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

[KAT4DISNEY]

PSA: Maybe I’m the only person who didn’t know this but if you have another reservation booked for the same week as your FW (in the same name), MS will automatically not book your FW.

I know that bc of MDE issues, you can’t have overlapping reservations at the time of usage but I was not aware that this was a consideration a year out with respect to FW booking.

Did an MS CM that answers the phones when you call tell you this? It is not correct. That response needed to be elevated to a supervisor. That also used to be a thing with MS but I thought they finally recognized people do book multiple rooms for trips, not always under different names to start, and gave up on the "cancelling". The FW is a GUARANTEED week and should always be booked or DVC is not fulfilling on the contract. The only exception is if you already booked something else using points from that contract.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

^ Not the first time a MS CM made a mistake... I have had to correct more than one MS CM on the phone about how the welcome home reservation restrictions were recently changed, and they were unaware/unconvinced until they put me on hold to ask their supervisors. Also had a problem getting my FW booked - they didn't do it! Had to call MS and ask what was taking so long, and they said a glitch in their system prevented my reservation for December 2025 from getting booked in January 2025. Fixed it, but if I had to call them it's obviously not a fool proof system (nothing is?).

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

So it wasn’t them telling me - it happened. My FW was not booked bc I had another reservation. I had called and asked via chat three times when my December FW would be booked and they kept saying in a few weeks. Finally yesterday, when I called for a completely separate reason and inquired again they told me it wasn’t booked bc I had opted out (which I had not). Eventually they came back and said there was auto-opt out flag put on bc I had another reservation booked in my name. Ultimately they were able to book the FW (though not the exact room type) but not before they made me change the name on the other reservation.

 

[Brian Noble]

I would bet money they simply screwed up. This is just the excuse.

There have been enough reports of last-minute FW bookings that I am not entirely surprised. It will be interesting to see if/when my Week 9 is booked for 2026.

 

[JackosinDIS]

Agree, sounds like they screwed up. I had a similar scenario where I kept asking when my FW would be booked and kept being told ‘soon’. Eventually I was told that I had opted out as I had used the points (I hadn’t). They managed to book the FW for me, but there are clearly problems with this process on a wider scale.
There is nothing to stop you having 2 reservations in the same name if you choose - completely legitimate reasons for doing that.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Second year in a row I had to keep calling about when my FW would be booked. My FW is second week of December. Prior to a couple of years ago it would happen automatically and I would get an email. No email was sent this year after it was booked. Something has obviously changed.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I know some folks buy FWs bc of the potential to lock in a lower point week but the genuine driver for me is to not have to worry about securing a room during an in demand week…even though I inevitably wind up worrying about securing said room during an in demand week…and pay a premium for that worry

 

[LadySarathano]

Congrats, I also really want this week at RIV! Also had difficulty booking early May this year. Managed to scrounge together a tower studio for 6nts since that was strangely more available than the regular studio. When we’re in a place to buy again in the next year or two it’ll be my first consideration!

I love the end of April - middle of May. Plentiful sunshine but typically not insufferable humidity, the Spring Break crowds are gone, plus the Flower & Garden Festival at EPCOT Our anniversary is also in there too, so I might be biased!

I think the Tower Studios are high demand for the low point cost, but also kind of niche because they only sleep 2 and don’t have a “real” bed. The bathroom is gorgeous though!

 

[Mikey15]

I really want to own a FW19 someday. We do prefer cooler travel months… November for hot-but-not-too-hot and December for potential sweater weather.

…But the middle of May is our original/dating anniversary, it’s a nicely quiet time to go to Disney, no concerns about planning around holiday parties. Victoria Day in Canada is also the 2nd to last Monday in May, so we get an extra day off work for travel/settling in when we’re coming back. When we’ve done it, it was warmer than we prefer but still enjoyable!

 

[SL6827]

Second year in a row I had to keep calling about when my FW would be booked. My FW is second week of December. Prior to a couple of years ago it would happen automatically and I would get an email. No email was sent this year after it was booked. Something has obviously changed.

Sounds fishy. Wonder if this is intentional?

