Points & Cash Stay - BWV 1 Bedroom

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I currently have a BWV 1 Bedroom Garden/Pool View booked on points, and we're thinking about extending the stay. Additional nights are sold out on points though I see cash reservations have a discount for the 1 Bedroom Standard View. I know that non-DVC reservations the view isn't necessarily accurate and we would end up with a similar garden/pool view. Anyone have any recent experiences staying in the same room and going from a points reservation to a cash reservation? My incentive to book the extra nights on cash would be to stay in the same room; if we would have to move I'd rather move to another resort (not that moving is my preference either). How has the (I believe new within the past year or two) reservation system been handling notations? I'd of course have member services and the cash reservation note the other confirmation number in hopes the room would be blocked for the whole time. I assume we'd also need to check-out/check-in between reservations.

Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I currently have a BWV 1 Bedroom Garden/Pool View booked on points, and we're thinking about extending the stay. Additional nights are sold out on points though I see cash reservations have a discount for the 1 Bedroom Standard View. I know that non-DVC reservations the view isn't necessarily accurate and we would end up with a similar garden/pool view. Anyone have any recent experiences staying in the same room and going from a points reservation to a cash reservation? My incentive to book the extra nights on cash would be to stay in the same room; if we would have to move I'd rather move to another resort (not that moving is my preference either). How has the (I believe new within the past year or two) reservation system been handling notations? I'd of course have member services and the cash reservation note the other confirmation number in hopes the room would be blocked for the whole time. I assume we'd also need to check-out/check-in between reservations.

Thanks!

If you book the cash nights through Disney Reservation Center, I have been told that they cannot link a DRC with a DVC reservation. But if you book the cash night with DVC, they should be able to link them.

 

[CarolMN]

The views booked through CRO/DRC do not directly equate to the DVC views. For cash you have a choice of a water view and standard view.

In practice, 99.9% of the villas booked through CRO/DRC get assigned a Pool/Garden view. (Boardwalk views are reserved for DVC members even if they book the cash reervation through MS. Standard views are almost always booked by DVC members so few, if any are available for cash customers).

Unless there is a significant price difference between CRO/DRC & MS, my advice is to book through MS and tell them you want to stay in the same room. If there is a large difference, ask MS to note the cash reservation number on the points reservation with a request to stay in the same room. Then ask the CRP/DRC CM to note the DVC reservation number on the cash reservation with the same request. Politely repeat your request when you check-in. I have found the BWV assigners to be good about this.

Either way, chances are very good you will not have to move. You will probably have to go to the front desk to get new keys between the reservations, but the BWV usually delivers them to your room so even that inconvenience is minimized.

Good luck!

 

[jerseyduke]

I have a very similar situation, and posted about it here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3132295

I have the second half of a split stay being 4 nights with night 3 not available for points at VGF.

I booked that night for cash through DVC. When I did, they told me that it was in the hands of the resort as to whether or not I would be moved, but they usually do not have you move.

I was told that I WOULD have to check in and out, but thats not a big deal.

I do not have added complexity of different room views/categories though.

I do have that missing night wait listed for points and I do check regularly.

I am also going to call my guide (since I am a new member) to make a payment and see if he can help at all. Maybe he can get the room pulled out of cash into points, who knows. While I would rather use points, if I have to pay cash, so be it, but i SURE AS HECK do not want to move between 3 rooms in 4 nights.

Also, I have a feeling that the room will be 20-30 percent off come august-september since its for the 2nd week of December, and they usually put rooms on sale for that time around then.

 

[LSchrow]

The views booked through CRO/DRC do not directly equate to the DVC views. For cash you have a choice of a water view and standard view.

not disputing you, carol, but isn't the cash-booking "water view" category at BWI, not BWV?

OP: thankfully, you have a P/G view - DVC BW view is only available with points (not even member cash). if you book thru MS (25% off, if available), you will likely get a P/G view (MS informed me that "standard view" has been added to the "points only" category, but i can't verify).
as said, if you book thru CRO, you'll still get a P/G view, but it will be called "standard view".
in the past, we have had CRO stays (CM rate) , mixed with DVC stays in same resort, room type....we were able to stay in the same room, but had to check-out/in as they are different reservations, with different numbers.

 

[CarolMN]

not disputing you, carol, but isn't the cash-booking "water view" category at BWI, not BWV?....(snip).....

You may be correct. However, there are lots of P/G views at BWV that are water view, even though they don't have a view of Crescent Lake. I do not think that is the case for the BWI.

In practice, those who book BWV though CRO/DRC are virtually always assigned as ROH - Run of the House, which is an industry term that means they can end up anywhere the resort decides to put them. At the BWV, that means a Pool/Garden view. I've only read about very rare exceptions to that.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Thanks all, I think I should be safe then trying the cash reservation. I'll be sure to get the reservations crossed referenced, and hope we get a good CM at check-in! Will let everyone know how it goes!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We just returned and had success in staying in the same villa the entire time. New keys were slid under our door around 8am on the switch day and we were all set.

I did notice a few days before the cash reservation started, on MyDisneyExperience my room type changed from 1 Bedroom - Standard View to 1 Bedroom - Garden/Pool View to match that of the DVC reservation. Not sure if that happens to everyone staying at BWV on cash?

And we of course really enjoyed having daily housekeeping while on the cash nights! I could get used to that!