I Hate how the 7 mos window works.

[antree]

I went on line yesterday to book and the first day wasn't available, but the rest of the week was. So I go on today at 8 am to book again starting today, the whole is available, GREAT, by the time I click select, the first night is gone again.
So at 9 am I call MS to double check and make sure that the first night isn't available, of course it not. Now this is what I hate, I can't do a split stay at 7 mos out. I decided to book AK for the first night and then I'll book BW for the rest of the week. NOPE you can't do that, your stay has to be at one hotel to book today I can book AK today and call back tomorrow to book BW..My frustration is, if I'm at my 7 month window, and we are allowed 7 months plus 7 days then what"s the difference how I book the reservations... Done ranting

 

[LisaS]

If they allowed this, it would become another form of walking. People would book up nights at a resort they don't want in order to get a head start booking the resort they do want.

This same restriction exists at the 11-month window. If I want to book a split stay 11 months out, I have to wait until the 11-month window opens for the second part of my stay to book those nights.

 

[dwight16]

what were you trying to book? i was on both days poking around 2 bedrooms in all the big resorts today bay lake was open and wilderness resorts away from food and wine.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Can you waitlist the whole stay at the first day you can book, even if the first day isn't available? If so, that's what I would do and just keep trying. If not, then I would waitlist what I can, even if just the first day. It could be that people are just moving their reservations.

Somehow the 29th of December was the hardest for me to book at 11 months for an over NYE stay. After a week,the 29th came in for me.

I hope you can get what you want!

 

[antree]

Aren't people doing that anyway? If the day was available today for someone and they booked it, can't they just cancel it in a few days, if they are walking the reservation? I never understood it, I heard about it but never knew what it meant..LOL.

 

[LoveKermit]

OP--That's just how it works. It sucks, but that's the deal. Wait till someone comes on to say you have to buy where you want to stay.

We had the exact same issue with GCV this year. Lots of availability until the week we could go. If there is no availability on your first day to call, you cannot reserve the rest of the stay and waitlist day one. I think that is right. We did the same thing--we called. He basically said you have to be on the minute reservations open online. That is how fast they go.

We gave up and are staying at GCH on points (fortunately, we had a lot to use). It is frustrating, but you may now need to consider other options. You don't want to waste more time not getting the reservations you absolutely want while also losing out on your Plan B and Plan C.

 

[chalee94]

OP--That's just how it works. It sucks, but that's the deal. Wait till someone comes on to say you have to buy where you want to stay.

honestly, if there's availability around that time, you'll probably get the reservation by waitlisting.

but there is a reason so many of us try to tell new buyers that things are easier if you just "buy where you want to stay" and book early...

 

[antree]

OP--That's just how it works. It sucks, but that's the deal. Wait till someone comes on to say you have to buy where you want to stay.

We had the exact same issue with GCV this year. Lots of availability until the week we could go. If there is no availability on your first day to call, you cannot reserve the rest of the stay and waitlist day one. I think that is right. We did the same thing--we called. He basically said you have to be on the minute reservations open online. That is how fast they go.

We gave up and are staying at GCH on points (fortunately, we had a lot to use). It is frustrating, but you may now need to consider other options. You don't want to waste more time not getting the reservations you absolutely want while also losing out on your Plan B and Plan C.

I already had people say that to me, buy where you want to stay I ignored them.
We had the beginning of Nov planned first, then moved it back a week. I just talked to the kids and I think we will go back to the original date. Some family members are going the first week of Nov. I think I might just move it back to when everyone else is going and just pray for the best, that we can get a room then.
I was looking for a studio.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You're trying for the BW at seven months out for the end of October? That's F&W. And you get further along you run into the end of F&W, Jersey Week (if they still have it), Wine and Dine Half Marathon, Veterans Day. The Epcot resorts are very popular in Oct and Nov. If you really want to stay there at that time, you need to own there.

And if the Flower and Garden Festival picks up, that is going to make March through May harder to get as well.

