Just told by member services..........

[DisneyDame27]

That they have no availability at SSR to extend our trip one day(10/28) unless I pay cash for the available rooms. I guess member points are worth as much anymore.

 

[Granny]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Are you upset because member inventory has been booked and cash reservations are all that are available?

You are looking at trying to book a very popular Halloween weekend night 23 days in advance. Not sure why you'd think that points aren't worth as much as they used to be.

 

[cloudnut220]

There is only so much member inventory at a resort. Once it's gone it's gone, but they are always willing to do a cash stay for you (those rooms must not book as quickly). I had the same issue for AKL the weekend before.

 

[gailg3horses]

I had the same problem when trying to book a last minute weekend trip. Was told no more inventory with points but if I wanted to pay cash they could accomodate me. It was aggravating and I did not book the room. If I wanted to pay cash, I would have called CRO. I wanted to use my points. So I get what you're saying. They did say sometimes at the last minute cash inventory is made available as points inventory, if it has not been booked, so it may be worth trying again.

 

[DisneyDame27]

There is no availability for any kind of room at any DVC resort for a DVC member on Thursday Oct 28th. There are rooms available to the general public but not to DVC members.

I'm ambivalent - not sure how I should feel, disappointed, disgusted or sad. DVC has let me down once again.

We have put ours up for sale, waiting for best offer.

 

[wildernessDad]

Members exchange their points for other things. That's part of the reason why there may not be something available on points. Did you realize this? There are other reasons why a points reservation may not be available.

 

[DisneyDame27]

Thanks for the feed back guys. I guess I'm just so disappointed with this entire organization.

I understand members exchanging for other reasons cruises etc. I guess I just don't understand why you would want to have empty rooms at any resort. If a DVC member wants to book the additional day to the end of an already existing reservation wouldn't that be better than no booking at all?

I appreciate being able to vent...............

 

[DVCconvert]

You're 23 days out.
What did you expect? It's one of THE busiest times of year and as others have said the system is, and always has been designed to work this way. Any amount of research into DVC should show clearly that for the best outcome planning ahead - measured in months - has to be done.

I don't mean to sound unsympathic, but gosh...you're only 23 days out...I don't think this should be a huge surprise or let down. If you'd tried to extend even just 6 weeks ago, you're outcome may have been very different.

I appreciate being able to vent...............

I guess I just don't understand why you would want to have empty rooms at any resort. If a DVC member wants to book the additional day to the end of an already existing reservation wouldn't that be better than no booking at all?

DVC doesn't want empty rooms, that's why, as it gets close the inventory of rooms not taken by members is turned over to be made available for cash paying people...this benefits DVC members as it helps to lower the costs of operating..if DVC didn't do this, each dvc room left unfilled would add costs to the membership as a whole.

 

[chalee94]

points inventory and cash inventory are different.

once an owner uses their pts to trade out for a cruise or a stay at the poly, DVC has to turn those pts into cash to pay for the trade. no cash received = no more trades out.

if you plan 8-11 months out, you will rarely have an issue booking with pts. if you expect to get what you want at less than 3-4 months out, that is awfully optimistic. planning in advance is part of the tradeoff you accepted in buying a timeshare.

 

[ttepsich]

We booked a "last minute trip" to BCV for mid November. ( I like to book 11 months out.) The first week in July I tried to get a studio for Nov.11th. Nothing available. I booked it anyway for cash with a DVC discount. You see "last minute" for me was 4 months out. I really wasn't expecting availability. Sure I would have liked to have used my points but I know this is a busy time. I am waitlisted, but not holding my breath.

 

[vicki_c]

To the PP who said "if I wanted to pay cash, I would call CRO" - just realize that DVC rooms booked for cash through Member Services usually can be reserved at a 25% discount.

 

[Havana]

I have had success at times with last minute DVC reservations and I am thrilled when that works out. Other times like last weekend we tried for a room and there was nothing in a studio or a one bedroom. We understood, it wasn't anybody's fault but our own for not planning sooner. I think it also has to do with the time of the year. October is known for being very busy with Food and Wine guests. I think the rooms have been booked up for some time now.
Keep trying if you can, something might open up

 

[disneynutz]

There is no availability for any kind of room at any DVC resort for a DVC member on Thursday Oct 28th. There are rooms available to the general public but not to DVC members.

