DVC discount on rooms?

[Rock'n Robin]

Did I read that DVC members get 25% off DVC rooms booked on cash? I only have points for 7 nights in a 1BR or 6 nights in a 2BR (one weekend) the week before Easter next year, our spring break. I was thinking of either 1) booking a deluxe for 2 weekend nights and moving to SSR or 2) paying cash for 1 night in a 2BR. Comparing the AAA rate at peak times (10% off) for a deluxe for 2 nights or 25% of the villa for one night, the villa is cheaper.
BTW I could borrow but that wouldn't leave me much for 2010.
Robin

 

[DVC Mike]

Yes, DVC members can book a DVC villa with cash from Member Services at a 25% discount -- subject to availability. MS can link your cash and point reservations together.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Is availability in these cases ever an issue? I am thinking of booking Saturday, April 4 through Friday, April 10. Then I would be booking a night on cash either Friday April 3 or April 10 (good friday). So it would either be a Sat.-Sat. or a Fri.-Friday trip. But April 10 is Good Friday and I don't know if that means it would be less likely to get a discount.
Either way, one night in a 2BR is cheaper than 2 nights at a deluxe resort that holds 5 (WL is cheaper but only holds 4).
Robin M.

 

[RobDoc]

The 25% discount is available when MS has an expectation that the villa will not be reserved using DVC points. If past history shows that the room won't be needed, or if you are within 60 days of arrival the discount is likely to be offered. The first priority for DVC resorts is to reserve villas using DVC points. Cash availability (with the discount) is only when MS anticipates villas unreserved using points.

In most cases, weekends are the best opportunity for the discount. Many will reserve weeknights using points and weekends with the discount and MS will link everything together.

At times, the discount is availabe even at 11 months, but for many dates it may not become available until within 6 months - if at all.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I sometimes wonder what makes a villa available for member's cash. We were on the waitlist for one night at HHI for about 5 months, When it still hadn't come thru 6 weeks before our trip, I called and asked if the villa was available using member's cash. Surprisingly, it was, yet we'd been waiting all that time so we could use points. That villa certainly would have been reserved using points if we could have. But at least we had a place to stay!