Modifying when 7 month window opens

[5lilfish]

i am booked at my home resort but I am hoping to switch to a different resort when my 7 mo window opens. What is the easiest way to do this? Should I just do a new booking and then go back and cancel the old one? Or is there a way to modify my booking online?

If I book new and then cancel the old, the old bookings points will be restored to my account, right?

Thanks...
Jess

 

[chalee94]

if you have enough pts, yes - the easiest thing to do is book the new stay and then cancel the old stay. the pts from the old stay will drop back into the same UY as the stay - current pts can still be banked if you are within the banking window, but banked/borrowed pts cannot be moved again and would expire at the end of the UY they dropped back into.

most people have to cancel their old stay first to recover enough pts to attempt to book their new stay. you cannot "modify" the stay, it is a cancel and rebook.

 

[drusba]

If you want to use the points in the current reservation for the new one, you have to cancel and then do a new reservation (and yes, when doing so, the old points immediately go back into your account the moment you cancel the first reservation). The risk is that between the time you cancel and try to make the new reservation, the resort and room size you want may fill via others making reservations. Moreover, you could then go back and try to redo your first reservation and discover it too has now filled, and thus end up with no reservation. That risk is highest if trying to switch to a time during DVC's high demand season, late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan, and trying for a studio (or lock-off 2BR) at any near park resort. You could wait until 9 a.m. eastern to call MS and do the change, but then you lose that first hour of online reserving time, during which the room you want could be filled.

The safest course is to make the new reservation before cancelling the old one if you have enough points to do so without having to borrow points to do it. If you would need to borrow points to make the reservation, then you may consider using a brilliant procedure created by Supersnoop, a member of these boards. Go here to my post which sets out Supersnoop's procedure: https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...the-process-can-you-go-ahead-of-time.3461485/ It is not totally risk free because there is always some risk that Disney's reservation boards go haywire during the middle of the attempted change like they are prone to do all too often.

 

[juncker]

If I don't have enough points to book the whole reservation, I'd just book the first day or two when the system come online at 8 am. I'd then call Disney to cancel the previous reservation and add additional days. My experience is that you just need to secure day 1 at the 7 month mark for most rooms. Once you have that, additional days probably aren't an issue. (I'd still certainly check the RAT the day before to see if there are any surprises).

 

[SL6827]

If I don't have enough points to book the whole reservation, I'd just book the first day or two when the system come online at 8 am. I'd then call Disney to cancel the previous reservation and add additional days. My experience is that you just need to secure day 1 at the 7 month mark for most rooms. Once you have that, additional days probably aren't an issue. (I'd still certainly check the RAT the day before to see if there are any surprises).

That is a great tip! I am going to screen shot these tips, print them and file them in my DVC folder.

 

[dzak1717]

not to overtake your message but think it is on the same topic, if I have enough points in my UY to book a 2nd res at 7m and then cancel my home res, I can still bank my original points used? as long as I don't use banked points I can keep the original points in my UY and then bank when the time comes if I don't use them?

 

[Deb & Bill]

not to overtake your message but think it is on the same topic, if I have enough points in my UY to book a 2nd res at 7m and then cancel my home res, I can still bank my original points used? as long as I don't use banked points I can keep the original points in my UY and then bank when the time comes if I don't use them?

Yes, as long as you haven't passed your banking deadline and all points are current year points (not holding, not banked, not borrowed).

 

[supersnoop]

My experience is that you just need to secure day 1 at the 7 month mark for most rooms.

“Most” is the important word here. But most people are trying to switch to a high-demand room or they wouldn’t be so worried about the hour advantage of booking online. There’s a huge risk at 7 months and your technique won’t precent someone else from booking those additional days.

 

[TexasChick123]

If I don't have enough points to book the whole reservation, I'd just book the first day or two when the system come online at 8 am. I'd then call Disney to cancel the previous reservation and add additional days. My experience is that you just need to secure day 1 at the 7 month mark for most rooms. Once you have that, additional days probably aren't an issue. (I'd still certainly check the RAT the day before to see if there are any surprises).

Be careful with this. I dragged my feet recently when I should have booked Oct 1-3 in a standard 1-bedroom. I thought I would be fine to wait until March 3rd to book for just October 3rd. Nope. On March 1st, October 1-3 booked.