Waitlist question from a newbie - did I do the right thing?

[izzy]

I'm a newbie with regards to DVC, so any help would be appreciated! I just became a member at AKV.

I'm going on a Disney cruise January 5-12, and I decided that since I now have an annual pass and some extra points, that I'd like to stay at my home resort after the cruise - Jan 12, 13, and 14th. I called MS today to request a savannah view studio, and she said the only resort that has any availability for all three dates is SSR. She said that I could get the AKV savannah studio for the 12th and the 14th, but that the 13th is a problem. Apparently the marathon is that day. So, she put me on a waitlist for that date and I think I stay on it up until 7 days before my needed date.

Some questions for the experts:

1. What do you think my chances are for getting the 13th, especially with the marathon being that day?

2. Should I have gone ahead and booked the studio at SSR for all 3 days and then waitlisted for the AKV studio? (If SSR is all I can get, then I'd take it, but I'd really like to stay at AKV) Can I even do that? What implications would this have on my points?

3. Should I have told them that I'd take any studio at AKV and not just the savannah view or will they automatically look for any studio accomodations?

4. I have an April UY and would need to bank my points by September 30 - I think! If I don't get the waitlist by September 30, should I go ahead and bank my points to 2008, and them just borrow them back if my waitlist comes through?

Sorry for all of the questions. This is more than a little confusing to me! It wouldn't have been so bad if I was waitlisted for the 1st or 3rd day because I would have just made a cash ressie as a backup, but I would hate to check into AKV for the 12th, check out for another resort on the 13th, and then back into AKV for the 14th.

TIA!

Izzy

 

[SuzanneSLO]

It wouldn't have been so bad if I was waitlisted for the 1st or 3rd day because I would have just made a cash ressie as a backup, but I would hate to check into AKV for the 12th, check out for another resort on the 13th, and then back into AKV for the 14th. --Izzy

Can you make a cash ressie for AKV for the 13th in case your waitlist doesn't come thru? That seems like the easiest option.

If you definitely want to go in Jan and don't want to risk the move every night, then book SSR and waitlist all 3 nights at AKL. That will make it less likely that you will get you waitlist at AKL becuase 3 nigths are statistically less likely to open up than just one. But I have been on waitlists for months for just one night that never came thru.

As for the banking deadline, once you bank poitns you cannot borrow them back. They will stay in your 08 UY. You can borrow points from your 08 UY to use for a reservation in Jan, but once borrowed you will need to use those points before Mar 31 or you will lose them. So banking should be your last resort. Make sure that Sept 30 is the real deadline for banking those points or whether you have more time becuase they only represent a small % of your total annual points.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[Deb & Bill]

The Family Fun Runs are on Jan 11, the half marathon on Jan 12 and the full marathon on Jan 13. Lots of runners won't leave until the 14th at the earliest.

 

[izzy]

It figures that I would pick a busy weekend the first time I try to do this - LOL!

I'm seriously considering booking Pop Century for Saturday and Sunday night ($184, which includes tax), and then move to AKV on Monday and possibly stay until Friday, if there is availability. See, I knew there would be a win-win situation for me! I've actually managed to justify getting 3 extra days out of this trip for only the cost of 2 nights at Pop! To do a cash ressie at AKV for that Sunday night would probably still be higher than 2 nights at Pop AND I'll get the extra time!