I really wish that DVC had more inventory!

[Simba's Mom]

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.

What is "developer's inventory"? I've heard the term before but never knew what it meant. But now that I'm in that same position (of being waitlisted for one day in the middle of my trip), I'm wondering if this is something I should have checked on.

BTW, where in "South Texas" are you? Anywhere near/in the Rio Grande Valley, like me? Now that's REAL South? Or are you in what is commonly considered South, way up north in the Houston area? So far, the furthest South Diser I've found is up in Corpus (if they're still around), then San Antonio area.

 

[DebbieB]

What is "developer's inventory"? I've heard the term before but never knew what it meant. But now that I'm in that same position (of being waitlisted for one day in the middle of my trip), I'm wondering if this is something I should have checked on.

Developers Inventory are points that DVD (Disney Vacation Development, who actually sells the DVC points) holds back for their use. I believe the contract allows up to 4% of the total points available.

 

[Deb & Bill]

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.

Christmas IS always available, but you have to call at 11 months. At 7 months you might be able to change over to another resort if another member with that as her/his home resort is also looking to change.

 

[Bill K]

Something should be done. I have been shut out 2 years in a row for my home resort BWV. I followed all the advice and bought where I intended to stay most of my time. Apparently this is not the case. With all the renters, ebayers, etc. Its getting harder and harder to confirm at my home resort. Its great to have all the flexibility, but there has to be limits!! Maybe its time to call the Timeshare Store...

 

[Deb & Bill]

Something should be done. I have been shut out 2 years in a row for my home resort BWV. I followed all the advice and bought where I intended to stay most of my time. Apparently this is not the case. With all the renters, ebayers, etc. Its getting harder and harder to confirm at my home resort. Its great to have all the flexibility, but there has to be limits!! Maybe its time to call the Timeshare Store...

Once again, when were you trying to reserve, what were you trying to reserve and how far out did you call? It makes a difference.

 

[disneynutz]

Christmas IS always available, but you have to call at 11 months. At 7 months you might be able to change over to another resort if another member with that as her/his home resort is also looking to change.

We were wait listed at 11 months, BCV for a 2 Bedroom first week in December last year. It never came through. This year BCV was only available through 12/25 and we are staying until 12/29. So our last three nights we are at SSR. I didn't try day at a time. After spending thousands of dollars, fighting for a reservation a day at a time rubs me the wrong way.

 

[CarolMN]

We were wait listed at 11 months, BCV for a 2 Bedroom first week in December last year. It never came through. This year BCV was only available through 12/25 and we are staying until 12/29. So our last three nights we are at SSR. I didn't try day at a time. After spending thousands of dollars, fighting for a reservation a day at a time rubs me the wrong way.

Just curious - were you trying for the dedicated 2 bedroom with 2 queens in the second bedroom? Or were there no 2 bedrooms at all available when you called for your reservations?

 

[Bill K]

Planning a vacation should be pleasurable. Calling everyday hoping for ressies and being put on a waitlist does not seem to be very reassuring! Sometimes I wonder if just paying cash is the way to go. 11 month window is great sometimes, but who wants to spend time on a vacation planning the next vacation!!!

 

[Caskbill]

We were wait listed at 11 months, BCV for a 2 Bedroom first week in December last year. It never came through. This year BCV was only available through 12/25 and we are staying until 12/29. So our last three nights we are at SSR. I didn't try day at a time. After spending thousands of dollars, fighting for a reservation a day at a time rubs me the wrong way.

Of course don't forget that the other members who did get those reservation dates also paid "thousands of dollars" for their memberships. The day-by-day booking for extremely popular times works and is fair for everyone. Statistically only 1 out of 52 members can get a specific Christmas week. If 3 out of 52 members actually want it, two will not get in. DVC is sold to be at basically full capacity 'year round'.

While you may not like day-by-day booking, it works, but you are handicapping yourself by not doing it. Since bookings are based on check-0ut date, If you want to stay thru the 29th, and a dozen others are only staying through the 28th, then you are allowing everyone of them to book their reservations first. And if more are only staying through the 27th, they also will all be booking before you.

Keep in mind that DVC is very different: Everyone pays the same price and everyone has the same opportunity to book the same dates.

