Extra night - Need advice

[jillmc40]

Hi All,

I just got our tickets through Southwest when the schedule opened for Easter. I had to change the days substantially but they were so cheap (I saved at least 1500.00) that I was able to use points instead of having to pay - woo-hoo! But now, instead of going Sat-Fri, we are going Wed-Wed. We will already be doing a split stay BWV/VGF. I have the VGF reserved already and at the 7mo I will reserve the BWV. I have 187 points to play with (163 of my own and 24 OTU if necessary). The 163 are borrowed and that is all I have left.

For BWV I am assuming I will only be able to get preferred, so I would only be able to "afford" 3 nights, but I will need 4. We are getting in very late on Wednesday night, so part of me wants to just grab a value for the night and then move to BWV the next day, but since we are already splitting I am thinking this might be too much?

I am very indecisive and none of my family wants to share in the obsessing with me My 7mo is coming up though and I need to make a decision. Of course if a standard is available for 4 nights at BWV then I am good to go! Currently it does not have availability for all 4 nights.

So I think these are my options:

1) Pay cash for one night at BWV with hopefully 25% off: 403.00
2) Rent the points from someone at 14pp: 364.00
3) Get a Value for the night: 194.00
4) Book the Preferred and standards available but then waitlist the Standards? I have no idea how that works.

Do people even rent points for one night? I only need 26 points. I don't want to stay at the airport or stay off-site. I want to wake up in the AM and go to a park asap. The pluses I see to a Value (besides the cheaper price) are:
-We have 2 kids(9 and 6) and we can just flop in the room and not have to pull open the couch (I think our plane lands at 11:30).
-All Star Music is near AK, which is where we plan on going first day.


Please give me some advice - I am back and forth driving myself crazy

 

[gdrj]

Personally since you are getting in very late I would do a value for the night. We have done this, while not ideal, to us its not a big deal. While your transfer luggage will not be available until late afternoon (yes there are horror stories on the site about late luggage transfers- we have never had an issue and we do split stays often). Just have a backpack with stuff you need for the day.

I'm assuming you are taking Magical Express, but if not I would consider DTD hotels as an alternative. We have done that as well and saved a ton of money.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I think I'd also do the value. I'd book the BWV preferred and waitlist for the standard view. If that filled you could cancel the value.

 

[jillmc40]

Ok, thank you!! It seemed like the value was the way to go but I couldn't tell if I was thinking straight or not

We are planning to spend the day at ak and then have dinner at akl so we won't be back until about 7. I'm assuming our luggage will be there by then. We did a split in May and our luggage made it before us.

 

[kollerbear]

I think that if you book what's available but wait list the standard you might have some luck. Waitlist, but also keep checking the DVC site repeatedly. If you can snag 2 consecutive days, book them and only waitlist the period with the unavailable day(s). (A two day wait list is more likely have success than a 4 day wait list.) If you keep checking the site over and over again, I do actually think it's likely you'll get what you need this far out. For only 4 days at BWV--esp. if some of that availability is already open--I think you'll be able to get it.

 

[kollerbear]

FWIW, I play the waitlist/neurotically checking and reservation-shifting game all the time, usually around 5 months out. I'm usually trying to get 2-3 consecutive days around Christmas at a particular place. I check the website probably about once an hour while I'm awake and I can honestly say I've always gotten every single reservation I was looking for (including GFV, with the only exception being AKL Club Level), usually within 3-4 days of trying. I KNOW I've been lucky and I can't count on it, but if you're quick and persistent it's TOTALLY worth playing the game.

 

[jillmc40]

I can neurotically check, that is part of the fun for me . Part of my points will be otu points. Is that allowed? I just had a slight memory that maybe I can't do that? Now I have to go research that.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I can neurotically check, that is part of the fun for me . Part of my points will be otu points. Is that allowed? I just had a slight memory that maybe I can't do that? Now I have to go research that.

You do have to call to buy and book with the one time use points.

 

[sndral]

FWIW, I play the waitlist/neurotically checking and reservation-shifting game all the time, usually around 5 months out. I'm usually trying to get 2-3 consecutive days around Christmas at a particular place. I check the website probably about once an hour while I'm awake and I can honestly say I've always gotten every single reservation I was looking for (including GFV, with the only exception being AKL Club Level), usually within 3-4 days of trying. I KNOW I've been lucky and I can't count on it, but if you're quick and persistent it's TOTALLY worth playing the game.

I wonder if this level of success will change w/ the reported change in how they are filling the wait list these days (eg: not releasing rooms to book until after they've checked the wait list.)

 

[kollerbear]

I wonder if this level of success will change w/ the reported change in how they are filling the wait list these days (eg: not releasing rooms to book until after they've checked the wait list.)

Oh man, I'm so sorry, I hadn't read this piece of news!! Yes that would definitely change things. Definitely would be good, then, especially, to snatch up any available days and waitlist only the 1 or 2 that are not available. If they are going to be this hands on about it now, I bet they would also combine three stays into one without releasing it back into general stock.

 

[kollerbear]

However, at 7 mos. out, if she's only missing 1 or 2 nights... I still do think it's kind of likely that she'll get her waitlist through. Just probably won't happen as quickly.

 

[jillmc40]

Ok, so 7mo window, I will call and book what I can with points, and waitlist the rest. But I will need some OTU points to do this, and so I am not sure how to do it. I am going to have to look into what type of mess this will be. I like that the waitlist will be automatic, that makes my life a little easier. I can obsess over dining and FP+ instead

Thank you everyone for your replies!!

