"Home Resort" booking frustrations!!

[bhickman]

I must admit this post is based upon antidotal evidence so I would certainly accept constructive feedback..

Over the past few months I have been hearing lots of complaints from friends who are DVC members as myself relating to making reservations at our home resorts with plenty of advanced notice (7-10 months), the latest is a buddy who is trying to book the BWV for December (I am writing this in mid February). What I am experiencing is that DVC guest services are saying resorts are totally booked and that only Saratoga Springs and OKW are available!!

Now my opinion:
What I am beginning feel is that DVC is “blocking” reservations or allowing non-home resort members to book in other resorts outside of the guidelines in order to drive Saratoga Springs (and OKW) occupancy up. I am thinking as an owner it is time for DVC to start making rental statistics available for us to audit to ensure DVC rental patterns are being legitimately maintained.

As a DVC member since 2002 I am becoming very disturbed with this and wondering if this is just my opinion or if others are feeling the same way. I specifically purchased BWV with expectations that when I book within my “Home Resort window” I should be able to get accommodations.. instead on my last trip to our DVC at WDW was at Saratoga Springs and I found it entirely “un-magical” (I have communicated this to DVC and was told “Oh sorry to hear that, that’s to bad”).

Please don’t take this as a condemnation of either SSR or OKW but I want the “hotel” type experience of the BWV or even the BCV rather then the spread out settings as in SSR and OKW.

--- P.S. : Wondering when I can start to book at AK.. anyone heard yet??

 

[CarolMN]

Early December has become very very popular - low points, Holiday activities and decorations, annual meeting time as well as internet meets.

As a BWV owner, I am surprised that there was NOTHING available for your friend's dates. If he/she wanted standard view or guaranteed Boardwalk view I am NOT surprised.

I do not think DVC is blocking reservations or allowing non-home resort owners to book outside of the guidelines. I think more owners are using their home resort advantage oto book right at the 11 month window. FWIW, if an owner wants early December at VWL, BCV or BWV, you need to do just that to be sure of gettting what you want without waitlisting - plenty of other owners will (and do)!

 

[SharonS]

I have been a member since 1999, and also own at BWV. Over the last year, it has become increasingly difficult to book accomodations at BWV unless you call in day by day at the 11 month window. I attempted to book a Boardwalk view studio for late October 2007. I called to book this early December, only to find that all of the days were not available and had to waitlist for the Boardwalk view.

Please don't take this wrong, but lately, I am wondering if DVC is worth it. I do make my plans early, but to have to call day by day at the 11 month window is really frustrating.

 

[tedhowe]

I have never heard of ANYONE being able to book at anywhere other than their home resort until the 7 month mark has passed... neither here on DISBoards nor among friends who are also DVC members.

I have no reason to think that MS is either allowing people to book as you suggest or "blocking" out rooms.

The simple fact is that December is a VERY high demand season for DVC. The home resort priority booking window (7 - 11 months) is in no way a guarantee that you can call up at 7 months or at 10 months or even at 10 months and 28 days in advance and be assured of a reservation.

Remember that if each member owned 1 week's accomodations, there would still be a 12 or 13 to 1 disparity between the number of available rooms and the room night demands if everyone wanted to go in december - even without taking into account the other resorts. With banking and borrowing, it could be as much as 39 to 1 disparity in the resort alone.

You may not have been a member long enough to remember when there was a lottery system for the peak weeks in December - there were no guarantees even if you called at 11 months exactly. (We've been members since 1993 when OKW was the only resort and this was still an issue back then, so there was definitely no issue with other owners getting into the resort before us. I think the last time for the lottery may have been for December 1999 or 2000 with the millennium celebrations - someone here will correct me if I'm wrong.)

I understand your frustration, but if you want to stay at one of the smaller resorts especially during peak time, you need to be prepared to make your reservation right at the 11 month mark.

Ted

 

[jekjones1558]

I am a fellow BWV owner and hear your frustration. This year we ended up not getting BW view for all of the days of one of our 1 bedrooms in Dec. 2006, even though we called on check out day at the 11 month mark! Only some of the days of our waitlist came through.
I choose to believe that MS is not doing anything "shady" with reservations. It is simply a matter of December becoming an ever more popular option because of Christmas festivities (which are widely covered on places like "The Travel Channel") and the low points involved. I hate to have to compete with my neighbors at BWV on a day-by-day basis for reservations in December and other popular times, but that is how it works now. For those of us who love BW view or standard view rooms it will become virtually impossible to get these rooms 7 months out even during low seasons like September as more DVC members buy in. I console myself by saying that if I didn't own at BWV I would have virtually no chance of getting what I want during December and October.

