver the cash reservation to a points reservation when it does become final? If so, we will go ahead and move our reservation to the Treehouse Villas!! I would never want to pay the cash price for them, but we planned to use our points for it this May.

Thanks!

 

[chalee94]

nope. totally separate inventory. sorry.

if there is availability on pts, you can book it when you close (and cancel the cash reservation). but you can't just switch a cash reservation to pts.

 

[Disneycouple99]

No. Cash reservation made booking with CRO are from a different pool of rooms than DVC rooms.

 

[dphie28]

Eeks! Now, what do we do? We have a ressie for a 1 BR at WL but know we want to join DVC. Our trip is $3600 for lodging, tickets and DDP. Do we cancel and hope the contract goes through? Or do we take the great deal and pay for the points anyway? Or do we hold off YET again on this entire idea of joining the DVC?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Since you have not yet made an offer on the resale, you are looking at about two to three months before you would be able to make a DVC reservation.

That puts you only a month or two prior to your travel date. It is highly unlikely you would be successful with a Treehouse reservation, in fact they are booking up at closer to the 11 month window.

If you want to travel in May, then I would keep the trip you have booked. But, if you are ready to purchase DVC then I would not hold off on the purchase, either.

 

[dphie28]

THanks for the replies. Carol, our DVC guide has a reservation at the THV on hold for us for our dates. I guess it is his job to tempt a newbie into signing! I just can't bring myself to pay Disney's price for SSR when resales are $30 less!

 

[Disneycouple99]

Does the 30 dollar difference out weight the money spent for the cash reservation and not staying at the THV plus the time of going the resale route?

 

[dphie28]

I think it might with the lodging promotion going on until 6/4. If we bought the minimum of 160 points thru resale, that's $4800 savings ($30 * 160 pts). Our trip in May is $3600 for 6 nights at a 1 BR at WL, DDP, and 6 day park hopper. So, we would have $1200 in our pockets. That could pay for most of next year's annual pass for our family, when we are DVC members and ready to visit again, couldn't it? Although we want to someday stay at THV, it is not necessary as we have never stayed in ANY of the DVC resorts and SSR would be our home resort.

Does this sound right? Please play devil's advocate if possible!! I need to see all sides of this.

 

[disneynutz]

You've never stayed at any DVC resort? How do you know where to buy points for?

May I suggest that you rent points from a DVC Member and check out the DVC resorts before you commit so much money to SSR.

Bill

 

[Disneycouple99]

I think you may have answered your own question. Take your time and get a good resale contract that is right for you. Enjoy the vacation you have booked and plan on THV for a future trip. DVC is not going anywhere.

 

[Sandisw]

I think it might with the lodging promotion going on until 6/4. If we bought the minimum of 160 points thru resale, that's $4800 savings ($30 * 160 pts). Our trip in May is $3600 for 6 nights at a 1 BR at WL, DDP, and 6 day park hopper. So, we would have $1200 in our pockets. That could pay for most of next year's annual pass for our family, when we are DVC members and ready to visit again, couldn't it? Although we want to someday stay at THV, it is not necessary as we have never stayed in ANY of the DVC resorts and SSR would be our home resort.

Does this sound right? Please play devil's advocate if possible!! I need to see all sides of this.

Almost...that reservation you have at WL includes DDP and tickets. Your purchase of SSR through Disney will only get you your room. You will still have to pay for the DDP (if you want it) and the tickets so the entire $3600 won't go away if you travel on DVC points.

IF SSR is the home resort you want (and I am going to make an assumption that you are considering this one to get the 11 month advantage for the treehouses or because the resale price is lower), I would take my time and go resale.

If you try from now, you will close before the trip, providing you pass ROFR. You can then switch to what is available and if not, there is always renting those points to recoup some of the money you spent on the cash reservation.

For SSR, I don't think I would go through Disney. I spent about that much extra to buy BLT last year, but I knew that BLT was it for me (and it wasn't available on the resale market at that time).

Good luck!!!

 

[dphie28]

Sandi,

Your advice is exactly what my husband and I came up with last night as our solution. We will plan to go ahead with this trip as-is and will start the resale process. When it closes we will see what is available and switch if it works for us. We have to pay in full on our ressie by 4/10...so the resale should be done before then.

Thanks!

 

[Sandisw]

Sandi,

Your advice is exactly what my husband and I came up with last night as our solution. We will plan to go ahead with this trip as-is and will start the resale process. When it closes we will see what is available and switch if it works for us. We have to pay in full on our ressie by 4/10...so the resale should be done before then.

Thanks!

Wonderful! Here is some pixiedust that you find a great contract, pass ROFR, and are DVC members in time to use the points for your May trip!!!!

 

[tiggerrifficheidi]

I had talked to a DVC Guide in Nov '08, but my husband wasn't with me. So, I talked about making a reservation at SSR for cash and then converting when we bought together in Jan. At the time, she said that was fine. Now, that could be because they knew SSR wouldn't book up in late Jan and it wouldn't be a problem. Who knows.

At any rate, that's what I did. When we went to buy DVC on the first day of our trip, our guide (a different guide than I had first met with since she was off that day) put us on the phone with MS. Now, technically, I know I DIDN'T switch the cash to points. They made a new one and cancelled the old one. But, I wonder how much influence the guide had since we were purchasing, and in a way, that was part of our "hook."

I think whether it will work out or not is completely unknown, but if you are talking to a guide already, you might get some input.