Bwv View Question

[DISNEY4FUN]

HI ALL,

I am planning to make a ressie at the BWV for Jan '05. I want to use the least amount of points in regards to the view. So I will book the room under standard view. My question is....what specifically are the restrictions of a standard view? Can I still request a view of the pool?

Thanks

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by DISNEY4FUN
HI ALL,

I am planning to make a ressie at the BWV for Jan '05. I want to use the least amount of points in regards to the view. So I will book the room under standard view. My question is....what specifically are the restrictions of a standard view? Can I still request a view of the pool?

Thanks

No. Standard views do not include a view of any of the pools.

For the most part, they overlook the front entrance and the driveway leading up to the entrance. You will also have a view of the parking lots (in the distance) and you may see the top of someof the EPCOT World Showcasre buildings (France). The area is nicely landscaped. SOme of the rooms have a view of the higher level fireworks from IllumiNations.

Some who have booked standard views report they recieved a view of the SwanDolphin Hotels and the canal. IMHO, this area is used to place people when they "overbook" standard view. It is the area where the DVC sales office back building was located. At some point, that building is supposed to be removed.

HTH

 

[pumpkinboy]

Better get those rooms booked too, and do it now. Std view studios and 2BRs were all gone for the week before MLK Day weekend. You might try day-by-day waitlisting for any days you don't get right at the 7 month window.

We used our own BWV points to book BW view studios for the nights we were definately going to need (prior to 7 months), then used OKW points exactly at the 7 month window for the nights we might need, and waitlisted for one more.

 

[DISNEY4FUN]

Better get those rooms booked too, and do it now. Std view studios and 2BRs were all gone for the week before MLK Day weekend. You might try day-by-day waitlisting for any days you don't get right at the 7 month window.

I am looking to book Jan 22nd thru the 29th. So I can't call quite yet. I didn't think I would have any problems getting a room in January. I thought that was the slow season. We will need a two bedroom. I hope I won't have to wait list.

If I call day by day, are they considered as six separate ressies?

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by DISNEY4FUN
I didn't think I would have any problems getting a room in January. I thought that was the slow season.

There's never a 'slow season' when it comes to the Standard View rooms. Having just stayed at BWV for the first time, I have to say that if we ever stay there again, I'll certainly try for a standard view room. Our "Preferred View" (pool view) was nothing to get excited about.

If I call day by day, are they considered as six separate ressies?

No. Just tell member services to hold open the reservation. They will just keep adding to the same reservation one day at a time, and you'll end up with just one ressie and one confirmation form at the end.

But you should probably start thinking about whether you want to waitlist or not. I don't have a whole lot of experience in booking at BWV, but based upon everything I have read here, those rooms may be gone well in advance of the 7-month window.

 

[pumpkinboy]

True, in January, you probly won't have trouble getting a room, but you might have trouble getting a low-points Std view room, as other ppl are as cheap we both are. Std view rooms book up quickly, even at off-peak times like January. So calling at the 7 month mark will get you something, it just may be more points than you wanted. Calling day-by-day is what I would recommend, just to be sure you get any lingering Std view 2BRs that might be left after BWV members like myself are done reserving. That being said, even if you have to waitlist for the Std view, if you are the first one on the waitlist, you will very likely get it.

As for reserving day-by-day, you just tell MS that this is what you are doing and they will add days onto your existing ressie as you go, so only one reservation number (unless they happen to be out of Std view rooms on that day, in which case you would waitlist the Std view and book a Pfd view, so more than one ressie).

We are taking friends down to VB over MLK weekend, and are treating them to a couple of days at BWV beforehand. When I first called in last month, there was just one Std view studio and one Std view 2BR open for my dates. We ended up taking the last 2 BW view studios, bcs I wanted to see what I was missing always staying Std view, and I also wanted to guarantee an impressive view for our friends, who have never been. I could have saved 3 points a night for one of the rooms, but decided we wanted rooms closer to each other (so our kids could play together) for the short time we're at BWV.

Good luck with your ressies. In your shoes I would definately go day-by-day, but then again, I tend to be a hyper-planner and cannot leave anything to chance, at least where my ressies are concerned.

 

[DebbieB]

On the first day you call, I would ask them to check availability for the entire time. If some of your dates are already sold out, you may want to wait until the end and waitlist the entire time rather than have odd dates booked. You could even call a few days before and ask them to check, so that you can have a backup plan in mind.

 

[DISNEY4FUN]

DEBBIEB,

Thanks for the advice. Your post answered all of my additional concerns. I will call a day ahead just to get a feel for what will be available.

 

[tjkraz]

If you do have to waitlist, just be aware that there are two different methods: waitlisting for your entire stay or day-by-day.

If you waitlist day-by-day, each day of your trip will be booked individually as it becomes available. This method probably has the best chance for success, but you also have the possibility of NOT getting a single day (or multiple days) in the middle of your stay.

For example, if you want to stay for seven nights and three of them are available when you call, those three will be booked immediately. Then, over the next 7 months, anytime a member cancels a trip that coincides with one of your missing days, that day will be automatically booked in your name (assuming you are the next name on the waitlist).

But, obviously the risk comes into play if you do not get one or more days. If you successfully book Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Sunday, you will either have to move to a preferred view room or even a different resort on Thursday.

On the other hand, you can also go on the waitlist for your entire stay. This "all or nothing" approach means that you won't have to switch rooms or resorts during your stay--but it there is also a reduced likelihood that you will get the ressie at all.

Again, let's assume that three of seven nights are available when you call. If you want to waitlist for the entire stay, NONE of those nights will be booked when you hang up the phone. Your stay will ONLY be reserved if all seven nights come available simultaneously. And, DVC will not hold the three available nights for you--someone could call 10 minutes later and take those dates, meaning that there is zero availability for your entire stay. Then it becomes a matter of one or more people cancelling reservations that exactly matches your needs (BWV, 2B, Standard View, your dates).

If you want to waitlist for the entire stay, I would recommend that you make a backup reservation elsewhere and cross your fingers that you get your first choice. OKW may be a good alternative if for no other reason than the point charts are identical to the BWV Standard View.

Good luck.

 

[DISNEY4FUN]

Boy, I'm being to think that maybe I should buy some more points and just stay at BCV. That may be easier and less stressfull.

Oh well, half the fun is the planning. I guess this next trip will be extra fun.


Thanks for the help everyone.