Booking BLT if We're Non-DVC Owners

[Marionnette]

Yes! Me too!! I checked this morning too, but I didn't try June (smart idea!) I called too, just in case, and she said to check in November. Um... Thanks very much, but I will be checking much sooner than that! Ha! Do you think we can check at the 11 month mark from July 1, or do you think it would be the 11 month mark from our check in date?

I don't know about CRO, but I do know that DVC members must wait until 11 months prior to their check in date in order to book at their home resort.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I don't know about CRO, but I do know that DVC members must wait until 11 months prior to their check in date in order to book at their home resort.

Thanks! I guess it wouldn't hurt to check August 1 too and then if its not available I can check 11 months from our check in date

ETA: I was playing around with June dates, and it will only show availability through June 10, so it definitely looks like cash reservations are also based on the actual check in date, and don't open for the whole month on the first of the month.

 

[Minniesgal]

Thank you! That's great news! I know October is probably a slower time than the summer, but it gives me hope

Actually October is peak season for DVC resorts

 

[Minniesgal]

don't know for sure...but i would imagine that the day after the
7mos time frame would be when they had the most inventory.

we own 3 contacts there & that's when we can trade out-
...basically i think our points would be like 2 rooms. at
the 7mos. this year, we traded back out so we can spend 2 weeks
@ aulani this christmas. and i think many owners are
doing the same thing @ the 7mos. period, especially certain
times of the year.

You trading out to go to Aulani or any other DVC resort is not what creates cash inventory. That creates points inventory for DvC member trading in. It is people trading out to the Disney collection, concierge and adventures by Disney that need to be paid for by turning inventory over to cash. I think you have more flexibility on when you book those so I would keep looking for cash inventory. Cash inventory with a pass holders discount is not available that far in advance at the moment it is only available up to September.

 

[Minniesgal]

Thanks! I know holidays are often blacked out, but I am worried about summer being a busy time. Unfortunately, I'm a teacher, so it's our only option! I went on Mousesavers and tried to look through the historical AP data and it looks like summer isn't usually blacked out, so fingers crossed that we at least have one thing working for us. You better believe I'll be checking daily I'm hoping, with the new Grand Floridian DVC opening soon, many BLT people will choose to give that a try this year instead.

People trading out to GFV from BLT will not create cash inventory it will create points inventory for other DVC members.

 

[Minniesgal]

Deb & Bill and Lynne,

Thank you both so much for helping me to understand the process. It is making me lose hope, but it's good to see how it all works. I will just have to keep an eye on things. Would checking WDW.com be the best way to do it, or can you only book 2 bedroom villas over the phone? (I know at other resorts there are certain categories that can only be booked over the phone.)

Keep checking and looking online it will give you an idea how often they come up.

Or you could consider renting points that way you could potentially secure it 11 months in advance

 

[OurBigTrip]

People trading out to GFV from BLT will not create cash inventory it will create points inventory for other DVC members.

True, but if not as many members are booking at BLT, won't that open up more rooms for cash reservations?

 

[Minniesgal]

your welcome....i still think it has merit ( meaning that what we
be doing for blt if we 're not owners. ). the reason why is
because we booked 2 weeks/2 bd room over christmas in
case we were unable to trade for aulani.....so i know we gave
up 2 rooms after we booked aulani. the reason we held onto
it, because we know others would try for it @ 7mos.

do you work @ dvc lynne? that is, trying to determine how
likely that is true....i don't think dvc is accurate with all info
they're telling members. and some times i seen where they
tweak their rules making it very un~predictable how they
manage inventory.....i have read others confirmed what you are
saying but then read different results some are posting.

not questioning your own resources...just trying to see how
you figure dvc resorts assigned their rooms. even though
we have been members prior to blt opening...we didn't stay
there until christmas 2110. though there were no rooms
when we called 11mos- {as soon as ms opened}, yet during
our stay, we met some who were not members that
were staying there. then there were some locals staying
day here /there during our stay & there was another room
that was occupied with wdw workers partying.

based on those factors you mentioned, would indicate a certain
inventory they could offer on a regular time schedules for
cash? and i would think the 7mos booking period & the day
after, would be when dvc would release rooms for cash
because they would know almost all the available rooms?

i also think 10% of all blt rooms would give them a consistently
inventory? which makes rap.gdmom 's input the norm?

The DVC POS explains how inventory is allocated. 7 months is not relevant for DVC rooms being turned over to cash reservations.

 

[Lynne M]

True, but if not as many members are booking at BLT, won't that open up more rooms for cash reservations?

No; the member-owned inventory is completely separate from the cash reservation inventory. Rooms can only be moved between the two in the very specific, limited situations I mentioned in my earlier posts.

In other words, Disney has no right to take room inventory that the members own and rent it out to the public for their own profit.

 

[ses1230]

Actually October is peak season for DVC resorts

I thought early December is peak DVC time?

