Nervous about booking 1st trip Home

[barbnbrian]

We're new owners at SSR. I'm anxious to book our 1st trip home and would like to make a reservation for Aug. '05. I'm not sure if we need a one or two bedroom unit since I'm not sure how many of our kids are coming with us. Since this is my 1st time calling for reservaitons, should I book a 2 bedroom and then change it as it gets closer if I need to? Any tips on what I should request? I'm a little confused on the "dedicated" 1 & 2 bedroom unit stuff. Could someone explain better to me please? I'm also worried about losing points if I change my reservation later on from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom. If I changed my reservation later on and the new reservation used less points, would I be able to carry them over to the next year?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Hi, We've all made a first reservation, and it's a exciting time! If you have to borrow points to make the ressie for the 2 bedroom, and then change the ressie to a 1 bedroom, those extra points cannot be banked, they stay in the use year that you brought them into.

Bobbi

 

[pplasky]

I would book the two bedroom. You can always put fewer people in a bigger room, but not the other way around. Plus one-bedrooms are usually easier to reserve than two bedrooms. If you change more than 30 days prior to your trip, you can bank the extra points, depending on your use year. If there's a chance of losing the points, stay with the bigger unit or stay longer in the one bedroom.

 

[loribell]

A dedicated room means that there is no door that can make it a connectiong room. So with a dedicated one bedroom there will be no door that allows entrance to the studio. In a dedicated two bedroom I believe there is no outside entrance door for the studio part of the room plus there will not be the double locking doors that makes it a connecting room like in a hotel. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I would also go ahead and book the two bedroom. If you have to borrow points for it and end up not needing the two bedroom you can have them use points that have been borrowed for the reservation and take off points from the current use year to be banked (if you are within your banking window still). As the others said, if you can't bank them go ahead and keep the larger room or extend your stay for a few days.

I can't really give you any tips on what to request. I did visit there this summer and it is a lovely resort. The DD views look great but I'm not sure how noisey they are at fireworks time.

Have a great first trip home!
Lori

 

[Scoootch]

Originally posted by loribell
A dedicated room means that there is no door that can make it a connectiong room. So with a dedicated one bedroom there will be no door that allows entrance to the studio. In a dedicated two bedroom I believe there is no outside entrance door for the studio part of the room plus there will not be the double locking doors that makes it a connecting room like in a hotel. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

In a dedicated 2bdrm, the 2nd bedroom most often times will have 2 queen beds too (not sure about at SSR though) rather than 1 queen and a pull out sofa. It will actually be a 2nd bedroom rather than a studio connected to a 1bdrm by a door that unlocks in between them. The 2nd bedroom will not have the kitchenette or a separate enterance.

In a lock-off it is actually a studio connected to a 1bdrm with the door between unlocked.


I agree too, I'd book the 2bdrm if it's do-able and change it later if you need too. You can always spread out and have the 2nd bedroom used rather than having to use the pull out sofa in the living room if you have a little less people with you but if the 2 bdrm isn't available when you decide to change the ressie you could run into a problem. JMO though.

HTH's some

 

[kda]

When you call Member Services, go over all your options and the policies at that time. As with any phone calls to Disney, if you don't get someone who seems friendly and willing to help, call back and get someone else (although 98% of my calls to MS have been great --- I did get someone today that wasn't quite as patient and helpful).

Congratulations on your wonderful purchase!

You can switch your reservation from a 2 BR to a 1 BR if there's availability. The end of August tends to be a less busy time because kids are back in school in many parts of the country. Some people book a 2 BR lock off (door between the studio and the 1 BR section so they can each be locked off from the other) and assume they can just lock the door and give up part of their reservation. It doesn't work that way. Changing the type of accomodation means a new reservation, and might mean changing resorts to get the dates you want. Depends on how busy it is and which resort you're hoping to book.

