dvc for non-planners?

[vagabonder]

We are considering buying resale DVC. However, we are *not* planners. We are just now looking to book for a late April trip, for example. How hard is it to get a DVC if you plan only a few months ahead of the trip? Is it better just to skip getting a dvc and book direct rooms?

 

[crisi]

There are times of year where a few months out nothing will be available. There will be other times where you'll move around several times during a week to use your points, and may end up in a bigger unit using more points than you want. It can work, but you need to be very flexible and not mind occasionally wasting precious points.

 

[Chuck S]

I don't do a lot of planning as far as restaurants. parks, etc. However, I do try to book DVC during my resort priority window. You should plan at least 6 months out, if at all possible...and be prepared to not get your first choice of resort or room, especially if you are booking things like Spring Break or Christmas only a few months out.

That said, I booked an OKW one bedroom for mid-May in mid-December with no problem. It all depends on your travel dates and resort choices.

 

[Sandisw]

I think that you will find DVC more frustrating if you are only plan a few months in advance.

And, the more members there are, the harder it is going to be, IMO, to get those last minute reservations.

When I called in October to book for February, I was limited to getting only 3 of the nights during President's week--the good news was, those were the nights I needed, but had I wanted to go for all 5 that I would be in Florida, I would have been out of luck.

What might be a good plan is to try and rent DVC points when you are planning your next few trips. That way, you will know how easy or hard it is to book rooms within your normal planning window.

Good luck!

 

[com_op_2000]

IMHO, Do yourself a favor and make your home resort either OKW, SSR, or AKL. These are the largest DVC resorts and will be where you are staying most of time. That being said, I have booked last minute (as in 15 minutes before getting to the resort) about once a year since '93. DW and I go for a day at DTD and decide that we want to stay the night. We have only been able to get these resorts at the last minute.

 

[Deb & Bill]

IMHO, Do yourself a favor and make your home resort either OKW, SSR, or AKL. These are the largest DVC resorts and will be where you are staying most of time. That being said, I have booked last minute (as in 15 minutes before getting to the resort) about once a year since '93. DW and I go for a day at DTD and decide that we want to stay the night. We have only been able to get these resorts at the last minute.

But even for short notice stays, SSR, AKV and OKW can be booked up. And the OP would spend one night at SSR in a two bedroom, one night in an OKW studio and one night in an AKV one bedroom for a three night stay.

OP, if you can't plan, DVC really isn't the best purchase.

 

[XGrumpy1]

If you don't plan with DVC you have to be flexible with the plans, maybe move resorts or even stay a night here or there for cash.

It can be done, but not at really popular times, like Christmas and Easter. I like OKW, but most people seem to prefer the other resorts. OKW is more available than the other resorts, and that is good for me!

 

[Dean]

We are considering buying resale DVC. However, we are *not* planners. We are just now looking to book for a late April trip, for example. How hard is it to get a DVC if you plan only a few months ahead of the trip? Is it better just to skip getting a dvc and book direct rooms?

If you can't routinely plan around 7 months out DVC, and timeshares in general, are a poor choice for you.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I would suggest you are a prime candidate for renting points rather than purchasing. Read the rental boards, and as a last minute planner, you could actually make out better this way. Some people on the rental boards get stuck with points that will expire within a few months if they don't use them. Rather than the normal $10 or more per point, they may be offering less since there is a small window to use them.

We plan our trips a year ahead of time, so DVC makes perfect sense for us, but I don't think you sound like someone it would work well for.

 

[JimMIA]

We are considering buying resale DVC. However, we are *not* planners. We are just now looking to book for a late April trip, for example. How hard is it to get a DVC if you plan only a few months ahead of the trip? Is it better just to skip getting a dvc and book direct rooms?

Minimal-planning vacations don't work well with most timeshare systems, although there may be some exceptions in the Orlando area with certain systems. But DVC is definitely NOT one of those.

If you can't - or don't - plan farther in advance, I would certainly not recommend DVC. It's just too expensive a product to try to use as you describe. You will pay a lot of money to buy in, and then will likely be disappointed often.

