I Can't belive it...Has this happened to you too?

[MarylandPizzaman]

We tried to book other than our home resort (BWV) at the seven months out window and there were no studio rooms available for us?
I tried and tried different dates, The only one available was Saratoga and
I was even told to get my entire week I would have to pay cash for one of the nights.
Are there getting to be too many members vs rooms?
Please give me your thoughts and experiences....

 

[DOUGLAS ADDEO]

We tried to book other than our home resort (BWV) at the seven months out window and there were no studio rooms available for us?
I tried and tried different dates, The only one available was Saratoga and
I was even told to get my entire week I would have to pay cash for one of the nights.
Are there getting to be too many members vs rooms?
Please give me your thoughts and experiences....

It seems that there is a higher demand for studios than 1 or 2 bedrooms. also if you are booking in peak time home resort people probably do their bookings 11 months out.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

We tried to book other than our home resort (BWV) at the seven months out window and there were no studio rooms available for us?
I tried and tried different dates, The only one available was Saratoga and
I was even told to get my entire week I would have to pay cash for one of the nights.
Are there getting to be too many members vs rooms?
Please give me your thoughts and experiences....

that is why if you know what you when you want to go, always book at the 11 month, then at 7, waitlist, and it will probably come through. This way you always have a place, just maybe not your first choice

 

[Nikki_Mouse]

I am waitlisted for a 2 bedroom so it is not just studios!

 

[jodifla]

What dates are you trying to go?


I booked MLK week with no problem for a 2 bedroom on Tuesday

 

[MarylandPizzaman]

What dates are you trying to go?


I booked MLK week with no problem for a 2 bedroom on Tuesday

I was trying the first two weeks in January.
There was only Saratoga available, I guess I could have taken saratoga and waitlisted for onother resort...

 

[Lesley]

There is no guarantee of availability of accomodations at non-home resorts. This is why everyone here repeats the phrase "buy where you want to stay" over and over to potential members.

Timeshares are regulated to the point that there can't be more points available than rooms....it could be that everyone has their home resort booked up, which is perfectly fair within the terms of our contracts. Hmmm...makes me think that maybe I need to go ahead and book our home resort for next year's trip just in case.

While I've never personally had a problem getting a room at 7 months (and often even with less notice), we generally travel in the off season and I know my likelihood of certain reservations are slim (ie. a HH studio in the summer) whereas others are more likely to come through (OKW and SSR at most times because of their size). I have waitlisted at least once and it did come through.

 

[Chuck S]

Aren't there still some developers pointss out there that have to be used up? That is probably contributing to the problem this year.

 

[brianm27]

The WDW marathon is the weekend of 1/8. It is usually a very hard to get accomodations that weekend.

 

[Sy-]

There is no guarantee of availability of accomodations at non-home resorts.

So does this mean that there IS a guarantee of availability of accomodations at home resorts?

 

[jana]

Where were you trying to stay? VWL only has about 130 DVC rooms and BCV 170. A lot of members that bought those resorts 8-10 years ago when their kids were 8,9 10 yrs old , now like to travel in January. Particularly those from the chilly north. Kids are at college so don't need to worry about them, Florida's MUCH warmer than NY/Boson etc, VERY cheap points cost, Xmas decorations are still up and WDW looks beautiful and almost no crowds. You get a lot of members staying Dec 1-15 for the same reason. As the ages of the members children (and grandkids) changes you'll see swings like this in the "busy and non busy" times, because so many of us have kids of similar ages when we bought into DVC many of our families will be hitting college, going into the work place and starting their own families at similar times.

Have to agree with Claribelle, if you know you're going at that time (8-9 months out) book your home resort and then try to switch 7 months out. Worst case scenario is you get your desired room size but at your home resort.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Thats why when I talk to people about DVC I really Stress for them to buy where they want to stay. It is going to get harder and harder to get what you want at the 7 month window.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

No there is not a gaurantee but your chances are much better though.

So does this mean that there IS a guarantee of availability of accomodations at home resorts?

 

[dnoyes]

Aren't there still some developers pointss out there that have to be used up? That is probably contributing to the problem this year.

That's what I was thinking, I have 200 to use by next May so we're going in December just to use them up.

 

[MarylandPizzaman]

Where were you trying to stay? VWL only has about 130 DVC rooms and BCV 170. A lot of members that bought those resorts 8-10 years ago when their kids were 8,9 10 yrs old , now like to travel in January. Particularly those from the chilly north. Kids are at college so don't need to worry about them, Florida's MUCH warmer than NY/Boson etc, VERY cheap points cost, Xmas decorations are still up and WDW looks beautiful and almost no crowds. You get a lot of members staying Dec 1-15 for the same reason. As the ages of the members children (and grandkids) changes you'll see swings like this in the "busy and non busy" times, because so many of us have kids of similar ages when we bought into DVC many of our families will be hitting college, going into the work place and starting their own families at similar times.

Have to agree with Claribelle, if you know you're going at that time (8-9 months out) book your home resort and then try to switch 7 months out. Worst case scenario is you get your desired room size but at your home resort.

I was trying for any DVC resort....

 

[Lesley]

There isn't a guarantee that you'll get what you want, when you want at your home resort either....but no one can book before the 11 month mark so everyone is on "even footing" so to speak. Plus, the rooms available on points over any given year are equal to the number of points that are out there. If any season becomes suddenly much more popular than another they can adjust the charts. I haven't seen this happen in the 8 years I've been a member, but it could happen.

It seems to me that any time we're seeing one particular time becoming difficult to get anywhere it means that another time has become easier to get....barring flukes where a majority of members decided not to travel in a particular year and banked all their points, then all went to use double points in the following year....but then it would mean that one year would be super easy to book and the next would be rather difficult.

 

[mickeywho?]

It really is the time that you are looking for. With new year's /marathon/MLK weekend the first couple of weeks are pretty busy. I called yesterday at 9am for our "7 month switcheroo" - for the last week of january we had our choice of resorts for a 2 bedroom. We chose BCV and didn't have to waitlist any days.

 

[TDC Nala]

I usually take OKW because that's the first thing that comes up with availability (right now I am starting with lowest points and working up, which means I ask for AK Value, AK Standard, then OKW - AK Standard and OKW seem to be the same point amounts).

My home resorts take more points than I am willing to part with right now.

 

[hlyntunstl]

I asked about the limited availability when I booked by October trip and was told that the rooms that go the fastest are studios and 2BR. MS said a lot of people want the 2BR and, if they get a lock off, that also takes a studio out of the mix. She said 1BRs are the easiest to book and there were still plenty left (which was confirmed when I changed my Oct ressie to 1BR two weeks later with no problem).

I had the same no availability issue several years ago trying to book for early December and ended up staying at AKL pre-villas for a lot of points. I was just lucky that I had enough to splurge.

 

[alldiz]

I think with all the developer points they are giving out....this is the result.
Kerri