Booking availability - real stories

[Jspujji]

Hello, considering buying DVC. It seems clear that it can be hard to book at a different property at the 7 month window. My question is: how hard?

can folks share real examples when they have/ have not been able to book? Eg which properties/rooms/dates?

are there dates that are never avail and ones that are always available?

my purchase will likely hinge on better understanding this so thanks in advance!

 

[JETSDAD]

I'd take a look at the charts by @skier_pete for a good overall idea of what to expect. There are certain booking categories that really are never available at 7 months. Late September through January can be tough for studios at 7 months. First 2 weeks of December can be tough at 11 months let alone 7 months.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-bd-charts-september-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/

 

[bookwormde]

If you have rooms that are have to have then you need it needs to be your home resort. I have gotten AKV CL and standard studios, BC studios and 2 br, BW standard and BW view, BLT standard studio and GF standard studio and 2 br at 7 months or less. though I have been known to book at 8am and to use 1 day wait lists and stalk availability, to piece things together. I also like to do split stays so that helps. We typically have traveled in summertime so that makes it a little easier

Basically if you are patient, diligent and are flexible you will be able to get almost any type and location room at some point, unless you travel at the busiest times, If you will be disappointed if you do not get the exact reservation each time then you need both home resort and a quick finger on the enter button right at the 11 month mark, and sometimes even that does not work

 

[TCRAIG]

I own lots of home resorts so I won’t have trouble booking - and I always get 1 bedrooms and book at 11 months for 6-7 nights. That being said, 2 yrs ago - I could not get a 1 bedroom at VGF for the first week of December just a few days into my 11 month window - and for December 2020 I’ve been looking to add the 5th at BRV for months - it’s been a no go. Full weeks at Beach Club 1 Br is usually gone at around the 10 month mark for fall and December.

 

[Minniesgal]

I own two home resorts and tend to just stay there

We have found that for 1 bedrooms, Easter and Summer are not too bad to get rooms at 7 months. Not sure I would even bother trying at other times of year.

 

[shoegal9]

I’ve never had an issue. I booked 7 nights at the Poly in September 2019 at the 7 month mark, as well as a long weekend at the Boardwalk last June two months before check in. This year I booked OKW for a long weekend during Food & Wine 2020 and waitlisted Beach Club (never thinking I would get it) and two weeks after booking my waitlist went through. Beach Club studios during F&W are always talked about as impossible to get. For nearly 3 years now, all of my waitlists have come through and I’ve never had an issue.

 

[Sandisw]

I think it really does depends. I have had some good luck at 7 months but it doesn’t always happen easily. Waitlists, and stalking as well as the willingness to split stay if I need to to get what I want,

I do think the next year or so will be tougher due to the closure, But, the hardest time I have had was October Columbus Day weekend, first week of December, and Presidents week in February.

Most have ended up as a split stay, which I didn’t mind. But, I also had a list of choices. For example, last January I wanted either VGF, BLT or Poly studio, I ended up getting POLY after about a month into the window for 4 nights but it took work.

1 bedrooms will be easier as they tend to book last due to close to double points of a studio, but similar occupancy.

 

[ELMC]

I'd like to add that for the next few years it's likely that none of the data we've complied on availability will be all that valid. Every day that the resorts are closed contributes to the increased pressure on availability. Points have not been used for the past six weeks and continue to not be used. That alone is enough to put pressure on the remainder of the year, but when you also factor in the extension of expiring points you have a recipe for significantly decreased availability. The real offset to this will be a lack of demand and reluctance to visit Disney until things get back to "normal". But all that will accomplish is to incentivize owners to bank points which will only push this wave forward into the upcoming years. My advice for the next few years is book reservations exactly at 11 months, because after that there might not be much left. We shall see.

