Snow Snow Go Away! Question about Canceled Ressie

[Mich Mouse]

Hi All,

It looks like our trip will not go on as planned. Our flight is scheduled for the middle of a major snow storm. I did not purchase insurance....(Bad move I know.)

Is there any chance thse points will be returned to me to use in the use year or will I have them in holding? Can anyone who has been in this situation walk me through it? How long is holding? Are there ever exceptions? I would love to just reschedule the trip but the 60 day out thing will not work for us, as I cannot take a vacation that is approved in that time frame.

Thanks in advance for any information you may provide

 

[Chuck S]

All you can do is call and ask. It may certainly depend upon how many people are being affected by the weather as to how much Member Services can do for you. Good luck.

 

[papamouse1]

Like Chuck said, it doesn't hurt to ask. My only suggestion would be to make sure when you call, don't act like you "deserve" to get them back... sometimes a little kindness DOES go a long way
Here's some to help you out

 

[delauzons]

Last February our flight on SW was cancelled due to a storm. Our family was already down there and we really wanted to get down there for a little family reunion. SW got me on a new flight 2 days later and MS they used pixie dust to change our BW and VB reservations. We still got our planned vacation just 2 days later. The woman was so sweet and helpful and we had a great time! Good luck! I hope it works for you!

 

[DMKEDM]

This happened to us last year, during "snowmageddon."

Long story short--despite MS being wonderful about moving the reservation back (as the airlines canceled, rescheduled, canceled again, rescheduled again, canceled again--up to the point where the vacation couldn't happen), we wound up w/our points in holding.

Where Disney/MS was totally wonderful: my flight was not canceled until after MS had closed the night before we were to leave. Called Disney. They handled the reservation change and thus I avoided losing all the points for the whole reservation. They were great. They told me they were doing quite a lot of last minute maneuvering, as of course everyone in the storm path had the same problems!

What wasn't wonderful (but turned out ok): My "saved points" were put in holding. No way to remove that restriction (altho I didn't ask "too hard"--I was too grateful to save my points at all!)

Now, for what may be good news: the holding point restriction does NOT restrict you to taking a vacation only 60 days or less from the end of your use year; rather, it limits you to booking any vacation within the year that your points are good to 60 days or less from the time you take it.

For example, I have a Feb use year and I was using points borrowed from 2011. My points in holding had to be used sometime between Feb 7, 2010 (the time of the canceled vacation) and January 31, 2011. Per the holding points restrictions, I couldn't book the vacation until 60 days or less before I wanted to take it. (But I could book any time frame I wanted, subject to availability, so long as it wasn't further out than 60 days of check-in.)

So, while holding points are a "real" restriction, it isn't as bad as you seemed to suggest you thought when you said you can't go within 60 days due to not being able to get time off.

I wound up using my holding points for two separate reservations--one that was very much a "pixie dust" situation: I had a business trip to Orlando come up in March, for early April (during the week before Easter--a time I thought would be impossible to get anything, and certainly not anything for more than a night or two in the same villa). But I called, "just in case," to see if anything was available--and I got a SV studio at BLT for four nights! (Pure pixie dust!) PERFECT. Grabbed it. Then, I had a long-planned trip for over Labor Day...I booked it with "other points" at 7 months out (we wanted to stay at BWV and I don't own there), and at 60 days out I called to see if I could switch out the points I'd used at 7 months for my remaining holding points. Since there was still availability, I could. So I used the remainder of my holding points over Labor Day.

Hopefully this helps...it's no fun to stare at a canceled Disney trip due to a snow storm (and I'm not sure insurance really helps--of course if you totally lost your points you'd get a minimal reimbursement (I think it's $5/point) for your lost points...but not your points back...and airlines typically refund your money completely (and/or don't charge change fees for changes) when flights are canceled due to weather. So not sure what benefit insurance would have given you in this snow situation...hopefully that'll make you feel better about having not bought the insurance.)

Anyway, you have my sympathy/empathy, having just lived thru the snow cancellation myself last year. Hopefully you'll find the holding points rules not as difficult as you thought...

 

[Mich Mouse]

Thanks for the reponses.....The 60 holding is exactly what I thought, I can only book trips 60 days (or less) out from the trip. Sinced I cannot change vacation time after requested and get limited personal use days per year these points are likely to be wasted. I am a teacher, with tons of time off, but the time is very specific, and always during busy/peak times.

I hope the weather forecast is wrong and that we will get there If not, I am a subscriber the the theory of "everything happens for a reason...."...I also hope and pray for a nice CM who will will let me rebook now for May if this trip does not happen. Hey, you never know, right?


Thanks again.

 

[jekjones1558]

There is another thread about having to cancel a reservation because of the death of a parent. MS did not accommodate this situation and we ended up with points in holding. I also want to use these holding points in May but must wait until March to call. Maybe MS makes exception for weather issues but not death of a parent and you should find that out when you call. Good luck1

 

[DMKEDM]

Here's some pixie dust for your plans...and if you can't persuade them to not put your points in holding, here's even more pixie dust that when you call (if you decide to do so) in March for your May trip, there is availability for what you want and you can book your trip! May is a "light use" time of year, so I'd say there's good hope for availability for a May trip even if you have to wait til March to book it.

