Availability v. 'Sales' Availability

[twinsouvenirs]

I am trying to figure out what real availability is like versus the sales availability.

 

[disneynutz]

DIS rules keep us from checking. Availability can change from one minute to the next so the info isn't really meaningful.

What is sales availability?

Bill

 

[Missyrose]

I am trying to figure out what real availability is like versus the sales availability. Can any members see if Dec 13-16 have availability in a standard studio or 1Br at GFV?

Only DVC members can check inventory that can be booked on points. Like Bill said, the mods have asked we not check availability for non-members because it does that person no good. If you bought VGF, you should be able to call MS tomorrow and book using your new points.

Cash availability can be checked on the Disney Web site. People have reported having booked VGF successfully through CRO.

 

[drusba]

DVC availability is what is actually available to existing DVC members on points.

Cash availability is what you can get renting through Disney. Those are not rooms available to existing DVC members on points.

Sales availability is something you may have heard in reference to new DVC purchasers. Sometimes as part of a sale, the sales rep is able to assure the new purchaser of a desired first reservation as a member as part of the sale process. Often that room and time might come from DVC availability since it is still open to DVC members in general. However, often, the desired accomadation may not be available to DVC members because the type of room and time is already booked. The sales rep in that situation can arrange a room for the new member that would otherwise be availabile only through the Cash availability inventory.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

drusba, that is kind of what I am getting at. We are trying to figure out how easy it will be to book later on--it seems like they can get us any room right now at GFV but we're wondering if the picture will change completely when we are members. We have our deposit down but we can't tell if they are looking at the expanded inventory the sales people are allowed to access. Essentially, we want to see how flexible things are for booking overall. Maybe the best way would be to call member reservations directly right now without the guide (they keep 'introducing' us first) and check on availability for a few dates. Does this make sense? We want to understand whether we can generally get a room for a trip, say, 3 months out at a non peak time.

One related question: can you check availability at resorts that are not your home resort at 11 mo out even if you can't book them yet? So can you see if they are filling up quickly?

 

[disneynutz]

drusba, that is kind of what I am getting at. We are trying to figure out how easy it will be to book later on--it seems like they can get us any room right now at GFV but we're wondering if the picture will change completely when we are members. We have our deposit down but we can't tell if they are looking at the expanded inventory the sales people are allowed to access. Essentially, we want to see how flexible things are for booking overall. Maybe the best way would be to call member reservations directly right now without the guide (they keep 'introducing' us first) and check on availability for a few dates. Does this make sense? We want to understand whether we can generally get a room for a trip, say, 3 months out at a non peak time.

One related question: can you check availability at resorts that are not your home resort at 11 mo out even if you can't book them yet? So can you see if they are filling up quickly?

VGF is a small resort next to the MK so I expect it to be popular, booking 3 months out will be a challenge IMO. You can only see inventory that you are allowed to book.

My suggestions are buy where you love to stay, book at 11 months, and in the case of VGF we bought a fixed week to guarantee a lake view in December.

Bill

 

[nalajms]

Maybe the best way would be to call member reservations directly right now without the guide (they keep 'introducing' us first) and check on availability for a few dates. Does this make sense? We want to understand whether we can generally get a room for a trip, say, 3 months out at a non peak time.

One related question: can you check availability at resorts that are not your home resort at 11 mo out even if you can't book them yet? So can you see if they are filling up quickly?

The dates you picked in Dec will book up quickly at the 11 month mark, more so than other resorts because of the size of VGF and the fixed week options taking up inventory.

Your chances of booking anywhere 3 months out for more than a few days will be difficult, except maybe AKV, SSR, OKW. I think for VGF, most owners will have to book early (11 or 10 months). If you really cannot plan ahead, you might want to consider canceling the purchase.

No, you can only check availability for your home resorts at 11 months out.

 

[tjkraz]

We want to understand whether we can generally get a room for a trip, say, 3 months out at a non peak time.

At VGF? No, that will rarely happen.

