Need some booking advice for somewhat complicated stay

MommaBerd

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 5, 2011
Hi all! We are planning a 9 or 10-day trip with my brother and his family for October 2019. My home resort is BCV. My end goal to do a split stay between two rooms at BCV (Studio and 2BR) and then a GV at AKL. My plan is to initially book the entire stay at BCV in case we are not able to get the AKV GV. My question is should I book the entire stay on one reservation? Or should I break it up into two “blocks” of dates - the first for the time we will actually stay at BCV and the second for the time we hope to stay at AKV? My thought is that it may make things less complicated or easier at the 7 mo mark to modify the second reservation to AKV. Is that even necessary?

Also, I am not sure if it makes a difference or changes anything but I will be borrowing points for this trip. So if I made two different reservations, I’m assuming I need to be strategic about which reservation gets reserved on borrowed points?

I know my first priority will need to be securing the studio at BCV no matter what since we’re going in Oct.

Thanks *so much* in advance!
 
Yes, split it into two reservations. And i’d suggest putting the borrowed points onto a reservation you sure you willl be using, but if that is the First reservation, then. Or will need to call member services and have them do it. I believe.
 
I wouldn’t recommend splitting your stay as that would be a gamble that TWICE you manage to get into a studio during Fall Frenzy. October is an added complication because of F&W. A studio at BCV will likely go RIGHT at 8am for those dates and given the new online option, may actually be walked by many well ahead of that date.

If you’re able to get a studio for the dates you need, you may want to consider booking the entire stay with part of your party for the whole 9-10 days. And maybe splitting your 2BR booking using the remaining party split up. The 2BR should be easier to get during the priority booking period.

When AKV opens up at 7 months, you can assess the GV situation. If it exists, modify your latter half 2BR BCV booking to book the AKV GV and modify the 9-10 studio to just what you need.

But you’re right, whatever you decide to do, at 11 months, that BCV studio is gold and should be your high priority booking. We’re talking 8am sharp (if not earlier... not that I’m advocating that).
 
I think it should be a split stay.
If you don't do a split stay, and you get your wish at animal kingdom, you will have to cancel your entire reservation at BCV. During those minutes while you are canceling and rebooking, someone else can sweep in and take your date leaving you without any rooms at BCV for the first part of your trip. BCV in October is very popular and there will be waiting lists that could trigger the moment you cancel.
Don't risk it even if it is more complicated.
 


I think it should be a split stay.
If you don't do a split stay, and you get your wish at animal kingdom, you will have to cancel your entire reservation at BCV. During those minutes while you are canceling and rebooking, someone else can sweep in and take your date leaving you without any rooms at BCV for the first part of your trip. BCV in October is very popular and there will be waiting lists that could trigger the moment you cancel.
Don't risk it even if it is more complicated.
This was true before the most recent change to the online booking tool.

With the new online tool, there is no need to cancel and rebook. You can modify the duration of your stay without losing your reservation.

ETA: And before the change you could dial in to modify a drop of days and it wouldn’t be treated as a cancel and rebook as long as the days were at the head or tail of the reservation, in OP’s case, she would just neeed to lob off the last five days of the BCV reservation.

I would recommend splitting the 2BR as that would be a lot of points tied up while booking the AKV GV while holding a 2BR @ BCV. 2BRs can be booked much more easily than studios so doing a split with those should be more manageable. So by modifying the 2BR BCV into a GV AKV, the only extra points being tied up are the ones on the last five days of the BCV studio booking.
 
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Thank you all for your helpful advice.

One additional question, if I am booking online, can I specify the reservation for which I want to borrow points? Or do I *have* to use all my current year points first?
 
You can’t borrow until you have used all the current UY points. The system will not give you an option to borrow until you exceed your allotment of current UY points.
 


You can’t borrow until you have used all the current UY points. The system will not give you an option to borrow until you exceed your allotment of current UY points.

True but to circumvent that you can just make a dummy reservation and then borrow the points for the new reservation and then cancel the dummy reservation.
 

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