I really wish that DVC had more inventory!

[Claudia1]

Once again, I am waitlisted for DVC, unable to get a villa on points for my entire trip when CRO still has the same villa ready to rent in their inventory.

Please let me state that I don't want to start a nasty thread. I love DVC and understand the issues. I just feel the need to vent with other DVCers that understand.

I called at 10 months for Christmas at BWV (my home resort) and was not able to get 12/30 and 12/31. We had not planned on a Christmas trip but DS's marching band is going and we want to stay at a DCV property (any property, not just BWV). I have 12/28 & 29 and also have 2 waitlists: one for the last 2 nights at BWV and the other for the entire 4 nights at all the other resorts. I have been on the waitlists since April.

In an act of desparation, I called CRO to see if I could get the last 2 nights at BWV on cash. The did not have them but they did have OKW and Saratoga if I wanted to pay $475/night for a studio. Oh, how I wish those cash nights could have been in DVC's inventory!

We will not have time in our schedule to move after 2 nights, so I have a 4-night cash ressie at Coronado Springs as back-up. I can put my points in holding and will definitely use them within a year.

OK, my vent is over. Back to pixie dust and crossing my fingers for my waitlists!

 

[GEB@okw]

The only way for there to be more DVC inventory is for people to buy more points therefore only increasing pressure for those high season reservations. Not sure that would help you any. I have been in the waitlist since February for a BWV studio for December 30 and 31 so I still do not think any rooms would be available if DVC sold more points. You might want to post the time and room size you want on the Dis rent/trade board. Maybe one of those big "Commercial" "high profit" point dealers (Not sure who, what, where they are but they are making big changes to protect us from them as I have been unable to rent any room for those two nights) will rent you a reservation they booked at the 11 month window. You could then rent your points to pay for it. The $475 a night sure makes me glad I have my DVC!!!!

 

[disneynutz]

Did you check developer inventory with MS. You can pay cash at a discount. We were short one night in the middle of our last stay. Wait list never came through so I paid for a night through MS. Good luck.

 

[dianeschlicht]

How long ago did you go on the waitlist for your nights? Was it right at the 10 month window when you booked? If so, I think you will have success on the waitlist as long as you keep your waitlist general. I would probably request ANY DVC resort for those nights. The problem is, if you are not yet on the waitlist, you might be too late for that too. Additional inventory in DVC would not really help you, since the inventory you are seeing at CRO is not DVC inventory. You might also want to call MS again and check on your waitlist status, since the waitlist process has changed a bit in that time.

 

[castleri]

Don't give up on your waitlist- since you will take any resort for the whole 4 nights I think you have a good chance. I booked last year for a 2 BR for the 31st-Jan 4 and then waitlisted at about 4 months out for a 1 BR or studio at any resort when part of the group decided to only stay the 24th-29th. I got all my nights at SSR and will be using those saved points for part of my Sept trip this year. Since the waitlist was not an automatic one I even turned down one night at BWV as I did not want to change yet again if the others did not come through. With some SSR rooms not declared into inventory yet and maybe some AKV ones that will come available I think there will be a waitlists coming through for that time frame. You might want to double check your waitlist status though just to be certain it is the way you requested it be set up. I did that just once and there was an error on it which they corrected. Good luck

 

[Granny]

In an act of desparation, I called CRO to see if I could get the last 2 nights at BWV on cash. The did not have them but they did have OKW and Saratoga if I wanted to pay $475/night for a studio. Oh, how I wish those cash nights could have been in DVC's inventory!

I'm afraid there's a hole in your wishing logic. The only way for there to be more "DVC inventory" is if they would have sold more points at those resorts. So really, the cash rooms that Disney retains don't have much impact on member availability.

If you called at 10 months, there was probably already a waitlist for the dates you describe. If they had made more points available for member sales, there probably still would have been a waitlist, just maybe a bit shorter.

I really hope your waitlist request comes through. I just wanted you to know that the issue really has little to do with the inventory that Disney retains. It has to do with how quickly all DVC rooms book up for some key weeks of the year. December 31 has often been cited as the single most requested night for DVC bookings.

Best wishes on getting your requested dates!

