Modifying a DVC Reservation: What to Avoid
Besides banking and borrowing, another feature that gives Disney Vacation Club points added flexibility is the ability to modify a reservation. You can change your dates or room type, or try a different resort, by going to the DVC website or calling Member Services. However, there are some scenarios you may want to avoid when modifying your stays.
1. Making Changes That Leave You with Unusable Points
Sometimes when you modify your reservation, the new reservation uses fewer points than the original one. It can be a nice bonus to save some points, but you’ll want to pay attention to which points are returned.
Any leftover banked or borrowed points must be used before they expire at the end of the Use Year in which they are available. They cannot be banked again or returned to their original Use Year. Current Use Year points may still be bankable if you are within your banking deadline and they aren’t otherwise restricted.
This may not matter much if you have a lot of time left in your Use Year but could be tougher if you are close to the end of the Use Year and don’t have many opportunities left to travel.
Kidani Village Savanna Overlook at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Be Careful When Modifying a Reservation Within 30 Days
Also, if you modify a reservation 30 days or fewer before check-in and the new reservation requires fewer points, the leftover points would go into a Holding Account.
Points in Holding Accounts can only be used to book trips 60 days or fewer before check-in and must be used by the end of the current Use Year. They also cannot be banked, which makes them much harder to use.
For this reason, it’s worth checking your points and Use Year deadlines before confirming a modification.
2. Trying to Swap Out the Points Used for a Reservation
If you have more than one Home Resort, it may be tempting to modify your reservation to try to replace the points you used to book your stay, but this is not always possible.
As an example, let’s say you booked the Grand Floridian at the 11-month mark and at the seven-month mark wanted to modify your reservation to instead pull the points from your Saratoga Springs contract in an effort to free up your Grand Floridian points for another trip.
Although Saratoga Springs points can be used to book a reservation at the Grand Floridian during the seven-month booking window, you can’t necessarily make that change to an existing reservation.
The DVC website may prevent you from selecting a different contract for a reservation originally secured with Home Resort priority. It’s one way the system protects the Home Resort advantage.
Swapping out the points used for a reservation is generally more straightforward when the original reservation was made within the seven-month booking window. If you’re hoping to free up Home Resort points from an existing reservation, it’s worth checking with Member Services before making changes.
Grand Floridian One-Bedroom Villa
3. Trying to Create a Split Stay from One Reservation
Split stays (vacations where you stay at more than one resort) can be a fun way to enjoy different atmospheres and be closer to different theme parks. Nevertheless, it’s often best to plan in advance for a split stay by booking multiple separate reservations at your Home Resort during the 11-month booking window and then modifying one or more parts of that trip once the seven-month booking window opens.
If you try to create a split stay by modifying one long reservation, you may risk losing a part of your trip in the process.
For example, if you had a six-night stay booked at Bay Lake Tower, and you wanted to change it into three nights at Bay Lake Tower and three at the BoardWalk, there is no direct way to split that existing reservation into two separate resort reservations online.
Unless you have enough points to first book the BoardWalk and then shorten the Bay Lake Tower reservation, you would need to shorten the Bay Lake Tower reservation to three nights and then use the freed-up points to book the three nights at the BoardWalk.
However, there is always the chance that you could miss out on room availability while trying to free up the points. Since DVC availability can change quickly, this approach comes with some risk.
If you don’t have enough points to book the second resort first, consider contacting Member Services to discuss your options before modifying the original reservation.
Bay Lake Tower One-Bedroom Villa
What to Check Before Modifying Your DVC Reservation
Modifying a DVC reservation can be a great way to make the most of your points, but it’s worth reviewing a few details before confirming a change:
- Your Use Year and banking deadline: Will any returned points expire before you can use them?
- Your check-in date: Are you within 30 days of arrival, when leftover points may go into Holding?
- The points used for your reservation: Are they current, banked, or borrowed points?
- Your Home Resort booking window: Will changing contracts affect your ability to keep the reservation?
- Room availability: Could modifying one reservation put part of your vacation at risk?
A little planning can help you avoid losing points or giving up a reservation you wanted to keep.
If you’re considering adding more points or purchasing another Home Resort, explore the available DVC resale listings or schedule a consultation with the DVC Resale Market team.
You can also access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.
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