Everything You Should Know about the Disney Vacation Club Cancellation Policy [will you lose your points? Can you re-book a reservation?]

Have you ever wondered about the Disney Vacation Club cancellation policy rules?

As a Disney Vacation Club member, you never expect to cancel the reservation you made up to 11 months ago. But if something unexpected happens, you’ll need to know about the Disney Vacation Club reservation cancellation policy.

Today, we’ll chat about all the most important cancellation policy Disney Vacation Club information that every member should know.

This post is all about everything you should know about the Disney Vacation Club cancellation policy.

Disney Vacation Club Cancellation Policy

Understanding the Disney Vacation Club Cancellation Policy

Key Elements of the Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Time Frames:

Cancelling 31 days or more before your check-in date: All your reservation points will be returned to the Use Year in which the reservation falls (for more information, check out the DVC site).
Cancelling 1-30 days before your check-in date: This places your points in a holding account, which limits their future use. They typically need to be used by the end of the current Use Year. If you need to cancel within this period, I highly recommend contacting Disney Vacation Club immediately (whether that’s through the Chat feature on the website or by calling them for advice and information).
Cancelling on your check-in date: This means that you will lose all the points from your reservation.

Can I Just Modify my Reservation Instead?

A better way – if you can – is modifying your reservation. But beware, modifying your reservation doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t lose points.

Some points may also end up in a Holding Account in some circumstances (detailed below).

Here are the rules for modifying your DVC reservation:

Modifying 31 days or more before your check-in date: If the new reservation uses less points, they will be returned to the Use Year they are from (see more info here).
Modifying 1-30 days or more before your check-in date: If the new reservation uses less points, they will be transferred to a Holding Account.
Modifying on your check-in date: If the new reservation uses less points, you will lose the difference in points.

What happens to DVC Points in a Holding Account?

Once they’re in the Holding Account, you must book a new reservation within 60 days of check-in.

Although the points won’t expire until the end of your Use Year, you wouldn’t be able to book a reservation more than 60 days in advance.

It limits your booking window, so it’s trickier to grab the reservation you want.

Plus, you can’t bank these points to the next year.

You can transfer them to another member, however they will still remain in a Holding Account (just for the other member, instead of you).

If your points end up in a Holding Account, I highly recommend talking to Disney for advice.

Also, for a first-hand experience of having points in a holding account after canceling last minute, this is an excellent video.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Disney Vacation Club Cancellation Policy

Can you bank points if you cancel a DVC reservation?

If they have gone into Holding or you have cancelled on the day, you will not be able to bank these points.

If you’re cancelling more than 31+ days in advance, read this for more information (as there isn’t a super simple answer to this question).

What if I need to cancel due to an emergency?

Disney Vacation Club understands that emergencies happen.

While the standard policy generally applies, you can contact Member Services to discuss your situation. They may offer more flexible options based on your specific circumstances.

That being said, this can never be guaranteed and unfortunately, as DVC members we can’t expect this to always happen.

How do I know the status of my points after cancellation?

After cancelling, you can check your points status by logging into your Disney Vacation Club member account. There you’ll see details on available points and any that may have moved to a holding account.

You can also contact DVC Member Services for more information on this.

What if I need to cancel my booking for a non-DVC resort that I have paid for with my DVC points?

This is more complicated (and may even entail a $95 cancellation fee).

Click here to see Disney’s cancellation policies in this case.

What if I need to cancel my DVC reservation due to a hurricane?

Thankfully, the Disney Vacation Club cancellation policy is more flexible in the event of a hurricane.

For the most up to date information, I recommend checking this out on Disney’s website and contacting DVC Member Services if necessary.

Ta Ta For Now

Navigating the Disney Vacation Club cancellation policy doesn’t need to be a headache.

It’s certainly confusing and overly complicated, but with the basic information, we should be able to figure it out!

If you have ever cancelled a DVC reservation within less than 31 days of the arrival date, please feel free to share your experience (positive or negative). It would be really helpful for the rest of us 🙂

This post was all about everything you should know about the Disney Vacation Club cancellation policy.