Points Needed At Time Reservation Made?

[Best Aunt]

Do points need to be available at the time a reservation is made, or just at the time of travel?

For example, assume I have a 100 point contract with a Feb. 1 Use Year. I want to call today to make a reservation to travel to a Disney DVC resort after Feb. 1, 2010. The trip will require 150 points.

I have not used any of my 2009 points. I have not yet missed my deadline for banking them.

I could pay for this 2010 trip with:
2010 points + points borrowed from 2011
2010 points + points banked from 2009.

I thought that I could borrow the day before my trip, or bank on the very last day of my banking deadline, as long 150 points were there for use on the day of my trip.

But Member Services told me that I had to bank or borrow on the day that I made my reservation.

Was I confused, or was he wrong?

 

[Chuck S]

Member Services is correct.

The points have to be showing as being available in the use year of the dates of stay at the time of reservation. So if you have a 100 point contract, and you want a 150 point stay in your 2010 use Year, there have to be 150 points in the 2010 use year the day that you make the reservation.

Otherwise, there is nothing to guarantee you will in fact bank those 2009 points prior to the banking deadline, and if you didn't authorize borrowing, where would those points come from?

 

[lark]

I think this is probably a wise policy. Otherwise, you'd end up with people losing reservations automatically without asking to do so. I'm not even sure the computer stuff they have is sophisticated enough to track it all.

If you think about it, it's really no different from the fact that disney locks up current use year points when you make a reservation. For example, if you have 100 points in this use year and you call up to make a reservation that takes 90 points, they take those points off the board. You cannot use them for any other reservation without first canceling the reservation you already have. (Other than via a waitlist, which automatically cancels your existing reservation.)

It's the same with banking and borrowing. If you want to make a reservation, you need to lock up the points. That means if your reservation requires banking or borrowing, you need to do the transaction to lock up the points. Otherwise, disney would run the risk of having reservations for more points than actually exist in the system.

 

[Best Aunt]

If you want to make a reservation, you need to lock up the points. That means if your reservation requires banking or borrowing, you need to do the transaction to lock up the points.

Now I get it! Thank you. It just wasn't clicking until you said it that way.

When they make the reservation, do they lock up banked points first?

Since I banked my 100 points from 2009 when I called to make the reservation, did they make the 150-point reservation by locking up my 100 banked points and by locking up 50 of my 2010 points, instead of the other way around?

(I'm so new I can't even go on the website to look at my account.)

 

[erionm]

Now I get it! Thank you. It just wasn't clicking until you said it that way.

When they make the reservation, do they lock up banked points first?

Since I banked my 100 points from 2009 when I called to make the reservation, did they make the 150-point reservation by locking up my 100 banked points and by locking up 50 of my 2010 points, instead of the other way around?

(I'm so new I can't even go on the website to look at my account.)

They should use banked points first. You may also want to mention that you have banked points that you are going to use for the reservation. When you make the reservation, the points are actually deducted from your balance.

 

[Chuck S]

(I'm so new I can't even go on the website to look at my account.)

You should have mentioned that to Member Services during the call, they could have gotten you onto the website.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Does anybody know what the situation is regarding cruises. When I go on the website it tells me that I can book cruises using points that have a sail date on or before August 26, 2011. I have a December UY and plan to bank all the 2009 points and use them for a cruise in early 2011 together with my 2010 points. From what I read, the cruises can be booked in October. Will I have to wait until December so that I can bank my points first?

Corinna

 

[john5cc]

If you borrow point to make a reservation but then later make a change that reduces the points needed, what then happens. Can the borrowed point be put back to their original year? Or once borrowed and moved to a use year, they need to stay in that year. If you borrow points, can they be banked if not used? I'm thinking if I make a reservation that I need to borrow for, but also wait list and then get something that needs fewer points, what happens to the borrowed point used to make the first reservation.

 

[chalee94]

If you borrow point to make a reservation but then later make a change that reduces the points needed, what then happens. Can the borrowed point be put back to their original year?

nope. so make sure you really want to borrow them.

If you borrow points, can they be banked if not used?

no. banking and borrowing are both final transactions. once you commit to banking or borrowing pts, they stay in that new UY and will expire at the end of that UY.

