For those with fixed/guaranteed weeks . . .

[BWV Dreamin]

You will get an email that says “ Welcome Home”. It will be your reservation confirmation for your fixed week. That is when you know your reservation is completed. Totally automatic.

 

[striker1064]

So the 11-month booking window opens up for us tomorrow. I'm debating whether to call Member Services or just trust that it will get done correctly. It was mentioned above that the guaranteed week rooms are taken out of stock, which would make sense, since we have a contract that explicitly states they have to give us that room. So if they screw up and rent out how to stop at those rooms, I have to believe that they'd have to do something for us. By the same token, I'm thinking whether I should try to get on first thing tomorrow morning and take a shot at getting the reservation anyway (which I know was a longshot - very reason we went with a guaranteed week). If somehow I was able to get it that way, I'd save myself 11 points.

Our GW was booked a few days after the 11 month window opened (kind of nerve-wracking). It's a fall studio at CCV which of course all booked immediately so yes, it appears that DVC does indeed hold back inventory for GWs.

 

[Sandisw]

So the 11-month booking window opens up for us tomorrow. I'm debating whether to call Member Services or just trust that it will get done correctly. It was mentioned above that the guaranteed week rooms are taken out of stock, which would make sense, since we have a contract that explicitly states they have to give us that room. So if they screw up and rent out how to stop at those rooms, I have to believe that they'd have to do something for us. By the same token, I'm thinking whether I should try to get on first thing tomorrow morning and take a shot at getting the reservation anyway (which I know was a longshot - very reason we went with a guaranteed week). If somehow I was able to get it that way, I'd save myself 11 points.

Since you are guaranteed the week, I’d venture to say that if they screwed up, you’d be the one who got the room and they’d have to move someone else.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Since you are guaranteed the week, I’d venture to say that if they screwed up, you’d be the one who got the room and they’d have to move someone else.

The whole point of purchasing a fixed week is so that you don't have to call MS to book. It's automatic. If for some reason this does not happen, MS will have to compensate for this, either by moving some other booking out or giving a FW owner an upgrade. Do not worry.

 

[Anthony Vito]

The whole point of purchasing a fixed week is so that you don't have to call MS to book. It's automatic. If for some reason this does not happen, MS will have to compensate for this, either by moving some other booking out or giving a FW owner an upgrade. Do not worry.

That's what I was thinking as well - that maybe it was a chance to get a one bedroom at a studio price. However, I didn't trust it to not be an issue and a major headache, so I went on this morning at 8:00 and was able to get the studio we would've gotten anyway. I'll have to call Member Services anyway and ask about it for the future because I don't want to have to worry about this each year.

While part of me was very curious to see what would happen and when, and whether in fact bought some did miss something, and as a result what they would've done to make it right, by just doing it on my own I was able to save the 11 point premium, so now we have 11 points that I can use towards adding an extra night at the beginning of our vacation.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

That's what I was thinking as well - that maybe it was a chance to get a one bedroom at a studio price. However, I didn't trust it to not be an issue and a major headache, so I went on this morning at 8:00 and was able to get the studio we would've gotten anyway. I'll have to call Member Services anyway and ask about it for the future because I don't want to have to worry about this each year.

While part of me was very curious to see what would happen and when, and whether in fact bought some did miss something, and as a result what they would've done to make it right, by just doing it on my own I was able to save the 11 point premium, so now we have 11 points that I can use towards adding an extra night at the beginning of our vacation.

You have to call MS to cancel the fixed week. Did you have extra points to book this? This may be a problem if you just used the points that were sitting in your UY. dedicated for the FW.Please call MS and cancel that FW.

 

[Anthony Vito]

I was told that in order to book the guaranteed week, the full allotment of points for that use year had to be available - if we used any or borrowed any, then that would automatically cancel our fixed week and they would simply not book it for us.

This is also why I was a little worried about the availability: if our fixed week room is in separate stock, and they still have to go and look to make sure the points are available when they book the room for us; if the points aren't then they're releasing the room into stock, in this case potentially after the 11 month window. If our room was not in separate stock, then we would've been dealing with the above-mentioned scenario in which someone thinks they have a room but gets bumped because they had to book ours, or we have to raise a stink to get a room for booked for us, potentially with an upgrade (while I believe they would've made it right even if it took pumping us to a one bedroom, which I really like the idea of and would've been pretty cool, I think sitting on my hands and doing nothing when I already recognized there was a potential for a problem and I was able to fix it prior to becoming a bigger problem, it's kind of bad form - at that point, I felt almost like I was hovering close to being one of those people who want there to be problems just so they can get something free. Plus by doing it this way, I got myself 11 points that I otherwise wouldn't have had this year since I no longer had to pay the 10% fixed week premium).

