Booking Question before Purchasing

[Deb & Bill]

Purchase a 25 point, low cost contract (resale). Then use your member discount to pay cash for villa rental. I believe its 25℅ off rack rates. You'll have better luck on shorter notice, I think...someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think you might be wrong. The discount isn't always available and probably not at 2-3 months out.

 

[crisi]

I think you might be wrong. The discount isn't always available and probably not at 2-3 months out.

Yep, those discounts are limited, at the times of year when the rooms book full, you aren't going to find those discounts 2-3 months out.

 

[Missyrose]

However, you are going to find the same availability problems as you would if you owned. It isn't likely that much is going to be available as a rental two or three months out in October or Early December - unless someone is disposing of an existing reservation.

But yeah, IF you could consistently rent points at $8, you should definitely just rent points.

I think we're making the same point, if OP can only book 2-3 months out, they're a prime candidate to continue renting or paying cash. That way, if the availability for a villa isn't there, they're not out all the upfront costs (plus MFs) and they can simply move onto Plan B.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

But, in my heart, I feel like a timeshare person- lol. I am not a fan of hotels and, when visiting Disney, will always choose to rent a villa. I don't mind spending the money but would like the flexibility. I guess I just can't have my cake and eat it too

I am a new DVC member (just over a year) Home is OKW and mainly bought to get 2br's now that family is older. We stayed 9 nights end of May at OKW but up until mid Jan there was availability at both VWL and BLT 2br's. In the end I decided to save pts . We are now going 1st week of Dec and waitlisted both BLT and BWV and they both came thru for a fun split stay.
I don't have the experience of others on this board but I love OKW and am willing to stay there any time but I think you can, with some flexibility , have many great DVC vacations.
One thing I learned from this board is if you are going to buy make sure you love your home resort !
I loved mine so much already added a 2nd contract

 

[Minniesgal]

Purchase a 25 point, low cost contract (resale). Then use your member discount to pay cash for villa rental. I believe its 25℅ off rack rates. You'll have better luck on shorter notice, I think...someone correct me if I'm wrong.

There is very little discounted villa availability.

 

[Dean]

But, in my heart, I feel like a timeshare person- lol. I am not a fan of hotels and, when visiting Disney, will always choose to rent a villa. I don't mind spending the money but would like the flexibility. I guess I just can't have my cake and eat it too

To echo the theme, I do not believe it a reasonable choice to buy with the plan of booking 3-5 months out. That's not to say you couldn't be successful doing so most of the time for WDW if you'll take whatever is available, just that the risk and downsides is too great to make it a viable plan. Renting from a member is the way to go in this situation when available. Another alternative is to look at non DVC timeshares where the savings may be worth the additional risk.

That said, if one could move to closer to 7 months out and then have to change part of the time, a cheaper DVC purchase might be workable. Especially if one bought a smaller contract with the plan of using it part of the time.

 

[Sur]

I knew I could count on others to clarify....thanks.

 

[rkold]

Hi, I'm new here so I hope it's OK to join the conversation.

OP, like you I tended to think of myself as the sort of person who preferred to book only 2-3 months out. I kept saying I wasn't interested in committing to a trip 11-7 months in advance. However, this last trip, I started realizing that despite the fact I don't think of myself as someone who plans in advance, I actually do plan my Disney trips 11 months out. Is it possible you really do plan further out than you think, you just don't usually take the plunge and actually commit until closer to the time?

Also, if you're willing to split up stays, I've occasionally gotten DVC properties using my Annual Pass discount during the Sept-Jan period. I sometimes think Disney might hold a few properties in reserve and won't let DVC people book them in order to make more money out of renting them out as hotel rooms.

 

[crisi]

Hi, I'm new here so I hope it's OK to join the conversation.

OP, like you I tended to think of myself as the sort of person who preferred to book only 2-3 months out. I kept saying I wasn't interested in committing to a trip 11-7 months in advance. However, this last trip, I started realizing that despite the fact I don't think of myself as someone who plans in advance, I actually do plan my Disney trips 11 months out. Is it possible you really do plan further out than you think, you just don't usually take the plunge and actually commit until closer to the time?

