Orlando APR Uncertainty

[jpa2825]

Some background:

* - 550 banked points that must be used by 7.31.16 (my 14/15 points that were banked to 15/16)
* - 2500 15/16 points already banked to 16/17
* - 2500 16/17 points untouched

Trip to Orlando planned. Will leave Cincinnati (driving) AM on WED APR 6 and return SUN APR 10.

Options:
A - Hotel on WED and SAT nights & MVC THU & FRI to avoid 12 hr. drives in 1 day. I hate to use points on WED night if getting in very late and SAT night if leaving crack of dawn on SUN.
B - Hotel on SAT night only and MVC WED - SAT (3 nts). Commit to the full drive on WED and break it up on SAT / SUN. Allows to spend some time in Orlando on SAT and then head out. Avoids expensive SAT night MVC.
C - MVC on WED - SUN (4 nts.). Advantage of only unpacking once.

All 3 of the options will burn the full 550 points I need to spend. The excess would be "pulled forward" from the original 16/17 tranche since the banked 15/16 points cannot be moved again, right? (HS Spring Break time so MVC point values are fairly high in Orlando.)

Any thoughts on the merits of the above would be appreciated. However, the main question is what happens if I reserve all 4 nights and then end up deciding to cut the stay down to 3 or 2 nights? I seem to recall that those cancelled points would end up in a restricted account? Maybe there are days out deadlines to do this?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[tiel]

If I understand correctly, once you check in, you will not get any points back if you decide to cut your stay short. If you shorten your stay fewer than 60 days before checkin, the points will be placed in a restricted account. Once in that restricted account, the points can be used only for ressies fewer than 60 days prior to your desired checkin. If you shorten your stay more than 60 days out, the points are simply returned to your your account without restrictions.

 

[dioxide45]

This is from page 9 of the DC Exchange Procedures. Bolding is mine.

Check-In and Check-Out; Early Check-Out. Each Component may have the right to establish the check-in and check-out times for such Component. Consequently, each Component may have different check-in and check-out times, and Program Members will be restricted to the established times. All of the Exchange Points applied to a confirmed reservation are considered used starting on the first day of the reserved Use Period. Program Members are not entitled to a partial refund of Exchange Points if the Program Member checks in after the first day of the confirmed Use Period or checks out before the scheduled departure date.

I would really be hard pressed to drive to Orlando for only two nights. I would be driving an hour further than you from Dayton Ohio. That is too much for me.

 

[jpa2825]

Thanks. Definitely would decide on trip itinerary before leaving so the question is not about leaving early after check-in.

Thanks to tiel for the 60 days & restricted information. I thought I remembered something like that. Assume the points keep their original expiration even though restricted and MVC would pull the earliest for the nights we actually use. In this example, if I reserved for 4 nights and then called back 2 weeks before arrival to cancel the SAT night, the 550 15/16 points would be used for the WED/THU/FRI, then the 16/17 non-banked points would be used for those nights and then the points that would go into the restricted account would be the 16/17 non-banked points with a 7.31.17 expiration. (I'm guessing their restricted status would prevent them from being banked to 17/18 if not used by 7.31.17.)

Dio -- agree on the drive. There are 4 of us going, so it makes flying much more expensive. Family obligations in Daytona and expiring points are what is driving this trip (pun intended). At least we should have a casual trip down on WED and likely break up the drive SAT/SUN coming back. Gives us 2.5 days in Daytona / Orlando to go with 2 days worth of driving. Not a great ratio, admittedly.

 

[dioxide45]

Have you considered Frontier out of CVG? I know it is Frontier, but their prices are cheap. We recently booked flights do Orlando out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky for about $200pp round trip including bags and seat selection. I suspect that driving is still cheaper than flying when you add in rental car when you get there, but something to consider.

 

[jpa2825]

Have you considered Frontier out of CVG? I know it is Frontier, but their prices are cheap. We recently booked flights do Orlando out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky for about $200pp round trip including bags and seat selection. I suspect that driving is still cheaper than flying when you add in rental car when you get there, but something to consider.

Good suggestion. Rethought the length of the trip and sprung for 4 plane tix on Frontier as suggested. Bought the "Discount Den" for $50 for a year's subscription and got the outbound flights for $30 per seat. $117 each to come back on a SAT morning. Even with 2 bags checked each way, 4 tix for $750.

Thought about checking out of Royal Palms on FRI night for a Residence Inn close to the airport due to early flight out on SAT morning and to save 500 MVC points, but decided against due to the hassle.

Should be fun. Thanks for the help.

 

[Finntastic]

Does that 12 hours include breaks or does that turn into 13-14. We did a 16 hour day last yr on way to Ocean Watch in Mrytle Beach due to getting turned around in a little town just 5 min off the highway. "5"min my...you know what!! Anyhoo, never again! 12 hrs is long but doable if your kids are all over 7 or 8. Enjoy Orlando!

 

[dioxide45]

Good suggestion. Rethought the length of the trip and sprung for 4 plane tix on Frontier as suggested. Bought the "Discount Den" for $50 for a year's subscription and got the outbound flights for $30 per seat. $117 each to come back on a SAT morning. Even with 2 bags checked each way, 4 tix for $750.

