One of the fun parts about owning DVC points is being able to use them at different resorts! With the exception of resale points at Riviera or the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, you can use your points to book at a non-home resort starting at the 7-month mark. If you are new to DVC, here are some tips to make modifying your DVC reservation a little easier.
Be Prompt and Persistent
Non-home resort availability is best at 8am ET at the 7-month mark. This also means you are better off trying to modify the reservation yourself online rather than waiting to call Member Services at 9am ET.
Even if you can’t get the reservation that you want right at the 7-month mark, go ahead and set that waitlist. After all, the earlier you can place that waitlist, the better your chances are of getting it. Be sure to continue checking the DVC website from time to time too since you may be able to find the reservation before your waitlist comes through.
Aim for Villas with Greater Availability
In general, availability is best for the larger DVC resorts like Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Kidani Village. Since the Deluxe Studios tend to be the first room type to book up, your odds are also greater with One Bedroom Villas.
Don’t forget to consider which booking categories may have more inventory too. For example, at Bay Lake Tower, Standard Views go quickly due to their low point value, which leaves Theme Park View and Lake View. Across all room types, there are more Lake View units than Theme Park View ones, so you are more likely to find a Lake View room.
Plan in Advance for a Split Stay
Split stays can be a fun way to try out different resorts in one trip. Since you can’t convert a single reservation into two or more separate reservations without the risk of losing part of your reservation, book a split stay by first making more than one reservation at your home resort at the 11-month mark. This way you can modify the part(s) for which you’d like to stay at another resort.
Watch Out for Your Banked or Borrowed Points
If you used any banked or borrowed points for your original reservation at the 11-month mark, keep that in mind when you modify your DVC reservation at the 7-month mark. With banking and borrowing being final transactions, you’ll want to make sure that the new reservation uses up those points. If your new reservation requires fewer points than the original one, and it doesn’t use up all the banked or borrowed points, those leftover points will need to be used before they expire at the end of the Use Year.
Some Times of the Year Are Easier Than Others
As with booking at the 11-month mark, some times of the year are less popular and therefore easier to book. For instance, you may have better luck modifying a reservation for the end of January or during the summer than you would for the beginning of December when demand for rooms is high.
Combine Points If Needed
Don’t forget that you can combine points from different contracts at the 7-month mark. If you have the contracts under the same membership but with different home resorts, you can choose which contract(s) you would like to use when you make your reservation. If you have contracts under different memberships (i.e., contracts with different Use Years), you can still combine them, but you’ll have to call Member Services to transfer points from one contract to another.
Note that even when combining points for a modified reservation, the same rules apply for any resale restrictions. For example, if you have a direct contract and a resale contract that was purchased after January 2019, only the points from the direct contract can be used to book at Riviera or the Villas at Disneyland Hotel.
