Query about Holding Account Guidelines

[meryll83]

I wonder if anyone can help explain what something in the Holding Account Guidelines on the DVC website means?

We're currently due to fly from the UK at the end of October, but it's uncertain whether travel restrictions will be lifted to allow us to do so, or if our flight will be cancelled anyway, but it might end up being within less than 31 days to check in that we would know this so I was reading up on what this meant and it seems that the points would go into a holding account...

My question is around the 60 days referenced, highlighted below... I'm not clear what this really means?
Does it mean I can only book something 60 days out from check in, so I can't do anything with my holding account points any sooner than that?

Any advice or experience with this much appreciated!

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Holding Account Guidelines
Find out what a Holding Account is and learn how it works.
A Holding Account is a "parking space" for Vacation Points from a Disney Vacation Club Resort reservation that has been modified or cancelled 30 days to 1 day before your check-in date.
The Vacation Points in your Holding Account can be used for a new reservation booked 60 days or fewer before check-in within the following time constraints:
Use Vacation Points Anytime During Your Use Year for:

• Disney Vacation Club Resorts
• Disneyland Resort in California
• Tokyo Disney Resort
• World Collection

Use Vacation Points More Than 4 Months Before the End of Your Use Year for:

• Disney Collection (except Disneyland Resort in California and Tokyo Disney Resort)
• Concierge Collection

These Vacation Points cannot be banked or borrowed and must be used by the end of the Use Year or they expire.

 

[cvjw]

Yes. With holding points, you can only book 60 days out from your desired vacation time. But, member services has not been putting points into holding lately because of the pandemic. It was on the member website that holding was being waived. You might check there to see if that is still the case.

 

[meryll83]

Ah that's good to know, that extra bit of flexibility would be really helpful, as I hadn't realised the limitations on cancellations within 31 days until reading them just now!

I can't see any mention of it now though... unless I'm looking in the wrong place. Can you remember where it was?

 

[drusba]

Usual rule: All points from a reservation cancelled 30 days or fewer from arrival date go into holding, expire at end of use year in which cancelled trip was to be made and can be used to make reservations only beginning 60 days from date of arrival, a time when it is often difficult to get a reservaiton

Temporary rule: holding has been suspended and thus any reservation that is canceled 30 days or fewer out results in points going back into the account in the same state they came into reservation.

Potential problem with waiting past 31 days out to cancel your reservation: DVC has provided no assurance that the suspension of the holding rule will remain in place for any specific period of time. In other words, you could go to bed 31 days out from your arrival date with the suspension of the holding rule still in place and then wake up the next morning, 30 days out from date of arrival, and learn the suspension of the holding rule has ended.Thus, unless you can get a guarantee in writing from DVC, which it will never give, that the holding rule will not be applied to your reservation if cancelled 30 days or fewer out, you should not rely on the existing suspension of the holding rule in making a decision as to when to cancel.

 

[meryll83]

Thanks for this, just been on Member Services chat and they confirmed the same - temporary policy is not published in writing and could change at any time with no notice.

Will have some decisions to make at 31 days out!

 

[HickoryDickory]

yesterday (8/27/2020) I cancelled a reservation with a 9/9/2020 check-in date and the points did not go into holding. The points were automatically back in my account in proper form the same as if I had cancelled 31+ days out.

 

[Sandisw]

Ah that's good to know, that extra bit of flexibility would be really helpful, as I hadn't realised the limitations on cancellations within 31 days until reading them just now!

I can't see any mention of it now though... unless I'm looking in the wrong place. Can you remember where it was?

When you actual go to cancel, it shows there that there will not be a holding penalty,

I assume that at some point, when it is put back in play, that message will be updated back to the rules.

 

[firebringer]

Usual rule: All points from a reservation cancelled 30 days or fewer from arrival date go into holding, expire at end of use year in which cancelled trip was to be made and can be used to make reservations only beginning 60 days from date of arrival, a time when it is often difficult to get a reservaiton

Temporary rule: holding has been suspended and thus any reservation that is canceled 30 days or fewer out results in points going back into the account in the same state they came into reservation.

Potential problem with waiting past 31 days out to cancel your reservation: DVC has provided no assurance that the suspension of the holding rule will remain in place for any specific period of time. In other words, you could go to bed 31 days out from your arrival date with the suspension of the holding rule still in place and then wake up the next morning, 30 days out from date of arrival, and learn the suspension of the holding rule has ended.Thus, unless you can get a guarantee in writing from DVC, which it will never give, that the holding rule will not be applied to your reservation if cancelled 30 days or fewer out, you should not rely on the existing suspension of the holding rule in making a decision as to when to cancel.

This is very true - but I would hope Disney has the decency to give at least a couple days of notice when they lift the holding suspension. But I agree - it could just as well be they put a notice up the same day, so "buyer beware".