Can you ever do last minute trips with DVC?

[rance]

Hi

I am in the process of researching a DVC membership and was wondering about the flexiability. For example, if I wanted to do a last minute nov. trip is that possible? or do you have to always plan months in advance?

 

[rlovew]

It might be possible if you are willing to move a bit and take anything available as well as have a short trip but if you will regularly be planning trips of more than a few days, don't like split stays, have a specific resort you want to stay at then you need to be planning more than 4 months out and at times of the year 7 or more months out.

 

[crocrafter]

Not sure how common it is, but I have booked 2 trips I would consider last minute. On 7/12, I was able to get a 5 day weekend trip for 8/12 (last major summer weekend) at AKL sav view. When my regular trip to Myrtle Beach got cancelled on 9/18, I was able to book a week at SSR for 10/1.

I will say that when I called member services, I had no firm resort in mind, so it didn't matter to me what was available. I figure I want to stay in all of them at least once. Also, it was for studios, not sure what the ratio of studios to larger rooms is and how much that would affect your plans. I would also think think that time of year matters. So if your Nov trip was for the Thanksgiving week, that might be a whole other issue. I am sure more experienced DISer's will be able to address that.

Good luck with your decision. I can say I am happy I choose DVC and can feed my Disney addiction every year (and more!).

 

[com_op_2000]

and I mean last minute.
On multiple occassions DW and I have been at DTD for the day. We decided that we wanted to stay the night. We live only an hour away from the mouse house.
Once I called OKW directly (before MS was open on Sundays) and was booked into the resort within 15 minutes. On another we decided we wanted to stay close to DTD and called MS. We were booked into SSR and took the boat over to check-in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

A night here or there might be possible, but several nights in a row at the same resort in the same villa could be difficult. Especially anytime from Oct to early January, around Spring Break and around holiday times. Weekends still are a bit easier because the point requirement is higher. And if you are talking about Thanksgiving as a last minute November trip, you will be disappointed more often than not.

But regular last minute trips to WDW will going to be difficult in the long run.

DVC works better is you can plan out your trips several months in advance.

 

[TisBit]

As already said, it depends on what you call "last minute" and the time of year you are talking about. During slower times (DVC times, not WDW times...they are usually opposites) you should be able to get a villa, if you are flexible on size of villa and where you want to stay.

If you want to take a vacation during the busier DVC times (the cheapest point timeframes) you will have a harder time, but it isn't necessarily impossible. If you have flexible dates, that helps too.

 

[vicki_c]

I wouldn't buy DVC in the hopes of getting many last minute reservations. We have a last minute 3 night trip from 10/31-11/2 and I called weeks ago and couldn't get anything that didn't involve moving resorts, including SSR and OKW which are normally easier to get. We are staying at POFQ on cash instead of using our points.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

We have had good luck doing short trips if w e are flexible about the resort. And it was not peak season such as Thanksgiving or Christmas...

 

[DebbieB]

I once got a studio for a Thursday night at BCV about a week before in early February. Added a night to a business trip. I tried it another time for a Sunday night in mid October, nothing 3 weeks out, the only time I was shutout.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have added a night here and there last minute, but that's all we've ever tried to do. We once added Labor Day the day before! That was when NWA was on strike, and we had to quickly arrange other air travel and the only way to do it was go a day early.

It also depends on what size villa you are talking about. Obviously, you aren't likely to get a GV last minute, and studios will be tough too.

 

[crisi]

The real problem with last minute stays is that DVC ownership takes some planning on point useage - and when plans fall through, points can be hard to use. So it complicated things. For instance, if you want to take a last minute trip shortly after the end of your banking window, if you can get a room, you'll borrow from the next year. Because if you don't bank those points on the expection that you'll be taking a short notice trip late in your use year and can't get the room, then you only have a few months left to use those points. So it can make ownership fairly complicated just in the uncertainty. Some people don't mind that, other people find managinng a pool of banked, borrowed and current points, managing a banking window and reservation timing, etc. to be too complicated.

 

[Brian Noble]

If I were primarily a last-minute visitor, I would instead be looking to rent distressed points---they are usually offered at a discount. I think the overall costs will end up being lower, though it depends on your specific assumptions about time-value of money, etc.

What's more, with this strategy, you aren't the one carrying the risk of unavailability. If nothing is there, it's not your problem, it's the owner of the distressed points; instead, you can look to stay elsewhere, or just go another time.

 

[MikeyNS]

It definitely depends on the type of year. Like a previous poster, I was in DTD last March and called the 1-800# and had a 2BR at SSR ready for me to check into the next day (decided to switch from AKV due to the pool being down).

 

[wildernessDad]

Can you ever do last minute trips? Yes.

But you might find that you can't always do last minute trips.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I book a lot of last minute (as late as day of arrival) I have probably been locked out two or three times.

A couple of things

1. No you won't get Boardwalk view. (Or generally any Epcot resort) Your best bet... SSR followed by OKW and then AKL.
2. You may have to "waste" points. 1 bedrooms are often easier to get. No I don't NEED a one bedroom, but....
3. You have to be flexible. I am always willing to stay offsite. I have a "possible" last minute coming up just after Halloween (should know this week) Right now I have a room at the Hilton ($65 via their 10/10/10 sale) that I will cancel IF I get lucky. If not $65 is a great rate
4. Weekends are MUCH easier! Higher points tend to drive others away.
5. Use the waitlist. I generally tale what I can get and start working... I waitlist until 7 days out (if I have that much time ) and then I call daily .

Is this the "best" way... well not according to the conventional wisdom, but IMHO the "conventional" wisdom doesn't really matter. They are my points

If you are willing to gamble then it can be done. If you are going to get VERY upset when you call and they say "no" and then you see "villas for rent" on the CRO page... step away IMHO. It's KEY to realize that those are NOT the same inventory!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We reserved 3 nights at Kidani, standard view studio for December 13-16th in late September. We were flexible on dates and had a choice of AKL, SSR, OKW, and even 1 night at VWL.

That period is in the low season during Christmas, so very popular DVC time.

 

[disneycrazycatlady]

We have been members since 1996 and live in south florida. It used to be much easier to go at the last minute but I find in the last few years that less and less rooms are available the closer to your arrival date you try to book.

 

[Sammie]

Fridays and Saturdays are easier, due to higher points.

A night here and a night there as others have stated.

And it depends on what you define as last minute.

 

[HsvTeacher]

Like others said, I think it depends on the time of year and what you're willing to accept. (With a little pixie dust thrown in, because sometimes there is no rhyme or reason when it comes to availability.)

I was able to book a July (Magic Season) trip with two weeks notice. I was completely surprised, because I figured there was no way we were going to get a room with such short notice. It was for four nights, and we stayed in a SSR studio.

When we booked our October (Choice Season) trip at six months out, though, a SSR studio was the only thing available.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Popular WDW restaurants also have availability issues if you travel spur of the moment.

Count on counter service or less popular restaurants. With 3 months notice...we scheduled Kona, Chefs de France, Tusker House, Raglan Road, and Biergarten. (I LOVE Biergarten!)

We couldn't get Le Celliler, Rose & Crown, Coral Reef, Crystal Palace or Ohana not for any time or any day.