Has there been a change in how the points are assigned for a reservation?

[Sandisw]

Okay! I got the lock!! I used my SSR points to book AKV last night and went to move today and it was locked.

So, using my SSR to book and move SSR nights at 7 months….no lock.

Booking a SSR night about 4 months out using my VGF points and going to move it now, no lock.

But, booking AKV with the SSR points and moving it right at 7 months created the lock.

 

[Sandisw]

Are any of you using direct points vs resale points? Maybe that makes a difference too

Mine are resale points purchased in 2017, but can book everything.

My VGF points are direct and that one didn’t produce the lock.

So, let me see what happens if I use direct points to try the exaclty at 7 month booking today and moving tomorrow

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Okay! I got the lock!! I used my SSR points to book AKV last night and went to move today and it was locked.

So, using my SSR to book and move SSR nights at 7 months….no lock.

Booking a SSR night about 4 months out using my VGF points and going to move it now, no lock.

But, booking AKV with the SSR points and moving it right at 7 months created the lock.

Very interesting thread. Sorry if you've mentioned it here already, but are your SSR points direct/resale? VGF?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Sorry - you were too fast for me! Thanks.

 

[disneygrandma]

My points were SSR direct sale, and I booked a 2 bedroom at BCV exactly at 7 months. The next day I moved it by one day, and no lock. However, the day after I modified to drop a day, and there was a lock.

 

[ehh]

Okay! I got the lock!! I used my SSR points to book AKV last night and went to move today and it was locked.

So, using my SSR to book and move SSR nights at 7 months….no lock.

Booking a SSR night about 4 months out using my VGF points and going to move it now, no lock.

But, booking AKV with the SSR points and moving it right at 7 months created the lock.

My AUL reservation for Sep 18 using AUL points got the lock after walking this morning to Sep 19. So I wasn't able to reproduce your SSR@SSR no lock scenario yet.

My AUL points are resale, and I don't have any current-UY direct points to test with currently.

 

[Sandisw]

So, it seems we have not yet found anything that is consistent…other than some are seeing locks when they are making and moving trips at 7 months.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Do the locks require MS intervention to unlock them, or do they unlock on their own eventually?

 

[Sandisw]

Do the locks require MS intervention to unlock them, or do they unlock on their own eventually?

Typically once locked they don’t unlock…you have call MS if you want to use different points.

I have not had a situation where the lock was there for anything other than a trip that started as an 11 month booking.

These I have been trying have just been for experiments. ,

 

[juliebee]

Thanks for experimenting! I'm curious if this is part of a plan to curb walking. My points are all booked up so I can't experiment and appreciate those that are trying to figure out this new wrinkle.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for experimenting! I'm curious if this is part of a plan to curb walking. My points are all booked up so I can't experiment and appreciate those that are trying to figure out this new wrinkle.

It doesn’t curb walking because you still can. You just can’t change which contract is used first.

You can still move it without issue.

 

[Sandisw]

Update.....my reservation made yesterday at 7 months for SSR with my direct VGF contract, could be moved today without a lock on it.

I even went back and attempted a move of my June night to a different night within the 7 month window, made with VGF points, and it too wasn't locked....

So, at this point, my resale, but grandfathered SSR points that I used to book AKV got locked....my direct points did not in either of the two memberships that hold them.....

 

[sndral]

Update.....my reservation made yesterday at 7 months for SSR with my direct VGF contract, could be moved today without a lock on it.

I even went back and attempted a move of my June night to a different night within the 7 month window, made with VGF points, and it too wasn't locked....

So, at this point, my resale, but grandfathered SSR points that I used to book AKV got locked....my direct points did not in either of the two memberships that hold them.....

When this ‘glitch’ surfaced it occurred to me that it could be an unintended consequence to some kind of programming/software tweak. Disney has priors for things like this occurring - I recall that the digital card roll out was plagued by issues caused by how it was programmed to recognize who qualified for a Y card.
I know you have several memberships & also own some resale Riviera points - I wonder if the SSR/AKV booking was made w/ a membership that also holds restricted resale Riviera points & the locking could be the unintended consequence of tweaking to make sure restricted points aren’t used at other resorts .
The only other thing I thought of is the recent roll out of the $ MM likely required software tweaks & maybe they made programming changes to limit which memberships were eligible the for $MM & those changes somehow had unintended booking consequences - altho’ not being a software type that makes less sense to me.

 

[Sandisw]

When this ‘glitch’ surfaced it occurred to me that it could be an unintended consequence to some kind of programming/software tweak. Disney has priors for things like this occurring - I recall that the digital card roll out was plagued by issues caused by how it was programmed to recognize who qualified for a Y card.
I know you have several memberships & also own some resale Riviera points - I wonder if the SSR/AKV booking was made w/ a membership that also holds restricted resale Riviera points & the locking could be the unintended consequence of tweaking to make sure restricted points aren’t used at other resorts .
The only other thing I thought of is the recent roll out of the $ MM likely required software tweaks & maybe they made programming changes to limit which memberships were eligible the for $MM & those changes somehow had unintended booking consequences - altho’ not being a software type that makes less sense to me.

The membership that has SSR has direct RIV.

My resale RIV are with direct VGF and I have not been able to duplicate a lock on that membership.

I don’t have any resale RIV points available in my 2024 UY free to try this as they are in my Dec UY…so everything for that is going to be home resort booking which always locks.