 

[Starr W.]

If I was planning on going in December(first 2 weeks are "cheap" point time, so alot of DVC'ers, then you get into the holidays) and my resort was BWV/BCV/VWL you bet I would be on the phone doing day by day ressies.

I just bought an add on for VB, just so I can get the 11 month window for spring break and I will probably go day by day.


Alot of new owners(direct through DVC or resale) are willing and able to be on that phone x amount of mornings to get in at 11 months during what are "deemed" busy DVC seasons (F&W for BCV/BWV, Xmas/NYE and other major holidays).


I was on the phone right on the 11 month for Thanksgiving 2007 for SSR.

I am a new owner and my guide "highly" recommended calling right a 11 months for holidays or Adventure season times.

 

[DisneyDVCdad]

So I guess getting a reservation for a one bedroom at BWV at the 7 month mark for mid September will be almost impossible? Just curious!

 

[paults]

we've owned BWV since 2002 and book at 11 months all the time and never had a problem getting what we wanted. We've been to BWV 8 times and got our ressies at 11 mths. We also now have 3 trips planned for May, OCT, and DEC this yr and booked at 11 mths with no problems. total of 11 trips and had no problems at 11 months.

Anyone wanting the holidays or F&WF or just DEC. need to book at 11 mths .10 mths could be to late for some of these times.

 

[jekjones1558]

So I guess getting a reservation for a one bedroom at BWV at the 7 month mark for mid September will be almost impossible? Just curious!

September is probably the easiest month and 1 bedroom is the easiest category. If you are willing to take a preferred view, chances are excellent. If you want standard view or BW view, chances are not as good but not impossible. Good luck!

 

[Starr W.]

So I guess getting a reservation for a one bedroom at BWV at the 7 month mark for mid September will be almost impossible? Just curious!

Don't know about that but I did have a waitlist for a 2br come through in less than a month for VWL first weekend in May.

Personally I would have made a ressie at my home resort, then try at 7 months, and if no availbility try the waitlist.

 

[JimMIA]

We had no problem getting BCV at six months for May 07, but I agree with everyone else that early December is very difficult at virtually all of the resorts.

 

[tubtruck]

Perhaps it is time that Disney reviewed the points needed at different times of the year and perhaps rearranged them, decreasing the number needed in late July and early August and increasing the number needed in December, perhaps this may even out demand a little better.

 

[Dean]

So I guess getting a reservation for a one bedroom at BWV at the 7 month mark for mid September will be almost impossible? Just curious!

Jan, May and Sept are overall the easiest times. You might even be able to get SV or BW view for that time. You should wait list for one if you would prefer even if not available when you reserve. I would call day be day at 7 months out.

 

[Dean]

I must admit this post is based upon antidotal evidence so I would certainly accept constructive feedback..

Over the past few months I have been hearing lots of complaints from friends who are DVC members as myself relating to making reservations at our home resorts with plenty of advanced notice (7-10 months), the latest is a buddy who is trying to book the BWV for December (I am writing this in mid February). What I am experiencing is that DVC guest services are saying resorts are totally booked and that only Saratoga Springs and OKW are available!!

Now my opinion:
What I am beginning feel is that DVC is “blocking” reservations or allowing non-home resort members to book in other resorts outside of the guidelines in order to drive Saratoga Springs (and OKW) occupancy up. I am thinking as an owner it is time for DVC to start making rental statistics available for us to audit to ensure DVC rental patterns are being legitimately maintained.

As a DVC member since 2002 I am becoming very disturbed with this and wondering if this is just my opinion or if others are feeling the same way. I specifically purchased BWV with expectations that when I book within my “Home Resort window” I should be able to get accommodations.. instead on my last trip to our DVC at WDW was at Saratoga Springs and I found it entirely “un-magical” (I have communicated this to DVC and was told “Oh sorry to hear that, that’s to bad”).

Please don’t take this as a condemnation of either SSR or OKW but I want the “hotel” type experience of the BWV or even the BCV rather then the spread out settings as in SSR and OKW.

--- P.S. : Wondering when I can start to book at AK.. anyone heard yet??

Disney and DVC are under pretty close scrutiny overall and have generally been above board. I'd doubt they were hiding reservations for any reason. DVC is becoming more difficult to book overall and certain things like all of Dec is pretty difficult across the board. SSR and OKW will generally be the easiest to get most any time. I think the idea that one can book anytime in the home resort window and be successful is becoming less and less true in general but some issues will be more difficult than others by far.

