BLT Availability

[luckyman_apd]

Ok, our purchase is completed, I'm in the system, I have access to online booking, but I don't have any points yet....that will take a few more days to appear.

I'm planning a trip in Nov during Jersey week. I went online to check availability for the trip. I had heard that Nov 9 was unavailable. Sure enough it is. Nov 6 - Nov 11 is our planned trip. We were going to get a 2br to take the grandparents with us. After checking ALL views in all bedroom categories (studio, 1br, & 2 br) the ONLY available room on Nov 9 is a 1br theme park view.

What the heck is going on Nov. 9th that all these rooms are unavailable????

Every other night is available. So what is the likelihood of waitlisting? Do I waitlist the entire trip? or do I book the other nights, and just waitlist the Friday night?

 

[zeferjen]

I would book what is available and waitlist the missing night. Also ask how much the cash rate for that room is for the one night.

Congratulations on getting through the resale marathon!

 

[luckyman_apd]

Thanks.

I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that one night has zero availabilty at a little more than 9 months out. The night before and night after are available in every category except the standard view. Those are all booked which I expected. Is this common where there is one night that gets fully booked up this far ahead of time?

Wait, explain to me why the room would be available on cash, if it is not available on points?

 

[disneynutz]

Thanks.

I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that one night has zero availabilty at a little more than 9 months out. The night before and night after are available in every category except the standard view. Those are all booked which I expected. Is this common where there is one night that gets fully booked up this far ahead of time?

Wait, explain to me why the room would be available on cash, if it is not available on points?

Welcome to the world of being a DVC owner. Now all of the stuff that you read here on the DIS will start sinking in.

Cash rooms are a different inventory available to Disney, it isn't available on points.

Bill

 

[luckyman_apd]

Welcome to the world of being a DVC owner. Now all of the stuff that you read here on the DIS will start sinking in.

Cash rooms are a different inventory available to Disney, it isn't available on points.

Bill

HA HA. You are funny Bill. Just out of curiousity, who holds that inventory? I'm ok with that scenario (no matter how much it sucks) because my mother was insisting on paying me for the points we use for her. She can pay the cash night instead if that is an option.

Is there some reason though this one night is so popular? The 2 weeks prior and week after are open. Are there THAT many jersey week people who own BLT and go for just a Friday night

Just out of curiousity, how likely are waitlists to come through? (so much for my plan of maybe booking the studio and 1 br separately, as none of them are available that night either!)

 

[disneynutz]

HA HA. You are funny Bill. Just out of curiousity, who holds that inventory? I'm ok with that scenario (no matter how much it sucks) because my mother was insisting on paying me for the points we use for her. She can pay the cash night instead if that is an option.

Is there some reason though this one night is so popular? The 2 weeks prior and week after are open. Are there THAT many jersey week people who own BLT and go for just a Friday night

Just out of curiousity, how likely are waitlists to come through? (so much for my plan of maybe booking the studio and 1 br separately, as none of them are available that night either!)

You can check with MS to see if they have a cash room available with your DVC discount or you can book a regular reservation on the Disney website.

Availability can be a toss up. Now days Disney has something going on all the time. Waitlists are another issue all together. Just like we don't know why one night is popular, we don't know if a waitlist will come through.

The only thing that we do know is, buy where you love to stay and book as early as possible, preferably at 11 months.

Bill

 

[DebbieB]

It's Friday night of Veterans Day weekend, which is also the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival. Plus the end of Jersey week. There were posts last year saying that weekend was very crowded.

 

[luckyman_apd]

It's Friday night of Veterans Day weekend, which is also the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival. Plus the end of Jersey week. There were posts last year saying that weekend was very crowded.

I know Sunday is Veterans day. I understand F&W and Jersey week. I guess I was just surprised to see plenty of Saturday night and Thursday night availability, but not Friday. Is Friday a more popular day than others?

Who knows. As soon as I have points available to book, I'll book the other days, wait list for the Friday, and check for a cash room for that Friday. I have 2 more months until the 7 month window opens to check other resorts. I would doubt it that BC or BW would be available. I'm not able to get down to WDW till the wed, so my wife wants BLT for the first 2 days until I get there. She wants BLT for the whole trip, but will settle for something else if we can't get the Friday.

