WDW Preparing for June 1st Reopening

[alldiz]

Drusba Is there any benefit to cancelling now?

 

[Chuck S]

Yay! I'm booked for OKW for early June.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thanks for the information as you see it! It helps me.

 

[n2mm]

Since we arrive Saturday May 30, I hope they give us an opportunity to adjust our trip by those 2 nights instead of canceling our entire trip. I’ll have to keep an eye on this as it gets closer. I could add a night on at the end.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

For us, keeping a May reservation, likely to be cancelled, presented a rebooking problem. We have banked points and studio availability before August 31st is spotty. If we waited longer, availability would have likely gotten worse.

 

[foreUT]

I'm confused. I have around 150 points in holding, so decided to experiment. I made an online reservation for 4/5 this afternoon at BWV. I haven't checked to see if it's been canceled yet, but it let me make it without problems. My reservation for the end of April is still there, too. Unfortunately w Holding Points, you know the Titanic is sinking, but your lifeboat is still several weeks away.

 

[drusba]

Drusba Is there any benefit to cancelling now?

That depends on the particular member's circumstances. Someone with a May reservation but an August use year must seriously consider cancelling by March 31 to be able to bank points. Moroever, cancelling by no later than 31 days out should be considered by all with a May reservation to assure ability to bank existing points if DVC changes the coronavirus rules. Everyone needs to ask the question: how far do you trust the modern DVC, e.g., does anyone else assume there might be a risk that DVC could suddenly change its mind and decide to reverse itself on the special coronavirus cancellation rules and declare a return to the holding rule and the inability to put borrowed points back into their original use year.

There is also the issue of a future date for a visit. If you have a reservation for May and your alternative dates would be, for example, sometime in August through mid-January, you should seriously consider cancelling now if you can find any desired room openings for the times you want because those dates could easily disappear if you wait until May to cancel. Moreover, what you will be able to do with your existing airline tickets folds into that same consideration. The airline may waive any fees for a change now but may change its mind in May. Also, the price for a flight for a later time you may want to go may be lower than what you paid for the May flights. I personally had a late April to early May reservation that I cancelled 33 days out because I got an equally desirable late Aug time and room and found the applicable Southwest airfare was even less than I was paying for the cancelled trip.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I'm confused. I have around 150 points in holding, so decided to experiment. I made an online reservation for 4/5 this afternoon at BWV. I haven't checked to see if it's been canceled yet, but it let me make it without problems. My reservation for the end of April is still there, too. Unfortunately w Holding Points, you know the Titanic is sinking, but your lifeboat is still several weeks away.

I have found this to be odd and difficult to express on the boards.

Although Central Reservations is not accepting new reservations prior to June 1st, we are able to make and modify reservations, for April and May, using the online system.

Regarding availability, it seems as though a significant number of members are assuming that the parks will reopen April 1st. Right now, Beach Club Villas has 1-bedroom availability, from April 5th through the 11th, but not for a studio or a studio or 2-bedroom villa.

Every resort should have open availability through April 9th given the Orange County stay-at-home mandate.

 

[foreUT]

I have found this to be odd and difficult to express on the boards.

Although Central Reservations is not accepting new reservations prior to June 1st, we are able to make and modify reservations, for April and May, using the online system.

Regarding availability, it seems as though a significant number of members are assuming that the parks will reopen April 1st. Right now, Beach Club Villas has 1-bedroom availability, from April 5th through the 11th, but not for a studio or a studio or 2-bedroom villa.

Every resort should have open availability through April 9th given the Orange County stay-at-home mandate.

When I made the online booking for April, I noticed that several of the resort options have no availability. Wondered if DVC was canceling, then blocking rooms, so no more availability appears? When it does appear there is availability, perhaps that is from Owners who are canceling their own reservations?

 

[SpaceMountain77]

That depends on the particular member's circumstances. Someone with a May reservation but an August use year must seriously consider cancelling by March 31 to be able to bank points. Moroever, cancelling by no later than 31 days out should be considered by all with a May reservation to assure ability to bank existing points if DVC changes the coronavirus rules. Everyone needs to ask the question: how far do you trust the modern DVC, e.g., does anyone else assume there might be a risk that DVC could suddenly change its mind and decide to reverse itself on the special coronavirus cancellation rules and declare a return to the holding rule and the inability to put borrowed points back into their original use year.

There is also the issue of a future date for a visit. If you have a reservation for May and your alternative dates would be, for example, sometime in August through mid-January, you should seriously consider cancelling now if you can find any desired room openings for the times you want because those dates could easily disappear if you wait until May to cancel. Moreover, what you will be able to do with your existing airline tickets folds into that same consideration. The airline may waive any fees for a change now but may change its mind in May. Also, the price for a flight for a later time you may want to go may be lower than what you paid for the May flights. I personally had a late April to early May reservation that I cancelled 33 days out because I got an equally desirable late Aug time and room and found the applicable Southwest airfare was even less than I was paying for the cancelled trip.

