DVC Cash Discount- Is It Real?

[Johnnie Fedora]

Who has called MS and gotten the DVC cash discount at BCV?

We were thinking of adding a Sat night in Jan. on cash, but there were no member discounted rooms available.

Does this discount actually exist, and how much is it (25%??). Any time I've inquired about it, it's not available?? Do they discount 1 room/day at the entire resort??

 

[vbfamily]

I called MS Tues. to try and get a discounted cash res for April
I gave my dates, they checked every DVC property and only the WL had availability.

The reg. room rate was around $379/nt for studio and the discounted rate MS quoted was around $264-right off hand that seems like 30%-I was told the max discount was 25%.

MS said it's only available if most of the DVC res's have already been made and some of the rooms have been released to cash inventory.

Did you have MS check all resorts?

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Did not check other resorts, as we are staying 6 nights on points, and wanted to add a 7th on cash at BCV. There was availability, just not at the member discount.

You indicated you got it for April, that is further out than Jan., How could DVC be releasing rooms (not booked on with points) 5 months out??

I could see them releasing rooms within a few weeks of your stay, but not months ahead.

 

[PamOKW]

The member discount is indeed very elusive and DVC will tell you that it become less and less available as a resort sells-out. I think they usually come from the rooms that are not booked at 60 days out. However, DVC has a "feel" for when the resort will fill or not and may be able to offer rooms further out if there's lot of availabilty.

The discount is 25% off the rack rate. Many times there are better discounts available and DVC often will "match" these. DVC member discounts only come from the member rooms, not the rooms that belong to DVC or have already been traded by members.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Can you waitlist for a cash discounted room? Do you think it is worth continually checking with MS for this room? I am at the 60 day mark.

 

[vbfamily]

I was told by MS that I was probably calling too early-but she did check for me.

Maybe if I had waited, other resorts would have had the discounted rooms as well.

She also suggested waiting until the 60 day mark.

Can you get a cash res for your seventh night at BCV using any other discount?

I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep checking but it doesn't sound like it would pay off. If you need that extra night try and find some other discount. I'd hate to wait too long and not be able to get the seventh night at all-even using pts, etc.

 

[RobDoc]

The 25% member discount is available for rooms that come from the member's inventory. The first priority is to make point reservations- once MS is reasonably certain the member's inventory will exceed the demand for point reservations, they will make the discounted rate available to members. Even non-discounted cash reservations won't be made until MS is satisfied
that the rooms won't be needed for point reservations.

You should not have to call continuously as long as you have a cash reservation made thru MS. There is no "discount" waitlist however, so if you don't have a ressie made for "member's cash" you won't get the discount without calling.

We had made a July reservation at HH for a Sunday-Thurs point ressie and asked about a cash ressie for the weekend. At 11 months they wouldn't allow a cash ressie thru MS and suggested I call back in a few months. I called back at 6 months prior and reserved Fri/Sat with a cash reservation (still no discount available). In early June, about a month prior to arrival, I received a new confirmation in the mail for the cash nights- with the 25% discount applied. I had not called back to check, the discount was just applied when it became available (I was prepared to pay the rack rate for the weekend).

MS has also reportedly been willing to apply other discounts when they were lower than the 25% discount, so if you are aware of lower rate at a DVC resort, it can't hurt to see if MS will nmatch that rate.

Good Luck!

 

[DeeP]

Do you have an AP? The AP discounts are usually much better than the discount through DVC. AP discounted rooms have to be booked through CRO, and it requires paying 1 night's deposit to hold the reservation and the balance paid at check in.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Called MS today and got the explanation that the DVC discount for each resort is determined by the resort Didn't make any sense to me. Also, MS said that only rack rate was available for my night. I don't really want to book for that, as I just can't see paying 400+ for one more night.

I did try the AP rate through CRO and no AP rate was available either. May have to just pay with points, but that will require a lot of points juggling with other ressies

Doc.....We were able to book a cash ressie for HH at about ten months out. We were told that you could book cash through MS at 11 months. Availability and booking window for cash rooms may depend on what season your booking.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[DVC-Don]

We had a cash reservation the summer of 2001 at BWV. MS said to call at the 60 day mark to inquire about the 25% members discount. We did call back and got it.

 

[eva]

We had the same experience that Doc had at Vero a couple years ago. We made a cash reservation at full price and MS told us to call back a month or 2 before the trip and see about the 25% off discount. But before I could call back we received a confirmation letter with the discount on it. We got the letter about 6 weeks out from the dates.