 

[AmyB2006]

OP--That's just how it works. It sucks, but that's the deal. Wait till someone comes on to say you have to buy where you want to stay.

We had the exact same issue with GCV this year. Lots of availability until the week we could go. If there is no availability on your first day to call, you cannot reserve the rest of the stay and waitlist day one. I think that is right. We did the same thing--we called. He basically said you have to be on the minute reservations open online. That is how fast they go.

We gave up and are staying at GCH on points (fortunately, we had a lot to use). It is frustrating, but you may now need to consider other options. You don't want to waste more time not getting the reservations you absolutely want while also losing out on your Plan B and Plan C.

Very true. I had been watching Wilderness Lodge fill up each day as my 7 month window approached. I was on at 8am on the dot and was able to get it. For fun I tried to go on at like 8:15 and that first night was gone.

Buying where you want to stay is great and all, but I like staying in different places. I am glad we bought at BCV, though, now knowing how busy it gets there.

 

[LisaS]

Aren't people doing that anyway? If the day was available today for someone and they booked it, can't they just cancel it in a few days, if they are walking the reservation? I never understood it, I heard about it but never knew what it meant..LOL.

Yes if the first day was available today, they could book it and cancel later if they are walking a reservation. But the day isn't available so they cannot book it. However, if things worked as you wish they did, they could book SSR for the first night and grab the remaining 6 nights at BWV that are available. That allows a lot more people to walk reservations because they could start walking at any resort that is available for the first night(s), ending up at the resort that they really want, getting the jump on those who don't know about this trick and tying up inventory at another resort.

The reason I don't like walking is because members tie up inventory they have no intention of using, blocking other members who do want those nights. Yes they eventually release them and the other members could put a waitlist in place but the waitlist process can be circumvented as well, making it possible that the member waiting for those nights never gets them.

 

[Brian Noble]

This is how things work in *any* timeshare system---the most popular resorts/times are going to go very very fast, because many more people want rooms than there are rooms available. No matter how you arrange to do reservations, someone is going to get shut out. For something like a BWV studio during Food & Wine, well, it's just down to random chance who hits the "reserve" button first---and that's assuming there are any left after the home resort owners book there.

For example, I'm spending next week at Wyndham's Old Town Alexandria in a 2BR. That's Easter Week, *plus* the very peak of the Cherry Blossom festival. Perhaps only the week including July 4th is more popular. Wyndham opens reservations for non-home-resort owners at 7AM, 10 months in advance. I was on my computer, hitting refresh constantly, at 6:55. By the time I was done booking, in just a few minutes, all of the remaining 2BRs were completely gone.

 

[quinnc19]

Yes, you can do this. If I was the OP I would definitely waitlist the entire stay on day 1 and then change the waitlist to reduce the amount of days I was requesting as I was able (to increase the likelihhod it would be filled).

Can you waitlist the whole stay at the first day you can book, even if the first day isn't available? If so, that's what I would do and just keep trying. If not, then I would waitlist what I can, even if just the first day. It could be that people are just moving their reservations.

Somehow the 29th of December was the hardest for me to book at 11 months for an over NYE stay. After a week,the 29th came in for me.

I hope you can get what you want!

 

[Shellandscott]

I feel for the OP but as said that is how it works. But for everyone that keeps saying Buy where you want to stay. That would be great if Disney will sell it to you. Back in 2004 we had been kicking around this DVC idea. We called them up and said "we want to buy at Beach Club Villas", they say. " I am sorry but that resort is sold out already you can no longer buy at that resort, but we have a resort we are building if you want to buy DVC you will have to buy there" I even asked what if someone who owns there wanted to add points to which she told us. Oh if you own at a resort already you can waitlist if points come available you can buy them. I asked can we waitlist and they said No only current owners can do that. This is why in early 2009 we bought a small amount of BLT points because we wanted to have the option to add more later if needed.

Come 2010 or 2011 we find out ANYONE can waitlist for a resort. Had we been told the truth we would own where we want instead of SSR.

