How do you juggle reservations at the 7 month mark?

[belias21]

Wasn't sure how to phrase the subject... Basically, I am booked at OKW for 6 nights on Nov 26. At the 7-month mark, I'd like to try and move to a different resort. Seeing that I don't have enough points available to have both reservations booked at the same time, do I have to take the risk and cancel my original booking before looking for a new one? Ideally I'd cancel it after I've secured a new booking, but I won't have enough points to have both at any time.

How do people normally handle this? I know that a waitlist can automatically replace an existing reservation, but assuming I don't have to waitlist, I don't know how to do this...

 

[mydisneykids]

I hope somebody helps out here. I would like to know the same thing. We are booked at the Beach Club Villas for the fall for my son's 13th Birthday trip. He really wants to stay at Bay Lake and were hoping to do the same thing but I am very worried about letting BCV go during the food and wine festival in case we don't get what we want.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you don't have enough points to make a second reservation, you'll have to cancel the first, then make the second.

 

[mydisneykids]

That is what I was afraid of.

 

[zavandor]

Someone said that it's possible to use two browsers to make sure to not loose the old reservation before the second is secured.

1) Open one browser, go to the old reservation when there is the link to cancel it

2) Open a different browser (you don't want to share the same session). Begin the reservation process.
Go to up the screen where it asks you which points you want to use.
At this point the room you are looking is blocked for you for 20 minutes (I think) and it's not available for anyone else.

3) go back to the first browser and cancel the old reservation

4) now back to the new reservation page. Reload the page and you should see the points in your account. Finalize the reservation.

Disclaimer: I have not tried this myself, but another member did some time ago. Things might have change since then (many site upgrades were released), so if you want to be sure, you should make a test run before attempting it with the real reservation.
Make a reservation of one night far in the future that would not require to bank or borrow points and then try to cancel it while making a different reservation.

 

[DisneyNurse19]

Could you not phone them up and they would do it for you?

 

[zavandor]

Could you not phone them up and they would do it for you?

Sure, but booking online starts at 8am, for some views and some days, one hour difference can matter.

 

[CarolMN]

It's true that you would have to cancel the first reservation to free up the points you need to book the second.

Because your desired reservation is over Thanksgiving, I would call MS to make the change. Be sure to do so as soon as your window opens. If what you prefer is not available, then ask to waitlist your entire stay. After that, if it's meant to be, it will happen.

Thanksgiving week is very popular, so if it were me, I wouldn't try to patch together anything unless you are willing to change rooms or resorts.

 

[El&Asmom]

This is my one complaint about online booking starting an hour before MS opens. In the past, this would never be an issue. You'd call MS, they see if the room you want is available, and they change over the reservation. Now there is that small chance that an hour will make a difference in making the reservation you want.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This is my one complaint about online booking starting an hour before MS opens. In the past, this would never be an issue. You'd call MS, they see if the room you want is available, and they change over the reservation. Now there is that small chance that an hour will make a difference in making the reservation you want.

Then, we ought to complain about booking based on arrival day instead of check out day. Because the guy who booked for one day earlier than you may have gotten the last available villa that you wanted. It used to be based on check out day and you could book day by day. So everyone was equal.

 

[belias21]

I thought about the multiple browser trick, but that seems tricky. Looks like I'll have to wait an hour and call MS if I want to mitigate risk of losing my original reservation. An OKW studio (my current booking) probably isn't in high demand, but I don't want to risk it. Looking to move to BWV.

 

[DebbieB]

I thought about the multiple browser trick, but that seems tricky. Looks like I'll have to wait an hour and call MS if I want to mitigate risk of losing my original reservation. An OKW studio (my current booking) probably isn't in high demand, but I don't want to risk it. Looking to move to BWV.

It's going to be difficult to get a standard or boardwalk view at 7 months for Thanksgiving week. Pool/garden might be easier, you can look at the availability online for the dates leading up to yours and make a judgement.

 

[El&Asmom]

Then, we ought to complain about booking based on arrival day instead of check out day. Because the guy who booked for one day earlier than you may have gotten the last available villa that you wanted. It used to be based on check out day and you could book day by day. So everyone was equal.

IIRC, that was discussed at length when the change was made. Don't think our complaints will matter much now that the general DVC population has no clue that the booking parameters have changed. It is what it is.