Help-- Booking Less Than 7 Days

[ccomp23]

Hello! Our family often doesn't want to stay for an entire week on our vacations, preferring 4-5 nights because of our toddler. I am trying to figure out the best way to get trips for less than 7 days when there is usually low inventory at 10 months. What would happen if I book a vacation for 7 days at the 12 month mark, and then at the 10 month mark cancel and immediately rebook the same resort for 4-5 days? Would the resort immediately come back in inventory as soon as I cancel? Also, could I call MVC and ask them to drop a few days? Do you have any other adivce? I would appreciate your help!

 

[Pamplemousse]

If you cancel it’s a risk you might be able to grab the nights back or they might go to a waitlist or someone else might grab them.

I have been told a csr would also have to cancel the reservation and there is a danger they could lose the nights too- I did have a csr successfully cancel and rebook for me last year when we had a change of plans.

 

[ccomp23]

If you cancel it’s a risk you might be able to grab the nights back or they might go to a waitlist or someone else might grab them.

I have been told a csr would also have to cancel the reservation and there is a danger they could lose the nights too- I did have a csr successfully cancel and rebook for me last year when we had a change of plans.

Thanks-- any other advice in booking less nights than 7?

 

[Pamplemousse]

Be sure to search often- inventory changes all the time.

I sometimes book nights as they come available with points booking bridge nights with cancellable cash reservations in the same view in case I get close to what I want.

Luckily sounds like a short term problem for you.

 

[Fasttr]

Also, could I call MVC and ask them to drop a few days? Do you have any other adivce? I would appreciate your help!

Here is the rule from the Exchange Procedures for dropping a few days...
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If a reservation is modified prior to the first day of a confirmed Use Period to result in a shorter duration than would have been permitted at the time the reservation was made, any Exchange Points restored to the Program Member shall be placed into the Program Member’s Holding Account, subject to the restrictions on Holding Accounts as set forth in these Exchange Procedures.
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Alternatively, if the shorter stay resy is available at 10 months out, you can place it on hold, cancel the 7 night resy, and then book the held resy, assuming you have enough points to place the held resy. If you don’t have the extra points, the MVC rep can likely do it for you.

 

[Hindsite]

You can waitlist from 12 months ahead so consider doing that.

Another technique is to build up the reservation a few days at a time. Start with booking what is available and then wait list or check regularly for additional days to add. Make sure that you book the same unit size and view so you can join the reservations together and stay in the same unit.

 

[ccomp23]

Here is the rule from the Exchange Procedures for dropping a few days...
——————————
If a reservation is modified prior to the first day of a confirmed Use Period to result in a shorter duration than would have been permitted at the time the reservation was made, any Exchange Points restored to the Program Member shall be placed into the Program Member’s Holding Account, subject to the restrictions on Holding Accounts as set forth in these Exchange Procedures.
——————————

Alternatively, if the shorter stay resy is available at 10 months out, you can place it on hold, cancel the 7 night resy, and then book the held resy, assuming you have enough points to place the held resy. If you don’t have the extra points, the MVC rep can likely do it for you.

Wait I am confused, so the first person who said they called and the rep was able to do this for them was wrong?

 

[ccomp23]

You can waitlist from 12 months ahead so consider doing that.

Another technique is to build up the reservation a few days at a time. Start with booking what is available and then wait list or check regularly for additional days to add. Make sure that you book the same unit size and view so you can join the reservations together and stay in the same unit.

Can I waitlist 12 months in advance for less than 7 months? I don't understand because you can't book less than 7 nights that far out.

 

[Hindsite]

Can I waitlist 12 months in advance for less than 7 months? I don't understand because you can't book less than 7 nights that far out.

Sorry forgot that. Its 10 months that you can book 1 night or more. I've not tried wait listing at 12 for less than 7 nights, but you could give it a go and see what they say.

Waitlisting at 10 months should be fine for most places, most times. What you are looking for is the bits that go in and out faster than the frequency that you search manually for, and to stay ahead of other people who might also be looking or setting up wait lists.

 

[Pamplemousse]

Wait I am confused, so the first person who said they called and the rep was able to do this for them was wrong?

If you are referring to me in post 2 above I had a 4 night reservation that I needed to make into a 3 night.
The csr had to cancel the 4, and then make the 3- they told me this by way of explaining the time it took.
I am not sure if the 3 night reservation was currently sitting in inventory or if the csr had to recapture the nights I released. Change was made at more than 60 days. My points didn’t go into holding- they were actually borrowed from the next year and returned to the use year. I called because I needed to cancel a waitlist request too so just had the csr do it all.

I don’t believe you can wait list for less than 7 nights at 12 months at owner benefit level.
Its always a debate if you want to waitlist because it ties up the points and makes it more complicated if you do find what you want.

Where are you trying to go? We may have an idea how likely.

 

[ccomp23]

If you are referring to me in post 2 above I had a 4 night reservation that I needed to make into a 3 night.
The csr had to cancel the 4, and then make the 3- they told me this by way of explaining the time it took.
I am not sure if the 3 night reservation was currently sitting in inventory or if the csr had to recapture the nights I released. Change was made at more than 60 days. My points didn’t go into holding- they were actually borrowed from the next year and returned to the use year. I called because I needed to cancel a waitlist request too so just had the csr do it all.

I don’t believe you can wait list for less than 7 nights at 12 months at owner benefit level.
Its always a debate if you want to waitlist because it ties up the points and makes it more complicated if you do find what you want.

Where are you trying to go? We may have an idea how likely.

That makes sense. Thank you so much for taking time to explain! We were hoping for Harborside in the Bahamas. We have been waitlisted since February 13th for February 13, 2026. But it is for a week when we only want 4 or 5 nights.

 

[Pamplemousse]

That makes sense. Thank you so much for taking time to explain! We were hoping for Harborside in the Bahamas. We have been waitlisted since February 13th for February 13, 2026. But it is for a week when we only want 4 or 5 nights.

I don’t have information on that resort- hopefully someone more familiar will comment.