 

[kmorlock]

It’s also good to research how many of each type of room exists at your home resort. For example, the value type and Club Level rooms at Jambo are in short supply no matter when you’re looking. That doesn’t mean you can’t catch a good break sometime but, it’s not easy. Likewise, Boardwalk standard studios are not plentiful and can present a challenge because there aren’t many and the lower points needed to book. It cannot be over-stated that buyers should buy where they want to stay.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It’s also good to research how many of each type of room exists at your home resort. For example, the value type and Club Level rooms at Jambo are in short supply no matter when you’re looking. That doesn’t mean you can’t catch a good break sometime but, it’s not easy. Likewise, Boardwalk standard studios are not plentiful and can present a challenge because there aren’t many and the lower points needed to book. It cannot be over-stated that buyers should buy where they want to stay.

You can find that kind of information in the DVC Resource thread at the top of each DVC Board. It's the same thread, just posted at the top of all the DVC boards.

You need to remember that most resorts are sold out and that DVC occupancy is expected to be from 95-98% throughout the year. There are a few times of the year when it may be easier to book your stay at seven months out and there are a few times when it will be very difficult to book at seven months. Mid-Sept through the Marathon in Jan is called Fall Frenzy. You need to book your home resort at 11 months out to make sure you get a place to stay. Then at seven months out, you see what might still be available. Studios usually fill up first, followed by two bedrooms and one bedrooms usually are last since they sleep about the same as a studio but require twice the number of points. I've found it not too difficult to book a non-home resort at seven months out in late January and early May. Summer might not be too hard either, but who wants to be in Lake Buena Vista during the summer. It's rainy season, extremely humid and hot. But once you get past the seven months out timeframe, your chances decrease greatly. You'll need to waitlist and stalk the website and even then you might not get what you want.

The fewer number of points your stay requires usually means it will be hard to book at seven months out, like AKV Value villas, BWV standard, BLT standard, Holidays and Run Disney events are also hard to book at times. Grand Californian Villas are always hard to get at seven months out, not impossible, but you better be ready to book right at 8AM ET.

Everyone always say, buy where you don't mind staying if you cannot change your reservation at seven months out. If you plan is to stay at WDW, don't buy an offsite resort. If you plan to stay at HHI or VB in the summer, especially in a Grand Villa or Beach Cottage, you really need to own there.

 

[sleepydog25]

Hello, considering buying DVC. It seems clear that it can be hard to book at a different property at the 7 month window. My question is: how hard?

can folks share real examples when they have/ have not been able to book? Eg which properties/rooms/dates?

are there dates that are never avail and ones that are always available?

my purchase will likely hinge on better understanding this so thanks in advance!

First, reread ELMC's excellent post above. We are definitely into an unknown area with DVC points and booking. That being said, you asked for "real examples" so you deserve a few.

1. Three years ago, we decided to book a last-minute NYE trip for three days. There was nothing available for consecutive nights, but by waitlisting, we were able to put together three nights in a studio at OKW. We did this on about a 2-month notice.
2. Four years ago, we traveled to DL and attempted to get into the Grand Californian right at the 7-month point. We were unable to secure any nights out of five nights we were visiting. Again, we waitlisted and "stalked" the reservation availability tool (RAT). Meanwhile, we booked those nights in the DL Hotel. After a couple of months, we snagged a 1BR for the first two nights. Several weeks later, we saw a Grand Villa open up for the last two night--booked those. We never did get the night in the middle, so we wound up with a split-split stay, and it was fine.
3. We tried every year for four years to book HHI in June/July and never had success. . .until last summer. We patched together a couple of nights in a studio and a couple of nights in a 2BR. But, that's a 25% success rate and, again, a split stay (to be fair, we don't mind those--some do).
4. Our home resort are the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge (VWL), now renamed to Boulder Ridge Villas (hate that name). For the holidays, it's the best resort at WDW due to its theming and decorations. However, if you don't own there or Copper Creek Villas (the new DVC property at the Wilderness Lodge), then getting a reservation there from November to January is next to impossible, and even then, the competition for the new Copper Creek makes 11 months out a real tough get even as your home resort.
5. As for getting a reservation at someplace other than your home resort at the seven-month resort, if you are flexible with your plans, don't mind staying in either Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, or perhaps Animal Kingdom Lodge, and are willing to do a split stay, then your odds are still pretty good to get to Disney World with a place to stay in a DVC resort. However, as always, I firmly believe the oft-repeated adage: "buy where you want to stay." That way, if you book your home resort and can't move out of it at seven months, you won't mind.

