Are availability tools reliable?

[DonMacGregor]

The one she is referencing apparently actually does. It only updates 2x a day so obviously isn't 100% accurate, but they've somehow figured out how to parse the data from the DVC results to figure out how many rooms are available. I'll never pay for it though, I think it is wrong to profit off of that.

There's zero chance that is accurate. You have several hundred thousand contracts spread out over how many owners? Then you've got 24 hours in the day, with owners living in 4 time zones spread over 7 hours in the US alone, plus international owners from the UK to Australia, but it only pulls twice. Even if it did pull directly from DVC, it's like a broken clock: it's only accurate 2 times a day: precisely when it pulls the data. You could have literally dozens of members in the process of renting rooms concurrent with the data pulls.

I (and many others) have literally been on my dashboard putting together potential trips, and had rooms disappear in the time it takes to update search parameters.

 

[kes601]

There's zero chance that is accurate. You have several hundred thousand contracts spread out over how many owners? Then you've got 24 hours in the day, with owners living in 4 time zones spread over 7 hours in the US alone, plus international owners from the UK to Australia, but it only pulls twice. Even if it did pull directly from DVC, it's like a broken clock: it's only accurate 2 times a day: precisely when it pulls the data. You could have literally dozens of members in the process of renting rooms concurrent with the data pulls.

I (and many others) have literally been on my dashboard putting together potential trips, and had rooms disappear in the time it takes to update search parameters.

I get that. That's why I said it only pulls 2x a day. No external tools are accurate when you look at them, but they were accurate when the information was pulled. I have zero interest in the system they are trying to sell.

 

[kristenrice]

Does that site show you exactly how many rooms are available in each category for each night?

Yes, but it is only updated once or twice per day so it still depends on when you are checking it. I checked the available rooms remaining before I made my reservation and it did not instantly update after I made my reservation. It was 8-10 hours later (after I got home from work) when the numbers had changed.

 

[DaveNan]

The only way to know how many rooms are available on a certain night in a certain category is to actually book a room and then check availability, and then book another room for the same nights in the same category and then check availability again...... and so on until there is no availability. Then you delete all the reservations. It would take a pretty large number of points at all the resorts in order to check at > 7 months. It would also take a very large number searches, reservations, and cancellations each time you ran this check. It would put a big load on the DCV system, almost like a denial of service attack. But if you had the points, you could write a program to run the check.

 

[Sandisw]

The only way to know how many rooms are available on a certain night in a certain category is to actually book a room and then check availability, and then book another room for the same nights in the same category and then check availability again...... and so on until there is no availability. Then you delete all the reservations. It would take a pretty large number of points at all the resorts in order to check at > 7 months. It would also take a very large number searches, reservations, and cancellations each time you ran this check. It would put a big load on the DCV system, almost like a denial of service attack. But if you had the points, you could write a program to run the check.

You can also call MS and they can give you how many rooms there are seeing!

 

[smileyanna]

There's zero chance that is accurate. You have several hundred thousand contracts spread out over how many owners? Then you've got 24 hours in the day, with owners living in 4 time zones spread over 7 hours in the US alone, plus international owners from the UK to Australia, but it only pulls twice. Even if it did pull directly from DVC, it's like a broken clock: it's only accurate 2 times a day: precisely when it pulls the data. You could have literally dozens of members in the process of renting rooms concurrent with the data pulls.

I (and many others) have literally been on my dashboard putting together potential trips, and had rooms disappear in the time it takes to update search parameters.

I don't have a membership yet. Does this mean that when you check your dashboard and go through the process of renting a villa, the site will show you how many of those villas are available at that time?

 

[DonMacGregor]

I don't have a membership yet. Does this mean that when you check your dashboard and go through the process of renting a villa, the site will show you how many of those villas are available at that time?

Nope. It only shows if the number of villas you are trying to book are available.

 

[UofMGuy423]

For thanksgiving week you should book what you'd be willing to stay in at your home resort at the 11 month window. Then try at the 7 month window for availability to switch. If nothing is open, you've got your home resort already secured.

 

[smileyanna]

For thanksgiving week you should book what you'd be willing to stay in at your home resort at the 11 month window. Then try at the 7 month window for availability to switch. If nothing is open, you've got your home resort already secured.

Yes - without any relevant experience yet, this seems like very good strategy. Especially after looking at the 7 month inventory for that time!

Thanks to everyone for responses and insights.

 

[Disney_escape]

Question- the 2% that Disney keeps and uses to rent out, do they spread it out evenly over the months or could they use it all in one month like a normal DVC owner could? In which case Disney could pull a large portion of inventory in that month.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Question- the 2% that Disney keeps and uses to rent out, do they spread it out evenly over the months or could they use it all in one month like a normal DVC owner could? In which case Disney could pull a large portion of inventory in that month.

It is not just to rent out. It also helps deal with refurb units taken from service and similar. As such it can be unevenly distributed.

Disney can also hold more than 2% of a resort at any time. There is sinply a legal minimum they must hold. No legal max.

 

[Sandisw]

Question- the 2% that Disney keeps and uses to rent out, do they spread it out evenly over the months or could they use it all in one month like a normal DVC owner could? In which case Disney could pull a large portion of inventory in that month.

And, just to add what has already been stated, they don't hold back 2% of the rooms at any given time. All rooms are released for booking purposes to all owners, which would include DVC/DVC as well.

So, when the 11 month window opens, every room that is part of declared inventory is available. For example, all 202 rooms at BPK were declared into VGF already and all can be reserved using points.

If 100% of the rooms are booked by owners other than DVD and something happens, they have to figure out where to put guests...which is why you sometimes read on here of DVC owners being moved into a cash room....just recently someone posted being moved into a CL suite at the GF because of an issue with a 1 bedroom villa and none of those were open.

 

[Nursemanit]

@Sandisw may know this - if only 50% of the rooms are declared -are they always specific rooms or does WDW have flexibility - for instance when only 50% of VGF 2 was declared were people only booking on 2 floors ? That could really affect unit availability.

 

[Sandisw]

@Sandisw may know this - if only 50% of the rooms are declared -are they always specific rooms or does WDW have flexibility - for instance when only 50% of VGF 2 was declared were people only booking on 2 floors ? That could really affect unit availability.

DVC owners can be put in any room in the building.

So, even though about 65% of the rooms at RIV are bookable on points, the room assigners can put you in any room they want and the reverse is true..cash guests can also be put in any room. It is spelled out in the POS.