@drusba , this is an excellent post that nicely captures our challenge. We had a May reservation. Because of our use year, banked points, and limited rebooking options before August 31st, cancelling and grabbing the nights we could in July seemed like the best option.

Also, DVC continues to hold firm to its banking policy. Had Disney cancelled our reservation, the banking window would have closed and we would have had less summer inventory from which to select.

From my perspective, anyone with an August or September use year with an April or May reservation is in a tight spot right now.

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

@drusba , this is an excellent post that nicely captures our challenge. We had a May reservation. Because of our use year, banked points, and limited rebooking options before August 31st, cancelling and grabbing the nights we could in July seemed like the best option.

Also, DVC continues to hold firm to its banking policy. Had Disney cancelled our reservation, the banking window would have closed and we would have had less summer inventory from which to select.

From my perspective, anyone with an August or September use year with an April or May reservation is in a tight spot right now.

Or a May 29th reservation with a June UY.

 

[Sandisw]

I have found this to be odd and difficult to express on the boards.

Although Central Reservations is not accepting new reservations prior to June 1st, we are able to make and modify reservations, for April and May, using the online system.

Regarding availability, it seems as though a significant number of members are assuming that the parks will reopen April 1st. Right now, Beach Club Villas has 1-bedroom availability, from April 5th through the 11th, but not for a studio or a studio or 2-bedroom villa.

Every resort should have open availability through April 9th given the Orange County stay-at-home mandate.

My thoughts? DVC is waiving holding penalties with the closure so there is no need really for them to block out and change the DVc online booking tool.

For cash guests, they have to pay a deposit to book. So, I’d they allowed bookings to continue, and don’t open and cancel, they just have to turn around and have to process a refund.

 

[Sandisw]

@drusba , this is an excellent post that nicely captures our challenge. We had a May reservation. Because of our use year, banked points, and limited rebooking options before August 31st, cancelling and grabbing the nights we could in July seemed like the best option.

Also, DVC continues to hold firm to its banking policy. Had Disney cancelled our reservation, the banking window would have closed and we would have had less summer inventory from which to select.

From my perspective, anyone with an August or September use year with an April or May reservation is in a tight spot right now.

When my group decided Friday to move our May trip to late October I got three nights in a 1 bedroom at VGF and one night in a 1 bedroom BW view BWV,

Yesterday, those rooms were gone! So. It was just perfect timing so I agree, the longer May visitors hold out who may want to travel before next January, the less chance they will have to book and use points

 

[peabody58]

A week ago I cancelled our May 3-8 trip and banked the points into our Sept UY. Then we were barely able to snag a 4 nt SSE Std 1 BR so we could do the DHS Moonlight Magic on Sept 15th. Now with a 6/1 opening projected, our AP should be good thru at least 12/10. Very little availability already early Dec as we try to decide to borrow more points and squeeze some more out of our AP/TIW. Oh 1st world problems.

 

[gharter]

My guess is that they are hopeful that they can open resorts at some time in May. However, they won’t be opening all resorts at once. By not allowing additional reservations to be made, they can move guests from still-closed resorts to the open ones. And if they cannot open during May dates, then there are fewer guests to refund.

This would make sense. And it would help limit the number of guests in the parks when they do reopen.

 

[momtwoboys]

Or a May 29th reservation with a June UY.

or had an April ressie with a June UY.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

I'm so sorry for all of you fellow DVC members faced with this situation. My next trip isn't until the end of Jan 2021, I sure hope by that time we as a country and world have this CV-19 under control. I hope that fellow members with trips planned as far out as mine don't have to deal with these decisions. I hope it all works out for all of you.

Stay safe and healthy.

 

[dcfromva]

I have a reservation at Vero Beach for 10 May made with banked points (expire 1 Oct). I am trying to decide if I should cancel now or wait until Disney cancels. At this point, I figure there is a 1% chance we will be able to go (that is if there is a sudden and miraculous cure).

 

[Sandisw]

I have a reservation at Vero Beach for 10 May made with banked points (expire 1 Oct). I am trying to decide if I should cancel now or wait until Disney cancels. At this point, I figure there is a 1% chance we will be able to go (that is if there is a sudden and miraculous cure).

The only benefit to cancel now is that you will have a larger section of rooms to choose from to use up those points before they expire,

I think the longer this goes on, the less likely it is that changes will be made to banking rules and expiring points.

 

[g_ppetto]

The CDC recommendations for social distancing, etc. was for eight weeks. I think that eight week period ends sometime during the second week of May. A June 1 opening doesn't sound unreasonable at this point, but may be optimistic based upon the behavior of people and how the virus is spreading. Some states are slower than others when it comes to imposing restrictions.

We have reservations for the first week in May. Some points are from this UY, some are borrowed from next year. Our UY ends at the end of May. From what I understand about points, which isn't much, the points from next UY will be returned to that year. For this UY points, if we had wanted to bank them we would have had to do it in January. If we were to cancel at this point, I think this UY points would be banked, but we still would not be able to use them as everything will probably still be closed. I think our best bet is to wait and see what Disney and DVC do.