Is DVC for us?

[Jon99]

I own a lawncare company and my wife is a teacher, right now we have been going at either her spring break or at Christmas but now that we have kids would like to at least attempt to make it down during other times. Problem is that the only time we might be able to do this is during the summer months if we hit a dry spell and my schedule slows down. Obviously we can not predict that out 11 or 7 months ahead of time, but most likely only at the last minute in July or August. Could we ever expect to land a reservation at any of the resorts 1 or 2 weeks before arrival?

 

[simpilotswife]

As long as you are flexible about where you want to stay you should be able to find some accommodations during the summer.

 

[Dean]

To buy DVC with the idea of making reservations at 1-2 weeks out is simply a extremely poor choice. Frankly, your chances of success for this situation and out of school times is exremely low. Better choices for you could be cash trips and renting points. You may want to line up someone to rent from regularly, which would be the only way I'd think you'll find anyone willing to work with you on such short notice without payment up front. But then it's going to be use or lose at your expense. Or you might consider off property timeshares options elsewhere and try to trade in short notice when you can go. Almost always SOMTHING will be available except maybe Xmas and Easter.

 

[chris1gill]

Actually, I'm going to respectfully disagree with Dean on this one I think if you can plan your Christmas or Spring break at the 11 or 7 month mark (which it sounds like you can) & you only want to occasionally take last minute trips in the summer, I think you might be successful at this.. You have to go in realizing that you will need to take any unit at any resort for any period of time... you might have to transfer resorts after a few nights, you'll need some flexibility... Personally, I've called DVC out of the blue & had a reservation at the resort that night... so it can be done, you just need to go in with your eyes wide open on this one

 

[Jon99]

If we have to go at Christmas or Spring Break, that would be fine, but would at some point during the next 20-25 years while we work, sneak in an occasional trip were the parks aren't as crowded, even if its a 4 day weekend trip in January or Febuary..

 

[chris1gill]

Marathon Weekend in January would be near impossible to get last minute.... other than that, if you were flexible on location & room type, I think it's possible for the other weekends in January & early February...

 

[Dean]

Actually, I'm going to respectfully disagree with Dean on this one I think if you can plan your Christmas or Spring break at the 11 or 7 month mark (which it sounds like you can) & you only want to occasionally take last minute trips in the summer, I think you might be successful at this.. You have to go in realizing that you will need to take any unit at any resort for any period of time... you might have to transfer resorts after a few nights, you'll need some flexibility... Personally, I've called DVC out of the blue & had a reservation at the resort that night... so it can be done, you just need to go in with your eyes wide open on this one

It's ok to disagree Chris, but let me tell you my thinking. Summer, at least during times when schools are out, is a much busier time than most of the rest. And while one might be able to get a room in this situation part of the time, it is extremely unlikely to be a consistent option even if you don't care where you stay. Even if one is successful 80% of the time, that 20% would likely ruin it for most. And that's especially true for someone who will have limited options on going. If the OP missed a single opportunity due to lack of availability, that might be more than they could handle. Plus in general there are simply too many variables and risk to make buying a good choice with the plan of making a large portion of the trips on 1-2 weeks notice. Also remember that at 2 months, breakage inventory is turned over for rental so even rooms that would have been available then are no longer consistently available.

 

[PamOKW]

There is another way to do this and guarantee better success.

It is always easier to cancel a reservation than to try to get one at the last minute.

I'm sure you can "guesstimate" when your slow time in the summer will be. Make a reservation for your best guess at when that free week might be. As you get closer to the travel date, you can make a decision to either try to move the reservation forward or back or cancel all together and just take a shot at what you can get last minute. The idea of going "some year" in either January or October is even easier. Go ahead and book it. At the 31 day mark (or any time before that) you can decide to cancel if you know it's just not going to work.

DVC actually helps to force you to move toward making vacations happen. You could say "some year we'd like to......" and never actually get around to making it happen. And before you know it the kids are grown and off on their own vacations.

 

[diznyfanatic]

...Also remember that at 2 months, breakage inventory is turned over for rental so even rooms that would have been available then are no longer consistently available.

Dean, I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly is "breakage inventory"? Does this mean rooms that need some type of repair or maintenence are taken out of inventory thereby reducing the total availability?

 

[jimmytammy]

The fact that you own your own business makes it somewhat easier to be a member. At least it does for me. Though I cant foresee what the future might hold in my business, busy vs. slow times, it allows me the time to plan.

Like another poster said, DVC will "force" you to vacation. And this aint a bad thing

 

[Didney Daddy]

Typically, the most happy DVC buyers are the following:

1) Love all things Disney
2) Go to WDW every year or two
3) Can plan 7-11 months in advance
4) Have the organizational skills to manage points
5) Have the financial resources available to afford this luxury

You may have an issue with #3. There are workarounds which the other posters have noted but you are causing yourself stress which is not the Disney happy way. Sometimes it is better to just rent and not experience the stress of trying to desperately cobble something together at the last moment only to be sometimes disappointed. If you "know" you are going every spring break for example, buy just that amount of points and reserve accordingly. You can always just rent for those spur of the moment decisions during the summer.

 

[crisi]

Dean, I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly is "breakage inventory"? Does this mean rooms that need some type of repair or maintenence are taken out of inventory thereby reducing the total availability?

Its pretty much the opposite. Its the unused points. Say you own 150 points, use 147 of them and don't bother to bank the 3 (perhaps because you know you won't go next year, perhaps because you forget). Those three points are breakage inventory.

 

[pb4ugo]

jon99 -
i think pamokw has a great idea when she says that breaking a ressie would be easier to do than get a last minute ressie...with more rooms coming on line with the completion of ssr, those rooms could quite possible be easy to reserve when you want that spur of the minute getaway...i just don't think it would be realistic to think that you would be able to get a last minute ressie at some of the smaller resorts...the posters here have posed a lot of possibilities for you to think about - hope you're not overwhelmed like we were before we made up our minds to buy!

 

[jeremys111]

To buy DVC with the idea of making reservations at 1-2 weeks out is simply a extremely poor choice. Frankly, your chances of success for this situation and out of school times is exremely low. Better choices for you could be cash trips and renting points..

Dean, Im still up in the air if im going to join but im confused by this...
IF im going to rent from someone wont they have the same problem getting a room as me if I owend?

 

[diznyfanatic]

Its pretty much the opposite. Its the unused points. Say you own 150 points, use 147 of them and don't bother to bank the 3 (perhaps because you know you won't go next year, perhaps because you forget). Those three points are breakage inventory.

Ahhh okay. Thanks for the explanation, crisi!

 

[rinkwide]

...Christmas or Spring Break...4 day weekend...

I think you need to check a point chart and do some more math.

 

[Dean]

Dean, Im still up in the air if im going to join but im confused by this...
IF im going to rent from someone wont they have the same problem getting a room as me if I owend?

That is exactly the point. Then you won't be on the hook and can look at other options without consequence.

 

[Jon99]

I think you need to check a point chart and do some more math.

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