 

[OurBigTrip]

No; the member-owned inventory is completely separate from the cash reservation inventory. Rooms can only be moved between the two in the very specific, limited situations I mentioned in my earlier posts.

In other words, Disney has no right to take room inventory that the members own and rent it out to the public for their own profit.

Got it, thanks!

Seems pretty dumb...villas could potentially be sitting empty, while there are people that are more than willing to pay to stay in them.

 

[Minniesgal]

Got it, thanks!

Seems pretty dumb...villas could potentially be sitting empty, while there are people that are more than willing to pay to stay in them.

Members rooms very rarely sit empty and members would get pretty upset if Disney could take points inventory out and sell it for cash when they have already paid for their points.

 

[Minniesgal]

I thought early December is peak DVC time?

December is the highest point of the peak but DVC is busy October to mid January

 

[OurBigTrip]

Members rooms very rarely sit empty and members would get pretty upset if Disney could take points inventory out and sell it for cash when they have already paid for their points.

If a DVC member isn't going to use their points to stay at BLT (or any DVC property, for that matter), and rooms were going to be empty (even a small number of rooms), why would they care what Disney does with those rooms?

I could completely understand if DVC members weren't able to use their points to get a room because Disney rented it out for cash - totally understandable. But if not, why would they care?

 

[Minniesgal]

If a DVC member isn't going to use their points to stay at BLT (or any DVC property, for that matter), and rooms were going to be empty (even a small number of rooms), why would they care what Disney does with those rooms?

I could completely understand if DVC members weren't able to use their points to get a room because Disney rented it out for cash - totally understandable. But if not, why would they care?

People would care if they were locked out of points rooms because rooms had been turned over to cash. DVC rooms very rarely sit empty in fact often members are on waiting lists to get what they want.

 

[OurBigTrip]

People would care if they were locked out of points rooms because rooms had been turned over to cash. DVC rooms very rarely sit empty in fact often members are on waiting lists to get what they want.

That's what I said, I could understand DVC owners being upset if they were locked out of rooms that had been turned over for cash - totally understandable.

I guess that Lynne's post covers this under #3...if, 60 days out, the rooms aren't allotted to DVC members, they are turned over for cash reservations.

 

[Minniesgal]

That's what I said, I could understand DVC owners being upset if they were locked out of rooms that had been turned over for cash - totally understandable.

I guess that Lynne's post covers this under #3...if, 60 days out, the rooms aren't allotted to DVC members, they are turned over for cash reservations.

Yes exactly but you have more chance earlier with the rooms freed up by members trading out of DVC so don't wait until,60 days out. This year the DVC 2 bedrooms at BLT were fully booked in February this year. There was some cash inventory available last month though for August.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Yes exactly but you have more chance earlier with the rooms freed up by members trading out of DVC so don't wait until,60 days out. This year the DVC 2 bedrooms at BLT were fully booked in February this year. There was some cash inventory available last month though for August.

Oh, I agree 100% - I call every couple of days to check, even though it's a year out.

 

[Lynne M]

If a DVC member isn't going to use their points to stay at BLT (or any DVC property, for that matter), and rooms were going to be empty (even a small number of rooms), why would they care what Disney does with those rooms?

I could completely understand if DVC members weren't able to use their points to get a room because Disney rented it out for cash - totally understandable. But if not, why would they care?

As mentioned in that list of conditions above, at 60 days out, Disney does move un-reserved villas over to the cash inventory. If members then call DVC Member Services and want to book a villa with their points in that 60 day timeframe, the villa gets pulled back out of cash inventory.

The key point is, the proceeds of any cash rental of those villas has to come back to the owners of the resort. And it does, in the form of breakage inventory, which offsets member dues. Disney can't just take unbooked member villas and rent 'em out and pocket the proceeds, because they don't own that inventory. The members who own at each resort pay property taxes and operational costs (landscaping, utilities, cleaning, refurbishments) for that inventory, and there'd be a class action lawsuit to end all class action lawsuits if they didn't get the proceeds of any rentals of member inventory.

 

[OurBigTrip]

As mentioned in that list of conditions above, at 60 days out, Disney does move un-reserved villas over to the cash inventory. If members then call DVC Member Services and want to book a villa with their points in that 60 day timeframe, the villa gets pulled back out of cash inventory.

The key point is, the proceeds of any cash rental of those villas has to come back to the owners of the resort. And it does, in the form of breakage inventory, which offsets member dues. Disney can't just take unbooked member villas and rent 'em out and pocket the proceeds, because they don't own that inventory. The members who own at each resort pay property taxes and operational costs (landscaping, utilities, cleaning, refurbishments) for that inventory, and there'd be a class action lawsuit to end all class action lawsuits if they didn't get the proceeds of any rentals of member inventory.

Makes perfect sense, thank you!

Just out of curiosity, what happens if a room is opened up for cash at 60 days, someone books it for cash, and then a DVC member wants a room and none are available? I mean, what happens to the people that booked the cash room? Does Disney just send the to a different resort?

Thanks again for of the info - makes it all much clearer now!