Newbie: Need help with first ressies

[Carneymom]

Hi: We are finally in!! We have 110 pts at SSR with Feb UY. I want to make ressies for 11/5-11/10 for 3 studios so I will need 165 pts total. My understanding is that I have up to 31 days prior to cancel without losing anything. But, if I borrow the points from next year then I will lose those points altogether if anyone in the party should cancel for any reason.

So would it be better to rent/transfer the needed points from someone else to that if We had to change our plans we would not lose points. Or would we? I am confused.
If I cancel more that 31 days out, say 32 days, It still would be too late to bank the points and they would still have to be used by Feb. Is that right?

I am confused. What is the best way to handle it. Or does it make any difference since either way they would have to be used by Feb?

Help!! Has anyone ever been in a situation where they have had to change plans and end up with ressies that you can't use by their expiration date and how did you handle it?

Lisa

 

[LisaS]

First of all, congratulations and welcome home!

If you have to cancel or change your reservation, as long as you do so no later than the day before, you will not lose any points. However, if you cancel the reservation or change it such that you will use fewer points within 30 days of check-in, the points that have been freed up go into "holding". Points in holding expire at the end of your use year and can only be used to make reservations within 60 days of check-in. If you cancel/make changes more than 30 days from check-in, the points go back into your account with no restrictions.

Your check-in date is 11/05 so to avoid points going into holding, you would have to cancel/make changes by 10/06. With a Feb UY, you can bank 100% of your points up to 7/31, 50% by 10/31, 25% by 11/30 so you would still be able to bank up to 50% of your current UY points, provided you had not banked any other points yet for your current UY. Any borrowed points would expire at the end of the current UY (Jan 31, 2007) but you could use them for another reservation up until that time, along with any unbanked points from your current UY.

I don't think that transferring points from someone else would help you but I'm not very knowledgeable in that area. I think once the points were transferred to you, they would take on your UY and have the same expiration dates as your own points. And, even if they were bankable points, you will be in your 50% banking window and will fill up your banking quota with your own points.

If you think part of your group is likely to cancel on you, then maybe they should book something through Disney CRO. That way, they can cancel up until 5 days in advance with no penalty if they book room-only or 45 days in advance with a package. If I were in your shoes, I would not be borrowing points to make a reservation for someone who is likely to cancel on me. Your only options at that point will be to take another trip prior to Jan 31, 2007, rent out the points or rent out the reservation itself.

Good luck!

 

[Carneymom]

Thanks for the explaination. It is not that I think that anyone would cancel on me, but we are going with my parents who are in their 70's and although they are in good health, anything could happen between now and then.
I guess if we had to for any reason, give up one room, I could bank the current UY points and use the borrowed points for the trip. If MS would let me do that.
Anyway I suppose it is a risk either way,I could end up being the one not able to go and I would still be in the same boat.
I guess I will just take my chances.

Thanks for the Welcome Home.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I don't know if I would borrow points, if you aren't sure you can use them before Feb. If you rent from another member, those points do take on your use year, but if you haven't banked any points for this year, you can bank the points you borrowed. If, for example, you own 150 pts, and you are using them, then you borrow 75 pts from another member, you can bank that 75 points into your new year, even in November. I do think, though, that you should be able to secure a reservation thru CRO for cash, and you can cancel that up until the week that you are checking in. Most of the time, you can even find ressies at DVC resorts. If you book thru CRO instead of MS, your relatives will also get daily maid service. It's not something I would want, but my parents would.

 

[CarolMN]

If one party cancels, does that mean no one is going?

If the other two parties are going, just cancel one of the studios that was reserved using current year points and bank the current year points. You can bank up to 50% of your total allotment as long as you do it before then end of October. (Fortunately, that is 55 points).

If you have to cancel after the end of October, the points go into the holding account and it won't matter anyway. Holding account points expire at the end of your use year.

Hope it all works out!

Best wishes -