Need some advice to get non home resort

[BLT9664]

Hi all, may I get an advice? My home resort is BLT. I normally visit Disney in December before Christmas week. I always booked 11 month ahead. But my family want to try some other resort, say Grand Floridian. I did try to request waitlist but it never happen. And I don't want to wait till 7 month window to try GF, as BLT may have no availability at that time. So, is there any way I can try to stay at the GF without paying full fare as a non member?

 

[Meglen]

Book a BLT room now to hold it so you atleast have a fall back. Than once 7 months comes modify your trip and try to get GF. Worst case you cancel the whole thing and book cash but atleast you have BLT booked just incase.

 

[TexasChick123]

You cannot put in a WL request for a non-home resort until 7 months out. Like the PP said, book a room at BLT as a backup. Then, at 7 months on the dot, try to book VGF. If it isn’t available, create a wait list at VGF for your dates.

 

[siren0119]

Your other option would be to rent points from someone who owns at GF, and then rent out your own points to cover cost.

 

[TraderSamWDW]

Create a wait list at 8 AM the day your 7 month window opens. (You can not create a non home resort waitlist before then)
Always book your home resort at 11 months then try to switch at 7.

You can try renting points.

I hate to be negative, but the VGF is a small resort. December is very difficult to get, particularly studios, even for people who own there. But that does not mean it wont happen

You could also do your original BLT reservation as 2 linked reservations then wait list only one and do a split stay. Create 2 wait lists, one for the full length, one for half.

 

[Marionnette]

Hi all, may I get an advice? My home resort is BLT. I normally visit Disney in December before Christmas week. I always booked 11 month ahead. But my family want to try some other resort, say Grand Floridian. I did try to request waitlist but it never happen. And I don't want to wait till 7 month window to try GF, as BLT may have no availability at that time. So, is there any way I can try to stay at the GF without paying full fare as a non member?

You could get a transfer of points from a VGF owner. Then you could call member services to book before 7 months using those points. Otherwise, you could rent a reservation, either directly from another owner or thru an agency.

But before you do any of that, have you checked to see if what you want is even available for your dates?

 

[BLT9664]

Thanks a lot for all the advice.
I have thought of renting the points from another VGF owner before 11 mo window and rent out my BLT points. But I guess there is some risk too, as VGF has such a limited availability, I may not able to get the period that I want even I have the VGF points. Then I will run into the situation of holding VGF points but no availability, and I cannot book other resort even my home resort at 11 mo.

 

[nkosiek]

You're really trying to get a hard resort to get at one of the worst possible times in terms of availability.

 

[BLT9664]

Create a wait list at 8 AM the day your 7 month window opens. (You can not create a non home resort waitlist before then)
Always book your home resort at 11 months then try to switch at 7.

You can try renting points.

I hate to be negative, but the VGF is a small resort. December is very difficult to get, particularly studios, even for people who own there. But that does not mean it wont happen

You could also do your original BLT reservation as 2 linked reservations then wait list only one and do a split stay. Create 2 wait lists, one for the full length, one for half.

This may be interesting. I never thought of doing 2 linked reservations. But do I need to do the physical check out between the 2 linked reservations?

 

[BLT9664]

You're really trying to get a hard resort to get at one of the worst possible times in terms of availability.

Haha. I know. Kind of mission impossible.

 

[BLT9664]

No choice. Mrs. like the Victoria style.

 

[TraderSamWDW]

This may be interesting. I never thought of doing 2 linked reservations. But do I need to do the physical check out between the 2 linked reservations?

If they are the same room type and view you should be fine. I think they could technically move you, but I have never heard of it happening. Certainly never had it happen to me.

Downside to linked reservations:
1. You have 2 different booking windows to make each one at. The first, then 3 or 4 days later the second. That runs the risk of not getting the 2nd reservation. Id probably book the whole stay as one, then on the 11 month mark of the 2nd stay, call and see if they can break it up.

2. You can not modify linked reservations on line, so you want to NOT link them until much closer to your arrival date. Like, 70 days or so out, so you get your FP window set. If they are linked and the 7 month mark rolls around you have to call MS at 9 to unlink and change. If they are not linked, you can simply try to modify 1 on line.

