how difficult is it to get reservations.

[greggville]

i am not a DVC member, yet. I am looking to get one... \

but once i am a member... how difficult is it to get a room?

it is more, less or same as making resercations at the resorts.


getting a reservation at the resorts isn't a problem if you are willing to pay rack..... but getting the fl res discount can sometimes be difficult.

i was just curious of the supply and demand of the villas

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

The answer to your question is that it varies, depending upon what resort, timeframe and room type you want.

Some examples of tough times are prime holidays and school vacation periods.... tough room types are Grand Villas or BWV standard views rooms (cost fewer points and there are fewer rooms of this type available). OKW is typically easier to get than others due to it's size - many rooms.

That is why the 11-month home resort booking window is so important. If you buy BCV points for example, you can book at BCV 11 months ahead of your stay, but for other resorts you must wait until the 7 month point.

Sometimes off-peak periods are very popular with DVC... BCV & BWV are pretty much all booked for October & November, during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

I'm sure other posters will expand on this, but it should give you an idea. HTH.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

If you are able to plan 11 months ahead, you will always have a room available. I go at school vacation times and have always been able to get exactly what I wanted for my family.

But many times are available on shorter notice. For example I was just able to get a studio at OKW for New Years' Eve and New Years' Day at the 7 month window.

HBC

 

[greggville]

it sound like the difficulty in making reservations at DCV is able the same as the resorts..

i always go to Disney at least twice a year..... the first week of Sept and the first week of Dec.....

after that ...i have just generally called to see what’s available… I try to stay a weekend in October and a weekend early February


with the resorts i could call up days before i wanted to go.... and almost always got a room....

 

[WDWguru]

If you're flexible, you can almost always get something with short notice. You may have to settle for a one bedroom instead of a studio or you may have to stay at OKW rather than BWV, but you can almost always get in somewhere. If, not there's the waitlist, which has been successful for most people. As often as you can, why not plan 11 months ahead? You can always cancel as close as 31 days out without losing your points to a holding account, and you can always adjust your plans if they change later.

DH and I were last-minute planners before DVC, but we usually went at the same times of year (much like you describe). Now we just go ahead and pick which weekend in October and go ahead and book it 11 months out, rather than waiting until a few months before to pick exact dates. We have also been known to adjust dates or resorts as it gets closer and have always gotten in somewhere. Now, if you must have a standard view studio at BWV on New Year's Eve, you better book 11 months out, but with most situations you'll be fine if you don't.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Early Dec is a very popular time with DVC members because of the low points. You may need to make that reservation at 11 months, just like the Christmas week reservation or GV or BWV Std view.

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by greggville

after that ...i have just generally called to see what’s available… I try to stay a weekend in October and a weekend early February

You may want to look carefully at the point chart if this is what you usually do. You will see Fri & Sat. tend to be more than twice the other nights of the week. Some of us avoid the weekends like the plague. I would rather have an extra 5 night Sun-Thurs stay than add a weekend on (the points for these 2 scenarios are almost equal) JMHO

That said, yes, some times you can get almost anything. When I called last week about the end of Aug or beginning of Sept. I was told I could have any size room at any resort.



Good luck with your decision
Sandy