DVC discount on non-points resort stays?

[Sweetpeamd]

We are planning a trip and will be paying cash for our resort rather than using points. We are AP holders and DVC members. No AP discount has been announced for our dates yet.
1. Is there a DVC discount for resort stays?
2. Do I call the regular WDW resort phone number or DVC to make a reservation if we plan to stay in a villa for cash instead of points?
3. If we end up booking a resort room at full price and an AP discount becomes available for our dates, can we call and have the discount applied to our reservation?
Thanks so much for your help!

 

[RobDoc]

We are planning a trip and will be paying cash for our resort rather than using points. We are AP holders and DVC members. No AP discount has been announced for our dates yet.
1. Is there a DVC discount for resort stays?
2. Do I call the regular WDW resort phone number or DVC to make a reservation if we plan to stay in a villa for cash instead of points?
3. If we end up booking a resort room at full price and an AP discount becomes available for our dates, can we call and have the discount applied to our reservation?
Thanks so much for your help!

1. DVC members can get a 25% discount off of the rack rate - based on availability. It is not always available, but is worth asking about.

2. Members need to reserve cash villas thru MS to get the 25% discount. In many cases, if you reserve the room at rack rate and it later is made available for the discount, the discount will be automatically applied.

3. If you reserve a cash villa thru MS, AP rates cannot be applied to that reservation. You would need to rebook the night thru DRC. MS cannot make AP reservations - even for DVC resorts.

All reservations (points or cash) made thru MS are considered Member stays (with limited housekeeping). Cash nights and nights reserved on points will be linked together so you will not need to move.

If you do find an AP rate and want to use that and extend a stay you have reserved on points, you can make a request to stay in the same room. As long as all nights (cash and points) are in the same room type/view, they are usually able to accommodate such requests.

 

[vicki_c]

1. Subject to availability, 25% at DVC resorts.
2. You book those through DVC Member Services, not the regular reservations folks.
3. I think that would have to be a cancel & rebooking, since the AP discounts would not be handled by Member Services, but the regular reservations line. I'm not entirely sure of that, but that is the only thing that makes sense to me.

 

[Sweetpeamd]

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Marshay]

In general, are the AP rates better than the 25% off DVC cash rate?

We are looking for Nov 2012 or Jan 2013 and may not have enough points...trying to figure out how much our 1BR at OKW or AKV may cost if we pay cash for a few nights?

Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The other thing to consider. If you book through DRC, you get daily full cleaning. If you book for cash through MS, it is treated like a points stay, service every four days.

 

[DebbieB]

In general, are the AP rates better than the 25% off DVC cash rate?

We are looking for Nov 2012 or Jan 2013 and may not have enough points...trying to figure out how much our 1BR at OKW or AKV may cost if we pay cash for a few nights?

Thanks!

Usually, especially for OKW or SSR. I've seen 35%-40% off.

 

[Marshay]

Usually, especially for OKW or SSR. I've seen 35%-40% off.

Thanks!

Funny thing is I just got my first "pin" for 35% off ... of course it's for Jan-Mar 2012 not when we are planning our next-next trip but I played around with the costs for OKW, AKV, SSR just to get an idea of prices, since that is better than the DVC 25% off.

 

[jagson]

Thanks!

Funny thing is I just got my first "pin" for 35% off ... of course it's for Jan-Mar 2012 not when we are planning our next-next trip but I played around with the costs for OKW, AKV, SSR just to get an idea of prices, since that is better than the DVC 25% off.

What is the "pin", and how does one get it; is it an offer to all DVC members, or randomly offered to a small # of members?

 

[erionm]

What is the "pin", and how does one get it; is it an offer to all DVC members, or randomly offered to a small # of members?

The pin codes are not a member thing. They are sent out by Disney's Central Reservation Office (CRO).

 

[Marshay]

What is the "pin", and how does one get it; is it an offer to all DVC members, or randomly offered to a small # of members?

Yep, erionm is right. Just a discount code that is randomly given out to people at times.

 

[maburke]

If you do find an AP rate and want to use that and extend a stay you have reserved on points, you can make a request to stay in the same room. As long as all nights (cash and points) are in the same room type/view, they are usually able to accommodate such requests.

I did not realize they could associate the two reservations. I made a reservation for 2 nights with the member discount of 25%. Later, a general public discount of 35% was announced, but it was only available for one of my nights. I didn't want to move, but on a 2BR, that extra 10% meant about 80 bucks. Would that have worked? Could I have linked the cash DRC room with the cash DVC room?

 

[vicki_c]

No, cash rooms through Disney and DVC reservations cannot be officially linked together.

 

[DebbieB]

They can't be officially linked but you can ask to keep the same room. I did an AP rate for my last night at OKW once and I just had to get new keys that morning. Plus we got housekeeping.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I did not realize they could associate the two reservations. I made a reservation for 2 nights with the member discount of 25%. Later, a general public discount of 35% was announced, but it was only available for one of my nights. I didn't want to move, but on a 2BR, that extra 10% meant about 80 bucks. Would that have worked? Could I have linked the cash DRC room with the cash DVC room?

Not the other reservation on each, have them titled the same (lead name the same). When you arrive, see if you are blocked into the same villa for the entire stay. Sometimes, though, you can't get the same booking category for cash through DRC that you get through MS. So a stand view at BWV through DRC isn't the same as the standard view at BWV through MS.

 

[maburke]

Hmmm. We are sharing with another family, so I really don't want to move. But it's OKW, so there are no views to complicate things, and I think all cash rooms are non-HH category.

 

[DebbieB]

Hmmm. We are sharing with another family, so I really don't want to move. But it's OKW, so there are no views to complicate things, and I think all cash rooms are non-HH category.

If it will save you quite a bit of money, I would go for it. If you are talking about a 2 bedroom, be sure both are dedicated or lockoff. If they are different, you will have to move.

 

[maburke]

If it will save you quite a bit of money, I would go for it. If you are talking about a 2 bedroom, be sure both are dedicated or lockoff. If they are different, you will have to move.

Thanks for the advice. Turns out that now neither of my nights is available on the 35% off rate, so I'll just be happy with my 25% off.