This situation is why I assumed our room would've already been booked for us before the 11 month window opened, and why I was worried that there was a breakdown somewhere in the system - particularly since this is our first year.

 

[Anthony Vito]

I will be calling member services today anyway, one, to ask about the situation. Two, now that I have 11 points I can use, I need to get five one-time-use points so we can add one more night to our stay. We would've likely added on a night at the beginning of our trip anyway (Saturday night), I would've had to pay for a hotel room and not a DVC room, and more than likely would have either paid wait to much way too much or would have gone for something less expensive, like pop century, but still would've paid twice as much as the five one time use points will cost me to just add that night at Copper Creek.

 

[crvetter]

I will be calling member services today anyway, one, to ask about the situation. Two, now that I have 11 points I can use, I need to get five one-time-use points so we can add one more night to our stay. We would've likely added on a night at the beginning of our trip anyway (Saturday night), I would've had to pay for a hotel room and not a DVC room, and more than likely would have either paid wait to much way too much or would have gone for something less expensive, like pop century, but still would've paid twice as much as the five one time use points will cost me to just add that night at Copper Creek.

So the OTUP can’t be purchased until 7 months. Essentially those points count as non-home resort points for any resort on property.

 

[Anthony Vito]

So the OTUP can’t be purchased until 7 months. Essentially those points count as non-home resort points for any resort on property.

Crap - I forgot about that - wasn't thinking. This is the first time actually doing any bookings at our home resort and not within 7 months - only been members since April. Oh well, maybe I should've held out and seen if they screwed up after all .

 

[CarolMN]

I will be calling member services today anyway, one, to ask about the situation. Two, now that I have 11 points I can use, I need to get five one-time-use points so we can add one more night to our stay. We would've likely added on a night at the beginning of our trip anyway (Saturday night), I would've had to pay for a hotel room and not a DVC room, and more than likely would have either paid wait to much way too much or would have gone for something less expensive, like pop century, but still would've paid twice as much as the five one time use points will cost me to just add that night at Copper Creek.

So the OTUP can’t be purchased until 7 months. Essentially those points count as non-home resort points for any resort on property.

And the night he wants to add may not be available when the 7th month window opens. So he may have to book somewhere other than CCV if he wants to use the 11 points for that night.

 

[Anthony Vito]

Yeah - I'm assuming there is zero chance that the studio room will be open at seven months - I'm assuming it will be gone long before then. Oh well, I'm sure we will find some use for the 11 points, and figure it can't hurt to have them.

 

[anomamatt]

I called about mine, as the 11-month window is approaching a few days from now, and the impression that I got was that this is intentional. She didn't say it explicitly, but that is what it sounded like. She said that the reservation will be there, but it won't be "loaded" until after the 11-month window. And to call back after the 11 month window for the entire week if it doesn't show up.

My speculation: this is being done to prevent people canceling the GW and re-booking at 11 months (and potentially saving the 10% premium).

 

[Anthony Vito]

I called about mine, as the 11-month window is approaching a few days from now, and the impression that I got was that this is intentional. She didn't say it explicitly, but that is what it sounded like. She said that the reservation will be there, but it won't be "loaded" until after the 11-month window. And to call back after the 11 month window for the entire week if it doesn't show up.

My speculation: this is being done to prevent people canceling the GW and re-booking at 11 months (and potentially saving the 10% premium).

I think this has the opposite effect though. If mine was booked before the 11th month window, there's no way I would risk losing reservation by canceling and re-booking. However, like today, which was my 11 month window, I had nothing to lose I'm trying to book it manually. Since I was able to get it, I saved the 10% premium.

Also, it seems very inefficient. Not everyone who has a guaranteed week will have their points available for booking, and the only way they would know that is to go through those members' accounts, which seems like a waste if they are then going to have to do that again a few weeks later when actually booking. If they are just holding back any inventory that could be related to a guaranteed week without actually knowing whether they will actually be booking those weeks, they'll then be releasing inventory after the 11 month window, which would just be frustrating to those members on at 11 months trying to unsuccessfully book their reservations.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Im not getting what is in efficient. It is seemless, I get my reservation automatically without having to call. If I see availability after my week is booked, I call and take the new reservation after my points are released by my fixed week. The CM can do all of this at the time I want to cancel my FW reservation. I fail to see any problems that your talking about. The guaranteed FW is working like it should.

 

[anomamatt]

If mine was booked before the 11th month window, there's no way I would risk losing reservation by canceling and re-booking.

As it used to be (when the GW showed up pre-11-months), there was no risk. If there was availability at 11 months, you cancel the GW and re-book.

Even with the GW reservation showing up later, it's still not a risk. If there is availability, you can cancel and re-book.

