Hype about Availability?

[LiloH]

So, maybe I have gotten extremely lucky but....

In April I decided I wanted to go to WDW for my anniversary the first week of June. I called up and got a one-bedroom boardwalk view (my first choice) for all the days I needed it.

Someone wants to rent a small amount of points for one night at VWL in January in a studio. I make reservation at six month mark with no problem.

My sister decides last week she wants to go to WDW for HER anniversary on MY points so I call for a room at the Beach Club in September thinking there is no way... And I get it. No wait list, no fuss.

I know certainly not everyone is as lucky and maybe I have incredible luck right now, but... is this normal? Do availability problems get over-hyped on these boards?

Oh, another example, I called last July to see about an Old Key West Grand Villa the week before Christmas and every day but one was available. Isn't that supposed to be impossible to maneuver?

I am confused. I had this idea I'd have to be calling at 8:59 am on eleven months to the day I wanted a room somewhere and that has totally not been the case. Maybe I should start buying lottery tickets or something?

 

[jarestel]

First week of June, January, and September aren't particularly busy DVC times, so I'm not surprised you had no problems booking. Most of the times when it's recommended you book as soon as possible are for Christmas, F&W at the Epcot resorts, Easter, school vacations, etc... If you're flexible, you can usually find something even at busy times. Never tried to book a GV, so I don't know about that. It's great that you haven't even had to waitlist for anything yet, but as DVC grows over the next few years, don't be surprised if your booking luck changes a bit!

 

[CarolMN]

Don't buy the lottery tickets just yet, LOL!

The first week of June, January and September are among the easiest times of the year to book the WDW DVC resorts. I am not at all surprised that you were able to book those on relatively short notice. THat is often the case for those times.

I'm a little surprised to hear about the Boardwalk view and the Grand Villa. However, even though you were able to book those, I would never count on getting a Boardwalk view or weeknights in a Grand Villa without the 11 month window. Is it possible? Yes, of course. Probable? NOT!

IMHO, the more difficult times/rooms to book include:

Standard views and to a slighlty lesser extent, guaranteed Boardwalk views at BWV (anytime)

Weeknights in Grand Villas (anytime)

Time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day (all WDW resorts)

Easter - week before and week after (all resorts)

Food & Wine festival time at the EPCOT resorts (BCV & BWV)

Summer at HHI

I'm not familar enough with VB to suggest the more difficult times to book there. If I had to guess, I would say Spring - Summer.

Best wishes -

 

[CRobin]

Three things get you a successsful ressie....

1). Luck (waitlist luck, somebody else's bad luck having to cancel out, etc.)

2). Time of the year. DVC high (and low) seasons don't always track Disney's.

3). Travel flexibility.

I have been pretty lucky in the past as well, generally booking studios in slow periods. But I am now trying to get a studio for 2 nites in early December and was told yesterday by MS that only one night is available, in total, at all of the resorts combined.

So, I'm praying for #1. #3 is out because this is on the tail end of a cruise.

 

[Pa@okw95]

I hate to burst your bubble but the times you mentioned, Jan, 1st week in June and September are the least popular times for DVC. It is difficult to get people other than members to go the week before Christmas which could account for the GV being available. All of Jan and the first week in Feb, all of May through the 2nd week of June, all of September are great times to get whatever you want at DVC. Don't take up gambling and buying those lottery tickets just yet.

 

[Patty3]

I have to disagree with the month of May being easy to get at the BCV. I made our ressies at the 11th month mark and did not get my requests or even the room type that I had reserved. I reserved a two bedroom unit with the second bedroom having two beds, instead I got a sleeper instead of the second bed. I was told sorry, this is all we have available and we are booked solid. We were there from the 15 to the 22, I was told that May used to be a slow month but not any more. The flower show and their was another special event at this time made the parks very crowded.

 

[chainkid]

You can always get lucky but if it means having to move during your stay because one night didn't come through you will know what we mean by booking day to day at certain times of the year. I just checked my reservation for this Friday at the BWV and asked if the boardwalk view is available for my studio and I got lucky and it was. when I booked several months ago it wasn't available. Pixie dust for you and me but I know I'll be disappointed once in awhile especially the more DVC grows.

 

[Pa@okw95]

The exception to all rules here is the BWV with its view situation. This is true with this subject and calling day by day. I guess there are rooms at BWV in spite of being the same size are charged different points according to the view. That is not the case anywhere else at DVC. Maybe they should have less points for the dreaded dumpster view at WLV but they don't.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Patty3
I have to disagree with the month of May being easy to get at the BCV. I made our ressies at the 11th month mark and did not get my requests or even the room type that I had reserved. I reserved a two bedroom unit with the second bedroom having two beds, instead I got a sleeper instead of the second bed.

All of the items you list are "Requests", not "Guarantees." They are noted on your reservation and the room assigner is supposed to take your requests into account (as best possible) when handing out the rooms.

At 11 months, the only thing guaranteed about your reservation was BCV 2B.

Several days before your arrival, you are actually assigned to a physical room. Unless requests are made for medical reasons (first floor, non-smoking), you have the same odds of having your requests fulfilled as someone who booked two weeks before arrival.