Thank you for your time and listening to my little rant.

 

[TifffanyD]

Ugh all I can say is good luck to you.

I have been trackin VGC for awhile and have seen this same thing happening so a couple of days ago I got on right at 8am and grabbed a week. I am being a jerk and walking it but there are no other DVC resorts there so I felt like it was my only shot!

I did buy where I want to stay but this is a one-off trip and we are trying to save funds by using various travel points.

Good luck!

 

[AmyB2006]

I feel for the OP but as said that is how it works. But for everyone that keeps saying Buy where you want to stay. That would be great if Disney will sell it to you. Back in 2004 we had been kicking around this DVC idea. We called them up and said "we want to buy at Beach Club Villas", they say. " I am sorry but that resort is sold out already you can no longer buy at that resort, but we have a resort we are building if you want to buy DVC you will have to buy there" I even asked what if someone who owns there wanted to add points to which she told us. Oh if you own at a resort already you can waitlist if points come available you can buy them. I asked can we waitlist and they said No only current owners can do that. This is why in early 2009 we bought a small amount of BLT points because we wanted to have the option to add more later if needed.

Come 2010 or 2011 we find out ANYONE can waitlist for a resort. Had we been told the truth we would own where we want instead of SSR.

Thank you for your time and listening to my little rant.

That's very interesting. We didn't buy until December 2011, and practically every resort was available as a resale through Disney. They offered up all of them so I thought that's what was normally done. The price per point was different at each resort and so was the time left obviously. We were able to buy BCV at that time.

Now, when we talk to a guide they tell us the only thing available is AKV or Aulani. BUT they also say talk to your Rep and tell them what you want and then when it's available they'll contact you.

I wonder why in December when we bought there were so many available?

 

[lucyem]

That's very interesting. We didn't buy until December 2011, and practically every resort was available as a resale through Disney. They offered up all of them so I thought that's what was normally done. The price per point was different at each resort and so was the time left obviously. We were able to buy BCV at that time.

Now, when we talk to a guide they tell us the only thing available is AKV or Aulani. BUT they also say talk to your Rep and tell them what you want and then when it's available they'll contact you.

I wonder why in December when we bought there were so many available?

When we took our first tour i complained about akl & blt as being too dark and too modern respectively. I am sure i drove the guide a little crazy. I was very vocal and critical. It was a good hour + before he brought up that we might be able to buy sold out resorts. He had to check and make a phone call and ask. Guess he finally figured out there was no way i would buy akl or blt. We went home, went on the disboards and happily bought BCV resale elsewhere for quite a bit less. But had i not been that critical my guess is he would have avoided even mentioning we could buy other resorts other then the ones they were selling new. So it does not surprise me the other poster was never told.

 

[Shellandscott]

That rep as left, from what I have been told from other people - reps get a different commission on the promo resort. Back then they may not have made much if anything off a BCV sale. I think Disney has seen an opportunity to make money by purchasing resale for less $ and sell it again for much more money. So the out look on those "old" resorts is different now then it was in 2004. And yes in the spring of 2012 we called about buying at VGC and our new rep gave us the price and said none were available now but we could go on the waitlist. We chose not to since we will only go out there every few years and we have been lucky so far for our needs for CA.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When we bought in 1997 we bought OKW. We could have bought BWV, VB, HHI or OKW. We liked OKW the best. A few years later we wanted to get more OKW points, but our guide said they didn't have any available. I don't think they were selling VWL yet at that point. We wound up getting a resale contract. And shortly thereafter, they tore down the Commorodore House at OKW and built Bldg 62, 63 and 64. And we bought more OKW points direct.

So, for some of the earlier years, I don't think they had much inventory for the older resorts as they hadn't started purchasing back contracts much then.

 

[sgtpet]

I hate to say it but this is why they tell you to buy where you want to stay. With so many DVC's it will always be more challenging to get reservations at certain locations at the seven month window.