1st reservation made-totally disappointed

[SLM]

SSR is a beautiful resort! We spent two nights there with points received for an add-on (that could only be used at SSR). I'm so glad we were able to stay there! We stayed in a 1BR with a beautiful view of the canals-a short walk to the main building and pool-which we really liked-even before this new renovation. The boatride to Downtown Disney will be fun for your little ones and great options there if you're doing the dining plan. My husband and I both said we could see ourselves staying again-especially as a get away from our cold PA winters.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Plus the new pool will be open at the Paddock.

You've just learned the first rule of DVC. Never plan on getting exactly what you want less than 7-8 months before your trip. And if you do, it's golden.

 

[3girlsfun]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. We will begin to try to figure out the reservation thing. We are only booking late because we were just loaded into the system after buying resale. As a school teacher, I can't adjust my travel dates at all, so, we have to take what we can get. I will never be able to book a Fall trip 11 months out because our school schedule doesn't get approved until late January to early February, so, that is out. Only if we want to book Thanksgiving, and then I never know if we will have the full week off, or just Wednesday through Friday. So, for fall trips we will have to take what we can get. If we decide to do summer trips, then, I can always book 11 months out, because I know I will always have the summers off.

We definitely want to add on, hopefully within the next three years, which is probably about how long it will take us to save up the money to pay cash again for a contract.

The reason I said it makes me want to cry to think about booking the 1 bedroom at SSR is only because of the amount of points that it is taking. We are wanting to go back in June of 2012, and don't really want to borrow the points to do so. This makes me have to rethink that trip, as well as if we are going to buy annual passes or not. If we can get a studio both times, then, we can both trips without borrowing points, and alas, the annual passes will be purchased.

I have always said I don't have a great interest in cooking while on vacation. I know I can make easy meals, and it doesn't take that long, but, it just doesn't appeal to me. I cook 90% of our meals at home, somehow, it doesn't feel like vacation if I am doing that now also. Not to mention, I have no desire to clean up the dishes afterwards. I may have to rethink that if we are going to have a one bedroom.

SSR doesn't offend me at all, we actually almost purchased at SSR for our home resort.

I know everything will work out just fine....like I said before, it is Disney! And like someone else said, we are definitely better off than we were before we purchased. Last year's trip was two rooms at Pop. The cost of those two rooms was about 1/3 of the purchase price of our contract!

Does anyone know if MS is closed tomorrow? If not, I will call them tomorrow and try to figure something out.

Again, thank you so much for the tips!

 

[rillsung]

I do kind of agree that one of your waitlists should be SSR for a studio as that would be the most likely. Don't get upset yet! We were able to get a studio for the holidays last year for 19 nights after closing the beginning of November. So I had about 6 weeks to find a room! I kept calling and had several waitlists but I was able to have 1 room for the entire stay. Good luck and enjoy! We spent a lot of time at Downtown area since we could walk there

 

[jekjones1558]

I will never be able to book a Fall trip 11 months out because our school schedule doesn't get approved until late January to early February, so, that is out.

If you call in late January you will certainly be able to get 7 days in a studio without moving. I really think that with some patience and a bit of pixie dust you will get a studio this year also!

 

[csharpwv]

We pride ourselves on being MAJOR planners - driving our families crazy talking about our next vacation.... 11 months in advance.... - however, lately we have been off of our game.

We have ended up calling and just getting what we can.

Last year we planned a last minute trip over labor day weekend due to really low airfare. We staying in a 1BR at OKW - and we LOVED IT!

So it didn't phase us when we had to change our vacation plans recently to a November/December trip instead of the big family trip in May that we had been planning since last December.

So we are staying at OKW again - and we are REALLY excited! We fell in LOVE with how HUGE the rooms are at OKW!

We really enjoyed our stay - and I'm sure we will enjoy this stay just as much if not more than what we enjoyed our last stay - since we will have the jacuzzi tub for twice as long this time!!!

Plus we were able to book in the Hospitality House area - and we DO plan to rent Searaycers this time! Either at OKW or on Bay Lake. However it would be cool to go to Downtown Disney thought!

Don't look at it as disappointment - look at it as providence! HAHA That 1BR was meant for you for your first stay to WOW you and make you want to come back ASAP!

We used to be very point cautious as well - BUT, we've added on three times since then - so we book what we want, for how long we want it now. It's a great feeling - and even better for me since the DW pays the bills!

So I don't know what it is costing us anyway!

Ignorance is bliss!

 

[n2mm]

Congratulations on getting a room during a holiday weekend!! Plus only 4+ months out. As mentioned October is busy for us DVC folks. I always book my October trip in November at the 11 month window. I probably would've waitlisted for OKW for a studio as your chances are always better at the larger resorts. BTW -- I've bounced between 1 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms and studios and it's not a big deal for us. When we stay in a studio, it's normally for 2 weeks, so the longer stay makes up for the smaller accommodation. We only stay in the studio when it's the 2 of us. BTW -- I would not have WL for BLT as the odds of getting in there in October (MNSSHP) are slim. I would examine your waitlist. I agree with some other posters and would WL for a studio either SSR or OKW.

 

[TisBit]

If you really want a studio anywhere, I would recommend making at least one of your waitlists SSR. There are 400+ studios there, and there are no booking categories, so they are all in the same inventory pool. That will maximize your chances of getting one.

This is the best advise you can get! I would definitely drop the BLT waitlist and add the SSR waitlist. If it comes through, you can call back and add BLT and AKV back as waitlist to try to move. This will maximize your points (SSR is relatively cheap) and the odds of it coming through are much much higher than other resorts due to its size and number of lockoffs.

