Really unhappy -reservations @7 months!

[stacieps]

I guess I don't understand the DVC reservation system. I own at both AKV and SSR. Earlier in July I booked a 1 bedroom Value at AKV beginning 2/26 for three nights using my AK points. Today I called to try to add three nights to the reservation using my SSR points. I thought I should be able to do this since I can have 7 night reservations that are not at my home resort that begin on 2/26. MS tells me they can't do it (even after taking my credit card info to buy 5 one-time use points that I need to complete the reservation).

They are telling me its because they can't modify the existing reservation and because there are no 1 bedroom value rooms available for 2/26 any longer, they can't use non-AKV points for the room starting on 2/29?? I don't see how this makes sense - the reservation is there why can't I add to it?

 

[cvjw]

Because you are trying to make a new reservation from the 29th on - is that correct? You would need to call on July 29th to try and add more nights with your SSR points - that is when the 7 months actually starts for your desired reservation. You can't modify a reservation before the 7 month window and use another set of points from a different resort. If you wanted to modify the reservation and use more AKV points, you are still within the 11-7 month window.

 

[DVCconvert]

by the sound of it, it's proably that all the "value" rooms have already been booked.

Also, your 7month non home resort window (using SSR points) for a stay begining on 2/29/12 doesn't open until July 29, 2011.

On 7/29/11 you can call and see what's avaliable - you may need to move to a non value 1 bdrm, and/or waitlist for a value.

HTH

 

[tjkraz]

Call back and speak to another rep. I'm not entirely sure whether it is possible or not but some reps are more well-versed in these delicate situations than others.

Sounds like the rep you spoke with was trying to create a separate reservation with the SSR points and then link them together. Since the separate reservation would have a start date of 2/29, I can see how that would not work.

However, it seems like they should be able to simply add to the existing reservation and secure the additional nights.

 

[goin3d]

Sorry But if i understand correctly you (1) wouldn't be able to use the SSR points until 7/29 but also (2) there isn't a 1br available anyway?

 

[Brian Noble]

it seems like they should be able to simply add to the existing reservation and secure the additional nights.

Only if there is *another* Value room available on the 26th to book for three nights. If there is, that room can be booked for 3 nights on SSR points, and then the freed-up AKV points can be used to book the 29th (assuming there is a room there as well) using home resort priority.

If there isn't another one open on the 26th the OP would have to cancel the reservation secured with AKV points to rebook them on SSR points. That unit would be subject to clearing the waitlist---and it might not clear. But, the OP can't "move" the reservation onto SSR points, that would be equivalent to point-washing.

 

[ldietiker]

Because you are trying to make a new reservation from the 29th on - is that correct? You would need to call on July 29th to try and add more nights with your SSR points - that is when the 7 months actually starts for your desired reservation. You can't modify a reservation before the 7 month window and use another set of points from a different resort. If you wanted to modify the reservation and use more AKV points, you are still within the 11-7 month window.

This is interesting -- I'm a little unclear on this myself. So, if I understand the question, the OP cannot change the reservation starting from the 26th now (in the 7 month window)? I was imagining it would work by cancelling that reservation, adding together the SSR points and AKV points, then re-booking a reservation from the 26th on?? Of course, this would rely on the availability of a value room for the entire time (which may be unlikely) -- but if it were available, is this scenario possible?

 

[stacieps]

I guess the language they use on the DVC Member site confuses me:

•Currently, you may request a reservation at any Disney Vacation Club Resort for vacations that have a check-in date on or before February 26, 2012


So I can use non-home resort points for reservations beginning 2/26 (which is when my reservation begins), so why can't I add to that reservation using my non-home resort points?

There are currently 1 bedroom value rooms available for the three extra nights I want. The issue apparently is that the room I already have booked for 3 nights beginning 2/26 no longer has availability (but I already have it booked so my confusion is about why I can't add to my current reservation) - when you request to book at 7 months, they have to cancel the existing home resort reservation and re-book the whole thing. Seems over-complicated to me, it should be easier to just extend your reservation.

Of course to complicate even more, the person I dealt with let me purchase the 5 one-time points before I found out I couldn't complete the reservation. So now I've been back on the phone with MS trying to get that fixed (I don't want to not be able to use the points, but I also don't want to be told I can't buy a few more if I need them because I bought these 5 points that aren't being used right now). I am dealing with a very helpful person now who is refunding those points and making notes in the system that it was MS error so when I do need to purchase one-time points to complete this reservation I will be able to.

 

[Sandisw]

I guess the language they use on the DVC Member site confuses me:

•Currently, you may request a reservation at any Disney Vacation Club Resort for vacations that have a check-in date on or before February 26, 2012


So I can use non-home resort points for reservations beginning 2/26 (which is when my reservation begins), so why can't I add to that reservation using my non-home resort points?

