Big Family Trip at VWL- need help!

[gracelrm]

We are planning a trip for DH extended family next June. It's almost time to make our ressies at 11 months and I have a few questions about booking several rooms. We'll need 2 Dedicated 2BRS and 1 studio. Anyone know if we'll have much luck of getting them close together? Also, do I book them all in my name now and then later add the names when I'm sure of who's going and who's staying where? We'll probably arrive early to make sure we get registered and work out any kinks before the rest of the family arrives - so can we check in and then leave the keys for them to pick up? I guess I'm asking for any help in knowing the best way to do this. I've never had more than one room at a time and some of you are pros at this!!

TIA

 

[mommystieg]

I just did the same thing Monday!! We are also taking DH's family next June to BCV. I didn't have any trouble getting all the rooms we needed and the person I spoke with said she put a request to get all the rooms close together. She also told me that it would be easier to put all the reservations in our name as long as no one else was checking in before us. I would be interested to know how other people have handled this, too.

 

[Granny]

That sounds like a great family trip!

As you know, there are only requests, not guarantees when it comes to room reservations. And the more requests, the less chance of getting them all fulfilled.

For instance, you can get a 2BR reservation, but there's no guarantee it will be dedicated. You will want to prioritize your requests, because the first one you say will be the one they think you are putting as the most important.

So you need to decide whether a dedicated 2BR is the most important, or being close together. Also, remember that you haven't mentioned smoking or non-smoking....do you not care?

The good news is that VWL is the smallest of the DVC resorts, and you won't be all that far from each other even if you're at opposite ends of the Villas.

My advice is to figure out your priorities, and then give them to MS in the order of importance. And don't worry....whatever they come up with will be great, I'm sure!

Good luck!

 

[Nanajo1]

At OKW I requested 2 2BR to be near each other. One year they were in the same building 1st and 2nd floor. The next time they were side by side. On a BWV trip I had 1 1br and 1 2BR they could not have been farther apart. One was on the 4th floor close to the elevator,the other on the 1st floor three long corridors away from the elevators. All bookings were at 11 months. Good luck.

 

[gracelrm]

O.K. so I get my requests prioritized. That should be fairly easy, I first want Dedicated 2BR villas, second Non Smoking, third we'd like to have them close together. That's all I really have to request. And it's best to put all ressies in my name. Do I call and change the names ahead of time, or can I just add the names of who will be checking in when we check in first? Any other advice out there?

 

[Nanajo1]

I originally put all ressies in my name. then change to the name of whoever is going to occupy a certain room if I don't plan to be there when they arrive. Then I don't have to hang a round waiting for them. But I (incorrectly or not) think by having the ressie in my name maybe the rooms will get assigned close together. But like many DVC practices it is all a mystery to me.

 

[InstImpres]

I just returned from VWL and now have a resort room map that I am going to incorporate into my rooms reports. I would ask for for far end of the hall (long walk to elevators) on floors 2-4. They each have 6 dedicated 2 Brs and 4 dedicated (+4 Lockoff) studios clustered together.

Good luck,
Sandy