How to book & change reservations??

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi, I am planning my first ever stay, using my brand new DVC points!! I am trying to get my head around the booking system, and wanted to run something past you, if that is ok!!

This is what I am hoping to book :

12/12/10 - 12/14/10 (2 nights) - BCV studio (26pts)
12/14/10 - 12/17/10 (3 nights) - BLT MK view studio (53pts)
12/17/10 - 12/23/10 (6 nights) - AKV savannah view 1 bed (190pts)

and I have 110 points at AKV & 55 points at BLT, so I know that I will be using all of Dec 2009 points & most of Dec 2010 points to do this.

I know that I can only book BLT & AKV at 11 months out, so was planning to book 5 nights at BLT (MK view studio), and then hopefully switch the first 2 nights to BCV at 7 months out.

The 2 nights at BCV costs 8 points less than the BLT ones, so would I still be able to bank those points if I end up not needing them anymore??

Finally, if BCV wasn't available, and I went on the waitlist, if the BCV became free, would MS just transfer my first 2 nights from the BLT, or would they cancel my whole BLT booking - as I definitely don't want that to happen!!

Thanks for any info - just trying to get it all clear in my head!!

 

[5forDiz]

Only current UY points used in the reservation could be banked - your December 2010 UY points could be banked.

There is always a possibility that wait list can mess up part of reservation you want to keep - it has happened to some here from time to time. jmho, if this were my reservation especially since it's for December which is very popular travel time at WDW I'd just stick with 5 nights at BLT or I'd try to get a transfer of BCV points from a BCV owner in order to book those 2 nights at BCV at 11 month priority booking window.

Good luck

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Only current UY points used in the reservation could be banked - your December 2010 UY points could be banked.

There is always a possibility that wait list can mess up part of reservation you want to keep - it has happened to some here from time to time. jmho, if this were my reservation especially since it's for December which is very popular travel time at WDW I'd just stick with 5 nights at BLT or I'd try to get a transfer of BCV points from a BCV owner in order to book those 2 nights at BCV at 11 month priority booking window.

Good luck

thank you for replying!!

So I will be booking it in the Dec 2009 UY, so would I only be able to get a 'refund' & bank the 2009 points (as I will ineffect be borrowing from Dec 2010, so can't then bank those) - Is that right??

If I can't bank the 'refunded' 2010 points, I guess it would mean losing the points, as I won't be going back to WDW in 2011, so banking 2009 points will not be any use to me (Its only 8 points, but I hate losing them when I have only just joined!!)

Ordinarily I would just do 5 nights at BLT, but we actually have a Beach Club hotel reservation from 12/11/10, which I booked before buying into DVC, and although I could cancel it altogether (it was for a week), I would lose the deposit, which equates to one nights hotel - so I would sooner stay there the night we fly in so that I don't lose the money. I was also really looking forward to a couple of days there, to experience the Epcot resorts and all they have to offer!!

But I don't want to jeopardise my BLT reservation with the waitlist problem, so perhaps I need to rethink my plans!!

Thanks again for your help!!

 

[5forDiz]

Even though you will be calling to make reservation in January 2010 which is during your 2009 Use Year, the CURRENT UY points in the reservation are not Dec 2009 UY points; 2010 Use Year points will be CURRENT UY points in this reservation.

Dec 2009 UY points are going to be banked by MS into Dec 2010 UY when reservation is made so 2009 UY points are not rebankable.

Also, you would not be borrowing Dec 2010 UY points for this trip because 2010 UY points are going to be the CURRENT UY points
in this reservation :

The CURRENT Use Year's points are the points in the UY timeframe WHEN TRAVEL TAKES PLACE so that would be 2010 Use Year points

- DEC 2010 UY is from 12/1/2010 through 11/30/2011 : this is timeframe that your trip falls within so Dec 2010 UY points are CURRENT UY points used - these will be the points MS will restore & you can bank them to your 2011 UY if you wanted by July 31 2011.

MS is going to bank your 2009 Use Year points into 2010 Use Year when you call to make reservations so 2009 UY points are banked points in this reservation.

Hope this helped

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Even though you will be calling to make reservation in January 2010 which is during your 2009 Use Year, the CURRENT UY points in the reservation are not Dec 2009 UY points; 2010 Use Year points will be CURRENT UY points in this reservation.

Dec 2009 UY points are going to be banked by MS into Dec 2010 UY when reservation is made so 2009 UY points are not rebankable.

Also, you would not be borrowing Dec 2010 UY points for this trip because 2010 UY points are going to be the CURRENT UY points
in this reservation :

The CURRENT Use Year's points are the points in the UY timeframe WHEN TRAVEL TAKES PLACE so that would be 2010 Use Year points

- DEC 2010 UY is from 12/1/2010 through 11/30/2011 : this is timeframe that your trip falls within so Dec 2010 UY points are CURRENT UY points used - these will be the points MS will restore & you can bank them to your 2011 UY if you wanted by July 31 2011.