As others have said, pay attention to your banking deadlines. If you switched to a 1 BR and had points left over but missed you're banking deadline for the year, the points are gone ------ or you have to add on days in the 1 BR or make an extra trip to use them in the current use year

 

[barbnbrian]

Thanks. I think I understand. I'm definitely going to call and reserve a dedicated 2 bedroom. If my UY is March, what's my banking deadline? I have enought points for a 2 bedroom without borrowing, in fact I'll have around 7 pts left to carryover to the next year. What I'm nervous about most is that I'll change my reservation from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom, have points left over and not be able to bank them. So, if my UY is March, I want to stay in Aug., what's the deadline to bank any left over points? I'm sure it's in the member handbook, but you guys and gals always seem to explain it better! Besides, I can't tear myself away from this website to go read the manual! Thanks everyone! Barb

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by barbnbrian
Thanks. I think I understand. I'm definitely going to call and reserve a dedicated 2 bedroom. If my UY is March, what's my banking deadline? I have enought points for a 2 bedroom without borrowing, in fact I'll have around 7 pts left to carryover to the next year. What I'm nervous about most is that I'll change my reservation from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom, have points left over and not be able to bank them. So, if my UY is March, I want to stay in Aug., what's the deadline to bank any left over points? I'm sure it's in the member handbook, but you guys and gals always seem to explain it better! Besides, I can't tear myself away from this website to go read the manual! Thanks everyone! Barb

No worries for you! With a March use year, you have until the end of August to bank up to 100% of your points.

Just make sure that if you have to cancel or make a change, you do it at least 31 days ahead of arrival so that your points do not go into the Holding Account.

Points in the Holding Account expire at the end of the use year (cannot be banked or borrowed) and cannot be used to make a reservation until 60 days or less ahead of arrival. Availability within 60 days is often very limited.


Best wishes -

 

[barbnbrian]

Just another questions, please ...

UY is March. Still haven't booked 1st trip home. Was originally thinking about August, so I figured I still had time to book. I don't really want to wait until August, but do to my 3 kids' schedules and prior commitments, it looks like that's what it's going to have to be.

My other thought was, what are the chances of getting a reservation for April vacation. Since that is six months away now, I realize I might not even be able to get in. I'm confused though about booking rules and thought I heard something about you had to book six months in advance. Could someone please explain better. If it's possible to reserve for April, I just might go ahead and do that. I'm holding out for SWA to open up dates past March 3 and keep checking daily for rates. Should I go ahead and make a ressie for April and if I can't get decent fares make the switch to August? Decisions, decisions, all I want to do is pin down a date and book it! HELP!

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by barbnbrian
Just another questions, please ...

UY is March. Still haven't booked 1st trip home. Was originally thinking about August, so I figured I still had time to book. I don't really want to wait until August, but do to my 3 kids' schedules and prior commitments, it looks like that's what it's going to have to be.

My other thought was, what are the chances of getting a reservation for April vacation. Since that is six months away now, I realize I might not even be able to get in. I'm confused though about booking rules and thought I heard something about you had to book six months in advance. Could someone please explain better. If it's possible to reserve for April, I just might go ahead and do that. I'm holding out for SWA to open up dates past March 3 and keep checking daily for rates. Should I go ahead and make a ressie for April and if I can't get decent fares make the switch to August? Decisions, decisions, all I want to do is pin down a date and book it! HELP!

You can (and should) book your April 2005 trip now. You can always book your home resort 11 months ahead of your check out date and non-home resorts 7 months ahead of check out. (There is no 6 month rule for booking). FWIW, I don't think you will have a problem getting in to a WDW DVC resort for April, even though it is 6 months away. That said, the longer you wait, the less chance you have of getting what you want - availability decreases the closer you get to your desired dates.

Go ahead and book the April stay now. Since you have a March use year, there is no penalty or risk for doing do. You can bank up to 100% of your annual allotment as long as you do it before the end of August. You'll know way before then if your April trip will work out or not.

Best wishes -