Also, if you're willing to split up stays, I've occasionally gotten DVC properties using my Annual Pass discount during the Sept-Jan period. I sometimes think Disney might hold a few properties in reserve and won't let DVC people book them in order to make more money out of renting them out as hotel rooms.

Welcome.

The rooms you see available on CRO - including the ones available with an AP discount - are USUALLY the rooms that have been traded out by a DVC member for the member to do something else - for instance cruise - then DVC sells that room in order to pay for it. I think the best way to think of these is that a DVC member is staying in them - they are just staying in them in the middle of the Carribean.

There are other ways these rooms are available for cash, like a room count based off the points that members don't own because they haven't been sold yet, or have been for closed on, or the member didn't pay dues. But it isn't the "more money" thing - members are entitled to rooms owned by members, Disney doesn't get to just take them.

Now WHICH rooms at WHICH times Disney puts into the CRO pool is a huge mystery. They do need to try and pick rooms that are likely to sell, otherwise they can't pay for those exchanges and then the cost in points for exchanges increases. But how this happens isn't transparent.

 

[gonzalj1]

If you can't book at least 7 months ahead of time, your DVC membership booking experience will almost certainly be more frustrating than happy. DVC works best for those who can and will book more than 7 months in advance. My advice is to try renting points for a few trips 2 - 5 months in advance and see how that goes. If you find availability, great! You'll probably be able to get a good price, too. since that is generally considered "last minute" for DVC. If not, you can explore other options. Good luck!

I would caution that finding points for rent does not mean you will find them for booking. 2-3 months out. Most likely those ressies available for rental were booked much further out by owners who used the home booking window.

 

[gonzalj1]

But, in my heart, I feel like a timeshare person- lol. I am not a fan of hotels and, when visiting Disney, will always choose to rent a villa. I don't mind spending the money but would like the flexibility. I guess I just can't have my cake and eat it too

Perhaps you should consider renting vacation homes.

 

[rkold]

Welcome.

The rooms you see available on CRO - including the ones available with an AP discount - are USUALLY the rooms that have been traded out by a DVC member for the member to do something else - for instance cruise - then DVC sells that room in order to pay for it. I think the best way to think of these is that a DVC member is staying in them - they are just staying in them in the middle of the Carribean.

There are other ways these rooms are available for cash, like a room count based off the points that members don't own because they haven't been sold yet, or have been for closed on, or the member didn't pay dues. But it isn't the "more money" thing - members are entitled to rooms owned by members, Disney doesn't get to just take them.

Now WHICH rooms at WHICH times Disney puts into the CRO pool is a huge mystery. They do need to try and pick rooms that are likely to sell, otherwise they can't pay for those exchanges and then the cost in points for exchanges increases. But how this happens isn't transparent.

Thank you for the welcome.

Ah, I think I was confused because one of the incentives given to us by our DVC sales person was a booking for a studio at BLT for the week end of the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon. I had thought there was no way anything would be available there, but I guess it must have been either unsold points or a member who was cruising.

Thank you for clarifying, I appreciate it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you for the welcome.

Ah, I think I was confused because one of the incentives given to us by our DVC sales person was a booking for a studio at BLT for the week end of the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon. I had thought there was no way anything would be available there, but I guess it must have been either unsold points or a member who was cruising.

Thank you for clarifying, I appreciate it.

When you buy direct, often the salesperson is able to help you get your first reservation as a perk. Not from available inventory, but from inventory DVC has available through their ownership (2-3% of the resort), foreclosed points, unsold inventory. Ordinarily, that inventory would not be available to ordinary members. Just to get you to buy from them.