 

[Jspujji]

Thanks everyone, super helpful!!

 

[Jspujji]

I'd like to add that for the next few years it's likely that none of the data we've complied on availability will be all that valid. Every day that the resorts are closed contributes to the increased pressure on availability. Points have not been used for the past six weeks and continue to not be used. That alone is enough to put pressure on the remainder of the year, but when you also factor in the extension of expiring points you have a recipe for significantly decreased availability. The real offset to this will be a lack of demand and reluctance to visit Disney until things get back to "normal". But all that will accomplish is to incentivize owners to bank points which will only push this wave forward into the upcoming years. My advice for the next few years is book reservations exactly at 11 months, because after that there might not be much left. We shall see.

Do you think Disney will extend deed years or something else to manage this?

 

[kmorlock]

Do you think Disney will extend deed years or something else to manage this?

The consensus from most people who are well versed in timeshares is “no”. There has been a ton of discussion On other threads and lots of suggestions to remedy the Future availability problems. At this point though, it’s anyone’s guess. They (DVD) don’t have to do anything according to the Sales terms & agreement.

 

[Eric Smith]

Hello, considering buying DVC. It seems clear that it can be hard to book at a different property at the 7 month window. My question is: how hard?

can folks share real examples when they have/ have not been able to book? Eg which properties/rooms/dates?

are there dates that are never avail and ones that are always available?

my purchase will likely hinge on better understanding this so thanks in advance!

We purchased an AKL resale contract back in October. Before that, I did about six months of research in to DVC. Based on that research, I found that I would need to have enough points to book a one bedroom in order to reliably be able to book outside of my home resort at the 7 month mark. Before the whole COVID situation, I was able to book a split stay at Boardwalk and Boulder Ridge for this April (since cancelled) and 8 nights at the Boardwalk in late September. When I was trying to book those reservations, I didn't see much studio availability. Up until now, it looks like it would be very difficult to book outside your home resort in late fall at all since that is a pretty busy time for DVC.

Since I did my research, two things have changed. The most obvious change is the impact of COVID. Since the resorts are going to be closed for at least 2.5 - 3 months, there will be a lot of excess points in the system. This may make availability a challenge for the next couple years. Disney put the rule in place limiting borrowing to 50% of future year points so that may help the situation. The other difference is that DVC re-did the point charts (at least for the WDW resorts) for 2021. They are charging more points for the busy times in the fall which may alter what availability looks like in the future.

I guess all of that is a long winded way to say that you should buy where you would be comfortable always staying. We love AKL and would not be disappointed to stay there any time and that is why we bought there.

 

[sleepydog25]

We purchased an AKL resale contract back in October. Before that, I did about six months of research in to DVC. Based on that research, I found that I would need to have enough points to book a one bedroom in order to reliably be able to book outside of my home resort at the 7 month mark. Before the whole COVID situation, I was able to book a split stay at Boardwalk and Boulder Ridge for this April (since cancelled) and 8 nights at the Boardwalk in late September. When I was trying to book those reservations, I didn't see much studio availability. Up until now, it looks like it would be very difficult to book outside your home resort in late fall at all since that is a pretty busy time for DVC.

Since I did my research, two things have changed. The most obvious change is the impact of COVID. Since the resorts are going to be closed for at least 2.5 - 3 months, there will be a lot of excess points in the system. This may make availability a challenge for the next couple years. Disney put the rule in place limiting borrowing to 50% of future year points so that may help the situation. The other difference is that DVC re-did the point charts (at least for the WDW resorts) for 2021. They are charging more points for the busy times in the fall which may alter what availability looks like in the future.

I guess all of that is a long winded way to say that you should buy where you would be comfortable always staying. We love AKL and would not be disappointed to stay there any time and that is why we bought there.

