Did I screw up?

[jack'smom]

This is the first time I am using our DVC points and now I think I might have screwed up...

This morning at 8:00, I booked a VWL 2 bedroom for October 17-24. (We really wanted either BLT or VGF but they were unavailable for Oct. 17.) I used approximately 220 banked points and the rest were 2015 points. (The total was 278 points)

Around 9:20, I found a BLT 2 bedroom lakeview available for Oct. 17-21, so I booked that thinking we would do a split stay. I didn't need to borrow points, so I didn't cancel our Wilderness Lodge reservations first. The total for the BLT reservation was 179 points.

Now I'll need to cancel the first half of my Wilderness Lodge reservation. What points will I get back, my 2014 banked points or my 2015 points? If they are my banked points, how long will I have to use them? We have an October use year and after the October 2015 trip, we will go back either August or September of 2016.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[com_op_2000]

Now that you have both reservations you have 3 options:
Call MS and explain what you want to do.
E-mail MS with the reservaton and explain what you want to do.
Chat with MS from the member website and explain what you want to do.
They have the ability to adjust which points are used for which reservation.

 

[nalajms]

If you're not a VWL owner, wait until the 22 to call MS. They can cancel the extra nights at VWL, leaving 10/22-24, then ask them to reallocate your banked points to the BLT reservations.

After they reallocate, you should have used all your banked points and only have current points left.

I have done this several times because you never know what you're going to be able to get at 7m and sometimes we can't decide where we want to stay so I double book.

 

[CMNJ]

This is the first time I am using our DVC points and now I think I might have screwed up...

This morning at 8:00, I booked a VWL 2 bedroom for October 17-24. (We really wanted either BLT or VGF but they were unavailable for Oct. 17.) I used approximately 220 banked points and the rest were 2015 points. (The total was 278 points)

Around 9:20, I found a BLT 2 bedroom lakeview available for Oct. 17-21, so I booked that thinking we would do a split stay. I didn't need to borrow points, so I didn't cancel our Wilderness Lodge reservations first. The total for the BLT reservation was 179 points.

Now I'll need to cancel the first half of my Wilderness Lodge reservation. What points will I get back, my 2014 banked points or my 2015 points? If they are my banked points, how long will I have to use them? We have an October use year and after the October 2015 trip, we will go back either August or September of 2016.

Thanks for your help!!

First you must wait until March 22 to modify your WL reservation-if you call now you would have to cancel the whole thing as you are not 7 months from your check in day for that reservation. When you call make sure that they use your banked points 1st (they should but I would confirm with MS) and ask them to reallocate any remaining banked points to BLT reservation. If you have an OCT use year you have until Sept 30 2016 to use 2014 banked points -BUT I would definitely try to use those 1st in case you wind up not going next August/sept
Sorry for the duplicate post must have been typing at same time as pp

 

[jack'smom]

Thank you everybody for your quick responses! I was worried after I did it that I made a big mess, but it doesn't look like it.

 

[jack'smom]

One more question...
I would really like to stay at BLT for the rest of the week. If October 21-24 opens up (about 120 points) and I cancel my VWL reservation right before (279 points, most of which were banked), can I call afterwards and have them reallocate my points so that all of the banked points are used on the BLT reservation before they touch my 2015 points?

 

[wench]

yes, they should be able to do that. as long as only 1 reservation is left, it's easy for them to move the points around. if you still have 2 reservations & want them to swap points that are currently tied up between the 2 they can't do it. but, since you'd be cancelling your VWL reservation in this situation, you wouldn't have to worry about anything being tied up. good luck!

 

[circhead]

From a similar situation I had this is what was explained to me as point usage priority:

Banked
Borrowed
Current

 

[senadler]

If you can book the additional nights at BLT without borrowing points, I would do that before cancelling the VWL reservation first. If you cancel, you run the risk of losing both reservations. You can still reallocate the points later as long as no points were borrowed.

 

[deedisneydream97]

I recently had a similar situation. I had gotten myself very confused between using points for Aluani last year, banking, borrowing. We have multiple contracts. I ended up using a spiral bound notebook and put each contract on the top of a page, wrote down use year, how many points were current, how many borrowed, how many banked, when banked and borrowed needed to be used by.....I did 2014, 2015, 2016. I was very fortunate that I got a very knowledgeable DVC CM when I called. Worked with me for 20 minutes.

 

[deedisneydream97]

Sorry, I hit send to quickly. There are some CM's that are not quite so knowledgeable, and I can usually tell about 30 seconds into the phone call. I will admit that a few times I've said....ooops, I'll have to call back later, the dog just got sick. Or ...... I was on hold longer than expected and I have to leave for an appointment; I'll call later.

I've learned that when in doubt, make the 800 call. The member website is great for the easy booking things, but gets too complicated for me sometimes because of our different contracts and use years. They can also help talk you through some things....it can be very nerve wracking when you fear you might lose a reservation. Good luck. I love BLT. Only stayed at Wilderness once, but it was so serene and beautiful; just a little inconvenient because of having to use boat or bus.

 

[deedisneydream97]

Sorry, one more thing in addition to what Pat said about order of using points. The CM that helped me said it sometimes helps to make up your own calendar for DVC, but arrange the months different for your different use years (for example, I have Sept., June and March U/Y). So I may make three sets of calendars, with the years starting in Sept, June and March. Easy enough to print out with my word program.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.