What should my strategy be for calling in at 7 months?

[OurDogCisco]

It has been a long time since I've had to do this but I did the other day I was confused on the procedure because the CM had to leave the reservation screen to cancel my 11 month reservation and then, go back into the reservation screen to book my 7 month reservation. During that time he indicated that the room may be gone when he tries to reserve it. It sounded like they couldn't hold the room to do other things while holding a reservation.

So, now, I need to work on the 2nd part of our trip after our cruise. Currently I have reservations at BCV which I made at my home resort 11 months out. I want to reserve 3 nights July 1 through July 4th at AKL Conceirge level in either a studio or one bedroom. I would need to use the points from my 1 bedroom reserved at BCV. So, should I call the day before and cancel my BCV room and chance that there will be a AKL room available the next day? Or should I wait and cancel at the 7 month mark after I see availability. I know it is a total long shot to get AKL conceirge but we really want to do the morning Safari on Sunday July 3rd.

Any advice....

 

[Rob S.]

Seeing as that is a holiday weekend, your chances of getting AKV concierge are EXTREMELY small. I would not cancel your BCV room until you can get confirmation somewhere else, especially for a holiday weekend.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

With the new reservation system I was told by a CM (and a few other's have confirmed being told the same thing) that they can change your reservation without having to go out to cancel and then get the room. BUT you have to start out telling them that you want to try and change the existing reservation. If you ask them to search for the room and then after they find it tell them you want to drop the BCV then they would have to do exactly what they did a few days ago. That's what happened to me several weeks ago and the CM said I should start out telling them I want to try and switch.

I'd call at exactly 7 months out and tell them that you want to try and change the BCV to a different resort. They should then be able to go to that reservation and look for the concierge. If it's available then they should be able to change it without any worry of losing the room.

Odds are not favorable for you to get the concierge room so I wouldn't drop the BCV reservation ahead of time.

 

[OKWNutt]

My 7 month mark was the 1st day the new system was operating. I had an 11 month reservation already. The cm informed me that it is now one process and we did not have to cancel first. It was one smooth transaction. I told her what I wanted and she saw right away that I had a previous reservation. So yes - you start off by telling them what you want first. If they have what you want you reserve the new villa and cancel the old in one transaction.

 

[disneygrandma]

Just 2 wks ago, I was told by a CM that there's no way of holding a room while cancelling the original reservation. I explained that I was making a resv at our home resort, but was hoping to switch it at 7 mos. She said all aspects concerning this were in place with the new system now, and there was absolutely no way that a room could be held while canceling the original resv.....that it was the same as before.

I'm really hoping this is not true.

 

[OurDogCisco]

With the new reservation system I was told by a CM (and a few other's have confirmed being told the same thing) that they can change your reservation without having to go out to cancel and then get the room. BUT you have to start out telling them that you want to try and change the existing reservation. If you ask them to search for the room and then after they find it tell them you want to drop the BCV then they would have to do exactly what they did a few days ago. That's what happened to me several weeks ago and the CM said I should start out telling them I want to try and switch.

I'd call at exactly 7 months out and tell them that you want to try and change the BCV to a different resort. They should then be able to go to that reservation and look for the concierge. If it's available then they should be able to change it without any worry of losing the room.

Odds are not favorable for you to get the concierge room so I wouldn't drop the BCV reservation ahead of time.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully, I'll get a more knowledgeable rep this time.

 

[OurDogCisco]

My 7 month mark was the 1st day the new system was operating. I had an 11 month reservation already. The cm informed me that it is now one process and we did not have to cancel first. It was one smooth transaction. I told her what I wanted and she saw right away that I had a previous reservation. So yes - you start off by telling them what you want first. If they have what you want you reserve the new villa and cancel the old in one transaction.

I'll make sure I do that this time. Funny the rep made no mention of this at all. Almost like he was frustrated as he kept telling me I can't see anything. I have to go into a different screen, etc... This is the one time I wish I remembered to stay online to do the survey so, I could have made some comments.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Just 2 wks ago, I was told by a CM that there's no way of holding a room while cancelling the original reservation. I explained that I was making a resv at our home resort, but was hoping to switch it at 7 mos. She said all aspects concerning this were in place with the new system now, and there was absolutely no way that a room could be held while canceling the original resv.....that it was the same as before.

I'm really hoping this is not true.

This is what my rep told me too. So, hopefully, I just had a rep that wasn't as familiar with the system as another rep. I'll keep you posted on what they say to me when I try to make the switch.