The only times I'm aware of where members were able to book other resorts outside the home resort window were the special season preference lists and the lottery for the end of the century, both allowable within the rules.

 

[dumbo71]

I have been a member since 1999, and also own at BWV. Over the last year, it has become increasingly difficult to book accomodations at BWV unless you call in day by day at the 11 month window. I attempted to book a Boardwalk view studio for late October 2007. I called to book this early December, only to find that all of the days were not available and had to waitlist for the Boardwalk view.

Please don't take this wrong, but lately, I am wondering if DVC is worth it. I do make my plans early, but to have to call day by day at the 11 month window is really frustrating.

Ahhhhhh......... you've hit the nail on the head. You know what DVC owners like to tout the flexibility of the program and it certainly has it. What it also has is many headaches and booing problems. I will never book day by day. First time I get closed out of my first or second choice at 8 months or more I'll sell. Time is money and I won't spend it worrying about a ressie or making mulitple phone calls.

Score one for the weekly Timeshares in my book. My weekly timeshare I just show up, no reservation to make, nothing. If I want to do an internal exchange of weeks I can. It gives me the possibility of getting low airfare or using frequet flyer miles because I know my week.

The onset of SSR has led to these problems like it or not. People hearing all of the SSR owners planning on booking elsewhere at 7 months leads owners to book their home early. It isn't a knock on SSR but a knock on the greedy mouse who overbuilt the place. 200 less rooms and we have less problems overall.

I confess, I am one of those SSR owners. I book elsewhere at 7 months each and everytime. I would like to see DVC reallocate the points during December to evn out demand a little or give an incentive to book SSR to non owners of that resort like unlimited fast passes or the like.

 

[CarolA]

I don't think they are blocking rooms. Last December there weren't any "cash rooms" at some resorts avaialble via CRO and folks were unable to get points resorts. The place was just FULL at times.

Overall travel is up, number of DVC members are up and all of December is quickly becoming peak time. I found it much more crowded in early December at Disney then it was a few years ago.

Now I have only booked day by day for Christmas week and President's Day week (and neither one were really required) We wanted OKW for the size with a large group and I think I could have waited and gotten it.

If having a defined, guranteed week is a requirement then I think that DVC is probably not the best timeshare. Others do that much better.

About a month ago I called and booked both my Oct visit (Food /Wine) and my December visit at BCV. Got what I wanted without any problem.

Last week I called and booked two nights mid March. My options were SSR. I actually do like the resort so that was not a problem. I did not expect to get BCV or BWV at that late date. (although I have been surprised in the past when one of them came open late)

 

[Starr W.]

When we are discussing December booking problems, are we talking 1-14th or Xmas time?

Seeing how some members are "frugal" with their points, those 1st 2 weeks of the month are a great time to go. Also pretty decent airfare also(I know cruises the 1st 2 wks of Dec are a good buy also). You get to see all the decorations, candlelight thing over at Epcot, and less crowds. Can see why people would rather go then.

No way will I go for Xmas/NYE, too crowded.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...

The onset of SSR has led to these problems like it or not. People hearing all of the SSR owners planning on booking elsewhere at 7 months leads owners to book their home early. It isn't a knock on SSR but a knock on the greedy mouse who overbuilt the place. 200 less rooms and we have less problems overall. ...

Broken record, Dumbo. AKV looks like it is going to be very large. Will you be complaining as soon as those owners start trying to book BWV or BCV???

When they started booking the BW as a separate view at the BWV, we all knew that that would be hotter than the standard view at BWV. Everyone wants the cheaper rooms or the BW view rooms. That leaves 60+% of the BWV. That no one appears to want. Who wants the creepy clown view? It's worse than the dumpster view at VWL.

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip).....When they started booking the BW as a separate view at the BWV, we all knew that that would be hotter than the standard view at BWV. Everyone wants the cheaper rooms or the BW view rooms. That leaves 60+% of the BWV. That no one appears to want. Who wants the creepy clown view? It's worse than the dumpster view at VWL.

And yet, according to the OP's friend, even those "creepy clown" view rooms were gone 10 months out.

I think owners are just booking earlier - once they call and get "shut out", most learn very quickly to call at 11 months.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I was able to get standard view in May at BWV, but the BW view was already gone. I called just two weeks ago, so I think May must have low occupancy. Now, I called at exactly 11 months ahead for a GV at Christmas time, and was unable to get Dec. 23,24,25,26,27 at either BW or OKW, my home resorts. That's just the way things are now, I don't believe MS is holding back on the rooms.