Here's hoping for lots of pixie dust flowing your way...

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for the reponses.....The 60 holding is exactly what I thought, I can only book trips 60 days (or less) out from the trip. Sinced I cannot change vacation time after requested and get limited personal use days per year these points are likely to be wasted. I am a teacher, with tons of time off, but the time is very specific, and always during busy/peak times.

I hope the weather forecast is wrong and that we will get there If not, I am a subscriber the the theory of "everything happens for a reason...."...I also hope and pray for a nice CM who will will let me rebook now for May if this trip does not happen. Hey, you never know, right?


Thanks again.

There is a thread that was just posted last week about someone who forgot to cancel their marathon weekend reservation and got a CM to agree to bank the points for her.

She ended up with an entire year to use the points. To me, if they are going to make exceptions like this, they really need to have a consistent policy.

In that case, it wasn't even an emergency like a death or inclement weather, but an "Oops! I forgot".

I would definitely call and plead your case but I hope that the snow goes somewhere else so you can take your trip. We have had almost 100 inches this year and I am really tired of it.

Good luck!

 

[bobbiwoz]

...
. We have had almost 100 inches this year and I am really tired of it.

Good luck!

Wow...makes me very happy we don't live in NY state.

 

[Harlemgirl720]

I am tired of snow. I was part of SNOWMAGEDDON last year. And I was taking Amtrak down. Had to put my points in holding. I made a reservation in March for May for Kidani. Wanted the whole stay there but some dates weren't available. Was even calling on the train down. Pixie dust was thrown my way. When I checked in at AKL, I asked for any availability at AKV. Was moving there the next day. Walah they had a room. I had three separate reservations because I was supposed to move to WLV for the last night but they let me keep my room the whole time. It was a bit of a pain changing keys for each reservation, my park tickets were on them, but it was worth it.

 

[ldo]

I just wanted to say that although holding points have restrictions and sometimes, those who get them can't use them, this is on e of the most generous cancel policies of any timeshare. I own other timeshares and if you cancel a few days before travel--too bad--no replacement, no points, etc.
For OP, even if you have holding points, May is a slower time, I would request the time off in advance, then try to book as soon as 60 days hits. If you are willing to take ANY DVC resort, I think there is an excellent chance of getting time in May. If there is a day or two missing, get on the waiting list, and be willing to switch resorts, if necessary 1X during your stay. If you were trying for Easter, 4th of July, etc., that would be harder, but May should be fine. good luck. Elaine

 

[Mich Mouse]

Thank you very much for all the helpful responses. We were not able to travel due to the snow and MS did put the points in holding but then completed a manual adjustment and put them back in the use year....so no holding points!

I do agree there needs to be a consistent policy when reservations are cancelled. I politley asked about the posibility of returning my points to the use year and was put on hold. The CM came back and gave me the good news. It did take three days to complete the process.

I am thinking it may be possible that they looked over the account and saw that we have been members for 5 years and have never made a banking mistake or had a holding situation. I remember reading that MS will give one "grace" if you have made an error.....Maybe this is mine?

 

[CarolMN]

Thank you very much for all the helpful responses. We were not able to travel due to the snow and MS did put the points in holding but then completed a manual adjustment and put them back in the use year....so no holding points!

I do agree there needs to be a consistent policy when reservations are cancelled. I politley asked about the posibility of returning my points to the use year and was put on hold. The CM came back and gave me the good news. It did take three days to complete the process.

I am thinking it may be possible that they looked over the account and saw that we have been members for 5 years and have never made a banking mistake or had a holding situation. I remember reading that MS will give one "grace" if you have made an error.....Maybe this is mine?

Thanks for letting us know.

Happy it worked out so well for you. So sorry about the canceled trip. Living in snow country does have it disadvantages. I'm sure the airlines lost a bundle with some of these storms.

I'd love to send about 90% of our 50+ inches of our snow so far this winter) somewhere else - aren't there any mountain ski resorts that need some? Or maybe up to the Arctic Circle where the ice cap is melting?

 

[Sandisw]

Wow...makes me very happy we don't live in NY state.

Yeah, I ask myself all the time why we stay!! The sad thing is we got over 70 inches of it in just two weeks!!

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you very much for all the helpful responses. We were not able to travel due to the snow and MS did put the points in holding but then completed a manual adjustment and put them back in the use year....so no holding points!

I do agree there needs to be a consistent policy when reservations are cancelled. I politley asked about the posibility of returning my points to the use year and was put on hold. The CM came back and gave me the good news. It did take three days to complete the process.

I am thinking it may be possible that they looked over the account and saw that we have been members for 5 years and have never made a banking mistake or had a holding situation. I remember reading that MS will give one "grace" if you have made an error.....Maybe this is mine?

That is wonderful! I am so glad that they were able to help you out!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for letting us know.

Happy it worked out so well for you. So sorry about the canceled trip. Living in snow country does have it disadvantages. I'm sure the airlines lost a bundle with some of these storms.

I'd love to send about 90% of our 50+ inches of our snow so far this winter) somewhere else - aren't there any mountain ski resorts that need some? Or maybe up to the Arctic Circle where the ice cap is melting?

I'm right there with you on that idea, Carol! That said as I just finished shoveling yet again! It seems like we shovel everyday now!