Difficulty in booking?

[irazabul]

I'm curious if others here feel that the unavailability of rooms 4+ months out is becoming problematic.

The reason why I bought DVC in the first place was that the first few times that I rented at DVC from a member, it seemed that I typically got the date I was looking for even at 2-4 months out. Same was the case for first 18 months of my DVC membership. However for the past 18 months, it has been very difficult getting rooms, even booking 5 or so months out of when I'd like to travel.

Planning 11 months out is a difficult thing for us and I did not think I'd have to be at that point to enjoy DVC.

Any other thoughts on whether this has been a trend, or is it just happen to be some dates that I am picking?

 

[bicker]

Where are you trying to transfer in to?

In my opinion,the problem is that DVC's biggest properties are not the most popular transfer-in resorts (more transfers-out than transfers-in), so the more such units there are (OKW and SSR, and also to a lesser extend AKL and VWL) the more difficult it will be to secure rooms at the more popular transfer-in resorts (BCV and BWV).

 

[wildernessDad]

Where are you trying to transfer in to?

In my opinion,the problem is that DVC's biggest properties are not the most popular transfer-in resorts (more transfers-out than transfers-in), so the more such units there are (OKW and SSR, and also to a lesser extend AKL and VWL) the more difficult it will be to secure rooms at the more popular transfer-in resorts (BCV and BWV).

VWL is not a big resort and people definitely want to transfer in there.

 

[bicker]

(Lesser extent)

 

[pyrxtc]

what dates are you typically trying to get wiht the shorter notice and also what locations ? If you give us those, then we can help you to understand why, maybe.

 

[MrsNick]

IMO all the developer's points that have been floating around for the past year have made it more difficult to get reservations. That said, it's by no means impossible. I've never made reservations more than 7 months in advance, and have done it as little as 7 days in advance. I think a great deal depends on how flexible you are as to which resort and room type you are willing to accept, what time of year you go, and even how flexible you are as to specific dates.

 

[Kathi OD]

IMO all the developer's points that have been floating around for the past year have made it more difficult to get reservations. That said, it's by no means impossible. I've never made reservations more than 7 months in advance, and have done it as little as 7 days in advance. I think a great deal depends on how flexible you are as to which resort and room type you are willing to accept, what time of year you go, and even how flexible you are as to specific dates.

Being flexible definitely helps. I just called this morning for a ressie in January, so that means we're 5 months out. I told the CM what dates I wanted and then said, I really don't care what resort and I'll take any studio or 1BR. She asked what my preferences were and I told her. So we're staying at VWL in a 1 BR.

 

[kerickson]

Being flexible definitely helps. I just called this morning for a ressie in January, so that means we're 5 months out. I told the CM what dates I wanted and then said, I really don't care what resort and I'll take any studio or 1BR. She asked what my preferences were and I told her. So we're staying at VWL in a 1 BR.

I just transfered into a VWL 1BR for the end of Jan too... Jan looks to be a slow month, I was surprised though given Superbowl is in Tampa that week. Maybe those folks haven't made their plans yet...

 

[Kathi OD]

I just transfered into a VWL 1BR for the end of Jan too... Jan looks to be a slow month, I was surprised though given Superbowl is in Tampa that week. Maybe those folks haven't made their plans yet...

Can't think of a better place to be on Super Bowl weekend!

 

[irazabul]

what dates are you typically trying to get wiht the shorter notice and also what locations ? If you give us those, then we can help you to understand why, maybe.

I tried to book for december 08 the week before christmas week, studio. Only for four nights, Sunday thru Thursday. I tried first week of July, which puts that 5 months in advance. I asked for any availability at any resort, and have called once a week since. Best I got was two non-consecutive nights at one resort.

The problem with booking that is that I was told I would have to waitlist for each of the other two nights at any of the resorts, and if I did that, I would be taken out of the original queue for my 4 night waitlist at any resort - that in addition to the fact that I would have to hope other nights open up and even then, it could mean staying at three resorts in 4 nights On top of that I wouldn't make flight plans until I knew I had a place to stay.

I just decided to keep my original 4 night waitlist at every resort. Hope it comes through, but all this waiting has been more anxious than me just booking a 2BR condo in Kissimmee for $100/night. Not sure if all of this is worth it.

 

[Laxmom]

There's your problem!! You are trying to book at the busiest time of the year for DVC! Anything from Thanksgiving on is tough to get unless you book where you own at 11 mos. You might get lucky and be able to move that ressie to another resort at the 7 mos mark but after that, forget about it. An awful lot of DVC'ers go just for the Christmas decorations. Keep the waitlists. You might get lucky!

