Ugh - I think I could cry! First Reservation Question

[momoftwins]

There is no worse feeling when arguing with someone when you, yourself are not so sure about something. Can someone help me:

We want to go to the BCV to arrive 4/16/5 and depart 4/23/5. Depending on airfare availability, these days could shift either forward or backward by one day.

Yesterday, I made my ressie for 4/16/5. I told them I wanted to use my 2005 points since this day might change. Today, I called to do the 4/17/5 date. I got into this big arguement with MS.

Yesterday, I banked my 2004 points because I knew we will not be going until next year. Anyway, when I added today the MS person said for both days they are using my banked 2004 points. I told her for the beginning and end dates of my trip I wanted to use 2005 points since I am not sure of the air availability. She said, no! I must use us my 2004 points first. I told her I will lose my 2004 points if I to rearrange my beg/end days. She said too bad, their system automatically takes banked points first. Please help me understand.

 

[Chuck S]

Why would you loose your banked points if you have to re-arrange? I think even if you cancel the reservation completely, as long as it is at least 31 days prior to check-in, those banked points return to the 2005 use year...they'd simply have to be used prior to the end of your 2005 use year...they can't be banked again but you can, of course, bank 2005 points in to the 2006 use year.

 

[mhochman]

There are others here with a lot more experience than me, so hopefully they can clarify better than I can. I'm answering because nobody else has yet, and I sort of know the answer. DVC uses a "first in, first out" method for using points. Your banked 2004 points must be used before you can access your 2005 points. Of course, if a ressie needs more than your 2004 banked points, you are free to use your '05 points.

So the MS rep is correct, from I've been told. I suppose you are risking losing some points there, but I think they are correct when they say there is no way around it.

 

[jmminarik]

I'm with Chuck and slightly confuzzed...as a general rule you _want_ to use banked points first so you can bank the next year's points if you desire.

Are there other factors in your desire to use CY points vs. Banked points you've not mentioned?

-Joe

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I have to agree with what's being said, unless you are planning on making reservations for another trip before you get these days settled, then there really is no reason for you not to use your banked points first. Even if you have to cancel, the 2004 points will still be sitting in your 2005 use year.

HBC

 

[momoftwins]

say I have to cancel the 4/16 date since I cannot get air, these 2004 points will only be available for use until 1/31/2006 correct? We would not go again until 4/2006.

I had posted earlier I wanted to do the following:

4/16/5 2005 points - 60 pts
4/17/5 2004 points - 30 pts
4/18/5 2004 points - 30 pts
4/19/5 2004 points - 30 pts
4/20/5 2004 points - 30 pts
4/21/5 2004 points - 30 pts
4/22/5 2005 points - 60 points

I only have 150 2004 banked points and 150 2005 points.

Since I knew that 4/16 and 4/22 would be iffy with the air question, I wanted to make sure that I used up all my 2004 pts and would not loose them. Was I wrong in my reasoning? Now that MS used 2004 pts for the 4/16 date, if I have to cancel I will loose the points - right? This is my first ressie, so I am still learning.

Thank you for being patient with me.

Pam

 

[jmminarik]

Ok...I think I'm at least in the same book, if not on the same page as you.

Since you're doing this day by day at 11 months out, I'm not sure what your options will be. I'm guessing you're doing this since it's BCV and its Easter week?

This might be easier to straighten out once you get all of your days reserved.

In retrospect, the order of your activities should have been:
1) Reserve 4/16/05 with 05points.
2) Bank 04 points.
3) burn 04 points day by day
4) use 05 points for the last day.

-Joe

 

[gmboy95]

I beleive you would use your 2004 points first....and then if you did not use the 2005 points, you would then bank those into 2006. If you did not use all of your banked points in 2005, then you will lose the balance of banked points because "dem da rules"...so you should not lose any points if your 2005 ressie is for the same amount or more of your banked total....in 2006 you will make a ressie that will use the 2005 points first....if there is any leftover, you bank into 2007, and so on......whew, I have an ice cream headache

 

[gmboy95]

hey momoftwins....just down the road here in Norton...small world ha

 

[ronw]

Not to worry - if you have to change your reservation MS will re-allocate points so as to use your 2004 points before using any 2005 points. This is a good thing.

