Disney seems to be full everywhere during the week

[_auroraborealis_]

Disney was ridiculous in the hours they originally posted. I don't remember them being so limited in at least a decade. I don't think it means mayhem compared to the past - maybe compared to this month but that isn't unusual.

The hours expansions seem fairly significant if you calculate the labor costs.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The hours expansions seem fairly significant if you calculate the labor costs.

Yes, but they weren't even close to what they should have been. This year, time and again, Disney has been putting up very shortened park hours and then extending, often significantly, within a few weeks or even days. The hours they posted were barely what might have been expected for January hours several years ago. They may not be getting the attendance of a year or two ago which were records, but it's not like attendance has dropped down to levels of 10 or 15 years ago either.

 

[dwight16]

first thing i think they need to make october a higher point month it is one of the busiest months for DVC now. i feel like if you want a safe 7 month booking you need to go jan to aug minus spring break and presidents day also marathon. the last 2 weeks of august seems to be really empty. i have also had good luck with early may.

 

[Missyrose]

first thing i think they need to make october a higher point month it is one of the busiest months for DVC now. i feel like if you want a safe 7 month booking you need to go jan to aug minus spring break and presidents day also marathon. the last 2 weeks of august seems to be really empty. i have also had good luck with early may.

But which month would you make lower points to compensate. A timeshare is designed to be full 365 days a year. Having resorts booked up a few months out wouldn't be a sole reason to change the point requirements.

 

[zavandor]

Having resorts booked up a few months out wouldn't be a sole reason to change the point requirements.

DVC is not simply booked a few months out, some members are even shut out at 11 months, expecially for the first two weeks of December. I think a reallocation is due.

 

[freediverdude]

Personally I think the Oct-Dec point costs should be raised a bit, and summer lowered a bit. Summer points are very high for a time of year where there aren't really events going on and it's very hot.

 

[BillPA]

Why doesn't anyone think that is busy BECAUSE of the lower points? If they screw around with the points again, the problem may just show up elsewhere. You have to book at 11 months to get some locations at certain times. That is not new folks, even the sales people tell you that when you take the tour.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Why doesn't anyone think that is busy BECAUSE of the lower points? If they screw around with the points again, the problem may just show up elsewhere. You have to book at 11 months to get some locations at certain times. That is not new folks, even the sales people tell you that when you take the tour.

January and September are also low points and don't book anywhere near as fast except the marathon weekend. Although the end of September is getting busier which seems to correspond to the earlier starts of F&W. Low points alone weren't enough to drive heightened demand.

I think that lower points are part of it, but Disney really made an effort in the parks to increase attendance during that time of the year with F&W, Halloween events and lots of Christmas events. They have had a goal to even out attendance across the year and have made a large dent in the fall. So it's also become an attractive time to go because of the events in the parks and the weather is normally quite nice.

 

[zavandor]

Were DVC seasons designed 25 years ago when OKW opened and never touched since then? In 25 years a lot have changed and events, seasonal parties, habits have changed.
Why the last week of August cost so much more points than the first two of December? Schools are back, weather is terrible, it's hurrican season, but still it costs a lot of points. And in fact it's one of the slowest weeks for DVC attendancy.

 

[CarolMN]

DVC is not simply booked a few months out, some members are even shut out at 11 months, expecially for the first two weeks of December. I think a reallocation is due.

As I recall, no home resort owner has been shut out at 11 months - unless they are only willing to book studios at one of the limited booking categories frequently mentioned. Those include concierge & value at AKV, standard and possibly theme park at BLT, standard and Boardwalk view at BWV and all of the studios at VGF. No reasonable reallocation is going to change that.

IMO, the VGF just doesn't have enough studios to meet demand and a reallocation isn't going to fix that. AFAIK, the larger villas at VGF are not being booked right at 11 months - it's a matter of the high cost for VGF points and the small number of studios available there relative the the number of small VGF contacts.

I agree that early December has more demand than many other times of the year. However, it seems to me that most of the "complaints" are coming from those who book at 7 months and want to get into the near park resorts. That's not an argument for reallocation.

I know that some believe that all nights should sell out at approximately the same speed. I am one who believes that unless there is a pattern of nights going unbooked (consistently ending up in breakage), the expense & upset of a reallocation is unwarranted. From periodic checks of the 60-day tool, I'm not seeing that pattern for the WDW DVC resorts.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I've been booking food & wine at 11 months for several years now...waiting usually means not getting. BCV owner.

Never been shut out of either of my home resorts at 11 months (of course the other one is SSR.)