7 months out, all resorts are open to all members. You go from a few thousand members having booking privileges at each resort to hundreds-of-thousands (all owners.) The smaller resorts--and ones that are arguably "more popular"--will fill up quickly at 7 months.

Even during the slowest periods, it is unlikely that anything other than SSR, OKW and AKV will be available 3 months before arrival. Many times, even those resorts will be completely booked in certain villa sizes or "views."

One related question: can you check availability at resorts that are not your home resort at 11 mo out even if you can't book them yet? So can you see if they are filling up quickly?

No. And even if that were possible, the information would have very little value. When performing a search, even if the website says there is a room available, there's no way of knowing whether there are fifty vacancies or just one.

The vast majority of the time, booking right at 11 months will yield the desired results. Some room categories are small--like AKV Club Level rooms and Bay Lake Tower Standard View--but for the most part it's quite rare for a member to report they didn't get their desired room right at 11 months.

 

[Minniesgal]

The truth of the matter is the information you are looking for doesn't really exist. MS might tell you if one room is available on a certain date but they will not give you an overall picture of availability, and if you haven't completed the purchase yet and closed I'm not sure they will even do that.

The reality is if you book at 11 months you will most likely get what you want. If you book between 11 and 7 months you have a good chance. If you book at 7 months you are taking your chances against every other owner and you will need to be quick and use waitlists which will sometimes work sometimes not. More likely not in the first few years. If you are going to wait until 3 months out to book you might as well buy SSR points as that is likely where you will be staying if anywhere. At less than 7 months I always assume no availability and am pleasently surprised if there is anything.

You buy a home resort for the 11 month privilege if you can't use that then it is not worht buying expensive points.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Thank you guys, this is helpful. We have no problem being flexible but we want to know what we are getting into. We are buying GFV so it's not the 11 mo issue there but until we get our BWV points (we're stalking the resale market) we won't be able to book that at last minute slots.

 

[drusba]

Essentially, we want to see how flexible things are for booking overall. Maybe the best way would be to call member reservations directly right now without the guide (they keep 'introducing' us first) and check on availability for a few dates. Does this make sense? We want to understand whether we can generally get a room for a trip, say, 3 months out at a non peak time.

Disney is unlikely to tell you the following. VGF is the smallest WDW DVC resort. It is also a near park resort. If you are thinking of buying VGF so you can get a room at three months out, stop, tear up the proposed contract, and consider doing something else. It ain't going to happen.

The resorts have two reservation windows, 11 months out when you can reserve at your own resort, and then 7 months out when you can reserve at others. The already open near park resorts, BLT, BWV, BCV, and VWL are not likely to be open at 3 months out for most of the year. Anything that is still left at 7 months out at those resorts can disappear quickly once that 7 month window opens during much of the year.

Moreover, VGF will have only 47 studios, apparently 17 of which will be lake view and 30 standard. All of those will be attached to 1BRs and thus can also be reserved as part of a 2BR reservation. BLT has 28 standard view studios (also part of a lock-off). Those are gone much of the year shortly after the 11 month window opens. BWV standard view has 52 possible studios. For about 65% of the year, those are gone shortly after the 11 month window opens. Guesstimate: if your desire is a studio you better be reserving VGF at 11 months out.

Then you have the two DVC demand seasons:

1. End of Sep to end of marathon weekend in January: DVC's highest demand quarter, during which it can often be difficult to get any near park resort (in any room category) at 7 months out. There are some easier times in that period -- week before week that Thanskgiving is in, third week of Dec, and Jan 4 to Wednesday before Marathon weekend. However, there are also some impossible times during that period when you should be reserving your home resort 11 months if you want to assure getting it if it is near park resort. Those times include first week of Dec, the highest DVC demand week of the year, Dec 23 to Jan 2, the second highest demand week of the year, and the second week of Dec, the third highest demand week of the year. What makes that last quarter so popular? Various reasons: it has the lowest and second lowest point cost seasons most of the time during that quarter, there is Food & Wine festival, the Halloween Party, Christmas decorations with events starting in Nov, and much of the time perfect weather.

