How often do people cancel?

[klangl6]

We booked a stay at Saratoga Springs through my friend who has DVC points this October. While I am totally fine with this resort, I have always wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge or Contemporary. As of now, there is no availability for a studio in either resort. So, my question is how often do y'all see DVC reservation cancellations???

 

[southerngirl528]

Members cancel and/or change their plans a LOT. Most of we longtime members will make a rez more than 7 months out if we are even seriously thinking about going at that time, just so we have the rez there and ready. As the months go by, and plans solidify or fall apart, reservations get cancelled or changed for other dates/locations.

I suggest your member friend waitlist. Caveat: October is not far away AND it's Food & Wine Festival which is wildly popular, as well as MNSSHP.

 

[dvcdisney]

If you mean, changing to a new resort if it become available, as you would like to do, then I think quite a lot. This happens often when people book their home resort at 11 mths and change it to another resort they may prefer at 7 mths when they are able to book a non-home resort.

But if you mean, just cancel and not replace it, then I don't know. I'm in constant borrowing mode, so if I cancel, my points would remain in the use year it was borrowed and it's less likely I would be able to use them, so I'm careful. Using current points would be easier to deal with when cancelling as long as it's not past the penalty stage.

 

[klangl6]

If you mean, changing to a new resort if it become available, as you would like to do, then I think quite a lot. This happens often when people book their home resort at 11 mths and change it to another resort they may prefer at 7 mths when they are able to book a non-home resort.

But if you mean, just cancel and not replace it, then I don't know. I'm in constant borrowing mode, so if I cancel, my points would remain in the use year it was borrowed and it's less likely I would be able to use them, so I'm careful. Using current points would be easier to deal with when cancelling as long as it's not past the penalty stage.

I do mean changing to a new resort. I guess we'll just have to keep checking. Thanks!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Your friend should waitlist. I think there's little chance of a multi-day stretch lurking at this point, as many owners will have had waitlists in for months, though.

 

[southerngirl528]

I suggest your member friend waitlist.

Your friend should waitlist.

Yes. Yes. And I agree that the odds are not great, but hey! You never know until you try!

 

[zavandor]

DVC has very generous cancellation policies. I own another timeshare which charges 100€ (~$120) for cancelling a reservation. I bet DVC cancel way more often.

 

[crisi]

I don't think they cancel as often as people on the waitlist would like - and the waitlist for studios at those resorts has been active for months - those resorts all booked full by mid-Spring.

 

[kristenrice]

I don't think they cancel as often as people on the waitlist would like - and the waitlist for studios at those resorts has been active for months - those resorts all booked full by mid-Spring.

I've been wait listed for 3 nights at OKW (studio near HH) since 8am of my 7-month window for our October trip. I highly doubt it will come through, but since we were able to get a non-HH studio, I have nothing to lose by holding on to the waitlist.

To the OP, there are no studios available anywhere in October except for maybe one, random night at one resort. In order for a studio waitlist to fill, you have to be at the top of the list AND someone has to cancel all of the nights you need AND nobody stalking the availability tracker can notice that they popped up. So basically, buy a Powerball ticket...you'll have better odds.

 

[peabody58]

For our upcoming Jan '19 vacation, we originally booked at home resort, got 2 waitlists filled and just this week changed the resv/resort hopefully for the last time. Our cancelled reservations (BLT-SV) never made it to the On-line booking, went straight to someone's waitlist. I recommend waitlisting, we are 4/4 with our requests.

 

[DenLo]

For our upcoming Jan '19 vacation, we originally booked at home resort, got 2 waitlists filled and just this week changed the resv/resort hopefully for the last time. Our cancelled reservations (BLT-SV) never made it to the On-line booking, went straight to someone's waitlist. I recommend waitlisting, we are 4/4 with our requests.

It really matters on the time period. I think some movement occurs during October but not as much as there used to be as so many members are finding they have to book at the 11 month mark just to get a room for Food and Wine. But it is definitely worth a try.

 

[bnk1120]

I would waitlist, but also stalk the website checking for availability.

 

[crisi]

It really matters on the time period. I think some movement occurs during October but not as much as there used to be as so many members are finding they have to book at the 11 month mark just to get a room for Food and Wine. But it is definitely worth a try.

Yep, the difference between a waitlist opening up (for anything other than the right around the first or marathon weekend) in June for a January reservation and a reservation opening up in June for an October reservation is the difference between discovering there are Hamilton tickets unsold for tonight on Broadway and being able to get into your high schools production of Into the Woods on short notice.