 

[Dean]

Hi All,

I just got our tickets through Southwest when the schedule opened for Easter. I had to change the days substantially but they were so cheap (I saved at least 1500.00) that I was able to use points instead of having to pay - woo-hoo! But now, instead of going Sat-Fri, we are going Wed-Wed. We will already be doing a split stay BWV/VGF. I have the VGF reserved already and at the 7mo I will reserve the BWV. I have 187 points to play with (163 of my own and 24 OTU if necessary). The 163 are borrowed and that is all I have left.

For BWV I am assuming I will only be able to get preferred, so I would only be able to "afford" 3 nights, but I will need 4. We are getting in very late on Wednesday night, so part of me wants to just grab a value for the night and then move to BWV the next day, but since we are already splitting I am thinking this might be too much?

I am very indecisive and none of my family wants to share in the obsessing with me My 7mo is coming up though and I need to make a decision. Of course if a standard is available for 4 nights at BWV then I am good to go! Currently it does not have availability for all 4 nights.

So I think these are my options:

1) Pay cash for one night at BWV with hopefully 25% off: 403.00
2) Rent the points from someone at 14pp: 364.00
3) Get a Value for the night: 194.00
4) Book the Preferred and standards available but then waitlist the Standards? I have no idea how that works.

Do people even rent points for one night? I only need 26 points. I don't want to stay at the airport or stay off-site. I want to wake up in the AM and go to a park asap. The pluses I see to a Value (besides the cheaper price) are:
-We have 2 kids(9 and 6) and we can just flop in the room and not have to pull open the couch (I think our plane lands at 11:30).
-All Star Music is near AK, which is where we plan on going first day.


Please give me some advice - I am back and forth driving myself crazy

My first thought would be none of the above. I'd stay off property the first night. If this means renting a car that had not been planned, I'd rent a car and stay off property but then again I would not do the value for the first night without a car either so it wouldn't affect that option for me personally. If I were set on not renting a car, I'd pay cash at BWV and not move 3 times. I'd then wait list for the standard view. Since you're OK with moving 3 times in this situation you could take any standard view days available then wait list a single day at a time using both WL options you have and try to build it all to standard view and cancel the cash reservation. Since you're in a borrowing mode anyway and assuming you'll continue to be, this could also be an opportunity to get ahead by renting a full reservation such that you only move once or even possibly, at VGF so you don't move at all. Or you could do that portion all on cash at any property taking an opportunity to experience something else. Or stay off property for the entire time to do non Disney.

 

[Judique]

I agree with Dean about just booking BWV for that first night on cash.

Then set up your waitlists.

Good luck with your 7 month quest for BWV also. It could be tough to get anything at Easter.

 

[maburke]

If you are okay with doing the "book some standard, book the rest preferred and waitlist the standard" plan, I would get online at 8am on your 7-month day and book whatever standard nights you can. Then call at 9am to book the preferred nights using the OTU points, and waitlist the standard nights. If they're consecutive, I don't think they'll let you waitlist them separately, but it's better to waitlist one night than two consecutive -- it increases your chances of a match.

As for renting, I don't think that renting 26 points would be a problem, especially at 7 months when home resort doesn't matter. Maybe the brokers and bigger operations won't do it, but I think there are plenty of people like me who have smaller numbers of banked points left that they're willing to rent.

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you decide!

 

[maburke]

Oh, and when I found myself in a similar situation (but much shorter notice -- only one month out) I found a 35% off deal for Poly studios through my Chase Disney Visa. It was fun trying a new resort for just one night. (I discovered that I don't think we like the new studios for my family, even if they are meant for 5. But I'm glad we learned that lesson staying only one night!)

 

[sndral]

Oh man, I'm so sorry, I hadn't read this piece of news!! Yes that would definitely change things. Definitely would be good, then, especially, to snatch up any available days and waitlist only the 1 or 2 that are not available. If they are going to be this hands on about it now, I bet they would also combine three stays into one without releasing it back into general stock.

Yesterday I had the chance to experience the new system in action. I had a 1 night wait list and had been checking daily via the RAT. Yesterday my villa showed up on the RAT so I called MS to grab it, thinking well maybe the new system isn't as efficient as reported. When the CM tried to book it he couldn't. First he thought I might be holding it via the computer - nope. After quite a bit of time on hold they (he and his Supervisor) found that it was being held by my waitlist so they were able to go ahead and grab it for me. I'm curious how this will play out for others - if I'd tried to book it online would it have failed as even tho the RAT showed availability there was a hold? If someone else had that WL would the CM have been able to override and book it for me? The take away for me is that the RAT and the WL aren't real time integrated and that even when a villa shows as available on the RAT it may not be.

 

[kollerbear]

Wow, that is going to be very interesting/annoying. I'm surprised it showed as available for you. I really hope that they do a better job of working that system out, that will be very annoying otherwise.

ETA thanks for the update!!!

 

[jillmc40]

Thanks for all the input!! I layed out the options to dh and the kids. The kids saw the pictures for the Value resorts and thought they looked "AWESOME!" So as of now everyone is excited to stay at all star movies for a night and then move to bwv. Kids - so easy to please. Haha!!

 

[jillmc40]

Argh, now I see an AKL - Value Studio is available for that one night...I can rent the reservation for that for the same price as a room at ASMo...Decisions, decisions...I have a request to a couple of people to rent their points. I shall let fate decide