Modification Question

[DduzDis]

If I book BWV at 11 months (or before 7 months) with BWV points could I then modify at 7 months and use older BLT points from the same UY without risking the reservation?

 

[crvetter]

If I book BWV at 11 months (or before 7 months) with BWV points could I then modify at 7 months and use older BLT points from the same UY without risking the reservation?

You can not exchange points from one resort to another unless it is a new reservation (when booked outside 7 months). So modifying the reservation to cause the change would not be allowed it would have to be cancelled and rebooked. That is what I’ve been told by Member Services and my experience. However, any reservations made within 7 months can have points reallocated whenever needed.

 

[Marionnette]

If I book BWV at 11 months (or before 7 months) with BWV points could I then modify at 7 months and use older BLT points from the same UY without risking the reservation?

Only if BWV villas are otherwise available. You can't circumvent the home resort advantage by substituting points from another resort at 7 months. Otherwise, people would buy just a few points at their preferred resort and then load up on "cheaper" points from another resort in order to make the switch.

 

[DduzDis]

Ah. This makes sense. Thanks for the replies.

 

[stuartsong]

No, you would have to make a new reservation using your BLT points at 7 months. Then you can cancel your BWV point reservation.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Are there ways to shift your old reservation to the new reservation you want? As they said above, you are not allowed to simply swap out your 11 month BWV points for 7 month BLT points. But that then brings up a question: What if you get your BLT account ready to search for the dates that you are giving up, and THEN cancel the old Reservation and IMMEDIATELY start searching for those dates, with your new reservation.

Now, once you release your old Reservation, I could see 4 things that possibly might happen:

1. The newly released dates do not appear in your new search. This could be due to the system taking a few minutes to process it, but that probably won't happen. My experience seems to show that the released dates re-appear in the search almost immediately. So I don't THINK this will be a problem.

2. However, they might not reappear if someone grabs them very quickly. Someone who is searching for a reservation at that exact moment, might be able to take them. Possible, but more likely to happen right around 8 AM Eastern Time, when people are trying to make new reservations "at the Window's edge." But, what if you wait until 1:30 AM that night to drop your old reservation and make your new reservation. How many other people will be searching for that exact reservation at 1:20 AM?

3. Waitlists: This is potentially the biggest problem. The Disney computer programs might grab your released dates, IMMEDIATELY, to fill somebody's waitlist request. I think we have talked some about how the Waitlist works, how quickly the program will grab them, whether the waitlist programs do it continuously or only at certain times of the day. Some people say that they saw their released dates that appeared on their waitlist within a few minutes, especially in the morning around 8 AM. Other people have said that the waitlist didn't fill until later in the afternoon. Does the waitlist work instantaneously? Is it always running? If so, your dates will disappear. But, if there is some delay, you might have another chance.

A. Here is another possibility with the waitlist. YOU make the waitlist! Before you cancel your old reservation, make a new Waitlist Request for the same time frame. If you are using 7 month points, then you cannot make the Waitlist request until you are within the 7 month window. Since you are now doing this from just within the 7 month window, you might 'beat' the waitlist requests from other people, unless they are also making them right at the 7 month window. In other words, if they have just done a search on the edge of their 7 month window, and come up negative, then they might not IMMEDIATELY make a Waitlist request. So if you immediately make one, you might beat them. However, this won't do much good if people have already made their waitlist request within the 7 to 11 month window. BUT, if you have checked before 'roll over time' and the reservation dates you want ARE available, right before they roll over at the 7 month window, then you can assume that someone DOES NOT have 7 to 11 month waitlist for that, since it wouldn't have been needed. But, if the dates you want are already missing, just before you get to the 7 month window, then someone likely already has a waitlist on it. The purpose of this whole process is for you to get a waitlist request into place, as a possible 'safety net' to catch your points, and to beat other people to it.

4. Option four is the best: Maybe you will be able to release your dates (at 1:20 in the morning, or whenever you judge your competition is not likely to be around) and you will beat other people AND beat the waitlists and just be able to immediately run your new search with your BLT points, and pick up the 'just released' dates for the reservation.

What does everyone think about this? Are there any other things you can do to get the reservation you want, to help switch your old reservation for your new one?

