How does this happen? 11-month window availability question

[DSNYFRK4EVR]

Hi all,

I was checking availability at the 11-month window for a std view studio at BLT and noticed multiple days passed the initial 11-month window date (January 7, 2019) are not available. Does anyone know how this happens, or how is this even possible? I know the first day is typically snatched up within seconds or minutes after 8 AM EST, but was curious if anyone else had seen this before.

Thanks for any input!

 

[CarolMN]

It means that the members who have vacations starting on or before January 7 have already booked those days. There is no availability left for anyone who was planning to start there vacations on January 8, etc. It is not uncommon to see this for some of the limited, less expensive villas like BLT.I

DVC could also be planning to do some mtce/ rehab, but given the dates, it's more likely members who want those villas for the January marathon.

 

[BillPA]

The 11 month window opens reservations for a 7 night period, so today Feb 7 you could book your home resort from Jan 7 thru Jan 14. Depending on when reservations started, i.e. Jan2... holes in availability during the week 1/7-14 could happen.

 

[disneynutz]

I would think that it's only related to rooms being removed from inventory for some reason. I guess someone could have booked 7 nights starting 1/7 then canceled the first few nights.

Bill

 

[DSNYFRK4EVR]

Thanks for the responses. Guess I'll keep checking to see what happens with availability later on this week.

 

[a742246]

That is Disney's Big Marathon weekend. Some people will walk a reservation for that weekend.

 

[supersnoop]

It means nobody is checking out of those rooms on the 8th or 9th.

 

[robinb]

That is Disney's Big Marathon weekend. Some people will walk a reservation for that weekend.

The marathon in actually the NEXT weekend in 2019. If people are walking it for the marathon on that first weekend of Jan, they will be sorely disappointed.

 

[a742246]

The marathon in actually the NEXT weekend in 2019. If people are walking it for the marathon on that first weekend of Jan, they will be sorely disappointed.

Are you sure? I find that Marathon Weekend runs 1/9/19 to 1/13/19 next year.

 

[robinb]

Are you sure? I find that Marathon Weekend runs 1/9/19 to 1/13/19 next year.

Whoops. That's what I meant. It usually the first weekend in January. It's 9-14th next year.

 

[drusba]

The determinative date annually for the marathon is actually MLK day. The marathon is always the Sunday, 8 days before MLK day, and thus the marathon weekend can be the first or second weekend in Jan depending on the date of the MLK holiday which is always the third Monday in Jan (this year MLK day was Jan 15, the earliest it can possibly be because Jan 1 was a Monday; next year MLK day is Jan 21, the latest it can be, and thus next year's dates for the marathon weekend are the latest they can be)

OP, if what you were seeing was that Jan 7 and some consecutive days after it were already filled, then that means those who booked at 8 this morning or a day or more before Feb 7 have already filled those dates because any member at 11 months out can book up to 7 nights. For BLT standard that is a common occurrence leading up to marathon weekend (Wed trough Sunday), an extremely high DVC demand time.

If, instead, what you saw was that Jan 7 was open, but Jan 8 and days after were booked or, for, example, Jan 7 and 8 were booked, Jan 9 was open, and Jan 10 was booked, then there are two possibilities: (a) there is some planned room withholdings for those later dates for maintenance, or (b) the reservation computer system is screwed up. Every time I have seen that heppen before, it was because the reservation computer system was screwed up.

 

[DizBub]

Hi all,

I was checking availability at the 11-month window for a std view studio at BLT and noticed multiple days passed the initial 11-month window date (January 7, 2019) are not available. Does anyone know how this happens, or how is this even possible? I know the first day is typically snatched up within seconds or minutes after 8 AM EST, but was curious if anyone else had seen this before.

Thanks for any input!

This happened to me when I went to book BLT standard 2 bedroom for Nov 17. I checked a day early on the 16th and it was already gone but it did allow me to book 17 thru 21 so I did. The next day both 16 and 17 were gone but I was able to book the 22nd to get the full week.

Granted this is Thanksgiving week and it's BLT standard anything but in 9 years of membership we have never been shut out at a home resort right at 11 months. Marathons and special events notwithstanding it is getting harder to book standard/value rooms, even for owners.

OP, best of luck getting your reservation. At the very least book what you can and waitlist the days you need.

 

[CarolMN]

The marathon in actually the NEXT weekend in 2019. If people are walking it for the marathon on that first weekend of Jan, they will be sorely disappointed.

We are already past the window for first weekend of January. It's reasonable to assume people are walking for the Marathon (which is as you say, the second weekend of January for 2019), and also reasonable to assume some Members plan to arrive a few days prior to the actual events.

OP, my advice is to change your dates if you can.

 

[CarolMN]

.......(snip)........ but in 9 years of membership we have never been shut out at a home resort right at 11 months. Marathons and special events notwithstanding it is getting harder to book standard/value rooms, even for owners........

IMO, there are a lot more small contracts out there now than there ever have been. More and more must stretch their points because they don't have enough to book the more expensive views.

 

[kboo]

We are already past the window for first weekend of January. It's reasonable to assume people are walking for the Marathon (which is as you say, the second weekend of January for 2019), and also reasonable to assume some Members plan to arrive a few days prior to the actual events.

OP, my advice is to change your dates if you can.

BTW, the "only" thing that looks like it's being walked is the standard studio. The LV studio is fully available and is 3 more points per night. I get that for those owners with small contracts, 3 points a night is going to be a lot. But do keep in mind that the only thing this is affecting, even at the 11 mo window for arguably the hardest weekend, is the standard studio (and thus the 2br std lockoff).

 

[bashuck]

Doesn't sound like the cause of this but fixed weeks can remove a room from availability more than the 11 months out right?

 

[supersnoop]

Doesn't sound like the cause of this but fixed weeks can remove a room from availability more than the 11 months out right?

Yes, they can. But fixed weeks can only consume 35% of the room type in any given week, and are only available at AUL, VGF, PVB, and CCV.

 

[CDKG]

The 11 month window opens reservations for a 7 night period, so today Feb 7 you could book your home resort from Jan 7 thru Jan 14. Depending on when reservations started, i.e. Jan2... holes in availability during the week 1/7-14 could happen.

Has it always been a 7-night limit on your booking date? I seem to remember it being longer.

 

[BillPA]

It has been for a long time. You can book up to 30 days, but not right at the 11/7 month mark.

 

[supersnoop]

Has it always been a 7-night limit on your booking date? I seem to remember it being longer.

It used to be 0. I’m pretty sure it’s been 7 for as long as it’s been allowed