 

[Chuck S]

December is a very, very popula time, most folks do book it at 11 months out. You can "get lucky" at 7 months, depending upon which reosrt or room size you may want, but 4 or 5 months out for that time frame is almost always booked.

 

[irazabul]

If you read my original post, I said that two years ago and prior, I had no problem booking 3-5 months out and getting the dates I asked for somewhere on site.

What I may not have been specific about, is that I have always booked either the second or third week of December 3-5 months out. In 2004 and 2005, I got in at VWL. In 2006, I got in OKW. Last year, I waitlisted and it took me about two weeks to get into SSR.

This, year I waitlisted four weeks ago, and there is absolutely nothing available.

Seems like the trend is getting worse and worse. That is my point.

 

[Laxmom]

Yea, you didn't post that part. I will agree with other posters; developer points and just more members trying to go at that time as a whole. It is still a wildly popular time with all members and now the membership base is bigger.

 

[disneybride96]

Well...I'm one of those folks that had never been to Disney at Christmas, mainly because I work retail. Just so happend this year, there was a week vacation available for Dec 7th, so I snagged it. Had we not purchased in 2006, I would have never been able to afford a holiday trip.

So...yes, I booked my home resort at 11 months out. I am one of those adding to the supply/demand issues.

 

[hakepb]

I wonder if the smaller average contracts (160 or even some 100) for AKV and SSR results in more members trying to get those value times vs the first OKW owners that needed to buy 200+ points?

Overall, though I think any DVC pre-sales only period (like currently for Kidani) will show lower booking availability since all owners of existing points are established in their use cycles, than when Kidani and perhaps BLT are occupiable and getting new owners there should be better short-term inventory.
As new occupiable units are sold and declared, that results in a brief buffer period of inventory before owners start using their points.
While Developer points might be the most effective immediate usage of ROFR/default points they cannot, by law, actually be reducing inventory below the available owned points.

 

[Chuck S]

I wonder if the smaller average contracts (160 or even some 100) for AKV and SSR results in more members trying to get those value times vs the first OKW owners that needed to buy 200+ points?

Overall, though I think any DVC pre-sales only period (like currently for Kidani) will show lower booking availability since all owners of existing points are established in their use cycles, than when Kidani and perhaps BLT are occupiable and getting new owners there should be better short-term inventory.
As new occupiable units are sold and declared, that results in a brief buffer period of inventory before owners start using their points.
While Developer points might be the most effective immediate usage of ROFR/default points they cannot, by law, actually be reducing inventory below the available owned points.

So if SSR is considered "sold out" where are all those matching developers points coming from? Surely they can't possibly have enough ROFR and retained ownership points at SSR to match each Kidani point sold.

 

[eva]

More and more DVC members are discovering the first three weeks of December as prime vacation time. Low points and holiday events make it a winner for most people. We booked a 1-bedroom at BWV just 7 weeks out for the second week of December about 5 years ago. Bet I'll never see that again. Even then I did play a big chance by booking the days they had and calling back every day or two to add to the reservation. But three more calls and I had an entire week booked. My only advice would be to either book early or be prepared to take chances. Whenever I call past the 7 month window I never expect a room to be available. But I know with a little effort and flexibilty I can usually get something I want. And for certain times of the year like holidays, anytime between Thanksgiving & New Years, spring break, and the Food & Wine Festival (BCV & BWV) you really need that 11 month window to assure the dates you want. If you call after that, you need to be flexible or get on the waitlist.

To answer your question, yes it is getting tougher certain times of the year to book at DVC resorts. But I'm not seeing much difference during other times of the year. May and October have become our favorite times to go. Next year you might want to go ahead and book a room for December at the 11 month window and then change the reservation as needed.

 

[tjkraz]

Seems like the trend is getting worse and worse. That is my point.

Could very well be getting worse.

Those first three weeks of December represent less than 6% of the year (and due to the low points, an even smaller percentage of all points available.)

The problem is that annually, members want to use more than 6% of all points for that period. And appearances suggest that the number continues to rise.

It's pretty much outside of Disney's control. DVC is a first-come, first-served system and the resorts are filling up before you try to book. The only thing DVC could do to try and help the situation is to reallocate the points and make early December more expensive.

 

[tjkraz]

So if SSR is considered "sold out" where are all those matching developers points coming from? Surely they can't possibly have enough ROFR and retained ownership points at SSR to match each Kidani point sold.

I suspect DVC did a little banking of their own.

The last phase of SSR (6 buildings) opened from roughly October 2006 to June 2007. And it wasn't until June or July of '08 that the last of the points were sold. So over that period Disney certainly owned a lot of points for one or two Use Years before they were sold to new members.

A single building at SSR represents over 700,000 points.