Changing reservation dates: can you?

GBBTomorrow

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Hi! I'm planning a trip for next summer, but there's a whole lot that's still up in the air. If it works out, I want to try to get into Grand Californian. One-bedrooms are available there for my 7-month window, so here are my questions:
  1. If I would go ahead and book for that one-bedroom in early June, is it possible to push it back a few weeks as my booking window moves forward (assuming there would be availability)? Is it difficult/possible to change dates?
  2. If the California trip doesn't work out, would it be allowed to switch the reservation to a WDW DVC resort instead? (Even if using banked/borrowed points?)
Thanks in advance for helping make sense of this! I've always just booked and been done with it in the past, but this one is going to be more complicated. Curious what my options are.
 
1. It is pretty easy to modify a reservations online (change/move the dates). But since you are at the 7 month mark, days just ahead of the 7 month mark may disappear before you are able to modify your reservation to that date. Home resort, VCG, owners could make the reservation ahead of you. Also even if the next 2 weeks are available on the RAT, the number of rooms available is not indicated. There could be one day (say a Friday) that only has 1 room available. As you and 2-3 other people are modifying their reservations, the one who reserves that night first, gets a room, and the rest of you are out of luck. That's why "walking" a 7 month reservation is always risky, you are better off with a 7 day reservations (need the points), changing every day, and closer to 8AM Eastern time.

2. Banked and borrowed points can be used for any purpose: any DVC resort, RCI, or Disney room and hotel collection (based on points rights). So if you change your mind (or lose availability), you can use the banked or borrowed points at a WDW DVC resort, within the UY requirements.
 
If I were you, and was not borrowing points to make the reservation, I would make it as soon as the 7 month window opens. No harm if you cancel it before the appropriate deadlines (banking and holding)
You can walk it at 7 months if there is availability (it is not bulletproof like 11 month walking, but its better than just trying to change it by a few weeks.

Banking and borrowing are final transactions, but outside of that they are not restricted like holding points are. They are the same as current points with the one exception that the do expire at the end of the UY they have been moved into
 


As mentioned, changing reservations on the website is easy and there are no penalties for doing it. Any borrowed points, though, will remain borrowed and need to be used by the end of the UY.

You can adjust to VGC or WDW. It will all come down to what is available for you.
 
As long as you didn't book one of the hotels at DLR. If you book the hotel instead of the DVC, your points become reservation points and can only be used at non-DVC resorts.
 



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