Reservation logistics -- 11/7 month

[jthelman]

What do most people do to guarantee reservations?

It sounds like it's (almost) a sure thing to get a reservation at your home resort at the 11 month reservation point, but what if you want to go to another resort and need to use the 7 month window?

Is the normal procedure to book your home resort at 11 months, try for the other resort at 7 months, and if you get that cancel the home resort?

I'm not an owner yet, but it seems like this is an important thing to know.

Thanks!

 

[vicki_c]

If committed to a Disney trip, most owners book their home resort @ 11 months and then try to switch.

The exception I suppose would be someone who is not committed to a trip unless they could stay a particular (non-home) resort. In that case, you could wait until 7 months since you couldn't book that non-home resort until then anyway.

I just switched a reservation at the 7 month window this past week, but I had booked my home at 11 months.

 

[magicaldisney]

Yes, make a reservation at your home resort at 11 months and then switch at 7 months. However, it can get tricky. You don't get to make the new reservation at 7 months and then cancel the 11 month reservation. You have to cancel the 11 month reservation first to free up your points (unless you own enough points to cover both reservations) then you can make the 7 month reservation. The tricky part is, if you are doing this during a prime dvc reservation time at a prime location for that time, someone else could book the room you want while you are cancelling the first reservation. That being said, some have reported that the CM they were working with put the new reservation on hold for them so they wouldn't lose it. Maybe this is a new policy that they will hold the ressie for you, but I'm not sure if it's a new policy or just a good CM.

Bottom line, buy where you don't mind staying.

 

[jthelman]

If committed to a Disney trip, most owners book their home resort @ 11 months and then try to switch.

The exception I suppose would be someone who is not committed to a trip unless they could stay a particular (non-home) resort. In that case, you could wait until 7 months since you couldn't book that non-home resort until then anyway.

I just switched a reservation at the 7 month window this past week, but I had booked my home at 11 months.

Thanks for the fast response!

Sounds like your two ways are exactly what I was thinking. One is the the fallback booking at the home resort to guarantee a date. The other is the not commited to a date approach of "lets see what I can at resort XXX at 7 mos", and if nothing, maybe pass and try booking at a later date or the next year.

Worst case with a scrubbed date on the second plan is that you bank UY points and upgrade accommodations if needed to use them at a later date.

 

[jthelman]

The tricky part is, if you are doing this during a prime dvc reservation time at a prime location for that time, someone else could book the room you want while you are cancelling the first reservation.

Point well taken. It's probably a rare case, but worth asking about the hold. It might not be standard procedure but the grizzled CMs probably do it.

If for nothing else, it would save the CM my expletive filled rant if I lose my vacation by doing the swap

 

[crisi]

Point well taken. It's probably a rare case, but worth asking about the hold. It might not be standard procedure but the grizzled CMs probably do it.

If for nothing else, it would save the CM my expletive filled rant if I lose my vacation by doing the swap

There isn't a hold. They can't hold unless they have points to hold with. If you don't have points, they can't hold. It just doesn't appear to be a system capability.

(Don't dream up "it must work this way" before buying in. That way leads to disappointment and insanity).

And they've heard the expletive filled rant.

Its a low risk thing - unless your heart is set on one of those "I can't believe it was available at seven months" rooms and you already had a "I can't believe it was available at seven months" rooms. I'm not sure I'd risk a swap the first two weeks of December from a BW Standard into a Lake View at BLT - unless I didn't mind ending up at SSR or VAKL or OKW.

One trick is to find out what is available in the room size you want at seven months. When we did our switch (we usually stay at home) we asked. Turns out there was quite a bit of availability at all the resorts for a two bedroom - and there were many acceptable resorts for us. That keeps your rant from being quite so expletive filled if the room gets taken in the two minutes it takes to switch.

 

[jthelman]

And they've heard the expletive filled rant.

I kid. I have never really had any issue with Disney CMs, so I now save those rants for the cable/phone, and my alarm system company.

 

[DizDays]

Jthelman, it sounds like you've got a good handle on how it works. The 11/7 switch has worked for me every time; however, we tend to avoid peak times. (Keep in mind that peak is sometimes the lowest point seasons, such as first two weeks in December and the first two weeks in January during the marathon.)

 

[disneynutz]

You have a couple of ways to go. Buy enough points at your favorite resorts and book there at 11 months or book at your home resort at 11 and try to switch at 7. After a few disappointments we went with the buy 5 resorts to guarantee availability.

On the CM being able to hold inventory while booking, it's a CM issue not a point issue. Only leads and managers can hold inventory, once in a blue moon a lead will take regular reservation calls and you may hear them say something about holding the inventory.

Bill