BWV Getting Easier to Book?

[tjkraz]

There seem to be an awful lot of reports lately of people getting rooms at BWV on relatively short notice. I just read a report from someone who booked a Standard View room for May two weeks ago. Granted that's not peak travel time, but I still found it to be surprising.

I'm curious to hear what impressions long-time members have regarding BWV availability. Is it easier to book the BWV room you want NOW than it was 3, 4 or 5 years ago? (Feel free to apply your own interpretation of "easier". )

 

[Doctor P]

Though I have not tried to book at room at BWV since 2003, based on my personal experience I will be that it is getting easier. I know that after staying at BWV, it will be low on my list for a return visit (I know that will make some people happy since we won't be competing for BWV rooms). I think demand for resorts like BCV and VWL, as well as SSR as a new resort, are siphoning a little bit of the demand. I think that fact that the resort shop is so poor compared to other resorts, the fact that there is no in hotel dining, and the fact that its transportation to places other than Epcot and MGM is relatively poor makes demand a little less given the other options. Plus, as the second oldest on-site resort, perhaps its long-time members are also choosing other vacation options.

 

[CarolMN]

Just read a post that said BWV was completely sold out for the week in December she wanted to book but that there was plenty of availability as BCV for the same time frame.

Doctor P - There are plenty of people that love BWV. The results of the recent survey do not support your theory. Anyway, I think we'll find that the percentages of people who either like or don't like a particualr resort are pretty much the same - no matter what resort we choose to talk about.

One's perspective of the difficulty of booking pretty much depends on availability when the call to reserve is made. If you get what you want on the first try, it is easy. If you don't, it isn't.

The only thing I know for 100% is that if I call as soon as my 11 month window opens, I always get what I want. Since I always call at 11 months, guess I have to vote "No difference".

Best wishes -

 

[DebbieB]

I only book day by day at 11 months, so I can't say. But I wonder if the fact that the boardwalk view is guaranteed is causing more members to book boardwalk view rather than standard. I booked standard view for 2001, 2002, 2003 because I didn't want to spend the extra points and not get a BW view (after I didn't get it for preferred in 2000). I booked boardwalk view for 2004 & 2005 (all for late November/early December).

 

[DMDSTPRGIL]

Carolmn, you are correct in saying that there are lots of people who like the BWV. Talking to the manager of the BWV he advises me that BWV rooms are still the most sought after resevations out of all the resorts. Member services keeps track of all attempts to book and the BWV still comes up on the top of unable to fill request due to full bookings. Also they never book up full. Vincent advised me they always leave a 5% room opening for screw ups or damaged rooms.

Tjkraz. The problem we all had starting 4 years ago and running for over 2 1/2 years was the rehab they had going on at the BWV. When you saw whole sections of the BWV with staging up infront of the rooms all those rooms were not rented out. For that amount of time BWV lost a large amount of inventory that they could not rent out on rack rate and to DVC club members.At times I am told 1/4 of the rooms were lost.

So now that most of that construction had finished last year BWV now has more rooms then it has in a few years to rent out. They also bought up more deicated DVC rooms off the "cash rate" side because of a recalcuation of the DVC points. DVC will also be adding even more rooms after they finish up with the new rooms under construction where the old DVC sales office"s use to be.

Another situation that has helped with more rooms after member services made notice to several members. Members with large amounts of points were booking up a number of rooms well in advance in hopes of sell there resi off a couple of months or so prior. If not they would just cancel the resi and have to points put back into the account. That causes a problem with the amount of rooms. Also that is why you might be able to get a room on short notice because of all the canceled resi's.

Then the opening of the Beachclub,VWL and Saratoga also helped take some pressure off.

Becareful though. I book 11 months out most of the time. Last year I booked for 4 night at the BWV the first week of Dec. Then in August I wanted to get another room for my parents. Nothing at BWV,BCV. I ended up at Saratoga Springs. First time there. Nice and new but I missed being able to walk into EPCOT,out the front to MK. Also to walk into MGM, all the resturants in the area at the Beach Club and at the Swan and Dolphin.

Doctor P. Every person has differant likes and dislikes. For my wife and I not having a place to eat 20 steps from our room is nothing. But being able to walk to 20 or 30 dinning spots without having to get onto a bus is in out minds just unbeleaveable. Epcot,MGM,Boardwalk,Beachclub,Swan,Dolphin.There has to be 30 between them all.

Booking rooms for DVC members,you just never know...........