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

4. Option four is the best: Maybe you will be able to release your dates (at 1:20 in the morning, or whenever you judge your competition is not likely to be around) and you will beat other people AND beat the waitlists and just be able to immediately run your new search with your BLT points, and pick up the 'just released' dates for the reservation.

I have done this at the 11 month mark with success, back before I was able to do modifications on the website. I called it a "Naked Walk". In the middle of the night, when not a lot of people were stalking the website, I would release my dates and immediately book my new dates.

 

[zavandor]

I have done this at the 11 month mark with success, back before I was able to do modifications on the website. I called it a "Naked Walk". In the middle of the night, when not a lot of people were stalking the website, I would release my dates and immediately book my new dates.

This has quite a bit of risk: DVC members in Europe were awake during your naked walk

 

[Aussie RJ]

This has quite a bit of risk: DVC members in Europe were awake during your naked walk

I would have been awake. But be sure I definitely would have closed my eyes!

 

[gillep]

Are there ways to shift your old reservation to the new reservation you want? As they said above, you are not allowed to simply swap out your 11 month BWV points for 7 month BLT points. But that then brings up a question: What if you get your BLT account ready to search for the dates that you are giving up, and THEN cancel the old Reservation and IMMEDIATELY start searching for those dates, with your new reservation.

Now, once you release your old Reservation, I could see 4 things that possibly might happen:

1. The newly released dates do not appear in your new search. This could be due to the system taking a few minutes to process it, but that probably won't happen. My experience seems to show that the released dates re-appear in the search almost immediately. So I don't THINK this will be a problem.

2. However, they might not reappear if someone grabs them very quickly. Someone who is searching for a reservation at that exact moment, might be able to take them. Possible, but more likely to happen right around 8 AM Eastern Time, when people are trying to make new reservations "at the Window's edge." But, what if you wait until 1:30 AM that night to drop your old reservation and make your new reservation. How many other people will be searching for that exact reservation at 1:20 AM?

3. Waitlists: This is potentially the biggest problem. The Disney computer programs might grab your released dates, IMMEDIATELY, to fill somebody's waitlist request. I think we have talked some about how the Waitlist works, how quickly the program will grab them, whether the waitlist programs do it continuously or only at certain times of the day. Some people say that they saw their released dates that appeared on their waitlist within a few minutes, especially in the morning around 8 AM. Other people have said that the waitlist didn't fill until later in the afternoon. Does the waitlist work instantaneously? Is it always running? If so, your dates will disappear. But, if there is some delay, you might have another chance.

A. Here is another possibility with the waitlist. YOU make the waitlist! Before you cancel your old reservation, make a new Waitlist Request for the same time frame. If you are using 7 month points, then you cannot make the Waitlist request until you are within the 7 month window. Since you are now doing this from just within the 7 month window, you might 'beat' the waitlist requests from other people, unless they are also making them right at the 7 month window. In other words, if they have just done a search on the edge of their 7 month window, and come up negative, then they might not IMMEDIATELY make a Waitlist request. So if you immediately make one, you might beat them. However, this won't do much good if people have already made their waitlist request within the 7 to 11 month window. BUT, if you have checked before 'roll over time' and the reservation dates you want ARE available, right before they roll over at the 7 month window, then you can assume that someone DOES NOT have 7 to 11 month waitlist for that, since it wouldn't have been needed. But, if the dates you want are already missing, just before you get to the 7 month window, then someone likely already has a waitlist on it. The purpose of this whole process is for you to get a waitlist request into place, as a possible 'safety net' to catch your points, and to beat other people to it.

4. Option four is the best: Maybe you will be able to release your dates (at 1:20 in the morning, or whenever you judge your competition is not likely to be around) and you will beat other people AND beat the waitlists and just be able to immediately run your new search with your BLT points, and pick up the 'just released' dates for the reservation.

What does everyone think about this? Are there any other things you can do to get the reservation you want, to help switch your old reservation for your new one?

It seems like each of these has a possibility of success, but also a great possibility of failure. I personally, am way to risk adverse to ever chance my room like this. When we bought our second contract at a different home resort we made the conscious decision and effort that they always need to function independently and that's how we have been using them or I would likely drive myself crazy with odd point scenarios and workarounds.