Using points for DL hotel & Paradise Pier

[djpooh74]

Looking for advice from the experts:

I'm waitlisted at Villas at Grand CA. I'm interested in using pts to book DL hotel or Paradise Pier if my my waitlist doesn't go through. I've read the cancellation policy. What I don't understand is the notice written underneath:

"Returned reservation points will be deposited into the Use Year in which the cancelled reservation falls. Returned reservation points may not be used for Disney Vacation Club Resort reservations or for World Passport Collection exchanges and will expire at the end of your Use Year. Returned reservation points cannot be banked.

If, under extreme circumstances, I need to cancel, the points gets returned to the use year, but can't be used to book another vacation or banked? That seems unfair. Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks.

 

[erionm]

You can use the points, but NOT for a DVC Resort Reservation or RCI Exchange. They can be used for a Disney Collection Reservation (Non-DVC Disney Hotel or Disney Cruise), Adventures by Disney and Concierge Collection Reservations.

 

[bumbershoot]

Basically when you use them for something other than a proper DVC resort, the points change to "reservation points". And those kind of points can't be used for a proper DVC resort reservation. You can use them for A vacation, just not for a DVC resort/room vacation.

So don't book DLH or PPH until you know 100% that your waitlist won't come through.

Or just make the decision to drop the waitlist and book with DLH or PPH, and never look back. They are fabulous resorts, you'll get housekeeping every day (even booking on points), the pool at PPH is nice and simple with a slide that's separate from the pool, DLH has a couple nice pools and then neat monorail-themed slides... They are both good choices and you would likely enjoy whichever one you chose. (and if you go with PPH, each morning as you walk to the park you'll walk through the lobby of the Grand anyway, allowing you to enjoy the public spaces which many people like) (we actually went that way coming from DLH too, but we were in the far Frontier tower and it worked out to be the same distance to the esplanade going that way vs going through DTD)

 

[skirby]

Just remember that non-DVC reservations are subject to the Rule of Four. You can make the reservation in the last four months of your UY or you can stay in the last four months of your UY, but you can't do both. It gives DVC at least four months to find a use for your points.

 

[myxdvz]

Just remember that non-DVC reservations are subject to the Rule of Four. You can make the reservation in the last four months of your UY or you can stay in the last four months of your UY, but you can't do both. It gives DVC at least four months to find a use for your points.

AFAIK, you CAN'T book and travel in the last 4 months of your UY. You can stay in the last 4 months as long as the reservation was made earlier.

Although now that I re-read yours, I think it's what you meant as well.

It says this on the website:

What is the Rule of Four?

You cannot book and travel on The Disney Collection (excluding Disneyland® Resort Hotels in California and Tokyo Disney Resort®), Concierge Collection and Adventurer Collection vacations within the last 4 months of your Use Year. However, you can travel in the last 4 months of your Use Year as long as you've booked your stay more than 4 months before the end of your Use Year.

So it looks like this rule doesn't apply to DLH and PPH

 

[Breyean]

AFAIK, you CAN'T book and travel in the last 4 months of your UY. You can stay in the last 4 months as long as the reservation was made earlier.

Although now that I re-read yours, I think it's what you meant as well.

It says this on the website:



So it looks like this rule doesn't apply to DLH and PPH

It doesn't, just as there's no $95 fee to use points to book a hotel room at DLR hotels. And, you can use points at the GCH unlike at WDW where you can't do that if there's a DVC resort at a particular hotel.

Make sure YOU know when you call MS. I tried to book PP a year ago and was told I couldn't because of the rule of four. I had to get a supervisor to confirm what you posted as the policy because the CM I spoke with first didn't believe me.

 

[DebbieB]

Looking for advice from the experts:

I'm waitlisted at Villas at Grand CA. I'm interested in using pts to book DL hotel or Paradise Pier if my my waitlist doesn't go through. I've read the cancellation policy. What I don't understand is the notice written underneath:

"Returned reservation points will be deposited into the Use Year in which the cancelled reservation falls. Returned reservation points may not be used for Disney Vacation Club Resort reservations or for World Passport Collection exchanges and will expire at the end of your Use Year. Returned reservation points cannot be banked.

If, under extreme circumstances, I need to cancel, the points gets returned to the use year, but can't be used to book another vacation or banked? That seems unfair. Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks.

When you trade out of DVC to a non-DVC resort, DVC transfers a points room to CRO to be rented for cash to pay for your room. Even though it's still a Disney hotel, funds are transferred to that hotel for your stay. If you change your mind, they can't get that room back from CRO. You can still use those points outside of DVC.