MS is going to bank your 2009 Use Year points into 2010 Use Year when you call to make reservations so 2009 UY points are banked points in this reservation.

Hope this helped

thats helped tremendously - thank you!!

It therefore means I can safely book the extra nights at BLT and if I am fortunate to ring at 7mths to get BCV for the first 2 nights, then I will change my reservation (as I won't lose the extra points from my current Dec UY).

I think I will avoid waitlisting the BCV though, as I don't want anything going wrong with my other BLT nights!!

thanks again - I am actually going to save a copy of your reply, so that whenever I get myself confused again - I know where to look!!

 

[5forDiz]

thats helped tremendously - thank you!!

It therefore means I can safely book the extra nights at BLT and if I am fortunate to ring at 7mths to get BCV for the first 2 nights, then I will change my reservation (as I won't lose the extra points from my current Dec UY).

I think I will avoid waitlisting the BCV though, as I don't want anything going wrong with my other BLT nights!!

thanks again - I am actually going to save a copy of your reply, so that whenever I get myself confused again - I know where to look!!

You are very welcome Amy that's what so great about the DIS - it's a great place to find things out It does get a bit confusing sorting out all the different "time" aspects sometimes but you're getting the hang of it !! took me a bit of time as well when we first became members too.

Best wishes

Laura

 

[amystevekai&bump]

sorry - just had another thought!!

Is there any way that I could make 2 seperate reservations at BLT - one for the first two nights and then one for the last three?? So that in terms of the waitlist at BCV, it could just be linked to the first reservation and wouldn't alter the second if the waitlist came through??

Also, if it is possible to make 2 reservations, can I get them linked so that (should we not get BCV) we will be able to spend the whole 5 nights at BLT in the same room without moving??

Sorry - just seeing if there was a way round to make life easy for me!!

 

[rlovew]

Ordinarily I would just do 5 nights at BLT, but we actually have a Beach Club hotel reservation from 12/11/10, which I booked before buying into DVC, and although I could cancel it altogether (it was for a week), I would lose the deposit, which equates to one nights hotel - so I would sooner stay there the night we fly in so that I don't lose the money. I was also really looking forward to a couple of days there, to experience the Epcot resorts and all they have to offer!!

But I don't want to jeopardise my BLT reservation with the waitlist problem, so perhaps I need to rethink my plans!!

Thanks again for your help!!

You can cancel a room only reservation with Disney up to a week in advance and get all your money back so you do not need to worry about that- even if you want to keep one night you can change this reservation without penality for a long time yet.

 

[Snookies]

sorry - just had another thought!!

Is there any way that I could make 2 seperate reservations at BLT - one for the first two nights and then one for the last three?? So that in terms of the waitlist at BCV, it could just be linked to the first reservation and wouldn't alter the second if the waitlist came through??

Also, if it is possible to make 2 reservations, can I get them linked so that (should we not get BCV) we will be able to spend the whole 5 nights at BLT in the same room without moving??

Sorry - just seeing if there was a way round to make life easy for me!!

I asked MS about a similar situation recently and was told that the waitlist could be set up to cancel the entire original reservation if it came through or just the number of nights you specify as long as you were specific about your request when creating the waitlist. In your case, I think the answer is that you could specify that you only wanted the first two nights of your BLT reservation canceled if the waitlist came through. With an automatic waitlist, i.e., without an actual call to confirm when it comes through, mistakes are a possibility. The plan you've described is insurance, but MS will probably tell you that the request is not a guarantee and you may have to move if your waitlist doesn't come through and you've split the reservantion (been there, done that - never had to move though)

 

[amystevekai&bump]

You can cancel a room only reservation with Disney up to a week in advance and get all your money back so you do not need to worry about that- even if you want to keep one night you can change this reservation without penality for a long time yet.

Unfortunately our booking is through DisneyUK, and when I phoned them they said I would lose the deposit I have already paid - so it seemed better to keep the one night (as that is in effect the amount I would be losing)

I asked MS about a similar situation recently and was told that the waitlist could be set up to cancel the entire original reservation if it came through or just the number of nights you specify as long as you were specific about your request when creating the waitlist. In your case, I think the answer is that you could specify that you only wanted the first two nights of your BLT reservation canceled if the waitlist came through. With an automatic waitlist, i.e., without an actual call to confirm when it comes through, mistakes are a possibility. The plan you've described is insurance, but MS will probably tell you that the request is not a guarantee and you may have to move if your waitlist doesn't come through and you've split the reservantion (been there, done that - never had to move though)

Thanks for the info!! I think I will probably worry about the waitlist if I do that - in terms of losing my BLT room, if a mistake was made - so I guess I will call at 7mths and hope that there is something free at BCV then, and if not, I will either keep my BLT for the whole 5 nights or ring again and see if something crops up!!

Thanks again for all the replies - you've been a great help!