Thought about checking out of Royal Palms on FRI night for a Residence Inn close to the airport due to early flight out on SAT morning and to save 500 MVC points, but decided against due to the hassle.

Should be fun. Thanks for the help.

The DC points cost on Fri and Sat nights is painful. I always try to find cheaper or better alternatives. For your dates though, that is in high season during spring break time, so there aren't many alternatives.

Glad you went with the flights, it will save you a lot of driving. Do let us know what you think of Frontier, we fly with them in May out of CVG.

 

[jpa2825]

I've flown them before. Usually just add $100 to the RT price for comparisons given bag fees and everything else. I try to avoid them when scheduling is critical and others are depending on my arrival. That is because if they have a problem, there are usually no other flights and the main carriers (Delta, United, American, etc.) won't honor Frontier's stranded passengers the way they do each others.

In this case, if we get stranded, we could always jump in the car and get to Orlando in the middle of the night via driving. Not optimal, but worth it. We'll also know the exact timing of when we need to be in Daytona for a dance competition by then, so could split the drive into 2 legs if necessary.

 

[Venter]

Driving

Some of you might remember me asking last year about moving to the USA form the UK. Cincinnati specifically. Well we have been here since April 2015.

My wife is the only one working at the moment due to visa laws etc. At the moment I drive us everywhere. We have done a trip to Orlando, Washington x 2, Gatlinburg x 2, New York, Tennessee and Atlanta.

We are a family of four. The plane tickets are just too expensive for us and I figured that as I cannot earn anything my driving us everywhere at least makes about $60/hour. In the case of Orlando anyway and after taking fuel and wear into the equation.

The kids sleep in the back of the car mostly and DW sits and work on her laptop. It is not as convenient and can be a bit of a strain on the body(sitting that long is not good) but works for us at the moment.

What I do love about being here is the drivable options. For instance I was excited to see about the new HHI house as an option which we would never consider living in England but as we have made some friends and like inviting people with us this sounded like another good option.

We have Surfwatch 3 bedroom in March and Daytona Beach 1 bedroom in June booked so far and will be driving there as well. Our situation will not work for everybody though so no judgement as I can afford to drive during the night because I am not working etc and sometimes the time saving of flying can make up for the cost too.

Have a safe trip.

Unfortunately it does not seem as our States adventure will be continuing so we will be going back to the UK in July. We had a great time though and the kids had a great experience. Wish I could have met up with some Tuggers while here as generally you all seem a great, friendly and helpful bunch worth acquainting.

 

[dioxide45]

Some of you might remember me asking last year about moving to the USA form the UK. Cincinnati specifically. Well we have been here since April 2015.

My wife is the only one working at the moment due to visa laws etc. At the moment I drive us everywhere. We have done a trip to Orlando, Washington x 2, Gatlinburg x 2, New York, Tennessee and Atlanta.

We are a family of four. The plane tickets are just too expensive for us and I figured that as I cannot earn anything my driving us everywhere at least makes about $60/hour. In the case of Orlando anyway and after taking fuel and wear into the equation.

The kids sleep in the back of the car mostly and DW sits and work on her laptop. It is not as convenient and can be a bit of a strain on the body(sitting that long is not good) but works for us at the moment.

What I do love about being here is the drivable options. For instance I was excited to see about the new HHI house as an option which we would never consider living in England but as we have made some friends and like inviting people with us this sounded like another good option.

We have Surfwatch 3 bedroom in March and Daytona Beach 1 bedroom in June booked so far and will be driving there as well. Our situation will not work for everybody though so no judgement as I can afford to drive during the night because I am not working etc and sometimes the time saving of flying can make up for the cost too.

Have a safe trip.

Unfortunately it does not seem as our States adventure will be continuing so we will be going back to the UK in July. We had a great time though and the kids had a great experience. Wish I could have met up with some Tuggers while here as generally you all seem a great, friendly and helpful bunch worth acquainting.

We too have driven to a lot of our destinations. We have driven to Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, Chicago. We also drive back to my parents in Ontario at least once a year. The interstate highway system makes moving around here so easy. I would however not drive to Orlando for 4 nights. That would be tough slog for such a short time. We now try to fly instead of drive whenever we can. Though current gas prices make driving more tempting. I am sure that is something you will sure miss about the US.

Sorry to hear you are having to head back. Glad you have had a great time here in the USA. We should try to organize a tri-state (SW-OH, N-KY, SE-IN) Tug get together somewhere before you return. I know there are a lot of people on here form the Cincinnati or surrounding area. Though anyone can join from where ever they may be.I just don't know of any good places for a gathering. I know of a lot of good places here in the Dayton area, but it probably isn't very central to many.

 

[Pathways]

We should try to organize a tri-state (SW-OH, N-KY, SE-IN) Tug get together somewhere before you return. I know there are a lot of people on here form the Cincinnati or surrounding area. Though anyone can join from where ever they may be.I just don't know of any good places for a gathering. I know of a lot of good places here in the Dayton area, but it probably isn't very central to many.

Count me in - love to do that. I'm in Cincy or Dayton at least once a week anyway