 

[jennypenny]

It's kind of outrageous to me that they keep screwing up fixed weeks. It isn't a courtesy service -- owners pay a 10% premium when they purchase a fixed week to have DVC make the booking for them. IMO DVC should never assume an opt out. If something looks off and they aren't sure whether to book it or not, call the owner. Simple. And the service one would expect given the 4-figure premium people pay for DVC fixed weeks.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

It's kind of outrageous to me that they keep screwing up fixed weeks. It isn't a courtesy service -- owners pay a 10% premium when they purchase a fixed week to have DVC make the booking for them. IMO DVC should never assume an opt out. If something looks off and they aren't sure whether to book it or not, call the owner. Simple. And the service one would expect given the 4-figure premium people pay for DVC fixed weeks.

I completely agree - and pretty much shared that feedback verbatim with the CM. They could have very easily called to confirm. Much faster than having to scramble to rectify the situation 2 months later.

In my case they couldn’t even guarantee the room type (we have a FW for a studio with a tub vs a shower - in CCV that can make a difference because there a few tub-studios that have extra space). In the grand scheme of things NBD but it underscores how ridiculously inefficient the entire process.

Part of me was tempted to ask them to refund the difference between the FW points (161) and the actual number (143) since it wasn’t booked when it should have been…but didn’t want to waste any more time on it.

 

[jennypenny]

To me, this is the epitome of 'you had one job'. We paid a 10% premium and the one and only thing we get for that money is for DVC to book the room for us before the 11 month window opens. They need to sort this out and get it right.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So it wasn’t them telling me - it happened. My FW was not booked bc I had another reservation. I had called and asked via chat three times when my December FW would be booked and they kept saying in a few weeks. Finally yesterday, when I called for a completely separate reason and inquired again they told me it wasn’t booked bc I had opted out (which I had not). Eventually they came back and said there was auto-opt out flag put on bc I had another reservation booked in my name. Ultimately they were able to book the FW (though not the exact room type) but not before they made me change the name on the other reservation.

You bought a guaranteed week. They cannot just make up rules like that. Either they screwed up and are trying to shift the blame to you or somebody has randomly made up their own rule which they cannot do. Owners are allowed to book multiple rooms.

 

[tx911]

Do you all typically try to book a second room at 11 months, and if you are able to get it then cancel the FW booking?

I feel like I would get annoyed having to always pay 10% extra in points (assuming the charts don’t change) for the room.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Do you all typically try to book a second room at 11 months, and if you are able to get it then cancel the FW booking?

I feel like I would get annoyed having to always pay 10% extra in points (assuming the charts don’t change) for the room.

I haven’t for this week bc I have Week 52 with a Dec UY…and I doubt a studio would be available at CCV if I waited until 11 months (but plan to try to do this for my RIV FWs.)

 

[Brian Noble]

Do you all typically try to book a second room at 11 months, and if you are able to get it then cancel the FW booking?

This is what I'm doing, but that's mostly because (a) I have a slight preference for Saturday and (b) I already had my stay booked for 2025, so I am banking that year into 2026, and need to use those on something.

That said, I won't be booking exactly the same week. It will be a longer stay, and might ultimately be a better view or larger unit, I haven't decided on that part yet. I bought mine mostly as a hedge, and not with the intention to use it most years.

 

[ShaneDJ]

Part of me was tempted to ask them to refund the difference between the FW points (161) and the actual number (143) since it wasn’t booked when it should have been…

Maybe my math is off, but isn’t a 10% premium above 143 points, supposed to be only 157 points (not 161 points)?

 

[MagicDVC]

Maybe my math is off, but isn’t a 10% premium above 143 points, supposed to be only 157 points (not 161 points)?

The FW point chart is fixed and they only adjust it if there are any big changes like adding seasons or rebalancing. So it was 10% at the time of the FW point chart. That's why some FW are less points than trying to book the same week.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

The FW point chart is fixed and they only adjust it if there are any big changes like adding seasons or rebalancing. So it was 10% at the time of the FW point chart. That's why some FW are less points than trying to book the same week.

Yes and the 161 was before CCV rebalanced - if you buy that FW today, it’s 199 pts