 

[spiceycat]

December 31 has often been cited as the single most requested night for DVC bookings.

in that case DVC needs to redo the lottery. they had it for years - but never enough members wanted Christmas week Dec 24-Jan1 - to make it work.

if they do now - they really to reinstate it.

of course it would not help with bad planning. because it requires you to get on the list for 2 years not just 11 months before hand.

so see it could be worst. there could be no change at all.

I know you probably won't consider it - but I would go with Pop Century for those 2 nights. first you are a heck of lot closer to WWoS - plus it is a fun resort.

 

[crisi]

I'm afraid there's a hole in your wishing logic. The only way for there to be more "DVC inventory" is if they would have sold more points at those resorts. So really, the cash rooms that Disney retains don't have much impact on member availability.

There is another way....they could have sold points to operate at a lower occupancy - so that at any given time they expected only to have 80% of the rooms full instead of the reported 95%. However, at popular times like New Years that buffer would fill quickly - maybe there would have been something at 10 months, but not by nine. This would have made the whole program, from purchase to dues, more expensive.

 

[spiceycat]

There is another way....they could have sold points to operate at a lower occupancy - so that at any given time they expected only to have 80% of the rooms full instead of the reported 95%.

this is Disney - they expect there resorts to be at 99%.

even the WDW resorts are surpose to be at 95% if not 100% most of the time.

why do you think we got AKL - it couldn't make those numbers.

 

[Albytaps]

This thread makes me not want to invest in the DVC anymore. I can see why a lot of people think time shares are a scam. If your home is the BWV and you try booking 10 months ahead of time and they can't accomodate you, what is the point to buying into a specific place like BWV?

My wife and I have been hesitant to become members but we really want to. But after seeing how it works and a post like this, it really seems like Disney will bend you over at will...actually there's no surprise there. They are all about making money anyway but I though maybe there was more to it.

We wanted BWV or WLV but since they're so expensive, if anything we'll probably go with AKV since they're pushing it so much, maybe we'll be able to get a deal. But I have a feeling they're pushing it so much because no one wants to buy in there for some reason....maybe the animals stink up the place?

Sorry for the negative post, it's just very disheartening to hear a post like this. BWV owner can't even reserve almost a year ahead of time? That's BS. What do you have to reserve 2 years in advance?

 

[crisi]

this is Disney - they expect there resorts to be at 99%.

even the WDW resorts are surpose to be at 95% if not 100% most of the time.

why do you think we got AKL - it couldn't make those numbers.

If so, they are doing a lousy job. They have great numbers for the hotel industry, but their annual report puts resort occupancy at more around 80% than 100%.

 

[NemoMOm]

Hang in there and don't give up hope. We just go our waitlist

 

[JimMIA]

If your home is the BWV and you try booking 10 months ahead of time and they can't accomodate you, what is the point to buying into a specific place like BWV?

To get the eleven month advantage -- which is precisely how all those other BWV owners got the nights OP wanted. They used their membership as it was meant to be used.

Sometimes we can't book eleven months out, and sometimes we don't get what we'd like, but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the system. It just means that, in that one particular situation, other owners were able to make better use of their memberships than we were.

 

[TTFN!]

This thread makes me not want to invest in the DVC anymore. I can see why a lot of people think time shares are a scam. If your home is the BWV and you try booking 10 months ahead of time and they can't accomodate you, what is the point to buying into a specific place like BWV?

My wife and I have been hesitant to become members but we really want to. But after seeing how it works and a post like this, it really seems like Disney will bend you over at will...actually there's no surprise there. They are all about making money anyway but I though maybe there was more to it.

We wanted BWV or WLV but since they're so expensive, if anything we'll probably go with AKV since they're pushing it so much, maybe we'll be able to get a deal. But I have a feeling they're pushing it so much because no one wants to buy in there for some reason....maybe the animals stink up the place?

Sorry for the negative post, it's just very disheartening to hear a post like this. BWV owner can't even reserve almost a year ahead of time? That's BS. What do you have to reserve 2 years in advance?

I don't know if the DVC is a good match for you or not, or if you don't fully appreciate the DVC system.

In a 'traditional' time share you would go to the same resort, the same room for the same dates every year. Your 'week'. This would work well for you (only based on your post), as nobody could bend you over so-to-speak. But many other timeshare owners found the set unit/week/resort to be too restrictive. Disney offers a point based system that offers tremendously more flexibility....Any week, Any Resort, Any Time, *BUT* at a trade off, you need to book certain times more aggressively. IMHO, it is both unfair and disingenuous to complain about not getting an ultra-high demand week (say Christmas) if you don't book it as early as possible, say 11 months in advance. This is how the point based system works, and all of us should have known that before we purchased.

