Holding points being used early?

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I think trusty old Disney IT is at it again but maybe in my favor this time?

I just got a booking confirmation email for a night I was waitlisting to piecemeal together a trip at the end of April/beginning of May and the first weird thing was that it was a repeat confirmation email from yesterday when I booked the few available nights but it prompted me to check my dashboard to see if anything changed in the upcoming trips section and yep! The night I needed to bridge 5 nights came through and says confirmed booked.

Now here’s the more bizarre thing: I have 17 pts in holding. This trip is still more than 60 days out (almost 90 days actually) and while it wasn’t the smartest move I admit, when I made the waitlist I asked for it to borrow the extra pts I needed for the night and I was hedging my bets that the waitlist wouldn’t come through until the 60day window when people need to make last minute changes before their 31day window kicks in. The hope was it would then use the holding points first automatically and borrow the remaining 8pts.

I guess I hedged wrong and the waitlist came through only a day later but it looks like it did what I was hoping anyway. My holding points are now gone and it looks like only 8pts were borrowed from next year.

Was this just an IT fluke? Or maybe the system wants to use current UY points before borrowing even if they are in holding even if the booking window is more than 60days out? That seems counterintuitive to the whole point of holding points but maybe this is an unexpected loophole? Maybe because it was a waitlist coming through the system didn’t recognize it as a normal booking and allowed the holding points to go first before doing the permanent thing and borrow points? Or maybe there’s a logical explanation I’m missing, anyone have any idea?

I want to play around with it and cancel that booking to see if those points go back into holding or not since we’re more than 60 days out but I don’t want to tempt my good luck, not to mention lose that waitlisted night I just got lol

If you made it this far, well done

 

[CarolynFH]

I would most certainly not touch that reservation! Just keep an eye on it. It sounds like the CM who completed the WL (it’s a manual process, not automated) decided to grant you a little pixie dust!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Oh I didn’t realize waitlists were fulfilled by CMs that’s really interesting I thought they were automatic but now that you mention it, it makes sense since people say they can usually find reservations faster by stalking than waiting for the waitlist to come through.

And it also makes sense this was a little pixie dust from the CM, as you’ve said. I took a look at the point activity and there were a few changes that were made in this process so they clearly wanted to make this work out for me. That’s a really nice thought actually I wish I knew how to reach out to them and thank them.

 

[CarolynFH]

Oh I didn’t realize waitlists were fulfilled by CMs that’s really interesting I thought they were automatic but now that you mention it, it makes sense since people say they can usually find reservations faster by stalking than waiting for the waitlist to come through.

And it also makes sense this was a little pixie dust from the CM, as you’ve said. I took a look at the point activity and there were a few changes that were made in this process so they clearly wanted to make this work out for me. That’s a really nice thought actually I wish I knew how to reach out to them and thank them.

None of us know exactly how the WL works, but it seems the system grabs the room and sets it aside, then a CM has to go through a manual process to complete it. That manual process can take some unknown and variable amount of time. Obviously the CM had to look at your account to borrow points, and they probably saw the holding points and guessed what your hopes were. Win-win for you!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

None of us know exactly how the WL works, but it seems the system grabs the room and sets it aside, then a CM has to go through a manual process to complete it. That manual process can take some unknown and variable amount of time. Obviously the CM had to look at your account to borrow points, and they probably saw the holding points and guessed what your hopes were. Win-win for you!

A small part of me wishes I had stumbled upon a little loophole but this explanation makes a lot of sense and just reinforces my deep appreciation for the cast members.

 

[skier_pete]

I wouldn't touch a thing, and even make a screen grab of the reservation just in case they realize their mistake and cancel it on you. I think you either got lucky and someone was nice or you got lucky and found a glitch and either way I wouldn't temp it.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I wouldn't touch a thing, and even make a screen grab of the reservation just in case they realize their mistake and cancel it on you. I think you either got lucky and someone was nice or you got lucky and found a glitch and either way I wouldn't temp it.

No no I definitely see my good fortune and won’t mess with that. If it was a CM being nice it’s good to know they can do this. Really appreciate it. Good idea to take a screenshot actually, thanks!

 

[Sandisw]

No no I definitely see my good fortune and won’t mess with that. If it was a CM being nice it’s good to know they can do this. Really appreciate it. Good idea to take a screenshot actually, thanks!

I lean toward someone giving you a bit of pixie dust instead of borrowing.