Availability of DVC resort rooms when they open up & other way out reservation questions!

[Maine_Belle]

I'm weighing all my options for our Sept trip next year. I was considering renting DVC points to do a split stay at Poly villa studio and a Riviera 1-BR. Now with all the COVID complications (folks rescheduling, lack of refunds, etc) and us already looking at a potentially low season, I'm back to thinking about just booking room only reservations, hoping for either a discounted rate (which could cost around the same as rental points with less stress if we need to change plans) or possibly getting Free Dining.

I online chatted with a cast member yesterday and learned that I couldn't actually book anything at Riviera until 270 days out. Is this true? DVC spaces are outside of the 499 room res time period and even when they release rack rates in June? I hadn't heard of this on the DIS before, and I trust you guys more than random chat guy, ha! If that's the case, should I be concerned about not being able to secure a room there?! 270 days is before the 7 month mark for DVC owners, so that's encouraging, but if there isn't availability when it opens up, I need to be ready with a back up resort plan. How has this worked for other DIS-ers- were you able to book DVC locations when they became available?

Also, are DVC rooms historically included in discount rates? I know it's super subjective to what's not selling as well, and with the pandemic no one can predict anything, but I'd love to know if others have been able to secure Poly and Riviera villa rooms at a discounted rate in the past. (I'm sure I could search for this info, but I'm tuckered out from hunting and pecking!)

One last question... If I do a room only reservation today, do I lock in at today's rates? Or do they pencil me in and tell me what I'll pay when the 2021 rates open up in June? I keep wavering on this too- I don't want to book rooms and decrease the chances of discounts being offered because there is no need to stimulate demand! But then don't want to miss out on the rooms I want. DECISIONS!!!!!!

 

[Marionnette]

I'm weighing all my options for our Sept trip next year. I was considering renting DVC points to do a split stay at Poly villa studio and a Riviera 1-BR. Now with all the COVID complications (folks rescheduling, lack of refunds, etc) and us already looking at a potentially low season, I'm back to thinking about just booking room only reservations, hoping for either a discounted rate (which could cost around the same as rental points with less stress if we need to change plans) or possibly getting Free Dining.

I online chatted with a cast member yesterday and learned that I couldn't actually book anything at Riviera until 270 days out. Is this true? DVC spaces are outside of the 499 room res time period and even when they release rack rates in June? I hadn't heard of this on the DIS before, and I trust you guys more than random chat guy, ha! If that's the case, should I be concerned about not being able to secure a room there?! 270 days is before the 7 month mark for DVC owners, so that's encouraging, but if there isn't availability when it opens up, I need to be ready with a back up resort plan. How has this worked for other DIS-ers- were you able to book DVC locations when they became available?

Also, are DVC rooms historically included in discount rates? I know it's super subjective to what's not selling as well, and with the pandemic no one can predict anything, but I'd love to know if others have been able to secure Poly and Riviera villa rooms at a discounted rate in the past. (I'm sure I could search for this info, but I'm tuckered out from hunting and pecking!)

One last question... If I do a room only reservation today, do I lock in at today's rates? Or do they pencil me in and tell me what I'll pay when the 2021 rates open up in June? I keep wavering on this too- I don't want to book rooms and decrease the chances of discounts being offered because there is no need to stimulate demand! But then don't want to miss out on the rooms I want. DECISIONS!!!!!!

DVC availability is going to be tight over the next couple of years due to this closure. Many members were able to “unborrow” points from next year that they had intended to use this spring. Now those points are back in next year’s pool. Many more have “banked” this year’s points into next year because they were not/are not planning to go this year. All of that means that owners will be fighting to book villas...especially studios...for next year.

Then, we can add the major distrust that owners have fostered against the brokers due to their handling of canceled reservations. It was tough to rent DVC points before. It will be almost impossible if owners are reluctant to offer their points up for rental thru a broker.

On top of that, RIV is only partially declared. That means that only a fraction of the resort is owned by members. The remainder is owned by the developer. Only the fraction that is owned by members is available to be booked by members using their points. Renting RIV will be especially difficult due to the small number of owners who will be renting home resort points there and the limited number of villas that are made available to them. However, a cash reservation is quite possible.

DVC owners of other resorts own 95%-98% of those resorts. DVC owns the other 2%-5%, some for reselling contracts and some so that rooms can be taken out of service if there is a problem. For that reason, owners get first crack at booking those resorts at 11 months out for their home resort and 7 months out for other resorts. The only time villas are made available for cash booking during the 11-6 month window is when a member uses their points for another purpose (like a cruise, ABD or a hotel room). When that occurs, DVC turns a villa over to CRO for the cash it generates so that the member’s trade can be paid for. The villa that DVC turns over is not necessarily the owner’s home resort. Around 6 months or less before check in, DVC will begin releasing unreserved villas to CRO in a move that is referred to as breakage. Those are most of the villas that you see available for cash reservations. It’s not unusual for those villas to be offered at a discount when Disney puts one out there. However, the selection can be very limited.

