Availability at WDW resorts

[RLevy29]

I just got finished reading the never ending thread about "The cheapest Resort." WOW! I thought that I would start a new thread becuse my question would have bee off topic.
How do reservations made for cash by non-members fit into the mix? I know someone who stayed at BWV this summer and made their reservations 4 months in advance. I also know someone who was surprised that you could stay (for cash) at OKW because she thought it was a timeshare that was only for members.
Just curious.

 

[raparker13]

Because Disney owns a certain percentage of the DVC resorts that they can use as they please. I believe around 5%. Also trades from DVC for other Disney non-DVC resorts, results in DVC rooms being available for cash through Disney.

 

[DeeP]

To reserve a room using cash vs pts just call CRO and inquire. You never know what they will have. You have to ask for any available discount that you qualify for because they certainly do not usually volunteer discounted rates. Most often there are AP discounts on DVC villas that are much better (up to 40% off rack rate!) than the discount MS gives members on cash rooms. Not to be stirring anything up, just stating my past experiences but the DVC villa rooms through CRO that I have been offered w/AP discounts the most often have always been at OKW and many times quite close to the travel dates.
I jump from WDW resort to resort all the time and I love it! For a trip longer than a week it is very rare for me to remain in one WDW resort for the entire trip. I really enjoy staying at all the great WDW resorts I always liked pre DVC. Of course I am an all adult traveling party that has changing resorts down to a science! When I am lucky enough to snag a villa at BWV with good AP rates I will usually take advantage of these good AP rates for a Fri or Sat night, or sometimes I bite the bullet and just pay the weekend pts and then other times the AP discounts are much better for the non DVC resorts so I switch resorts for the end of my trip, it all depends. Good luck!

 

[Cruelladeville]

I do the same thing DeeP does, using cash for Friday and Saturday. For our Christmas ressies, DVC was booked, but rooms were still available for cash thru CRO on the AP rate, which is 1/2 off thru DEC. 24. The benefit of this is that when making a ressie for cash, the rate you get for your first night doesn't change even if the "season" does, so I could check in on Dec.24 for $179 per night in a studio, and stay at the same rate until you checked out on Jan. 1. Those nights are in the prime season for DVC members, so sometimes it does pay to check CRO. Your points go further when you do it this way.

 

[rriley25]

Can a cash ressie made through CRO be linked with a point-based ressie booked through MS?

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by rriley25
Can a cash ressie made through CRO be linked with a point-based ressie booked through MS?

Not really - MS & CRO use different reservation systems and they reportedly do not "talk to each other".

However, you can ask CRO to note the DVC confirmation number on the cash reservation with a request that you not have to change rooms. Then you ask MS to do the same thing in reverse - note the CRO confirmation number on the points reservation with a request not to have to change rooms. At that point, you 've done all you can and are at the mercy of the room assigner.

It's a good idea to repeat the request at check in. From reports here on the DVC Forum, very few guests in this situation end up having to change rooms. However, they do report that they had to stop at the front desk and check out and check in again. Kept the same room but got new keys.


I believe the DVC resorts do the best they can to avoid room change - it's in the resort's best interests as well as the guest's to make that happen. Good luck to you if that is the way you plan to go.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by RLevy29
I just got finished reading the never ending thread about "The cheapest Resort." WOW! I thought that I would start a new thread becuse my question would have bee off topic.
How do reservations made for cash by non-members fit into the mix? I know someone who stayed at BWV this summer and made their reservations 4 months in advance. I also know someone who was surprised that you could stay (for cash) at OKW because she thought it was a timeshare that was only for members.
Just curious.

Just to expand a little on what others have already posted:

Most of the DVC resort rooms that are available to the general public to rent for cash are the result of Members choosing to use their points for non-DVC options. When a DVC member uses points to cruise, stay at a non-DVC resort or takes advantage of the opportunities in the Conceirge and Adventurer Collections, DVC pays for that choice with cash. To "balance the books", DVC then gives CRO the equivalent number of DVC room nights to rent out for cash.