Cash & Points?

[mjc2003]

We are going down in a few weeks and currently have a 1BR cash reservation with the member discount. There was/is nothing available on points for our entire stay. The other day, however, suddenly there was 2 days in the middle of our trip in a 1BR available, so I quickly called MS. I was told that b/c it's in the middle, there is a reasonable chance we'd have to switch rooms. I was confused, this is the same booking category (at BCV, so no views), but didn't fight it and just stuck with the cash reservation.
I just called back to give them our ME info and inquired about this issue; I was told this time that absolutely we'd be able to stay in the same room, we might need new keys but that would be the only change. I specifically explained what I was told a few days ago, and just got a "sorry, whoever you spoke with was mistaken". Quite annoying since I have points available to use and am paying over $400 a night for the room! So the info I got on the first call effectively cost me $810.

So now I want to start monitoring to see if any of my nights pop up due to a last minute cancelation, but don't know who to believe?

Anybody have experience with this, basically cash reservations with points in the middle (or vice versa)? Did you have to switch rooms?

[mousefan1972]

Sounds like the first CM gave you bad info. Cash reservations booked through MS can be linked to points reservations (assuming same resort/villa type) to ensure you wouldn't have to move. If the cash nights were booked through Disney and not MS, then all bets would be off. Sorry.

[cvjw]

They always say that they can't guarantee that you won't have to change rooms. We have booked split stays and gotten to stay in the same room, but went into the transaction knowing there was a chance that we would have to move. If you find the days available again, only you can decide if saving $400 per night is worth the CHANCE that you will have to change rooms.

[mjc2003]

Originally Posted by mousefan1972

Sounds like the first CM gave you bad info. Cash reservations booked through MS can be linked to points reservations (assuming same resort/villa type) to ensure you wouldn't have to move. If the cash nights were booked through Disney and not MS, then all bets would be off. Sorry.

Thanks. We did book the cash nights through MS, so we are good there. The only consolation is that we would have used points that we probably need for a big trip we have planned for next October. Regardless, I'm going to keep looking in the event that somebody has to cancel last minute and 1-2 of the nights miraculously becomes available!

Originally Posted by cvjw

They always say that they can't guarantee that you won't have to change rooms. We have booked split stays and gotten to stay in the same room, but went into the transaction knowing there was a chance that we would have to move. If you find the days available again, only you can decide if saving $400 per night is worth the CHANCE that you will have to change rooms.

Problem is, I didn't get the standard boilerplate language of "we can't guarantee that you won't have to change rooms". I got one person telling me we probably WOULD have to move, and then another person telling us unequivocally that we would NOT have to move...hence the confusion!

[CRobin]

Originally Posted by mjc2003

Problem is, I didn't get the standard boilerplate language of "we can't guarantee that you won't have to change rooms". I got one person telling me we probably WOULD have to move, and then another person telling us unequivocally that we would NOT have to move...hence the confusion!

MS should have given you the former answer - no guarantee.

MS has nothing to do with room assignments other than communicating requests. The resorts have room assigners who work 7 - 10 days out from arrival and in theory look at linked reservations and attempt to avoid relocations.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

[mousefan1972]

We stayed at VWL on a linked stay last month. Because the 2 different reservations were linked by MS, the resort check in desk saw it as one contiguous reservation. We did not have to check out/back in nor did we have to get new keys. Obviously we stayed in the same villa. So OP, if you can get the same category booked using your points as you have using cash, be sure MS links the stays together. You will see it on the confirm they email you. On ours it said on the bottom something like "reservation linked with 123456778". That will ensure you definitely will NOT have to change rooms. Good luck!

[mjc2003]

Well the plot thickens. This morning I once again saw points availability during my stay, just one night in the middle. I called MS to see about switching it from cash to points, figuring I would take the risk of having to move because I think in all probability, they would do their best to not move us for one night.

The lady today told me that I can't do this b/c if I do, the remaining 3 nights at the end of the trip (on cash) would be dropped from the reservation, and go back into general availability and there was little guarantee she'd be able to rebook them. So we have 6 nights all cash, night 3 was available on points but if we booked it then our nights 4-6 would be cancelled.

Doesn't that sound odd? I didn't really press the issue because at this point there is to much ambiguity and you seem to get a different answer with each call.