Good post. I would add that what Eric found appears to be the trend the past several years (and one would assume going forward) that studios are the harder to get reservations. With Poly, then Copper Creek, and likely continuing with Reflections, Disney hypes the cabana/cabin cachet of ownership while, in reality, few can afford the number of points to stay there. Instead, new owners realize that studios offer far more bang for the buck, so competition for those--even at 11 months--is stiff at some resorts, in particular Copper Creek. I echo Eric's notion of doing research--truly look at all aspects before buying. DVC ownership can be wonderful, and it can also be an expensive experience one is not prepared to handle.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The consensus from most people who are well versed in timeshares is “no”. There has been a ton of discussion On other threads and lots of suggestions to remedy the Future availability problems. At this point though, it’s anyone’s guess. They (DVD) don’t have to do anything according to the Sales terms & agreement.

More than that, extending the land lease and deed creates more points issues on the back end.

 

[ELMC]

More than that, extending the land lease and deed creates more points issues on the back end.

Very true. That said, I think by keeping the status quo they're also going to have point issues on the back end, although not as likely. What is happening this year is definitely going to have a ripple effect, the only question is how far that ripple goes. The solution to no availability is to bank your points. As availability becomes more scarce we are likely to see an increase in the banking of points, and that will have a cascading effect that could significantly affect how owners use their points. There is a possibility that the new normal of point usage is to vacation using banked points, always pushing current year points forward. If that's the case, 2042 is going to be the timeshare apocalypse.

All that said, there are 20 years for this thing to smooth itself out. My guess is that it will lead to a significantly higher number of unused points, which although unfortunate for individual owners, does relieve some of the pressure on booking.

Do you think Disney will extend deed years or something else to manage this?

Good question. No, I don't. I think they are going to do as little as possible to manage this problem, and the solution of extending deed years is a massive undertaking and not without problems of its own. Plus, lack of availability is a hidden consequence of this current situation. The problem DVC is dealing with now consists of concrete owners losing concrete points due to concrete reservations being canceled because the hotels were closed. That is easy to quantify; it is simple for just about anyone to understand; and furthermore, the optics of it are terrible. They HAVE to do something about that and they are.

Decreased availability, on the other hand, is a problem that is much harder to quantify. Competition for available rooms is always high, so who is to say that the closure is actually the reason why you can't use your points? And if you can't, then just bank them, you'll find something next year. It's easy to throw enough shade on this one and sweep it under the rug. I know I'm mixing metaphors here but the point is, it's much easier for Disney to make this one go away.

 

[crisi]

Things to be aware of when talking about seven month luck.....

• I've owned for almost 20 years now - and what was possible five or six years ago is unlikely now - so without some idea of when that reservation was made, its hard to get a feel. We had a really nice Summer stay at BCV with no problems booking it at seven months - a dozen years ago. That data isn't very good because its so old.
• "Nearly impossible" reservations happen. Some people seem to have good luck. But that doesn't mean you will have good luck.
• Note that luck will sometimes include stalking the website, waitlisting, split stays, split-split stays, moving dates a little ...... techniques that are possible for some, not possible for others and acceptable for some and not acceptable for others. If you intent is to go to the web site once and get a BCV studio in July at seven months, you aren't likely to get lucky.
• Over time, things change. When we bought, Food and Wine didn't start until mid-October....and our kids had an early October school break. The year after we bought, F&W moved back - along with BWV (our home resort) demand, making rooms that were easy to get at eleven months more difficult (BWV standard view rooms and Boardwalk view rooms). When we bought, the minimum buy in was 150 points, and not a lot of people owned smaller contracts in order to get the eleven month booking - when perks started to get tied to direct points, a bunch of people bought small contracts just to get the eleven month booking at BWV or BCV for F&W (and other things - like VGF which is small and hard to get. Or BLT which is hard to get the standard view rooms). That changed availability a lot.
• The best bet is to buy where you don't mind ending up - and then if you can switch, switch. If you aren't going to be happy unless you get what you want when you want it, DVC (or any timeshare) isn't for you.

 

[BillPA]

It is more important than ever to BUY WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY. Do not expect to be able to change at 7 mo for several years, even when everyone gets caught up with their points, switching will only get more difficult. Buy where you will be happy.