Anyone know if VWL is open Nov 9 & 10 for a 2 br? I won't be able to check that for 2 months.

 

[wdrl]

Just out of curiousity, who holds that [cash] inventory? I'm ok with that scenario (no matter how much it sucks) because my mother was insisting on paying me for the points we use for her. She can pay the cash night instead if that is an option.

DVD controls the cash inventory. According to the rules of the DVC Condominium Associations, DVD can sell up to 98% of a resort's points to the general public. DVD must retain at least 2%. BLT is almost but not quite at the 98% sold level. As of February 23, 2012, my data shows DVD still has about 285,000 more points to sell at BLT before it reaches the 98% cap.

In addition, whenever DVC members trade out their DVC points for stays in the Disney Collection, the Concierge Collection, or Adventure Collections, those points are also converted into cash reservations.

Although it doesn't apply to your specific situation, there is a third source from which the cash inventory can receive points: the Breakage inventory. If DVC Member inventory is not booked by members within 60 days of check in, the inventory is then made available for cash reservations by the general public. DVC members can still book breakage inventory rooms using points, but they will be competing with non-DVC members for those reservations.

Good luck on getting all the nights that you want!

 

[Sandisw]

I know Sunday is Veterans day. I understand F&W and Jersey week. I guess I was just surprised to see plenty of Saturday night and Thursday night availability, but not Friday. Is Friday a more popular day than others?

Who knows. As soon as I have points available to book, I'll book the other days, wait list for the Friday, and check for a cash room for that Friday. I have 2 more months until the 7 month window opens to check other resorts. I would doubt it that BC or BW would be available. I'm not able to get down to WDW till the wed, so my wife wants BLT for the first 2 days until I get there. She wants BLT for the whole trip, but will settle for something else if we can't get the Friday.

Anyone know if VWL is open Nov 9 & 10 for a 2 br? I won't be able to check that for 2 months.

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that for many this is a non school day and therefore, those that are coming for Veteran's Day weekend are coming in this day and those that are there for Jersey Week are leaving the next day and thus the reason why that one night is so popular--basically its the first night for those just starting but the last night for those leaving.

 

[LisaS]

Just out of curiousity, how likely are waitlists to come through? (so much for my plan of maybe booking the studio and 1 br separately, as none of them are available that night either!)

I've had mixed success with waitlists but the two WLs that did come through were both for just 1 night.

In one case I had a similar situation to yours. I tried to book BWV/BW View during F&W 10 months out. One night in the middle of my trip was not available. I booked the nights before and the nights after and waitlisted for the missing night. I booked a different room for that one night as a backup. The waitlist came through just before the 7-month window opened.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that for many this is a non school day and therefore, those that are coming for Veteran's Day weekend are coming in this day and those that are there for Jersey Week are leaving the next day and thus the reason why that one night is so popular--basically its the first night for those just starting but the last night for those leaving.

That is a good theory. That would make sense. Too bad I didn't close on this contract 2 months ago. Oh well.

In checking the dvc website again tonight, I've found that my points have been loaded into my account

So far I've booked Nov 6-9 in a 2br, and the 10th in a 2br as well. I wait-listed the entire trip 6-11 so if the 9th becomes available, it will cancel my existing reservation and book the wait list. One thing that was odd, is that my contract is for 125 points, and it came with 94 banked points. None of the points in the account were shown as banked. They were all listed as 2012 points. No biggie because if the waitlist comes through, we will need to borrow 10, and we don't plan on traveling in 2013 so I have to use all 219 with this trip.

Here is the dilema. I waitlisted the 2 br lockoff. I don't care if I get a lockoff or not. which do you think has a better chance of coming through? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that VWL would be open for those 2 nights if the 9th never comes through in the next 2 months. We wouldn't mind the having the ferry to the MK. We were thinking of doing the hoopie do review anyway so that would be great to get there. I just think I'd be a little let down if we could only get SSR for those 2 nights, obviously I'm not going to check out on the 9th, move to another resort for the night, and check out and back in again on the 10th. Nothing wrong with SSR, but we were just there last year, and we were looking for park proximity for this trip.

 

[LisaS]

So far I've booked Nov 6-9 in a 2br, and the 10th in a 2br as well. I wait-listed the entire trip 6-11 so if the 9th becomes available, it will cancel my existing reservation and book the wait list.