There are currently 1 bedroom value rooms available for the three extra nights I want. The issue apparently is that the room I already have booked for 3 nights beginning 2/26 no longer has availability (but I already have it booked so my confusion is about why I can't add to my current reservation) - when you request to book at 7 months, they have to cancel the existing home resort reservation and re-book the whole thing. Seems over-complicated to me, it should be easier to just extend your reservation.

Of course to complicate even more, the person I dealt with let me purchase the 5 one-time points before I found out I couldn't complete the reservation. So now I've been back on the phone with MS trying to get that fixed (I don't want to not be able to use the points, but I also don't want to be told I can't buy a few more if I need them because I bought these 5 points that aren't being used right now). I am dealing with a very helpful person now who is refunding those points and making notes in the system that it was MS error so when I do need to purchase one-time points to complete this reservation I will be able to.

Because you are asking to use your SSR points prior to the 7 month window of the 29th.

In order to book those 7 nights at exactly the first day of your 7 month window, the first night has to be available. Today, the 7 month window is for the 26th. That night is not available so you can't use SSR points for any nights after it.

Basically, SSR points are not valid yet for the 29th since the 26th is not available.

 

[Brian Noble]

So I can use non-home resort points for reservations beginning 2/26 (which is when my reservation begins), so why can't I add to that reservation using my non-home resort points?

Because you aren't making a new reservation beginning 2/26. You are asking to reassign an existing reservation made with home-resort points during the home-resort period onto non-home-resort points. That's not allowed. You would have to cancel, hope the room clears the wait list, and rebook it.

 

[chalee94]

The issue apparently is that the room I already have booked for 3 nights beginning 2/26 no longer has availability (but I already have it booked so my confusion is about why I can't add to my current reservation.)

you have a value 1BR booked for 2/26 for 3 nights using home resort priority.

if you canceled those nights, they would go on the waitlist (to someone who waitlisted using pts with that same home resort priority).

but it sounds like you would like to just "swap out" those home resort pts for another resort's pts...thereby defeating the home resort priority and using non-home pts to jump in front of someone who got on the waitlist with home resort pts? that's a no-go.

if you want to add to that current reservation, you would need to wait till the 29th when the new segment of the reservation starts for non-home resort owners.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I guess the problem is that the night of the 26th is not available, and then you can't go forward with the SSR points. That is consistent with what they have done in the past.

 

[cvjw]

This is interesting -- I'm a little unclear on this myself. So, if I understand the question, the OP cannot change the reservation starting from the 26th now (in the 7 month window)? I was imagining it would work by cancelling that reservation, adding together the SSR points and AKV points, then re-booking a reservation from the 26th on?? Of course, this would rely on the availability of a value room for the entire time (which may be unlikely) -- but if it were available, is this scenario possible?

I would think that the cancelling the 26th reservation and rebooking with SSR/AKV points scenerio would work if the 1 bedroom value were available, but it's not. She wants to modify the current reservation to use the SSR points for the 29th, when the 7 month window for the 29th hasn't opened yet. If she were allowed to do that, she would have priority to that room over other AKV owners who might want to book it before it is opened up to everyone else at the 7 month window. That doesn't seem fair to me.

 

[Sandisw]

This is interesting -- I'm a little unclear on this myself. So, if I understand the question, the OP cannot change the reservation starting from the 26th now (in the 7 month window)? I was imagining it would work by cancelling that reservation, adding together the SSR points and AKV points, then re-booking a reservation from the 26th on?? Of course, this would rely on the availability of a value room for the entire time (which may be unlikely) -- but if it were available, is this scenario possible?

Yes, if the room she wanted was still available today for checking in on the 26th, she could then book her entire stay with both AKV and SSR points.

The problem here is that the room she wants is not available for a 7 month booking today and thus the reason why she can't use SSR points yet.

 

[stacieps]

Ok, I guess it is a little clearer now . . .

So, if I called tomorrow 7/27, and a AKV value 1 bedroom is available 2/27 for and 2/28 (2 of the nights I already have booked), then they could complete my reservation?

If I am understanding correctly, they would need to cancel those 2 nights and then book 5 nights (using the combination of AKV and SSR points). I assume they could leave my existing first night (2/26) as is (since there is not a value 1 bedroom available on that night).

If it were you, would you call 2/27 (and 2/28 if necessary) to try to get the reservation extended or just wait until 2/29 and see what is available then?

 

[LisaS]

I thought I should be able to do this since I can have 7 night reservations that are not at my home resort that begin on 2/26.

You can make a 7 night reservation using non-home resort points for a stay beginning on 2/26 if and only if the night of 2/26 and all subsequent nights are available. Since 2/26 is not available, you cannot make a reservation with non-home points today. If what you want is 3 nights starting 2/29 booked on non-home points, then you would call on 7/29 to book those nights.

