DVC Points / Cancelled Flight

[disneylover81]

We have a late night flight booked from MEM to MCO with a short layover in ATL. It’s scheduled to land around 11:30 pm. I’m a fairly new DVC member and I’m still figuring everything out. I have my resort booked starting that night. In the case of a cancelled flight and we can’t make it to our resort for the first night, can we call MS and get our points back since it wasn’t our fault or would we lose them completely? We are staying at VGF and it’s 17 points to lose, which seems like a lot to me. We also have a room booked at the Hyatt MCO for the first night if that would be a better option for us, but of course it’ll cost us out of pocket. I’m trying to decide which one to keep. I’d rather just go on to VGF on arrival night and not have to worry about catching the bus and traveling to our resort the next morning and missing out on park time. But if we get stuck in ATL for whatever reason, we’d lose out on both reservations. What’s the best route? I’m hoping everything goes smoothly for us, but I’d like to be prepared for anything.

 

[DianaMB333]

I had a flight cancelled in my last trip, I ended up arriving the day after.
I called DvC to ask: a) to notify the hotel that I was arriving one day after, so that they didn’t considered as “no show”; b) to request if it was possible to get the points back and they did it.

Can’t tell if it is DVC policy or just kindness from the person on the phone..

Safe travels

 

[Sandisw]

You can ask but it’s not a guarantee they will refund them.

However, they are usually pretty accommodating when it’s a big storm.

 

[disneylover81]

I had a flight cancelled in my last trip, I ended up arriving the day after.
I called DvC to ask: a) to notify the hotel that I was arriving one day after, so that they didn’t considered as “no show”; b) to request if it was possible to get the points back and they did it.

Can’t tell if it is DVC policy or just kindness from the person on the phone..

Safe travels

Thank you. That makes me feel better that it’s a possibility.

 

[disneylover81]

You can ask but it’s not a guarantee they will refund them.

However, they are usually pretty accommodating when it’s a big storm.

Thanks for clarifying its not policy, but it’s possible.

 

[Sammie]

I would not chance it or even if you do arrive on time, check in after midnight. For one your chances of getting any requests are slim as so many others have checked in before you. I would not want to waste points on a night that is that late. I would do something else and check in early the next morning. I would take a car service the next morning that will pick you up early and get you there quicker. You can check in, leave bags with bell captains and go to the parks. They will text you when your room is ready.

 

[bumbershoot]

For one your chances of getting any requests are slim as so many others have checked in before you.

That has NOT been my experience. I've gotten very good rooms when checking in late at night.

OP, the lovely thing about having a room like that is that when you arrive you are settled. It's YOUR room. You don't need to stash bags and wait until after 4 etc. It feels like a waste of points/money beforehand, but when you get to your room at 1:30am and that's where you'll stay, it's so nice.

Is your layover booked on the same reservation? Have you checked out flightstats or flightaware for past iterations of the same flight to see how often there are issues with the flight? You can also check gates; are they consistently close to each other? If the are booked on the same reservation the airline expects you to be able to make it, FWIW.

Also, keep an eye on changes to the flights. If there's a big enough change, you could call them to see about taking a different flight. Perhaps you can catch an earlier flight. And be sure to check if that's the last flight on your airline from ATL to MCO, so you know IF you have options.

 

[Sammie]

That has NOT been my experience. I've gotten very good rooms when checking in late at night.

Did you get requests you made. This is not to say there won't be good rooms left, but the earlier you check in, if there is a problem with the room you have a better chance of moving.

 

[disneylover81]

That has NOT been my experience. I've gotten very good rooms when checking in late at night.

OP, the lovely thing about having a room like that is that when you arrive you are settled. It's YOUR room. You don't need to stash bags and wait until after 4 etc. It feels like a waste of points/money beforehand, but when you get to your room at 1:30am and that's where you'll stay, it's so nice.

Is your layover booked on the same reservation? Have you checked out flightstats or flightaware for past iterations of the same flight to see how often there are issues with the flight? You can also check gates; are they consistently close to each other? If the are booked on the same reservation the airline expects you to be able to make it, FWIW.