 

[siren0119]

Thanks a lot for all the advice.
I have thought of renting the points from another VGF owner before 11 mo window and rent out my BLT points. But I guess there is some risk too, as VGF has such a limited availability, I may not able to get the period that I want even I have the VGF points. Then I will run into the situation of holding VGF points but no availability, and I cannot book other resort even my home resort at 11 mo.

That's not really how points rentals work though. Whether you work through a broker or find an owner directly, you would be asking the owner to make the reservation for you. Nothing is transferred to you, you wouldn't be "holding" any points at VGF, you either get a reservation there or you don't. The risk is just not having ANYTHING booked if you count on a rental coming through and it doesn't.

 

[Sandisw]

If they are the same room type and view you should be fine. I think they could technically move you, but I have never heard of it happening. Certainly never had it happen to me.

Downside to linked reservations:
1. You have 2 different booking windows to make each one at. The first, then 3 or 4 days later the second. That runs the risk of not getting the 2nd reservation. Id probably book the whole stay as one, then on the 11 month mark of the 2nd stay, call and see if they can break it up.

2. You can not modify linked reservations on line, so you want to NOT link them until much closer to your arrival date. Like, 70 days or so out, so you get your FP window set. If they are linked and the 7 month mark rolls around you have to call MS at 9 to unlink and change. If they are not linked, you can simply try to modify 1 on line.

This is not true. A linked reservation just means there’s a note on each. You can modify online each one without issue.

I have done it with reservations that have been on each of my my memberships. Once I change I just call and make sure note is still there.

 

[BLT9664]

I see. Thanks for the clarification siren0119.

 

[neitzelt]

So, what if you book your home resort at 11 months and then at 7 months, switch to a different resort that is less points than what you booked your home resort at. Those points are put in some type of hold, correct? How exactly does that work? I own at Poly but would like to stay somewhere else. If I book at 11 months at Poly and try for Boardwalk at 7 months, it is less...

 

[TraderSamWDW]

This is not true. A linked reservation just means there’s a note on each. You can modify online each one without issue.

I have done it with reservations that have been on each of my my memberships. Once I change I just call and make sure note is still there.

I had an issue with a linked reservation at the Polynesian in September of this past year. I had a 3 day and a 1 day stay. I had to call MS (There was no modify button on line). The CM told me she had to unlink them to do it (Then asked me if I was sure of my changes before she relinked them - so we wouldnt have to go thru it again). I was changing the name of the 2nd guest. Perhaps this is some sort of edge case? I never remember it being an issue before, but you typically don't remember things going smoothly, its the hiccups that stick out.

Trying to remember if there was One Time points involved, as there may have been. Do not know if that was the culprit?

 

[CarolMN]

So, what if you book your home resort at 11 months and then at 7 months, switch to a different resort that is less points than what you booked your home resort at. Those points are put in some type of hold, correct? How exactly does that work? I own at Poly but would like to stay somewhere else. If I book at 11 months at Poly and try for Boardwalk at 7 months, it is less...

If you modify at 7 months or up to 31 days prior to check-in in , the extra points go back into your account with no penalty. If you modify 30 days or less prior to check-in date, the extra points go into holding status. That means they expire at the end of your use year and can only be used to reserve a stay that is no more than 60 days away.

 

[Marionnette]

So, what if you book your home resort at 11 months and then at 7 months, switch to a different resort that is less points than what you booked your home resort at. Those points are put in some type of hold, correct? How exactly does that work? I own at Poly but would like to stay somewhere else. If I book at 11 months at Poly and try for Boardwalk at 7 months, it is less...

The points only go into holding if you make your change less than 31 days from your expected arrival on the original reservation.

 

[Sandisw]

I had an issue with a linked reservation at the Polynesian in September of this past year. I had a 3 day and a 1 day stay. I had to call MS (There was no modify button on line). The CM told me she had to unlink them to do it (Then asked me if I was sure of my changes before she relinked them - so we wouldnt have to go thru it again). I was changing the name of the 2nd guest. Perhaps this is some sort of edge case? I never remember it being an issue before, but you typically don't remember things going smoothly, its the hiccups that stick out.

Trying to remember if there was One Time points involved, as there may have been. Do not know if that was the culprit?

OTU points can not be used online so if you were using those, it is possible why there was no modify button and why you had to call,

My reservations have always used my own points so i Have always been able to modify and change rooms That had part of the stay on one membership and the other on a different.