Question about borrowing and trip dates vs. use year

[pachelbel9]

Hello,

My parents are DVC owners at SSR. We are planning a trip for Dec 2014. We have enough points to book a 2 br for 5 nights at SSR at 11 months, but we'd also like to try to get into a different resort at 7 months. Given that this is a busy time of year for DVC, I'm guessing this would mean wait listing. We don't have enough points for some of our other preferences. We were thinking of buying one time points, but I know those can't be used for wait list.

I told my dad he could just borrow from 2015, but he is under the impression that he can't borrow 2015 points until Aug 2014 (he has Aug use year). I am under the impression that he could borrow them in May 2014 as soon as the 7 month window opens since the trip takes place after his 2014 use year starts. So, who is right? Is it the reservation date that matter, or the date you make the reservation?

We are talking about doing an add-on, but I'm not sure we'd do it before the booking window opens.

 

[CarolMN]

If you can make the reservation, you can borrow.

Specifically, a December 2014 vacation falls in your 2014 use year (8/1/2014 - 7/31/2015).

To pay for that trip, you could use banked points from 2013 (if you have any), points from the 2014 use year, and you may borrow from your 2015 use year.

Again, you can borrow at the time you make the reservation (in May, 2014). So if you need more points to switch at 7 months, you can borrow at that time.

Understanding Use Year

 

[DannysMom]

Hello,

My parents are DVC owners at SSR. We are planning a trip for Dec 2014. We have enough points to book a 2 br for 5 nights at SSR at 11 months, but we'd also like to try to get into a different resort at 7 months. Given that this is a busy time of year for DVC, I'm guessing this would mean wait listing. We don't have enough points for some of our other preferences. We were thinking of buying one time points, but I know those can't be used for wait list.

I told my dad he could just borrow from 2015, but he is under the impression that he can't borrow 2015 points until Aug 2014 (he has Aug use year). I am under the impression that he could borrow them in May 2014 as soon as the 7 month window opens since the trip takes place after his 2014 use year starts. So, who is right? Is it the reservation date that matter, or the date you make the reservation?

We are talking about doing an add-on, but I'm not sure we'd do it before the booking window opens.

Go search out the thread "Understanding Use Year." You are correct, UY has no bearing on when you can make a reservation. ALL owners can make home resort reservations at 11 months out, and non home resort reservations at 7 months out, regardless of UY.

If the 11 or 7 month window opens on a reservation you wish to make, and that reservation occurs during your 2014 UY, then you may use banked 2013 points if available, current 2014 points or borrowed 2015 points. No need to wait until your UY anniversary. If for any reason the reservation must be canceled, any banked or borrowed points are now " stuck" in the 2014 UY and must be used before the end of the UY or they will expire.

ETA Carol beat me to it!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards App, please excuse any typos or autocorrects!

 

[pachelbel9]

Thank you both! I have read through the Use Year post (and tons of others) in anticipation of adding on via resale within the next year. I wanted to spell out the exact situation so I could easily show my dad. I showed him this thread and he now understands he can borrow when he makes the reservation. Thanks again!

 

[drusba]

And for Dec, here is what is likely to happen. SSR other than possibly somedays for GVs and treehouses, will be open at 7 months out the entire month so there is less of a necessity to book there 11 months out if your plan is to switch.

However switching will not be easy the first two weeks of Dec or Dec 23 to Jan 2. If you want any near park resort, BLT, BWV, BCV, VWL for any class of room (VGF is an unknown but likely to be in same group) for those times, you are likely staring at the waitlist particularly if looking for more than two and at most three nights in row. Likewise AKV value and concierge is likely to be gone and even savanna and standard view may be difficult first week of Dec and any time near NYE. OKW is likely to be availabler but could have issues first week of Dec and NYE time. However, if you want third week of Dec, you are likely to find many things open such as BLT lake view, BWV pool/garden, VWL, and possibly even BCV.

 

[pachelbel9]

We are planning for either the first or second week of Dec. I am aware those are two of the most popular weeks of the year. I've already warned my parents that we could be stuck at SSR. My mom wants to try for BLT. We stayed there a few months ago, and she loved the proximity to MK. We want 5 nights in a 2 br, which I realize may be very tough to get.

Is there any downside to booking SSR at 11 months if it is our intention to try to switch? While I am an associate on my parents membership, I've never actually done any booking. I'm not as familiar with switching reservations. I guess I have some searching/reading to do!

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip)........Is there any downside to booking SSR at 11 months if it is our intention to try to switch? While I am an associate on my parents membership, I've never actually done any booking. I'm not as familiar with switching reservations. I guess I have some searching/reading to do!

Yes, if you have to cancel the SSR reservation before you can book the BLT reservation (because you don't have enough points without borrowing to book BLT before you cancel SSR).

The few moments you must take to cancel SSR can make the difference between getting what you want at BLT and having to waitlist.

My advice is to not book SSR until / after you try and fail to get BLT at 7 months.

You are more likely to get what you want in a Lake View category than in the Standard or Theme Park category. Those last two will almost certainly be gone before the 7 month window opens.

Your chances of getting BLT will be slightly better if your stay begins on a Friday or Saturday.

And of course, be online ready to book as soon as the window opens - 8 AM Eastern.

Good luck!

 

[pachelbel9]

Yes, if you have to cancel the SSR reservation before you can book the BLT reservation (because you don't have enough points without borrowing to book BLT before you cancel SSR).

The few moments you must take to cancel SSR can make the difference between getting what you want at BLT and having to waitlist.

My advice is to not book SSR until / after you try and fail to get BLT at 7 months.