Are you waitlisting for a different room type than you booked for Nov 6-9 and Nov 10? If not, then you only need to waitlist for the one night that you need, Nov 9.

The way the waitlist works is that if a night becomes available and there is one or more members waitlisted for it, MS goes down the list and if anyone on the list (even if they are the last person on the list) is waiting for just that one night, they get it. If you are waiting for that night plus other nights and are higher on the list, you don't get that night. Your waitlist will only come through if every night you need becomes available all at once. Therefore, single-night waitlists are much more likely to be filled than waitlists for more than one night.

 

[runmommyrun]

November 9th is also the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. There were quite a few who stayed at BLT last year (me being among them!). Welcome to DVC.

 

[luckyman_apd]

Are you waitlisting for a different room type than you booked for Nov 6-9 and Nov 10? If not, then you only need to waitlist for the one night that you need, Nov 9.

The way the waitlist works is that if a night becomes available and there is one or more members waitlisted for it, MS goes down the list and if anyone on the list (even if they are the last person on the list) is waiting for just that one night, they get it. If you are waiting for that night plus other nights and are higher on the list, you don't get that night. Your waitlist will only come through if every night you need becomes available all at once. Therefore, single-night waitlists are much more likely to be filled than waitlists for more than one night.

Thanks! This is where my inexperience comes in. I cancelled my waitlist that included all the dates, and just waitlisted the Nov 9th date. Thanks so much.

Thanks runmommyrun. At least it lets me know something IS going on that day I just thought everyone was checking in Friday and others were checking out friday causing an overlap.

 

[amypetecar]

It's Friday night of Veterans Day weekend, which is also the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival. Plus the end of Jersey week. There were posts last year saying that weekend was very crowded.

I was there in 2011 on business and it was crazy busy. I remember MK being open to midnight, with EMH until 3am. I got there at 9pm after my conference wrapped up for the day thinking crowds would thin out by then. It took our group 45 minutes or so to weave our way through the crowd down main street. But it was fun riding Space Mountain at 2:30 in the morning!

 

[LisaS]

Thanks! This is where my inexperience comes in. I cancelled my waitlist that included all the dates, and just waitlisted the Nov 9th date. Thanks so much.

When the waitlist is filled (might as well be optimistic!), call MS and make sure the three separate reservations you have are linked together. That may or may not happen when the waitlist fills. Linking them together will allow them to function as one continuous reservation, meaning that you won't end up assigned to three different rooms during your stay.

 

[luckyman_apd]

When the waitlist is filled (might as well be optimistic!), call MS and make sure the three separate reservations you have are linked together. That may or may not happen when the waitlist fills. Linking them together will allow them to function as one continuous reservation, meaning that you won't end up assigned to three different rooms during your stay.

Awesome. Will do.

 

[Who's your Mickey?]

I know Sunday is Veterans day. I understand F&W and Jersey week. I guess I was just surprised to see plenty of Saturday night and Thursday night availability, but not Friday. Is Friday a more popular day than others?

Who knows. As soon as I have points available to book, I'll book the other days, wait list for the Friday, and check for a cash room for that Friday. I have 2 more months until the 7 month window opens to check other resorts. I would doubt it that BC or BW would be available. I'm not able to get down to WDW till the wed, so my wife wants BLT for the first 2 days until I get there. She wants BLT for the whole trip, but will settle for something else if we can't get the Friday.

Anyone know if VWL is open Nov 9 & 10 for a 2 br? I won't be able to check that for 2 months.

Another possible explanation for a Friday night spike could be DCL. There are alot of people who don't want to risk a mechanical or weather delay with their flight and end up missing the boat. So they'll come in a day early and if they don't crash near the port, they'll crash at WDW for the night. With the Fantasy taking over the Saturday departure slot in PC, that could add a few hundred more people. I realize not everyone going on a cruise will do this, but 4 or 5 families at one location could be the difference between having available villas and being sold out.

 

[rlovew]

Last year that night was sold out across property in DVC points at about 5-6 months out- again it was only Friday night- I am guessing that it is just a combination of people coming in and leaving because of lll the events of the week. There were a number of threads all about it.