I'm ambivalent - not sure how I should feel, disappointed, disgusted or sad. DVC has let me down once again.

We have put ours up for sale, waiting for best offer.

We have been on a waitlist for a BWV 1 bedroom for 12/9 for a couple of months and have learned from experience that we probably won't get it. That is what happens when you try to add days to your reservation less than 7 mounts out.

Disney is not beholden to DVC Members, Disney is a business.

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

I'm sorry the OP feels disappointed with DVC. But really, it is the way any timeshare that offers cash equivalent trades (cruises, cash hotels) would have to operate, or pass that cost along to all members through higher annual fees.

DVC is, at its heart, a timeshare. Governed by the same basic operating rules and laws as other timeshares. For point based, flexible stay timeshares, there will likely always be some rooms not available on points but available for cash, especially when trying to book on short notice.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

There is no availability for any kind of room at any DVC resort for a DVC member on Thursday Oct 28th. There are rooms available to the general public but not to DVC members.

I'm ambivalent - not sure how I should feel, disappointed, disgusted or sad. DVC has let me down once again.

We have put ours up for sale, waiting for best offer.

DVC did exactly what they said they do.

Sorry, but members want to trade to go on the member cruise, Adventures by Disney, DLP etc..... those companies want $$$. So when I trade DVC takes those points and rents out the room.


Do you want them only to rent rooms when no one wants to come? LOL! That is not going to work.

The "let me down" was not DVC buy your failure to understand what you bought. Now you want to take your toys and go home.... I expect you will be even more "let down" when you see what the "best offer" is in this market.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

That they have no availability at SSR to extend our trip one day(10/28) unless I pay cash for the available rooms. I guess member points are worth as much anymore.

Another item to take into account is the time frame that others have mentioned. At less than 30 days from the start of a reservation if the reservation is cancelled the points will go into holding which will severely limit what the member can do with those points. You have selected a very popular time for DVC members to visit the world, and are within the time when members are not likely to cancel their existing reservations.

You could always make a room only reservation via CRO which would give you the 5 day cancellation window for cash reservations, and then continue contacting Member Services to check for DVC availability. Probably not what you wanted, but possibly the best way to handle the current situation you are in if you have your heart set to be at WDW during this time.

 

[awilliams4]

OP,

This is the way it is supposed to work. No availability 23 days out is a good sign, that basically means the system is working efficiently. SSR isn't even sold out. Point Inventory and Cash Inventory are two totally different things maintained by two totally different entities. How is CRO supposed to give DVC rooms that it owns to be used by members using points that has never even been sold to DVC?

DVC let you down? Sorry, you just do not understand how it works.

You are selling your contract over this? Sounds like a lot of effort and time is being put into all the wrong avenues. Try educating yourself on how it works before blaming something you do not understand.

 

[DebbieB]

There could be members still on the waitlist for that night too.

In 12 years of being a member, the only time I was shutout is when I called 3 weeks out for a Sunday night in mid October. No DVC rooms available, any resort, any room size. I stayed at POFQ with points (before the exchange fee). I once got a night at BCV 1 week out, but it was early February. These were both add ons to Orlando business trips.

 

[lilpooh108]

OP,

This is the way it is supposed to work. No availability 23 days out is a good sign, that basically means the system is working efficiently. SSR isn't even sold out.

 

[hakepb]

There is no availability for any kind of room at any DVC resort for a DVC member on Thursday Oct 28th. There are rooms available to the general public but not to DVC members.

I'm ambivalent - not sure how I should feel, disappointed, disgusted or sad. DVC has let me down once again.

We have put ours up for sale, waiting for best offer.

Say you buy a beach condo.
Back in Summer, you decided you will not visit the beach in October.
You find out Bob's Condo rentals will pay you in advance for the rights to rent out your condo, whether or not they find a renter. Its a sweet deal so you sign the contract and use the cash to book a winter cruise.
Fast forward to this week. Your friend Kim comes up to you and says she is going to the beach next week and wonders if your condo is available. You say, sorry I rented it to Bob's.
Kim calls Bob's and find out your condo is available for a cash rental. Kim storms back to you, and yells she is no longer your friend because your condo is not booked, why did you not let Kim use your condo for free?

Is Kim's reaction rational?