 

[sndral]

The membership that has SSR has direct RIV.

My resale RIV are with direct VGF and I have not been able to duplicate a lock on that membership.

I don’t have any resale RIV points available in my 2024 UY free to try this as they are in my Dec UY…so everything for that is going to be home resort booking which always locks.

Well, there goes that theory . Thanks for trying to figure out what’s going on.

 

[ehh]

I remembered that my June UY has direct VGF points available to book. Booked SSR for 3 nights, Sep 20-23 and will walk it tomorrow to see if I can reproduce @Sandisw's direct points = no lock after walking.

Each of my UYs would qualify as DVC-Y memberships.

 

[ehh]

I remembered that my June UY has direct VGF points available to book. Booked SSR for 3 nights, Sep 20-23 and will walk it tomorrow to see if I can reproduce @Sandisw's direct points = no lock after walking.

Each of my UYs would qualify as DVC-Y memberships.

Following up on this...

On Feb 20, I booked 3 nights at SSR, Sep 20-23. This was booked with direct VGF points.

Today, Feb 21, I walked that reservation to become Sep 21-24. During the process of walking, there was no lock. Immediately after walking, I went back to modify again and there was the padlock.

At this point I haven't been able to reproduce a single 7m walking scenario that didn't lock the contract for the reservation immediately after walking. I've tested:

• Resale AUL points at AUL
• Resale AUL points at CCV and SSR
• Direct VGF points at SSR

I won't test VGF@VGF because 7m inventory is limited and I don't want to mess up anyone's attempt to grab what's left of the VGF inventory.

Adding nights has not locked the contract, but dropping the first night (or more) has locked it every time I've tested it. Every time I've tested so far has been a pure walking condition.

Next up to test: booking 3 nights, waiting 4 days to 'break' the walk, then moving it.

 

[ehh]

Following up on this...

On Feb 20, I booked 3 nights at SSR, Sep 20-23. This was booked with direct VGF points.

Today, Feb 21, I walked that reservation to become Sep 21-24. During the process of walking, there was no lock. Immediately after walking, I went back to modify again and there was the padlock.

At this point I haven't been able to reproduce a single 7m walking scenario that didn't lock the contract for the reservation immediately after walking. I've tested:

• Resale AUL points at AUL
• Resale AUL points at CCV and SSR
• Direct VGF points at SSR

I won't test VGF@VGF because 7m inventory is limited and I don't want to mess up anyone's attempt to grab what's left of the VGF inventory.

Adding nights has not locked the contract, but dropping the first night (or more) has locked it every time I've tested it. Every time I've tested so far has been a pure walking condition.

Next up to test: booking 3 nights, waiting 4 days to 'break' the walk, then moving it.

Test follow-up time!

On Feb 21, I booked a reservation for Sep 21-24 with AUL points at SSR. I waited 4 days to 'break the walk' and moved it to Sep 25-28. After moving the reservation start date from Sep 21 to Sep 25, I again have the padlock.

Of note, similar to the 'real walking' tests I've done, the padlock didn't appear while doing this non-walk move, only after the move.

 

[gr8ful]

Thank you for this thread! I am trying to learn about walking a reservation and this has helped.

I would appreciate your advice on the best way to book multiple rooms at VGF for a Feb 2026 trip. This our
home resort, so we plan to book at 11 months. The travel party consists of my wife and I, and our son, daughter-in-law, and four grandkids.

We hope to book a 7-day stay in a deluxe studio for us and a 2 BR villa for our family. I am concerned with my ability to book two rooms the morning the 11-month window opens, so I am thinking of booking the 2 BR the day before and then modifying the beginning and ending dates the following day.

So, if we wanted to book a studio and a 2 BR at VGF for Feb 8 - 14, 2026:
1. At 8 a.m. on March 7, 2025 book the 2 BR for Feb 7 - 14, 2026
2. At 8 a.m. on March 8, 2025 book the deluxe studio for the correct dates of Feb 8 - 14, 2026
3. Modify the 2 BR reservation to the real dates (Feb 8 - 14)

Is this the best plan?

Sorry for asking such a basic question; first time booking multiple rooms and attempting to walk a reservation.
These things make me nervous.

I am grateful for any input you can provide.

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you for this thread! I am trying to learn about walking a reservation and this has helped.

I would appreciate your advice on the best way to book multiple rooms at VGF for a Feb 2026 trip. This our
home resort, so we plan to book at 11 months. The travel party consists of my wife and I, and our son, daughter-in-law, and four grandkids.

We hope to book a 7-day stay in a deluxe studio for us and a 2 BR villa for our family. I am concerned with my ability to book two rooms the morning the 11-month window opens, so I am thinking of booking the 2 BR the day before and then modifying the beginning and ending dates the following day.

So, if we wanted to book a studio and a 2 BR at VGF for Feb 8 - 14, 2026:
1. At 8 a.m. on March 7, 2025 book the 2 BR for Feb 7 - 14, 2026
2. At 8 a.m. on March 8, 2025 book the deluxe studio for the correct dates of Feb 8 - 14, 2026
3. Modify the 2 BR reservation to the real dates (Feb 8 - 14)

Is this the best plan?

Sorry for asking such a basic question; first time booking multiple rooms and attempting to walk a reservation.
These things make me nervous.

I am grateful for any input you can provide.

That is what I would do when I know I have to book two rooms and we don’t have flexibility with dates.