Really, a reallocation isn't going to change things at resorts that just have too few studios to meet the demand or very limited availability like AKV club or value.

One night is likely to come through somewhere. Keep a waitlist for one of the larger resorts.

WDW is doing things differently. For MK at least, they are posting basic hours to start with, and then extending them at a later time, probably after they have worked out staffing. No more are they posting late hours immediately (at least not for MK).

 

[suebeelin]

We go during certain times bc of the low points (October-January). Currently kids are little so we can go whenever.

Looked into booking DVC rooms over Easter. Decided to "save" points and stay off site bc of the pricing.

If points were not so intensive during spring break, or economical in late fall/early December, my travel habits would change. So, a slight point reallocation might be called for if most ppl think the way we do...

 

[Dean]

I don't think re-allocation is going to help. We are all still coming for Food and Wine. The "number of points" is not a deal break for me.

Not everyone would take this approach plus there is always a breakpoint where basically everyone would think about whether it was worth it, if they made it premier would you make the same choices?. A reallocation would help for 2 reasons. Not everyone would go consistently if the points were raised enough and an increase would mean there were less points available to book that time, freeing up some rooms even with the same number of bookings.

But which month would you make lower points to compensate. A timeshare is designed to be full 365 days a year. Having resorts booked up a few months out wouldn't be a sole reason to change the point requirements.

Personally I'd probably do away with Adventure and possibly Choice as well then just raise the rest accordingly or at least other than Premier. The question would be whether the fall should be Dream or Magic and if so, what should be what. Or just do away with Adventure and raise Choice.

That said, DVCMC has the information, we're all guessing because of limited indirect information. They need trends that are sufficient to make long term decisions with and they need to consider a broad enough timeframe such they they avoid micromanaging these issues. It's fact that a reallocation was needed related to weekends for years before they acted and when they did, they overreacted. They have a POS, ethical and fiduciary responsibility to reallocate once they have sufficient information to know that the demand is sufficiently skewed.

 

[DougEMG]

It would be interesting to know what exactly it would take for DVC to do a point reallocation. You would think that they might want a similar availability at x months out through out the year. But how many years of data would they want to see before they felt things were out of balance on a permanent basis.

 

[Dean]

It would be interesting to know what exactly it would take for DVC to do a point reallocation. You would think that they might want a similar availability at x months out through out the year. But how many years of data would they want to see before they felt things were out of balance on a permanent basis.

I can't speak for them as to what they look at specifically but in general terms they're required legally to rebalance if the demand is too far off. To me that's several years of data with issues over a broad range of the time in question and several resorts. They're not going to rebalance for a week in Dec when all the other time is in pretty good balance but they might move that week to a different season if it can be done fairly easily by joining it with another season. IMO it usually takes about 3 years to accumulate data (more if it's questionable) and another couple of years to do the behind the scenes work and implement the change. So maybe a minimum of 5 years once there's a significant change in the major activities or once a previous reallocation has gone into effect. They should not do so impulsively but should not hesitate once it's clear and obviously needed. They specifically should not consider that people will complain, that guides may have said otherwise or that people bought points for specific travel plans if it's obviously appropriate otherwise.

 

[dburg30]

Yea, Oct 14-21 is pretty bad also.. I had gotten into VWL, then realized why I'm sure it will be fine, but AKL was even booked pretty fast, so couldnt even get there..

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yea, Oct 14-21 is pretty bad also.. I had gotten into VWL, then realized why I'm sure it will be fine, but AKL was even booked pretty fast, so couldnt even get there..

Yep. That overlaps when I did my 7-month swap. Availability was spotty quickly those days.

 

[disneynutz]

DVC resorts will be booked all year long, 95%. The fact that some months are more popular only means that they will book first. I don't see a reason to reallocate because the 95% will still be the end result.

Bill

 

[Dean]

DVC resorts will be booked all year long, 95%. The fact that some months are more popular only means that they will book first. I don't see a reason to reallocate because the 95% will still be the end result.

Bill

Per the POS they are required to rebalance if the demand is too far off. That people end up having to use the points and they back into evening out the bookings doesn't change that.

 

[disneynutz]

Per the POS they are required to rebalance if the demand is too far off. That people end up having to use the points and they back into evening out the bookings doesn't change that.

Like most legal requirements, "too far off" is up to interpretation. If Disney has a direct or indirect monetary reason to reallocate they will.

They do it to benefit Disney, not the owners. For each point decrease that benefits an owner, a different owner will have to eat the increase.

Bill