Question about making a reservation

[almousefan]

This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm trying to figure out something. My DH and just joined DVC in June 06. We banked our points that Disney gave us for this year. If I want to book a reservation for a GV for June of next year, how long do I have to wait before I can do this since our new points won't be available until Feb. 07.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[starbox]

This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm trying to figure out something. My DH and just joined DVC in June 06. We banked our points that Disney gave us for this year. If I want to book a reservation for a GV for June of next year, how long do I have to wait before I can do this since our new points won't be available until Feb. 07.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

You can reserve at your home resort for June 07 now. You have both your banked points and 07 points available for reservations for travel from 2/07 - 2/08 - and you can borrow from 08 for travel during the 07 year.

 

[almousefan]

Thank You! I just wanted to have an idea before I called MS. Didn't want to seem completely

 

[DebbieB]

That's a common misconception with new members, they think points don't appear in their account until the use year starts, which is not correct. If you look at the online member website, points are listed up to 2009. Usage is based on your date of stay.

 

[LisaS]

You can make a reservation at your home resort 11 months prior to your check-out day regardless of your Use Year, provided you have enough points available to cover that reservation. It helps to think of your points like this:

Your 2006 points are valid for stays from Feb 1, 2006 - Jan 31, 2007
Your 2007 points are valid for stays from Feb 1, 2007 - Jan 31, 2008
Your 2008 points are valid for stays from Feb 1, 2008 - Jan 31, 2009
etc.

You banked your 2006 points so they are now valid for stays from 2/1/07 - 1/31/08, along with your "native" 2007 points. You could also borrow some/all of your 2008 points if you need to when you make your reservation. Just remember that banked/borrowed points cannot be returned to their original UY and will expire at the end of the UY into which they are banked/borrowed.

So, if the check-out day for your June '07 trip is June 19th or earlier, you can make that reservation right now. I'm not sure how difficult it is to book a GV at your home resort, but you might want to consider booking "day by day". That's where you reserve the first night of your stay 11 months prior to the "check out" day for that night. You tell MS that you are booking "day by day" when you book that first night. You call again the next day to extend that reservation by one night, and so on each day until you have all of your days reserved. I've never tried to book a GV so I'm not sure whether it's necessary to do "day by day" booking or not. I know the folks who want GVs at OKW do this, but those GVs are in particularly high demand because of the lower point costs than GVs at the other DVC resorts.

Good luck!!

 

[rogerram]

It also depends when in June you are going. If it is the last week of June it is still over 11 month out, but if it is the first week of June, then you can call it in now. DVC goes right to the day at 11 month out.

 

[BeccaG]

I was wondering some of the same things almousefan was asking! You all really clarified things for me on the "when" of booking. I also was wondering what the best way to book "day by day" was as I am planning a family trip in a busier season so it was good to know that the best way is to tell MS upfront! (As a school teacher, its harder to go during Disney's slower time!)

 

[LisaS]

I was wondering some of the same things almousefan was asking! You all really clarified things for me on the "when" of booking. I also was wondering what the best way to book "day by day" was as I am planning a family trip in a busier season so it was good to know that the best way is to tell MS upfront! (As a school teacher, its harder to go during Disney's slower time!)

By telling MS up front that you are booking day by day, they will hold off sending your confirmation letter until you have booked the entire trip. The first day they take all your info (room type, names of all the guests, etc.). When you call back each day, they just need to add a day to your reservation so those calls are very quick.

 

[BeccaG]

Thanks LisaS!! That is great info!

 

[almousefan]

Thanks for all the info...especially LisaS! I guess I am going to have to study this a little bit more. I would like to book a GV at any of the resorts that have for next June. But our home resort is SSR and the points required for that would take more than what I have banked from 06 and will get in 07. I'd would love to get one at OKW since I would have just enough points there between the 2 years to do so. That way I wouldn't have to borrow the points from 08. But to book at OKW, I would have to wait for the 7 month window, right?

You guys are all great help!

 

[nagoyan758]

Hi. I'm new to here.

This is the thing I've been trying to get answers. I joined DVC in June '06 and banked 100% of my points for this year. So,when I was starting to read this, I was speaking to myself " Wait, is "almousefan" me?", lol.

Thanks to everyone. I'm so glad that I found here.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for all the info...especially LisaS! I guess I am going to have to study this a little bit more. I would like to book a GV at any of the resorts that have for next June. But our home resort is SSR and the points required for that would take more than what I have banked from 06 and will get in 07. I'd would love to get one at OKW since I would have just enough points there between the 2 years to do so. That way I wouldn't have to borrow the points from 08. But to book at OKW, I would have to wait for the 7 month window, right?

You guys are all great help!

Right, and it will be difficult to get a GV at the 7 month window, so my suggestion would be to reserve a 2 bedroom plus a studio at SSR at the 11 month window and change to the GV at OKW at the 7 month window if there is availability.

 

[almousefan]

Hi. I'm new to here.

This is the thing I've been trying to get answers. I joined DVC in June '06 and banked 100% of my points for this year. So,when I was starting to read this, I was speaking to myself " Wait, is "almousefan" me?", lol.

Thanks to everyone. I'm so glad that I found here.

Wow! I'm glad that I'm not the only one feeling that way.

 

[almousefan]

Right, and it will be difficult to get a GV at the 7 month window, so my suggestion would be to reserve a 2 bedroom plus a studio at SSR at the 11 month window and change to the GV at OKW at the 7 month window if there is availability.

Thanks for the info! I almost feel like I'm back in algebra class trying to come up with the right equation to make the problem work!