How should I book this??

[cfw213]

Hi all - got back from my first DVC stay less than a week ago and I'm already thinking about my next one!!

Next October I am going with my parents, sister, sisters BF and my DH. Not sure where we are staying yet but I plan to book at SSR in November and swap out if we decide not to stay there.

Anyway, it's kind of complicated because everyone is coming/going different dates. We would rather not do a split stay or change rooms. I am confused on how to book it so we don't end up with 3 or 4 different reservations!

The first 5 nights will be my sister, my parents and I. We would like a one bedroom (October 26-31st).

On October 29th, DH and sisters BF will arrive and stay until Nov 3. We would like them to join my sister and I in the one bedroom, and give my parents their own studio. My sister and I would like to stay in the same one bedroom.

To recap, my sister and I would like a one bedroom for 8 nights. After the first 3 nights, we want to swap our our parents for DH and BF.

Any help?? I don't know if I would have to book a one bedroom from 26-29th with my parents, then a one bedroom from the 29th-3rd with the men, plus an additional studio on the 29th and 30th.
Additionally, I would love if the studio connected to the one bedroom on the two nights my parents and the men overlap.

Hopefully someone can follow my rambling and help me out!!

 

[RobDoc]

Hi all - got back from my first DVC stay less than a week ago and I'm already thinking about my next one!!

Next October I am going with my parents, sister, sisters BF and my DH. Not sure where we are staying yet but I plan to book at SSR in November and swap out if we decide not to stay there.

Anyway, it's kind of complicated because everyone is coming/going different dates. We would rather not do a split stay or change rooms. I am confused on how to book it so we don't end up with 3 or 4 different reservations!

The first 5 nights will be my sister, my parents and I. We would like a one bedroom (October 26-31st).

On October 29th, DH and sisters BF will arrive and stay until Nov 3. We would like them to join my sister and I in the one bedroom, and give my parents their own studio. My sister and I would like to stay in the same one bedroom.

To recap, my sister and I would like a one bedroom for 8 nights. After the first 3 nights, we want to swap our our parents for DH and BF.

Any help?? I don't know if I would have to book a one bedroom from 26-29th with my parents, then a one bedroom from the 29th-3rd with the men, plus an additional studio on the 29th and 30th.
Additionally, I would love if the studio connected to the one bedroom on the two nights my parents and the men overlap.

Hopefully someone can follow my rambling and help me out!!

The way we have done this in the past would be to reserve a 1BR from 10/26 - 10/29, a lockoff 2BR from 10/29 - 10/31 and a 1BR from 10/31 - 11/3. (Hopefully you are NOT wanting these dates in 2012 though )

You would need to make it clear to the MS rep that you want to stay in the 1BR for the entire stay and not need to move and reiterate that at arrival at the resort since it is a request and not guaranteed. By reserving the lock-off 2BR (do not reserve a dedicated 2BR), you will have the best chance to stay in the same 1BR the entire time and the points would be a little lower than a 1BR and Studio. We have done this several times without issue.

Alternatively, you could reserve a 1BR from 10/26 - 11/3 and a Studio from 10/29 - 10/31 and request the villas be near each other. This way you would be guaranteed to stay in the same 1BR and your parents would still be someplace nearby (maybe same floor, maybe next door, maybe across the hall, maybe another building). This would cost a few more points, but you'd be guaranteed staying in the same 1BR the entire stay. There is a chance that with the first option above, you could need to move twice so this may be the best option afterall.

Good luck!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

It's too bad your larger group isn't with you for the first part of your trip rather than the second part. If you book a lock-off two-bedroom, it's possible to work it out with the front desk to stay in the one-bedroom part when you go from the two-bedroom reservation to the one-bedroom reservation. It's still two reservations, but there's an excellent chance you'll get to stay in the same room.

With your situation, where you'll start with the one-bedroom, then want to add a studio, there's less chance (unless a big ol' heap of pixie dust falls on you) that they'll be able to add the connecting studio to your existing one-bedroom and not have to move you. (It doesn't hurt to ask when you check in, and again when you get to your change day, but don't set your expectations too high that it will happen.)

If it were me, I'd deal with probably having to move and just book the lock-off two-bedroom for the last part of the trip. Doing this will ensure everyone will be in the same room. Even if you did have to move, it would probably prove to be the lesser of the two evils of potentially having the other group's studio on another floor or possibly even in a different building.

If you're really that set on not moving, you have several options. Neither one is perfect.

The first would be to book the original group of four in the one-bedroom for the whole duration of the trip. Put the two ladies who will be joining you on the Studio reservation. If people don't sleep in the actual room they're reserved under, no big deal. (Unless you're doing dining plans, want to set up room charging, or want to try putting park tickets on your room key. This plan may be tricky in those cases.)

The other option, which is probably not very attractive because it costs more points, is to have three separate reservations. One for the one-bedroom for the first part of your trip. A second one-bedroom reservation for the second part of your trip with the different names. Link these two reservations so you won't have to change rooms. You will need to check out and back in, though. The third reservation is for the studio. This option will use more points, because a one-bedroom plus a studio is more points than a two-bedroom. You really, really have to hate moving to go with this option.

However you book it, ask Member Services to mark all your reservations as "travelling with." This is a designation in the system that tells the room planner/front desk to try to put the rooms near each other.

 

[cfw213]

The way we have done this in the past would be to reserve a 1BR from 10/26 - 10/29, a lockoff 2BR from 10/29 - 10/31 and a 1BR from 10/31 - 11/3. (Hopefully you are NOT wanting these dates in 2012 though )

You would need to make it clear to the MS rep that you want to stay in the 1BR for the entire stay and not need to move and reiterate that at arrival at the resort since it is a request and not guaranteed. By reserving the lock-off 2BR (do not reserve a dedicated 2BR), you will have the best chance to stay in the same 1BR the entire time and the points would be a little lower than a 1BR and Studio. We have done this several times without issue.

Alternatively, you could reserve a 1BR from 10/26 - 11/3 and a Studio from 10/29 - 10/31 and request the villas be near each other. This way you would be guaranteed to stay in the same 1BR and your parents would still be someplace nearby (maybe same floor, maybe next door, maybe across the hall, maybe another building). This would cost a few more points, but you'd be guaranteed staying in the same 1BR the entire stay. There is a chance that with the first option above, you could need to move twice so this may be the best option afterall.

Good luck!

I like this option - Its more important to me that we don't have to move resorts rather than my parents being close by. I'll have to think about r a little more. Thanks!