December UY Challenge

[Coastie]

The last couple of years, it’s been difficult at best to make reservations at our home resort, Boulder Ridge for weeks 1 and 2 of December. Since our UY is December, at the 11 month window, we can’t make any reservation till December 1. Exactly at 0800, I tried to make a reservation for a 2-bdrm for 7 nights and December 1st was not available. I tried again this AM 0800 for December 2, the same result. Just for “data collection” I also tried Copper Creek, same result. It seems people with non-December UY have a slight advantage for December reservations. Just a hunch, I have to wonder if those with reservations are changing daily to add a day…? Any December UY families have similar issues? Any advice from the experts?

 

[bbeagle]

Yes, it looks like you're being foiled by walkers.

With walking, it seems like you would want a use-year 2 months before the earliest you travel. An October use year would be much more advantageous than a December use year in this case.

The only way around this I see until Disney does something about walking:
1) Get a smaller contract with an October use year. One that has enough points for a week in late November. And use that to walk.
2) If you have enough points, borrow enough to walk. Those will be stuck in the previous use year. Then plan to take a vacation at sometime before December with them. Or you have almost a year to try to sell them.
3) Keep watching. Maybe one of those walkers is looking for something later like Christmas week. March right behind them.

We have a December use year, and we have the same problems.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Ive never tried these 2 resorts in Dec w/ my Dec UY. I would be very interested to see if this is the case.

 

[Sandisw]

One of my UYs is December and I use it for my RIV and VGF bookings.

I am fortunate that each of these has more than one view so I am able to get what I want and waitlist or stalk for the less expensive views.

But, BRV and CCV are the most popular in December and it’s tough to get rooms there, and of course, having to wait for Dec 1st doesn’t help.

Hopefully, can use waitlisting and stalking to get them!

 

[juliebee]

I have a December Use Year at Boulder Ridge.... and I feel your pain. It's been the same for me. Extremely popular time of year and the best resort for December, so it becomes cutthroat. Basically your options are to walk a reservation into December or be super lucky to pick up a reservation as the walkers drop early December dates for later December date.

So my advice is to act like grabbing dates is your new job. Go on the website constantly (a couple times an hour) these days looking for December openings and grab single days. You can string them together with member services later.
Or for Dec 2027 read-
https://www.disboards.com/threads/please-explain-walking-like-i-am-5-years-old.3976999/

 

[dez1978]

I am confused. Do you have to wait till your points hit your account for the uy before you can book? We have a Dec UY but travel in Nov generally and I have never run into this problem. But maybe it's because I am not trying to make reservations prior to Dec 1?

 

[zackiedawg]

Definitely sounds like walkers. I just booked my Dec 2 stay at Boardwalk (my home resort) for 12/2/26 - 12/7/26 - my plan was to save some points and go with a Resort view which I rarely do, but I'm staying 1 night longer than I usually do and figured the point savings would be nice - of course despite starting first thing in the morning, Resort view was all gone. Boardwalk doesn't have too many resort views, and walking will usually eat them up that time of year. I then decided to go for Boardwalk view, but they too were gone (3 out of the 5 nights were available) - so I just grabbed the usual Garden/Pool view which is fine.

I don't do the 'walking' thing myself, so I figure the likelihood I'll ever get a resort view at Boardwalk at the 11 month mark for December is about 0.

 

[CarolynFH]

I am confused. Do you have to wait till your points hit your account for the uy before you can book? We have a Dec UY but travel in Nov generally and I have never run into this problem. But maybe it's because I am not trying to make reservations prior to Dec 1?

If they want to use December 2026 UY points to book December 1, 2026, yes, they have to wait for the start of their UY which just happens to be the 11 month date for their desired check-in date.

When you booked for November 2026, did you use December 2025 UY points, or did you borrow December 2026 points?

 

[bbeagle]

I am confused. Do you have to wait till your points hit your account for the uy before you can book? We have a Dec UY but travel in Nov generally and I have never run into this problem. But maybe it's because I am not trying to make reservations prior to Dec 1?

For a December use year, you just received December 2025 points a month ago.... but you can use 2026 and 2027 right now.

You can use December 2026 and borrow December 2027 points as early as NOW if you're booking for December 2, 2026.

It's not the date that you make the reservation, it's the day you actually USE the reservation - that's when the points need to be available.

For example,

You make a reservation for July 4-10, 2026. What use year is that in? December 2025. So you can bank December 2024 points, use December 2025 points and borrow December 2026 points.

You make a reservation for December 2-8, 2026. What use year is that in? December 2026. So you can bank December 2025 points, use December 2026 points and borrow December 2027 points.

You can reserve both of these reservations TODAY. But where the points come from is different.

 

[Maleficent's Dad]

I feel your pain. We've gotten into the habit of going in early December now that no one is in school in our family.
One of our home resorts is the BWV. At 11 months out, at exactly 8 A.M., we try booking a 2 BR. We can always get a "pool view."
That's about it. The resort view category, by far the cheapest point-wise, is never available. The Boardwalk view is rarely available. It's extremely frustrating as I'm confident that people are walking their ressies.

I'd really like it if DVC cracked down on "walkers." Especially the commercial rental folks. But all walking sucks, IMO. It shuts out those who follow the rules. (And yes, I know that someone will come on here and say that walkers aren't technically breaking any rules, but the reality is that they are booking dates that they have no intention of keeping.)