Experienced waitlist (ressie) DISers, Please Advise

[Scotch]

I want to take my mom to WDW over Mother's Day weekend, check in Friday and out Monday, May 9th, because her 60th birthday falls on Mother's Day this year and she has never been to WDW. I know she would love the flower & garden festival at Epcot, so I booked a PS for Epcot's Mother's Day brunch on Sunday. I really want to stay at BCV for this trip so we could just walk to/from Epcot; with a baby we'd want to return for naps. I also like the proximity to the Boardwalk so we could easily walk to watch the Boardwalk area action. Plus I want to have many restaurant options within walking distance for this trip. Further, knowing my mom she would adore the BCV resort area.

I have ressies for the night of the 6th and the 7th in a 2BR. I am waitlisted for Sunday the 8th -- they have no rooms of any size for that night. [We do not want to switch resorts for one night.]

I have not booked our plane tickets yet because I'm still uncertain about our accommodations. I'm considering either (1) just forgetting about this trip or (2) switching over to OKW because 2 BRs are available for all three nights. [There are also no vacancies at BWV now and besides I'm concerned about the Boardwalk area noise in the evening hours because my baby goes to sleep early.] But I haven't switched because I really want BCV for this trip! I haven't cancelled the entire plan because I am still hoping things would work out and I'm already in the penalty phase for cancellations. I was told by MS today that there were still 18 2BR units open at OKW for all three nights.

Now I want to clarify -- there is no need for anyone to sell me the benefits of OKW. DH and I love that resort; in fact it may be our favorite DVC resort if we ignore location. However, for this particular trip BCV is our #1 choice. Right now I just don't know our chances of getting off the waitlist for the 8th and how likely the 18 2BRs that remain at OKW will be filled while we wait.

If I decide definitely to go through with this trip and buy plane tickets even without having secured a ressie for the 8th, at what point should I DECIDE and switch over to OKW to ensure we have accommodations for 3 nights at the same resort for this trip?

 

[CarolMN]

I think the chances of that last day coming through are not good.

IMHO, your best chance will come at the 30-31 day mark. As you know, members do not generlly like to have their points in the holding account so that seems to be the time they cancel if their trip isn't certain.

If it were me, I'd call on Monday and if I couldn't get that last night then, I'd switch. Of course that assumes you will go even if you have to stay at OKW this trip.

Sending good luck and pixie dust -

P.S. Don't rule out the BWV - Unless you have a Boardwalk view (and occasionally a Luna Park view), the BWV rooms are not noisy. Ask for a room near Community Hall / quiet pool. Those rooms are very quiet, albeit a bit of a hike from the elevators.

 

[OneMoreTry]

CarolMN's suggestion sounds great. If it were me, and I really wanted to go, I would book the sure thing at OKW and waitlist the nights at BCV as a whole. (I don't know if you could wait list BOTH BCV and BWV.) Then I would go ahead and buy the plane tickets. That plan suits my personality better.

I don't know how much better your chances are of getting a single wait listed night versus getting all the nights as a bundle. Mother's Day weekend is probably going to be tough either way.

If you want to keep the wait list beyond the 31 day mark, call MS now and tell them to automatically renew your wait list at that time for the final month -- otherwise it will cancel out.

Good luck.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I came back to read what experienced wait-listers had to say. I hope you do go and report back on your experience at the Mother's Day brunch. I have convinced DSis that we should bring our DM to it next Mother's Day.

I like the idea of switching to what you can get and waitlisting for the 3 nights at a whole.

Pixie Dust!

Bobbi

 

[SB in KY]

I would call Monday and maybe even Tuesday AM's to MS and see if you can get the 3rd night at BCV...twice in the past they have NOT notified me that my waitlist came through, but when I called after the 31 day mark it was available and they could book it for me....no one ever seemed to know why the waitlist thing didn't work....but I figure it is at least worth a try.

If you can't get your night at BCV I would go for the OKW sure thing and not wait too long, because they can take cash reservations for member inventory at 28 or 30 days out if it has not been booked for points.

Sounds like a perfect trip....and the good news is since your mom hasn't ever been to WDW, she won't know that she would have liked BCV better!! Although I agree with you that the BCV location would be GREAT for this trip.

 

[Scotch]

Thank you for your good suggestions. I will call Monday and doublecheck the waitlist thing. And I think I will switch my two night BCV ressie to a three night OKW ressie and waitlist three nights at BCV instead if I don't come through on the waitlist by Monday afternoon. This is too nervewracking. I better go check airfares!