Frankly, I wouldn't buy anything in your situation -- I'd seek to RENT reservations from owners, both DVC and other nice timeshares offsite. You can get some great bargains that way, without the big up-front buyin.

 

[Deb & Bill]

.... Some people on the rental boards get stuck with points that will expire within a few months if they don't use them. Rather than the normal $10 or more per point, they may be offering less since there is a small window to use them.....

The problem with this concept is there often is nothing available to rent (which is what most people are already saying here). Just because there are points, doesn't mean there is lodging available. What you see available on the WDW website is not what is available through DVC.

And Disney will let those rooms sit empty before they will turn them over to DVC to rent out on points (points doesn't bring in any cash for the room). The only ones that come back to DVC at the last minute are the ones that were turned over to DRC to sell at 60 days out because they weren't booked on points already.

 

[mjc2003]

We booked our first DVC stay at AK in a Grand Villa for 4 nights in November, and 6 nights in a 2 Bedroom at BCV (so 10 nights total) around the 6 month mark. We booked a 5 day trip last August 5 weeks out, we got AKV for 1 night (by request, I wanted to stay there before our November trip) and we got BWV for 4 nights. We just decided to go in early/mid March for 4 nights, and I called today to find that I could get either a 1 or 2 bedroom at OKW or SSR for all 4 nights, and a 1 BR at AKV for all 4 nights....all at 7 weeks.
So that's a total of 19 nights booked in less than a year, all on relatively short notice.

Obviously this won't be the case around Easter week, Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, etc... If you want to go in October and stay at BCV you have to plan ahead. Planning ahead will never hurt, and is the only way to guarantee what you want.

But I do contend that more often than not there is availability. Actually, I don't only contend it....I've lived it!

 

[Sandisw]

We booked our first DVC stay at AK in a Grand Villa for 4 nights in November, and 6 nights in a 2 Bedroom at BCV (so 10 nights total) around the 6 month mark. We booked a 5 day trip last August 5 weeks out, we got AKV for 1 night (by request, I wanted to stay there before our November trip) and we got BWV for 4 nights. We just decided to go in early/mid March for 4 nights, and I called today to find that I could get either a 1 or 2 bedroom at OKW or SSR for all 4 nights, and a 1 BR at AKV for all 4 nights....all at 7 weeks.
So that's a total of 19 nights booked in less than a year, all on relatively short notice.

Obviously this won't be the case around Easter week, Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, etc... If you want to go in October and stay at BCV you have to plan ahead. Planning ahead will never hurt, and is the only way to guarantee what you want.

But I do contend that more often than not there is availability. Actually, I don't only contend it....I've lived it!

Just curious--did they also have studios available for those 4 nights or were you looking for a 1 bedroom or larger and didn't ask?

 

[bakerworld]

Have done a combination of both planning and last minute stays.

My thought is for longer trips 6+N it's better to plan ahead, depending on the time and activity (f&W or garden fests) the 11 and 7 month booking windows seem to be a must do.

However, for slower times or 3N stays or wkends we've had great success last minute. My daughter asked Christmas before last for the last wkend in Feb and March. I called in January to check availability and got her BWV for Feb and BCV for March which were her preferred locations. Last summer she called me in June to see if there was availability in SSR for the wkend leading up to July 4 and she got her 3N at SSR. She's usually my last minute person because she lives in Tampa however DH and I often book around the 5 month time frame but we're not particular about venues or views.

 

[mikron]

We are self employed and live 80 miles North of Disney. So when we get the itch to go we call MS and take what they have open. If going to the resorts we do try for BW with a BWview. Love the BWview, lots of action all the lake traffic and walking the board walk is great. If the Fort is what we want we take any loop, we like them all and rent a golf cart.

 

[Sammie]

I have to agree with those that say no it will not work well with DVC.

When we first bought in the 90's we were able to plan 11 to 7 months out easily. However as all of us in the family have aged, jobs and health issues with parents have caused us not to be able to plan that far out.

So yes we get frustrated at times and wish we were not locked into it for another 30 years.