Is May a busy or slow time for DVC reservations?

[Buttercup Roberts]

Hi everyone,

What are our chances of getting a last minute reservation in May? Sometimes there are great airfare sales, like right now on Southwest Airlines, in May.

If we owned DVC and wanted to book a trip with say just six weeks' notice, over a long weekend, in a Studio, would we have a chance of getting anything? Anything other than SSR or OKW?

Thanks for your input.

 

[mikesmom]

It's actually not too bad. The parks will get progressively more crowded as the month goes on and the schools in the South let out for the Summer. Memorial Day weekend is tough, but the rest may be doable. Remember, though, if you are asking for "anything other than OKW or SSR" you are asking for the smaller resorts and that may be a challenge just because there are now lots of members and not so many rooms (comparatively) at those resorts.

I would think you would get something if you are flexible. JMHO

 

[Figment2]

A couple of years ago, friends & I decided to go for a short trip over Mother's Day weekend (about a week and a half before). We were there for three nights and moved every day. There was NO studios available anywhere for Mother's Day. We started off at OKW, moved to Yacht Club, then moved back to OKW.

I don't know if any 1BR were available.

Cyn

 

[MrsToad]

I spoke with Member Services this past Saturday and happened to ask about the availability of Studios and One Bedrooms for 5/5 to 5/11. SSR had both types available while OKW had only One Bedrooms. I was told there were no other Studios or One Bedrooms available on points at the other resorts.

 

[SSDonut]

For what it's worth:

Inquired about availability of a studio from 5/11-15 (a few weeks ago, so roughly 10 weeks out).

Could get the Fri and Sat at VWL and BWV, but not the Sat and Sun. Both OKW and SSR had studios available for the whole stay (and MS indicated there was a "fair" amount of availability at OKW if we needed to think it over. . .)

 

[alldiz]

I am going 5-22 for a week...
falls over memorial day weekend....

Only thing available now in studio is SSR...
Kerri

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for asking this! I have a studio ressie at OKW for April 29-May 5, and now DH's boss has called for an offsight meeting for all the IT department, and it includes wives. That meeting is going to be at WDW from May 16-20. I hate having to fly down there twice in as many weeks, so we might have to change our ressies a bit. I'm thinking I'll want to tack a few days on before the business part starts. BTW, they are REQUIRING that everyone stay at the Dolphin for that meeting. I'm not thrilled about that, but it will likely save me a few points!

 

[StacyPop]

I just booked at SSR for May 23-28
It was the only DVC left with Studios available. They said they had a lot left for that week, but that was last Friday.

 

[50 years Too!]

I'm tentatively planning a trip that will have to be only a few weeks out for end of April 2008. My friend's husband has an aggressive cancer that is in remission now but obviously we cannot plan too far out.
Have any of you had the same luck for end of April that members seem to be having for May?

 

[Buttercup Roberts]

Thank you everyone for the information. It is not what I wanted to hear! I am getting the feeling that a lot of SSR owners are booking anywhere but their home resort. I don't think it was this difficult in the past to get things in advance.

If owning DVC means having to book at the 10 month or 7 month window, always, that really gives me pause on whether we want to buy in or not. We take a lot of last minute trips, and we had been thinking we could use points to stay in OKW studios for some of them.

 

[Mtnman44]

Club members are all equal at 7 months out. It's a club, not a deeded unit ownership.

 

[JimMIA]

Hi everyone,

What are our chances of getting a last minute reservation in May? Sometimes there are great airfare sales, like right now on Southwest Airlines, in May.

If we owned DVC and wanted to book a trip with say just six weeks' notice, over a long weekend, in a Studio, would we have a chance of getting anything? Anything other than SSR or OKW?

Thanks for your input.

If trying to book an occasional last-minute trip is something you think you'd enjoy, you just have to try your luck.

If last minute trips would be your basic vacationing pattern, DVC may not work well for you because it's predicated on longer-range planning and booking. Sometimes you'll get lucky at SSR or OKW, but often you'll find nothing anywhere.

Also, if long weekends are your preferred vacation (rather than just an occasional thing), DVC might not be for you for that reason. Friday and Saturday nights' point costs are roughly double the costs for Sunday-Thursday, and that drastically alters the math if you're using a lot of Friday or Saturday nights.

 

[n2mm]

I called day by day at the 7 month window to get the first week of May at BWV and had to waitlist 3 of the days. But I was trying to get standard view (which I did). I also called exactly 7 months from checkout and booked a studio at the BCV (which I canceled when my waitlist came in). While it's possible to get in to either of these 2 in May at the 7 month window, getting in a short notice is hard to do. Even if there's a cancelation, the waitlist folks get the rooms first come first serve.

 

[Jennyvelaz]

I called day by day at the 7 month window to get the first week of May at BWV and had to waitlist 3 of the days. But I was trying to get standard view (which I did). I also called exactly 7 months from checkout and booked a studio at the BCV (which I canceled when my waitlist came in). While it's possible to get in to either of these 2 in May at the 7 month window, getting in a short notice is hard to do. Even if there's a cancelation, the waitlist folks get the rooms first come first serve.

We have enjoyed the spontaneity of our DVC and I feel terrible that you had to wait. That is major patience! How can it get any worse competing at the 7mo window with all the new contracts? Maybe next they'll take resort hopping away.

 

[alexturner74]

Yesterday, we were able to book a studio at OKW the weekend of May 12-13 and VB the weekend of May 19-20.

Alex

 

[DutchsMommy]

I booked late last week for a studio at SSR for May 17-21. We are waitlisted at BWV for either standard or pref studio. I think if you are planning a quick last minute trip you have to expect to stay wherever there is room. All the resorts are nice so I am not sweating where we stay.

 

[mikesmom]

Hey, it's not impossible! We were in Orlando on Feb 5th (at an offsite hotel for a conference), called DVC and got reservations for Feb 6th. Partly it depends on the time of year and partly it's whether you are flexible about where you want to stay.

 

[Camping Cat]

Amanda! LTNS!!! When in May are you thinking of going? We will be there 4/28-5/5. If you come, will Miles be coming with you, or will it be an adult get-away? It would be great to see y'all again! And you would get to meet our new granddaughter. Well, not that new.....she'll be 16 months old during our trip. Let me know your dates when/if they are settled. We'll be at OKW BTW.

 

[crisi]

DVC is designed to operate at something around 95% occupancy year round. If it isn't full or nearly full, someone is wasting points - and I'm sure every year a certain percentage of points do get wasted. DVC also "sells" their unused rooms to CRO to keep our dues lower (breakage income).

This doesn't mean its impossible to get a last minute room, but does make it difficult to jump on low airfare and be able to assume you can use your points to stay at Disney. Plus, with banking windows and points expiration, point managment can take a little planning so your points don't turn into breakage income for the rest of us.

 

[bmoncher]

Yesterday, we were able to book a studio at OKW the weekend of May 12-13 and VB the weekend of May 19-20.

Alex

So glad to hear that!
I bought a resale and have closed but are not in the disney system yet and I want a week from May 13-18.... So glad they had some rooms!