In other words, if there were only ten 2Bs vacated on the day of your arrival, the room assigner will do his/her best to match your requests with one of those vacant rooms. But there is no guarantee of success.

 

[InstImpres]

I had the opposite luck...

Called for BCV, BWV (any view) or VWL studio Aug 1- 5, not one night available at any of those.

Called for HH Aug 12 & 13., could get only one night

I know I am within 60 days but usually there is something somewhere but I am not necessarily surprised...guess my point is be happy with what you have but don't bet on it to always be the case. (I think especially with the SS people using the 7 month window it's going to be harder to go elsewhere as that resort sells out).

JMHO
Sandy

 

[Patty3]

tjkraz, I was under the impression that when you booked a two bedroom unit and reserved it with two beds in the second bedroom that you would receive this accomodation and not a sofa bed in the second bedroom. This was not the case for me. Also, I have read many folks post that this is the accomodation they are getting as this is what was reserved. Are we all mistaken about this, again, I know that it did not work for me. You are really enlightening me. I thought that if I booked my ressie at the 11 month and another booked at 1 month ahead and we both requested the same things, I would get my requests met before them because I booked before them. I even had a CM at MS tell me this was so. So you are saying that this is not really the case???? Thanks.

 

[mickeymouse710]

I have not had luck in Sept for BWV/BCV a couple of times in past years. Especially for the days surrounding the big pin event at Epcot.
We have never gotten lucky with a villa at VWL in Dec.
We have been on a waitlist for a standard and bw view at BWV quite a few times when nothing has come through; we have currently been on a waitlist for a standard view (Sept) and boardwalk view (Nov), for the last 5 months and still nothing is available.
From our past experiences, I would say you got lucky, even for slower DVC booking periods.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Patty3
I thought that if I booked my ressie at the 11 month and another booked at 1 month ahead and we both requested the same things, I would get my requests met before them because I booked before them. I even had a CM at MS tell me this was so.

Unfortunately that's not true. Like I said, several days (I've read 4 days) before your scheduled check-in, all of the pending reservations are dumped to the resort. This is the first time that room numbers are attached to individual reservations.

If you were checking in on the 12th, the computers would pull up an inventory of all of the rooms that are vacant on that date--either because they weren't occupied the night before or because someone else checked-out on the 12th. From that pool of available rooms, one will be assigned to your reservation. If you requested 4th floor and none of the rooms on the 4th floor are coming vacant that day, you're simply not going to get it.

Most of the vets here recommend limiting your requests to just what is very important to you. Let's say you give MS a list that looks something like this:

Non Smoking
Non Handicapped
Close to elevator
4th Floor
Epcot View

That's quite a list. If the room assigner can't find you an exact match, which is likely to be the case, he/she may just throw in the proverbial towel and give you whatever room is left after satisfying the guests with shorter lists.

The second bedroom issue is a little less clear. I've read on these boards and been told myself that for Saratoga Springs, the Lockoff / Dedicated 2B room is guaranteed at the time of reservation. I have a 2B reserved for December, and was told at the time of booking that it will be a dedicated 2B with two queens in the second bedroom. I've seen posts from others here who were told the same thing. And, in all honesty, I'll believe it when I see it (with regard to the room we get at SSR.)

I may be mistaken, but I've never read such a claim at BCV. The posts that I have read indicate that "some" of the 2Bs at BCV have two beds in the 2nd bedroom, but I didn't think they were guaranteed at time of booking.

Hope this helps.

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by tjkraz
I may be mistaken, but I've never read such a claim at BCV. The posts that I have read indicate that "some" of the 2Bs at BCV have two beds in the 2nd bedroom, but I didn't think they were guaranteed at time of booking..

BCV has 25 rooms that have 2 queens in the second bedroom. They are booked as there own room category and the confirmation should read "Dedicated, 2 Queens"

Sandy

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by InstImpres
BCV has 25 rooms that have 2 queens in the second bedroom. They are booked as there own room category and the confirmation should read "Dedicated, 2 Queens"

Sandy

Thanks for the correction, Sandy!

 

[Sammie]

I think the problem at the BCV is Member Services is booking them at the time of the reservations as a 2 bedroom dedicated with 2 queens, but the room assignment team at the BC or the front desk is not following through.

I have to wonder if you book this category at the time you make your reservation and then you don't get it, did someone check in before you and pitch a fit when they found out they did not have the 2 queens and your room was given to them.

As stated there are only 25 of these rooms at the BCV and Member Services can tell you at the time you book your reservation if one is available. You can even wait list for this type of room.

SSR, OKW and VWL, dedicated 2 bedrooms all have the 2 queens so this does make it easier to get one. Book a dedicated 2 bedroom there and you automatically get the 2 queen beds.

 

[Beth]

I think we saw this in the past when other DVC resorts first opened...

It's possible that many people are making reservations at SSR this year - to give it a try - so that "could" be an explanation as to why you've been able to get so lucky...

... That coupled with the fact that I agree with the others - these times aren't, traditionally, that busy.

We've also had very good luck with last-minute reservations over the years...