Holding Account for Hotel Stays?

[RyMickey]

Does anyone know if you can utilize points in a holding account for booking a normal hotel room? I realize the exorbitance of utilizing points for normal hotel room stays, but we're in a bind and are just going to lose the points otherwise and availability is just soooo slim before the end of our use year.

We had a July trip planned, but we had to cancel at the last minute so we're stuck with points to utilize before the end of our use year. We have a trip planned in December and there is no availability at DVC resorts to tack on days at the front or the back end. We were contemplating attempting to add on a night or two at a "normal" hotel just to utilize the points. I saw a thread that said you could modify existing reservations with held points, but the issue with that is the December trip is being planned with points that can't be banked so it doesn't really help us at all.

Similarly, does anyone know if you can use points in holding for RCI hotels?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

From the DVC site:

The Vacation Points in your Holding Account can be used for a new reservation booked 60 days or fewer before check-in within the following time constraints:
Use Vacation Points Anytime During Your Use Year for:

• Disney Vacation Club Resorts
• Disneyland Resort in California
• Tokyo Disney Resort
• World Collection

Use Vacation Points More Than 4 Months Before the End of Your Use Year for:

• Disney Collection (except Disneyland Resort in California and Tokyo Disney Resort)
• Concierge Collection

 

[CarolMN]

Also to book anything besides a DVC resort or an RCI option, the points must be from a direct purchase or purchased prior to March 21, 2011 if they are from a resale contract.

 

[RyMickey]

Thanks to both...trying to take this off of the shoulders of my parents so I'm learning the ropes!

Am I seeing correctly that the only way to determine availability at Disney hotels (non-DVC) would be to call Member Services? Can see where I can see points charts, but not availability.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Thanks to both...trying to take this off of the shoulders of my parents so I'm learning the ropes!

Am I seeing correctly that the only way to determine availability at Disney hotels (non-DVC) would be to call Member Services? Can see where I can see points charts, but not availability.

Correct.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Thanks to both...trying to take this off of the shoulders of my parents so I'm learning the ropes!

Am I seeing correctly that the only way to determine availability at Disney hotels (non-DVC) would be to call Member Services? Can see where I can see points charts, but not availability.

Point charts for hotel use are crazy high. I have a couple old ones from 2009 and 2010. Not sure what is has been changed to but it was not worth it. I can post it when I get home

 

[RyMickey]

Point charts for hotel use are crazy high. I have a couple old ones from 2009 and 2010. Not sure what is has been changed to but it was not worth it. I can post it when I get home

We hardly EVER do it (we’ve only done it once in 18 years), but availability at DVC resorts are pretty slim still. I found the points charts online and it is ridiculous. It’s just kind of a matter of there aren’t a whole lot of other options. Tough to even attempt to sell points because there just isn’t availability for others to even use the points.

thanks!

 

[dvc lover 1970]

We hardly EVER do it (we’ve only done it once in 18 years), but availability at DVC resorts are pretty slim still. I found the points charts online and it is ridiculous. It’s just kind of a matter of there aren’t a whole lot of other options. Tough to even attempt to sell points because there just isn’t availability for others to even use the points.

thanks!

When do the points expire? Can you transfer them to RCI?

 

[RyMickey]

When do the points expire? Can you transfer them to RCI?

Just realized that I read the initial post wrong and unless we go in the next few weeks, we're out of luck to utilize the hotel rooms in the Disney Collection. (Points expire 1/31.). Again, I'm new to the game, so I don't know anything about this transferring to RCI which is something we maybe could've done earlier in the game...I'll have to look into this.

 

[Sandisw]

Just realized that I read the initial post wrong and unless we go in the next few weeks, we're out of luck to utilize the hotel rooms in the Disney Collection. (Points expire 1/31.). Again, I'm new to the game, so I don't know anything about this transferring to RCI which is something we maybe could've done earlier in the game...I'll have to look into this.

The rule of 4 for the Disney collection is that you can not book during the last 4 months of the UY.

However, if you book during the first 8 months, it can be for a trip in the last 4 months,

So, with your February UY, you can indeed book something October to January as long as you book it by the end of this month. Just remember, once converted to reservation points, if you canceled, they can no longer be used for any DVC resort.