 

[Anthony Vito]

As it used to be (when the GW showed up pre-11-months), there was no risk. If there was availability at 11 months, you cancel the GW and re-book.

Even with the GW reservation showing up later, it's still not a risk. If there is availability, you can cancel and re-book.

The risk at or after the 11 month window is that when you call and cancel your guaranteed week, those days to get quickly snatched up or grabbed for someone who is waitlisted. We went with a guaranteed week because even if we are on trying to book right at our 11 month window, there's still the possibility of not getting it.

Within a few minutes after eight this morning, all studios 11 months from today were gone at Copper Creek. If our room had already been booked for us with our guaranteed week, I would not have looked to make any changes today and would've just kept the reservation. Because it wasn't booked yet, I gave it a try at 8 AM on the dot I was able to get our reservation while saving the 10% premium.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

The risk at or after the 11 month window is that when you call and cancel your guaranteed week, those days to get quickly snatched up or grabbed for someone who is waitlisted. We went with a guaranteed week because even if we are on trying to book right at our 11 month window, there's still the possibility of not getting it.

Within a few minutes after eight this morning, all studios 11 months from today were gone at Copper Creek. If our room had already been booked for us with our guaranteed week, I would not have looked to make any changes today and would've just kept the reservation. Because it wasn't booked yet, I gave it a try at 8 AM on the dot I was able to get our reservation while saving the 10% premium.

You dont know that it wasnt booked. You just didnt see the reservation. Again, you puchased a FW. You have it! Its guaranteed. I think your creating a problem where there is none.

 

[Anthony Vito]

Im not getting what is in efficient. It is seemless, I get my reservation automatically without having to call. If I see availability after my week is booked, I call and take the new reservation after my points are released by my fixed week. The CM can do all of this at the time I want to cancel my FW reservation. I fail to see any problems that your talking about. The guaranteed FW is working like it should.

I'm saying that is inefficient on Disney's end. If they book my reservation prior to the 11 month window (as it was our understanding when we purchased that it's supposed to work), then that room is taken out of inventory for the seven days, and the availability is accurate when the 11th month window opens for everyone else. If they look prior to the end of the month window to book my guaranteed week, and I've already used my points elsewhere, that's canceling my week, there's no need to pull that room out of inventory, and it is just available to everyone else.

However, if they are always booking the guaranteed weeks after the 11 month window opens, what inventory are they pulling from? If it's just general inventory, and they're booking it for me from rooms that are otherwise available, and the 10% premium is just simply to have somebody else do the work for me. In such a scenario, what happens if that inventory is gone already?

If they are holding back all inventory for anyone who owns a guaranteed week, regardless of whether those points of already been used and such members will not actually be having their guaranteed weeks booked, and they could theoretically he frequently holding back up to 35% available inventory. Moreover, since not everyone is booking full weeks from Sunday to Sunday, it makes it even more complicated. Then sometime after the 11th month window opens, they go through to book the guaranteed weeks, potentially discovering that's some of those points are no longer available, and therefore they have been keeping inventory held back within the 11 month booking window unnecessarily.

The last scenario that I see, is that they have someone going through just prior to the 11 month windows and looking to see who still has their points available to book the guaranteed weeks, then holding that inventory through the opening of the 11th month window and going back weeks later and actually booking the guaranteed weeks. I see this is horribly inefficient from a business perspective because you're just wasting time and manpower. If you're having your employees spend the time to go and look through those member accounts anyway, then holding the inventory for those members, it would be far more efficient to just book the reservations at that time.

Obviously, if the guaranteed weeks are, say, at the Polynesian which does not appear to have any problems with availability beyond seven months most of the year, this wouldn't seem to matter much either way. However at Copper Creek, which seems to have very limited availability for studios throughout the year, even at 11 months, or Grand Floridian at popular times of the year, this makes much more of a difference.

 

[Sandisw]

The risk at or after the 11 month window is that when you call and cancel your guaranteed week, those days to get quickly snatched up or grabbed for someone who is waitlisted. We went with a guaranteed week because even if we are on trying to book right at our 11 month window, there's still the possibility of not getting it.

Within a few minutes after eight this morning, all studios 11 months from today were gone at Copper Creek. If our room had already been booked for us with our guaranteed week, I would not have looked to make any changes today and would've just kept the reservation. Because it wasn't booked yet, I gave it a try at 8 AM on the dot I was able to get our reservation while saving the 10% premium.

It sounds like, though, that fixed weeks are set and that they will show up. In your account. I get you were nervous because you had not seen it yet, it I am sure that Disney has this down and you would have been fine,

Disney knows how many rooms to secure for fixed weeks and I guarantee those were not part of the rooms that were available for booking this morning. Just because you didn’t see it loaded by 8 am, doesn’t mean It wasn’t booked and they were in the process of loading.