 

[gmboy95]

yes...but if she puts off the trip until 2006...it is my understanding that she would lose 2004 banked points

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

As Jiminarik has said, it sounds like you banked the points a little too soon.

I think I have a solution though. Cancel your 4/16 reservation now. Then make your Sunday through Thursday night reservations using your banked 150 points. Then make the Saturday 4/16 reservation and the Friday 4/22 reservation all at once. They will have to use the 2005 points at that point because all of your banked points will be used. Don't worry about losing the 4/16 night. It will be available for you this far in advance. It's the Sun-Thurs. ones that will be tough.

HBC

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by ronw
Not to worry - if you have to change your reservation MS will re-allocate points so as to use your 2004 points before using any 2005 points. This is a good thing.

I've been told that this is not necessarily true. I always thought that's how it works but there was a big discussion here that said MS can only reallocate if there is availability -- it's not automatic.


Pam, I would not be too concerned about this situation. If you would feel more secure having the option to cancel and bank the first and last days, explain to MS how you want to set up the days with the points once you have made the entire reservation.

In any case, the banked 2004 points will have to be used by the end of your 2005 Use Year.

 

[DebbieB]

When your dates are final, contact MS and they will move the points around to the way you want them so that the 2004 points are used and the extra 2005 are returned to your account. If you are using all BCV points, you shouldn't have a problem. Problems come when people try to substitute non-home resort points.

 

[jmminarik]

Now that my brain has had a chance to digest this, if you are _really_ anxious about the 4/16 reservation and MS isn't going to work with you, you can call on 5/19 and try to do the following.

1) Add 4/19, "using up" your 2004 points.
2) Add a ressie for 4/16 using your 2005 points if a room is available.
3) Assuming 2 happens, cancel your original ressie for 4/16.
4) continue with your ressies.

This, to my sleep deprived mind, will work and is within the rules of the game, though I can't imagine MS wouldn't work with you to fix this all up, but it might have to wait until your done with your ressies. Steps 1-4 above seem a little silly to have to do.

Good luck,
Joe

 

[Love Tigger]

I've had this conversation with MS before. They don't assign which use year points go to certain days; they do it as a point total for the reservation. If you have a reservation for 7 days totaling 270 points, they would use your 150 points banked from 2004 and 120 points from 2005. If you cancel any days, they should return the 2005 points to your account. Just call a few days/a week after you make the cancellation and ask what your point balance is. They can make any adjustments at that time. (If you want, you can ask for a point statement which will show all the activity on your account, but it can be a bear to figure out.)

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by Love Tigger
I've had this conversation with MS before. They don't assign which use year points go to certain days; they do it as a point total for the reservation.

The question then is, are day by day ressies distinct reservations?

-Joe

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by jmminarik
The question then is, are day by day ressies distinct reservations?

-Joe

Day by day reservations are extensions of the original reservation, it is still treated as one reservation.

 

[momoftwins]

I did my activity EXACTLY as you stated (do 4/16 as 2005 pts, then bank 2004, then try to make 4/17 with 2004 pts). That is where I ran into trouble with MS. I even asked the MS to repeat back to me what I wanted to do in the order I wanted to do it.

I guess I will wait until the end of this week and call MS when all my ressies are made. I know that if I end up not taking a trip using my 2004 points that I will lose them. That is why I tried to use them for the days I knew for sure I would be there. We usually fly SWA out of Providence, so it is always hard to know for sure whether we can get a flight for a Saturday or a Sunday. I suppose we could leave on a Friday evening and just stay a value for one night.

I am still not sure if I understand what I should have done instead. Oh well, thanks to all who are trying to get this thru my thick head.

 

[jmminarik]

MoT, based on the education Deb's provided me, the fact that the ressies are linked means MS will automagically work this out for you, so you can ignore my two 4 step plans.

You don't to worry about this from the way this all reads.

-Joe