First time booking advice!!

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi, I am getting close to making my first reservation for AKV since purchasing in the summer.

However, I am using up banked points and as we can't use them ourselves, (we can't afford the flights fom the UK to go ourselves at the moment) we are giving them to my parents.

But how do I make the booking for them?? Do I have to ring or can I do it on-line?

(The 11 month window opens on Christmas day so I assume there is no one to speak to that day anyway??)

Many thanks for any help - I am so new to all this, I don't want to get it wrong!!

 

[backyardponder]

I would recommend calling Member services for the reservation instead of doing it "on-line". The current online system sends an email to member services which goes into a queue and is processed when they have time. Although DVC is currently trialing a web based reservation system, it is not available to most folks yet.

Member Services is closed December 25th. They re-open at 9AM Eastern Time.

 

[CarolMN]

Unless you are trying to book concierge or value, I think you can use email to request your reservation. AKV is one of the larger resorts and is very unlikely to sell out the first few days that the window is open. Even if you end up on the waitlist, you are nearly guaranteed to have it come through. (Concierge is the exception to that).

Do your parents realize they will be arriving on the American Thanksgiving Holiday? That is a very busy weekend at WDW (3rd busiest, after Christmas and Easter), although the week after is not.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thank you both very much for your replies - that is a great help!!

Carol, thanks for the info about Thanksgiving, I had realised and part of my concern about booking as soon as possible was whether I could get a room at that busy time, although I will be trying for a savannah view so hopefully I won't have a problem.

The only reason they are arriving on thanksgiving, is because they are making a special trip to see as much of the Chistmas decorations and activities as possible. My points have to be used up by 30th November (as I have banked them and have a dec use year) otherwise I would have delayed their trip by a few days.

Many thanks again for all of your advice!!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

sorry to bother you all again - but just wanted to check something if that is ok?

My mom actually wants to stay at Saratoga Springs, but I wanted to book her a savannah view at AKV just incase there is even a remote possibility of not getting in at SSR at 7 months.

I will use 104 points for AKV, but only need 98 points for SSR. I have 100 banked points, so to book AKV I would be using a few current years points, and wondered whether I would lose these if I indeed am able to change to SSR for less points?

I know its only a matter of 4 points, but I don't really want to lose them if there is a way to avoid it, especially not in my first year of joining DVC!!

(just to give you the whole picture, I will be booking our own vacation for Dec 2010 next month, but then we pobably won't go again until 2012)

Many thanks!!

 

[CarolMN]

sorry to bother you all again - but just wanted to check something if that is ok?

You are not a bother, LOL.

My mom actually wants to stay at Saratoga Springs, but I wanted to book her a savannah view at AKV just incase there is even a remote possibility of not getting in at SSR at 7 months.

I will use 104 points for AKV, but only need 98 points for SSR. I have 100 banked points, so to book AKV I would be using a few current years points, and wondered whether I would lose these if I indeed am able to change to SSR for less points?

I know its only a matter of 4 points, but I don't really want to lose them if there is a way to avoid it, especially not in my first year of joining DVC!!

(just to give you the whole picture, I will be booking our own vacation for Dec 2010 next month, but then we pobably won't go again until 2012)

Many thanks!!

No, you shouldn't lose the 4 current use year points, but you will lose 2 of the banked points. (I think you already know there is no hope for those two lonely banked points, unless you want add a day to the beginning of your parent's trip and use up a few more points, lol).

Make sure to tell MS that you want all the banked points used for the SSR reservation so that the 4 current use year points are returned to your account. Then you can bank the 4 current use year points.

Since you will be booking your 2010 vacation prior to the 7 month window opens (to switch your parent's reservation to SSR), you'll need to call MS after you bank the 4 points to ask if they will reallocate them to your 2010 vacation. That's assuming you won't be able to use them for something else before 11/30/2011, when they will expire.

If you have to borrow for your 2010 vacation, you might have to do this all over again - reallocate to free up current use year points after you reallocate to use the 4 banked points, and then bank the freed up points to 2011.

Are you confused yet? Don't worry, you will soon be an expert.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

You are not a bother, LOL.


No, you shouldn't lose the 4 current use year points, but you will lose 2 of the banked points. (I think you already know there is no hope for those two lonely banked points, unless you want add a day to the beginning of your parent's trip and use up a few more points, lol).

Make sure to tell MS that you want all the banked points used for the SSR reservation so that the 4 current use year points are returned to your account. Then you can bank the 4 current use year points.

Since you will be booking your 2010 vacation prior to the 7 month window opens (to switch your parent's reservation to SSR), you'll need to call MS after you bank the 4 points to ask if they will reallocate them to your 2010 vacation. That's assuming you won't be able to use them for something else before 11/30/2011, when they will expire.

If you have to borrow for your 2010 vacation, you might have to do this all over again - reallocate to free up current use year points after you reallocate to use the 4 banked points, and then bank the freed up points to 2011.

Are you confused yet? Don't worry, you will soon be an expert.

thanks ever so much Carol!!

I am more confused than ever, but at least I now know I can do something about it - so thank you!! - I just might need to run it passed you again when the time comes for me to ring MS about the amendments - thats if you don't mind!!!

Many, many thanks - you're a Star and Merry Christmas!!

 

[CarolMN]

Don't mind at all - be sure to post a few days before your 7 month window opens and we'll go through it again, as many times as you need.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours, too!