Practical help with making my first booking pls!!

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could talk me through exactly how I go about making my very first DVC reservation please!! (I can't actually make the booking until I believe the 11th January 2010 - but I thought I could save this thread to remind me later!)

I have a split contract between AKV (100 points) and BLT (100 points) and I will want to make a reservation at each resort at 11 months out. We won't be travelling again until Aug 2012, so I think there is a risk of me losing 5 BLT points and was wondering if there is a way around it. (Its not a major problem, but would like to avoid 'throwing points away' right at the beginning if I can!!)

So...

I am wanting to book 5 nights in a MK view studio at BLT from 12/11/10 & then we will go to BC on a hotel reservation for a couple of nights before 5 nights at AKV in a 1 bed savannah room from 12/18/10.

This would be 95 pts at BLT (using all but 5 of my Dec 2009 pts) and 149pts at AKV (using my Dec 2009 pts & borrowing 49pts from Dec 2010).

At the 7mth mark is there anything I can do to use up my 5 BLT points for the AKV reservation(and therefore use 5 less points from AKV) or is that very complicated?? I don't want to risk changing rooms at AKV, as my boys will still be very young and we are doing enough moving around as it is!!

I think it will be easier if I just 'lose' the 5 BLT points, but just wondered if there was an easy solution that I didn't know about!!

Thanks for any info!!

Oh just one more question - do I ring on 1/11/10 for the whole BLT booking and then again on 1/18/10 for the whole AKV booking - or is it something different!! - many thanks from a total DVC booking newbie!!

 

[Donald is #1]

First what is your UY?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Since you are going after the start of your Dec UY in 2010 those will be your current points and you will be using banked 2009 points. If that is correct then what you could do is at the 7 month window call and see if there is a 1BR savanna view available in the building (jambo/kidani) you are booked in for something like the 1st or last night. If there is then you can book one of your AKV nights using the remaining banked 5 BLT points and some of the remainder of your 2010 AKV points. Then cancel the 1 overlapping night from your first ressie and make certain they return current UY AKV points. Those 2010 points can be banked to your 2011 UY which will allow you to use them for an Aug 2012 vacation. MS will link the AKV reservations and you won't have to change rooms.

Depending on the CM you get they might just reallocate the points for you as long as there is the 1BR Savanna view available and you won't have to go thru booking and cancelling.

Or, if they say there's lots of inventory then they could just cancel the 1 night and rebook it using the remaining BLT points and AKV points. The way I laid things out first will provide ultimate safety in making certain you have a room but it probably won't be necessary to be that careful.

I think it's pretty likely you'll be able to use the points and not lose them as long as you call right at 7 months.

Also, you have it correct on when you have to make your calls. You have to wait for the AKV.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Since you are going after the start of your Dec UY in 2010 those will be your current points and you will be using banked 2009 points. If that is correct then what you could do is at the 7 month window call and see if there is a 1BR savanna view available in the building (jambo/kidani) you are booked in for something like the 1st or last night. If there is then you can book one of your AKV nights using the remaining banked 5 BLT points and some of the remainder of your 2010 AKV points. Then cancel the 1 overlapping night from your first ressie and make certain they return current UY AKV points. Those 2010 points can be banked to your 2011 UY which will allow you to use them for an Aug 2012 vacation. MS will link the AKV reservations and you won't have to change rooms.

Depending on the CM you get they might just reallocate the points for you as long as there is the 1BR Savanna view available and you won't have to go thru booking and cancelling.

Or, if they say there's lots of inventory then they could just cancel the 1 night and rebook it using the remaining BLT points and AKV points. The way I laid things out first will provide ultimate safety in making certain you have a room but it probably won't be necessary to be that careful.

I think it's pretty likely you'll be able to use the points and not lose them as long as you call right at 7 months.

Also, you have it correct on when you have to make your calls. You have to wait for the AKV.

thanks ever so much Kathy!! I have copied your reply so that I have it ready for my phone calls in January!!

One more question, as I am booking it in January, do I need to actually carry out a banking transaction, or will the booking itself be part of the banking process?? (What I'm really asking is whether it is less complicated for MS if I have already banked the points before I make the booking, or if it is all done in one go??)

I feel like I am probably making this more complicated than it actually is!! Just want it all straight in my head!!

Many thanks!!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You're welcome!

You will be able to bank the points and then make the reservation all in one call. Just tell them you want to make a ressie for Dec. 2010 and use your 2009 points for it. The banking does need to be done before they can make the reservation and use those 2009 points but it only take a minute or less. They'll go over what you have available, do the banking and make the reservation. I handle it this way for our upcoming Nov trip this year.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

You're welcome!

You will be able to bank the points and then make the reservation all in one call. Just tell them you want to make a ressie for Dec. 2010 and use your 2009 points for it. The banking does need to be done before they can make the reservation and use those 2009 points but it only take a minute or less. They'll go over what you have available, do the banking and make the reservation. I handle it this way for our upcoming Nov trip this year.

thanks ever so much Kathy -It all seems to be so much easier than I had built it up to be in this head of mine!!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I understand how it feels - that first reservation is both exciting and a nail biter!!!

For our first one we wanted to go sometime in Dec. before Christmas but were only 6 months out due to just closing on our resale. I planned out all kinds of scenarios, dates, resorts etc. before the call. We didn't get the first option I tried b/c it was the very popular first week of Dec. and they were missing one or two days. But, I had multiple options to choose from for my second dates when I had been so worried we wouldn't get anything. It's been a piece of cake since that one!

Oh - when you call for your MK ressie you can have them bank the AKV points as well so you won't have that step the second time. And one more FYI - you could always call and bank your points after Dec. 1st this year and before the call in Jan, or use the online banking and they send you a confirmation. Or wait and do it all in one call. That just depends on your preference.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

I understand how it feels - that first reservation is both exciting and a nail biter!!!

For our first one we wanted to go sometime in Dec. before Christmas but were only 6 months out due to just closing on our resale. I planned out all kinds of scenarios, dates, resorts etc. before the call. We didn't get the first option I tried b/c it was the very popular first week of Dec. and they were missing one or two days. But, I had multiple options to choose from for my second dates when I had been so worried we wouldn't get anything. It's been a piece of cake since that one!

Oh - when you call for your MK ressie you can have them bank the AKV points as well so you won't have that step the second time. And one more FYI - you could always call and bank your points after Dec. 1st this year and before the call in Jan, or use the online banking and they send you a confirmation. Or wait and do it all in one call. That just depends on your preference.

thanks ever so much Kathy - you've really put my mind at rest!!