Point Use Question

[Mich Mouse]

Thanks again Doc.

So If I make my ressies for December and cancel thirty days prior, I am ok for banking 100% in January?

If I make my ressies for April and cancel prior to January 30th, I am still OK and can bank 100%?

I can bank points two separate times as long as it is prior ro the 100% banking deadline in August?

It is starting to sink in here. I can see that people cold easily loose points if they are not careful. Does this happen often? I don't think I've ever read about it here, but I can't imagine a newbie not making mistakes.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

 

[RobDoc]

As long as you cancel 31 or more days before arrival the only other limitation is the banking deadline. For your August Use Year - you may bank as often as you'd like up thru January 31 for that Use Year. Any points banked after that date will be restricted by the 50% rule - again ... if you have already banked 50% or more of your contract's total number of points, you won't be able to bank any more after January 31. If none have been banked previously, you may bank up to 50% of your total thru April 30.

It's not really too difficult once you get into the habit of planning how you'll use your points for the coming year. I know there are members who have allowed points to expire. Hopefully that is a one-time situation for any member.

 

[Mich Mouse]

HI!

I called MS today and got waitlisted for December at WDW and April for HH.

Now what to do about the points?

I want to make my August ressies at BWV as my 11 month window will be open later this month. This will be using the new 2007 points? Correct? Or if all my 2006 points wind up being banked I can use them instead?

How about the 2006 points? Obviously I will have enough notice about the December trip to bank all points if not used (if the waitlist does not come through) but what about April at HH? I may have to bank before the waitlist becomes available. I won't have any to borrow from 2007 since I plan to use them all with my 11 month window reservation.

What do I do?

My math lesson today was about borrowing (subtraction) and I kept thinking DVC!

 

[RobDoc]

The last thing you want to do is to risk losing the 2006 points by not banking and then not having the waitlist come thru (I am a BIG advocate for the waitlist and it DOES usually come thru when used properly).

In this case, I think I would bank the 2006 points (right now) and use those for your reservation next August when you make the reservation at 11 months. If the waitlist comes thru for either (or both) of the other reservations, you can borrow from your 2007 Use Year as long as you are not likely to need to cancel either reservation.

There is no right or wrong way to do this - but with the uncertainty of the waitlist for the dates you are looking for, I'd be hesitant to chance missing the ability to bank the 2006 points.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Mich Mouse]

I am a BIG advocate for the waitlist and it DOES usually come thru when used properly.

In this case, I think I would bank the 2006 points (right now) and use those for your reservation next August when you make the reservation at 11 months. If the waitlist comes thru for either (or both) of the other reservations, you can borrow from your 2007 Use Year as long as you are not likely to need to cancel either reservation.

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What do I need to know about proper use? I am on the waitlist for the consecutive days for Dec/April.

I plan to use all of my 314 points for 2007 at the 11 month window. If the 2006 points are banked by January, Can I use them at any time? For example for my HH trip in April 2007?

Thanks again.

 

[LisaS]

I plan to use all of my 314 points for 2007 at the 11 month window. If the 2006 points are banked by January, Can I use them at any time? For example for my HH trip in April 2007?

With an August Use Year:

Your 2006 points are valid for stays from 8/1/06 - 7/31/07
Your 2007 points are valid for stays from 8/1/07 - 7/31/08
Your 2008 points are valid for stays from 8/1/08 - 7/31/09
etc.

So if you bank your 2006 points, they behave like 2007 UY points: they are valid for stays from 8/1/07 - 7/31/08. (The only difference between banked 2006 points and your 2007 points is that the 2007 points can be banked into 2008 or borrowed for stays from 8/1/06-7/31/07. The banked 2006 points must stay in your 2007 UY and will expire if not used by 7/31/08.)

Your April 2007 trip is in your 2006 UY so you can use 2006 UY points or borrowed 2007 UY points for that trip or a combination of the two. If you bank your '06 UY points, they cannot be used for an April '07 stay.

Edited to change "7/31/07" to "7/31/08" in the next to last paragraph.

 

[RobDoc]

What do I need to know about proper use? I am on the waitlist for the consecutive days for Dec/April.

If you are waitlisted for the entire stay, MS will only contact you about the reservation IF all of those days become available at once and IF you are at the top of the waitlist at that time. This can certainly happen and would make sure that you get the entire reservation you want. MS will not "save" days as they become available - it's either all or none with that waitlist method.

Another consideration is to use the automatic - daily waitlist where MS will automatically reserve each day fo you as they become available. The benefit with this is that they won't even need to call you to verify that you want the dates- they just add them to the reservation as they become available. The problem with this method is that it's possible that a day in the middle of the stay might not become available and you'd need to leave for a night. Personally, this method has always worked for us - but sometimes it has taken right up to the week prior to complete our desired dates. Not always for the faint of heart!

 

[Mich Mouse]

Thank you for continuing to guide me through this!

I do understand that I should just bank the points from 06 since I am only waitlisted, and do not know what will happen.

But I am not clear on when I make the ressie for August 2007 (this will happen September 24th) what points will I be able to use for the HH stay in April 2007 of I need all of my 2007 points for the August ressie and the 2006 points are banked not to be used in the 2006 use year which is when my trip will be.

 

[RobDoc]

If you are going to bank all of your 2006 points, they should be used for the August 2007 trip. If the waitlist does come thru for either of the other reservationsm you'd just need to borrow points from your 2007 Use Year (just be sure NOT to cancel later- since those points would expire in July, 2007 if not used before).

Enjoy!

 

[Mich Mouse]

So if you bank your 2006 points, they behave like 2007 UY points: they are valid for stays from 8/1/07 - 7/31/08. (The only difference between banked 2006 points and your 2007 points is that the 2007 points can be banked into 2008 or borrowed for stays from 8/1/06-7/31/07. The banked 2006 points must stay in your 2007 UY and will expire if not used by 7/31/07.)

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I bank my points in January 2007 for a 2006 UY and they expire in July 2007? I only get six months from banking to expiration? That is what is seems like you wrote above?

 

[LisaS]

I bank my points in January 2007 for a 2006 UY and they expire in July 2007? I only get six months from banking to expiration? That is what is seems like you wrote above?

Oops! Sorry about that. I usually proofread any posts like that very carefully before I submit them. The banked 2006 UY points would expire on 7/31/08, not in '07. I just went back and edited my original post to correct it there as well.