 

[crisi]

I'd book the concerige room non-DVC on cash to get the Safari if that is what you really want. Its unlikely to be available as a DVC room on points at seven months. Bank the points you would be using for it into next year. Three nights worth of a conceirge studio to do the safari won't be that much money in the scheme of a vacation like this - and you are more likely to get what you want.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Yaahoo..... I got AKL Club level at 7 months!!!! Just thought I'd update. Anything is possible.... YAY.... I'm so excited. Now off to book my Sunrise Safari!!!!

 

[erionm]

Yaahoo..... I got AKL Club level at 7 months!!!! Just thought I'd update. Anything is possible.... YAY.... I'm so excited. Now off to book my Sunrise Safari!!!!

The Sunrise Safari can't be booked by the IPO at AKV until 180 days out. You can call them before then and give them your information, but they can't book it until 180 days.

 

[OurDogCisco]

The Sunrise Safari can't be booked by the IPO at AKV until 180 days out. You can call them before then and give them your information, but they can't book it until 180 days.

Thanks... I just called and they told me that. Anyways... I'm so excited....

 

[OurDogCisco]

Oh and for anyone interested. When I called I told them I wanted to modify an existing reservation and the process went so much smoother this time.

 

[Disney Dreams]

We just got back from 3 nights at WDW AKL Concierge (cash) and did the safari. You will LOVE it! Enjoy.

... taken while on our safari.

- Dreams

 

[disneygrandma]

OurDogCisco, you said you told the CM that you wanted to modify an existing resv........what was the process after that? It sounds like you got a good CM, and I just want to know how the procedure should be to get this done. Did they "hold" your AKL CL room while they did whatever needed to be done on their end? We'll want to convert the entire 5 nt resv to a different resort. Is that considered modifying a resv? I have a few months yet before our 7 mo mark, but I want to make sure I know exactly what to do before then.

Thanks, and congratulations on getting your CL room!

 

[OurDogCisco]

OurDogCisco, you said you told the CM that you wanted to modify an existing resv........what was the process after that? It sounds like you got a good CM, and I just want to know how the procedure should be to get this done. Did they "hold" your AKL CL room while they did whatever needed to be done on their end? We'll want to convert the entire 5 nt resv to a different resort. Is that considered modifying a resv? I have a few months yet before our 7 mo mark, but I want to make sure I know exactly what to do before then.

Thanks, and congratulations on getting your CL room!

Per the advice I had been reading I discovered it is best to start the conversation off with that you want to change/modify an existing reservation. Once, I did this then, it was easy for her to look for availability at AKL and let me know if they had room. Since, they did she just changed my reservation I did not get a new reservation number at all. It appeared that she did not need to cancel anything or leave the screen for anything. So, this worked out much better.

When I did it last week I started the conversation off with is there any availability at BLT. He said yes and then, I said I want to change an existing reservation. That's when he said that he had to leave this screen and cancel the other reservation and then try to reserve it again. I got a new reservation number when I did it this way.

So, I think, if you start of the conversation with that you want to modify or change an existing reservation you won't run into any problems. Let us know how it works out.

 

[OurDogCisco]

We just got back from 3 nights at WDW AKL Concierge (cash) and did the safari. You will LOVE it! Enjoy.

... taken while on our safari.

- Dreams

AWESOME pictures... thank you for sharing... Now, I can't wait to book my safari.

 

[disneygrandma]

i won't be calling to "modify" until March, but I feel so much better about the process now. I'll post the outcome. Thanks again!

 

[ppony]

I just did a search of 7 months and BCV and this thread came up and I wanted to add that we're going to be giving up some AKV CL days at our 7month park if we can secure some days elsewhere like BCV or BLT. SOOOO, people DO get lucky as the OP did on this exactly by having something like what I'm about to do be done! I WISH I could cooridinate w/ someone! i WISH I could just trade w/ someone.

I'm glad to learn the system has changed too. Made me REALLY nervous to give up a CL room when I might not like my options and then the room would be gone.

 

[disneygrandma]

I had lost track of this thread, so never posted about my results from March, 2011. It popped up in my email because of a new post.

Last March, it couldn't have been easier, or quicker. No cancellation.....just switch the resorts. Same resv #, just modified with a different resort.

Well, guess what? This morning I called to do the same thing, AND I was told it had to be cancelled first. I did the exact same thing as last March, switching from a SSR resv made at 11 mos, to a BLT resv at 7 mos. The explanation? When using your home resort points made at 11 mos, they can't be switched at 7 mos. It has to be cancelled & rebooked. It took quite a long time. This time around I knew there was availability because I've been checking online. (I love it for that reason.) So I wasn't worried. But what a major waste of time, both mine & MS's. A year ago, it was a matter of a second or two.

Now, if you switch resorts within the 7 mos, that can be modified without rebooking, or at least that's what I was told.