DVC vs reg room rates

[klb5]

Why would DVC charge 68 pts ( @ 10.00 = 680.00) for a fri dec 3 night and you can get the room at $ 340.00 reg room rate ??

 

[Cruelladeville]

Because they want to discourage Florida residents from visiting on the weekends, and taking space from those of us who want to stay a week! By the way, where did you get that price? I just called, and was told:
studio=$169, one bedroom=$255, and 2 bedroom=$369 (they told me that a grande villa was $1040!!!) Your price for a two bedroom is better than mine, and I thought mine was a good price!

 

[CarolMN]

The cash rates are not really relevant to the DVC system. DVC has a fiduciary duty to members to "even out the demand" so that the rooms are as close to full as possible for every night of the year.

DVC set the point costs based on demand for the rooms. If the weekend nights cost the same as the weekday nights, it was assumed that the weekend nights would quickly book up and make it difficult for others to book longer trips. (Demand is also why some times of the year cost more points than other times).

It might help to think of the current system as an incentive for members to book the weekday nights. If weekends cost the same, you'd probably have to book most of them exactly at the 11 month window to get them. I know I would use more weekends if they cost less, wouldn't you?

FWIW, I have often wondered why Disney does not charge more for Friday and Saturday nights in the non-DVC hotels. It is not unusual to be able to reserve weekday nights at the last minute but not the weekends. Lots of people come just for a long weekend or stretch their week's vacation by staying for two weekends.

Best wishes -

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by klb5
Why would DVC charge 68 pts ( @ 10.00 = 680.00) for a fri dec 3 night and you can get the room at $ 340.00 reg room rate ??

Which resort and room size? I'm looking at the DVC charts and can't find a room for 68 points on Friday December 3.

Cruelladeville, which resort and dates are your rates for? Look pretty good. I might be looking for a cash room for December 3.

 

[CarolMN]

Good catch Cruella and Debbie. I never thought to check. Now that I have, I see there are some Friday/Saturday nights that cost 68 points, but they are for the deluxe hotels in the Disney Collection: a waterview room at the YC and a deluxe savanna room at AKL.

To the OP: I have no idea how the point requirments are set for the non-DVC Disney Hotels. Since the DVC resorts are such a better deal in lots of ways, I just never even consider spending points for any of the on-site non-DVC hotels. Not worth it for me.

If you are not a member, you should know that it is almost never a good deal to rent points for a non-DVC hotel. Better to pay cash!

Best wishes -

 

[DebbieB]

Carol,

Didn't check the non-DVC's, good idea. I saw a post by the OP on the resorts board, they are looking for an AKL Deluxe Savannah room, which is 68 points through DVC for weekends.

 

[rocketriter]

FWIW, I have often wondered why Disney does not charge more for Friday and Saturday nights in the non-DVC hotels.

Don't know if it's still statistically true, but for many years WDW used to experience heavier traffic during the week than on weekends, because people would use the weekends for travel rather than visiting the parks. Wednesday also used to be a very heavy parks admission day for the same reason.

The numbers would work out differently for villas because DVC is a timeshare. Many owners are Floridians who probably wouldn't think of WDW for a weekend under normal circumstances but who, in the first years of OKW, discovered how easy it was to book for just a couple of days' "drop in." This made weekends harder to book for out-of-state members and was part of the reason for a points adjustment that took place after the first few years.

 

[lehrsj]

Originally posted by rocketriter

The numbers would work out differently for villas because DVC is a timeshare. Many owners are Floridians who probably wouldn't think of WDW for a weekend under normal circumstances but who, in the first years of OKW, discovered how easy it was to book for just a couple of days' "drop in." This made weekends harder to book for out-of-state members and was part of the reason for a points adjustment that took place after the first few years.

I've been a member since 1993 and at that time the weekends at OKW were 2 1/2 times as many points as the weekdays - just like it is today. Was there really a time before 1993 where this wasn't the case?

 

[rocketriter]

Let's have one of the old hands answer this. My understanding is that points were adjusted for weekends during certain months of the year. However, since I was not an owner then, I could be talking through my ears . . . er, hat.