2. The rest of the year, January right after marathon weekend to just before end of Sep, when it is usually fairly easy to get a near park resort at 7 months out, including during all the holidays during that period. However, that does not mean you can wait much beyond the 7 month window to reserve because significant demand for near park resorts begins the moment the 7 month window opens for any given date. Also, certain categories of rooms are usually gone before 7 months out during the Jan to Sep period: AKV concierge and value, BWV boardwalk and standard view, BLT standard and once in a while theme park view, BCV studios once in a while during holiday times, BWV Grand Villas, and OKW Grand Villas near the Hospitality House.

SSR is open at 7 months out year round, except for some very high DVC demand times the Grand Villas and Treehouses might be booked. It is also the resort that you will usually find open at 3 months out when no others are open. AKV, except for concierge and value, and OKW except GV's rooms around the hospitality are usually open at 7 months out and studios, 1BRs and 2BRs can still usally be had at those two past the 7 month window except for very high demand weeks but those two can often disappear before 3 months out. Also note that if seeking a 1BR, those are usually the last to go and can often be available seven months or or even less out even during a number of times in the high demand quarter.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I am a professional late booker

Problem one. Until you are a member you can call all you want. All they will do is send you back to the guide


Now as a general rule. You are not getting Beach Club, BW, VWL, BLT. at 3 months. I expect VGF to be impossible too

Your options will be the big resorts. And a lot of times I take a one bedroom when all I need is a studio. You have to be flexible.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

all good info.

Now I am thinking of booking a week in Jan instead. Either a split stay at GFV and BWV or just a full week at either. Is this a bad deal?

The complication is that we are only buying 100 pts direct at GFV, we're going to supplement with BWV points resale as soon as we find a matching contract, so I'll have to borrow GFV from 2014 and even then we won't have enough for the full week just at GFV since we do not have the other points yet. We're only considering a 1 BR.

I think we are w/in the 7 mo window for either resort, but I also think that the guide will be able to land us a rez at either while we are still waiting to close the deal. That said, we will only really be able to use the 200 GFV pts from 2013 and 2014. Should I just suck it up and book a nice split stay?

 

[drusba]

If you mean the last half of January, you may actually want to consider boardwalk to save on the points because for a 1BR you will actually have a decent chance for either standard or boardwalk view if you can reserve quite soon. A split stay would be an option if you want to be in your own home resort for first visit but VGF points are far more than what is required for BWV. I don't do split stays because members of my family would take all day to pack for the change. Note when purchasing through Disney you don't have to wait to closing to reserve, they can do it quickly after you agree and pay a deposit.

 

[Missyrose]

If you mean the last half of January, you may actually want to consider boardwalk to save on the points because for a 1BR you will actually have a decent chance for either standard or boardwalk view if you can reserve quite soon. A split stay would be an option if you want to be in your own home resort for first visit but VGF points are far more than what is required for BWV. I don't do split stays because members of my family would take all day to pack for the change. Note when purchasing through Disney you don't have to wait to closing to reserve, they can do it quickly after you agree and pay a deposit.

This, my VGF points were available almost immediately after I hung up the phone with the guide and the guide asked if I wanted to transfer to MS to make a reservation. Call now.

 

[nalajms]

I think we are w/in the 7 mo window for either resort, but I also think that the guide will be able to land us a rez at either while we are still waiting to close the deal. That said, we will only really be able to use the 200 GFV pts from 2013 and 2014. Should I just suck it up and book a nice split stay?

People are renting VGF points at $16 per point, versus $10-13 for other points!

Personally, I would bank the VGF points not being used at VGF and look for a transfer of points to book anywhere else while you're waiting for your resale. It gives you more time to wait for a good resale.

 

[Minniesgal]

The only problem is you won't get a full week in a 1 bedroom at GFV for 200 points you will only get 5 nights. Maybe consider a split stay althought it would be a shame to use GFV points elsewhere