Splitting/Separating a 2 Bedroom Lock Off into just the Studio

[JWhiz]

Hello all. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. I'm resurrecting a question that has been asked before, but doesn't appear to have been asked in recent years (last thread I saw was from 2016). I currently have a 2 bedroom lock off booked for two days in November, and then a studio booked for the third day. Given all that is happening in the world, even if I go, I doubt that my friends who were to meet me there will. So I likely won't need the 2 bedroom. However, the chances of getting a studio are slim to none at this point. But wait, I already have a studio. Why can't I just release the 1 bedroom part and keep the studio? Well it sounds like that usually isn't possible.

I was hoping with the changes to the DVC online reservation system and the fact that it does a better job of acknowledging your current reservations when you want to make changes that I might be able to do this. I would love it if I went searching for possibilities to change my reservation that it would show a 2 bedroom, a 1 bedroom and a studio all in my room type for those two days (because technically I already have all of the above), but alas it does not. Wishful thinking.

Has anyone had better luck in recent years with contacting Member Services to essentially have them split or separate a lock off to allow you to retain a portion of it? And before everyone says you're going to have to cancel and then hope you can rebook before it gets taken, the chances of that being successful are slim since the room is very much in demand. It would seem that Member Services/DVC would like you to do this because they will "earn" more points by having them split. And given that I have a very desirable room choice (it's a value room at AKV Jambo), they will have absolutely no problem rebooking it even though what I would be releasing is a 1 bedroom, which is generally the room type to book last (Grand Villas and the like excluded).

Any thoughts other than contacting Member Services and hoping? Any more common stories, anecdotal or otherwise, of this happening in the last few years?

 

[Marionnette]

Hello all. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. I'm resurrecting a question that has been asked before, but doesn't appear to have been asked in recent years (last thread I saw was from 2016). I currently have a 2 bedroom lock off booked for two days in November, and then a studio booked for the third day. Given all that is happening in the world, even if I go, I doubt that my friends who were to meet me there will. So I likely won't need the 2 bedroom. However, the chances of getting a studio are slim to none at this point. But wait, I already have a studio. Why can't I just release the 1 bedroom part and keep the studio? Well it sounds like that usually isn't possible.

I was hoping with the changes to the DVC online reservation system and the fact that it does a better job of acknowledging your current reservations when you want to make changes that I might be able to do this. I would love it if I went searching for possibilities to change my reservation that it would show a 2 bedroom, a 1 bedroom and a studio all in my room type for those two days (because technically I already have all of the above), but alas it does not. Wishful thinking.

Has anyone had better luck in recent years with contacting Member Services to essentially have them split or separate a lock off to allow you to retain a portion of it? And before everyone says you're going to have to cancel and then hope you can rebook before it gets taken, the chances of that being successful are slim since the room is very much in demand. It would seem that Member Services/DVC would like you to do this because they will "earn" more points by having them split. And given that I have a very desirable room choice (it's a value room at AKV Jambo), they will have absolutely no problem rebooking it even though what I would be releasing is a 1 bedroom, which is generally the room type to book last (Grand Villas and the like excluded).

Any thoughts other than contacting Member Services and hoping? Any more common stories, anecdotal or otherwise, of this happening in the last few years?

You still cannot break up a 2BR lockoff into a 1BR + a studio. Doesn’t work online and it doesn’t work by calling MS. Your only hope is to cancel the 2BR and the try to grab the studio before the waitlist or someone else does. Yeah, I know you said that you don’t want to hear that. But that’s how it goes. DVC doesn’t always do things that make sense.

 

[starry_solo]

Nope.

 

[Sandisw]

It is not supposed to happen that way. However, some has said they got a CM to do it, even against the rules,

So, all you can do is try

 

[JWhiz]

It is not supposed to happen that way. However, some has said they got a CM to do it, even against the rules,

So, all you can do is try

How is it "against the rules"? According to what rules?

 

[Sandisw]

The rule that says if a room is not available, you go on a waitlist,

If you have a 2 bedroom, it wasn’t booked as a 1 bedroom and a studio,

So, splitting it after the fact, allows you to jump the waitlist.

 

[JWhiz]

The rule that says if a room is not available, you go on a waitlist,

If you have a 2 bedroom, it wasn’t booked as a 1 bedroom and a studio,

So, splitting it after the fact, allows you to jump the waitlist.

I appreciate the opinion. I'm still not sure I'd call it a rule, particularly since I do not believe one is written in the way you are presenting it. The room is "available" to me since I have already reserved it.

The fact is that I reserved it as a 2 bedroom when others had the chance before me to book it separately and didn't (for more than two months before I reserved it). And yes, you may consider it one unit, even though by its definition it is two (since they call it a lock off and can sell it separately), so in all practicality it is not really any different than if I have booked the two units separately, which I could have. I think our views will just be different on this one instead of implying that I'm trying to jump the waitlist. I would argue that by splitting it I'm actually allowing someone to get their waitlist request fulfilled. Otherwise the 1 bedroom wouldn't be available.

 

[kmorlock]

If you’re going to attempt the cancel/rebook method online, I’d have 2 browsers open and refresh one immediately as I cancel the reservation. Have the screen “locked and loaded“ as if it’s the 1st day of Fall Frenzy. You might have a shot since Waitlist is apparently “Frozen” (per MS, not entirely sure of the details) for a few days. Purely speculation but, that might mean released rooms are up for grabs, not competing with WL. I’m a stalker and November studios have been all over in terms of availability.

 

[Sandisw]

I appreciate the opinion. I'm still not sure I'd call it a rule, particularly since I do not believe one is written in the way you are presenting it. The room is "available" to me since I have already reserved it.

The fact is that I reserved it as a 2 bedroom when others had the chance before me to book it separately and didn't (for more than two months before I reserved it). And yes, you may consider it one unit, even though by its definition it is two (since they call it a lock off and can sell it separately), so in all practicality it is not really any different than if I have booked the two units separately, which I could have. I think our views will just be different on this one instead of implying that I'm trying to jump the waitlist. I would argue that by splitting it I'm actually allowing someone to get their waitlist request fulfilled. Otherwise the 1 bedroom wouldn't be available.

Since it can’t be done online,, and most CMs won’t do it, I consider it a policy and most people are not Allowed to do it

 

[Marionnette]

I appreciate the opinion. I'm still not sure I'd call it a rule, particularly since I do not believe one is written in the way you are presenting it. The room is "available" to me since I have already reserved it.

The fact is that I reserved it as a 2 bedroom when others had the chance before me to book it separately and didn't (for more than two months before I reserved it). And yes, you may consider it one unit, even though by its definition it is two (since they call it a lock off and can sell it separately), so in all practicality it is not really any different than if I have booked the two units separately, which I could have. I think our views will just be different on this one instead of implying that I'm trying to jump the waitlist. I would argue that by splitting it I'm actually allowing someone to get their waitlist request fulfilled. Otherwise the 1 bedroom wouldn't be available.

It doesn’t matter what your view, my view or @Sandisw ’s view is. The only one that matters is DVC’s view. And their view is apparently NO, you cannot divide a villa which was reserved as a 2BR into a 1BR + a studio. Why? Because you didn’t reserve a 1BR + connecting studio. You reserved a 2BR villa which happens to be a lock off. You paid fewer points for that 2BR than you would have paid for a 1BR and a studio.

But hey. Why not call MS and try your luck? If the answer is NO, then call again and again. Eventually, you might find someone who agrees with your logic. That doesn’t mean that they will be able to accommodate you, but at least you’ll feel validated.