Right now you can get plenty of OKW studios for september, but some BCV studios are sold out for next January. So to utilize a more flexible system, I would hazard the Owner needs a little more flexibility.

Or simply put, I like vanilla, you seem to like chocholate.

Disney is certainly *NOT* bending anyone over.....

JMHO, VMMV!

 

[disneynutz]

The increasing popularity of WDW makes it more difficult for everyone. The only one to blame is Disney. Their business model has them maxing out everything. Disney is very good at filling in slower periods and really overbooking the popular periods. Conventions, sporting events, free dining, food and wine, flower shows , Halloween parities, Christmas parities , Pirate parities , you name it.

Booking at CRO is much harder then it used to be. Booking at DVC is the same way. Disney has created a new game, it's called fight for your space. In order to get what you want, you need to play the game and call 180 days before you want to eat and 11 months before you want to sleep. How about the people who come a day early and stay off site. They want to be the first to check in with the hopes of getting their room choice. I think that some people are getting a little tired of playing the game.

 

[hansel1]

I would have to agree with the other posters. If you know that you would like to go to disney during peak seasons, you will have to plan accordingly. And planning accordingly usually means the 11 month window.

Christmas at disney is crazy crowded and as such the desired accomodations go fast.

The OP was venting his displeasure with trying to book during the holidays, not really with DVC itself.

If you can plan your vacation close to a year ahead of time then DVC is a good fit for you. If you take last minute vacations and want a high demand resort in a high demand season, you should probably not purchase DVC.

Everyone has their own opinions, but you are reading the DVC boards and most people that post are either members or future members.

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip).... I can put my points in holding and will definitely use them within a year.....

The points go into the holding account only if you cancel 30 days or less prior to arrival. Since you have a cash back up, my advice is to let the waitlist expire at the 31 day mark if it hasn't come through by then. (All waitlists expire at the 31 day mark - you have to call MS and request to stay on it if you want it to go beyond that date). If you can bank the points at that time, do it and use the cash back up.

Don't let the points go into holding if you can help it - it's a real pain to have to make reservations 60 days or less from arrival. Availability is often very limited once you get to that 60 day point.

Hope your waitlist comes through somewhere. Good luck!

 

[Deb & Bill]

What specifically did you waitlist? Boardwalk view? Standard View? Did you try to get the preferred view? With preferred view equaling about 60% of the resort, you would like a preferred view would have been available at 10 months.

 

[DebbieB]

This thread makes me not want to invest in the DVC anymore. I can see why a lot of people think time shares are a scam. If your home is the BWV and you try booking 10 months ahead of time and they can't accomodate you, what is the point to buying into a specific place like BWV?

My wife and I have been hesitant to become members but we really want to. But after seeing how it works and a post like this, it really seems like Disney will bend you over at will...actually there's no surprise there. They are all about making money anyway but I though maybe there was more to it.

We wanted BWV or WLV but since they're so expensive, if anything we'll probably go with AKV since they're pushing it so much, maybe we'll be able to get a deal. But I have a feeling they're pushing it so much because no one wants to buy in there for some reason....maybe the animals stink up the place?

Sorry for the negative post, it's just very disheartening to hear a post like this. BWV owner can't even reserve almost a year ahead of time? That's BS. What do you have to reserve 2 years in advance?

The other members booked at 11 months. The rooms are all reserved. How can they make a reservation for you at 10 months if the rooms are already booked by other members? It's not DVC's fault that other members called when it first became available. There's not an endless supply of rooms. I don't understand what you want them to do.

 

[disneynutz]

The other members booked at 11 months. The rooms are all reserved. How can they make a reservation for you at 10 months if the rooms are already booked by other members? It's not DVC's fault that other members called when it first became available. There's not an endless supply of rooms. I don't understand what you want them to do.

I for one would like DVD to be a little more honest and forthcoming with true availability information. If a prospective DVC owner doesn't know about the DIS, information from a owners prospective is hard to find. When we asked our first Guide about availability at Christmas, we were told that our home resort shouldn't be a problem.