Points question?

[gracelrm]

We have a Feb. use year. We have 2009 points that we plan to bank for 2010, as we have an extended family trip planned for June 2010 that will require banked, regular and borrowed points. Now, my DH is considering a trip to WDW with his band for the week after Easter 2010. The band will be staying off-site, but since I'm spoiled to DVC, I'd like to get a studio for me & my kids so that I'll have the option of going back to the room, using early entry hours, and using Disney transportation. With the economy the way it is right now, DH is afraid that he won't have enough kids be able to make the trip happen and may have to cancel the trip at a later date, but I know I need to make reservations for that busy time NOW to be sure that I can get a studio. When I make my reservation with MS, can I specify using 2010 points (even though there are 2009 points available) so that if I have to cancel the trip - then those points could just go back to the 2010 use year and be available to use for our June 2010 trip? If I use 2009 points and then have to cancel - then I can't bank those points back to 2010 if it's past the banking deadline- right? I've just got to make sure I don't mess up with my points.

 

[Chuck S]

Are your 2009 points already banked? If not, they will automatically use 2010 points to make the reservation.

If you have banked, yes, you can generally specify what points are used for a reservation, unless a "system upgrade" now prevents MS advisors from doing any sort of manal override.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

When I make my reservation with MS, can I specify using 2010 points (even though there are 2009 points available) so that if I have to cancel the trip - then those points could just go back to the 2010 use year and be available to use for our June 2010 trip? If I use 2009 points and then have to cancel - then I can't bank those points back to 2010 if it's past the banking deadline- right?

In order to use 2009 points for the Easter-2010 trip, you would have to first bank the points into 2010. If you cancel that trip, you could use those points for your June-2010 trip.

The reason to might want to make sure you use 2010 points for the Easter reservation is so that you could still take a trip during your 2009 use-year. If you know you aren't going to do that, it doesn't matter. In fact, you are slightly better off using 2009 points for the Easter reservation. That way, if the June 2010 trip gets canceled, you can move the points into your 2011 use year.

All that said, yes, you can specific which point get used for the Easter reservation. And until you actually bank the points, they can't be used. MS would have to use 2010 points.

 

[gracelrm]

I haven't banked yet, but need to. I hate to bank too far ahead of time - I don't know why, just some quirk in my personality!! We already have a HH trip planned for Oct. 2009, but that is the only other trip we will do in 2009. Everything else planned is for 2010. So, it sounds like it would be better to use the banked 2009 points for the April 2010 trip - even if there's a possibility of canceling. As long as there's no harm, no foul in using banked points and then canceling the trip - I think we'll be fine.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.