Does anyone ever reserve a 2BR and the extra BR goes to waste?

[WolfpackFan]

Just curious - have you ever reserved a 2BR unit and when it came time for the trip you didn't need the extra BR? For our HHI trip next year, we're going to reserve a 2BR in hopes that DS33 will join us. I will be making the ressie at our 11 month window, but there is no way DS can make plans that far ahead because of his job. We know we're taking a chance but we'd really like for him to go with us if he can get the vacation time. We've discussed alternatives, like inviting family and friends, but there is a chance that we might just end up with an empty bedroom. Has this ever happened to you? Did you feel strange just having 2 people in a 2BR unit. One benefit to this is we will be able to get a different view from what we usually have in the Lodge, which would be nice for a change.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The two of us were upgraded at the Marriott in Key Largo, so we had a wonderful 2 bedroom all to ourselves. We felt very fortunate, it was lovely! If you can afford it, and are OK with the point expenditure, go for it. We do for our DS's what we must, and spending time with them is priceless.

Bobbi

PS. I am reasonably sure that someone here would love to become your friends and share that lovely "new" view with you, on very short notice!

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I sure hope not. We're booked with a 2bdrm and OVIR at VB. DD, DS & DDIL are staying in the 2bdrm. It is possible, though very unlikely at this point, that DS & DDIL can't make it. That would be a real bummer and waste.

 

[Disneyaholic]

We have had our second bedroom empty for a few nights of a trip when the kids have joined us, but not stayed the whole trip.

I think your strategy is a great one. Some of the views from other areas of the resort are well worth the extra points!

 

[RCharnay]

We have December ressies for OKW 2 BR hoping our kids will come but they can't give us a positive until August. I wonder what our chances would be of switching to a 1 BR during NYE week if the kids can't make it? Hate to burn the points for just the two of us. But it's worth the risk to have them be with us over the holidays and to share our new home with them at OKW.

 

[FLYNZ4]

In our non-DVC timeshares... we often reserve a 2BR or 3BR unit even if it is just the two of us. Sometimes we do that if we know we will get a better view... plus we like the option of inviting friends if we feel inclined. By contrast, we do not do this at DVC because DVC rate difference is quite substantial between the different classes of rooms.

/Jim

 

[DisneyFreaks]

This did happen to us on our first trip to SSR. My sister decided at the last minute not to come. Luckily our DSIL's DB and family were coming along to share a lock-off unit with DD & DSIL. They have two children so we put them in the 2-bedroom and shared the lock-off with the rest of our family. I'm glad it worked out so well in the end.

 

[dallastxcpa]

We have a GV booked in 35 days and it looks like we will only have 8 people in it.

Both of our grown children can't make it due to college/jobs.

 

[ReneeQ]

It hasn't happend yet, but probably will one day. About every 3-4 years (depending on my points) I invite my Mom, 3 siblings, BIL and 2 nephews to go with DH and I. If we ALL went, there would be 9 of us, but we have yet to all go at the same time, so I've been able to fit us in 2BRs.

I book 11 months out, once everyone has committed to go. I tell them, if you end up canceling later, sorry for ya, hopefully you can go when we do it again in 3-4 years.

We had a trip planned in 2/09 in a 2BR, but my sister is moving, and they won't be able to go (different school holidays). I did call MS and was pleased to be able to "downgrade" to a 1 BR for the trip, since I don't need as much room. BUT if the 1 BR hadn't been available, I would have kept the 2R and gone as planned, with those that could go.

 

[jdg345]

Isn't is possible to request a 2BR Lockoff Unit? This way it should be easy to downgrade to a 1BR if you need to make changes as you would just be releasing a Studio into inventory and keeping the 1BR, no?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Isn't is possible to request a 2BR Lockoff Unit? This way it should be easy to downgrade to a 1BR if you need to make changes as you would just be releasing a Studio into inventory and keeping the 1BR, no?

It doesn't seem to work like that. If the unit is rented as a 2 bedroom, and you want to reserve a 1 bedroom, anyone who was on a waitlist for a 2 bedroom would get it. People have requested not to move and things have happened that way, say if guests leave and you only need 1 bedroom unit for the rest of the stay, but people also have had to move.

Bobbi

 

[WolfpackFan]

The 2BR's at HHI are dedicated. The only lockoffs are the 1BR's and Studios in the Lodge and they usually already booked as 1BR's and Studios because there are so few of them.

 

[tvwalsh]

Unless we are going with the family (In which case we reserve a GV) we always reserve a 2BR instead of a 1BR. The point difference is not very great and the extra room is then available if we have a local guest. We have had college friends, brothers-in law, aunts, etc stay overnight. We figure that we have extra rooms for guest at our other "home" so why not at our DVC "home"?

 

[jdg345]

It doesn't seem to work like that. If the unit is rented as a 2 bedroom, and you want to reserve a 1 bedroom, anyone who was on a waitlist for a 2 bedroom would get it. People have requested not to move and things have happened that way, say if guests leave and you only need 1 bedroom unit for the rest of the stay, but people also have had to move.

Bobbi

Thanks! Seems odd that they would do it that way though. If it was dedicated, I would understand ... but the whole point of having it as a lockoff is the flexibility (for DVC) of dual use, or so I thought.

 

[eva]

This happens to us off and on. But most of the time the extra room is just empty certain days of the trip. We've had extra rooms open in both 2-bedrooms and GV's. The first 4 nights of a trip we only had DSister, DBIL, DH, and me in a GV. Then our two grown DD's joined us for another 5 nights. That's how much DH hates to change rooms. It's funny, we have never had more than 7 people in a GV or 4 in a 2-bedroom.

 

[jdg345]

This happens to us off and on. But most of the time the extra room is just empty certain days of the trip. We've had extra rooms open in both 2-bedrooms and GV's. The first 4 nights of a trip we only had DSister, DBIL, DH, and me in a GV. Then our two grown DD's joined us for another 5 nights. That's how much DH hates to change rooms. It's funny, we have never had more than 7 people in a GV or 4 in a 2-bedroom.

I resemble that remark as well!

 

[UmmGooD]

How about reserve a 2br lockoff unit if you can and if your fellow travelers cannot make it then rent the studio to family/friends/coworkers at a discounted rate?

 

[Anal Annie]

Depending on the level of uncertainty I would probably just try to reserve 2 studios instead. It would be a lot easier to keep one / cancel one when it came down to it. Of course, we don't have spare points to waste on a 2nd bedroom to start with! If I DID reserve a 2 bedroom & someone cancelled then I would make a short list of alternative guests to invite. I would not waste the extra points on an empty room. But again, we don't have them to start with!

 

[spiceycat]

once when I was in school - last minute trip - so my brother and his family couldn't come.

it was back when we got free tickets - so just asked someone from work.

had no problem getting guests for the studio.

 

[WaltEeyoreWorld]

When you purchase other time share you usually buy a set number of bedrooms. We own several 2 bedroom Marriott's so we get 2 bdrms with them all the time and most of the time it is just the 2 of us. We have even found this to be true when trading into DVC using II and getting 2 bedrooms even it is just us going down. However, if we are using our DVC points we would try our best to only have bedrooms that would be filled and would even move mid-week from 2 to 1 bed if we had guest that could not stay the entire trip to maximize our points usage.