High Usage???

[domiii]

Similar to the high/low attendence days in the parks, is the high/low usage for DVC tracked and listed any where? Just curious for future planning.

 

[Chuck S]

DVC resorts, and the program itself, are designed for the resorts to be near capacity at all times. It is really the only way a flexible point based system, rather than an old style set week timeshare, can work. Otherwise you'd end up with a lot of unused points every year.

If DVC notices a particularly slow season or an overly busy season for booking (not counting major holidays, obviously) they will adjust the points charts to compensate by making some seasons more expensive and other seasons less expensive. This has happened once, in 1996, at OKW. They still have to work within a given framework as each resort has a set numbe of points for use annually.

That being said, September and mid January (except for MLK weekend) are probably the slowest DVC demand timeframes. BCV & BWV also book up quickly for the EPCOT Food & Wine fest, and f course, Spring Break, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's are all peak times. Early December is also very popular, as the points are in low cost Adventure Season and the parks are in full Holiday mode.

 

[DebbieB]

Check out this board. Members list dates that they were not able to get. Keep in mind it's only as good as what people report, it's not official.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdispl...&pp=50&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=365

 

[chalee94]

Similar to the high/low attendence days in the parks, is the high/low usage for DVC tracked and listed any where? Just curious for future planning.

as chuck says, DVC is designed to operate at 90% occupancy or better, so "usage" will always be high.

the key is to be aware that the high-demand times that chuck listed will require you to book closer to the 11 month window at your home resort to make sure you can get a reservation.

 

[DISFANSHAN]

DVC resorts, and the program itself, are designed for the resorts to be near capacity at all times. It is really the only way a flexible point based system, rather than an old style set week timeshare, can work. Otherwise you'd end up with a lot of unused points every year.

If DVC notices a particularly slow season or an overly busy season for booking (not counting major holidays, obviously) they will adjust the points charts to compensate by making some seasons more expensive and other seasons less expensive. This has happened once, in 1996, at OKW. They still have to work within a given framework as each resort has a set numbe of points for use annually.

That being said, September and mid January (except for MLK weekend) are probably the slowest DVC demand timeframes. BCV & BWV also book up quickly for the EPCOT Food & Wine fest, and f course, Spring Break, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's are all peak times. Early December is also very popular, as the points are in low cost Adventure Season and the parks are in full Holiday mode.

Chuck,
You say that Disney will adjust their point charts based on occupancy in a given season. I could swear my guide told me that the points charts will never change. Do you mean that if they see a certain time frame becoming busier year after year, they would bump that time frame up to the next "season" category? Cause to me, that is the same as Disney raising points. I based the amount of points I purchased on the 2 weeks we will most likely go every year......I would not be happy if the points increased for one of those weeks.
Thanks for any light you can shed on this!!!

 

[Chuck S]

Chuck,
You say that Disney will adjust their point charts based on occupancy in a given season. I could swear my guide told me that the points charts will never change. Do you mean that if they see a certain time frame becoming busier year after year, they would bump that time frame up to the next "season" category? Cause to me, that is the same as Disney raising points. I based the amount of points I purchased on the 2 weeks we will most likely go every year......I would not be happy if the points increased for one of those weeks.
Thanks for any light you can shed on this!!!

Disney can reallocate points, as long as the total point usage for the resort for the year does not change. They can raise some days and lower others. A total reallocation has happened once, at OKW in 1996, the OKW point chart prior to 1996 had 69 points a week for a studio in value season, currently it is 80. There were other adjustment in the chart to balance out the increase. The maximum reallocation possible should be listed in the Public Offering Statement for your resort. They could, theoretically reallocate to the point where there are no seasons at all, and the rooms are the same point rate year round, each day.

Again, in practice, a reallocation has only happened once (twice if you count the early reallocation at Boardwalk to create the Preferred categories). Unless overall long-term travel habits change drastically, I would not expect the charts to change, except for the normal annual calendar changes for Spring Break, Thanksgiving, etc.

 

[chalee94]

Chuck,
You say that Disney will adjust their point charts based on occupancy in a given season. I could swear my guide told me that the points charts will never change. Do you mean that if they see a certain time frame becoming busier year after year, they would bump that time frame up to the next "season" category? Cause to me, that is the same as Disney raising points. I based the amount of points I purchased on the 2 weeks we will most likely go every year......I would not be happy if the points increased for one of those weeks.

as far as i know, they've done this once in 15 years, at OKW around 10 years ago. in the cheapest season, you used to be able to book a studio at OKW for 7 pts per night. then they raised those pt requirements to 8 pts per night BUT in order to keep the total pts at OKW the same for the whole year, they also had to lower the pt cost of other nights. the total pt cost for each resort for each year has to remain the same, but if everyone wants to go the 1st 2 weeks of december, DVC can redistribute pts to make those nights more expensive so long as they reduce pt costs for other nights to keep everything balanced...

either way, i wouldn't lose a lot of sleep worrying about this. it can theoretically happen but in practice, it virtually never happens.

 

[spiceycat]

at 60 days any unused villa go to CRO to be rented.

that way DVC resorts stays at 85 to 95% occupancy.

now when (my opinion)
first two weeks of Dec
Thankgiving (point wise it is the cheapest of the main holidays - with only labor day being cheaper)
Christmas to NY (this one is new)
July 4 week
some weeks in spring break - these vary.
food/wine festavial - for BCV and BWV (expecting BLT to be added - just because the monrail - the key is no driving or trying to find a bus)
HH - summer


so other than these (subject to change) - you should be able to get what you want at 7 months.