If you were to do a cash room-only reservation today, you will not lock your rate in for 2021 at today’s rates. Your deposit will be the equivalent of one night’s rate during the 2020 holiday season rack rate. The actual price will be based on the rack rate for your dates in 2021 (once they are announced). And if a discount comes out, and there is availability, you can have your reservation modified to reflect the discounted rate.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If there is any unbooked DVC points inventory left at 60 days out, that is offered to Disney Reservation Center to sell, but members have at times been able to call back some of that inventory since it was originally points inventory. But that inventory is usually the odd stuff, like a few nights in a GV or a two bedroom villa, a bungalow or CC Cabin or Aulani. Seldom studios or one bedroom villas. Polynesian is pretty much sold out, but Riviera still has plenty of unsold inventory. That could change by the time you are able to book a stay though.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

DVC availability is going to be tight over the next couple of years due to this closure. Many members were able to “unborrow” points from next year that they had intended to use this spring. Now those points are back in next year’s pool. Many more have “banked” this year’s points into next year because they were not/are not planning to go this year. All of that means that owners will be fighting to book villas...especially studios...for next year.

Then, we can add the major distrust that owners have fostered against the brokers due to their handling of canceled reservations. It was tough to rent DVC points before. It will be almost impossible if owners are reluctant to offer their points up for rental thru a broker.

On top of that, RIV is only partially declared. That means that only a fraction of the resort is owned by members. The remainder is owned by the developer. Only the fraction that is owned by members is available to be booked by members using their points. Renting RIV will be especially difficult due to the small number of owners who will be renting home resort points there and the limited number of villas that are made available to them. However, a cash reservation is quite possible.

DVC owners of other resorts own 95%-98% of those resorts. DVC owns the other 2%-5%, some for reselling contracts and some so that rooms can be taken out of service if there is a problem. For that reason, owners get first crack at booking those resorts at 11 months out for their home resort and 7 months out for other resorts. The only time villas are made available for cash booking during the 11-6 month window is when a member uses their points for another purpose (like a cruise, ABD or a hotel room). When that occurs, DVC turns a villa over to CRO for the cash it generates so that the member’s trade can be paid for. The villa that DVC turns over is not necessarily the owner’s home resort. Around 6 months or less before check in, DVC will begin releasing unreserved villas to CRO in a move that is referred to as breakage. Those are most of the villas that you see available for cash reservations. It’s not unusual for those villas to be offered at a discount when Disney puts one out there. However, the selection can be very limited.

If you were to do a cash room-only reservation today, you will not lock your rate in for 2021 at today’s rates. Your deposit will be the equivalent of one night’s rate during the 2020 holiday season rack rate. The actual price will be based on the rack rate for your dates in 2021 (once they are announced). And if a discount comes out, and there is availability, you can have your reservation modified to reflect the discounted rate.

OP, just to add on to what Marionette so nicely described, because RIV is only partially declared, you may be able to book a room there 499 in advance as you would a regular resort. I've booked RIV twice now as a cash reservation (stayed once and, unfortunately had the second reservation canceled due to the recent closure), but I've had zero issues booking RIV with cash through WDW and have gotten discounts both times. For the discounts, you'll just have to wait until they are released and hope you can apply them to your reservation.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

In general, for all but a new DVC resort, it should be impossible to book a cash unit before 11 months out.

 

[tamu91]

If you rent points from DVC owners of the resort you're looking to book, you should be able to secure a room at 11 mos. mark no problem at a reasonable rate

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you rent points from DVC owners of the resort you're looking to book, you should be able to secure a room at 11 mos. mark no problem at a reasonable rate

And higher risk given that it is a nonrefundable booking.

 

[Heather07438]

Also, are DVC rooms historically included in discount rates? I know it's super subjective to what's not selling as well, and with the pandemic no one can predict anything, but I'd love to know if others have been able to secure Poly and Riviera villa rooms at a discounted rate in the past. (I'm sure I could search for this info, but I'm tuckered out from hunting and pecking!)

The DVC villas are included in the special offers. It's usually surplus type rooms... like plenty of Saratoga, OKW, etc. and often it's the more expensive room categories that are left over. All the villas are offered here and there but the most popular rooms go fast.

Our last trip we booked Free Food at a 1BR in OKW. Weekdays at $550/nite and weekends $700/nite, so deducting the Dining Plan cost for 4ppl ($300/nite) made the room cost average $300/nite too. Not bad but there were very limited room options to choose from with that offer.

One last question... If I do a room only reservation today, do I lock in at today's rates? Or do they pencil me in and tell me what I'll pay when the 2021 rates open up in June? I keep wavering on this too- I don't want to book rooms and decrease the chances of discounts being offered because there is no need to stimulate demand! But then don't want to miss out on the rooms I want. DECISIONS!!!!!!

Whatever reservations you book with WDW will lock in the prices. If ticket prices or Dining Plan go up, they'll still honor whatever price you reserved at. What they quoted is what you pay. That is a big incentive for booking early.

However, if you make changes to your package like adding or subtracting a day then the whole package will be updated with any new prices. So try to make sure it's exactly what you want when you reserve.

---We like booking thru WDW too because how easy it is to change or cancel should the need arise. We've also tried DVC rentals which save alot of money but you really need to be certain of your dates and ability to go because it's a headache trying to modify anything. Our next trip Jan 2021 we've rented DVC (pre-C19 booking) and I'd feel more comfortable if it was thru WDW instead. There's still a good chance it will turn out fine though