I'm thinking if I make a reservation that I need to borrow for, but also wait list and then get something that needs fewer points, what happens to the borrowed point used to make the first reservation.

unless you have a ton of points, the first reservation will have to be canceled before you can book the waitlisted reservation when it comes through.

so use the borrowed pts first for that waitlisted reservation and then bank some of the leftover current UY pts that you used. if you only used banked or borrowed pts, the leftover pts will expire unless you rent them or use them later.

 

[Sandisw]

If you borrow point to make a reservation but then later make a change that reduces the points needed, what then happens. Can the borrowed point be put back to their original year? Or once borrowed and moved to a use year, they need to stay in that year. If you borrow points, can they be banked if not used? I'm thinking if I make a reservation that I need to borrow for, but also wait list and then get something that needs fewer points, what happens to the borrowed point used to make the first reservation.

No, borrowed points can't be put back. They will have to stay there. If the reservation also uses current UY points, and you are still within your banking window, you can bank those points (and just keep the borrowed ones for the reservation).

However, if your wait list comes through after the banking window, then you would be stuck having to use the points by the end of the UY.

That is another reason that traveling near the beginning of a UY is so important. It gives you options if the points for your trip change.

 

[bumbershoot]

Does anybody know what the situation is regarding cruises. When I go on the website it tells me that I can book cruises using points that have a sail date on or before August 26, 2011. I have a December UY and plan to bank all the 2009 points and use them for a cruise in early 2011 together with my 2010 points. From what I read, the cruises can be booked in October. Will I have to wait until December so that I can bank my points first?

Corinna

I don't really know the answer, but I feel that this is a timely question (b/c you have to bank well BEFORE the end of your use year...for instance, my use year is Feb, and I have to bank unused points by the last day of September!) so I'm bumping it up for you.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I intend to bank my points on the first day of my UY. I get my 2009 points on December 1st 2009. My remaining 2008 points have been banked since March. Those banked points are enough for my post cruise stay after the Westbound Transatlantic next year. So I will bank my 2009 points in their entirety as soon as I can. My problem is that I am hoping to use my banked 2009 points and the points that I will get December 1st 2010 for a cruise in early 2011. I expect the cruise that I want to sell out very quickly once booking opens so if I have to wait until December and have to bank the points first, this will not really work.

Corinna

 

[Chuck S]

I intend to bank my points on the first day of my UY. I get my 2009 points on December 1st 2009. My remaining 2008 points have been banked since March. Those banked points are enough for my post cruise stay after the Westbound Transatlantic next year. So I will bank my 2009 points in their entirety as soon as I can. My problem is that I am hoping to use my banked 2009 points and the points that I will get December 1st 2010 for a cruise in early 2011. I expect the cruise that I want to sell out very quickly once booking opens so if I have to wait until December and have to bank the points first, this will not really work.

Corinna

You should likely call and speak to Member Services. There are some special rules that apply to cruises, something like being able to use up to 4 years of points or something to book a cruise. I haven't done a cruise on points.

 

[TLSnell1981]

They should use banked points first. You may also want to mention that you have banked points that you are going to use for the reservation. When you make the reservation, the points are actually deducted from your balance.

Always, always, always....VERIFY which points are being used for your reservation. You will avoid any surprises or misunderstandings. I write down and repeat what I am told by MS when booking.

 

[Best Aunt]

ErionM - I called Member Services back today. They said that they had made my reservation using banked points first. That's what I wanted, but I had not told them that when I made the reservation. Thank you for telling me that when I make a reservation in the future, I should specifically tell them if I want to use banked points.

Chuck S - when I called Member Services back today, the lady gave me my Club ID and One-Time Activation Code so that I can register on the member website. The guy I spoke to in Member Services yesterday told me that he couldn't give me that information. I'm glad you told me to ask, or I wouldn't have thought to do it when I called back. I had wrongly assumed that I had to wait until my paperwork came in the mail.

You guys are great for helping new members figure out the system.

 

[dolphingirl47]

You should likely call and speak to Member Services. There are some special rules that apply to cruises, something like being able to use up to 4 years of points or something to book a cruise. I haven't done a cruise on points.

Thanks for your advice. I will have to ring member services tomorrow anyway and I will ask them then. I will post the response that I get of them.

Corinna