Planning Sept 2021 trip with Resort Hopping

[csmommy]

Hi all!
Our daughter graduated from college without the usual fanfare as so many others this year so we decided to treat her to a trip just the 3 of us in Sept 2021. Yesterday we were on with Member Services & banked our Feb 2020 OKW points in anticipation of the trip. In the "perfect world" we would end up with Poly LV Studio for 4 nights, then AKL Jambo SV Studio for 4 nights, send her home & the DH & I will go onto GF LV Studio for 3 nights.

We explained our end game to MS & that we would start with a reservation at OKW for the entire time so we had something & then switch it as we could at the 7 month mark. MS was like it will be hard to make 1 large reservation at OKW & then change it for each different leg - that we should book at OKW in segments. Now we normally go to DW once every 2 years & missed 1 trip planning due to Covid, but I always booked it all at OKW & then sectioned it off. Has something changed? How do you all feel we should do this?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

MS is correct. If you modify a 7 night booking at 7 months and want 4 days Poly, you lose the whole OKW booking and have only the 4 nights at Poly post-modify. You would then have to make a new booking for each new section at their 7 month marks.

By booking in sections you have the assurance of the OKW bookings to fall back on if you cannot get your dates.

 

[CarolMN]

If you decide to stay the entire time at OKW, you can always ask MS to combine the segments into one continuous reservation.

IMO, booking in segments is well worth it to have the ability to use the modify feature if you want a split stay. Less risk to losing something if you can use the modify feature.

 

[csmommy]

Ok - I understand what you both are saying. I am just worried about the flexibility of it all. Say I can only get 3 of the 4 nights at the beginning in Poly so need to add a day to AKL, but then a day at Poly does become available. How would this work? Is there a question I am not asking?

I do not have flexibility with the order of the resorts due to points.

 

[Sandisw]

Ok - I understand what you both are saying. I am just worried about the flexibility of it all. Say I can only get 3 of the 4 nights at the beginning in Poly so need to add a day to AKL, but then a day at Poly does become available. How would this work? Is there a question I am not asking?

I do not have flexibility with the order of the resorts due to points.

Anytime you want to change part and not all it is a risk of losing the day.

Starting in segments gives the best chance and easiest way to split stay. I do it all the time.

Now, if you can’t get all Poly and want to change, then you’d have to book only the 3 and it will drop the OKW night. You’d have to go back in and try to get it again.

There is no way around that because if you don’t have the points to book a night or two as back up, you’d have to modify best you can.

Even MS would not be able to do it without dropping nights.

But if you know you are going to split stay then the segments will give you the best chance to change.

 

[zavandor]

The rule for the "Modify" tool is that you start with one reservation and you end with one reservation. You'd like to start with one (the OKW reservation) and end with two or even three and that is not possible. As suggested, the best way is to book 3 reservations at OKW, already split like you'd like to have the final reservations (4 + 4 + 3 nights). Better if you book them with a different lead, to avoid MS combining the reservations without you asking, I've read it happening in the past, I don't know if they still do it.
Then at 7 months, you'll try to swith modifying each segment.
Having the reservation split will also allow you to use the waitlists. You cannot have a WL replacing only part of a reservation. If it matches and you flag it to automatically delete the existing reservation, then it'll delete everything, not just the matching days. If you have separate segments, you can have separate WL for each segment you cannot switch immediately at 7 months.

The good news is that September is a low time for DVC (even if we've still have to see if anything changes with it requiring even fewer points in 2021) so you' have good chances be able to get what you want. The most difficult one is probably VGF. Good luck!

 

[csmommy]

The rule for the "Modify" tool is that you start with one reservation and you end with one reservation. You'd like to start with one (the OKW reservation) and end with two or even three and that is not possible. As suggested, the best way is to book 3 reservations at OKW, already split like you'd like to have the final reservations (4 + 4 + 3 nights). Better if you book them with a different lead, to avoid MS combining the reservations without you asking, I've read it happening in the past, I don't know if they still do it.
Then at 7 months, you'll try to swith modifying each segment.
Having the reservation split will also allow you to use the waitlists. You cannot have a WL replacing only part of a reservation. If it matches and you flag it to automatically delete the existing reservation, then it'll delete everything, not just the matching days. If you have separate segments, you can have separate WL for each segment you cannot switch immediately at 7 months.

The good news is that September is a low time for DVC (even if we've still have to see if anything changes with it requiring even fewer points in 2021) so you' have good chances be able to get what you want. The most difficult one is probably VGF. Good luck!

One question - what do you mean by "lead"?
"Better if you book them with a different lead, to avoid MS combining the reservations without you asking"

 

[Sandisw]

One question - what do you mean by "lead"?
"Better if you book them with a different lead, to avoid MS combining the reservations without you asking"

Some feel that having a different name prevents MS from combining but honestly, I have never had that happen except within a few weeks of the trip,

I think they know that people book like this now for split stays as It was even suggested to you.