 

[bakerworld]

To echo the theme, I do not believe it a reasonable choice to buy with the plan of booking 3-5 months out. That's not to say you couldn't be successful doing so most of the time for WDW if you'll take whatever is available, just that the risk and downsides is too great to make it a viable plan. Renting from a member is the way to go in this situation when available. Another alternative is to look at non DVC timeshares where the savings may be worth the additional risk.

That said, if one could move to closer to 7 months out and then have to change part of the time, a cheaper DVC purchase might be workable. Especially if one bought a smaller contract with the plan of using it part of the time.

The good choice about deciding where to buy with the idea of booking 3-4 months out is you can go with the 'cheap' places like SSR and OKW which are very bookable at that time frame. That reservation window take the more expensive venues right off the table.

 

[Dean]

The good choice about deciding where to buy with the idea of booking 3-4 months out is you can go with the 'cheap' places like SSR and OKW which are very bookable at that time frame. That reservation window take the more expensive venues right off the table.

That's true starting at 7 months out and for those who don't have to have a specific high demand option routinely, even at the 11 month window. The problem with buying planning only 3-4 months out is that you may not get anything or at least the room type you're looking at. Having to upgrade the room size or miss a given trip completely even every few years, is enough to rob any savings that one might otherwise enjoy. Plus you add a certain amount of stress. It is my opinion that there is no circumstance where it's reasonable to buy with this plan in mind to cover all Disney trips. Realize that even the 7 month window has become increasingly more difficult over the last few years and while this issue has stabilized, it will become even worse if another lower demand resort comes on board. Unfortunately high demand options like VGF and the Poly won't make any real difference in this issue. IF one can't adjust to at least 7 months out, renting will give much of the savings and remove much of the risk related to no availability. Certain none DVC timeshares might be a good option for this situation for all but weeks 15, 16, mid summer and Xmas, NY.

 

[crisi]

When you buy direct, often the salesperson is able to help you get your first reservation as a perk. Not from available inventory, but from inventory DVC has available through their ownership (2-3% of the resort), foreclosed points, unsold inventory. Ordinarily, that inventory would not be available to ordinary members. Just to get you to buy from them.

And sometimes that is gone and they can't help. No matter how magical a place Disney is, Tinkerbell has not mastered pulling rooms out of thin air, and reality interferes in the form of physics, math, and legal regulations.

(Once in a while here it seems someone forgets this, and sort of thinks that Disney is exempt from the laws of physics - or Florida timeshares or GAAP.)

 

[crisi]

That's true starting at 7 months out and for those who don't have to have a specific high demand option routinely, even at the 11 month window. The problem with buying planning only 3-4 months out is that you may not get anything or at least the room type you're looking at. Having to upgrade the room size or miss a given trip completely even every few years, is enough to rob any savings that one might otherwise enjoy. Plus you add a certain amount of stress. It is my opinion that there is no circumstance where it's reasonable to buy with this plan in mind to cover all Disney trips. Realize that even the 7 month window has become increasingly more difficult over the last few years and while this issue has stabilized, it will become even worse if another lower demand resort comes on board. Unfortunately high demand options like VGF and the Poly won't make any real difference in this issue. IF one can't adjust to at least 7 months out, renting will give much of the savings and remove much of the risk related to no availability. Certain none DVC timeshares might be a good option for this situation for all but weeks 15, 16, mid summer and Xmas, NY.

The other option is that you can get rooms, but its rooms - its SSR for two nights and OKW for a night, then the only room open was over at BLT - against the odds, but that was what was there, then back to SSR for a night.

Once in a while someone posts about short term success with a high demand resort and its one or two nights in the middle of the vacation - and if they are happy with that, I'm happy for them. But usually that isn't what I would want to do.

 

[Dean]

Once in a while someone posts about short term success with a high demand resort and its one or two nights in the middle of the vacation - and if they are happy with that, I'm happy for them. But usually that isn't what I would want to do.

There's no doubt it works much of the time and that there are successes depending on one's efforts and expectations. The issues are risk, aggravation and effort and IMO buying simply to use DVC this way is far too much of all of those to make owning worthwhile even for "off season" travels.