Swapping Points in Existing Reservation to make room for another reservation

[schultzywi]

I have a reservation in January of 2025 that used the remainder of my 2024 points and some borrowed points from 2025 (I have December UY). So I currently have 0 2024 points but have some remaining for 2025. I have to be in Orlando in July for a work trip and was thinking of adding on a few days and there is plenty of availability on the days I am looking at. If I called Member Services, would they be able to update my January reservation to use more 2025 points so I can use some 2024 points this July? I know I can use OTU points, but since the limit is 24, I would have more options if I could swap the points in my existing reservation. Thanks.

 

[intamin]

So this July falls in your December 2023 use year. You have 0 points in your Dec 2024 use year currently which happens to be the time when your January 2025 reservation falls.

What you need to do is free up points that were allocated to your Dec 2024 use year (not banked/borrowed) from your January reservation. You need to know exactly how many of the points you spent on your Jan 2025 reservation came from your December 2024 use year.

Assuming you have enough Dec 2024 UY (not banked 2023/borrowed 2025) points to cover your July trip AND you have enough points to borrow from your Dec 2025 UY to replace those Dec 2024 points for your January 2025 trip you can make this work.

1. Borrow your points from December 2025 by reserving a date that is past 12/1/24. Try to book the exact amount of points you need for the July trip so you don't over-borrow. Doesn't matter what resort you book or how many resorts you need, just borrow the amount you need for your July trip. I guess technically 12/1/24 is still currently home resort period at the time I'm writing this so it'd have to be your home resort that gets you there but really any combination of studios/1/2/3BR you need to get to the point total you need.

2. Cancel the dummy reservations. You will now have the points you need to replace the December 2024 use year points that are in your January trip. All you need to do to free them from the January reservation is go into the reservation and then modify the trip and click all the way through to the end without changing anything. The system will pick up the borrowed December 2025 and spare the December 2024 points.

3. Finally, you can borrow the December 2024 points into your December 2023 use year and book your July trip.

I apologize if this is confusing but I hope it helps. This is the process you'd do to be able to do this on your own. You can try to ask member services to help you out with this, but YMMV if they're willing to go through this for you.

 

[Chuck S]

December use years are weird because they are basically 11 months off. You are currently iin your 2023 December use year. If you are traveling in July of 2024, you need to have 2023 use year points or borrow 2024 points. Your January 2025 reservation is using your 2024 points, and (I assume) borrowed 2025 points. You want to borrow more 2025 points for your January reservation, to free up your December 2024 points so you can borrow then to July 2024, correct?

Member Services should be able to do that for you.

 

[Sandisw]

As mentioned borrowing can only happen when you make a reservation and are out of current UY points.

All you need to do is make a fake trip after Dec 1st to borrow the points, cancel, and reallocate this into January.

Those will free yp the 2024 for you to borrow for the July trip.

 

[EYL]

I didn't want to make a new thread with a similar question...

I have 2 existing reservations, one in July and one in August. The one in August uses banked points because I booked that one first, and the one in July are current UY points. Can MS swap the points, without cancelling the reservation, so that I will be using the banked points in July? I've called MS twice and they said it's not possible unless they cancel and rebook the reservations accordingly, but I could swear that I've called and done this (or something similar) in the past. I just wanted to know if it's worth calling and waiting online for a third or possibly fourth MS who knows how to assist me. Thanks!

 

[kes601]

Can MS swap the points, without cancelling the reservation, so that I will be using the banked points in July? I've called MS twice and they said it's not possible unless they cancel and rebook the reservations accordingly

I believe that is your answer. They cannot manipulate points that are already tied up in existing reservations.

 

[intamin]

I didn't want to make a new thread with a similar question...

I have 2 existing reservations, one in July and one in August. The one in August uses banked points because I booked that one first, and the one in July are current UY points. Can MS swap the points, without cancelling the reservation, so that I will be using the banked points in July? I've called MS twice and they said it's not possible unless they cancel and rebook the reservations accordingly, but I could swear that I've called and done this (or something similar) in the past. I just wanted to know if it's worth calling and waiting online for a third or possibly fourth MS who knows how to assist me. Thanks!