They are telling me its because they can't modify the existing reservation and because there are no 1 bedroom value rooms available for 2/26 any longer, they can't use non-AKV points for the room starting on 2/29?? I don't see how this makes sense - the reservation is there why can't I add to it?

Because you are adding to it with non-home points which cannot be used until 7 months from the first night booked with non-home points. If there were 1BR Values available to be booked starting 2/26, MS could have booked your initial nights with SSR points, then cancel your current reservation, freeing up your AKV points to book the last nights of your stay prior to the opening of the 7-month window. Since all of the AKV 1BRs were fully booked, that was not an option unless you cancelled your AKV reservation first to put your room back in the pool and then tried to re-book it with SSR points. The risk there is that if there was someone on a waitlist for an AKV Value 1BR for any of those nights, you would be left with nothing.

 

[csharpwv]

The explanation is very simple - you area trying to make a reservation on points at a resort that is NOT your home resort prior to your 7 month booking window.

You aren't adding on to your stay - you are making a new reservation with points that aren't 'valid' at the resort yet.

Here is your work around - you make your first part of your reservation on Saratoga Springs points NOW, and book the 2nd half of your stay on your AKV points.

7/26 is your 7 months window to use your SSR points. So today , you can make the FIRST half of your reservation on SSR points, and the 2nd half of your stay on AKV points.

That's the work around - you have your Value studio reserved, just ask the CM to change or switch out what points you used from AKV with points to SSR points.

It's perfectly 'legal' and today is exactly your 7 month window! CALL AND BOOK YOUR ENTIRE STAY!

It's actually pretty smart to do it that way, it's as close as you can get to the 'best of both worlds' -
-Calling at 11 months to book the first part of your stay
-Calling at 7 months to change out the points that were used to then book the 2nd half of your reservation.

 

[LisaS]

So, if I called tomorrow 7/27, and a AKV value 1 bedroom is available 2/27 for and 2/28 (2 of the nights I already have booked), then they could complete my reservation?

If you call tomorrow and 2/27 and 2/28 are available, MS could book those for you with SSR points plus any consecutive nights after that for which you want to use SSR points. If you want to use both SSR and AKV points, then any additional nights at the end could be booked with AKV points since you wouldn't be restricted by the 7-month window.

If I am understanding correctly, they would need to cancel those 2 nights and then book 5 nights (using the combination of AKV and SSR points). I assume they could leave my existing first night (2/26) as is (since there is not a value 1 bedroom available on that night).

You would want to book first (using your SSR points), then cancel the room you have booked with AKV points, so that you don't lose both rooms to someone else calling at the same time. And yes, you would keep the first night booked on AKV points.

If it were you, would you call 2/27 (and 2/28 if necessary) to try to get the reservation extended or just wait until 2/29 and see what is available then?

You could call tomorrow to see if you can book a second room starting 2/27 and however many subsequent nights you want to book with SSR points. Then cancel those same nights from your initial reservation and use the freed up AKV points to book the end of your stay.

 

[DebbieB]

The explanation is very simple - you area trying to make a reservation on points at a resort that is NOT your home resort prior to your 7 month booking window.

You aren't adding on to your stay - you are making a new reservation with points that aren't 'valid' at the resort yet.

Here is your work around - you make your first part of your reservation on Saratoga Springs points NOW, and book the 2nd half of your stay on your AKV points.

7/26 is your 7 months window to use your SSR points. So today , you can make the FIRST half of your reservation on SSR points, and the 2nd half of your stay on AKV points.

That's the work around - you have your Value studio reserved, just ask the CM to change or switch out what points you used from AKV with points to SSR points.It's perfectly 'legal' and today is exactly your 7 month window! CALL AND BOOK YOUR ENTIRE STAY!

It's actually pretty smart to do it that way, it's as close as you can get to the 'best of both worlds' -
-Calling at 11 months to book the first part of your stay
-Calling at 7 months to change out the points that were used to then book the 2nd half of your reservation.

That does not work. They will only switch the points if there is a room available. If there is, they will do it. If not, as in the OP's case, they will not. Otherwise it defeats the purpose of the home resort window. Other home resort owners are waitlisted and would get first priority before a member using non-home resort points. If there is already a waitlist, the only way to switch the points would be to cancel the reservation and get on the waitlist.

 

[LisaS]

7/26 is your 7 months window to use your SSR points. So today , you can make the FIRST half of your reservation on SSR points, and the 2nd half of your stay on AKV points.

That's the work around - you have your Value studio reserved, just ask the CM to change or switch out what points you used from AKV with points to SSR points.

MS will not switch out the points unless another AKV Value 1BR is available for booking and the OP stated that there are no Value 1BRs available for the night of 2/26. MS should not switch the points in this situation. There is a Value 1BR starting 2/27 so the OP could try this strategy tomorrow, or even call back again this afternoon to see if by chance a Value 1BR was freed up by an AKV owner switching out at the 7-month window.