Newbie questions

[granmaz]

Been reading loads, but I am still confused. Hope you experts can help clarify a few of the more overwhelming queries!!

We are about to close on SSR after signing up in early December. We will have 225 points from 2007 and the same from August 2008.

I will be booking 2 weeks in Nov/Dec 2008 and then 2 weeks April/May 2009. I realise the difficulty of getting anywhere at the 7 month window for our Nov/Dec vacation, so will book the whole vacation at SSR. However, I would like to try for a few days elsewhere at 7 months. If I am able to book elsewhere, I would have to book those with available points, i.e. 2008 points,( having used the 2007 to book SSR) What would happen then to the 2007 points I used to book after I would have to cancel the SSR nights? Sorry if this sounds confusing - it is because it is confusing to me!!!

 

[chalee94]

We are about to close on SSR after signing up in early December. We will have 225 points from 2007 and the same from August 2008.

so it sounds like you have an august use year month, which means that your 2007 points would normally expire at the end of july 2008 unless you bank them for use in nov/dec 2008. but it sounds like you have that covered...(ask questions if that doesn't make sense...)

I will be booking 2 weeks in Nov/Dec 2008 and then 2 weeks April/May 2009. I realise the difficulty of getting anywhere at the 7 month window for our Nov/Dec vacation, so will book the whole vacation at SSR. However, I would like to try for a few days elsewhere at 7 months. If I am able to book elsewhere, I would have to book those with available points, i.e. 2008 points,( having used the 2007 to book SSR) What would happen then to the 2007 points I used to book after I would have to cancel the SSR nights? Sorry if this sounds confusing - it is because it is confusing to me!!!

if there is availability at 7 months, they would presumably cancel your night at SSR and apply those points to the other resort stay. that shouldn't be a problem.

if the other resort requires more points, you may be required to use some of your 2008 points (if any) or to borrow 2009 points for your nov stay.

 

[granmaz]

We are about to close on SSR after signing up in early December. We will have 225 points from 2007 and the same from August 2008.

so it sounds like you have an august use year month, which means that your 2007 points would normally expire at the end of july 2008 unless you bank them for use in nov/dec 2008. but it sounds like you have that covered...(ask questions if that doesn't make sense...)

I will be booking 2 weeks in Nov/Dec 2008 and then 2 weeks April/May 2009. I realise the difficulty of getting anywhere at the 7 month window for our Nov/Dec vacation, so will book the whole vacation at SSR. However, I would like to try for a few days elsewhere at 7 months. If I am able to book elsewhere, I would have to book those with available points, i.e. 2008 points,( having used the 2007 to book SSR) What would happen then to the 2007 points I used to book after I would have to cancel the SSR nights? Sorry if this sounds confusing - it is because it is confusing to me!!!

if there is availability at 7 months, they would presumably cancel your night at SSR and apply those points to the other resort stay. that shouldn't be a problem.

if the other resort requires more points, you may be required to use some of your 2008 points (if any) or to borrow 2009 points for your nov stay.

Ah now. To use my 2007 points for our Nov/Dec stay I will have to bank them by March even if I book using them next week?

Supposedly then I could book this year's vacation with 2008 points and bank the 2007 ones to use in May 2009, or is there no benefit at all in doing that?

When we were at the preview centre with our guide, I kept saying to my husband that the banking etc is complicated, but he kept saying 'no, I get it'!! Yes right!!!

Don't get me started on our trying to use our 160 Developer points!!! I think we are going to lose most of those and not get the best use of what we are using.

 

[chalee94]

Ah now. To use my 2007 points for our Nov/Dec stay I will have to bank them by March even if I book using them next week?

that is my understanding of the situation. they need to be banked in order to be available in your next use year. (under the old rules, by the end of jan, or under the new rules, by march.) you can book a reservation using pts that are currently banked or not available yet...it just depends on what points will be available to use during the actual reservation dates. (and i suspect MS would probably have coached you on banking when you called.)


if i'm wrong on any of this, hopefully a mod will pipe up and correct me.

Supposedly then I could book this year's vacation with 2008 points and bank the 2007 ones to use in May 2009, or is there no benefit at all in doing that?

if you should need to cancel your nov/dec trip and do so over a month in advance, then you will still be within your banking window for your 2008 points and would still be able to bank them into your aug 2009-jul 2010 timeframe.

so yes, i would think there is some potential benefit to doing what you suggest.

When we were at the preview centre with our guide, I kept saying to my husband that the banking etc is complicated, but he kept saying 'no, I get it'!! Yes right!!!

it definitely takes some time to get used to the rules, IMO...

Don't get me started on our trying to use our 160 Developer points!!! I think we are going to lose most of those and not get the best use of what we are using.

i don't know much about the rules on developer pts, although IIRC, you can't bank them. definitely try to get some use out of them, even if you don't get much "value." if you can make a reservation at wdw that friends or family can use...or if you can trade for a hotel within a few hours drive for a long weekend or whatever, anything is better than nothing...

 

[chalee94]

Nm