All About Fixed Weeks (RIV/CCV/AUL/VGF/POLY/TOWER/VHD/FWC Charts)

[robotsneedlove2]

Any other FW49 owners not yet received their 2025 reservation? I may have to contact them, though maybe I'll give them until next week to settle in after the holidays. I haven't received my FW49 yet, and normal 11month+7day reservations can get to the first couple of days of it.

My FW49 was just booked! Hopefully everyone will see their bookings made today as well.

 

[Flash_Sloth]

My FW49 was just booked! Hopefully everyone will see their bookings made today as well.

My FW49 was booked this morning too. Today is the beginning of the 11 month window for FW49. They must have had the inventory put aside. Availability at RIV studios looks pretty limited for the past week with the walkers & those picking up the pieces left behind. Glad that I have my FW.

 

[J-Dog]

Me too. Still haven't seen an email yet, but I do have a FW49 booking now on the website.

 

[sethschroeder]

Its funny I have this thread and have only ever had my weeks booked a single time and never actually used them. That being said that was always the plan because it was really about the future when the kids go off to school and our parents only trips to Disney will occur the first two weeks of December.

 

[Princess Michele]

My FW49 was just booked! Hopefully everyone will see their bookings made today as well.

My FW 49 was booked yesterday also. This will be the first time we use our FW so I am glad it has been taken care of.

 

[ehh]

My W52 FW was just booked. If I want to cancel it, I have to call or chat, right?

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

My W52 FW was just booked. If I want to cancel it, I have to call or chat, right?

Yes. Now I’m on the lookout for mine. Did you receive an email confirm or were you reviewing your reservations?

 

[ehh]

Yes. Now I’m on the lookout for mine. Did you receive an email confirm or were you reviewing your reservations?

No email confirmation yet, was on my dashboard hoping for a new resale contract to show up.

EDIT: I have now received a confirmation email.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Any other FW52 owners not yet have their week booked?

 

[Flash_Sloth]

Any other FW52 owners not yet have their week booked?

Not a FW52 owner, but it is the inconsistency that drives us a little crazy.

My FW41 was booked 363 days in advance.
My FW49 was booked exactly 11 months in advance, like some of the other FW49 owners here mentioned.
It sounds like some other FW52 owners have their reservations, but they're keeping you in suspense.

I think it is a manual process, so patience is key. Just double & triple check that you haven't used any points in your FW contract for that year.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Took me 90 minutes on the phone with Member Services this morning, but my FW50 is finally booked at PIT. Apparently, there was some glitch/confusion about them because I bought the contract in October 2024 and the tower didn't open until December 2024, and somehow that did not put me on the automatic booking list for FW50 in 2025. Fixed now and guess I will just have to watch for this again in January 2026!

Since this is my first time with a FW reservation on the dashboard, can someone please remind me why I would see the point cost of my FW50 reservation (I'm looking at it on the dashboard list of reservations) at 387 points when the contract for the FW50 is for 426 points? I think it has something to do with the 10% premium I had to buy, but what happens at the end of FW50 this year after my stay is done... will I have used 387 points or 426 points? If it's the 387... what happens to the remaining 39 points (i.e. 426 - 387 = 39)?

 

[Brian Noble]

It is the 10% premium.

When your fixed week is booked as a fixed week, it consumes all of the points associated with the FW contract. So, all 426 points will be used for your FW50. If you opt out of your fixed week, you will get all 426 points back. If, after opting out, there is still availability in the room you want, you can book it for the 387 points and then will have the 39 left over.

Think of the 10% as insurance against availability problems.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

It is the 10% premium.

When your fixed week is booked as a fixed week, it consumes all of the points associated with the FW contract. So, all 426 points will be used for your FW50. If you opt out of your fixed week, you will get all 426 points back. If, after opting out, there is still availability in the room you want, you can book it for the 387 points and then will have the 39 left over.

Think of the 10% as insurance against availability problems.

Ok I am getting close to having this straight:

I just checked availability of the room type I want during that FW50 period, and it is available for the 387 points. Wouldn't I be better off opting out of the FW reservation, book the week myself for 387 points right now and have the 39 points left over? If that's a good strategy, does everyone do this? Meaning, check the availability themselves right at 11 months, opt out of the FW if it is available and collect/keep the point premium?

 

[Brian Noble]

If you can, yes. The trick is that you have to call to opt out, you can't do it online. So, you either call before the 11-month mark and play the 8AM roulette, or you wait until after the 8AM rush is over, and if there is still availability you call and do the swap later that day.

The problem with the first strategy is that beyond 11 months, there is pretty much always going to be availability, so you won't know if it works until it happens. Or doesn't. The problem with the second strategy is that you are behind anyone who books online.

If it is booked as a FW, it is guaranteed to be yours. No sweating out the 8AM atomic clock game, no grumbling about people walking reservations, etc. etc. Whether the 10% is worth that depends on how important this specific trip in that specific room-type happens to be.

 

[Brian Noble]

Another thought: if you happen to have other points at that resort (either through another contract or prior-year points that were banked) you can try to grab the first few nights during the 8AM rush. If you are successful. you can opt out and extend later that day.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Another thought: if you happen to have other points at that resort (either through another contract or prior-year points that were banked) you can try to grab the first few nights during the 8AM rush. If you are successful. you can opt out and extend later that day.

Great thought! I do have other points at that Poly resort through another contract and thanks to prior-year points that were banked. On the phone now with Member Services to get this all done and keep my extra 39 points!

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Think of the 10% as insurance against availability problems.

If it is booked as a FW, it is guaranteed to be yours. No sweating out the 8AM atomic clock game, no grumbling about people walking reservations, etc. etc. Whether the 10% is worth that depends on how important this specific trip in that specific room-type happens to be.

Update - I was able to opt out of the FW and book the same week, but I used the 10% premium points (and some others) to upgrade the room type... huge win all the way around! Member services also said that booking the same week without the FW was easy because there was excess inventory, but they said that is not always the case and if inventory was slim then the risk of the waitlist snatching any part of the week I want could be high. That goes to the points you made above - only one way to be guaranteed the week!

 

[emchen]

Another thought: if you happen to have other points at that resort (either through another contract or prior-year points that were banked) you can try to grab the first few nights during the 8AM rush. If you are successful. you can opt out and extend later that day.

Probably fine to grab just the first night right?

 

[emchen]

Update - I was able to opt out of the FW and book the same week, but I used the 10% premium points (and some others) to upgrade the room type... huge win all the way around! Member services also said that booking the same week without the FW was easy because there was excess inventory, but they said that is not always the case and if inventory was slim then the risk of the waitlist snatching any part of the week I want could be high. That goes to the points you made above - only one way to be guaranteed the week!

Upgraded to a 2-BR TPV from a 1-BR TPV? Nice!

 

[Brian Noble]

Probably fine to grab just the first night right?

I think so. But if you have more in hand, might as well. Gives you a little flexibility about when you actually call.