Holding Points for Thanksgiving Week

[jlacobb3]

We have holding points that we need to use before December 1. We always go to Disney the week of Thanksgiving. What are the chances that we'll get a room (at any resort) for that week at 60 days out? Since we don't have enough holding points for the entire week, I can go ahead and book some of the days with non-holding points if that would be the best strategy.

Thanks for your help!

Lisa

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have holding points that we need to use before December 1. We always go to Disney the week of Thanksgiving. What are the chances that we'll get a room (at any resort) for that week at 60 days out? Since we don't have enough holding points for the entire week, I can go ahead and book some of the days with non-holding points if that would be the best strategy.

Thanks for your help!

Lisa

Not good at all. You can check on line yourself to see availability.

 

[Apps]

Aulani is wide open

 

[drusba]

I have doubts you could even book some of the days now with non-holding points for Thanksgiving time, even at SSR which is usually the last resort to fill.

 

[taaren]

We have holding points that we need to use before December 1. We always go to Disney the week of Thanksgiving. What are the chances that we'll get a room (at any resort) for that week at 60 days out? Since we don't have enough holding points for the entire week, I can go ahead and book some of the days with non-holding points if that would be the best strategy.

Thanks for your help!

Lisa

In your situation, what I'd do is grab as many days as you can with your non-holding points. Book two reservations in separate reservations, and don't link them ... one using about the amount of holding points you have, and one just using your non-holding points. When 60 days gets here, see if you can cancel your reservation that matches near to how many holding points you have then immediately rebook with your holding points. Then if you want more nights with your newly freed non-holding points, add on.

I think that week Wed-Th-Fri-Sat are going to be your toughest days. Although I was looking to add a few nights at the end of my trip which is the beginning of that week after I bought plane tickets, and even AKV villas weren't available over 4th of July weekend for the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving. I snagged one in the following week, but its probably booked solid again.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...When 60 days gets here, see if you can cancel your reservation that matches near to how many holding points you have then immediately rebook with your holding points. ...

Once you cancel, someone else might scoop it up before you can book with your holding points.

 

[jerseyduke]

Being new, i have no opinion, but also being new, and reading through my member guide etc, when I saw the "exchange rate" to use points to get regular cash rooms, it seemed to me that this is where and how it got "stuck to ya".

The exchange rate was so absurd, my first thought was "who would ever do this"...then it dawned on me.....holding points that had to be used. 1 weeks worth of points now magically got you 3 nights at a MOD resort.

Am i not seeing that right?

 

[Sandisw]

Being new, i have no opinion, but also being new, and reading through my member guide etc, when I saw the "exchange rate" to use points to get regular cash rooms, it seemed to me that this is where and how it got "stuck to ya".

The exchange rate was so absurd, my first thought was "who would ever do this"...then it dawned on me.....holding points that had to be used. 1 weeks worth of points now magically got you 3 nights at a MOD resort.

Am i not seeing that right?

Holding points come from someone who had to cancel a trip less than 31 days out. So, I am not sure what you mean by "they stick ya". The fact the someone even has an option, other than DVC, if there is no availability, is a good thing. And, those that buy resale, don't even have that option.

And, with a timeshare, IMO, you have to have some sort of restriction in place to prevent people from just booking and not worrying about canceling last minute.

 

[Anal Annie]

We were to leave this coming Sat. for DL and Aulani however last Thurs. my DS had a medical emergency which has left him unable to fly for several weeks - so we had no choice but to cancel the entire trip. We have a Dec. UY and so the points would've gone into holding and would've had to have been used by Nov. 30th. Lucky for us there was a 1-bedroom available for 9 nights at SSR so we're driving down next week since DS can't fly and we're only going to end up losing 7 points to holding. It was the biggest hassle EVER to have to cancel so many things that we'd planned & booked over the past 7 months and to simultaneously plan another trip BUT I never once felt like I was being "stuck" by our DVC. I was really thankful for large resorts like SSR. Had there not been any availabillity for us to get down there before school starts we would've probably tried to plan a trip to give to someone else in our families rather than to let the points rot. But I love the points system and was so glad it was so flexible.