You are more likely to get what you want in a Lake View category than in the Standard or Theme Park category. Those last two will almost certainly be gone before the 7 month window opens.

Your chances of getting BLT will be slightly better if your stay begins on a Friday or Saturday.

And of course, be online ready to book as soon as the window opens - 8 AM Eastern.

Good luck!

That's exactly what I was wondering re: canceling/rebooking. Thank you for the info!

I think we are planning to arrive on a Sunday. I think the Fri/Sat after Thanksgiving would be nuts. Since you say stays starting on a Fri/Sat are easier to book, is walking the reservation something we should think about? I've seen it mentioned in a few posts, and I'm not sure of the general consensus on walking reservations (is it unethical).

 

[dianeschlicht]

That's exactly what I was wondering re: canceling/rebooking. Thank you for the info!

I think we are planning to arrive on a Sunday. I think the Fri/Sat after Thanksgiving would be nuts. Since you say stays starting on a Fri/Sat are easier to book, is walking the reservation something we should think about? I've seen it mentioned in a few posts, and I'm not sure of the general consensus on walking reservations (is it unethical).

Walking a reservation at the 7 month window has no real value. It only makes sense at the 11 month window. IF it makes sense at all. I really don't see walking to be necessary unless you are trying to book a very small inventory room like Club level at AKV or value at AKV and 2 bed sencond bedroom at BCV.

 

[CarolMN]

That's exactly what I was wondering re: canceling/rebooking. Thank you for the info!

I think we are planning to arrive on a Sunday. I think the Fri/Sat after Thanksgiving would be nuts. Since you say stays starting on a Fri/Sat are easier to book, is walking the reservation something we should think about? I've seen it mentioned in a few posts, and I'm not sure of the general consensus on walking reservations (is it unethical).

It's not unethical.

I agree with Diane, though. It 's really an 11 month strategy and only necessary for a very few situations.

FWIW, my DH & I often arrive on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving because it's usually less expensive to fly those days than it is on Sunday. We just don't focus on rides in the parks those days. Good days to see the shows, holiday decorations, the larger capacity, less popular attractions such The Hall of Presidents, American Adventure or shopping in the World Showcase. Lots of interesting nooks and corners to see in the Pavillions that usually get overlooked otherwise.

IF staying at BLT is very important and you have a few extra points, consider logging on to the members' website at 8 am on April 29 or 30 and reserving 7 nights. Then a day (or two) later you can call MS, add the last two nights you really want and drop the first two. If the 7 nights are not available at that time, you can waitlist on May 1 & waitlist for your dates (assuming you want the first week).

Good luck!

 

[SFlaDisneyfans]

Pardon my noobness, but what does "walking a reservation" mean?

 

[Muhlenberg]

You can follow the availability of a BLT 2 BR in the weeks preceding your dates of travel to see how available it might be. (I would do that at 8 am.) That will give you some idea of the availability pattern, and whether it's probable. If it's not looking possible without a w/l, you could book SSR so you have something, and then just w/l the room. However, that eliminates going online at 8 am and booking, without canceling your reservation first (and risk not having anything!).

That's what I did for this year. We wanted that exact same week. We needed a 2 BR plus a studio. I "stalked" availability for maybe a month, but had booked AKV at 11 months. When it got close (maybe a week out?) I decided that there was no way we were going to get TWO rooms without waitlisting, and I didn't want to risk having ONE w/l go through without the other.

What we ended up doing was deciding that we wanted to switch to SSR regardless, and we would try for a GV. If we didn't get the GV, we'd do a 2 BR plus studio. So I took the risk (minimal) and canceled my AKV about 5 min. before 8, and then booked the GV.

Carol is right about travel. We had booked starting Dec. 1st, which is a Sunday. Airfare was outrageous! So we added a day before at Art of Animation, as I had NO points left to book ANYTHING. Complicating it was our Dec. UY. Flights on the Saturday after T'day were MUCH cheaper!

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[pachelbel9]

Thanks for all of the feedback. We now have a few viable options to consider. We will talk booking strategy at the next family gathering. Hopefully we can add on by the end of April, giving us some more points to play with.

 

[chalee94]

Pardon my noobness, but what does "walking a reservation" mean?

the ideal goal of walking is to book a date (say, march 23rd) as soon as possible. now if you want a reservation starting march 23 for a week, you would typically call on april 23. but actually, the first day anyone can book march 23rd is by calling on april 17th to book the 7 nights of march 17-23.

now once you've done that, if someone called in and tried to book your villa on april 23, they are blocked and can't get it (and also notice that since they cannot get that 1st night, they also cannot get any nights after that - so there is no need to call back before april 22 or 23 to drop and add nights - definitely no need to call back daily - it's ok to wait.) but when you call back and cancel the nights you don't need and replace them with the nights afterward that you do need, that is walking the reservation forward.

 

[SFlaDisneyfans]

the ideal goal of walking is to book a date (say, march 23rd) as soon as possible. now if you want a reservation starting march 23 for a week, you would typically call on april 23. but actually, the first day anyone can book march 23rd is by calling on april 17th to book the 7 nights of march 17-23.

now once you've done that, if someone called in and tried to book your villa on april 23, they are blocked and can't get it (and also notice that since they cannot get that 1st night, they also cannot get any nights after that - so there is no need to call back before april 22 or 23 to drop and add nights - definitely no need to call back daily - it's ok to wait.) but when you call back and cancel the nights you don't need and replace them with the nights afterward that you do need, that is walking the reservation forward.

I understand. Thanks for the info.