Look at any fixed week timeshare program, or even those that have different 'seasons' (silver, gold, platinum, diamond etc) and you'll find that if you want Christmas weeks, you'll pay Thousands, or Tens of thousands more for that week than someone who is buying a lower demand week. DVC doesn't do it that way.

With DVC, everyone pays the same for their points (At whatever the current rate is). No one can pay 'more' and get a higher 'rating' (for example purchasing a platinum week instead of a gold week) which would give them a priority for high demand weeks.

 

[DebbieB]

Planning a vacation should be pleasurable. Calling everyday hoping for ressies and being put on a waitlist does not seem to be very reassuring! Sometimes I wonder if just paying cash is the way to go. 11 month window is great sometimes, but who wants to spend time on a vacation planning the next vacation!!!

I've done day by day for the first week of December many times (BWV - either standard or boardwalk view), it's not that difficult. I want to be sure to get what I want, I've never not gotten it. If you are not proactive, then you may not get what you want. Other members who are willing to take action will get it. I'm not sure what you want DVC to do, it's first come first served. There are only a few cases where day by day is necessary, it's not the norm. I called for a week at the beginning of May next year about a week or two after the 11 month passed, no problem.

 

[Starr W.]

I've done day by day for the first week of December many times (BWV - either standard or boardwalk view), it's not that difficult. I want to be sure to get what I want, I've never not gotten it. If you are not proactive, then you may not get what you want. Other members who are willing to take action will get it. I'm not sure what you want DVC to do, it's first come first served. There are only a few cases where day by day is necessary, it's not the norm. I called for a week at the beginning of May next year about a week or two after the 11 month passed, no problem.

Sorry BillK, but I think you need to know that some systems even with a fixed week you have a window to call and let them know if you want to use your unit. Alot of systems have a "floating season" and you have to call to get the week you want. Just like DVC you have to be on it pronto to get a holiday week. Just read on TUG about Marriott owners not getting sat/sun checkin days for July 4th 2008(some could get the "lame" fri check in).

 

[disneynutz]

Just curious - were you trying for the dedicated 2 bedroom with 2 queens in the second bedroom? Or were there no 2 bedrooms at all available when you called for your reservations?

Last year no 2 bedrooms dedicated, any combo. For this year no two bedrooms dedicated any combo after the 25th . We are in a dedicated 2 bedroom with a queen/sofa and this year and wait listed for a queen/queen. Some people like their queen beds and some people like their kings.

 

[disneynutz]

I understand what you are saying. I just wish that I knew then what I know now. The home resort advantage that the Guides sell isn't much of an advantage when you have to get up early to be the first caller to book a day at a time. The crowds at WDW are getting worse and discounts seem to be getting less. If the magic wears off and vacation becomes not fun any more we will sell and move on to our next interest. Our last interest was motorhoming and owning RV resort property. That interest turned sour when the resort associations went on a power trip and ruined the vacation experience. Another life lesson.

 

[Bill K]

My home resort is BWV. I bought where I would like to stay. The system should give the "home owners" top priority over any other request, may it be cash,rented,or members from other DVC resorts. It should not be this difficult! There should never be the situation where there is a room available for cash yet I cannot get a ressie at my home resort. Hey if I have to call day to day to get what I want I'll do so, Im very proactive!!!

I wonder if the bigger resorts like OKW or Saratoga Springs has this problem?

 

[Deb & Bill]

My home resort is BWV. I bought where I would like to stay. The system should give the "home owners" top priority over any other request, may it be cash,rented,or members from other DVC resorts. It should not be this difficult! There should never be the situation where there is a room available for cash yet I cannot get a ressie at my home resort. Hey if I have to call day to day to get what I want I'll do so, Im very proactive!!!

I wonder if the bigger resorts like OKW or Saratoga Springs has this problem?

But BWV owners DO have top priority when booking. They have the first four months to make any reservations that they want. If anything is left at 7 months, all DVC members have the right to make that reservation. And there will probably always be cash reservations available through Disney because a member traded out their BWV points to go on the cruise, or go to DLP or DL or whatever. When a member uses their points for anything other than DVC reservations, those go to Disney to sell to recoup the funds to pay for those reservations.

Plus any reservations left over at 60 days out to to Disney to sell to anyone who wants them. DVC doesn't want vacancies that don't generate any funds. Somebody has to want to go to VB in early Feb.