Unfortunately I don't think you can pull those points out unless you had points able to replace the reservation and even then I'm pretty sure the system will make you re-select the contracts you originally used and then it'll try and put the banked points in first again. You'd have to cancel August, then modify July for it to pick up those points, but if you're within 30 days you'd have some points in holding.

 

[CarolMN]

I didn't want to make a new thread with a similar question...

I have 2 existing reservations, one in July and one in August. The one in August uses banked points because I booked that one first, and the one in July are current UY points. Can MS swap the points, without cancelling the reservation, so that I will be using the banked points in July? I've called MS twice and they said it's not possible unless they cancel and rebook the reservations accordingly, but I could swear that I've called and done this (or something similar) in the past. I just wanted to know if it's worth calling and waiting online for a third or possibly fourth MS who knows how to assist me. Thanks!

I believe that is your answer. They cannot manipulate points that are already tied up in existing reservations.

Unfortunately I don't think you can pull those points out unless you had points able to replace the reservation and even then I'm pretty sure the system will make you re-select the contracts you originally used and then it'll try and put the banked points in first again. You'd have to cancel August, then modify July for it to pick up those points, but if you're within 30 days you'd have some points in holding.

Agree with @kes601 and @intamin.

If you want to use the banked points in your August reservation for the July reservation, you have to cancel the August reservation. There isn't a way to just sway points between reservations*. Once the banked points are back in your account and not tied up in a reservation, you can use the modify feature on the July reservation to pick up the banked points. The points that are returned to your account after the modification can then be used to book the August reservation. However, if you are within 30 days of the July reservation, you'd end up with holding points in the August reservation and thus no better off.

Of course process this risks your August reservation - someone or perhaps the waitlist could grab some or all of those nights before you have a chance to book them again. I would only attempt this it was more than 30 days prior to the July check in date and if there was still availability for the August reservation (or I didn't mind losing it, or perhaps moving to a different resort where there still was availability).

*If MS did this for you in the past, the CM almost certainly used this procedure and you were lucky to not lose the reservation that originally contained those banked points.

 

[EYL]

Agree with @kes601 and @intamin.

If you want to use the banked points in your August reservation for the July reservation, you have to cancel the August reservation. There isn't a way to just sway points between reservations*. Once the banked points are back in your account and not tied up in a reservation, you can use the modify feature on the July reservation to pick up the banked points. The points that are returned to your account after the modification can then be used to book the August reservation. However, if you are within 30 days of the July reservation, you'd end up with holding points in the August reservation and thus no better off.

Of course process this risks your August reservation - someone or perhaps the waitlist could grab some or all of those nights before you have a chance to book them again. I would only attempt this it was more than 30 days prior to the July check in date and if there was still availability for the August reservation (or I didn't mind losing it, or perhaps moving to a different resort where there still was availability).

*If MS did this for you in the past, the CM almost certainly used this procedure and you were lucky to not lose the reservation that originally contained those banked points.

Thanks for you and the others' replies. I can't remember exactly, but I wonder if my previous situation was because I was trying to swap free banked points into an existing reservation. Anyways, it seems my August dates still has availability as of now (it's a 1BR), so I might cancel that one, swap the points myself after they are freed and then rebook my August dates.

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks for you and the others' replies. I can't remember exactly, but I wonder if my previous situation was because I was trying to swap free banked points into an existing reservation. Anyways, it seems my August dates still has availability as of now (it's a 1BR), so I might cancel that one, swap the points myself after they are freed and then rebook my August dates.

That seems worth the risk. Just remember to do it at least 31 days before the check in date of the July reservation. Good luck!

 

[EYL]

That seems worth the risk. Just remember to do it at least 31 days before the check in date of the July reservation. Good luck!

Done! It was worth the risk to us. Had to plan things out and can't lose my August reservation because we have everything booked... Did it around 11pm Eastern last night (lower internet traffic?), double checked that the dates/resort/room type was still available, and opened 3 tabs on my browser - 1 to cancel, 1 ready to click "modify", and 1 ready to rebook my original dates/resort. Can't say it went smoothly (never count on Disney IT), but it was done and I'll let bygones be bygones.

Thanks for everyone's input. Much appreciated!!