When are most people cancelling rooms?

[AllieV]

update 1/1/13: Checked online and room was available. I booked it myself. Waitlist runs overnight (or so I hear) so I don't know if I'd have gotten it automatically tonite or if someone else would have nabbed it, or if someone else was on the waitlist.
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I have a waitlist in for the first day of our trip, a Thursday night in April, for a standard view 1-br at BLT. I got the very last Friday night room (the CM was rushing to book it because she saw it was the last one but had to process a sale for 4 points first).

I was going to wait on our airline tickets, but those were selling out fast (at the lower rates) so I bought them going out Thursday. At some point, I'll have to decide whether to switch the whole thing to a lake view (before those book up) and buy the extra points. We are already switching resorts on day 5 to BCV, so I don't want to do it again just for 1 night. I'd rather switch all the nights at BLT so as to stay in the same room.

I'm just not sure how long to wait for this waitlist. I do check everyday manually, just in case. Do you think more people are likely to cancel closer to spring? Someone doesn't get the tax return they were hoping for, christmas bonus wasn't good, etc.

 

[dvcterry]

People cancel anytime. Could be one day out could be 11 months out. Vacation plans just change. One night waitlist for our upcoming Christmas trip come through a few days ago and MS said the same thing people can cancel at anytime.

 

[bwvBound]

FWIW, I tend to cancel my "maybe" bookings somewhere between 31-35 days from check-in. My other points-based system reports high turnover in reservations at the critical "30-day" mark.

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

I have read on other threads that people`s waitlists miraculously come through when they call member services. It may not hurt to call every couple of days to check on the waitlist. Good luck !

 

[Smile&Nod]

my understanding is that the waitlist is only run against inventory each night - so if a room comes available during the day and someone snags it, the waitlist is out of luck - not saying for sure this is how it works but what i've heard. I was waitlisted for my January trip at BCV - called to check on it and was able to get a couple nights. so... definitely call periodcailly!

 

[bobbiwoz]

IF you already bought 4 points, I don't think they will allow you to buy any more for the reservation. DVCLiz had a thread about this recently.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3024023

 

[Sandisw]

IF you already bought 4 points, I don't think they will allow you to buy any more for the reservation. DVCLiz had a thread about this recently.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3024023

Yes. You are right about this...you can only buy only once per UY, up to a maximum of 24..if all you get is 4, your no longer eligible for any more until your next UY.

FWIW, I got my waitlist for a one night SV studio at BLT about 35 days prior to a trip...so when it's a one night, I think the chances are better. Good luck!

 

[AllieV]

IF you already bought 4 points, I don't think they will allow you to buy any more for the reservation. DVCLiz had a thread about this recently.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3024023

I did see this on another thread, but I asked very specifically about this before I bought the 4 points. I asked if I could borrow up to 20 more later if I didn't get the room and needed to upgrade. She said yes. I then asked again before we hung up and she said yes again. Maybe it's because I was using two UY of points. She may have charged the 4 to 2012 and was thinking that I could borrow the rest in my 2013 UY.

Either way, if I have to upgrade and buy, and they don't let me, I will absolutely not give up until they do. The ONLY reason I waitlisted and only bought 4 was because I could buy more later. If she'd said no, I'd have booked the lake view and bought all 18 needed to complete the rezzie.

 

[myxdvz]

I did see this on another thread, but I asked very specifically about this before I bought the 4 points. I asked if I could borrow up to 20 more later if I didn't get the room and needed to upgrade. She said yes. I then asked again before we hung up and she said yes again. Maybe it's because I was using two UY of points. She may have charged the 4 to 2012 and was thinking that I could borrow the rest in my 2013 UY.

Either way, if I have to upgrade and buy, and they don't let me, I will absolutely not give up until they do. The ONLY reason I waitlisted and only bought 4 was because I could buy more later. If she'd said no, I'd have booked the lake view and bought all 18 needed to complete the rezzie.

I think you're confusing borrowing and buying. You can borrow multiple times from your next UY. What you can't do, is buy points from DVC at $15/pt more than once in a UY.

 

[AllieV]

I think you're confusing borrowing and buying. You can borrow multiple times from your next UY. What you can't do, is buy points from DVC at $15/pt more than once in a UY.

No, I was clear in my question to the CM. I asked if I could buy up to 20 more if I needed to if the waitlist didn't come through and I had to switch categories. She said yes. When I asked the second time, I asked if this was limited to a one-time purchase or if I could still buy the rest of the 20 later for this same rez. She said yes again and added that it was limited to 24 per UY.

I was borrowing 2013 points, but there is now exactly enough left for the standard view room. But again, maybe she said YES because she knew I could buy on my 2013 UY. Maybe she recorded that transaction in my 2012 UY. She didn't specify, just said yes.

I waitlisted up to 30 days, but it sounds like I should put that out longer. Maybe it will come through in March or early April.

 

[AllieV]

Another question: does anyone know if I can book a cash room for standard view? If there aren't any in DVC inventory, does that necessarily mean there aren't any at all?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Another question: does anyone know if I can book a cash room for standard view? If there aren't any in DVC inventory, does that necessarily mean there aren't any at all?

Usually premium (hot to book) DVC booking categories are not available to the general public. Like HH area at OKW - not available for cash. BWV BW view - not available for cash. BWV Standard - hot available for cash.