Also, keep an eye on changes to the flights. If there's a big enough change, you could call them to see about taking a different flight. Perhaps you can catch an earlier flight. And be sure to check if that's the last flight on your airline from ATL to MCO, so you know IF you have options.

I have also checked in at 1:00 am before and got the best room ever! Reserved GF Outer Building Theme Park View and got pixie dusted with a Main Building Theme Park View on the CL floor. It was amazing! Plus I knew which room I had by text message before I ever even left the airport heading to WDW.

I lean toward just using my points for that first night for the exact reason you said - I will be settled in my own room and not have to move again or be worried about anything.

My layover is on the same reservation. I know they want you to make your connecting flights, but in my experience when it's a late night flight, they will leave you behind or give you LUV vouchers and put you in a hotel for the night. I will check those sites out you mentioned. I wish we could leave earlier in the day and just take the nonstop flight, but we can't miss another day of work, which is why we had to take the last flight out the night before.

I appreciate all your feedback.

 

[disneylover81]

Did you get requests you made. This is not to say there won't be good rooms left, but the earlier you check in, if there is a problem with the room you have a better chance of moving.

On my last trip we stayed at CCV and neither our tv nor the a/c was working and they sent maintenance at 1:00 am to come fix it, rather then make us move rooms. I was grateful for that because there were 7 of us in there and we had a lot of stuff! This trip we have a Resort Studio booked, which are all newly refurbished so I don't foresee anything being wrong with our room.

 

[kristenrice]

While it would stink to lose the points for the first night, you could look at it as using them for an "early check in" since techinically, if you arrive at, say 9am the next day, that room is yours. If you do online check in, you would be all set! You can go right to your room, no messing around with storing your bags with bell services and waiting for a room to be ready. You may still want to try and get a hold of the resort (I know, it's a call center, but I'm sure they relay it to the resort somehow) and let them know of your delayed arrival.

 

[kes601]

my experience when it's a late night flight, they will leave you behind or give you LUV vouchers and put you in a hotel for the night.

Just sharing my experience, but on more than one occasion on the "last flight out" to a destination on Southwest they have held the plane -- either for us or for another party even for up to 30 minutes. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

 

[DebbieB]

A friend had Beach Club Villas booked last year. After multiple delays, she arrived at 6:00am. She was able to go straight to the room and to bed for a few hours. So an advantage even if you don’t get the full night.

 

[crisi]

I would not chance it or even if you do arrive on time, check in after midnight. For one your chances of getting any requests are slim as so many others have checked in before you. I would not want to waste points on a night that is that late. I would do something else and check in early the next morning. I would take a car service the next morning that will pick you up early and get you there quicker. You can check in, leave bags with bell captains and go to the parks. They will text you when your room is ready.

We did one night at a near airport hotel when we arrived late at night - everyone just put the change of clothes and jammies for the next day on top of their luggage. That allowed us to roll out of bed and get dropped off at BWV at 8am, check luggage with bell services, and be at the park by shortly after rope drop. We just found it easier to check into something five minutes from the airport when everyone is tired from travel and wants to fall into bed - and then grab a cab or rideshare to the resort - it always feels like the drive from the airport to WDW takes forever and it takes forever and a bit when you are really tired. (Sometimes the airport Hilton has good rates - we've also done the airport Hilton when we've had an early flight out - again, its easier to roll out of bed and be at the gate for a 7am flight if you are at the airport.)

I find my chances of getting room requests met are slim regardless of when I check in.

OP, they PROBABLY WON'T refund your points - you can ask and magic might happen - but technically, nope, they don't have to and won't. But then again, if you pull in at 6am because of a delay, your room will be waiting for you which is worth something anyway.

 

[mort1331]

OP the issue with them refunding the room is it might be the one time policy that some have spoken about. Then of you have another tripped booked and miss out on more than one day..they probably wont on that one. No matter what the reason.

 

[Anthony1971]

We arrived at the resort around 5AM once because of a very delayed flight. It was a one night reservation before we moved to another resort. Decided later to book the night before flight so no rooms where we booked the week. In the end we had to still check out on time but the room was well worth it for a few hours sleep. Atlanta has flights out early and being you are staying at the same resort having a room is far better then having to wait until 4PM or after.