Does anyone know if DVC availability on II is always for studio's? Also, is there a best time to look for DVC availability (ie. after midnight, early morning, etc.)?
Most of us would have no idea of that. Some of the folks here are members of II through other timeshares and may be able to answer that better. DVC members are not II members, but do exchanges through DVD, who facilitates the exchanges for us. We have no access to the II site since we are not II members.
I'm a DVC member who traded DVC points for an II exchange. I had traded points into the system to make a trade outside DVC into II a couple of years ago, although I just did the actual Search last month. I had to deposit enough points for a 1BR or 2BR at DVC, if you wanted the same elsewhere. You could not deposit points that would cover a studio only. A DVC member who has deposited points into the II system can allow their search to include a studio, since it is a lesser room than they deposited, but they told me I could not request a 2BR if I only deposited a 1BR. (This differed from when I actually put the points in the system.)
I got the impression from MS that the rooms opened up to II members exchanging in to DVC were 1BR.
I am not a DVC member and have gotten into DVC resorts through II. II has mostly studios, some 1 bedrooms, and a few 2 bedrooms. They go fast. Best search results seem to be around 7am. I just landed a one bedroom at OKW for the last week of June, 2008 .
According to the '07-'08 Vacation Planner, exchanges through II are as follows:
1 BR - low season - 124 pts
1 BR - mid season - 144 pts
1 BR - high season - 160 pts
2 BR - high season - 207 pts
2 BR - mid season - 252 pts
2 BR - high season - 270 pts
No mention of studios being available. However, a 1 BR through II may not be the same as a 1BR at DVC. We traded out in the spring for a 1BR and got what I considered to be a large studio. It was just one huge room with a microwave kitchen (no stove or traditional oven). The sofa was next to the bed and there was a fairly large kitchen table. There also was no washer/dryer in the unit. While it was fine for DH and myself, it definitely was not a WDW 1BR.
Point-wise it was 23 points more than a studio, but 76 points less than a 1BR during Adventure season at Boardwalk.
All three calls I made to trade out were made at night. Only once was not able to get something in a location I wanted (I pretty much knew that before I called - popular location in high season/short time frame). While trading out may not be the wisest use of your DVC points financially, DH & I will occasionally trade out if we decide we really want to go somewhere and have as little OOP expenses as possible.
Does anyone know if DVC availability on II is always for studio's? Also, is there a best time to look for DVC availability (ie. after midnight, early morning, etc.)?
Most availability is for studios and 1 BR and tend to be relatively off season, esp Jan, May, Sept and early Dec for WDW. The new units tend to be loaded into II's computer system somewhere around 6-6:30 AM most days.
If you've put in a request, will the units that become available automatically be offered to you? That was my impression. I don't need to call again, right?
If you've put in a request, will the units that become available automatically be offered to you? That was my impression. I don't need to call again, right?
If you put in a request and get an "exact" match, they will lock it in for you without calling. You can call and make changes if you want. II considers any Fri, Sat or Sun for the week you request to be an exact match. You can often force it to specific days only but it's hit or miss in this area. So if they have all the correct info and you put in an ongoing request plus paid the $75 fee, you should be as set as possible at present.