First online booking

[keaster]

Just did my first online booking today!

Mind you, it was only for 2 nights at AKL, prior to our Disney Fantasy cruise next March...but it was super easy lol!!

One question...say if at 7 months we want to switch to a different resort, can I alter that reservation online or do I have to call MS?

 

[CarolMN]

To switch resorts/rooms at 7 months, you would have to cancel the existing reservation and then make a new one. (I'm assuming you want to use some or all of the same points you used for the existing reservation).

That is what MS would do as well - cancel, then rebook. However, it is my understanding that MS can "temporarily hold" a new reservation while cancelling an old one. AFAIK, members cannot do that online.

You get an hour advantage by booking online (windows open at 8 AM Eastern). MS opens at 9 am Eastern).

To get the "online advantage", you would have to have enough points to make the new reservation first. After that is secured, you would go back and cancel the old reservation. If you have to borrow points (or have a issue with your banking deadline), that may not be a good idea.

More than you wanted to know, right?

Good luck!

 

[keaster]

That's okay the more information the better!

The reservation doesn't involve borrowed points as it is in our 2013 UY. So essentially at 7 months I can go online and say book BLT, then go and cancel the AKL reservation?

 

[CarolMN]

That's okay the more information the better!

The reservation doesn't involve borrowed points as it is in our 2013 UY. So essentially at 7 months I can go online and say book BLT, then go and cancel the AKL reservation?

Yes, correct.

But again, if you have to borrow points to book the BLT reservation before you cancel the AKV reservation, (because you have points tied up with the AKV reservation), remember that you can't return borrowed points to their original use year. If you bank the points from the cancelled AKV reservation, remember that they will expire at the end of the next use year. Those points cannot be banked again.

If you have enough 2013 current use year points to have both the AKV and BLT reservations exist at the same time, that's ideal. No worries.

Feel free to ignore the above if you already understand the ramifications of booking new before you cancel the old. We still have lots of newbies and I wanted to make sure everyone got the point, LOL.

 

[keaster]

Thanks again!

We will definitely have the points available to book another resort and cancel AKL (if that's what we choose to do.) All the points will be from our 2013 UY, none of them have been banked or borrowed.

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

To switch resorts/rooms at 7 months, you would have to cancel the existing reservation and then make a new one. (I'm assuming you want to use some or all of the same points you used for the existing reservation).

That is what MS would do as well - cancel, then rebook. However, it is my understanding that MS can "temporarily hold" a new reservation while cancelling an old one. AFAIK, members cannot do that online.

Good luck!

Carol, in that same vein, hoping you can help with a question.... we have pts at both BLT and AKV. I've booked 5 nights at BLT starting 11/24, but didn't have enough BLT points to book the full 7 nights we want. I'm going to call back at the end of this month at the 7 months window, but here's my question.... can I call on 11/24 and get the full 7 nights (using the 5 BLT nights we already have starting 11/24 and adding on 2 nights at BLT using AKV points), or do I have to wait until 11/29 to add the 2 extra BLT nights utilizing AKV points? Hope this makes sense, (LOL - I confused myself just trying to type the question correctly) - thanks so much for your help!!!

 

[CarolMN]

Carol, in that same vein, hoping you can help with a question.... we have pts at both BLT and AKV. I've booked 5 nights at BLT starting 11/24, but didn't have enough BLT points to book the full 7 nights we want. I'm going to call back at the end of this month at the 7 months window, but here's my question.... can I call on 11/24 and get the full 7 nights (using the 5 BLT nights we already have starting 11/24 and adding on 2 nights at BLT using AKV points), or do I have to wait until 11/29 to add the 2 extra BLT nights utilizing AKV points? Hope this makes sense, (LOL - I confused myself just trying to type the question correctly) - thanks so much for your help!!!

You'll need to wait until 4/29 to call to book the last two nights with AKV points.

AKV points can't be used for BLT until the 7 month window opens. For the night of 11/29, that window opens on 4/29.

You can't call on 4/24 to add the nights because the original 5 night reservation was started with home resort points. To use non-home resort points, you have to start a reservation when the 7 month window opens.

After you book the last two nights, you can ask MS to link the two reservations so that you don't have to move or check out and back in again between the two.