You have a long reservation that you are trying to book (over a week), so the odds that someone with all of those dates canceling a specific category at another resort are a lot less than if you had a one week or less reservation.

 

[castleri]

I agree with those who say change the WL to studio at SSR or OKW. I tried two years in a row for AKV with 5-6 months to go for AKV in late Sept or early Oct and neither came through. Save the AKV and BLT trips for when you can book at the earliest date you know you can go. It is tough to be tied to that school schedule but if you have at least 7 months out you should be good for getting those studios at the time you want. You might also want to WL OKW for a 1BR instead of the studio as it has so much room and would be the least number of 1BR points. I think 1BR villas are often the last to book because of the high points required. Our DD just decided she would like to take the DGS's to WDW the last week of August so I will be trying for a really short notice reservation tomorrow. We expect to be in Florida week after next and I will be trying for a room for a couple of nights with only a couple of days notice since our travel time is not firmly established yet. That one should be interesting. Good luck and hope you and your family have many enjoyable visits to your new home away from
home

 

[WolfpackFan]

OP - I think you are in the mindset we were when we first joined DVC. We felt like we had to stay in the lowest point accommodation we could (whether studio or lowest point season or just staying weekdays only) so as to get the most number of days we could. Over the years we have found it isn't so much the quantity of days we stay as versus the quality of each stay. So now we savor getting 1BR units and stay the full week rather than just weekdays. Yes, we might not be able to go quite as often but we enjoy our stays more. I would think with three children I would much rather have a shorter stay in a 1BR rather than more days in a Studio. The 1BR gives you so much more room to relax and spread out. Just my opinion.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Well the good news is you got a room. If I were you I would keep calling - daily if you want. (They created their own monster by limiting the waitlists!) Maybe you could get a couple nights in a row in a studio. I think you have enough time where you can piece meal it together for a studio for the whole time. Good luck!! And congrats on your new contract!

 

[Deb & Bill]

One tip, cancel the waitlist before 30 days out. Otherwise if it comes through, the points you don't use will become holding points and you will lose them at the end of the use year anyway.

Plus if you are less than four months out from the end of your UY when a waitlist comes through, you won't be able to bank those points. And if you borrowed points, you can't rebank them. So those points would need to be used before the end of the UY as well.

 

[lucyem]

When we bought resale we found ourselves in a similar situation, closing now but wanting to travel in October for F&W. Granted this would not work for all but we ended up doing a split cash/dvc stay. A studio at AKV followed by cash with a 40% off code at BC. I was able to bank points. The idea that the banked points would help us hold off the addonitis. Of course that did not work

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Unfortunately, with DVC ownership often comes the need for flexibility, especially when booking somewhat late in the game or during popular periods. Most often I pre-plan 11 months in advance but when an occasion pops up and I really want to go, I take what I can get, where I can get it!

I'm partial to the Congress Park building at SSR, I've requested the DTD view 3 times and my traveling party of 6-9 have thouroughly enjoyed the villa, the view and the resort! Love the Turf Club!

I guess you must weigh the need to go against the need to save points! I always borrow from next year, I have another 30 years of it, so for me it's not a big deal!

 

[Bouncin-Tigger]

We are actually going the same week as you plus 2 days and are at SSR as well booked about a month and a half ago and ended up there as well. We enjoy SSR but also have the same AKL waitlist as you plus the 2 days. So lets hope we both get it.

 

[ajpruett]

I'm in a completely different space. I bought DVC in Nov of last year and first trip isn't until Dec! I'm going nuts waiting. Staying at home resort AKV Concierge and getting the emails to prime me to book dining reservations is just too much. Have a great time.

 

[3girlsfun]

Now I am worried about the points going into the reserve status. We have a 150 point contract. We have 132 banked 2010 points that were banked into 2011. With September UY.

So, if the studio comes through, if it doesn't add up to 132 points, those points are still ok, right?

We are planning to go again in June, hopefully for 10 days, so, as long as we use the points before September of 2012 we are ok?


I'm anxious to call tomorrow and change the WL. Except now, I am rethinking my wanting a studio. OMG, what have y'all done to me, you have talked me into the 1 bedroom!

We could keep the 1 bedroom now, but, we could borrow enough for a studio in June 2012, but only go for a week instead of 10 days, and then go again in October 2012. By then, we could do our first add on of 50 or 60 points, and then hopefully have enough for another trip in June of 2013.

This is not looking good for my pocketbook! The goal of finding this loaded contract was to help get us going until we could get up to at least 200 points each year. Here I am only 2 days after getting into the system talking about when to add on. And the best part, DH is on board!

Y'all are awesome!

 

[TisBit]

Yes, the points should be fine as long as the waitlist comes through 31 days in advance (don't extend at the 30 day mark).

 

[3girlsfun]

I need to change this also, right now the WL is for up to 7 days before. I'll be sure to change that also when I call. Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

We could keep the 1 bedroom now, but, we could borrow enough for a studio in June 2012, but only go for a week instead of 10 days, and then go again in October 2012. By then, we could do our first add on of 50 or 60 points, and then hopefully have enough for another trip in June of 2013.

This is not looking good for my pocketbook! The goal of finding this loaded contract was to help get us going until we could get up to at least 200 points each year. Here I am only 2 days after getting into the system talking about when to add on. And the best part, DH is on board!

Y'all are awesome!

Looks like my advice in post 18 doesn't totally apply in your case. You need to start looking for a add on NOW!

Bill