 

[alicat07]

Usually premium (hot to book) DVC booking categories are not available to the general public. Like HH area at OKW - not available for cash. BWV BW view - not available for cash. BWV Standard - hot available for cash.

Maybe I got lucky a couple years ago? Using the fall discount of 30-35% (I forget which it was at the time) I was able to book a 1 BR Standard view in BWV for 2 nights (Fri and Sat) in September 2011. When we checked in we were given the Preferred view (Pool view). It was a nice surprise of course! But I was able to book the standard 1BR originally!

 

[crisi]

They book everyone on cash in standard, and everyone ends up preferred. It gives them maximum flexibility. In fact, I don't think you can book preferred, but you aren't very likely to stay standard on points.

 

[Missyrose]

No, I was clear in my question to the CM. I asked if I could buy up to 20 more if I needed to if the waitlist didn't come through and I had to switch categories. She said yes. When I asked the second time, I asked if this was limited to a one-time purchase or if I could still buy the rest of the 20 later for this same rez. She said yes again and added that it was limited to 24 per UY.

I was borrowing 2013 points, but there is now exactly enough left for the standard view room. But again, maybe she said YES because she knew I could buy on my 2013 UY. Maybe she recorded that transaction in my 2012 UY. She didn't specify, just said yes.

I waitlisted up to 30 days, but it sounds like I should put that out longer. Maybe it will come through in March or early April.

I hope you have the CM's name to argue with an MS supervisor. I've read in multiple threads recently that the OTU points are limited to one buy per year, period.

Maybe I got lucky a couple years ago? Using the fall discount of 30-35% (I forget which it was at the time) I was able to book a 1 BR Standard view in BWV for 2 nights (Fri and Sat) in September 2011. When we checked in we were given the Preferred view (Pool view). It was a nice surprise of course! But I was able to book the standard 1BR originally!

"Standard view" through CRO is completely different than DVC standard view. CRO (which you used since you were using the fall discount) sells preferred view villas as standard view. It's just a different naming convention.

 

[alicat07]

I hope you have the CM's name to argue with an MS supervisor. I've read in multiple threads recently that the OTU points are limited to one buy per year, period.

That's what I've been told, and I've bought the one time use points! From the member website:

One-time-use vacation points are vacation points available for Disney Vacation Club Members to use as an alternative to borrowing vacation points from the following use year's allotment.
You can obtain a maximum of 24 one-time-use vacation points once per use year per membership.
A maximum of 24 one-time-use vacation points are processed in a single transaction, not multiple transactions.

I would call and double check that now before waiting for the waitlist! And from what I was told, for the waitlist to come through, I would have to have the amount of points available already, I don't know if you can buy the points at the time the waitlist comes through.
Correction on my part: I thought she needed to buy points to complete the waitlist but read back and realized that she only needed to buy points if the waitlist did not come through and she needed to upgrade. Either way, I'd still call to double check buying points a 2nd time for the same vacation because when I needed to use the OTU points it was also for a reservation that involved current points and borrowing a few points from the next year. I was told you could buy them only once per use year no matter what, and that if I did not buy enough at the one time, I would not be able to add on later if I decided I needed more for that vacation.

 

[dvcterry]

You have to have the right amount of points in order for the waitlist to come through. I went through this before and could not fulfill a waitlist reservation because we did not have enough points to do so. The OTU could not be applied. If an exception was made in someone's circumstance I think someone had benefited some way and more power to them.

The rule from our member site:

•One-time-use vacation points are not available for waitlist reservations.

 

[Missyrose]

You have to have the right amount of points in order for the waitlist to come through. I went through this before and could not fulfill a waitlist reservation because we did not have enough points to do so. The OTU could not be applied. If an exception was made in someone's circumstance I think someone had benefited some way and more power to them.

The rule from our member site:

I don't think AllieV needs the OTU points for the waitlisted room, she would only need them if the waitlisted room doesn't come through and she bumps up to lake view.

 

[AllieV]

You have to have the right amount of points in order for the waitlist to come through. I went through this before and could not fulfill a waitlist reservation because we did not have enough points to do so. The OTU could not be applied. If an exception was made in someone's circumstance I think someone had benefited some way and more power to them.

Yes and it was quite an ordeal getting this settled. She said I couldn't buy the points until I had a confirmation number, so I couldn't buy them and put them into my account. She suggested cancelling one of my other nights so I'd have enough for the waitlist, then going back and rebooking what I'd cancelled. She failed to see the irony in that.

I counter-suggested that they sell me the four points for one of the nights they were about to book for me. She said they could only do it for "need" not want. So I asked her to ask someone else. She disappeared for a while and came back and they sold me the 4 points for a night they were about to book so I'd have exactly enough of my own points left for my waitlist.

But now I am thrown by this "one time" thing since I asked so carefully about it. Again, maybe she sold them to me in my 2012 year and I can buy more in my 2013 year and so she wasn't concerned and just gave me the simplest answer.

 

[AllieV]

I don't think AllieV needs the OTU points for the waitlisted room, she would only need them if the waitlisted room doesn't come through and she bumps up to lake view.

Yep, this. I have enough now if all the stars align. But if the waitlist doesn't come through, I'd need to change my room category for all 4 nights so as to unpack once (before moving to the next 4 nights).

Theoretically, I could buy/transfer them from someone if Disney staunchly refuses. It's only 18 more to upgrade to lakeview at BLT for all 4 nights.