 

[CarolMN]

......The home resort advantage that the Guides sell isn't much of an advantage when you have to get up early to be the first caller to book a day at a time......

Sorry this just strikes me as funny. South Texas is in the Central time zone and that means you have to call right at 8 am (9 am Eastern). That's not very early, LOL. I'd have more sympathy if you lived on the West coast or Hawaii.

 

[CarolMN]

My home resort is BWV. I bought where I would like to stay. The system should give the "home owners" top priority over any other request, may it be cash,rented,or members from other DVC resorts. It should not be this difficult! There should never be the situation where there is a room available for cash yet I cannot get a ressie at my home resort.

I understand that this situation is frustrating. However, it exists because DVC allows members to use their points outside of DVC. By far, most of the cash inventory comes from members who use points to cruise, stay at the non-DVC WDW resorts or choose one of the other non-DVC options. Personally, I could live without the non-DVC options, but I suspect you and I and a very few others would be in the minority here. Most like having the non-DVC options available, even if they don't use them.

...Hey if I have to call day to day to get what I want I'll do so, I'm very proactive!!!.....

Now that you know that you do have to call day by day for certain times of the year at the BWV, you won't get shut out again. But really, day by day is only necessary for certain times of the year.

I booked a standard view at the BWV for next May with only one call. I did call at 11 months, though. I'm sure there is still availability now for May at the BWV, but maybe not SV or Boardwalk view. For October - December or any Holiday times I would always book day by day if I wanted SV or Boardwalk view. For December, I'd definitely book day by day for Thanksgiving week and for the time between Christmas & New Year's day no matter what view I wanted. FWIW, I think New Year's Eve at the BWV is the most difficult DVC reservation to get.

....I wonder if the bigger resorts like OKW or Saratoga Springs has this problem?...

Except for Grand Villa weeknights at OKW for certain times of the year, I've never heard of problems at 11 months for either OKW or SSR.

In my opinion, it is more difficult to book BWV at 11 months than it used to be in the past. I think it is because members are becoming more educated about using the reservation system to their advantage, and also because non-BWV owners have been buying small contracts specifically to get the home resort advantage for specific times (Food & Wine, December). They are using it! It only takes a few 50 point owners who want early December and who are willing to call day by day to book up the SV studios. 5 weekdays in a SV studio for early December is only 45 points.

Anyway, my point is that those BWV owners who want to stay at their home resort during popular times must accept that day by day calling is required - if we don't do it, we may lose out. There are plenty of others out there who are motivated to do it, and not all of them are renters.

 

[disneynutz]

Sorry this just strikes me as funny. South Texas is in the Central time zone and that means you have to call right at 8 am (9 am Eastern). That's not very early, LOL. I'd have more sympathy if you lived on the West coast or Hawaii.

If I told you that I don't get off work until 2AM get me a little sympathy?

 

[CarolMN]

If I told you that I don't get off work until 2AM get me a little sympathy?

Yes! Definitely!

 

[3DisneyKids]

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?

No the animals don't stink up the place... I think the only negative about AKV is the location...it is quite far removed from most things, comparitively speaking. But even then, you have bus transportation to get you wherever you need to go. With BWV and BCV, you can walk to Epcot and MGM...OKW and SSR you can walk to DTD, and VWL has the boat directly to MK. AKV is not walking distance to anything.

In terms of not getting a res at 10 months out...don't let this stop you from buying DVC. Realize that this is the most busy week of the year...and most people call exactly at 11 months and do day-by-day for this particular week.

However, if you are like us and do not travel during peak times, you will get your choice of resort. Here are my experiences this year...we went in May...booked in Feburary, only 3 months out...got BWV (we own at SSR). We could have had any resort except for BCV.

We are going again next month...I booked at SEVEN WEEKS out...and again, everything was available except BCV. I could have even gotten BWV - Boardwalk View! I could have booked VWL (which is the smallest). But I opted for AKV (gotta check it out!)

We have done 6 DVC trips in the last two years and have always booked close to travel time...I think the farthest ahead we have ever booked out is 4 months. One time, the only thing available was SSR (which is actually our first choice more often than not). For each of the other five trips, we had choices available.

It all depends on when you choose to travel as well as the size of your accommodations. We always get one bedrooms, which are the easiest to secure.